STONEBARK EXPANSE – TRAINING FIELD
A loud WHISTLE echoed through the trees. Birds scattered from nearby branches as the new Travelers—about two dozen in total—started walking toward a wide-open training glade. Logs had been arranged into makeshift seats, crystalline orbs floated above rune-carved pedestals, and the ground itself glimmered faintly with layered enchantments.
Logan walked casually behind the others, arms up in a stretch, earbuds in and music pulsing through his Systematic Guide's audio sync. His black and red sneakers—slides with subtle fire decals—kicked lazily through patches of grass.
"Man," he muttered to himself. "This looks like Hogwarts meets a CrossFit gym."
Up front, Aelun Lighthollow stood tall on a vine-covered stump, golden ponytail catching the light. His robe fluttered gently in the wind.
"Welcome to your first foundational training," Aelun said, voice ringing clear. "Today, you learn the force that binds this world—the essence of all substance and reality…"
He lifted his hand, and a swirl of glowing blue energy formed in his palm.
"Vita."
Mirella stood at the side, arms crossed, her blue eyes watching everyone closely. "Without Vita, nothing exists. It is the code, the current, and the chemistry of this universe."
Aelun continued, "Vita is the meta-energy. It contains within it all potential—elements, molecules, thoughts. Shape it with imagination. Anchor it with knowledge. Water, fire, matter… all of it can emerge from Vita."
Everyone began focusing. A few faint sparks appeared in the air. Some of the demi-raccoons and demi-foxes trembled with excitement as they tried to summon water, guided by memory or instinct.
Logan stood back, eyebrow raised. He raised both palms forward like he'd seen in some anime, trying to concentrate. His music beat steadily in the background.
A flicker.
Then a slow pulse of blue light.
The Vita swirled in his hands.
"…Okay, cool, I got it," he muttered. "But how do I turn this into water?"
Rambo, leaning against a mossy tree with arms folded, finally spoke, voice calm.
"Think of hydrogen and oxygen. The structure of water. Think in the language of molecules."
Logan blinked. "Hydrogen and helium?"
Rambo didn't correct him.
Logan nodded. "Aight… I'mma think of Jupiter."
He focused, imagining the massive gas giant, swirling storms, endless pressure, tons of hydrogen and helium smashing together.
BOOOOOOM—
Suddenly, his Vita exploded outward, a wave of water bursting into existence like a popped dam. A high-pressure torrent shot from his palms and surged across the training area.
"AAGHH!"
Travelers screamed as they were blasted back, soaked head to toe.
The peaceful glade became a miniature floodplain. Scrolls were floating. Logs overturned. A demi-cat was clinging to a tree. A raccoon-eared girl screamed something about her soaked hoodie.
Logan stood dead center, dripping wet, looking very annoyed.
He looked down at his drenched slides.
"…Bro. My sneakers."
Aelun and Mirella stood stunned, water splashing around their boots.
Mirella narrowed her eyes. "That… that output was on par with a mid-blue ranked Traveler."
Aelun stared. "That wasn't water conjuration. That was planetary-scale compression. He manifested Vita with cosmic density."
Logan shrugged, flicking water off his wrist. "I just thought of Jupiter. You know—hydrogen, helium, all that gas-giant stuff."
Aelun tilted his head. "Jupiter? Is that a… city? Or a storm titan?"
Mirella blinked. "Wait… sounds like Kelt-99c. The big planet in the Somnari Nebula."
Rambo chuckled behind his mask. "It's not from this universe. It's from his."
Mirella slowly nodded. "Fascinating. He doesn't think with equations. He thinks with imagery and planetary analogies…"
Aelun turned back to Logan. "We'll have to keep a close eye on you."
Logan sighed, adjusting his cap. "Y'all better have a towel, though. This flood's ridiculous."
The first lesson was over—and Logan had just soaked his way into everyone's attention.
----
EVENING — STONEBARK STARTER CAMP
The warm glow of enchanted lanterns hung from tree branches, casting soft golden light over the scattered wooden tables and canvas tents. The camp buzzed with low chatter and the smell of grilled food. A peculiar figure stood behind the food counter: a tall, tentacled octopus in a chef's apron, multitasking effortlessly—flipping, stirring, plating—its limbs moving with culinary perfection.
"Next!" it gurgled in a friendly voice, offering dishes one by one.
Logan stepped up, hands in his jersey pockets, phone still in one hand. The octopus handed him a plate of something sizzling and skewered.
> [Starfire Skewers] – Grilled Wyvern tail meat with glazed Caelus peppers. Spicy. High Vita Recovery. Tastes like lava-drenched chicken.
Logan took a whiff. "Smells like ghost pepper met dry a** steak."
He grabbed the plate with one hand and strolled to an empty log bench near the camp's edge. The others gave him a wide berth—not out of fear, but awe.
