Day 1 - Family Time & Gifts Morning - Emotional Awakening
The morning of Day 16—the first of their last three days—arrived with a bittersweet quality that hung heavy in the air.
Jake was already awake when Runar came downstairs. His father sat at the kitchen table, staring at an old family photo album—holographic images floating above the pages, showing generations of the Cross family.
"Morning, Dad," Runar said quietly.
Jake looked up, and Runar saw his eyes were red. "Morning, son. I was just... looking at old memories. Your grandfather. Your great-grandmother. All the generations that came before you." He smiled sadly. "None of them achieved what you have. None of them will go where you're going."
Runar sat beside him, looking at the photos. Ancestors he'd never met, lives lived and completed over thousands of years.
"I wish I had more time with you," Jake said, his voice cracking. "Real time. Years to watch you grow, to teach you things, to just... be your father."
"You are my father," Runar said firmly. "These past two weeks, even accelerated, even strange—they mattered. You and Mom have been everything I needed."
Jake pulled his son into a fierce hug. "I'm so proud of you. So terrified for you. So grateful you exist."
They sat there for a moment, just being father and son, knowing these moments were numbered.
Lirien appeared in the doorway, Celestia behind her. Both women were crying already, though trying to hide it.
"Breakfast?" Lirien asked, her voice determinedly cheerful despite the tears.
"Breakfast," everyone agreed.
They cooked together—all four of them plus Caspian and Seraphina who arrived shortly after. The kitchen was crowded, chaotic, filled with laughter and tears in equal measure.
"Remember when Runar was one month old?" Lirien said, flipping spirit beast eggs. "And we woke up to find a seven-year-old in his crib?"
"I nearly had a heart attack," Jake laughed. "Called Elder Thorne at 6 AM, thought something terrible had happened."
"And then this past two weeks," Seraphina added, cutting vegetables. "Watching you both grow up day by day. It was like watching time-lapse footage of childhood, adolescence, adulthood—all compressed."
"Every morning, you'd come down looking a little older," Caspian said. "A little taller. A little more mature. It was beautiful and heartbreaking simultaneously."
"We missed so much," Lirien whispered. "Your first real teenage years. The gradual changes. The small moments."
"But we got other moments," Celestia said softly. "Different moments. Every morning breakfast together. Every evening dinner. We packed a lifetime of family time into two weeks."
"That's true," Jake agreed. "Quality over quantity. We've been together constantly these past two weeks. Some families don't get that even over years."
They ate together, sharing stories. Jake and Lirien talked about their own academy days—Continental Academy, so much less prestigious than Prime Origin, but formative nonetheless.
"I met your mother in Cultivation Theory class," Jake said. "She sat in front of me, and I spent the entire semester too nervous to talk to her."
"He finally asked me out during final exams," Lirien laughed. "Worst timing ever. I was so stressed I almost said no."
"What changed your mind?" Celestia asked.
"He offered to help me study. Turned out he was brilliant at Cultivation Theory. We stayed up all night before the exam, reviewing material. I got top marks, and..." Lirien smiled at Jake. "I realized I wanted to stay up late with him for the rest of my life."
Caspian shared his own story of meeting Seraphina—a chance encounter during a military operation where she'd saved his life.
"She was Meteor Forging realm, I was Satellite Orbit," Caspian said. "But she moved like lightning. Took out three enemy cultivators before I could even react. I fell in love on the spot."
The stories continued, weaving a tapestry of family history, of love and growth and moments that made life meaningful.
After breakfast, as they sat together in the living room, Jake reached into his spatial storage and withdrew something small.
"Runar," he said formally. "This has been in our family for over 10,000 years. Passed from parent to child across generations. Now, I pass it to you."
He held out a jade pendant—ancient, intricately carved with patterns that seemed to shift when viewed from different angles. It hung on a thin chain of unknown metal that gleamed with a soft golden light.
Runar took it carefully, and the moment his fingers touched the jade, his Runic Omniscient Eyes activated automatically.
