The Quantum Path to Immortality

"Exactly. Luminite helps with Law comprehension, which is useful. But Infinity Essence is specifically attuned to Infinity Law. It's what everyone here wants." Vel'kora tucked the crystal away. "That's why your 5,000 Essence is worth so much. You can use it to speed up your cultivation, buy resources, hire protection—whatever you need."

"And Infinity Essence is used for both cultivation and comprehending the stages of infinity?"

"Yes. When you absorb it, it directly enhances your understanding of Infinity Law. Each stage of Infinity Law becomes clearer, easier to grasp. Without Essence, advancement takes centuries. With it, you might cut that down to decades—if you're talented."

Elias processed this. So Luminite was like copper coins compared to Infinity Essence's gold. Still valuable for trade, but fundamentally inferior.

"What about the stages of Infinity Law? You mentioned there were six?"

"Right. Endless Path is the first—understanding potential infinity. Then Multiplicity, Continuum, Dimensional, Hierarchical, and finally Absolute. Each stage harder than the last." Vel'kora shook their head. "I've been here seventeen thousand years and I'm still stuck at 18% comprehension, barely into the second stage."

"The mines you mentioned—can anyone work there?"

"If you're strong enough and willing to risk it. The mines are dangerous. Unstable dimensions, reality warping, beings that spawn from the collapsed spaces. But the pay is good—successful miners can earn dozens of Essence per expedition." Vel'kora smiled. "Though with 5,000 Essence already, you don't need to mine. You can focus purely on cultivation."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, watching other cultivators move through the Guild Hall.

"One more thing," Vel'kora said. "Time works differently here. Right now, as an Initiate with zero Infinity Law, you experience time normally. But as you advance, you'll gain more control. An Adept might experience a day as a week. A Master could stretch a month into years."

"So higher cultivation literally gives you more time to cultivate."

"Exactly. It's one of the major advantages of advancement—you get more subjective time to study. A Sovereign could spend millennia in meditation while only decades pass externally." Vel'kora stood up. "That's why catching up to veterans is so hard. They've not just been here longer—they've experienced more time."

Elias stood as well. "Thank you for the information. It's been valuable."

"You're welcome. And Elias?" Vel'kora smiled. "You're different from other Initiates. Most newcomers are devastated, barely functional. You're calm, organized, already planning your next moves. I think you might actually make it to Adept level faster than most."

"I certainly intend to try."

"Good luck. You'll need it. Infinity Law is brutal—it breaks most people who attempt it." Vel'kora turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, and one more thing. Don't let anyone know how much Luminite you have left. 450,000 units is a fortune. Keep it quiet, or you'll have every opportunist in the city trying to rob you."

"I'll be careful."

Vel'kora departed, leaving Elias standing in the Guild Hall, surrounded by trillions of ascended beings, in a city that defied normal understanding.

He found an empty seat and sat back down, processing everything he'd learned. The social structure, the currency system, the stages of Infinity Law, the time dilation effects.

It was all logical. Systematic. Understandable.

He reached through his quantum entanglement to his other self. In the multiverse, his duplicate was reading bedtime stories to Aria, explaining about the Eternal City and its impossible architecture.

Both versions of him were equally real, equally present.

The Infinity Realm thought it had trapped him here. It didn't know about his quantum connection, his ability to exist across dimensional boundaries.

He wasn't trapped. He was exactly where he wanted to be—for now.

Elias stood and walked toward the exit. He needed to find lodging, establish himself, begin studying Infinity Law.

The journey was just beginning. And for someone who thought in terms of optimization and efficiency, the challenge of mastering something called "Infinity Law" was exactly the kind of problem he enjoyed solving.

Time to get started. his duplicate was putting Aria to bed, telling her stories about the Eternal City and its impossible architecture.

Both versions of him were equally real, equally present.

The Infinity Realm couldn't trap what existed in quantum superposition across dimensional boundaries.

Elias smiled slightly. The realm thought it had imprisoned him. It had no idea he'd already found a way to leave whenever he wanted.

But he wasn't leaving yet. He had Infinity Law to study, knowledge to acquire, mysteries to solve.

And then, eventually, he'd return home with his family and share everything he'd learned.

