Oblivious to everything but his flowing Mana, Alan followed his instincts and grasped the unconfined energy. Ever so gently, he twisted the tendrils of iridescence together. At first, he sensed a slight resistance, as if the individual streams of energy sought to repel one another.

However, under his gentle yet firm application of pressure the streams combined. Under his guidance the shimmering tendrils of Mana formed a twisting double helix of iridescent translucence. The Mana-forged double helix danced around his figure, the revolutions gaining speed to the point Alan found himself within a spiraling vortex.

His unkempt blond hair whipped in the wind as Alan watched the whirlpool of energy rapidly lose speed, and at the same time begin to solidify. The vortex congealed into a glistening dome of water around Alan, just under five feet in diameter. Slowly condensing, the shield stabilized at a diameter of three feet. After only remaining in place for a few seconds the shield wavered unsteadily and collapsed into a puddle on the floor.

Remarkable! You have successfully merged the Spells (B)[Stone Skin] and (B)[Water Jet] creating the (Common) Spell [Aqua Shield]!

(C)[Aqua Shield] Lvl 1- Upon casting, this Spell places the caster or designated ally within in a protective shield of water. Shield will absorb 100 Hp of damage before failing. Shield will remain in place until destroyed or dismissed. Damage absorbed increases with Spell level. Cost increases with Spell level.

•Cast time: 30 seconds •Cost: 75 Mp

•Cooldown: None

Remarkable! Your Skill (U)[Tenacious Concentration] has grown to Level 3!

Remarkable! Your Skill (C)[Mana Perception] has grown to Level 3!

"I DID IT!" Alan clenched his fist and shook it mockingly up at the sky, roaring with elation at his sudden and quite unexpected success. Not only had he created a new defensive Spell, but he'd also managed to Level up a Skill in the process! Suddenly made aware of his complete lack of energy, Alan collapsed onto the sand, receiving a two notifications on his way down.

WARNING! You have fully depleted your Mana pool.

-50% Mana regeneration rate for 1 hour.

WARNING! You have fully depleted your Stamina pool.

-50% Stamina regeneration rate for 1 hour.

Lying in the sand, Alan tossed a glance at his Status tab and was shocked to discover that not only did the process of merging Spells bottom out his Mana pool, but his Stamina bar was also completely empty. Apparently the process had been just as physically demanding as it was mentally.

Note to self: DO NOT bottom out your energy reserves.

If I was in the middle of a fight right now I'd be in serious trouble. A fifty percent penalty to regeneration is no laughing matter. Alan scrunched his eyes in thought.

I would really like to know why I'm being penalized though. Is it harder for my body to absorb Mana when fully drained? Did I somehow strain, or damage my energy pools, and now they have to heal? Is it possible to drain myself to the point my energy pools quit regenerating all together?

"I NEED SOME ANSWERS!" Alan bellowed, unable to restrain his anger, having reached the end of his patience. "I thought this was a tutorial? Where in the pox ridden Nine Hells is my tutor?" Glancing around, still laying on the sand, Alan half expected the voice of his Tutorial Administrator Skarg to appear in his mind, but the silence prevailed.

"SKKKAAARRRGGHH"! Alan bellowed out once more, his eyes narrowed as fury began to build. "Get your floating ass out here and answer some questions!"

Without any warning, an officious voice boomed out in his mind. Alan cocked his head to the side, surprised that his temper had actually elicited a response.

The System isn't looking for children to coddle and hold hands with. The multiverse is an extremely harsh place, where the weak are but stepping stones for the mighty to tread upon. Only those with an unbreakable spirit, the unquestionable will to survive the Profane Calamities of the Nine Hells and the unwavering resolve to stand firm and spit upon the face of the Ten Heavens and their Holy Tribulations, have even the slightest chance of witnessing the Vertex. The System Tutorial is a test of sorts.

Who are you? What are you made of? Is Humanity even worthy of rejoining the multiverse? Are you all genocidal monsters like nearly everyone in the Multiverse assumes? Do you possess ingenuity Alan? Can you think on your feet, and make spilt second decisions with your life on the line? If you survive the next 72 days, I will personally answer 5 of your questions to the best of my abilities. Good luck, denizen!>

Profane calamities? Heavenly tribulations? Alan felt more confused than ever. I always thought that 'Nine Hells' was just another swear word I picked up from uncle Alex over the years. Administrator Skorn basically just told me that there are actually Nine Hells! And Ten Heavens? Not only did I receive NO answers, but I have even more questions than I did five minutes ago.. The tutorial is a test? Am I worthy to join the Multiverse? The weak are but stepping stones for the mighty. I WILL NOT be a stepping stone. I have to protect my little brother. That crazy little shit definitely won't protect himself. Hells, he's probably doing something stupid right now...

