"If it was two years ago, you couldn't have been that weak either, right? Was he a knight of the Royal Guard?" Draven asked, his voice serious.
"No, he wasn't," Valerius said, shaking his head. He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I don't know how to explain it, but his mana… it was different from a human's."
The group remained silent, only the occasional crackling of the flames breaking the stillness.
"That night," Valerius began, his gaze distant, "I was coming back from a training session. I was tired, my body sore, but as I approached my home, I sensed something dense, ominous mana. Mana that didn't belong to a human." His fingers curled slightly, as if recalling the unease of that moment.
"The only way I can describe it… it was the mana of a monster. Easily cataclysm-class in sheer intensity. But it wasn't rampant like a monster's mana. It was controlled refined, like a human's." Valerius exhaled. "I couldn't believe what I was sensing. It was neither human nor monster. So what the hell was it?"
Grimwald, sitting cross-legged, scratched his chin. "Neither a human nor a monster, huh? That does sound tricky. But I'm assuming you went to check it out, right? Since you said you lost."
Valerius nodded. "That's right. Curiosity got the best of me." His voice darkened. "I found him in no time. But… he was waiting for me."
The air around the campfire grew heavier.
"He was human," Valerius continued. "At least, he looked human. But the moment I got close, the feeling of his mana became overwhelming. It was nauseating. My instincts were screaming at me to run. To get as far away as possible." His fingers tightened around his knee. "But I couldn't. I wouldn't. He was too close to my home. If I ran, what if he came back? What if he attacked when I wasn't there to stop him?"
Draven leaned forward slightly. "So? What do you think he was? A monster that can transform into a human?"
"I don't know for sure," Valerius admitted. "But he was human. At least, in form. But he felt… wrong. As if he wasn't from this world."
Serephina furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"
"His movements, his weapon everything about his combat style was unlike anything I had ever seen." Valerius glanced down at his hands. "His weapon could transform. It turned into chains chains that stretched endlessly, striking from every angle. There was no way to fight him in close combat. The moment I entered his range, I was already caught."
The others listened in tense silence.
"I did everything I could to counter him, but in the end, it didn't matter. His chains wrapped around my leg, and before I could even react, I was thrown tossed around like a ragdoll." Valerius scoffed at himself. "I barely had time to register the pain. My ribs shattered. My head cracked open. My body my entire being was completely overwhelmed."
He took a slow breath. "I was on the brink of death. The last thing I remember was him standing over me… laughing."
Grimwald's jaw tightened. "Brother… what kind of inhuman bastard does that to someone?"
Serephina crossed her arms. "And you're sure he was human?"
"I'm positive."
Draven, arms folded, was still trying to process everything. "If your injuries were that bad… how did you survive? Did someone find you? Did someone use Vitalis on you?"
"No," Valerius said flatly. "I didn't need Vitalis."
Draven and Grimwald exchanged glances.
"My body heals quickly. Very quickly. It's like having a high-grade Vitalis supplement permanently working inside me," Valerius explained. "I was unconscious for a day, but after that, my wounds had already started closing. By the second day, I was back on my feet."
Serephina's eyes widened slightly. "That level of regeneration… The injuries you described should've killed you. At best, you'd need a high-grade Vitalis just to survive."
"That's just how I am," Valerius shrugged. "Ever since my mana ritual, my body has been like this. No matter how much I push myself, no matter how much damage I take, I recover fast."
"That's insane," Serephina muttered. "I've never heard of anything like it. It's unfair."
"I thought the same thing," Valerius admitted. "But after that fight, I realized it wasn't enough."
The weight behind his words silenced the group.
Draven finally spoke up. "What did you do afterward?"
"I didn't go home." Valerius exhaled through his nose. "For a week, I trained. I trained harder than ever before. Every second I was awake, I fought against that humiliation, that helplessness." His grip on his knee tightened. "I refused to be that weak again."
Serephina studied him carefully. There was something different about the way Valerius spoke of this. This wasn't just another fight he had lost this was something that had changed him.
"…You still want revenge, don't you?" she asked.
Valerius looked into the fire. "More than anything."
Grimwald let out a long breath. "Well… damn."
The fire crackled between them, the silence heavy.
After a moment, Draven cleared his throat. "You know, I've always wondered… how does Vitalis even work? I've never actually seen one."
"Me neither," Grimwald admitted. "Draven and I never had a reason to use it, but Serephina, didn't you see one when you were training under that mage?"
Serephina blinked, caught off guard by the sudden topic shift. "Oh? Uh… yeah, I did."
Grimwald leaned forward. "So? Explain it to us, Miss Mage."
"Well, I don't know for sure either," Serephina admitted, scratching her head. "My master just said you inject it into your body, and bam you heal."
Grimwald frowned. "That makes no sense. How does Vitalis even know what to heal?"
"Valerius, do you know anything about how it works?" Draven asked.
