The pulse faded, leaving AJ acutely aware of something fundamental shifting within his form. The mana from the Essence Crystal flooded through him, pure, concentrated energy that felt qualitatively different from anything he'd absorbed before.
His awareness turned inward, focusing on his core. The sphere of concentrated mana that formed his body's and his cultivation's foundation sat at his centre, unchanged in appearance but somehow... different.
Then he saw it.
A slight rotation. Barely perceptible, perhaps a single degree of movement, but it was unmistakable. His core had moved on its own, not through his conscious direction, but as a response to the influx of high-purity mana.
AJ remained perfectly still, his substance spread across the floor in its uncompressed form. He needed to understand what had just happened.
The energy from the crystal continued integrating into his system, spreading through his substance in waves of refined power. It felt pleasant, like cool water on a hot day, refreshing and revitalizing. His entire form took it in eagerly.
But the core rotation captured his attention completely. His core had never moved on its own before, never showing any sign of independent activity beyond its function as a mana store. Yet the concentrated mana had triggered something within it.
Why did it move? he thought. What caused that reaction?
An hour passed as he observed the integration of the new mana into his body and core. The crystal's energy didn't simply add to his reserves, it actively refined the mana already present in his system.
The overall quality of his mana had improved dramatically. It was like watching a murky pool be slowly cleaned becoming clearer and clearer.
The purity, AJ realized. That's what triggered the rotation.
The thought sparked a chain of understanding. His cultivation had progressed slowly despite constant effort and material absorption. He'd been accumulating mana steadily, growing from virtually nothing to substantial reserves, but quantity alone hadn't been enough.
The quality mattered too.
The high-purity mana from the Essence Crystal had done more for his cultivation in moments than months of ambient mana absorption. And his core had responded to that quantity and quality by rotating slightly.
This is my path forward, he thought with growing certainty. Not just gathering large amounts of mana, but refining it. Improving the purity until my core responds again.
Another few hours passed in contemplation. AJ assisted the integration process where he could, encouraging the refined mana to spread evenly throughout his substance. The pleasant sensation continued, his form adjusting to its now somewhat enhanced state.
By the time the process completed, his understanding had crystallized. The core rotation was significant, a sign that his cultivation had taken a step in the right direction. When his core began rotating consistently, that would mark a true breakthrough, a transition to whatever came next in his development.
He needed high-purity mana in large quantities. The Essence Crystal had provided both, triggering that crucial rotation.
But where do I find more materials like that? The question had no immediate answer, but knowing what to look for was progress in itself.
AJ's awareness expanded outward as the integration finally stabilized. His mana reserves had increased significantly, not overwhelmingly so, but enough that he could feel the difference clearly. More importantly, the overall quality had improved substantially.
An entire day had passed while he focused inward. Through his windows, evening shadows stretched across Valentra's streets. Residents were finishing their daily routines, heading home for dinner and rest.
AJ remained on his floor, processing everything he'd learned. The sub-body experiments seemed distant now, pushed aside by the more immediate revelation about his cultivation path. But as his thoughts settled, an idea began forming.
The core, he thought slowly. What if that's what the sub-body needs?
For three weeks, he'd tried everything, different sizes, mana quantities, densities, structures. Every attempt had produced inert lumps that couldn't respond to his commands or maintain any connection.
But he'd never tried giving a sub-body a piece of his core.
His core was the foundation of his slimy existence as well as his cultivation, being the centre of his mana circulation. A separated portion with its own core fragment might have what the others lacked, the ability to function independently.
Tomorrow, AJ decided. Once I've fully adjusted to these changes, I'll try again.
He allowed himself to rest as night fell, his form remaining spread across the floor while his consciousness drifted towards sleep.
---
Morning brought renewed focus. AJ had spent the night consolidating the changes from the Essence Crystal, and now his mana once again felt stable. He reformed his shape into a compact sphere.
Time to see if this works.
AJ focused on his core, studying its structure carefully. The sphere was highly concentrated, the thought of separating even a small portion felt daunting. But if this was what the sub-body needed, he had to at least try.
He manipulated his mana with extreme caution, directing energy to isolate a tiny section of his core. The process was delicate, requiring precision he'd rarely needed before. Each adjustment felt significant, each shift potentially dangerous.
Slowly, carefully, he sectioned off a fragment. The isolated portion remained connected by the thinnest thread of energy, held in place while he confirmed the separation was stable.
Then he severed the connection completely.
Pain coursed through his form, not overwhelming, but sharp and clear like a cut across skin. His substance rippled with the sensation, his concentration wavering for a moment.
The fragment remained stable though, suspended within his greater mass as a distinct entity. AJ examined it carefully, noting how it resembled his main core but smaller.
Now for the sub-body itself.
He'd done this process dozens of times over the past weeks. Creating a portion of his substance in the right size, filling it with mana, maintaining proper density. The mechanics were familiar now, almost routine.
