Glad about my newfound powers, I wasted no time delaying my training. Making it flow the right way when drinking the potion proved to myself that I had a level of control over it, but casting and using magic is a different issue altogether.

Knowing the dangers of using it the wrong way, which might lead to the whole village burning, I decided on going back into the forest, trying to trace my steps back to the underground basement. I just had the feeling that down there would be a better place for such a thing. I told the elder about my plan, and all he did was laugh it off and give me a reminder to trace back my steps. Being the idiot I am, I brushed it off, blaming it on the falling night.

Back to the location where I nearly died a while ago. An eerie feeling set in, making my breath stop in its tracks. The hole was deeper than I could have seen at first, and the simple thought of having fallen there made me shiver. I was lucky enough to find another item on my way here, a necklace that could slow down my fall. I put it on, and trusting it more than I should have, I jumped.

Glad that it worked, otherwise, my legs would have turned into chalk. The door was in the same place, still hidden from sight. Nothing worth noting other than the missing corpse. At first, when I cast my eyes upon the emtpy room, everything felt normal, but it took me no more than a few seconds to realize this. Fear began to creep in, and I wondered what had triggered it. Just where and how?

There were no traces on the floor, just the dried puddle of what was once blood, nothing more. Trying not to run outside like I was being chased by ghosts, I let some air into my lungs, then slowly pushed it out, settling down on the floor. I could not allow such minor problems to interfere with my training.

How exactly should I do it? I had an idea about how to do it, but that was when mana was rushing on its own. Trying to move it on my own might be a bit harder, or so I thought. Perhaps I had a knack for it, because the second I placed my palms on my stomach and visualized the energy flow, everything was put into motion. My body heated up, and I felt stronger. For a second, my body was about to rush out and start looking for a fight.

"I guess that’s some sort of body enhancement. I should train this as well, but first..."

I reached out with my palm outward, as if waiting to receive something, but that was not my plan, that day I felt like giving. Without closing my eyes, just by using my instinct, I led the mana outside, forming a small flame, then gradually increasing its size. After a few minutes, the flame reached the ceiling, and my mana reached the bottom. It all went away, leaving my eyes in a temporary blindness.

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"Guess I’ll wait for my mana to recharge. Now, time for melee."

I sprung up on my feet, reaching for my blade, just like someone wanted to kill me, and I was readying for battle. Oh, yeah, my sword could use mana to create some attacks; I should try it later.

No one taught me how to use a sword, and neither did I have experience, but I tried to do what I'd seen in my world. Moving my right leg behind, bending my knees, I got into stance —or something that resembled one. My sword faced forward, the light glimmering on the blade. One swing, then another, and another, changing angles with every movement of my blade. My legs followed, switching position, staying in motion. My breath soon gave way, but I didn’t budge —I didn’t want to do so.

My muscles were about to explode. It must have been at least an hour before I stopped for real. Of course, I did take small breaks, but I couldn’t just sit and wait.

"Well, damn-" I wiped the sweat from my brow, throwing the droplets aside. I had a lot of work to do, both on my stamina and muscles, besides mana, that is.

Ready to practice mana again, I looked down, but a glimmering light grabbed my atention first. It was like a nick in the floor, but it was glowing. Without thinking too much, I touched it —looking back, I realize just what a bad choice it was— and something stung me.

"Just why..."

I placed my hand there again, feeling a slight flow of mana, no pain that time. It took me a few moments to realize that mana was leaving my body, so I did something even I thought was insane.I forced mana inside that point, creating a flash of light so bright that it took me at least a minute to come back to my senses. Unable to see, I could only hear what seemed to be rocks grinding against one another, like huge stone blocks moving. I sat there in semi darkness, staring around like a mad hound, scared out of my wits.

After the whole ordeal was over, realization as to what the purpose of that room was came to light. A large hole in the floor, placed right in the center of the room, with some stairs winging around the hole, going down. I stared at the seemingly bottomless pit, feeling the urge to jump. Hell no, the fuck is wrong with me? Even thinking about going down there scares me, but to jump? Nope, never.

As I stood there, brainwashed by my own thoughts, one of them slapped me in the face. What if that thing’s carcass got down there? What if something came outside and took it?

My hair rose up on my skin, and I almost stumbled downward. I took a big breath, and ran for the door. Never did I expect some magic text to appear on the door. "Go down; that’s the only exit."

My heart gave up, and I did as well. Trying to force the door open did nothing; it wouldn’t even budge. I tried using some magic, to blow it up, but it was meaningless, like trying to blow at a ship’s sail. With nothing but one option left, I started my slow descent.