A subterranean rumble vibrated through the hemp ropes of Kaelen Vance’s hammock.
He did not open his eyes. He merely shifted his hips, nestled deeper into his quilted cotton blanket, and pulled his straw hat down to the tip of his nose.
The air inside the Void Lotus Spirit Vein grotto was cool and sweet. Pure mineral moisture drifted up from the glowing jade spring below, carrying faint hints of winter mint and crushed quartz.
For over three continuous days, the world had left him alone. Nearly eighty mortal hours had passed since the Ashen Sun Sanctuary paid their ten thousand core ransom.
Under Stage 5 Hibernation Compression, his Fallow Slate converted every quiet clock hour into two compressed Fallow Hours. The golden numbers floating across his mind were a thing of beauty.
[The Fallow Slate] [Combined Strategic Cash: 66,356 SJC (+1,800 SJC Settled Trade Yield)] [Track 1 (Cultivation Vessel): 400h 00m -> Multiplier: 401x] [Track 2 (Martial Combat): 400h 00m -> Multiplier: 401x] [Track 3 (Alchemy & Refinement): 400h 00m -> Multiplier: 401x] [Track 4 (Dao & Array Comprehension): 160h 00m -> Multiplier: 161x]
Track Four had been deliberately held for seven and a half real minutes while the other tracks accumulated, reconciling its earlier fifteen-minute balance.
