Drops of sweat trickled down his brow, tracing paths across his youthful face before dripping onto the dusty ground.

He was shirtless, wearing only light pants, standing beside a tree in the backyard of his home. The air was heavy with summer heat, but Kvolt barely noticed, so focused was he on his calisthenics routine.

Push-ups, squats, crunches – he moved from one exercise to the next. His young muscles contracted and relaxed under sweat-glistened skin, a testament to the time and effort he had invested in his physical training.

But even as his body grew stronger, his mind wandered, always returning to the mystery that haunted him: the Vitalis.

His magic was growing, ever greater. But his ambition still left him slightly discontented… as Henry said, it's possible that Gifted ones may not be able to access the Vitalis. Casting magic and enhancing his body felt somewhat stolen after all.

Yet, he had seen Henry manipulate that vital energy with such ease, channeling it to perform feats of strength and endurance that seemed different from how magic worked. Unfortunately, his father was absent on some job, having been away for quite some time.

Kvolt desperately wanted to understand, to master that primal force. But no matter how hard he tried, no matter how deeply he concentrated during his training sessions, he could not feel even a trace of the Vitalis within himself.

It was like trying to grasp smoke with bare hands – the more he reached for it, the more it seemed to slip away.

With a grunt of frustration, Kvolt finished his last set of push-ups and sat down, leaning back against the rough bark of the tree. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his ragged breathing and the tangle of thoughts in his mind.

"Aurora," he called mentally. "What am I doing wrong? Why can't I access the Vitalis like my father?"

"It's a valid question, Kvolt. Based on my studies of your biometric data during your workouts, I can assert with certainty that the Vitalis is indeed being activated in your body at a cellular level."

Kvolt frowned. "So it's there? Working inside me, even if I can't feel it?"

"Yes," Aurora confirmed. "You see, I've noticed that the Vitalis seems to be a fundamental energy, interwoven with the very processes of cellular revitalization. When you exercise your muscles, causing micro-tears in the fibers, the Vitalis is intervening to aid in repair and strengthen the tissue. This process, known as hypertrophy, now aided by the Vitalis, is a clear example of its action."

She continued, her tone taking on a professorial air. "But the role of the Vitalis goes far beyond mere muscle building and cellular repair. My sensors have detected its influence at every level of your physiology, from optimizing energy production in the mitochondria to modulating gene expression. It's as if the Vitalis is fine-tuning your body, enhancing every function for maximum efficiency and vitality."

Kvolt smiled at this information, but one doubt persisted. "If the Vitalis is so deeply integrated like that, then why is it so difficult for me to consciously access it?"

Aurora fell silent for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice was laden with insight. "I believe the answer may lie in your unique affinity for mana, Kvolt. Your sensitivity to the flows of magic, your ability to manipulate arcane energy is commendable. But it may also be interfering with your perception of the Vitalis."

Kvolt cocked his head, intrigued. "Interfering? How so?"

"Think of it like two different types of sound," Aurora explained. "Mana is like a loud, insistent noise, constantly demanding attention. The Vitalis, on the other hand, is more like a soft melody, almost imperceptible beneath the cacophony of mana. For someone as attuned to magic as you, it may be extremely challenging to separate one from the other."

She paused, carefully choosing her next words. "Additionally, there is the matter of bioenergetic resources. Your body, remarkable as it is, has a finite capacity for generating and manipulating energy. With your naturally potent mana continually expanding and consuming such a large share of those resources, there may be little room for the Vitalis to manifest."

Kvolt nodded in frustration. His very gift, his trump card, was acting as an obstacle. "So, what can I do? There must be an option..."

"Based on the principles of energy dynamics, I can suggest a potential course of action," the AI offered. "If the predominance of mana is drowning out your connection to the Vitalis, then the logical solution would be to temporarily reduce that dominance."

Kvolt's eyes narrowed at the implication. "You're suggesting that I... drain my mana?"

"Not completely," Aurora reassured. "That would be far too dangerous. But a controlled, careful draining, combined with a conscious constriction of the flows in your Mana Vessels, could create the opening you need to reach the Vitalis."

Kvolt pursed his lips, considering. It was a risky plan, one that would require immense discipline and willpower. But if it meant mastering the Vitalis, he would be unstoppable.

"Okay," he said finally. "Let's try it."

He stood up, taking a few steps away from the tree. He assumed a stance, feet planted firmly on the ground, arms relaxed at his sides. Then, with a deep breath, he closed his eyes and delved into his inner landscape.

