The Guardian base,

George was waiting in the briefing room. Rosalie stood beside him, her dark eyes sweeping across the trio with something that might have been approval. Bruno leaned against the far wall with arms crossed.

Grey was nowhere to be seen.

"Sit," George said.

The trio sat. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

George placed three folders on the table.

"Thornwell was a complete success with its node destroyed and command structure eliminated. Forty-three civilians rescued, including twenty seven cultivators ranging from Core Formation to early Mana Heart." He paused. "The intelligence you provided about the location alone would have justified this mission. The fact that you eliminated the defenders as well..."

He smiled.

"Lady Lyra is pleased."

Kael wondered what pleased looked like on such a woman.

Rosalie stepped forward, folders in hand.

"Rewards," she said. "Listen carefully. I won’t repeat myself."

She opened the first folder.

"All three of you receive a Breakthrough Assurance Pill, King Grade. Guarantees a successful breakthrough to the next rank within Foundation Establishment. Does not work for realm transitions like mana heart. Single use. So, you can’t keep it for Mana Heart realm."

Three small red pills appeared on the table, each in its own jade case.

Kael raised an eyebrow. King Grade. On Athelas, a single Earth Grade pill had cost more than most families earned in a year.

Rosalie continued.

"Mana Condensation Pill, Sky Grade. Three each. Accelerates mana absorption by 300% for 24 hours. Reduces time between rank breakthroughs by approximately two to three weeks per pill."

9 more pills joined the first three. Blue this time, smaller, stored in simple wooden cases.

"Foundation Cleansing Pill, Earth Grade. One each. Purifies meridians of accumulated impurities from rapid cultivation. Prevents future bottlenecks at Foundation Establishment."

Three white pills.

Then she paused, looking at Kael.

"Body Tempering Elixir, Sky Grade. Two doses. Accelerates body refinement absorption by two hundred and fifty percent. Specifically enhances bone density and muscle fiber integration."

Two vials of thick amber liquid appeared before him.

"For you specifically," Rosalie added. "Your Body Refinement was noted in your file. These will complement it."

Kael’s fingers brushed the vials. He could feel the mana within them—dense, warm, eager. Sky Grade body refinement resources weren’t just rare. They were virtually nonexistent outside major family vaults and elite guild stores.

Rosalie turned to Yenna.

"Heavenly Dao Comprehension Pill. One dose."

A single golden pill materialized before Yenna, glowing faintly with inner light.

"Strengthen your Frost Intent further," Rosalie said. "You’re already ahead of most cultivators your age in that regard. This will push you further."

Yenna’s ice-blue eyes fixed on the pill.

"That’s not all," George cut in. "Your credit compensation."

He named the numbers.

Kael received 150,000 credits due to his leadership bonus, interrogation contribution, elimination of a Rank 9 operative, discovery of an unknown node—each factor had apparently been weighted and calculated by someone with a very thorough spreadsheet.

Yenna and Cassian each received 120,000 credits for their limination contributions, combat performance and general competence.

Cassian leaned back in his chair and let out a low whistle. "Not bad for a field trip."

"Additionally," George continued, "all three of you receive Guardian Communication Token Upgrades."

Three small devices appeared—cylindrical, black, unremarkable. George demonstrated his own, pressing a button near the base. A soft chime echoed through the room.

"Secure communication with other Guardians within the same planet. It is encrypted and untraceable and also cannot be intercepted by conventional means. It is essential for coordinated operations."

Kael pocketed his without comment.

"One more thing." George leaned forward. "Future reward structure. You should understand what you’re working toward."

"One-star Guardians—your current rank—receive 500 credits monthly and access to Earth Grade pills and also basic facilities.

Two-star jumps to 1500 credits and Sky Grade pill access, plus advanced training grounds.

Three-star—like Bruno and Grey—gets 5000 credits monthly, Heaven Grade pills, personal quarters, and mission selection priority."

He paused.

"Four-star. 15,000 credits. King Grade pills. Technique archive access. Disciple selection rights.

Five-star..." He spread his hands. "50,000 credits. Emperor Grade pills. The benefits beyond that are unknown because no current five-stars exist."

Cassian’s eyebrows rose slightly behind his sunglasses. "No five-stars?"

"None. Not in this branch. Possibly not in any branch." George’s smile thinned. "The requirements are... extreme."

Kael filed the information away.

"Questions?" George asked.

Silence.

"Dismissed."

The next week and a half blurred together.

Kael barely left his room at the Ashford Suites. The credits went to immediate practical use—a better meditation mat, high-quality nutrient supplements, a runic array inscribed on the floor to enhance mana circulation during cultivation. The rest he saved. Hoarding resources was instinct now.

The pills went to work.

He used the Foundation Cleansing Pill first. The effect was unpleasant—his meridians burned for six hours as accumulated impurities were purged, sweat turned gray, and he had to change clothes three times. But when it finished, his mana flow was noticeably smoother with fewer bottlenecks and less resistance. Like cleaning rusted pipes and discovering they could carry twice as much water.

The Mana Condensation Pills were better. Three hundred percent absorption for twenty-four hours meant that each pill session compressed what would normally take weeks of cultivation into a single day. He used them carefully—one every three days, spaced to maximize recovery between sessions.

The Body Tempering Elixirs were the crown jewels.

Kael consumed the first one during a Void Body Refinement session. The effect was immediate and violent—warmth flooded his bones, his muscles, his tendons, every fiber of his physical form drinking in the elixir’s enhancement like a desert drinking rain. The pain was exquisite. The results were worth it.

Tier 3 Mid.

Broken through in a single night.

The second elixir pushed him to Tier 3 Late before the week was out.

His body was changing. He could feel it in everything—stronger bones, denser muscles, faster reflexes, harder skin. The Void Body Refinement was living up to its Legendary grade.

He didn’t touch the Breakthrough Assurance Pill. Not yet. That was a trump card, and trump cards stayed in the hole until you needed them.

Yenna and Cassian were similarly occupied. Yenna spent most of her time in the Guardian training grounds, ice and frost spreading across entire sections while she refined her Intent. The Heavenly Dao Comprehension pill had vanished down her throat within an hour of receiving it.

Cassian was... Cassian. Kael wasn’t sure what he did. Showed up for meals, made cryptic comments, disappeared for hours at a time. Probably doing something ridiculous with time manipulation that would make normal cultivators weep with envy.

Eight days after the reward distribution, George summoned them.

"Time to return to the academy," he said simply. "Your transport leaves in three hours."

Kael nodded.

He really had a lot of gains on this mission.

Time to get back to work.