[Why do you have the energy of the abyss inside you?]
The moment Lucavion heard this, he immediately understood what Vitaliara meant.
“The energy of the abyss…..Do you mean the mana of death?”
He asked, seeking confirmation.
[The energy that is in your other core? Hmm….Wait….Why do you have two cores?]
Lucavion took a deep breath. “It’s because of my unique condition. My reversed mana meridians don’t adhere to the usual rules that bind other Awakened. I discovered this about a year ago. After extensive trial and error, I realized that my condition allowed me to form a second core.”
Vitaliara blinked in understanding, her expression serious. [I see… Your condition truly is different. But then, how does this explain the energy of the abyss—or as you call it, the mana of death?]
Lucavion nodded, preparing to recount his recent experiences. “It started just yesterday. I was fighting a Shadow Stalker. After I killed it, I sat down to meditate to recover my mana. But instead of just drawing in the usual ambient energy, I sensed something else.”
He paused, his mind revisiting the strange sensation he had felt. “It was cold, eerie… unlike any mana I’ve ever encountered. It felt like it was seeping out of the dead Shadow Stalker, drawn to me as if it recognized something within me.”
Vitaliara listened intently, her eyes narrowing in thought. [And this was the first time you encountered such energy?]
“Yes,” Lucavion confirmed. “At first, I thought it was specific to the Shadow Stalker, that maybe it had something to do with the creature’s nature. But later, I realized it wasn’t unique to that beast.”
Vitaliara tilted her head slightly, prompting him to continue.
“After that fight, I encountered more monsters—chimpanzees. When I meditated near their carcasses, I felt that same cold mana again. That’s when I understood… it wasn’t just the Shadow Stalker. The energy seemed to stem from death itself, a residual force left behind in the bodies of the fallen. That was why I just named it as mana of death.”
Vitaliara’s eyes widened slightly. [The mana of death… from any creature?]
Lucavion nodded, his expression thoughtful. “Exactly. It’s not a common form of energy, and I’ve never heard of anyone else using it. But for some reason, it’s drawn to me. Maybe it’s because of my reversed meridians, or maybe it’s something else altogether. But when I discovered it, I knew I had to understand it better.”
Vitaliara was silent for a moment, processing his words. [This is… unprecedented. The ability to draw on such an energy… it is not something a mortal should be able to do.]
“A mortal?”
[That is right. Vitaliara nodded.]
Vitaliara’s voice softened, her gaze turning more gentle as she observed Lucavion. [A mortal, yes. The energy you are dealing with… it is something that touches the very boundaries of life and death. To wield it, to even be touched by it, is no small matter. It is something that only beings of the abyss should have any connection to.
Yet here you are, a mortal, drawing on this energy as if it were second nature.]
“Does this mean that by using this energy, I’m crossing a line I shouldn’t?”
Vitaliara hesitated, considering her response carefully. [It is not about crossing a line, Lucavion. It’s more about understanding what it is. The mana of death, or as you call it, the energy of the abyss, is not inherently evil or malevolent, but it is tied to the natural order.]
Lucavion’s brow furrowed as he absorbed Vitaliara’s words. “I thought it was related to my unique condition,” he admitted, searching for clarity.
Vitaliara nodded, her expression thoughtful. [It could very well be connected to your condition. But regardless of how it came to be, one thing is clear: you are drawn to the energy of the abyss. This is not something that happens by chance. The abyss has a way of reaching out to those it deems capable of handling its power.]
Lucavion remained silent, processing her words. After a moment, he said, “I’ve never actually used the energy, though. I can feel it within my core, but I don’t know how to control it. Even drawing it into my core was a struggle based on mere speculation. Every time I try to use it, the energy doesn’t comply—it resists me. And when I push, it causes me pain.”
Vitaliara’s eyes narrowed slightly as she considered his words. [That’s understandable. The energy you’re dealing with is not something that can be easily tamed. It’s ancient, raw, and tied to forces that even the most powerful beings respect. The fact that it causes you pain when you try to draw on it indicates that you’re not yet attuned to its nature.]
“So, what do I do? How do I learn to control it?”
Just as he asked, Vitaliara slowly rose from her state as she approached Lucavion. Her fur and her eyes were glowing in the color of white as she stood over him.
[Your approach…..It is really interesting.] She mumbled, jumping over his shoulder. [Sit in the lotus position.]
As she said, Lucavion complied. He sat in the lotus position.
[Now, just meditate, and don’t mind me.]
After saying that, Vitaliara jumped from his shoulder and landed right beside him.
