Hector got incrementally closer to reaching the peak of five in his mind aperture during his session in the dungeon. He didn't believe the System's claim that he was there already. Maybe it was just a rounding error, but the System was definitely wrong.

Not that it really mattered. A strengthened mind was a good thing, but it couldn't compare to the benefits of an enhanced body or improving the aura and domain. Hector just couldn't stop himself from wanting the peak when it was so close.

After they left the dungeon, Hector dedicated himself to cultivation. He planned to fill his reserves, make a delivery to Liam and Angie, bring back goods for the cafe, and then advance to level six. Though he still had gains to make with his aura and domain, Hector felt it would be an excessive delay to bring those up to the peak even though neither had reached level four yet. Better to make sure he was able to take advantage of the resources from Tian to enhance his body – currently he was at the peak of his current level and couldn't enhance any further.

To that end, Hector rotated between chaos cultivation, aural cultivation, and sipping on Tian wine that Darius shared with him. He didn't bother with mental cultivation since the cosmic energy levels on the mental band felt weaker than ever in the aftermath of his Eden trip. Unless he entered the dungeon, the effort wasn't worth the payoff.

Weeks slipped by with very little happening. He caught dinner with Riley and Darius regularly, had a large delivery of rice placed in a rented storage room, selected fancy kitchen ware, and bought a bag of apples that impressed even Hector with their size and flavor profile. Otherwise, it was the familiar and monotonous work of packing energy into his soul.

When he reached over ninety percent of his reserves, Hector loaded up his transit sphere and slipped through the primordial towards Tian. Upon arrival, huge bags of rice tumbled onto the ground near the farm house. Hector stacked them into a more presentable configuration while he waited to be noticed. Which didn't take long since the farm couple were constantly busy with their chores.

Liam rushed over to him, calling for his wife, eyes alight as he studied the piles of goods. "What is the packaging material? It's not fabric."

"Plastic."

"We'll have to hide that," Liam noted, not seeming too worried.

Angie joined them quickly. Her profound joy faded to horror as Hector offered her a pile of pots, pans, roasters, plates, bowls, and silverware. "Absolutely not. You take all that back with you."

"What?" Hector studied the items he'd brought. "These are high quality."

"Looks like Jinn handiwork," Angie snapped. "You take it back so we don't have to bury the evidence."

"Sure, I will take it with me. What kind of pan should I bring next time?"

"None. Just the food, if you please. I won't have any Jinn items around here."

Liam nodded along in agreement. "Already got to hide the packaging. Food and firewood. I don't see any firewood here."

"This time it's just food. Next time I will bring firewood and take back stone."

The three of them carried the rice into the cellar beneath the house. Only after all of that was away did Liam break into the hard candy. His face lit up as he savored the cheapest, most mass-produced, Riley-approved, cherry-flavored candy. That caused Angie to try a chocolate bar. She made surprised and appreciative sounds, then described all the things she thought it tasted similar to. Then they switched: Angie ate a hard candy while Liam tried chocolate.

Hector wanted to hurry them along to the point where he would receive his goods, but he stopped himself from acting on his impatience. There was no rush and this was an excellent opportunity to train humility, charity, and respect. His time wasn't all that important, this couple was bonding over a unique experience, and they deserved his trust. So he watched them enjoy their taste testing of both types of sweets and then try one of the apples he brought. Ironically, the apples proved more impressive to his trading partners. Genetic manipulation created one hell of a fruit.

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Then they finally got to what Hector waited for. Liam brought out burlap sacks filled with beans from their cellar while Angie tossed a dozen cabbages before Hector. The final item he received was a rotting wooden bucket loaded with eggs. Overall, he'd brought about ten times the mass of food items as what he would be taking back home. The couple looked a little sheepish as they looked over their offerings.

Hector knew he was still winning out on the exchange. The value of these items would be huge on Union Central. Bringing too much of it would actually risk decreasing the value by flooding the market. There were only so many Xian living in his building, after all.