Thinking about brother snapped him out of his current funk, he HAD to make it out of this dungeon and find his brother. And in order to do so, he was going to have to get stronger. Much, much stronger.

Pulling up his PSA Screen Alan stared sadly at the inaccessible tab labeled Current Human Survivors 1008/1113. "Already over one hundred people are... Just gone. I hope you are safe little bro.." Alan whispered, growing increasingly worried about his brother Rexus.

With the twenty minute cooldown on his Spell finally over, Alan charged up another [Healing Fog]. Not only for the boosted recovery and regeneration rates, but he desperately needed the mental boost. As the stimulating mist gently embraced him, Alan's worries quietly faded to the back of his growing list of troubles. Right now, the only thing Alan could do for his brother would be to survive this dungeon. By any means necessary.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Sitting up, Alan resolved himself to begin increasing his Spell list, the consequences be damned. It was time to stop worrying so much about everything beyond his control, and instead, put his mind to doing what he can to survive this tutorial. "You're going to regret that promise Skorn. Alan vowed with a mirthful smile. "I'm going to have my answers or die trying."

His Mind made up, and still enveloped within the calming effects of [Healing Fog] Alan cast his newest Spell [Aqua Shield]. By far his most costly Spell, at 75 Mp, before long, the Mana drain had him feeling a bit light headed. As the dome of water surrounding Alan solidified into a hardened shield, he waited for a few moments to make sure the barrier wasn't going to collapse. Once he was sure it was there to stay, he made ready to test the limitations of this new Spell immediately. Rather than find out it has a glaring weakness in the middle of a life and death struggle.

Taking a cautious step forward, the shimmering bubble surrounding him moved forward as he did, settling his worries that the shield would be stationary. Calling up a [Fireball] and watching as the Spell formed successfully just outside of his barrier, Alan sent the Spell flying off into the distance and earned a Spell Level in the process.

Remarkable! Your Spell (B)[Fireball] has grown to Level 3!

Now confident he would at least be capable of movement and the casting Spells while hidden within the protective boundary of his [Aqua Shield] Alan activated [Tenacious Concentration] and [Mana Perception], and tried something new. In an attempt to create a more powerful version of a single Spell, he tried to cast [Stone Skin] along with another [Stone Skin], and watched on with excitement as his Mana tendrils steadily flowed out of his chest, quickly penetrating the barrier as if it weren't even there. Before he ever had a chance to grab the streams of energy, they sputtered once before dispersing in a puff of luminosity.

[Stone Skin] and [Stone Skin] Failed to merge. Unable to merge Spells with themselves. Increasing spell Level beyond 10 will allow for natural Evolution of Spell.

"That was not only unimpressive, but now I've got Spell Evolutions on top of body Evolutions?! What's next, Soul Evolution?" Exasperated yet again by his lack of information, Alan tried his best to push his frustration aside. Ensuring his concentration and perception Skills were still active, as well as hoping his [Aqua Shield] would be able help keep him from ruining his only remaining pair of boots, Alan inhaled a deep breath and once again cast [Lightning Strike] alongside another [Water Jet]. The only difference this time around was he was not only able see what was going on, but he had a Skill that allowed him take control of the situation.

Peering studiously at his chest, Alan observed as his Mana tendrils exited his flesh. With only minimal hesitation, Alan grabbed the resilient energy strands and as he did before, firmly twisted them together. His smooth actions binding the two separate Spells into a single entity.

The fully entwined streams of Mana slipped through Alan's barrier, and upon reaching the other side began to coil up into a tight ball. Once fully coiled, the ball of iridescent energy first displayed several cracks, which quickly widened without warning.

The spreading cracks suddenly became a full on opening as the ball of energy Bloomed, revealing a twisted, spinning sphere of water crackling with the high voltage electricity contained within it. At three feet in diameter, it was much larger than the water ball formed when only casting [Water Jet].

Once he sensed this new Spell had fully formed, Alan willed it on its way. The globe of electrically charged water vented a veritable cannon blast of sound and pressure. At the same time, an extremely high pressure stream of water concealing a visible bolt of lightning shot out from the front of the massive water orb. Easily as thick as a man's leg, this attack was nothing to scoff at.

