With their purchases complete, they headed towards the meat shop adjacent to the store. As Keyana had other business, she left Kevin with Keith, who would be his training partner for the next 6 days or so.
"So, how did you guys get into this whole hunting party thing?" Kevin asked Keith as they strolled through the meat jerky section. The choices were abundant, each with their own special effects – stamina boost, wound healing, and obviously, good taste.
Keith glanced over the selection and replied, "I joined in a bit later. I was just a teenager back then. My sis and some buddies of hers started it up, you know, to make a name for themselves in the city."
Kevin nodded, getting the idea. A solid rep in the cultivation world could open a lot of doors, and forming a group of badass warriors was a surefire way to build it up.
"By the way, how many peeps are in your gang?" he asked, grabbing a jerky that had a bit more kick to it. "Pack up 20 kg of this bad boy, please."
"We got around 26 members, but about 9 of us are actually in the mix for the Den's stuff. And you make it 10," Keith answered, cool with Kevin's choice.
While the shopkeeper bagged their stuff, Kevin had another question. "So, how did you end up on the whole cultivation path?"
The shopkeeper concluded their transaction, and Kevin paid for the items. "Thank you."
With their haul in tow, they headed toward the store. Keith was up for joining Kevin in his training later.
"For how I got into this cultivator gig, it was all thanks to my niece, Kari. You remember her, right?" Keith prompted.
"Yeah, I remember her. What about her?" Kevin replied.
Keith went on, "Her parents were in the whole cultivation scene, so they roped my sis and me into it."
Intrigued, Keith turned to Kevin and asked, "Enough about me. You tell me, how did you end up on this path?"
"My story's kind of the same. My dad was a cultivator, and he showed me the ropes. Sadly, he's no longer around," Kevin explained.
"Sorry to hear that," Keith said, being considerate.
Kevin shrugged it off. "Eh, no biggie. He wasn't exactly a great guy, so it's all good."
Curious, Keith kept the chat going. "And what about your family? Are they into this whole cultivator gig, too?"
"Nah, they're not. I've actually been thinking about getting them into it. But funny thing, I don't think they know I'm a cultivator myself. Weird, right?" Kevin admitted with a puzzled look.
Keith chuckled, "Yeah, maybe you should fill them in before you head out."
"Yeah, I should do that," Kevin agreed.
While chatting away, they eventually found themselves in front of the store. Kevin noticed Sia practicing a cultivation technique and nodded to himself. "How about we meet back here in an hour?"
"Sounds good to me. Just make sure you've got everything you need," Keith affirmed.
"Absolutely, I've got it all covered," Kevin replied, giving his ring finger a little rub.
"Great. Catch you later than," Keith said, heading off.
Kevin then caught up with Sia, letting her know what to handle during his absence. With that, he headed back home.
Reaching home, he was greeted by his sister, who was just lying around surfing something on her smartwatch while his mother was in the kitchen readying the ingredients for the dinner.
"Why'd you come home so early today?" Riya inquired, noting Kevin's unusual early return.
"Just got done a bit earlier," he replied casually, heading for the kitchen and opening the fridge for a drink of water.
His mother, engrossed in thought while cutting potatoes, snapped out of it and warmly greeted, "Welcome home."
Kevin caught a glint of contemplation in her eyes as they locked gazes. His attention shifted to the veil delicately shrouding her face and the loose clothing that artfully concealed her assets—assets that, at night, she had an uncanny knack for pressing against his body.
With a smile, he asked. "What's for dinner tonight, mom?"
"Beef stew with bread," Maira responded, resuming her ingredient-cutting duties.
Kevin inquired, "How's university going, sis?"
"Just finals in a month or two, nothing out of the ordinary," Riya replied, her attention still fixed on her smartwatch.
Kevin pressed on, "What's your plan after that?"
"I don't know... There's not much potential in regular human sports, and as for jobs, I doubt it'll be easy with so many people pursuing the same course," she answered with a hint of tension, her thoughts drifting towards her uncertain future.
"Well, why don't you become a cultivator?" Kevin asked, settling into a chair at the newly acquired dining table his mother had bought. It wasn't large, just enough for a family of four to dine comfortably.
Riya chuckled and retorted, "How? By selling my organs to afford a cultivation technique? I doubt that'd be enough."
"Why would you do that? I could just give you the one I'm practicing," Kevin replied nonchalantly.
"Like hell you'd give me the one you're practicing... hey, wait, you're practicing a cultivation technique?" His sister, who had been responding to his question with a lazy tone, suddenly sat up, looking at him in shock and repeating her last sentence with heightened concern.
"What?" Their mother, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, also asked with a raised voice, her gaze fixed on her son with astonishment. "Since when?"
He observed the shock on his mother's and sister's faces and couldn't help but chuckle a bit. He then addressed their bewilderment with a sly grin. "Looks like I forgot to mention that I've been cultivating for over a month now...hehe, isn't that funny?"
"Funny my butt, you're lying! Where did you get that technique?" Riya's disbelief prompted her to stride closer to him.
"Hey, I'm not lying. Look, how can I lift this if I'm lying?" With a confident stance, he grabbed the dining table by its corner, effortlessly lifting it as if it were made of cardboard, and even waved it in the air playfully.
"Huh, you really are a cultivator," Riya uttered, her eyes widening in astonishment.
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