It was a few days after that conversation they learned some of their neighbors were planning to use the cosmic chamber in the basement. Mick was close to reaching level five and was willing to pay for any advantage that would help get him over the line. That seemed premature to Hector because the man's body enhancement couldn't be much higher than the peak of level two.

Because affording the labor for a run of the cosmic chamber was a bit too pricey for a single individual, Mick did his best to entice others into joining him. He managed to convince three others, one of which was a rather competitive Darius.

"I'm going to sit next to him and suck down all the cosmic energy before it reaches him. By the end of the session, I will advance to level six while he fails to reach five." Darius appeared positively gleeful as he plotted his victory over Mick.

Hector studied his friend, noting his energy reserves seemed significant. While Hector occasionally took advantage of the products in the cafe, Darius was a true believer in the elixirs they offered. Or maybe he was just trying to show off his wealth to Esther. Either way, Darius had prioritized growing his reserves over training his soul apertures, so the eunuch was close to his goal of level six. It didn't seem fair to accuse him of being a hollow spear when Darius's dungeon performance was as impressive as it was.

"They got three people to serve as attendants?" That was the thing Hector found most surprising. Surrendering hard-earned cosmic energy reserves in exchange for a small amount of credits seemed foolish to him. But he knew not everyone in Tian Tower had the same priorities. There were Xian living there who supported themselves with mundane jobs in things like construction and manufacturing.

Those people didn't necessarily seek to rise in power. They could cultivate an hour a day and then periodically donate their reserves to the cosmic chamber for some extra spending cash. Such a mentality didn't compute for him, but Hector knew he didn't have a normal disposition. That had been obvious long before he dreamed of Volithur. His lifelong passion for fitness and financial discipline were far from common in the general population. Most people just wanted to be comfortable and have fun every once in a while.

"Three people at soul level four," Darius confirmed. "Two of them are close to full reserves. The last one is around three quarters. I don't think it's going to be very impressive, especially given the state of the cosmic chamber. They're supposed to be made of stone from Tian, you know. This one is just normal stone."

Hector had investigated the interior of Tian Tower's chamber at one point. The stone was indeed inert, but the interior surfaces were lined with slats of wood from boxes and pallets, behind which insulation composed of paper wraps, linen rags, and sawdust had been stuffed. The packing materials used to deliver cafe purchases were repurposed as cheap alternatives to stone walls.

The purpose of cosmic energy rich stone in a cosmic chamber was two-fold. Most obviously, it radiated cosmic energy into its surroundings. This definitely provided some benefit, but the half life was so low that it honestly didn't matter much. It was the lesser known second benefit that could not be done without. There needed to be a barrier to prevent the diffusion of cosmic energy donated by the attendants. Mundane materials were porous and let the energy leak free almost as quickly as thin air. Matter infused with cosmic energy, on the other hand, resisted the leakage enough for more impressive densities of energy to build up.

According to Esther, the setup of their cosmic chamber was almost adequate for the second purpose. They cheated a little bit to help things along by creating some cosmic water and then vaporizing it in the chamber right before sealing it. The water vapor in the atmosphere would hold its charge slightly longer than free energy dumped into the air. It would still be far inferior than cultivating on Tian, but Hector understood that other people had to make do with what they could get. Not everyone could cultivate chaos. Though he now knew such a talent wasn't as rare as he once assumed. There were two people who could do it in this building alone.

To make sure his friend got the most out of the chamber, Hector had guided Darius to the shop of Master Sirius. Darius bought a case of nine wine bottles, which pushed Darius to the very precipice of the next level, positioning him for his advancement.

Hector joined the throng of people who gathered in the basement to witness the event. Unlike the exclusive event he remembered from the fifth household, this was a communal celebration. He stood between Darius and Riley as the attendants went around receiving their payments from the participants. They seemed rather pleased with the exchange, so either they needed the credits to relieve financial pressure or they were planning something fun with the proceeds.

Mick approached Riley and held out his arms for a hug. "Wish me luck?"

She embraced him without hesitation. "Good luck!"

Beside Hector, Darius bristled and muttered unkind things under his breath.

Then people began entering the chamber. Darius announced to them that he would return at level six. Riley offered him a big smile. "I know you will. You're so close already! I can't believe you're going to be stronger than Hector!"

His back straightened a bit at the praise. "I have certainly done well for myself. Hector could have advanced already if his priorities weren't confused." With that parting criticism, Darius squeezed through the narrow entrance. Esther used force cables to block the opening with a stone plug and the three attendants stationed themselves around the tiny stone building housed inside the larger room.