Alan's jaw dropped as the roaring torrent of water continued on, blasting through the air. Never coming to a stop until hitting the distant wall at least 50 feet away.

Beaming from ear to ear, the much anticipated alert flashed across his PSA. And as Alan read, he began laughing like a crazed maniac.

Remarkable! You have successfully merged the Spells (B)[Lightning Strike] and (B)[Water Jet] creating the (Uncommon) Spell [Shocking Water Cannon]!

(U)[Shocking Water Cannon] Lvl 1- Upon casting, this Spell launches an extremely high powered, electrically charged torrent of water at enemies up to 20 meters away causing moderate amounts of damage, and a moderate chance to inflict Paralysis Debuff.

Damage, distance and chance to inflict Paralysis Debuff increase with Spell level. Cost increases with Spell Level

•Cast time: 10 seconds •Cost: 25mp

•Cool down: 10 minutes

Remarkable! Due to your your surprising aptitude for merging spells you have acquired the (Rare) Skill [Advanced Spell Alteration]!

(R)[Advanced Spell Alteration]- Upon activation, this skill provides a small chance to create spells of a higher tier than previously possible. Chances of a higher tier spell increase with Skill level.

Remarkable! You have acquired a (Rare) Skill! As the first denizen of the (Human) Tutorial to aquire a (Rare) Skill you have earned the Title Singularly Skilled!

Singularly Skilled- +3 All Stats, increase to your odds of acquiring new Skills.

Remarkable! For acquiring a (Rare) Skill while still in the (G) Stage of Evolution, you have earned the Title Surpassing Expectations!

Surpassing Expectations- +5 All Stats, +5 Luck

"Money in the bank!" Laughing maniacally, Alan gave himself a moment to think, allowing his Mana and Stamina pools just enough time to refill from their near depletion before he made his next attempt at Spell merging.

What would give me the best chance at a long distance wide range spell? Alan pondered. [Shocking Water Cannon] definitely has the long distance part covered, but it won't be very effective against multiple, or fast moving enemies. I really need an attack spell with an area-of -effect like my [Healing Fog]. If I could just stand back and wipe out a crowd that would surely up my life expectancy by at least a few points. So right away [Healing Fog], [Banish Darkness] and [Stone Skin] are out of the question. I don't see any of those providing a strong attack Spell... If I also remove the combinations I've already attempted, I think my best bet is going to be merging [Wind Blade] with [Fireball].

Mind made up, but still curious as to what exactly was happening to cause his Stamina pool to drain so quickly during the process, Alan called up his Status tab and pinned his Hp, Mp, and Stamina bars to the upper-left corner of his vision. "Why didn't I think of this earlier?" Berating himself for his shortsightedness, a simple glance up and to the left were now all that was required for Alan to see his Health, Mana and Stamina totals.

Once his Energy Pools were back to one hundred percent, and paying close attention to his Stamina bar, Alan started off by activating [Tenacious Concentration]. Immediately his Stamina trickled out, slowly draining, but at a measley 1 Stamina per second it was hardly noticable. Adding [Mana Perception] increased his Stamina drain to 5 Stamina per second. While not too heavy of a loss, 5 Stamina per second would completely empty his Stamina pool in just over 100 seconds.

Last of all, Alan activated his brand new Skill [Enhanced Spell Alteration] and while he hadn't experienced any mental or physical changes, his Stamina started to plummet. With all three Skills activated, Alan was losing 15 Stamina per second. Put off by the loss, he resolved himself to increasing his energy pools as soon as he felt confident in his Spell-craft. Temporarily deactivating his Skills to allow his Stamina to regenerate, Alan boosted the recovery process by adding a dose of [Healing Fog] to the mix, which earned him a Skill level as well.

Remarkable! Your Spell [Healing Fog] has grown to Level 3!

"No wonder I ran out of Stamina" Alan pondered out loud, " I didn't even know my Skills used stamina. And if I started the Spell merge process with an already low Stamina pool, it's no surprise I got completely tapped out."

Unable to recall the last time he'd eaten anything , yet half-way sure he probably threw it up at some point anyway, Alan lazily plopped himself down, sitting on the only furniture available. Sand.

Pulling some rations and his treasured self refilling water canteen from his storage ring, Alan proceeded to stuff his face while his Stamina slowly regenerated.