But this time, he positioned the core fragment at the centre of the forming sub-body. The small sphere settled into place as AJ shaped the substance around it, creating a football-sized mass with the fragment as its foundation.
He provided additional mana, ensuring the sub-body had sufficient energy. Then came the final step, the separation.
AJ stretched the connection point, thinning it gradually until only the slightest thread remained. Then he released it.
Pain and nausea hit simultaneously. The sensation was worse than separating the core fragment, a wrongness that made his entire form shudder. For several minutes, he couldn't focus on anything beyond the pain and discomfort.
When his awareness finally cleared, the sub-body remained and unlike all the previous attempts, it wasn't completely inert.
AJ could feel it, truly feel it, not just sense its presence as a sphere of mana. The connection ran both ways, allowing him to perceive the sub-body's state and direct its movements.
He commanded the sub-body mentally, getting it to move forward.
The sub-body shifted across the floor, responding to his will like an extension of himself. The sensation was strange but not unpleasant, it was like controlling a puppet through invisible strings.
It actually worked.
He spent the next hour testing basic capabilities. All the basic functions came naturally, he could see, hear, feel, and so on through the sub-body just like with his own body.
Communication was equally straightforward. When he directed the sub-body to produce sound his voice emerged from the smaller form as clearly as from his main body.
The next question was the max range at which he could remain in contact with the sub-body. AJ sent the sub-body towards his door, then outside, then further into the settlement. The distance didn't weaken his control or perception, his connection with the sub-body remained stable.
Self-sufficient too, he realized as he monitored the sub-body's mana levels. The fragment wasn't drawing power from his main form. Instead, it passively absorbed ambient energy, maintaining itself without any continuous cost.
The discovery brought tremendous satisfaction. Three weeks of failure had finally yielded success, and the solution had been there all along, he'd just needed a small push to find the missing puzzle piece.
However, the sub-body wasn't a perfect clone of his main body, when he attempted to absorb a small stone through it, nothing happened. The abilities that defined so much of his capabilities simply didn't function through the separated sub-body.
AJ sighed, the sound emerging from both his main body and the distant sub-body simultaneously. Can't have everything, I suppose.
The limitation was disappointing but acceptable. The sub-body could move, perceive, and communicate. That was enough for his purposes, he could maintain his connection to Valentra while exploring elsewhere.
Sam's house stood near the workshop complex. AJ kept his main body in his own house while directing the sub-body to Sam's door.
The sub-body reached up, knocking with a sound that drew Sam's attention immediately. Footsteps approached, then the door opened to reveal his curious expression.
"AJ?" Sam said, his eyes taking in the, smaller than usual, football-sized green sphere. "Is that... did you actually succeed?"
"I did," AJ replied through the sub-body, his voice clear despite the smaller form. "I finally figured it out."
Sam crouched down, studying the sub-body with obvious fascination. "How are you controlling it? How does the connection work?"
"The key was separating a portion of my core and integrating it into the sub-body," AJ explained. "That gave it a foundation for independent function."
"I see," Sam said, his expression showing understanding. "A sub-body without a core would be like trying to run a machine without a power source."
He reached out carefully, his hand hovering near the sub-body's surface. "May I?"
"Go ahead."
Sam's fingers made contact, his mana extending to sense the sub-body's composition. "I can feel the core fragment inside. It's maintaining the structure, providing the foundation for everything else." He pulled back, his eyes bright with scientific interest. "The range? Capabilities?"
"I haven't found the limit for the range. I can see, hear, feel through it. Communication works perfectly," AJ listed. "It's self-sufficient mana-wise, passively absorbing ambient energy. But I can't use any of my abilities with it."
"Still incredibly valuable," Sam observed. "You can maintain presence in multiple locations, gather information, communicate over distances. The ability limitation is unfortunate but not crippling."
"That's what I thought," AJ agreed. "It's exactly what I needed, a way to stay connected to Valentra while exploring elsewhere."
Sam stood, his mind clearly racing through implications and possibilities. "You'll need to inform the others of your plans to go out and of this sub-body ability."
"I'll tell everyone soon."
Sam nodded with a smiled.
The sub-body departed, leaving Sam to return to whatever project was occupying his attention at the time. As it navigated back towards AJ's house, he felt profound satisfaction. The control felt natural, intuitive, it was a copy of his main form after all, responding to his will as easily as his own substance.
He guided it through the final streets, past familiar buildings and residents going about their usual routines, until it reached his door. AJ reabsorbed the sub-body as it entered, smoothly reintegrating its mass and the core fragment back into his main form.
Three weeks of failure, finally overcome. The Essence Crystal had provided crucial insight into his cultivation path, as well as leading him to the successful creation of the sub-body, which would give him the freedom he'd been seeking.
Valentra would maintain communication with him even when his main body ventured into unexplored territories. The sub-body had solved his final concern. He wouldn't be abandoning them by pursuing his own path.
It'll be time to go out soon, he thought.