The eastern gate stood open as AJ approached, revealing three carts arranged in the plaza beyond. Traders moved efficiently around the vehicles, unharnessing the stoneback draught beasts.
A small crowd had already gathered, residents drawn by news of the caravan's arrival. The core team was present, with Maria, Victor, Walter, Ethan, Sam, and Lily positioned near the lead cart. Their expressions carried a mixture of curiosity and anticipation.
"Perfect timing," Aldric called out as he noticed AJ's arrival. He gestured towards the middle cart, where several wooden crates sat secured beneath canvas coverings. "Your materials are here."
AJ joined the others as the traders began unloading the crates. The first contained dark metal ingots that gleamed with an unusual sheen. The second held a lighter-coloured metal with faint patterns running through its surface. The final crate was smaller, more carefully packed, and contained cloth-wrapped bundles.
"Let's start with the metals," Aldric said, lifting one of the dark ingots. "This is Bloodiron, a metal that responds to prolonged contact with its wielder. It's heavier and more durable than standard iron."
He set it down and picked up one of the lighter ingots. "And this is Stormsteel. Lighter than iron but just as strong, with good mana conductivity. It's particularly useful for tools and weapons that benefit from energy flow."
Robert had already moved forward, his calloused hands reaching for the Bloodiron ingot. He turned it over slowly, examining the surface with a critical eye.
"The quality is lower than ideal specimens," Aldric continued. "But they're still superior to even the highest quality iron. We've brought approximately twenty kilograms of each, enough for several tools or specialized equipment."
"This will work," Robert said, his tone carrying some anticipation. He picked up the Stormsteel ingot, testing its weight. "I'll need to learn how they behave during forging, but the potential is clear."
His apprentices crowded closer, their faces showing excitement as they examined the unfamiliar metals. Robert set both ingots back in their crate.
"I'm going to take these to the smithy immediately," he said to Maria and the others. "These metals deserve proper attention, and I want to understand their properties further before attempting anything with them."
Maria nodded. "Keep us updated on your progress."
Robert and his apprentices departed towards the forge, already deep in discussion about the potential uses for these materials. The remaining crowd's attention shifted to the smaller crate as Aldric carefully unwrapped the cloth bundles.
"Cultivation materials," he explained, revealing several items arranged on the cart bed. "These are harder to acquire and come in limited quantities, but they offer significant benefits."
The first item was a twisted root with a gnarled texture and grey exterior. "Ironroot," Aldric said. "Strengthens bones and muscles, increases physical resilience. It's particularly effective for body-focused cultivation."
Next came pale purple moss arranged in careful bundles. "Mindwhisper Moss. Enhances mental clarity and cognitive function."
He unwrapped delicate silver flowers that sparkled in the afternoon sun. "Starblossom. Enhances spiritual perception and mana sensitivity."
The final items drew immediate attention, a small crystal that seemed to hold light within their structure, and dark stones with glowing veins of colour running through them.
"Essence Crystals," Aldric indicated. "Stores highly refined mana in concentrated form that can be directly absorbed." He picked up one of the veined stones. "And Veinstone, this one's red colouration indicates fire affinity. Helps cultivators attune to specific energy types."
"We only have one Essence Crystal and a few strands of each herb I'm afraid," he continued. "These materials are valuable and difficult to source, so quantities are limited."
AJ felt his attention drawn to the Essence Crystal. Something about it called to him in a way he couldn't quite articulate.
"May we examine them more closely?" Sam asked, his analytical interest evident.
"Of course," Aldric replied. "That's why they're here in front of you."
The team gathered around the cart as Aldric passed the materials around. Walter was first to receive the Ironroot, turning the twisted root over in his weathered hands.
"Try sensing it with your mana," Aldric suggested. "Extend your awareness into the material and feel its properties."
Walter closed his eyes, his breathing slowing as he focused inward. After several moments, he opened them again. "I can feel something, but it's faint."
He passed it to Ethan, who held it with obvious interest. The large man's expression shifted almost immediately. "This feels strange. Like it's... resonating with something in my body."
"Your affinity matches the material's nature," Aldric explained. "We've found that people who's cultivation is more focused on their physical bodies respond better to Ironroot."
The root continued around the circle. Lily felt a mild attraction to it, while Sam reported only the faintest sensation. AJ sensed the concentrated energy within but felt no particular pull towards it.
The Mindwhisper Moss generated similarly varied responses with everyone feeling a certain amount of attraction to it except for AJ who didn't feel anything special. Unlike with the Ironroot there was no clear pattern to people's affinity with the material.
The Starblossom drew strong reactions from Lily and Victor the two with the best senses. Aldric's explanation was that the Starblossom improves one's spiritual perception and mana sensitivity which Lily and Victor must've picked up on.
The Veinstone's red colouration indicated fire affinity, and none of the team members showed any particular resonance with it. Each person sensed the energy within, the heat and intensity contained in the stone's structure, but no one felt the attraction that would indicate matching affinity.
Finally, the Essence Crystal made its way around the circle. Unlike the other materials with their specific affinities and natures, the crystal seemed to contain pure, concentrated mana without elemental colouration.