Lucavion followed Vitaliara’s instructions, settling into the lotus position with practiced ease. His breathing slowed as he centered himself, focusing inward on the flow of mana within his body. He could feel Vitaliara’s presence beside him, her aura tinged with a sense of deep contemplation.
Vitaliara’s gaze was intense as she studied Lucavion’s core, her eyes glowing with a soft white light that seemed to pierce through the physical and into the very essence of his being. She could see the two distinct energies within his core—the cold, eerie abyssal energy and the warm, vibrant fire-attributed mana.
They were like two opposing forces, existing in a delicate balance but not truly harmonized.
[Interesting…] she murmured, her voice barely audible in Lucavion’s mind. [You’ve managed to store the energy of the abyss within your core by using the fire-attributed mana to subdue its coldness and repelling nature. It’s a clever approach, one that’s allowed you to keep the two energies stable.]
Lucavion remained silent.
[But there’s a problem,] Vitaliara continued, her tone more serious. [While you’ve succeeded in containing both energies, they are not truly integrated. Right now, they’re simply canceling each other out. The fire-attributed mana is keeping the abyssal energy in check, preventing it from overwhelming you, but it’s also preventing you from fully utilizing either power.
It seems you have already understood what you need to do to make them merge.]
[For them to merge,] Vitaliara explained, [you need to utilize the fire of life with the coldness of death.]
Lucavion nodded at Vitaliara’s explanation. “That’s exactly what I had thought as well. I’ve already altered the way I circulate the energy, completely reversing the method I used to absorb the death mana.”
He paused, then added, “I’ve had partial success, but it’s not complete.” With that, he closed his eyes and began to demonstrate. Slowly, the abyssal energy and fire-attributed mana in his core started to stir, their opposing natures evident as they resisted merging.
Lucavion focused intently, reversing the flow of the fire-attributed mana while trying to coax the abyssal energy into harmony with it.
Vitaliara watched closely, her eyes narrowing as she observed the process. As the energies interacted, she could see the subtle progress Lucavion had made—how he had managed to create a temporary balance between them, yet the true merging eluded him.
The fire-attributed mana flickered and strained against the abyssal energy like oil and water trying to blend, but they remained distinct, unable to fully integrate.
Vitaliara’s thoughts raced as she analyzed what she was seeing. ‘This kid… How could he do such a thing without any guidance? He’s completely developed most of this on his own.’
But as she continued to watch, something clicked in her mind. The fire-attributed mana Lucavion was drawing from the outside was still not what he needed.
‘That is right….Just like the energy of the abyss, the Fire of the Vitality can also not be utilized by mere mortals that easily.’
It was something that was special to things like Vitaliara herself.
‘What he needs is to feel the Fire of Life,’ Vitaliara realized, her thoughts crystallizing.
Lucavion opened his eyes, looking at Vitaliara. “I can get them to balance temporarily, but they won’t fully merge. I thought reversing the circulation and adjusting the flow would work, but I’m still missing something.”
Vitaliara met his gaze, her expression serious. [You’re on the right track, Lucavion. But what you’re missing is the type of fire you’re using. The fire-attributed mana you’ve been drawing isn’t enough. What you need is the Fire of Life.]
Lucavion’s brow furrowed slightly. “The Fire of Life…?”
[Yes,] Vitaliara confirmed. [The Fire of Life is a special kind of energy, one that embodies creation, vitality, and the essence of life itself. It’s what can truly balance the coldness of death, the abyssal energy you’ve taken into your core. But because you’ve never encountered it, you’ve been unable to draw it.]
Lucavion nodded slowly, understanding dawning on him. “But you… you’re the Guardian of Life. You can use this Fire of Life, can’t you?”
[Exactly. And I’m thinking… what if we replace the fire mana in your core with my Fire of Life? If we do that, it might be enough to bring the energies into true harmony.]
“It makes sense…..definitely worth trying.”
Vitaliara moved closer, her presence radiating a powerful energy.
[This will require precision, Lucavion. I’ll need you to release the fire-attributed mana in your core, and I’ll infuse it with my Fire of Life. It’s important that you remain focused and open your core to the process. And it is very highly likely that it will hurt. Are you okay with that?]
“That is fine by me,” Lucavion replied. The pain, he had already gotten used to it at this point as he was very well aware of how he became awakened.
[Then…..Let’s start.]
‘This kid….He is a one-time genius, but he is still not strong enough….And he does not have much time…It will not be long for them to fund us…..The moment that they find him, they will try to capture him as well….So he needs to get stronger as soon as possible…’
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