"Contact Chairman Lucius," Isaac said.
Ruby nodded, her eyes glowing faintly as she initiated the connection.
The air shimmered for a moment before a familiar, broad-shouldered figure appeared in the holographic projection.
Chairman Lucius grunted when he saw Isaac.
"You do know I’m busy, right?" His tone carried that gruff irritation of someone dragged out of a meeting.
Isaac smiled faintly. "I wouldn’t have called unless it was important."
Lucius folded his arms. "It better be."
Isaac got straight to the point. "I need access to materials. Specifically, Obsidian Brick, Beast Hide Resin, and a few others tied to construction and crafting.
"The tutorial dungeons here won’t provide them, and we are too far from monster’s that give these drops. By the time we collect the materials, three-day time limit for the quest would’ve ended."
Lucius stopped pretending to be annoyed.
His posture straightened, his expression sharpening. "Since you’re asking me directly... does that mean what I think it means?"
Isaac nodded once. "I’m going to trade with other cities."
The older man rubbed his chin, his earlier annoyance vanishing completely.
"That changes things. If you’re planning to open trade, we can use the hub in Fortified City 22. It’s a central trade zone for human cities and several other races: Thaein, Corthin, Eltari, Ferin, and even the Nulvan merchants."
Isaac leaned forward slightly. "They’re open to trading with humans?"
"They are," Lucius said. "As long as the goods are worth it. If we sell your crops there, we’ll generate consistent profit. You can even barter them for the materials you need. But..."
His tone dropped a little.
"There are two problems."
Isaac nodded slowly.
He already had a good idea of what those problems were, and that was exactly why he’d called Chairman Lucius.
"Go on," Isaac said.
Chairman Lucius leaned back, fingers tapping lightly against his arm. "First is production. Second is City 22 itself."
Isaac stayed silent, waiting.
Chairman Lucius continued, "You have a strong production setup, I’ll give you that. But every bit of your current crop output is going straight to supply our own city.
"Expanding the farms is possible, but new soil needs time before the crops growing on it can evolve into higher tiers for you.
"If you plant now, you won’t have mature crops to sell before the quest’s time limit is us."
Isaac nodded in understanding. "Makes sense. What about the second issue?"
"Fortified City 22 won’t be happy if we show up there and start pulling customers away. They’ve got deals with all human cities already, and a few other species. If we take away their customers with your crop quality, they will retaliate," Chairman Lucius said.
Isaac tapped his pen against the table thoughtfully. "Then we’ll negotiate. Since you’ve dealt with them before, I’ll have you come with me."
Chairman Lucius frowned slightly, hesitating.
He was thinking about something.
"Actually... no. Instead of me, take Selene with you."
Isaac blinked. "Selene?"
Chairman Lucius nodded. "She’s been handling smaller negotiations for a while now. She’s also next in line to take over Calloway Conglomerate. If she’s going to lead it, she needs field experience."
Isaac raised a brow. "You’re really letting your daughter travel with me?"
His tone was light, but the question underneath was genuine.
Chairman Lucius caught the implication immediately and snorted.
"Don’t you dare touch my daughter, brat. You’ve already put hands on my older daughter, and I can’t exactly do anything about that, but don’t test your luck with the second."
Isaac laughed under his breath. "Fair enough."
The tension eased for a moment, and Chairman Lucius crossed his arms again. "Anyway, Selene’s good at what she does. She can handle negotiations better than half the people on my payroll. Take her with you."
"Understood," Isaac said.
Then Chairman Lucius’ hologram leaned forward, his expression turning more focused. "But that still leaves the issue of production. Even if we reach a deal, we can’t trade what we don’t have."
Isaac stood, stretching his shoulders.
A small grin tugged at his lips.
"Actually, it’s not a problem."
Chairman Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"I’ve already obtained my new Class. It’s time I used it properly," Isaac said.
Chairman Lucius exhaled through his nose, half amused, half resigned. "I should’ve known you had something hidden up your sleeve."
Isaac turned to Ruby.
"Call Selene and tell her to prepare. We’re heading to Fortified City 89 first. Since she’ll be negotiating with me, it’s better if she sees our crop production in person. It’ll help her estimate realistic price points later."
Ruby nodded. "Understood. Should I prepare the vehicle?"
"Yes."
Chairman Lucius stood up as well, stretching his neck. "I’ll tag along for a while. I’ve got a bit of free time, and I’d rather see how my daughter handles herself in person, and I’m curious about how you are going to solve the production problem."
"That works for me. You can watch how we operate firsthand," Isaac said.
