After getting home, I took a long hot shower to warm back up, put on some wonderfully dry clothes, and began packing for my trip to Kyoto. I had a red-eye flight that left well before the sun would rise. Luckily for me, my need for sleep had been dramatically reduced since I began cultivating.

  As I understood it, cultivators could subsist on qi more and more the stronger they became. It would use some qi, but they would have reduced physical needs by a progressively large amount.

  In the Nascent Soul realm, a cultivator would begin to transcend the mortal body altogether. The soul and the body would merge, and a cultivator would become a true immortal. Aging would cease, and there would no longer be a need for food and sleep beyond what they chose to enjoy.

  On the other hand, such a body could only persist so long as it had qi. If an immortal cultivator was deprived of external qi long enough, they would slowly burn through their internal stores and eventually perish.

  Deciding to bring my mana-meter with me, I pulled it out of my running bag, leaving the two copper disks on a stool at the kitchen counter. I also packed my new engraving tools. I was going to buy a present for Amaya while I was there anyway, so I decided I might as well make it something that could protect her.

  Once packed, I laid down on my bed to enter the Astral for a while. I was fairly confident I would be able to enter my domain just fine from Japan, but I still wanted to make sure I was using my time effectively to build up my aether gathering.

  The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a massive tree, easily the match of any of the giant deciduous trees I'd seen. It would take several people holding hands to reach around the gently glowing base. The general colors had shifted to white with pale greens similar to an old sycamore that had shed its bark. It still had gentle swirls of cyan light that pulsed as they moved through it. The leaves were much the same as before, only larger. They still shifted from ruby red to violet, with glowing silver veins running throughout, and edges that looked as though they had been dipped in gold. Each leaf was big enough to serve as a dinner plate.

  I was so entranced that I didn't even notice Ash until she grew to full size in front of me and pulled me in for a kiss. I put my hands around her waist and held her close for several seconds before she giggled and pulled away.

  "Good, you came back. I was worried we'd lost ya there for a moment." Her expression grew coy, her violet eyes sparking as she added, "I was beginnin' to worry I wouldn't be able to compete with yer love o' yer own wood."

  I snorted. "Come on, there's no competition. You girls are by far the most breathtaking creatures in all of creation. Still, you have to admit my wood is impressive." I gestured to the tree, intending to shift her focus.

  I failed as her smile grew salacious and she stepped forward, reaching out to rub me through my pants. "Oh, it is certainly impressive. Ya really need to go on a date with Yume soon. I don't know how long I can remain patient."

  I cleared my throat and pulled her in for another quick kiss then stepping away before she could test my patience any further. "I will, as soon as I can spend more time here. I only came by tonight to see what I can build and maybe talk to Trinket about what she can start making." The dragon girl gave me a playful pout, so I quickly added, "And to see you of course. That was actually my main reason, the rest is just an excuse."

  She smirked before letting out a playful giggle. "Good. I knew you found me irresistible. Now let's check the tree." So saying she grabbed my hand and pulled me forward.

  As I approached, I grew a little concerned when I noticed the inscription we had carved was no longer there. Tentatively, I reached out and touched it, hoping that I wouldn't have to go back to feeling around blindly for my options.

  I was both surprised and relieved when the nebulous glowing cyan lights swirled at my touch, coming together to form the familiar runes. Instead of seeing a list in my head however, the words were now formed on the trunk of the massive tree with the same cyan lights.

  +Upgrades Available

  I grinned at seeing the words on the tree, and Ash squealed as she threw her arms around me, bouncing on her toes in celebration. "I can see it too now! It's sooo pretty too!" She gave me a kiss on the cheek before clapping her hands and rubbing them together. "Alright, time to get to work. What does that one do? No, wait, do that one first." She pointed at the library, but was then distracted, switching to the Astral/Material Gateway.

  I chuckled, understanding her excitement. If the name was any indicator of what the structure could do, I would be just as thrilled. "Let's see." I said, willing the information to expand.

