Calyx's eyes met Elrian's, filled with a gravitas that hinted at the immense responsibilities and decisions he had shouldered over the years. "Elrian, you are excused from the customary obligation of providing monster cores for the time being. Your primary duties are now to cultivate your abilities, accumulate combat experience, and fine-tune your fighting techniques."
Arlan and Lyssandra shared a quick, relieved look. It meant their son would have the freedom and resources to hone his abilities without the stress of contributing to the village's collective pool of cores immediately.
Calyx leaned back, his aged fingers meeting in a steeple. "Generally, we use the cores for trading necessities with neighboring villages or to reinforce our barriers. But if it comes to choosing between those needs and your cultivation, the latter takes precedence."
"Thank you, Elder Calyx," Lyssandra said, gratitude coloring her tone. "We know the village is making sacrifices for this."
"It's not just a sacrifice," Calyx clarified. "It's a calculated risk. Elrian's rapid initiation into the first stage of Qi cultivation at such a young age is nothing short of miraculous. We haven't seen a talent like his in this part of the world, ever. Supporting his growth is an investment for the village's future. One that may pay off extraordinarily."
Doren, the elder who had initially expressed skepticism about Elrian, nodded in agreement. "If his potential realizes into true power, he could be a turning point for our community. Talent like this is a rarity; we can't afford to squander it."
Lyssandra looked at her son, her eyes shining with a complex blend of love, pride, and expectation. "Do you understand what this means, Elrian? This isn't just about you or us. It's about our village, our people."
Elrian felt the full weight of his mother's words. The room was heavy with an amalgamation of hope, skepticism, expectation, and a dash of desperation. He looked around at the faces of the elders, his parents, and even at Selene and Doren. Each visage offered him a different sentiment, but all had a common underlying thread: the village's fragile hope was coalescing around him.
"I get it," Elrian said, his young voice surprisingly steady. "I will cultivate, I will learn, and I will become strong—not just for me, but for everyone. I won't let you down."
Arlan smiled warmly at his son, pride apparent in his eyes. "He'll require mentors, especially for combat training. Could the elders perhaps guide him?"
Selene pondered for a moment before speaking. "Since we're in this unique situation, why not rotate mentors? Each of us has something different to teach him—combat, strategy, and even the nuances of Qi manipulation."
"A sound proposal," agreed Calyx. "We will organize the specifics later. But for now, Elrian, your first and foremost task is your initial training. We may not be able to predict every hurdle on the path ahead, but we can make sure you're adequately prepared."
The conversation was winding down, but the implications of it reverberated, filling the room with a sense of solemnity. Elrian was not just a boy anymore; he was a pivot around which the village's fate would swing. His cultivation journey, barely begun, was now entangled with the collective hopes and fears of a community on the edge.
He felt an invisible but palpable shift as he exited the meeting. His path was no longer just a personal quest for power or enlightenment. He was now a vessel for communal hopes, a beacon for a village on the brink. It wasn't just about him anymore. It was about all of them.
A flicker of curiosity danced in Elrian's eyes as he turned to Calyx. "Elder Calyx, can we trade monster cores for different types of cores?" he asked, innocence and curiosity mixed in his young voice.
Calyx raised his eyebrows, taken aback by the question. It was unusual; different types of cores typically weren't considered valuable to cultivators here, as elemental cultivation was unheard of in these parts. Everyone cultivated pure Qi. "Trade for different cores, you say?" Calyx's eyes probed Elrian's. "Why would you wish to do that? Different types of cores are no more advantageous than others for cultivators of pure Qi."
Arlan and Lyssandra exchanged a glance, understanding why their son was asking. They had kept the secret of his wind affinity close, not revealing it to anyone, including the village elders. They both realized that this topic could expose Elrian's unprecedented aptitude for elemental cultivation, something that could put him in a position of vulnerability due to the uniqueness and rarity of such an ability.
Elrian, sensing the apprehension from his parents and the prying eyes of the elders, cleverly concealed his true motives behind a mask of innocence. "I was just curious," he replied with a shrug, eyes seemingly open and guileless. "I've read that cores are inherently diverse. I thought that maybe learning about different kinds of cores could give me more insight into Qi and cultivation."
Doren eyed him thoughtfully, the air hanging heavy with concealed truths and unasked questions. The elders understood the curiosity of youth, but they could not shake off the feeling that there was more to Elrian's inquiry than met the eye.
Calyx, after a long contemplative pause, finally nodded. "Your curiosity is good, Elrian. A broad understanding can indeed provide you with more depth in your cultivation. While we do not usually engage in such trades, perhaps we could consider it. Different cores may not hold direct cultivation benefits for us, but studying them can yield insights."
Selene, ever the considerate one, interjected, "In our younger days, we used to explore the myriad forms of Qi within these cores. It was a pursuit of knowledge, an attempt to unravel the mysterious tapestry of the universe. Such inquiries can certainly refine one's understanding of the cosmos."
Elrian nodded appreciatively, his mind already racing with the possibilities. The ability to cultivate wind elements was his secret edge, a distinctive trait that set him apart from other cultivators. Access to different elemental cores could potentially unlock new dimensions in his cultivation journey, allowing him to explore uncharted territories in Qi manipulation and elemental mastery.
This interaction became a subtle dance of words and intentions, a delicate balancing act between revealing too much and maintaining the façade of innocence. The elders left the conversation with an increased intrigue in Elrian's potentials, and Elrian left with a new hope of diversifying his cultivation path, all while his elemental affinity remained his closely guarded secret, known only to his parents.