A few minutes later, Selene arrived at the office with Chairman Lucius.
She was dressed sharply, her hair tied back and her expression calm but focused.
"Isaac," she said politely, extending her hand in greeting.
Isaac shook it lightly.
"Let’s move."
Once everyone was ready, they departed.
After arriving in Fortified City 89, Isaac drove while Selene sat next to him, and Chairman Lucius sat behind.
Eventually, Selene spoke. "I’ve heard you had a new harvest from your crops. Since we are going to sell those harvests, can I see their details?"
Isaac nodded and reached into his coat.
Selene was talking about the materials he could harvest after his crops reached Tier 2.
"Yes. Here."
He handed her a folded document.
Selene opened it, scanning the pages.
"It’s the extra harvest I’ve been gathering. We’ve been keeping it stored for now."
Selene kept flipping through the report.
Her eyes were darting between columns of numbers, system values, and item classifications printed across the report.
Each line seemed to make her expression tighten a bit more.
...
From Potatoes (Tier 2):
Essence of Earthen Vitality: Can be brewed into vitality potions to strengthen Constitution; when mixed with metals during rune-alchemy forging, it reinforces durability and resistance to corrosion.
Starch of Mana Absorption: Commonly used as a stabilizer in mana potions, allowing liquid mana to be absorbed more efficiently by the body. When applied to runes, it increases their ability to draw ambient mana, extending the rune’s lifespan. In cooking alchemy, it can be used to make food that restores mana gradually over time.
...
From Garlic (Tier 2):
Essence of Pungent Vitality: Used in potions to boost resistance against toxins and disease; also found in stamina recovery and anti-paralysis brews.
Clove of Burning Breath: Carries a trace of fire-aligned energy. Can be used in combat alchemy to create flammable powders, firebomb mixtures, or strengthening runes tied to heat and flame.
...
From Tomato (Tier 2):
Juice of Crimson Renewal: Used in regenerative potions and healing salves that close minor wounds quickly.
Seed of Solar Harmony: Absorbs sunlight mana efficiently. Excellent catalyst for light-based runes, purification brews, or strengthening farming wards that accelerate crop growth.
...
From Onion (Tier 2):
Layered Tear Crystal: Releases a cleansing aura. Used in alchemy to purify corrupted mana, detoxify elixirs, or dispel minor curses.
Core of Sharpness: Emits a piercing mana signature. Infused into weapons or runes to increase penetration power; common in arrowheads, spear tips, or cutting-based techniques.
...
From Cabbage (Tier 2):
Leaf of Verdant Barrier: Contains layered natural mana that reinforces defenses. Used in defensive potions, barrier scrolls, and protective talismans.
Heart of Nutrient Bloom: Dense, compact energy node. Valuable in farming alchemy; often crushed into soil mixtures to boost fertility and crop resilience.
...
From Pea Pods (Tier 2):
Pearls of Mana Storage: The peas act like tiny mana batteries. Used in energy recovery potions or as portable power sources for rune constructs.
Pod of Linked Growth: Carries natural "bonding" mana. Used to strengthen familiar connections or merge multiple runes into one functioning array.
...
Selene’s hands trembled slightly as she lowered the last page.
"Is this... true?"
Isaac nodded once. "Every line. You can verify it with the Sanctum of Master’s labs if you want."
She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "How many of these materials do you have in stock?"
Isaac thought for a second. "Roughly five thousand of each type."
Selene froze, blinking as if she’d misheard.
Her fingers tightened around the report.
"Five thousand of these things?" she repeated softly.
Her voice carried disbelief more than anything else.
Every item was so precious that she would’ve thought he had only 10-20 of them,
Chairman Lucius, sitting behind, leaned forward and took the report from her grasp.
His eyes darted across the first page, then the second, and then stopped moving altogether.
His mouth opened slightly, then shut again.
"Boy," he muttered finally, "you should hire some powerful guards. If any of the other races catch wind of this, you’re going to be kidnapped before you even leave the city."
Isaac chuckled. "Old news, old man. I already have enough protection."
He turned his eyes back to the road. "Besides, that report is not even the best part."
Chairman Lucius frowned. "Not the best part? You’re telling me this ridiculous profit sheet isn’t the highlight?"
Isaac grinned. "I’m going to show you my new Class right now."
Selene turned her head toward him.
"Your new Class?" she asked, curiosity breaking through her earlier shock. "You’re saying it’s even better than creating Tier 2 crops with this kind of yield?"
Isaac nodded slightly. "You’ll see for yourself soon enough."