The sound of the door opening was heard."Is she back already? So soon?" he wondered as he stood up.
He walked toward the first floor and looked toward the entrance. There, taking off her shoes, stood a middle-aged woman with light brown hair and magenta eyes.
"Mother, you arrived early. I thought you'd be back tonight."
The woman looked up at him and sighed lightly.
"I thought the same," she replied as she set her bag aside, "but I had to finish everything earlier than expected."
Wu Huang leaned against the stair railing.
"Did something happen?"
"Yes. A gate opened in the shopping mall," she explained in a tired tone. "They shut everything down for safety while the cleanup teams dealt with it."
"Wow…" Wu Huang murmured.
Dimensional gates weren't exactly rare, but they weren't something anyone wanted nearby either.
If it were something that happened once or twice a month, it would be a minor issue. But considering that they appear in the middle of the city between one and three times a day, it becomes quite an annoying situation.
That's not even counting the dimensional gates that appear in isolated or sparsely populated areas, which are difficult to locate.
"Luckily it was a small gate," his mother continued. "The psionites closed it quickly, but they still evacuated everyone as a precaution, since some monsters managed to escape the containment area."
Then she looked at him with a gentle expression.
"And you, son? What did you do today?"
Wu Huang shrugged slightly.
"Nothing special. I practiced a bit and then rested in my room."
His mother nodded calmly and walked toward the kitchen. She began putting away the few things she had bought until she noticed a bag she had set aside.
Wu Huang went down the stairs and approached the kitchen, sitting nearby with curiosity.
"Didn't you eat anything?" he asked.
"To be honest, I'm not very hungry."
The woman slightly lifted a small bag that had been separated from the others.
"Then I arrived at a good time."
She set it on the table and took out a white cardboard box.
"I bought a cake before coming back. We can eat a little while we talk."
Wu Huang looked at the box curiously.
"That does sound good."
She opened the box, revealing a simple cake covered with cream and some fruit on top.
"I saw it at the bakery near the mall," she said as she took out two plates from the cabinet. "They always make pretty good things."
Wu Huang took a knife and cut two slices.
"Then it's probably good."
He placed the portions on the plates and they both sat across from each other.
For a few moments, the kitchen remained silent as they tasted the cake.
"It's really good," Wu Huang commented after the first bite.
"Right?" his mother replied. "That bakery rarely disappoints."
They ate calmly for a few minutes.
"By the way," she asked, "how is your spiritual practice going?"
Wu Huang sighed lightly.
"Slow… as always. Today I managed to gain a few points counting the practice at school."
His mother nodded with understanding.
"That's still progress. Accumulation takes time."
"I know," he replied, "but it's still frustrating."
She looked at him with a calm expression.
"All cultivators start like that. Even the strongest psionites went through that stage."
Wu Huang took another bite of cake.
"I guess."
His mother set her fork down on the plate.
"As long as you keep practicing every day, eventually you'll advance. The important thing is not to give up."
Wu Huang nodded slightly.
The conversation continued calmly while they finished the cake.
Suddenly, his mother seemed to remember something.
"Oh, right. I have something for you."
She stood up and returned with a small black box, which she placed on the table.
Wu Huang looked at it curiously.
When he opened the box, his eyes widened in surprise.
Inside was a small glass bottle containing a light blue liquid.
"Is that…?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"Yes," she replied with a faint smile. "A low-grade spiritual elixir. It will help with your practice."
Wu Huang stared at the bottle in disbelief.
"That… that's too expensive. Return it."
"No," she replied immediately, this time with a serious expression.
"Mother, that's too much for us."
"Don't worry," she said calmly. "I saved up for a while so I could buy it without affecting our finances too much. We'll just have to treat ourselves less for a while."
"Even so…" Wu Huang protested.
His mother was the one who supported the household on her own. The money barely covered what was necessary: food, clothes, and the roof over their heads.
Spending money to improve his cultivation was something he would never have asked for.
"Son," she said gently, "college is just around the corner. If this increases your chances of getting in, then it's an investment I'm willing to make."
"It's not necessary. I just have to work harder."
But before he could continue protesting, his mother hugged him.
Wu Huang's head rested against her chest.
"You're doing very well," she said softly. "You don't have to push yourself to death. I want you to have a good life… and to enjoy your youth too."
She gently lifted his face.
Wu Huang remained silent, looking at his mother's face. There were small tears at the corners of her eyes.
"So do whatever you want. Your mother will support you no matter what path you choose," she said with a smile as she kissed Wu Huang on the forehead.
Wu Huang sighed and took the elixir, knowing his mother wasn't going to change her mind.
"Alright…" he murmured. "It's not a bad thing anyway. With this, I'll be closer to the Condensation stage."
Although he still felt uneasy about the money it had cost, accelerating his progress would be a great help. He could focus on improving other aspects of his training while maintaining his daily cultivation.
He looked at the small bottle again.
And despite everything, he couldn't help but feel excited.
After all, the Condensation stage brought several interesting changes with it.
Even though he knew he would eventually reach that point on his own, advancing that moment by even a few days would be enormous progress.