The journey had just begun. And for once, Elias Vance had all the time in the world—or rather, all the time in infinity—to pursue it.

Perfect. Optimal. Exactly as planned.

After leaving the Guild Hall, Elias's first priority was establishing a base of operations. Living in temporary accommodations while pursuing Infinity Law comprehension would be inefficient.

He returned to the Guild's real estate division—a separate wing that handled property transactions. A receptionist, a being made of flowing liquid crystal, greeted him.

"I need to purchase a residence," Elias stated. "Something private, secure, with space for cultivation."

"Budget?" the receptionist asked.

"Up to 2,000 Infinity Essence."

The crystal being's form rippled with interest. Most Initiates couldn't afford properties worth more than 100 Essence. "Let me show you available options." He said as he scanned Elias, not noticing any aura of infinte law from him as he wonders where this newbie got 2000 infinity essence from.

A holographic display appeared, showing various properties throughout the city. Elias scanned through them quickly, dismissing most. Too small. Too exposed. Poor energy flow.

Then he saw it: a mansion on the city's eastern edge. Three stories, existing across multiple dimensions simultaneously. Private cultivation chamber with enhanced energy concentration. Defensive arrays built into the foundation. Spatial expansion enchantments making the interior far larger than the exterior suggested.

"This one," Elias pointed. "What's the price?"

"1,800 Essence. It was owned by a Master who recently ascended beyond the realm. The defensive arrays alone are worth 500 Essence."

"I'll take it."

The receptionist's form solidified in surprise. "You... you're purchasing it outright? Most Initiates would need centuries to afford—"

"I have the Essence. Process the transaction."

Twenty minutes later, Elias held the property deed—a crystallized contract that bound him to the mansion and granted him full access to its systems. The receptionist had looked at him with new respect. Wealthy Initiates were rare. Wealthy Initiates who made instant purchasing decisions were even rarer.

The Mansion

Elias stood before his new home. The mansion was impressive—crystalline walls that shifted between solid and translucent, architecture that folded through multiple dimensions, and a presence that suggested the building itself was partially alive.

He placed his hand on the entrance. The defensive arrays recognized him as the new owner and opened, allowing him inside.

The interior was vast. The spatial expansion made it feel like a small palace rather than a simple house. Multiple cultivation chambers, a library, storage rooms, and a central meditation hall that existed in perfect dimensional alignment.

But the true prize was the main cultivation chamber on the third floor.

Elias entered and immediately felt the difference. The energy concentration here was at least ten times higher than the ambient levels outside. Arrays carved into the walls drew in qi from the surrounding realm and compressed it, creating an environment perfect for breakthrough cultivation.

The chamber was circular, with a raised platform in the center. Arrays covered every surface—some for energy concentration, others for protection, a few for time dilation that would let him experience days as weeks while cultivating.

Perfect. Optimal.

He sat cross-legged on the platform, but didn't begin cultivating yet. First, he needed resources.

Elias returned to the Guild Hall and headed to the vault section—a heavily secured area where members could withdraw physical Essence from their accounts.

"I need to withdraw 1,000 Infinity Essence," he told the vault keeper.

The keeper, a massive being made of compressed metal, nodded. "Account verified. One moment."

The vault opened, revealing shelves of glowing crystals. The keeper carefully counted out 1,000 units of Infinity Essence, each one radiating power that made Elias's Luminite seem like cheap imitations.

"Storage container recommended," the keeper said, offering a specialized spatial ring. "Carrying this much Essence openly is... inadvisable."

Elias took the ring and transferred the Essence into it. The keeper was right—walking around with 1,000 Essence would mark him as a target.

"Thank you."

"One more thing, Initiate." The keeper leaned forward slightly. "You've made large purchases and withdrawals. Word spreads in this city. Be careful."

Elias nodded. Sound advice. He'd been efficient but not subtle. Other cultivators would notice a wealthy newcomer.

He'd need to be cautious.

His next stop was the Technique Pavilion—a massive library attached to the Guild Hall that sold cultivation techniques, manuals, and comprehension aids.

An elderly cultivator—or at least, someone projecting an elderly appearance—greeted him at the entrance.