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Perplexed, Karos blinked. “But that’s not what I want. I want something I can use now, so–”

“The hardest part of using cores is finding one that’s compatible. Sure, any core with a shared affinity is technically usable. But if you want to train effectively, you’ll want to seek cores with similar essence natures, or even from a similar species,” explained Keldon, catching the lynx off guard. “Testing for a core’s nature is difficult and very few experts can offer this kind of service. Sadly, I don’t currently possess the resources to make such tests. Even if I did, however, I wouldn’t accept your father’s core. You’ve successfully gained a fully compatible, perennial core. You may never find another core with such compatibility.”

‘Well...”

“You still want to trade it?”

Nodding hesitantly, Karos asked, “Then what do I do now? I need to compete with the best, but I can’t without resources.”

“A fair point. But why do you cultivate?”

.....

A third voice entered the conversation from behind the lynx. Karos whipped his head around to spot a face that was familiar yet had no name in his memory.

“Jarrit? What brings you to town?” Keldon smiled wider.

The bearded man nodded warmly at his friend and looked at Karos’s confused face. “Tell me. Why do you cultivate?”

“That... To get stronger,” answered Karos, sounding a little self-righteous.

“Hmm. If that’s all, then it won’t matter how many cores you use.”

“But cores speed up cultivation. That’s how my father–”

“Is your father a remarkable talent?” questioned Jarrit.

“Um, no.”

“Do you want to be a remarkable talent?”

Emphatically nodding, Karos replied, “Of course.”

“Then why follow his example?”

“...”

Sensing a shift in perspective occurring within the lynx’s mind, Jarrit elaborated, “Do you already consider yourself a remarkable talent?”

“No... not necessarily.”

“A good answer. Then, I suppose you believe someone else is more capable and you wish to reach or surpass that person?”

“Yeah. That’s right.” Karos’s mind began to wander, following the emerging perspective of the old, human man.

Though his lips were hidden in his beard and mustache, Jarrit’s warm grin was easily noticeable. “What was it that allowed that person, or those persons, to become exceptional? How was it that they ascended from mediocrity? I assume it wasn’t through wealth in a budding town like this, right?”

Nodding, Karos agreed and sighed, “True... They found better techniques, sought the best instructors, and cultivated whenever possible.”

“Good. You’re beginning to see a rare truth of cultivation,” Jarrit added. “Consuming cores is great for bottlenecks in cultivation. But imagine this. Better yet, look.”

Suddenly, the man reached out and placed an empty mug on the counter. Keldon did nothing to stop Jarrit, happily getting wrapped up in the moment. And Karos was eager to have his mindset tested and strengthened by any means possible. The lynx watched in anticipation as Jarrit retrieved a bottle of wine in one hand.

“This cup is you. And this is where you are now.” Pouring only a dribble of wine into the mug, Jarrit showed how insignificant Karos was in terms of cultivation. “Your goal is to simply get stronger, the same as filling this cup to the brim. But you forget to question the quality of the wine you produce.

“You seem capable and smart, so you would at least be of this caliber.” Jarrit proudly gripped the luxurious bottle with golden lettering embossed into the glass. “So, would you be willing to add this to your training to speed things up?”

As Jarrit retrieved a second bottle, Karos instantly noticed the explicit difference in quality due to branding alone. And the moment the bottle was uncorked, there was no aroma whatsoever from the tinted, plain-looking bottle.

“Is that a yes or a no?” Jarrit asked, tilting the bottle as if to begin pouring.

“No!” exclaimed Karos, still trying not to be too noisy inside the store.

Stopping himself, Jarrit smiled again. “Good. Because it would’ve tarnished the final product.”

Jarrit took out a transparent glass and poured the clear liquid into it. Very quickly, Karos recognized it as water.

“Though this water is of great quality and taste on its own, it shouldn’t be mixed with any fine wine. In the end, that would only tarnish and destroy both drinks in a vain attempt to fill your mug. Perhaps a minute amount of water wouldn’t destroy the wine’s flavor, but it could quickly ruin everything.”

“You and your physical metaphors...” Keldon chuckled, reminiscing at the long-forgotten example from Trighton Institute.

“So, do you understand now?” Ignoring the younger man’s comment, Jarrit gazed into Karos’s eyes. “Would you like to tarnish your cultivation so early, when you have little to nothing to counteract the incompatible essence of a foreign core? Or would you prefer to use cores when appropriate and let your cultivation be as pure as possible? That’s a choice every cultivator will make, whether they realize it or not.”

“I... shouldn’t use other cores. Then, what about this one? It’s my father’s core,” Karos asked softly.

Raising one eyebrow, Jarrit responded, “Then that’s one core I would most definitely consume if I were you, at least, when the time is right.”

“Okay. But how can I do what the others did? The best lightning cultivator in Iron Town was my father, who was clearly incapable in hindsight...”

Keldon chimed in again, this time patting Karos’s shoulder from across the counter. “What about Thunder Predator Territory? Aren’t they an allied territory?”

“That... You mean, I should go there?” Karos asked, showing reluctance.

“Maybe, maybe not. You could ask the leopard about it and I’m sure he could pull some strings to get an instructor to come here,” Keldon reasoned.

Snapping his fingers, Jarrit mentioned, “Speaking of leopards, that’s who I’m looking for. I arrived via the school’s formation but couldn’t find Vloz anywhere on the school grounds. Do you know where I might find him?”