We pulled into the driveway under the cover of darkness. The automatic security lights of the duplex flickered on, illuminating the bamboo wall.

  "We're here," I said, putting the Terramotta in park.

  We got out.

  As soon as my boots hit the pavement, the atmosphere shifted.

  The two younger sisters lunged at Aiya. They were surprisingly coordinated, grabbing her arms and pinning her against the side of the truck.

  Mayah moved behind Aiya, a switchblade appearing in her hand. She pressed the steel against Aiya’s throat.

  "Don't move," Mayah hissed.

  I stood by the driver's side door, watching them.

  "Horny idiot," Mayah said, her desperate facade melting into a grin. "You saw a cute girl say she'd do anything and you couldn't contain yourself, huh? You should have listened to your friend."

  Aiya looked terrified, her eyes darting to me.

  "Give us your stones," Mayah demanded. "All of them. Then drive us to Detroit and drop us off. If you try anything, your friend bleeds out."

  I started to laugh.

  It started as a chuckle and grew into a full blown, hysterical belly laugh. I leaned against the truck, wiping a tear from my eye.

  "I'm so glad you did this," I wheezed. "Really. Thank you."

  Mayah frowned, the knife wavering slightly. "Are you crazy? I said give me the—"

  "Because now," I interrupted, "I won't feel any guilt."

  "Guilt? Wha—"

  I moved.

  To Mayah, I must have looked like a teleporting ghost. To me, the world was moving underwater. My Seed Realm body was simply operating on a different level compared to her Foundation Stage nervous system.

  I was behind them before she finished the syllable.

  I delivered two precise chops to the younger sisters' necks. They folded, unconscious before they hit the concrete.

  Mayah shrieked and tried to turn the knife on me.

  I caught her wrist. I squeezed.

  Mayah screamed, dropping the knife as the bones in her hand ground together. She fell to her knees, clutching her mangled hand.

  "You see," I said calmly, crouching down to her eye level. "The difference between realms is immense. You are likely a Foundation cultivator—Level 1. I am a Seed cultivator—Level 2. Unlike video games, the gap isn't linear. It's exponential."

  She sobbed, trying to scramble away. I put a hand on her shoulder to keep her in place.

  "I picked you up not because I wanted to help," I whispered. "But because I wanted to see exactly how strong I am compared to the average cultivator. Thanks to you three, I have my answer."

  I stood up and looked at Aiya. She was rubbing her neck, staring at me.

  "And," I added with a bright smile, "we have three new unpaid employees, Aiya!"

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "You mean slaves," Aiya corrected, her voice shaky.

  "I prefer 'interns with indefinite contracts'," I said.

  Mayah spat at my feet. "I'll call the cops! I'll tell them everything! You kidnapped us!"

  "And say what?" I asked. "That you, a non citizen of a Safe Zone, asked for a ride and then held a knife to a registered citizen's throat? I don't know what fairy tale you're living in, but this isn't the old world."

  I leaned in close.

  "Civilization exists here, yes. But the rule of law has been replaced by the rule of power. You were under Eden's jurisdiction the moment you stepped into my truck. No one is coming for you. I am a registered Faction Leader in this city. I am the new law."

  She opened her mouth to scream again.

  I punched her in the jaw. Her eyes rolled back, and she slumped over.

  "So this was your plan?" Aiya asked, looking at the three unconscious women.

  "Yep," I said. "We need manpower. My path is broken; I can stay at home and become a god. But you? You need ingredients. You need safety. Most cultivators have to risk their lives daily just to eat. That makes them desperate. Desperate people make bad decisions. But they also make excellent labor."

  I grabbed Mayah by the collar. "Help me tie them up. We'll put them in the guest room."

  "What are you going to do with them?"

  "Figure out their roles," I said. "Eventually."

  We dragged them inside. I used lengths of spare Heavenly Bamboo to chain them to the bedframe in the guest room. The bamboo was harder than steel; they weren't breaking out.

  I went to the garden.

  I pulled the Monster Deer carcass from the Gourd. Using my Grade 2 Sword, I butchered it on a tarp. The blade sliced through bone as if it were cheese.

  "Tomorrow," I told the pile of meat, "we cook."

  Aiya came over around noon.

  "I can hear them screaming," she said, nodding toward the guest room.

  "Don't mind them," I said, handing her a slab of venison. "They're just restless for attention. Focus on the food."

  "How long are they going to be here?"

  "Who knows? Who cares? Until they're useful."

  Aiya paused, knife hovering over a Heavenly Tomato. "You've changed, Kaz. You're so... cold. Emotionally detached. This isn't the guy who watered shriveling plants for years."

  "Am I?" I looked at my hands. "It must be the Realm change. Once you get yours, you'll understand. Power clarifies things."

  She didn't argue. She just started cooking.

  An hour later, the kitchen smelled incredible.

  [Immortal Venison Stir-Fry]

  Ingredients: Monster Deer Meat, Awakened Heavenly Tomatoes, Heavenly Tubers, Heavenly Cucumbers.

  Effect: 10x Stats of base ingredients + Full Qi Restoration.

  "Full Qi Restoration," I read. "That's a game changer. If you're mid fight and tap out, this brings you back to 100% instantly."

  Aiya saved the recipe. A vacuum sealed packet materialized in her hand.

  "My skills hit Level 5," she said. "I'm close to a breakthrough. The system says I need to cook 10 'Magical Meals' to advance my Realm."

  "Magical?"

  "Dishes with magical ingredients. Monster meat, or your Heavenly produce."

  "Easy," I said. "We have plenty of produce. And I'm getting more meat."

  The next day, I went hunting again.

  This time, I took Mayah.

  I cuffed her hands and put duct tape over her mouth. I threw her in the passenger seat of the Terramotta.

  "You're bait," I told her.

  We drove out to Metroy. I parked near a ruined shopping mall. I dragged Mayah out and tied her to a lamppost. Then, I ripped the tape off.

  She screamed. She screamed for help, for mercy, for anyone.

  It worked perfectly.

  Within ten minutes, monsters came running.

  I stood in the shadows, sword ready. It wasn't gardening, so my cultivation didn't advance, but my swordsmanship was sharpening with every kill.

  I did this for a week.

  Monster Fish.

  Monster Pig.

  Monster Cow.

  Mayah screamed. I killed. Aiya cooked.

  Immortal Fried Cod.

  Immortal Spaghetti Carbonara.

  Immortal Beef Stew.

  We sold the tea packets at the auction house once a week, collecting a steady stream of stones. I spent my free time gardening, tending to Tim and the bamboo.

  It was a good routine. Efficient. Profitable.

  On the drive back at the end of the week, with Mayah sobbing quietly in the back seat, I smiled at my reflection in the digital mirror.

  "My asset acquisition was a genius move," I said.

  Mayah just cried harder. I turned up the radio.