  Astral/Material Gateway- This gateway connects the Astral and Material together through the Anchor, allowing beings from one realm to cross into the other. Activating the Gateway costs aether, and additional aether will be used to transfer matter from one realm to the other. —10,000 aether.

  I felt Ash's excitement flood our bond, and mine wasn't far behind. On the day we first met, Ash had asked to visit the Material, and her hope had only grown since then. The stories she heard from Yume and me stirred her wanderlust to the extreme.

  Ash's wings started to flutter in excitement, raising her inches off the ground and creating a light breeze around us. "We have to get this!" She cried, "We have to tell Yume, then we have to get this!" She was wiggling her butt as she danced in excitement, and I found myself momentarily distracted by her perfect curves.

  As if summoned by magic, Yume appeared hugging me gently from behind. She rested her chin on my shoulder, her voice filled with a sort of bemusement when she spoke. "What's going on? I can feel your excitement through our bond, and though I can't feel Ash, I can tell she's even more thrilled than you are." Her slight Japanese accent made her warm voice even more alluring.

  I realized I was becoming more susceptible to their feminine charms, and wondered if it had something to do with my draconic resonance. My instincts were definitely getting stronger.

  Then again, this relationship was still new to all of us, and the girls had grown more affectionate since the bond formed. I could understand that, as it made touching extra nice when we could feel the pleasure it gave each other through our bond.

  "Oh, Yume, come 'n see! This is goin' to be so much fun! We're goin' to go to the Material Plane!" Ash changed to her small size before zipping over to land on Yume's head, holding on to her fox ears for balance.

  "Hey, stop that." Yume complained as Ash bounced up and down, inadvertently tugging on her ears. She gave them a flick, sending Ash spinning away only for the fairy dragon to come back and land on her shoulder.

  "Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to, but just look!" Ash's enthusiasm couldn't be contained as she bounced on her toes and pointed at the tree.

  Yume's bright blue eyes widened when she read the description of the Gateway. Her excitement rose as well, though not quite as much as Ash. I grunted as she squeezed me tighter. "This is amazing! But what is an anchor?" She asked, and her ear flopped to the side like it sometimes did when she was curious or confused. It tickled my face, but I managed to ignore it as I pulled up the other building I had seen.

  Anchor- The anchor can connect your domain to a designated area on the Material Plane. Aether generation will increase in the Material plane in the area around an anchor. Beings on the Material who are exposed to sufficient amounts of aether may develop supernatural abilities should they possess an aptitude. Additional anchor points may be purchased once the building is constructed. —15,000 ather.

  "Hmmm." I hummed thoughtfully as I rubbed my fingers through the soft fur of the tail Yume wrapped around me. "It looks like I'm going to want to pick a location on Earth before I set this up. I don't want to place it just anywhere, and it could end up becoming a target later on."

  Ash let out a groan. "But I want to go there as soon as possible." Her pout was dangerously cute, but she didn't hold it for long. Drifting down from the kitsune's shoulder, she shifted back to her full size and let out a sigh. "I get it though. We need to keep the big picture in mind. I can be patient." She gave me a wink as she wrapped a wing around Yume and me.

  I gave a curt nod. "That's good, because we don't have enough aether for anything right now. Let's check out a couple more buildings, but then I'm going to cue up all of the aether harvesters and harvester upgrades available. We'll need them if we want to have any hope of keeping up." So saying, I pulled up the next building I knew Ash was excited about.

  Library- A place to store books, scrolls, memory crystals and other forms of information storage. Information stored in the library can be accessed from any terminal. Information on skills, abilities, techniques, recipes and concepts may be purchased from the library so long as the requisite structures are present. —8,000 aether

  Ash took several slow deep breaths as she tried to stay calm, then gave me a sweet smile as she took my hand in both of hers and clutched it near her heart. The cyan lights that had been forming the words returned to nebulas swirls when my hand was removed, but I barely notice.

  Ash's violet eyes were big and watery as she looked up at me through her lashes. "Cai, lover, will you pleeease build me a library? I promise I'll be extra good for you. This would be the bestest hoard I could ask for." She pulled my hand down around her waist as she stood up on her tiptoes and leaned into my chest. "Please?" She whispered with less than an inch between our lips.

