Six hours of rhythmic breathing carried Kaelen Vance into the late afternoon without a single ripple in his meridians.
Far above the ceiling timbers of Booth Nine, the opening gong shattered the mountain quiet with a thunderous brass roar.
The vibration traveled down the iron suspension chains, humming through the cedar floorboards and rattling the porcelain lid of Kaelen’s teapot.
Kaelen did not open his eyes.
He reached up, pressed two plugs of soft yellow beeswax deeper into his ear canals, and took a slow, measured sip of winter-melon tea.
The warm broth slid down his throat with gentle sweetness.
In the dim light of his resting sea, the Fallow Slate updated with steady numbers.
[Track 1 (Cultivation Vessel): 706h / Multiplier: 707x] [Track 2 (Martial Combat): 706h / Multiplier: 707x] [Track 3 (Alchemy & Comprehension): 216h / Multiplier: 217x] [Total Reserve: 62,000 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.] [Time to Milestone: 14 hours.]