All around, whispers rose behind cupped hands and flickering Vita-light:
> "That's him… the guy who flooded the field."
"He turned Vita into a tsunami. Just by thinking about something called Jupiter!"
"What the hell is a Jupiter?"
"Hey, I heard he humbled a Level 5 Centaur beast bare-handed. Man's a real one."
"You see those arms? He ain't skipping no workouts even in other universes."
But Logan didn't care.
He was leaned back against a log, plate balanced on his knee, phone open as he scrolled.
YouTube?
Offline.
Wi-Fi was a joke here.
But SoundCloud?
Still kicking.
He smirked. "Bet."
Within his Systematic Guide, he opened the AppSync module and downloaded SoundCloud straight into the Guide's interface. He began building a local playlist from memory and cache—instrumentals, lo-fi beats, even a few underground bangers.
The music flowed straight into his ears, and he tapped his foot, vibing while taking a bite of spicy skewer. His expression stayed chill—even as one of the demi-fox girls glanced at him for a third time.
40 minutes passed.
The last embers of the sunset were fading when Mirella Glimmershade emerged once more, robes billowing slightly in the breeze. She raised her crystal whistle and blew—
FWEEEEEEET!!
The sound cut through conversation like a blade. Plates dropped. Starters snapped to attention. Even the octopus chef wiped his tentacles and floated off duty.
Logan glanced up lazily, lowered his phone, and stood, adjusting his cap.
"Here we go again," he muttered, stretching a shoulder.
The second training was about to begin… and the murmurs followed him like a storm front.
This wasn't just some random new guy anymore.
Logan was the prodigy of the Stonebark Camp.
And everyone was watching.
------
STONEBARK EXPANSE — SECOND TRAINING SESSION
Twilight shadows stretched across the forest camp as the second phase of the day's training began. The clearing now shimmered with light Vita gridlines, a temporary magical field created to help visual learners perceive the flow of energy. Crystalline pylons pulsed faintly at the edges, feeding the field with stable Vita currents.
Off to the side, Logan was shirtless, abs gleaming with sweat and determination under the golden forest light. He was casually shadowboxing with the air—throwing precise hooks and jabs while his music bumped through his Systematic Guide like a personal soundtrack.
A group of demi-human girls, ears perked and tails twitching, whispered nearby:
> "Oh my stars… look at his back muscles!"
"He's not even using Vita. Just raw human power."
"Are abs... always like that back in his universe?"
After a set of push-ups—clapping between each one—Logan stood, cracked his knuckles, and tilted his cap back into place. He looked toward the center as Aelun Lighthollow entered the field, gliding smoothly with his golden robe trailing.
Aelun raised both hands.
"Travelers! This hour's lesson is Elemental Vita Control. The ability to mold Vita into the base elemental forms is the foundation of all advanced spellcraft and world interaction."
Mirella Glimmershade stepped forward. With a gentle wave of her hand, flames, a wave of water, and a spiral of wind spun around her in perfect synchronicity.
"Observe," she said calmly. "Control is not brute force. It is harmony between mind, energy, and element."
Aelun continued, "We will focus on five primary elements: Fire, Plant, Wind, Water, and Ice. You must focus your Vita into one form and direct it precisely—shape it, limit it, make it obey."
Everyone got to work.
Some conjured little jets of flame from their fingertips. Others sprouted miniature vines or summoned gentle gusts that spun leaves. One or two demi-cats made snowflakes.
Then there was Logan.
Focused. Hands glowing with swirling blue Vita.
He tried to will it into fire. Nothing.
Tried for wind. Still nothing.
"Man, c'mon…" he muttered.
Then, he thought of water again.
Suddenly—WHOOSH!
A massive swirling water sphere erupted between his palms, roughly the size of a beach ball and growing, growing, growing. It shimmered, full of motion—more ocean than pond. But…
SPLAAAASH!
It burst midair and crashed down on him, soaking him completely.
Laughter and giggles broke out all around. Not cruel—just surprised. Even the instructors cracked subtle smiles.
> "He's soaked again!"
"Twice in one day!"
"He's like… the human fire hydrant."
Logan stood drenched, sighing, water dripping from his cap. His black and red slides squelched in the grass.
Rambo, watching quietly from under a tree, nodded once.
"He has immense output," he said quietly to Mirella. "But no filter. No restraint. His elements are like him… free, instinctual, wild."
Mirella folded her arms. "He doesn't need more power. He needs a way to speak to the elements without shouting at them."
Aelun smiled faintly. "He'll get it. One way or another."
Logan wrung out his shirt, unconcerned by the stares. "Y'all act like I don't do this on purpose," he muttered, grinning a little. Then louder:
"Alright, water's my thing for now. Next time? Y'all better bring umbrellas."
Training continued.
But from that point on, no one doubted who had the most raw elemental force in the camp.