Elias woke to the soft glow of compressed probability light filtering through his new mansion's windows. The Adept district was quieter than the Initiate areas—fewer residents, more space, an atmosphere of focused cultivation rather than frantic struggle.
He sat up and immediately felt the difference in his cultivation chamber. The arrays here were masterwork—ten-to-one time dilation versus his previous five-to-one. Every hour he spent cultivating would feel like ten hours of comprehension and advancement.
Efficient. Optimal.
A message array near his bed was blinking—an invitation from Vel'kora.
He activated it.
"Elias! There's an Adept gathering this afternoon at the Celestial Resonance Tea House. It's basically mandatory for anyone who wants to be taken seriously in the Adept social circles. Plus, my wives want to meet the 'legendary multiverse destroyer.' Come. It'll be educational. And probably amusing watching you deal with Infinity Realm social customs. - V"
