The noon bell struck twelve times from the Seventh Spire, sending deep metallic tremors rolling across the obsidian spires.
Mina Vance set a warm clay bowl of barley porridge onto Kaelen’s wooden tray, her eyes bright with satisfaction.
“Ten days completed, brother,” Mina whispered softly, dusting sesame seeds over the steam. “Not a single elder has made you lift an iron kettle.”
Sera Thorne clicked her tongue, tapping the corner of her leather-bound ledger with her charcoal pencil.
“Ten days unbroken,” Sera agreed, a rare faint smile touching her lips. “Two hundred and forty hours across all four tracks. At this rate, we will own half the Seventh Tower before the month ends.”
Inside Kaelen’s sea of consciousness, four golden seals clicked into place with flawless, mathematical symmetry:
[The Fallow Slate — Stage 4: Quad-Track Milestone Reached] [Track 1 (Cultivation): 240h 00m -> Milestone Seal Locked (Multiplier: 241x)] [Track 2 (Martial Combat): 240h 00m -> Milestone Seal Locked (Multiplier: 241x)] [Track 3 (Alchemy Refinement): 240h 00m -> Milestone Seal Locked (Multiplier: 241x)] [Track 4 (Dao & Array Comprehension): 240h 00m -> Milestone Seal Locked (Multiplier: 241x)] [Stage 4 Quad-Track Independence Active: Spending one track preserves remaining locked seals] [Current High-Grade Spirit Stone Reserve: 15,500 HSS]