He visualized his Mana Vessels, those channels crisscrossing his body, pulsing with the constant flow of mana. With a mental effort, he began draining those vessels, directing the magical energy outward, into the air around him.

It was a slow, hard process, requiring immense concentration. Kvolt could feel his mana diminishing, like water draining from a bathtub. He continued, even as a twinge of panic began to clutch at his chest – the instinctive fear of being defenseless, stripped of his usual power.

But he persisted, until he felt he had reached the limit – his mana level at the minimum he could safely sustain.

In the silence that followed, Kvolt turned his attention to the Mana Vessels, now less dense, less demanding. With another deep breath, he began the process of constriction, mentally narrowing those channels, restricting the flow of mana to a thin trickle.

And he kept doing this every day, trying to find something. Even thinking of giving up...

---

Three weeks had passed, Kvolt was in the backyard, he moved his wooden sword in precise arcs. Sweat beaded on his brow, but his concentration did not waver. Each inhalation, each exhalation, was measured and intentional, synchronizing with his movements.

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He practiced the technique Aurora had suggested – methodically depleting his mana reserves, then consciously restricting the flow in his Mana Vessels. The process was challenging, both mentally and physically. There were moments when he thought he might faint from the effort, his vision darkening, his heart pounding painfully against his ribs.

But he persisted, driven by his fierce ambition to master this new ability, to unlock the power he knew was there, just beneath the surface.

The wooden sword cut through the air in a series of diagonal slashes, each faster and more fluid than the last. Kvolt could feel his muscles responding, the muscle memory of countless hours of practice guiding his movements.

But beneath that, another sensation began to insinuate itself – a subtle tingling, an almost imperceptible vibration that seemed to emanate from his very bones. It wasn't like the electric discharge of mana that he was so accustomed to. It was more subtle, deeper, like the very pulse of life itself.

Kvolt furrowed his brow, trying to focus on that sensation, to grasp it and pull it to the forefront of his consciousness. But it was slippery, always receding whenever he tried to concentrate on it.

"Aurora," he called mentally, without breaking his rhythm. "I think I'm feeling something. But I'm not sure. It could just be my imagination, or muscle fatigue..."

The AI responded instantly, her voice tinged with analytical interest. "I'm detecting faint oscillations in your bioenergetic field, Kvolt. They seem to be originating from your cells, rather than your Mana Vessels. It's possible you're touching the edges of the Vitalis."

Kvolt nodded, breathing deeply and digging his feet into the ground. He visualized those oscillations, imagining them as gentle ripples on an otherwise still pond. With a mental push, he tried to amplify those ripples, make them more pronounced, more tangible.

For a while, nothing happened. Then, almost imperceptibly at first, the sensation began to grow. The tingling became more pronounced, the vibration more intense. As if every cell in his body had begun to hum in unison, a silent symphony of energy.

Kvolt could feel his mana reacting, trying to reassert its dominance, to smother that new sensation. But he pushed it down, imagining his Mana Vessels narrowing, the flow of mana reduced to a mere thread.

With his magical dominion thus constrained, the Vitalis expanded to fill the vacuum. Kvolt gasped as a wave of energy flooded him, radiating outward from his core to the tips of his fingers. It was raw and untamed, pulsing in sync with his racing heartbeat.

His wooden sword sliced through the air again, faster this time, stronger. Each movement was fluid and effortless, propelled by the flow of Vitalis through his muscles and tendons. He moved like a blur, slashing and striking with a speed and precision that would have been impossible mere moments before.

"I'm registering a significant increase in the efficiency of your cardiovascular system and cellular ATP production, which is the main energy source for cells," Aurora reported, her voice tinged with wonder. "Your muscles are operating at a level far beyond baseline parameters. It's as if the Vitalis is optimizing every biological process in your body."

Aurora's words came dissonant, so lost was he in the sheer physical sensation. He felt alive in a way he had never experienced before, every nerve humming with energy, every sense heightened to dizzying heights.

For long moments, he lost himself in the euphoria of that power, the intoxicating joy of finally touching that primal, vital force. His sword cut the air, faster, leaving afterimages in its wake.

It was only when his arm began to grow heavy with fatigue, the energy starting to wane, that Kvolt finally slowed his pace. With a shuddering sigh, he let his wooden sword drop, allowing it to fall to the grass at his feet.

He stood there, chest heaving, muscles quivering with exertion. And even as the Vitalis receded, sinking back into that deep place within him, the smile did not leave his face.

Because he had done it. After days of hard work and frustration, he had finally touched that inner power, that life force that animated his very being. It had been but a glimpse, a fleeting moment of synchronicity, but it was enough.

