An army support soldier with a compatibility rating of 9% picked up a piece of black wood from a junk pile on an interstellar battlefield at eighteen. He spent seven years cultivating Qi, then took a Foundation Establishment Pill on the same day as that proud female instructor at twenty-five. After another hundred years of cultivation and three interstellar wars, he finally returned to Earth, carrying his sword, which was as good as new. The dark gold line along its spine gleamed a little brighter than when he had left. Spiritual liquid was gathering again at the bottom of his gourd. He stood at the entrance to Federation Headquarters for a while, watching children run across the grass as a warm breeze blew. He put away his sword and said to himself, “It was worth the trip.”