Liam scratched his head as if embarrassed that they had done exactly what they claimed they would do all along and take advantage of Hector. "If you are wanting more, I could let you hunt squirrels and rabbits. I'll separate the meat for you to take and the rest stays here. That includes the cores. Master Wesley receives all cores and pelts from animals killed on the farm. And Angie likes the bones for her soups."

"Deal." Hector already felt like he'd gotten enough, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity to bring back meat. A few hours later, he questioned his reasoning.

The first animal he saw was a squirrel – they were everywhere on the farm, jumping from trees, scampering across rooftops, and hopping along the ground in search of nuts. Hector assumed he would be able to catch it with his domain without any challenge.

The squirrel's aura flared and blocked Hector's attempt. Then the critter scrambled away quick as lightning, enhanced body moving so fast Hector swore he saw an afterimage. All Hector could do in the aftermath of that first encounter was stare slack-jawed at the ground. Subsequent attempts didn't yield any greater success.

His domain wasn't strong enough to overcome the auras of the small game around the farm and they were extremely fast. Unnaturally so compared to animals from unempowered worlds. Hector eventually asked Liam for advice on hunting, admitting that he was out of his depth.

The farmer had no actionable advice to give. As a non-cultivator, Liam would use traps if he wanted to catch one of the pests. When a frustrated Hector asked why it was the couple didn't cultivate, Liam gave a depressing answer.

"Being weak is safer. No one plots against a simple farmer. Someone who wants this land would attack Master Wesley or Lord Zara. If they were victorious, I would bow to a new master and continue on with my life. Perhaps they would install a new farmer here – I would lose my home and income, but it is rare for a serf to be killed. It is considered shameful to choose an enemy who should be beneath your notice. And those like me are beneath everyone's notice. It is a life of hard work and little benefit, but we escape the worst of the violence."

Hector shook his head. "Amarat is a nightmare."

"All nations are the same," Liam declared. "The strong grow stronger. The wealthy grow wealthier. Those on top will ensure they stay on top forever, and their children as well. That is the way of the world, the way of all worlds."

"No, all are not like this, Liam." Hector shook his head vehemently. "I have traveled to many worlds. In some places, those in power work for the benefit of those beneath them. Amarat has earned the Xian a reputation as savages across the entire multiverse."

The expression on Liam's face made it clear the man did not believe that claim. He thought he understood human nature. His knowledge absolutely precluded leaders who would act in the best interests of those they ruled.

"Think of how you and Angie are," Hector argued. "You're good, kind, honest people. What if the two of you were in charge? Would you go around oppressing others?"

Liam guffawed. "Nice folk exist aplenty. They don't get to run things. Only them willing to kill their own kin for a single moment of advantage ever rise up. Kindness be a disadvantage in them games. You feed me elixirs till I reach level ten, some lord training war for a hundred years would kill me dead before a week passed and take all that I owned. You can't be strong and soft, Hector."

That conversation fired Hector up and he returned to hunting with a vengeance.

When he spotted the porcupine, Hector plotted its demise with cold cunning. Knowing it had an aura, he found a large branch in the woods. Hector used a cable to levitate that branch over the quill-covered critter and then drove it down to trap it. He flew forward, arriving just as the porcupine was wiggling free of its pin.

A swat of the tail fast as the blink of an eye embedded multiple quills into Hector's arm. He flared his aura a split second too late to prevent the damage. The follow-up grab succeeded, though, as he protected his hand with his aura. His grip on the porcupine's head immobilized the animal. Then he held it there as he threaded cables into its hissing mouth and spun them around like a blender to chop up the lungs.

Victory.

Liam sighed when Hector brought back the small, prickly corpse like a grand trophy. "I'm not butchering that. Just take the whole thing with you."

Hector loaded up his transit sphere and returned to Tian Tower.

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