Martin had spent the last three days immersed in his research, his desk cluttered with pages of notes and plant samples, many of them aging roots from the gifts offered by townsfolk.
His meticulous study of life-force dynamics compared to his two hours of daily meditation had yielded some intriguing results, but the process was slow. Too slow.
He knew the capacity of his own life-force was nearing its limits—he had just a third left after his recent experiments with the bronze tokens.
Any further depletion would place him dangerously close to the brink of collapse. Still, there was something profound about the energy he sensed in the plants and roots he'd collected.
The longer they grew and evolved, the more their life-force seemed to mature, becoming dense and potent.
His phone buzzed on the desk, pulling him away from his thoughts. The notification was from the Mystery Agent. Martin had been expecting her call.