  I swallowed hard, but didn't get a chance to answer before Yume stepped in. Grabbing Ash's hand, she began to lead her away as she said. "Come on Ash. I can tell you're going to need something to keep you busy for a while. Cai doesn't have enough aether to build it right now. You'll have to be patient. Let's see about setting up more traps in the meantime."

  It took several seconds for my mind to reboot before what Yume said sank in. I was going to have to be extra careful where I stepped for a while. I needed to avoid getting stuck hanging upside down again. I didn't want to give Ash any more ideas about trying to give me a sub kink. If she tries I'll just have to tie her up first.

  With that thought in mind, I began practicing my telekinesis again while I queued up the aether harvesters. All of the buildings looked amazing, and prioritizing would be hard. For now though, I needed to increase my aether generation. I would need to use the tether to expand my territory more soon as well, though that could wait for now.

  I continued to spin a stick through the air as I walked to the workshop to see if Trinket was back. The goblin genius's inventions had been a huge help in the fight against the corruption. I was excited to see what she could do now that she had time and a good place to work.

  I knocked twice on the door before entering the workshop. Trinket was there, working at the glass screen in the center of the room. "Hey Trinket." I greeted her as I walked over to see what she was working on.

  Trinket squeaked and jumped a little as she turned to see me. "O-oh! Hi Cai. I didn't hear you come in. D-did you need something? Not that you need a reason to be here. You can be here anytime! L-like, I know you said the workshop was mine, b-but this whole domain is actually yours, so…" She trailed off and ducked her chin to hide her blush.

  "Heh, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I knocked, but you must not have heard." I couldn't help a short laugh at her reaction. She was cute when she got flustered. "I mostly came to see what you were working on or if you need anything."

  "Oh, I see! I could actually use you for a minute. If you have the time of course." I nodded and she trotted over to the fabric section to grab a measuring tape.

  Meanwhile, I examined the screen. Trinket had a row of armor designs drawn up, with everything from leather to full plate represented. "Are you making armor?" I asked as I examined them. Some of them looked pretty badass.

  She nodded as she set a step stool beside me and climbed up. "Y-yeah. You mentioned before that you wanted some. I know the fight is over already, but I also know you plan on more. Can I get your measurements please?"

  I agreed and held my arms up the way she indicated. "That sounds amazing. I know you said you knew how to forge when we talked the night the workshop completed, but can you make all of these?" I asked, indicating the intricate metal armor she had drawn up.

  "Ummm…" The green-skinned girl was obviously distracted as she measured and took notes. She glanced at the screen before answering. "Yeah, I could make it, but it would take me a while. My biggest struggle with it before would have been controlling the temperature of the forge, but the tools here will help a lot. It would be even easier if we got the replicator upgrade though."

  I chuckled. "I'll add it to the list. Now that my spire is rank two, there are a lot of things I want to build. It's going to be a while before I have any extra income, and even then, I'll be saving up to get to spire rank three." I indicated the leather armor as I continued. "For now though, I think I'd actually prefer leather anyway. I don't really like the idea of loud clanky armor."

  She laughed softly, but hesitated when it was time to measure my inseam. I politely offered to hold the part of the tape measure that would go near sensitive areas.

  "Th-thanks." she whispered as she wrote down the numbers. "I'll get started on the leather armor soon then. I can work with all sorts of materials, but I'm not the best at any one thing. I'm excited to work in the shop and advance my skills more rapidly. It would be amazing to be a master of all crafts." Her voice was soft and wistful as she spoke, and I enjoyed seeing her passion.

  "I'm sure you will be." I put a hand on her shoulder encouragingly. "I can't wait to see what you can do."

  I gave her shoulder one more pat before changing the subject. I told her I wasn't sure when I'd be back, but that I would come check on her then. I also warned her about Ash's trap making scheme. I didn't want the poor goblin girl caught up in it if I could help it. Although… seeing her all tied up might be kinda fun.

  I shook my head as I willed away the image. I really needed to go on that date with Yume.