Here’s the thing about traumas.

Even with all the treatment, words of affirmation, and support in the world, they still can’t be fully removed. They definitely can be minimized to the point of irrelevance, but they are still there buried underneath.

My healing subverts that. At least a little.

And as I grow as a cultivator, the simulations and deeper mental healing needed that still allows for personal growth will emerge in the new techniques I’m able to wield.

For now, though, I emulate the effects of those with my current techniques, time, and other methods.

I remind myself of this, as I hold and am held by the three women around me. It only takes a few more minutes before Ai quiets down. Having re-centered herself and now feeling better.

After a little more time, she looks up at me and speaks a loud enough so all three of us can hear.

“Are you guys okay if we try again tomorrow?”

We all look at each other and give a supportive nod. This will take time, but it’s a journey we’re all willing to make. And though no one has explicitly mentioned it, I know that each of them is working through their own issues.

They’ll come up eventually, but for now, we’ll take it a day at a time.

Still hugging each other, we slowly make our way back to the bed.

Now calm again, Ai leaps from our grasp to land in the bed, rolling in the covers like a ferret. Her cheeks are red as she looks at us and giggles to herself.

I can’t help but smile at the sudden change, as it’s her playful way of showing us she’s alright now. With all of us in a good mood, we hop in the bed again, returning to the cuddling position that we were in before.

Things fall silent again as we get comfortable. Of course, I’m keeping an eye out with my awareness ability. There is no need for worry, as we are safe in this heavily fortified tower.

The night remains quiet, as we have all achieved a state of relaxation. In fact, one by one in the morning, they get up to roam around the tower. It seems while I was gone, they didn’t check out more of my tower, but after tonight, they are going all in. Getting themselves comfortable and scoping out potential areas for them to stay in.

Shi is the last one to leave, getting up from my side and after looking around, cupping a hand on my cheek, before moving to the other floors.

Once she leaves, I finally get up out of the bed.

We have a lot to handle before we depart. But this was a great break.

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I head right back up to the cultivation floor at the top of the tower.

To promptly start pumping out stones again.

For others, they might need to concentrate completely on it to condense the stones, but luckily for me, I have the scan. Attempting to automate my scan and body hadn't worked too well in some things, like dodging the attentions of a person.

However, this situation should be perfect for it as I will only have it carry out one specific thing in the background, while I focus on other activities.

… or that’s how it should go. Whether I can do this right, will be determined now.

Similar to before, I gather qi towards my location in the tower. With the setup here, it is trivial to do so. As it moves in a whirlwind toward me, I hold this feeling and each of the actions that go into this practice in my mind.

And let the scan take over the rest. Letting it time the condensing with my healing and refilling process. Within 15 seconds, two stones condense before me. Right after, the process starts again.

It’s a success.

Well, it’s no parallel thinking, but it’s good enough to let me work on other things simultaneously.

As more stones pile up and my qi fluctuating, I look toward the other materials I’ve brought into the room.

Ink, paper, scrolls, and empty blueprint papers.

With money and stones no longer being a problem, now I just have to use them correctly. Both in how I distribute them and direct those around me to use them.

Fortress security, Trauma Team equipment, funds for allies, and several other things all can be bolstered by this.

But my first priority should always be the safety and security of this fortress.

After all, if your foundation falls while you are away, what have you been working for? Even more so, when this will be the place that I will store some of our treasures.

While I believe it could survive a barrage of attacks from the outside for a while, there’s the obvious secondary element to watch for at this stage.

Surveillance.

Several surveillance devices have already been added to the fortress during its construction by external actors. Some are from the sect, others from prominent families. Some individuals, even from demonic fringe groups, actively seek weaknesses or information about the sect.

I don’t have to worry about my people causing any issues, because of the contract. But, they can only do so much to stem the flow of information, as other people in the sect deliver items and information all the time. Even just this provides several chances for experts to work their skills to get tools into place.

And like I had noticed earlier when I first came into this world, some level of surveillance is both accepted and allowed. Both as a tool to feed others false or openly information and to manipulate that flow.

Especially, since there’s no one who can catch all the tools or is willing to spend money to cover enormous areas in the formations that could do so.

Except for me, of course.

Adding to that, there is a lack of tools to assist with internal attacks, if someone recognized as safe got past the entrance and became very not safe.

This implies that it is now the opportune time to finally create something I've been eager to make after seeing it several times.

Golems.

I’ve seen the book golems, stone golems, and other varieties, but I think I may be able to make a new kind.

Specifically, robots with guns.

The only question that comes up is the ramification of such a choice.

Guns aren’t new to this world. Some countries a bit of a distance away have them and use them to fight against cultivators. They aren’t at the Gatling gun level yet, but still have success against low realm cultivators, like qi condensation.

However, the more technologically advanced countries that are even farther away are utilizing a variety of tools, so this could always be perceived as additional knowledge that I have insight into.

Either way, it will transform this society.

Time to show them the American way.