Dawn broke over Valentra. Near the settlement's main gate 3 River Pact trading expeditions were doing the final checks of their equipment and supplies before venturing into the wider world.
Captain Thessa moved between the groups, offering last-minute encouragement to her people. "Remember, information is as valuable as trade goods," she reminded the leaders of each expedition. "Document what you find, who you meet, and what conditions you encounter."
The largest expedition carried substantial trade goods and planned to follow the river towards areas that might have other established settlements.
The second group would travel lighter, they were preparing to explore the wilderness in search of other communities in the nearby area.
The third expedition was the smallest but they had a specific destination in mind—though they kept the details vague when asked about it.
"Safe travels," Maria called out as the first group began moving, their carts laden with Valentra's surplus goods and crafted items. "We'll be waiting for your return."
The traders waved their farewells as they departed in different directions. Within an hour, the settlement had returned to its normal rhythm, though the absence of familiar faces served as a reminder of the world beyond their borders.
---
As the settlement resumed its daily activities, Lily had been moving through the area, her responsibilities with the livestock requiring her to check various locations. It was during one of these routine rounds that she noticed something unusual.
Richard and Damien were standing near the storage area in quiet conversation, their body language suggesting this wasn't a casual encounter. They stood closer than normal acquaintances would, their voices deliberately low, and they kept glancing around as if ensuring they weren't being observed.
Lily positioned herself behind a stack of lumber where she could watch without drawing attention. The two men's conversation was intense, with frequent gestures towards different areas of the settlement.
Richard pointed towards the livestock areas while Damien indicated the old shelter construction site. Whatever they were discussing, it involved specific locations.
After several minutes, they separated with obvious purpose. Richard headed directly towards the livestock area while Damien moved towards the old shelters.
Their behaviour struck Lily as suspicious, especially given the recent pattern of problems around the settlement. She made a mental note to keep watching their movements throughout the day.
---
Maria had intended to find Sam and discuss the cultivation breakthrough he'd promised to explain in detail, but she discovered him completely absorbed in troubleshooting an electrical connection that had developed problems overnight.
"The junction keeps overheating," Sam muttered, examining the blackened wire with intense focus.
Recognising that he would be occupied for quite some time, Maria decided to seek guidance elsewhere.
Walter's experience with the Earth Realm breakthrough would serve just as well, and his explanations were generally easier to understand.
She found him near the memorial grove, sitting quietly on a bench while observing the settlement's morning activities.
"Walter," she said, settling beside him. "I was hoping you could tell me more about the Earth Realm breakthrough. Sam said my cultivation has reached the peak of the Realm of Man, and I'd like to understand what I'm going to be facing."
Walter's weathered face grew thoughtful as he drew on memories of his own advancement months earlier.
"While the process can be difficult it's quite manageable. The breakthrough happens in two distinct phases."
"Tell me about them."
"First, you'll need to establish your mana channels. The energy pathways that exist now are no longer enough to keep up. You'll need to create a network of highways for your mana throughout your body." Walter paused, his expression growing serious. "Then comes the tribulation."
Maria felt a flutter of nervousness at his tone. "What should I expect?"
"Something resembling lightning will surge through your newly established channels, testing their stability and durability. The energy will feel like it's tearing through your body, and you'll need to maintain concentration while repairing and reinforcing the pathways as best you can."
"How long does that last?"
"Minutes, though it feels much longer when you're experiencing it. But that's not the end, once the lightning phase finishes, there's a crushing force that applies pressure to your entire body. Every bone, muscle, and organ will feel compressed."
Maria absorbed this information with growing apprehension. "And I just have to endure it?"
"Endure it and emerge stronger. The process is brutal, but it rebuilds your physical capabilities. Your body becomes more resilient, your mana capacity increases, and your overall capabilities advance significantly."
"What happens if I fail?"
Walter was quiet for a moment. "We don't know for sure as we don't know anyone who has failed. But we guessed that in the best case, your advancement stalls and you need to try again later. Worst case..."
He met her eyes directly. "Could lead to permanent cultivation damage. You may not be able to progress further, or even lose of what you've already achieved."
Maria appreciated Walter's directness despite the surge of anxiousness she felt. "How do I maximize my chances of success?"
"Mental preparation is crucial. Clear your mind of distractions, being cool, calm, and collected is the most important part. Your body is ready—trust in that foundation."
Maria nodded. "I think I'll take a day or two to prepare properly. Need to make sure I'm in the right mental state."
Walter smiled and patted her shoulder in encouragement.
---
The morning training session was already underway for Ethan's team who worked through their established routine.
Kate swung her war hammer at a practice dummy, transitioning between the spear tip, blade edge, and crushing head.
Her recovery from the wolf attack injuries was complete, and her confidence with the new weapon had grown considerably.
David and Carl practiced coordinated spear techniques, their coordination was still improving as they continued to learn each others habits and make up for each others deficiencies.
Elena worked through shield and short sword combinations, her compact fighting style well-suited to close quarters combat. Jake's long sword work had improved too, his natural talent slowly revealing itself.
"Remember, conditioning isn't just about muscle strength," Ethan called out as they transitioned to physical exercises. "Combat endurance means maintaining form and decision-making ability while fatigued. Push yourselves, but maintain control."
After the physical conditioning came cultivation practice—quiet meditation where each team member worked to improve their mana absorption and circulation.
The progress was visible in their enhanced physical capabilities and improved energy control, though advancement beyond the Realm of Man was still out of their reach for the moment.
"Excellent work today," Ethan concluded. "You guys are progressing nicely."
---
Later that morning, Lily's suspicions about Richard and Damien proved justified when problems began occurring exactly where she'd seen them gesture during their earlier conversation.
