Master Of None

"Midnight, come meet Bree. She is the one who makes these elemental mana crystals with the elemental spirits she is bonded with." Midnight left the shelves of crystals and came to sniff Bree.

"You're cute, but if you keep eyeing my crystals like they are food I will have to kick you out." As mature as Bree was the response was still childish. 

"Miss Bree, we came looking for a mid or high tier light crystal for one of our party members. We are also looking for one that Midnight can eat to strengthen her scales. We hope you can assist us." Su just greeted Bree politely and tried to get the ball rolling.

"Well, I do have some high tier light crystals that I recently made. I can part with three of them at the moment. But the others I have are for orders. And the other matter depends on the elemental mana affinities this little dragon has." Bree loosened up as she spoke thanks to Su's words.

"Then we will gladly take those high light crystals. Midnight will choose them herself. She knows best." Su was smart not to admit that Midnight could consume any elemental mana crystal here. It was too rare for there to be multi elemental mana crystals that could give her system away. 

"Midnight, you have not eaten many earth elemental mana crystals compared to the darkness crystals. Maybe you should look for one of those?" Walker suggested this because he had not really gained these crystals for her to be able to eat them. He still had plenty of the elemental mana crystals at the forge in the mansion and in his inventory. But it was better to hold them for now.

Midnight bounced a little as she received the permission and advice to go choose a crystal. Her nose was turned up to the air and she was drawn down an aisle of shelves. She soon stood in front of some larger earth elemental crystals, but one in particular glowed with wisps of shadows.

Her soft huff from where she stood attracted the other three. "You want the mid tier earth and darkness elemental crystal? I can sell that no problem. It has been a while since anyone bought one of them so it is fairly priced to reflect that." Bree was curious how Midnight had zoned in on that specific crystal with only her nose. She has a suspicion that Midnight was using another skill or instinct. 

Walker pulled out the gold necessary and was about to store the crystal that Midnight had chosen, "If she doesn't mind she can eat it here. I think the spirits would appreciate the learning experience of what the crystals can do for a dragon." Bree seemed to have her own curiosity as well but Walker saw no problems.

"I would like to see the spirits again too. I feel like they could teach me something important. Midnight, how do you feel?" Walker was met with a soft nod from Midnight. She was hungrily glancing at the crystal. 

I will go get Onyx, he can wrap himself up with one of his light crystals while the spirits watch Midnight absorb the elemental mana from the crystal." Su left and quickly returned with a small Onyx on her shoulder. 

"Well aren't you an adorable baby boa. I thought the regular boas had gone extinct when the giant boas had become the predators in the area." Bree was convinced that Onyx was a boa constrictor. "Why is he all black though? Usually, there are patterns on their scales and they are a dark green…" 

"Miss, I am Onyx an abyssal serpent. I am not a boa." Bree smiled a little as if she already knew this. He had been playing with Onyx.

"I see an abyssal serpent. How rare to see you in the forest. You must be struggling with the shade from the trees. Wrap up with one of the light crystals over there. I will have my friend help you with the light elemental mana."

Bree let Onyx take a light crystal free of charge and used her skill to release the elemental spirits from her body. The light elemental spirit approached Onyx and started to force the light elemental mana to converge around him. 

Onyx basked in this light and Bree smiled while pulling a note pad from her clothing. She took a few notes and then looked at a regular light elemental mana crystal. "I knew the absorption rate was being slowed due to the imperfections in these crystals. I need to take more time to refine them or find a better crystal craftsman."

"Are you looking for the same thing when Midnight eats the crystal she chose too?"Su was genuinely interested in the flaws an elemental crystal could have. If Bree was researching them then that meant she was aiming to make a better one. 

"Yes, I know that monsters, humans, and even spirits have different ways to take mana in and out of elemental crystals. But the ways it is done depend on them. The quality taken in or out is dependent on the medium, in this case, the crystal." Bree was still making some notes here and there.

"The crystals I use are grown in a manaless area so that I can have them at a better quality than the ones I remove and change mana around in. But lately, I have noticed a decline in the quality. Naturally, I wish to figure out the specific defect and fix the problem." 

"If you can find the problem can you tell me what the difference would be?" Walker had found his interest had been piqued and wanted to know more about the princess. He didn't even notice the elemental spirits crowding him and trying to examine him up close again.

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