Valor Mortis has three merchants who take Catalysts, the currency enemies drop. James and Louis both run benches in the Abandoned Church hub and in Entropy, while Lucjan carries a smaller stock. Some lines only appear once the story reaches a later chapter, so a bench you cleared out early will have new items waiting later.
Quick answer: Spend Catalysts at James’s Iron Bench for ammo and weapon upgrade materials, at Louis’s Laboratoire for vials and the Empty Ferrofluid Flask (5,000 Catalysts), and at Lucjan for Catalyst Clots.
How chapters unlock new stock
James and Louis start with a base inventory and add more items as you progress. Chapter 5 is called “Crime” and chapter 9 is called “In Ruins.” Reaching each one expands what the benches sell, including higher tiers of upgrade materials. Where a stock number is listed, that is the full quantity the merchant holds. Everything else is unlimited.
Upgrade materials advance through set ranks. Blade Materials progress from Crude (1,500) to Pure (3,000), then Distilled (6,000); Firearm Parts go from Standard (1,500) to Superior (3,000), then Exquisite (6,000); and Transmutation Materials move from Crude (2,000) to Pure (4,000), then Distilled (8,000). Quintessential and Masterwork are the highest ranks and cannot be bought.
James’s Iron Bench: ammo, whetstones, grenades and weapon materials
James sells Pistol Cartridges and other ammunition, whetstones, grenades, Blade Materials and Firearm Parts. Find his bench in the Abandoned Church and in Entropy.
| Item | Price | Stock | Available from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pistol Cartridges | 200 | Unlimited | Start |
| Deadly Rounds | 200 | Unlimited | Start |
| Whetstone | 200 | Unlimited | Start |
| Hand Grenade | 200 | Unlimited | Start |
| Crude Blade Material | 1,500 | 2 | Start |
| Standard Firearm Parts | 1,500 | 2 | Start |
| Special Cartridges | 300 | Unlimited | Chapter 5 (Crime) |
| Mighty Rounds | 300 | Unlimited | Chapter 5 (Crime) |
| Fire-Clad Rounds | 300 | Unlimited | Chapter 5 (Crime) |
| Flaming Whetstone | 300 | Unlimited | Chapter 5 (Crime) |
| Oil Grenade | 300 | Unlimited | Chapter 5 (Crime) |
| Crude Blade Material | 1,500 | 2 | Chapter 5 (Crime) |
| Pure Blade Material | 3,000 | 1 | Chapter 5 (Crime) |
| Standard Firearm Parts | 1,500 | 2 | Chapter 5 (Crime) |
| Superior Firearm Parts | 3,000 | 1 | Chapter 5 (Crime) |
| Stasis-Clad Rounds | 300 | Unlimited | Chapter 9 (In Ruins) |
| Stasis Whetstone | 300 | Unlimited | Chapter 9 (In Ruins) |
| Crude Blade Material | 1,500 | 2 | Chapter 9 (In Ruins) |
| Pure Blade Material | 3,000 | 2 | Chapter 9 (In Ruins) |
| Distilled Blade Material | 6,000 | 1 | Chapter 9 (In Ruins) |
| Standard Firearm Parts | 1,500 | 2 | Chapter 9 (In Ruins) |
| Superior Firearm Parts | 3,000 | 2 | Chapter 9 (In Ruins) |
| Exquisite Firearm Parts | 6,000 | 1 | Chapter 9 (In Ruins) |
Louis’s Laboratoire: vials, Transmutation Materials and the Ferrofluid Flask
Louis stocks vials, Transmutation Materials, Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrades and the Empty Ferrofluid Flask. His bench sits alongside James’s in the Abandoned Church and in Entropy.
| Item | Price | Stock | Available from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nephtoglobin Vial | 200 | Unlimited | Start |
| Refreshing Vial | 300 | Unlimited | Start |
| Crude Transmutation Material | 2,000 | 1 | Start |
| Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrade | 3,000 | 1 | Start |
| Empty Ferrofluid Flask | 5,000 | 1 | Start |
| Cleansing Vial | 1,200 | Unlimited | Chapter 5 (Crime) |
| Protective Vial | 6,000 | Unlimited | Chapter 5 (Crime) |
| Crude Transmutation Material | 2,000 | Unlimited | Chapter 5 (Crime) |
| Pure Transmutation Material | 4,000 | 1 | Chapter 5 (Crime) |
| Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrade | 3,000 | 1 | Chapter 5 (Crime) |
| Remnant’s Return | 1,000 | 4 | Chapter 5 (Crime) |
| Crude Transmutation Material | 2,000 | 1 | Chapter 9 (In Ruins) |
| Pure Transmutation Material | 4,000 | 1 | Chapter 9 (In Ruins) |
| Distilled Transmutation Material | 8,000 | 1 | Chapter 9 (In Ruins) |
| Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrade | 3,000 | 1 | Chapter 9 (In Ruins) |
The Empty Ferrofluid Flask is a single-stock item at Louis’s bench for 5,000 Catalysts, so budget for it before spending on upgrade materials.
Lucjan: Catalyst Clots and limited extras
Lucjan carries Catalyst Clots, Pistol Cartridges, a Ferrofluid Flask and a Nephtoglobin Vial. His Uncommon Catalyst Clot shows at 0 in stock from the start, and a wider list opens later in the story.
| Item | Price | Stock | Available from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uncommon Catalyst Clot | 200 | 0 | Start |
| Pistol Cartridges | 200 | 6 | Later in the story |
| Uncommon Catalyst Clot | 200 | 5 | Later in the story |
| Medium Catalyst Clot | 800 | 5 | Later in the story |
| Legendary Catalyst Clot | 2,000 | 5 | Later in the story |
| Ferrofluid Flask | 1,000 | 3 | Later in the story |
| Nephtoglobin Vial | 200 | 2 | Later in the story |
With all three stocks mapped, you can plan purchases around your Catalyst count: pick up ammo and cheap consumables as you go, save for the limited upgrade materials that each bench holds only one or two of, and return to James and Louis after chapters 5 and 9 to buy the higher tiers that open up.