"High-purity energy contained within a crystalline shell," Sam observed as he examined it.
Walter held it briefly, his expression thoughtful. "This seems like a universally useful cultivation material."
When the crystal reached AJ, the yearning sensation intensified dramatically. His core seemed to pulse in response to the crystal's presence.
He held it carefully, feeling the pure mana contained within its structure. His core yearned for the energy with an intensity he'd never experienced with any other material, not the Ravager core they'd encountered, not the astralite deposits, not even the mana-rich environments they'd trained in.
"This crystal feels like it will be extremely useful for me," AJ said quietly as the examination concluded. "I'd like to hold onto it."
The others exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement.
"If it's that attractive to you, it makes sense for you to have it." Maria said.
"We'll split the other materials," Walter suggested, gesturing to the remaining herbs and the Veinstone. "Based on what we each felt, we can distribute them where they'll be most effective."
The team spent several minutes dividing the cultivation resources. Ethan and Victor split the Ironroot between themselves, while Sam, Maria and Walter shared the Mindwhisper Moss. Lily received the Starblossom, and the Veinstone was set aside for since none of them showed any affinity for it.
AJ carefully wrapped the Essence Crystal in the cloth it had arrived in. The yearning from his core hadn't diminished, if anything, having the crystal in his possession seemed to intensify the sensation.
The crowd began dispersing as the immediate excitement faded. Residents returned to their daily routines while the River's Eye traders continued unloading cargo from the other carts. The materials would integrate into Valentra's operations gradually, their full value revealing itself over time.
"Maria," Aldric said as the others moved away. "Do you have time for our first formal information exchange?"
"Of course," she replied. "Let's go to my office."
---
The room was simple but functional, with a sturdy table and comfortable chairs. Maria sat at her desk while Aldric took a seat in front of her.
"Let's get straight to it shall we? What information have you got for me?" Maria asked.
Aldric pulled a small notebook from his jacket, consulting it briefly. "Monster movements north of the settlement have increased over the past week. Nothing immediately threatening, they're far enough away that you have time to prepare if they shift direction, but it's worth monitoring."
"What kind of creatures?"
"Reports suggest Stone Wolves primarily, with some Razor Bear sightings. A pack of 15 to 20 wolves, and 3 or 4 bears."
Maria made mental notes, already considering how to brief Victor and the patrol teams. "Anything else?"
"Three new settlements have emerged in the region, small groups, 20 to 40 people each. Two of them are attempting agriculture, while the other one is sticking to a hunter gather style. None pose any threat to Valentra, but they could become trade contacts if they grow enough to garner your interest."
"Locations?"
Aldric described their approximate positions, one to the west near the coast, two to the south in the plains region. "We haven't established formal contact yet, but we're keeping tabs on them."
"We'll consider it," Maria said. "New settlements could benefit from connection to larger communities."
"And from your side?" Aldric asked. "How is Valentra progressing?"
"Things are progressing smoothly," Maria replied. "The population is steadily increasing, our food supply remains strong and our construction projects are proceeding on schedule."
"That's good," Aldric said, making a note. "And your workshops? The tools Robert is producing are already in demand across our network."
"Our production capacity is increasing as his apprentices develop their skills. If Robert is given enough time he'll be able to use those new metals to create higher quality tools too."
The exchange continued for another 15 minutes, covering general regional conditions, trade opportunities, and potential challenges. Neither party revealed anything particularly sensitive, but the information flow established baseline understanding that future conversations could build upon.
"Alright, I think we've covered all the bases," Aldric concluded as the meeting drew to a close.
"Yea," Maria nodded. "We'll stick to the monthly meetings unless something urgent develops."
Aldric agreed and made his way out of the office, leaving Maria alone in the meeting room. She sat quietly for a moment, processing the information he'd provided.
The monster movements north required their attention, while it's not an immediate issue keeping an eye out wouldn't hurt. The new settlements represented opportunities for alliance or trade.
And the successful first exchange with the River's Eye increased both sides confidence that they would in fact receive the benefits they'd hoped for.
---
AJ returned to his house as the afternoon shadows lengthened across Valentra's streets. The Essence Crystal sat on his table.
He unwrapped it slowly, revealing the small crystalline structure. Light seemed to dance within its depths, pure mana contained in physical form.
He picked up the crystal, feeling its smooth surface. The mana within called to him with undeniable intensity.
AJ returned to his original slime form on the floor, now in his uncompressed form he could reach roughly 3 meters in diameter.
He'd been attempting sub-body creation for three weeks without success, exhausting himself in the pursuit of an ability that remained frustratingly out of reach.
This crystal provided him with a timely distraction from the experiments. AJ focused on the energy it contained, the high purity mana, perhaps absorbing it would help him along with his cultivation which had been progressing unbearably slowly.
Only one way to find out.
He focused inward, feeling his core, the yearning intensified as he brought the crystal closer, his substance responding to its proximity.
AJ slowly drew the crystal into himself. His substance flowed around the crystalline structure, enveloping it completely as he began the absorption process.
The mana within the crystal responded immediately, highly pure energy flooding into his form. It felt right, natural even, as if this was the quality of mana his body was always meant to absorb and use.
Then his core pulsed.