Valerius shook his head. "I've only seen it a few times, but I never needed it myself, so I never really paid attention." He leaned back slightly. "Now that I think about it, I am curious. Maybe we can find someone in Vulan who can explain it."
"That won't be necessary," Coleen interjected.
The group turned toward her.
"My father is friends with someone from the organization that produces Vitalis. I asked him once how it works," she explained.
Grimwald's eyes lit up. "Ooh, now this sounds interesting. Go on."
Coleen nodded. "The fundamental material of Vitalis is the sap of the World Tree, Yggdrasill the same tree whose fruit we eat to awaken our mana and attributes. It's called the Mother of Mana. The sap that flows through it is extracted using specialized techniques, then processed and stored inside Vitalis containers."
Grimwald whistled. "That's insane."
Serephina leaned in slightly. "Keep going."
"When someone wants to use Vitalis," Coleen continued, "they press their hand or any part of their body onto a tiny needle at the base of the container. This needle extracts a drop or two of their blood, which then mixes with the processed sap. That sap adapts to the user's mana signature, effectively turning into their liquid mana. Once injected, the adapted mana spreads through the body and restores it to the exact state it was in 24 hours ago."
Serephina blinked. "Wait, wait time out. What does that even mean?"
Coleen smirked slightly. "I'll explain." She raised three fingers. "There are three grades of Vitalis low-tier, mid-tier, and high-tier.
"Low-tier can heal minor wounds scratches, small cuts, injuries that bleed but aren't life-threatening.
"Mid-tier is stronger it's used for deep wounds, like sword slashes or arrow injuries, that could leave permanent scars or long-term damage.
"And then there's high-tier the strongest type. It can regenerate lost limbs, repair internal organs, and even bring someone back from the brink of death."
The group listened in awe.
"Of course," Coleen added, "high-tier Vitalis is extremely rare and expensive. It can regenerate arms, legs even an entire lung if necessary."
"That's crazy," Draven muttered.
"But there's a catch," Coleen said, lowering her voice slightly. "Vitalis can only heal injuries that occurred within 24 hours."
Grimwald furrowed his brows. "What does that mean, exactly?"
Coleen took a deep breath. "According to ancient texts, the human body remembers its state from exactly one day prior. When injected, the liquid mana inside the Vitalis triggers this memory and restores the body to that previous state.
"But there's a limit. If someone loses multiple limbs or suffers from severe internal damage, they might need more than one high-grade Vitalis to fully recover.
"And because of the 24-hour restriction, Vitalis can't cure illnesses or diseases."
Serephina tilted her head. "Why not?"
"Because by the time a disease is noticed, it's already too late to reverse it within the 24-hour window."
The group absorbed the information in silence.
Coleen continued, "Technically, someone could extend their lifespan by using one high-grade Vitalis every day to reset their body to a previous, healthier state. But…" She sighed. "High-tier Vitalis is heavily controlled by the Ministry of Mana. Only the richest nobles and those with powerful connections have the luxury of using it frequently."
As she finished, the campfire flickered, casting long shadows across the ground.
The group just stared at her.
"Wow…" Draven exhaled. "Isn't the human body amazing? And Vitalis just what kind of genius figured this all out? How did they even discover that our bodies 'remember' their state from 24 hours ago?"
"This world is full of mysteries, huh?" Grimwald muttered.
A comfortable silence settled over them.
After a few minutes, Grimwald stretched his arms. "Well, it's gotten pretty dark. How about we eat, then get some rest?"
"You're right. I'm starving," Serephina groaned.
The group gathered their packed meals from earlier and started eating. Most of them only needed a portion or two.
But Valerius? He finished three of his ten portions.
Serephina smirked. "What's this? You're holding back?" She nudged his shoulder playfully.
Valerius scoffed. "Like I said I don't eat like that all the time. I just eat what I can, when I can." He gestured to the remaining food. "I have to ration these, or I'll starve tomorrow."
He sighed. "If I run out, I'll have to cook monster meat and trust me, that stuff's not as tasty."
Serephina chuckled. "Well, we should reach Vulan in a week. Hold out until then, and we'll feast once we get there." She slapped his back lightly before leaning back.
One by one, they finished their meals.
"I'll keep watch," Draven offered, standing up. "You guys get some sleep. Someone can take over in four hours."
"That won't be necessary," Valerius said.
Draven frowned. "What do you mean?"
Valerius leaned back against his saddle. "I'll know if a monster comes near. My senses are sharp. Even if I'm asleep, I promise I'll wake up before you do."
Draven studied him for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. You haven't been wrong so far, so I'll trust you on this." He lay down, stretching his arms behind his head.
The group started telling jokes and lighthearted stories, the tension from earlier fading away. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and one by one, they drifted into sleep.
Valerius remained still, eyes half-lidded, listening to the steady breathing of his new companions.
This was their first time sharing a campsite together.
They had no idea that this was only the beginning that their journey ahead would be far longer, far harder, and far more dangerous than any of them could have imagined.