An incident near the livestock areas saw one of the settlement's residents discover that the bison enclosure gates had been left wide open, with the animals now wandering freely through the surrounding area.
"They're all over the place, be careful they could react dangerously," Walter said as he helped coordinate the effort to guide the massive creatures back into their enclosure.
Fortunately, the animals' generally docile nature and their growing familiarity with the settlement area had prevented them from wandering far. But the incident raised questions about security and responsibility.
"The gates were definitely latched when I finished feeding them," insisted one of the workers responsible for their care. "Someone opened the gate deliberately, or it broke."
Walter examined the gate carefully, finding no evidence of it being broken. The latches were sturdy and showed little signs of wear.
"It wasn't broken and the bison certainly didn't open it themselves," he said grimly. "Someone opened these gates deliberately."
What had started as minor inconveniences was evolving into more significant problems that threatened valuable resources and community morale.
Later that same day, during the ongoing dismantling of the old shelters, another concerning event occurred at the exact location Damien had indicated during the morning conversation.
One of the remaining structures collapsed unexpectedly, sending workers scrambling for safety as timber and debris crashed down where they'd been working moments before.
"Everyone clear?" Thomas shouted, counting heads as dust settled around the collapsed building.
Fortunately, no one had been injured beyond a few scrapes, but the near-miss left everyone shaken.
The shelter had been stable just hours earlier, with no signs of structural weakness that might indicate imminent collapse.
"The support beam was compromised," Thomas reported after examining the wreckage. "There are man made cuts that weren't there during the inspection."
The revelation sent a chill through the work crew. Someone was actively sabotaging their operations in ways that could cause serious injury or death.
For Lily, the connection was unmistakable. The incidents had occurred exactly where Richard and Damien had gestured during their morning planning session.
The pair appeared near problem areas with suspicious regularity, their presence at relevant locations far too convenient to be coincidental.
Throughout the day, she continued to observe their behaviour. They positioned themselves to observe the results of each problem, their expressions carrying what looked like satisfaction rather than concern.
What was most telling was their behaviour during the aftermath of each incident. While other residents showed genuine worry and offered to help solve the problems, Richard and Damien remained detached observers.
They asked the right questions and made appropriate comments, but their reactions felt performative rather than genuine.
"That's definitely enough evidence," Lily murmured to herself as she watched them part ways after another quiet conversation near the end of the day.
She had seen enough to be certain that the pair were behind the recent events. More worryingly, they were coordinating their efforts, and the scale and disruptiveness of their actions was increasing.
---
As evening approached, Lily sought out Maria to report what she'd witnessed. She found Maria reviewing reports in her quarters, the stress of recent problems evident in her expression.
"Maria," Lily said, settling into a chair. "I've got news, it's about Richard and Damien."
Maria looked up immediately, her attention focused on her. "What about them?"
"I saw them planning the sabotage. This morning, before any of the incidents occurred, they met near the storage areas. They pointed out specific locations—the livestock area and the old shelter site."
"You're certain about this?"
"Yes, I watched them coordinate their activities, and both incidents happened exactly where they'd indicated during their conversation. The bison gates, the shelter collapse—it was all planned."
"We need to discuss this with the others immediately," Maria decided. "They're now putting lives at risk."
Within the hour, the others had assembled in Maria's quarters. Lily briefly presented her observations.
"So they're definitely working together," Victor frowned.
"And escalating their activities," Walter added. "The shelter collapse could have killed someone."
"What's our move?" Ethan asked.
"Gather everyone tomorrow morning," Maria declared. "The whole community has been affected by their sabotage. Everyone deserves to have a say in what happens next."
---
As evening settled over Valentra, Maria found herself alone in her quarters, contemplating the breakthrough that awaited her.
Walter's description of the tribulation had been sobering—lightning tearing through her mana channels, crushing force applied to her entire body, the very real possibility of permanent damage or injury if she failed.
The fears felt overwhelming, what if her concentration wavered during the critical moments? What if her body couldn't withstand the crushing pressure?
The thought of ending up crippled, unable to keep pace with her friends or protect Isaac and Noah, sent cold dread through her stomach.
But fear couldn't be allowed to control her decisions. She'd come too far and overcome too many challenges to let anxiety about failure prevent her from taking the next step.
Walter, Sam, Victor, Lily, Ethan—they'd all survived their breakthroughs and emerged stronger. There was no reason she couldn't do the same.
The settlement needed her to be as capable as possible. The Earth Realm breakthrough would give her the power to match her friends and face whatever challenges come next.
Two days of mental preparation, she decided. Time to clear her mind of distractions and enter the tribulation with a calm, and prepared mind and body.
---
Beyond Valentra's borders, the three River Pact expeditions were continuing their travels through the harsh environments.
One group had encountered a pack of creatures just after sunset—sleek predators with glowing eyes that stalked their caravan through the darkness.
The traders fought them off with minimal casualties, they had experienced such things many times already and were prepared.
"Increase the watch rotation," the expedition leader decided as they treated their injuries. "We need to keep watch in case more of these guys show up."
The second expedition had made better progress, they chose to set up camp as darkness fell. Their evening was calm with the sounds of talking and laughter being present well into the night.
The third expedition, bound for their mysterious destination, pushed on through the night with determined urgency.
They navigated carefully chosen paths, driven by some purpose that made the risks of night travel acceptable.
Whatever awaited them at their destination, they were committed to reaching it as quickly as possible.
Back in Valentra, the settlement settled into its evening routines, now aware of the evidence Lily had gathered about the threats developing within their own borders, and preparing for the confrontation that tomorrow would bring.