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As the attendants extended force cables into the chamber and let energy gush within the interior, a familiar presence descended upon the room. Everyone turned to glance at Matthias. The owner of the building walked directly to Hector. "The experience here is so different from the one overseen by the Castellan."

Hector smiled. "I was just thinking the same thing."

"I never would have believed this kind of community possible among the Xian," Matthias confided. "From what I experienced of Volithur's life, I assumed there was no escaping the dictates of power. You either ruled or were ruled in those memories."

"Then I'm surprised you bothered to buy a building for our kind," Hector said.

"That would be Esther's influence. She has no memories of what it means to be Xian, so she believes things are possible that the rest of us know to be impossible." Matthias paused. "To my surprise, it was not her who was proven wrong. The Xian club she formed on Union Central defied all expectations with the way members eagerly shared their knowledge and pooled resources. They were so cooperative. And now that I live in the same place as them, I see that is not changing as they grow stronger. No one is cruel to their inferiors. No one cheats their way to the top."

Hector smiled. "You didn't think it was possible to be a good person as a Xian?"

"I don't know about that. Let's just say I doubted the social dynamic could remain egalitarian with the extreme power scaling of our kind. People talk so much of power doubling at each level that they lose track of what such a thing means. Our energy density doubles at each level. That isn't a mere doubling of our capabilities. There are thresholds, Hector. Volithur did not know of them, but I have learned things living on Union Central."

"You have me dying to know about these thresholds, Matthias."

"Level ten is the big one." Matthias stared at the cosmic chamber. "That's the point at which your soul has equal energy density to the universe around you. The Arahants and the Jinn say their resonance increases in potency by a factor of ten at that level. No one has been able to tell me what exactly happens for Xian at that point. The lords don't share such secrets lightly.

"There are other thresholds. At peak nine, your body will completely recover from absolutely anything that doesn't kill you in the short term. Reaching peak five in your aura will let you block any mundane attack – even antimatter if there isn't legal energy reinforcing it. Most important for you at the moment is that once you reach level six the size of your transit sphere will increase significantly."

"You're trying to convince me that I should advance soon?"

Matthias shook his head. "Absolutely not. I learned every lesson Volithur failed to heed. How many times was he told to prioritize his apertures before advancement? I don't understand the reason why Amaratti culture is so vehement about hollow spears, but you should not eschew advice from an expert in a field just because you do not understand it."

The accusation stung, but Hector redirected to a more glaring issue. "You say you learned every lesson from Volithur's life, but you're not actually doing anything meaningful with your time."

"I am progressing towards lordship, Hector. That is plenty of meaning."

"That's just chasing power. You don't have any purpose greater than yourself."

Matthias sighed. "A purpose greater than myself? If I flex my power, others will flex back. Even when I reach level ten, I will not casually draw attention to myself. You can't simply defy the existing order without consequences."

Esther had been edging herself closer to them throughout the conversation. She chose that moment to join it. "Why should we bother with any of the lord stuff from Tian? We have our own enclave here that is better than what we could expect anywhere else. Union Central is peaceful, gives Xian the opportunity to make fast money, and has a consumer economy. Our little community insulates us from the racism against our kind and gives us opportunities to pool our resources. There's no reason to look forward to the future. These are the good days right here. You should enjoy them. Both of you."

"I am enjoying myself," Hector said. People always assumed he was eternally delaying his gratification. They couldn't understand that he liked working towards something. Cultivating might not be the most enjoyable thing he could do, but it was so damn satisfying. It had replaced working out for him.

"And I will have eternity to enjoy myself once I reach level ten," Matthias added.

She rolled her eyes. "Two of my favorite guys are so depressing."

Matthias shared a glance with Hector. "Poor Esther. She gets everything she wants except a couple of her friends aren't as fun as she would like."

"That must be hard for her," Hector responded.

"It is!" She placed a hand over her heart. "It gives me sad feelings. You should do something to make me feel better. You could each buy one of the deluxe gift baskets from the cafe."

Matthias shook his head. "You know I will never consume a resource before I become a Lord."

"How about you, Hector? Buy a gift basket? If you don't feel like consuming the contents, you could gift them to a pretty woman." She batted her eyes at him.

Hector patted Esther on the shoulder. "It was a good try."

Before she could respond with more jokes, the stone plug scraped free of the cosmic chamber. Mick and Darius were the first two to emerge, clearly competing for attention. They had both advanced. Mick stood at level five while Darius had reached level six.

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