Now that he knew it was possible, there were no limits to what he could achieve.

"Aurora," he called out, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Can you quantify what just happened? Give some kind of measure for the level of Vitalis I was able to channel?"

"Based on the changes in your biometric signals during the event, I'm roughly estimating that you were able to access approximately 3% of your total Vitalis capacity," she finally responded.

"3%," Kvolt echoed, whistling softly. "So I still have a long way to go."

"Undoubtedly," Aurora agreed. "But Kvolt, you have to understand – what you just accomplished is remarkable. As Henry said: training Vitalis is a hard way, most people might take years, if not decades, to reach the level of control you just demonstrated. You're progressing at an unprecedented rate."

Kvolt sighed in relief. "We need to be careful, Aurora," he warned. "We can't let success go to my head. Every new level of power brings new risks, new responsibilities. And there's still that strange power I sometimes feel, seeming to want to consume me."

"A valid concern," the AI acknowledged. "I suggest we continue our current training regimen – controlled mana depletion followed by focused meditation on accessing the Vitalis, interspersed with actual magic training. We can gradually increase the intensity and duration over time, carefully monitoring for any signs of strain or instability."

Kvolt nodded in agreement, already mentally mapping out his progress.

But, as if in response to his overconfidence, he felt a sudden pang of exhaustion. The adrenaline of the moment was fading, leaving behind aching muscles and a persistent weariness that seemed to weigh on every inch of his body.

With a grunt of effort, Kvolt bent down and retrieved his wooden sword, leaning heavily on it as he straightened. Perhaps he had pushed himself a bit too far, too fast. After all, no matter how advanced his theoretical knowledge, he was still confined to the limitations of his young body.

"I think that's enough for today," he mumbled, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. "Time to rest and recover. We can attack again tomorrow."

He began walking back towards the house, each step requiring a little more effort than usual. As his muscles protested and his lungs burned, the smile did not leave his face. Now, to truly understand who he was destined to become.

Arthur... Kvolt... Who was he really?

By the time Kvolt finally entered the house, it was late afternoon. The last rays streamed through the windows, bathing the room in a golden glow that seemed at once celestial and strangely antique. In his exhaustion, even the light seemed to have a palpable weight, pressing against his skin and blurring his vision.

He staggered to the bed, not even bothering to remove his sweat-soaked clothes before collapsing onto the straw mattress. His body ached with a deep, pervasive ache, the kind that comes from pushing muscles beyond their limits.

With a sigh, Kvolt closed his eyes, ready to surrender to the embrace of sleep. But just as he was about to succumb, a soft knock at the door brought him back to wakefulness.

"Kvolt?" Maryuli's voice was gentle, but insistent. "Are you awake? It's time for our study session."

Kvolt groaned, rubbing his throbbing temples. He had completely forgotten about his scheduled lesson. After the intensity of his Vitalis training, the prospect of burying himself in dusty tomes seemed almost unbearably mundane.

But he knew better than to complain. Maryuli was doing him an immense favor, sharing her knowledge and wisdom. He would be a fool not to take advantage of every opportunity to learn from her.

With a Titanic effort, Kvolt pushed himself up into a sitting position, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"I'm awake," he called out, hoping his voice didn't sound as drained as he felt. "Come in, please."

The door opened, and Maryuli entered, her face alight with her characteristic smile. But when her eyes fell on Kvolt, the smile faltered, replaced by an expression of concern.

"Kvolt, are you alright?" she asked, quickly crossing the room to stand beside him. "You look utterly exhausted. And those sweat stains on your clothes...you've been training again, haven't you?"

Kvolt shrugged, suddenly feeling oddly shy under her scrutiny. "I was practicing with the sword," he said, which wasn't exactly a lie. "I may have gotten a bit carried away."

Maryuli shook her head, but there was a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Ah, to be young and have boundless energy," she teased, ruffling Kvolt's damp hair. "I remember those days well."

She pulled up a chair and sat facing him, her expression turning more serious. "But Kvolt, you need to be careful. It's admirable to want to become stronger, but you can't risk injuring yourself in the process. Your body is still growing, still developing. You need to give it time to rest and recover."

She was right – he was pushing his limits, perhaps too far and too fast. But the lure of power, the need to progress, was like an addiction he couldn't sate.

"I'll try to be more careful," he said, trying to reassure her. "Now, about our lesson..."

Maryuli took his cue, picking up one of the many tomes scattered across the table. "Of course. Let's start where we left off, discussing the various traditions that make up Arcanis."