What—
The pendant was covered in runes. Not just covered—saturated with them. Layers upon layers of runic arrays, so complex and interwoven that even his enhanced perception struggled to parse them all.
But more than that... there was something inside the jade. Something dormant. Something that resonated with his cultivation in a way he didn't understand.
"What is this?" Runar asked, examining it more closely.
"I don't know," Jake admitted. "It was passed down with instructions: 'Give this to the family genius when they come of age.' Every generation, we've tried to understand it. Your grandfather studied it for decades. Your great-grandmother took it to the greatest array masters on Telstra. No one could decipher its purpose."
"But we all felt it was important," Lirien added. "Special. Waiting for the right person."
Runar activated his full perception, pushing his comprehension to its limits.
The runes were written in an ancient script—not modern runic language, but something older. Primordial, perhaps. Or even older than that.
And the dormant thing inside... it wasn't conscious, but it was complex. A formation? A technique? A sealed entity? He couldn't tell yet.
I'll need to investigate this carefully. Later, when I have time and privacy.
"Thank you, Dad," Runar said sincerely, hanging the pendant around his neck. It settled against his chest, and he felt a subtle warmth—not uncomfortable, just... present. Acknowledging him.
"Wear it always," Jake said. "Whatever it is, I believe it was waiting for you."
Lirien stood, wiping her eyes, and retrieved two small crystalline objects from her own spatial storage.
"These are for both of you," she said, handing one to Runar and one to Celestia. "Family communication crystals. Keyed specifically to our family frequency. No matter where you are in the universe, you can reach us instantly."
The crystals were beautiful—clear with faint rainbow refractions, warm to the touch.
"They're Supreme Grade," Lirien said. "Cost us... well, a lot. But worth every spirit stone. Even if you're on the other side of the universe, even in pocket dimensions or special zones, these will work."
"We can call anytime?" Celestia asked, clutching hers.
"Anytime," Seraphina confirmed. "Day or night. We might not always answer immediately if we're in closed cultivation, but we'll see the message and respond."
"And you call us too," Caspian added. "Don't make us wait weeks wondering if you're alive."
"We promise," Runar and Celestia said together.
The crystals were carefully stored in their personal spatial storage, treasured beyond their monetary value.
After lunch, Caspian suggested something unexpected.
"Let's go to the Grand Velsinor Auction House," he said. "Just for fun. One last family outing before you leave."
"An auction house?" Lirien looked surprised. "Those are usually for serious cultivators and merchants."
"Exactly," Caspian grinned. "But we're Tier 8 now, remember? We have access to the premium sections. And Runar..." He looked at his nephew. "You're probably the richest person in this room right now."
Runar blinked. He'd been so focused on cultivation and preparation that he hadn't actually checked his account balance since Gaia had distributed his earnings from the Stellar Foundation Unity Method.
He pulled up his financial terminal.
Current Balance: 3,997,692,458,391 Spirit Stones
Nearly four trillion spirit stones.
From technique sales, licensing fees, government contracts, and ongoing royalties as every single Federation citizen was required to practice his method.
"Oh," Runar said faintly. "I guess I am quite wealthy."
Celestia leaned over to look at his screen. Her eyes widened. "That's... that's more money than some planetary governments have."
"Exactly," Caspian laughed. "So let's go spend some of it. Have fun. Outbid some arrogant nobles. Make memories."
It was ridiculous. Unnecessary. Perfect.
"Let's do it," Runar agreed.
The Grand Velsinor Auction House
The auction house was located in the city's elite district—a massive building that resembled a fusion of ancient coliseum and modern luxury venue.
Their family's Tier 8 credentials granted them immediate VIP access. A Meteor Forging realm attendant—who would have been intimidating to them mere weeks ago—bowed deeply.
"Honored Tier 8 families. Welcome. We have a premium suite available on the third floor. Please, follow me."
They were led through halls lined with priceless artworks, past lower-tier sections where Satellite and Planetary Core cultivators bid on standard goods, up to the premium level.
