Elias woke to the soft glow of compressed probability light filtering through his new mansion's windows. The Adept district was quieter than the Initiate areas—fewer residents, more space, an atmosphere of focused cultivation rather than frantic struggle.

He sat up and immediately felt the difference in his cultivation chamber. The arrays here were masterwork—ten-to-one time dilation versus his previous five-to-one. Every hour he spent cultivating would feel like ten hours of comprehension and advancement.

Efficient. Optimal.

A message array near his bed was blinking—an invitation from Vel'kora.

He activated it.

"Elias! There's an Adept gathering this afternoon at the Celestial Resonance Tea House. It's basically mandatory for anyone who wants to be taken seriously in the Adept social circles. Plus, my wives want to meet the 'legendary multiverse destroyer.' Come. It'll be educational. And probably amusing watching you deal with Infinity Realm social customs. - V"

Elias considered. He'd been planning to cultivate today, but Vel'kora had a point. Social connections provided access to information networks, potential allies, and knowledge about opportunities he might otherwise miss.

Also, understanding the social dynamics of the Adept class would be strategically valuable.

He sent a confirmation and began preparing.

He reached through his quantum entanglement to check on his other self. In the multiverse, his duplicate was having breakfast with Kaelen and Aria.

"Father's going to a social gathering today," his other self was explaining to Aria. "In the Infinity Realm, even cultivators need to build relationships."

"That sounds boring," Aria said, poking at her food. "Why doesn't he just cultivate all the time?"

"Because networking provides access to resources and information," Kaelen replied, smiling at their daughter's impatience. "Your father is extremely efficient, but even he recognizes the value of social connections."

Through the link, Elias smiled slightly. His wife understood him perfectly.

"Will Father make friends?" Aria asked hopefully.

"Perhaps. Though knowing your father, he'll probably optimize the friendship-making process somehow."

Kaelen wasn't wrong.

Elias severed the connection gently and stood.

The Celestial Resonance Tea House existed in twelve dimensions simultaneously, making it look like a modest pavilion from one angle and a sprawling palace from another. Elias arrived punctually—neither early enough to seem eager nor late enough to be rude.

The entrance adjusted itself to his dimensional presence, and he walked through into a space that defied normal geometry. The tea house interior was vast, with private alcoves, open gathering spaces, and gardens that seemed to exist in their own pocket realities.

Dozens of Adepts were already present, their auras carefully controlled but still palpable. Each one radiated power that would have made them legends in the multiverse. Here, they were simply middle-tier cultivators.

"Elias! Over here!" Vel'kora waved from a comfortable seating area near a fountain that flowed upward.

Elias navigated through the crowd, noting the subtle glances and whispers that followed him. His reputation had spread—the Initiate who'd defeated a Master-level cultivator with one finger, who'd destroyed five hundred multiverses in a championship match, who'd somehow reached Adept level in three months.

He sat down across from Vel'kora, who was accompanied by three women.

"Elias Vance, meet my wives," Vel'kora said with obvious pride. "Lyria, Sera, and Mira."

Lyria was tall and elegant, her form seeming to shift between states of matter. "So you're the one who broke Kex'than's shields," she said with amusement. "He's still recovering from the embarrassment."

Sera was shorter, covered in crystalline patterns that refracted light into impossible colors. "Welcome to the Adept circles, Elias. We've heard... interesting things about your methods."

Mira was the quietest, her appearance almost human except for eyes that contained swirling universes. "It's rare to see someone advance so quickly. You must be either a genius or completely insane."

"Possibly both," Vel'kora added helpfully.

Elias nodded politely to each of them. "Thank you for the welcome. I'm still learning the social customs here."

"Oh, this will be entertaining," Lyria said, exchanging glances with her sister-wives. "Vel'kora, you didn't mention he was this formal."

"He's not formal," Vel'kora corrected. "He's just... efficient. Watch."

A server approached with a tray of refreshments—delicate cups containing liquids that existed in multiple states simultaneously.

"Would you care for Probability Tea or Essence-Infused Wine?" the server asked.

Elias examined both options with his divine sense, analyzing their effects. The tea would enhance temporal perception temporarily. The wine would provide mild euphoria and slightly improved Law comprehension for about some minutes.

"The tea," he said. "More practical benefits."

The server blinked, clearly not used to such analytical responses, and served him the tea before moving on.

Vel'kora's wives burst out laughing.

"See?" Vel'kora said. "He approached choosing a beverage like it was a cultivation resource allocation problem."

"It is a resource allocation problem," Elias replied, genuinely confused by their amusement. "Why wouldn't I optimize the choice?"

This only made them laugh harder.

"I like him," Sera declared. "He's refreshingly straightforward."

"Or refreshingly oblivious to social niceties," Mira added, but she was smiling.

Elias sipped his tea—which did indeed enhance his perception—and observed the gathering. Other Adepts were clustering in small groups, discussing cultivation insights, trading resources, or simply enjoying the social atmosphere.

Several were glancing his way with expressions ranging from curiosity to wariness.

"They're intimidated," Lyria said, noticing his observation. "You defeated a Master while being an Adept. That's not supposed to be possible."

"Combat effectiveness is a function of technique quality, Law comprehension application, and tactical execution," Elias said. "I've learned to maximize efficiency—using 1% of Infinity Law to achieve what others need 10% to accomplish. It's about application precision and execution optimization."

"That's..." Vel'kora paused, trying to process that. "That shouldn't be possible. The Law comprehension directly correlates to power output."

"For most cultivators, yes. But if you refine your techniques to perfect efficiency, minimize energy waste, and apply Law principles with absolute precision, you can achieve exponentially better results with the same comprehension level."

The three wives exchanged looks that suggested they found this explanation both impressive and completely ridiculous.

A group of three Adepts approached their seating area. The leader, a man with features that suggested he was originally human, bowed slightly.

"Elias Vance? I'm Aldric Shen. I wanted to introduce myself—we're both relatively new to the Adept circles."

Elias stood and returned the bow. "How long have you been an Adept?"

"Forty-seven years. Though it took me three thousand years to reach this point from Initiate." Aldric smiled ruefully. "Your three-month advancement is... unprecedented."

"Efficient application of resources and technique."

"He says that a lot," Vel'kora stage-whispered to Aldric. "It's his answer to everything."

Aldric's companions introduced themselves—Thalia, a woman whose skin reflected starlight, and Brennan, a massive figure who radiated stable power.

"We heard about your match with Crimson Spear Theron," Thalia said. "Is it true you caught his Infinite Edge technique with two fingers?"

"Yes. The technique had good theoretical foundation but flawed execution. True infinity cannot be reached through progressive refinement—it requires fundamental understanding of limitlessness."

Brennan laughed. "You're telling me you critiqued his technique while fighting him?"

"Analysis during combat is standard practice."

More laughter. Elias was beginning to suspect he was being laughed at rather than with, but he couldn't identify what he was doing wrong.

"Elias," Vel'kora said gently, "people usually don't analyze techniques during friendly social conversations. They just say 'yes, the fight was interesting' and move on."

"But that would convey less information."

"That's the point! Social gatherings aren't about maximum information density!"

"Then what's the point?"

Everyone at the table stared at him.

"He's serious," Sera said wonderingly. "He genuinely doesn't understand small talk."

"Should I?" Elias asked.

Lyria patted his shoulder sympathetically. "You're going to be very entertaining at these gatherings, Elias Vance. Very entertaining indeed."

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