Jason idles in his room for an hour. He didn’t actually have anything to finish up, but he did want some time to get what he was going to say in order. Since it is going to be Courtney, he will be telling that means he needs to take a different approach to it. With Rosha he could have probably just explained cultivation and how to start. Courtney however will want a lot more info before she even thinks of trying it.
Plus, he doesn’t really want it to spread out too much yet. Telling his party feels right to him but anymore is tempting fate. Without his experience to guide them who knows what might happen. Besides, Jason readily admits that he isn’t some great talent at cultivation. All his experiences might have paved the way for him to be a lot better than last time but he still doesn’t measure up to a true genius. If cultivation gets released to the world too quickly, someone is going to catch up and pass him in no time.
Not that Jason particularly minds if someone eventually outpaces him. Rather, he would prefer it to happen much later on as after a certain level of power, one’s will start to affect the world around you. In a world full of cultivators, everyone balances themselves out. With only a handful of people at the top though? Especially without a tradition behind them?
That is just a recipe for chaos and Jason doesn’t want to wake up to someone accidentally creating monsters in the real world. A fun trope to read about in a book but in no way does he want to live through one of those “and the magic returns” novels. Especially since probably the first thing that would form is a System analog. Too many people have been influenced by NeoRealm at this point for it to not happen.
Now of course Jason does enjoy NeoRealm. It is just that the System is highly restrictive and very much the work of mortals. Not that he would trust gods to do a better job either, but that is neither here nor there. For now all he can do is keep real cultivation a secret and make use of the power dense environment before everyone and their cousin starts slurping up the stuff.
With those thoughts in mind it doesn’t take long for the hour to pass and Jason invites Courtney into the library since as the room has the best sound proofing of the public areas. Courtney had calmed down but now that it is almost time her nerves are a bit frayed as she tells him to get on with it.
Jason shrugs, “You aren’t going to believe me. Though I guess more properly, you already don’t believe me. Let me say everything first and then you can complain. Anyway, you already know that in NeoRealm I’ve developed a cultivation technique. Nothing too rare, as enough people enjoy those stories. The thing is, I didn’t take that from anyone in NeoRealm or any of the books.”
Stolen novel; please report.
“My secret is the fact that I’m actually a cultivator in real life. Or at least now I am. Just finished the first step which is why my Energy grew. Wasn’t expecting that bit mind you. I was as shocked as you were when I first saw the message. Not that I’m going to complain mind you. Gift horses and what not. Anyway, I’m willing to tell you how I managed it. My experiences with it in real life and answer your questions in general.”
Courtney stands there for a moment, waiting for him to admit to joking or some such. Jason notices this and sighs, “Nope, not joking. Literal cultivation irl and I’m willing to share it with you and Rosha. Oh, though I do hope you will keep it on the down low for a little bit. I want a good head start before others find out.”
Courtney squints at him, “And why should I believe this nonsense? I’ll be honest, I was expecting you to have fallen for some kind of scam. Every scammer out there wants to claim they know some secret method of extending your life without the expensive drugs and yet here you are promising a fantasy so out there even their usual targets wouldn’t believe it.”
Jason laughs, “I don’t expect you to believe me. I do however expect you to test things out. The real world is way too chock full of so many different types of power for it to not be known. Given the mystery around Rosha, you should know at least a little bit about it. I’m just laying my cards out on the table letting you decide on your own.”
“If you end up denying what I tell you, well, no skin off my nose. If however you do confirm it? Even in the real world we have a hundred or so years ahead of us and in NeoRealm that bloats to five hundred. I’ve read the stories, I’ve seen the tales, and you better believe I’ve paid attention to the drama.”
“Bottom line? The only thing that survives that long seems to be companies and countries. Friendships fray, love grows distant, and even families can break apart. Five Hundred Years! Humans aren’t exactly designed to live that long and all those people at the top are way too lonely. What I want is a couple friends that can survive through it all and this is the best way I know how.”
“If age scrubs away connections, then I’m going to counter aging. Cultivation is not only for power but to reach towards immortality. No one ever reaches there but living longer irl than our current expected time in NeoRealm seems like a good start.”
Courtney frowns, “And you expect me to believe you have somehow extended your lifespan five times over in less than a month?”
Jason shakes his head, “Hah, as if it is that easy. No, rather I believe in the potential of it. Maybe the first step only steals back a few days from the reaper, but that is why you keep moving forward. One step after another until they add up to something more than the sum.”
Courtney sighs, “You aren’t wrong about the power in the air. Though you could have learned that from your mom, so don’t think I believe you. However, for Rosha I’m willing to try. Tell me what you know and I’ll test it out.”
Jason smiles and goes on to explain all the basics. While it might not be needed, he holds nothing back. After all, if he can’t trust the two people he chose to spend so much time with, who can he trust?