Their suite was lavish—comfortable seating for all six of them, a private viewing window overlooking the main auction floor, refreshments, and a dedicated terminal for placing bids.
"The auction begins in ten minutes," the attendant explained. "Today's offerings include cultivation resources, technique scrolls, spatial treasures, and several rare items from recently explored ruins. Please enjoy."
The attendant departed, leaving them in comfortable luxury.
Below, the auction floor was filling with cultivators—hundreds of them, ranging from Meteor Forging to Solar Flare realms. All wealthy, all powerful, all here to compete for valuable items.
"This is exciting," Seraphina said, settling into a seat beside Caspian. "I haven't been to an auction in decades."
"Last time I attended one," Jake said, "I bid on a minor Law Stone and got outbid by a Star Fusion cultivator. Lost by a factor of a hundred."
"Today might be different," Runar said with a slight smile. "I can outbid anyone here."
The Auction Begins
The lights dimmed. A figure materialized on the central stage—a Supernova realm cultivator serving as auctioneer, his presence alone making most attendees nervous.
"Welcome, honored guests, to the 473rd Grand Velsinor Auction. We have 47 lots today, ranging from Divine to Supreme Grade. Bidding begins now."
Lot 1: Divine Grade Cultivation Pills (bottle of 100)
The bidding started at 100 million spirit stones. Rose quickly to 500 million. A Solar Flare cultivator won at 820 million.
Runar didn't bid. Not interested.
Lot 2-10: Various items
Technique scrolls, weapon fragments, formation arrays. Runar let them pass. Nothing exceptional.
Lot 11: Supreme Grade Law Stone (Space Rule Fragment)
This caught his attention. A genuine Space Rule fragment, crystallized understanding of a rule from an ancient cultivator.
He already had Space Law at 100%, but having a physical Rule Stone could help him and Celestia breakthrough the barrier to Rule comprehension.
"Starting bid: 5 billion spirit stones."
The room gasped. That was expensive even for wealthy cultivators.
One Star Fusion cultivator bid: "5.5 billion."
Another: "6 billion."
A third: "6.5 billion."
Runar activated his terminal. "10 billion."
The room went silent.
Everyone turned to look at the premium suites, trying to identify who'd just doubled the previous bid.
"10 billion from Suite 3," the auctioneer announced smoothly. "Any counter offers?"
Silence.
"Sold to Suite 3 for 10 billion spirit stones."
His family was staring at him.
"What?" Runar said. "Celestia and I can use it."
Celestia looked touched. "You didn't have to—"
"I wanted to."
Lot 15: Primordial Grade Spatial Ring
"Starting bid: 20 billion spirit stones."
This was truly expensive. Primordial Grade spatial storage with a capacity of hundreds of thousands of light years, About the size of a galaxy.
Multiple Red Giant cultivators were bidding seriously.
"25 billion."
"30 billion."
"35 billion."
Runar: "50 billion."
Again, shocked silence.
The Red Giant cultivators looked frustrated but backed down. That was beyond their budgets.
"Sold to Suite 3 for 50 billion High Grade spirit stones."
"Another gift for Celestia," Runar explained. "Her current storage is only Supreme Grade."
Celestia was both grateful and slightly overwhelmed. "You're spending too much—"
"I have four trillion spirit stones," Runar said simply. "This is nothing."
Lot 23: Supreme Grade Healing Elixir (Life-Saving Treasure)
Could heal any injury below Black Hole realm instantly. Essentially an extra life.
"Starting bid: 30 billion."
Runar waited as others bid it up to 80 billion, then: "100 billion."
Sold.
"For you, Mom," he said, handing Lirien the claim ticket. "Keep it in your spatial storage. Just in case."
Lirien was crying again. "Runar, this is too much..."
"It's not enough," Runar said firmly. "Your safety is priceless."
He bought similar items for Jake, Caspian, and Seraphina over the next few lots—defensive treasures, healing items, communication upgrades. Spent another 300 billion spirit stones total.
His family was both grateful and stunned by his casual generosity.