The first thing I did on my way through this cave was to map this place in my mind because I wanted to remember the way and also so I got not even more lost than I already was. I also mapped it in my mind because I did not have any utilises to do it on paper. I simply did not have a paper on me.
Now, that I think about it. I am only wearing my bed clothes and it was quite cold here. I let that thread of thought go and went back to mapping this place.
It was really easy to map this place because the path I followed went straight forward. After twenty steps I halted. I had heard the ping again, which I began to associate with notifications for this weird game. I waited for the second ping which would be accompanied by the blue screen.
After a few seconds, a blue screen flashed in front of my face. This time there was something different written on the screen then the other times.
You have acquired the skill Mind Mapping Lv. 1.
It looks like I had acquired a different skill this time. Could everything I do be a skill? Another thought I had to let go because I could not risk getting distracted. This game like system had opened my thoughts for many possibilities to get hurt in this cave and not one of them was nice. I could not know what was lurking here.
So I did the same thing that I did for the Dark Vision Skill. I concentrated on the Mind Mapping part of the screen and willed it to show the description of the skill like the screen did for the Dark Vision skill. Surprisingly it worked.
Mind Mapping: Level 1(0/100) (Active)
Mind Mapping is the ability to map the surroundings with your mind. It saves the map of your environment in your mind.
Cost: 20 Stamina per Minute
Bonus for the Level of this Skill: The higher the Level of this skill the more can you remember of your surroundings and the more accurate the map of your surroundings in your mind will get.
Adds 0.05 Points of Perception per Level of the Skill.
Adds 0.05 Points of Intelligence per Level of the Skill.
After I read the description of the skill I observed if something had changed with this skill and something had changed. The effect of this skill was immediately noticeable. The Map I had drawn in my mind was more accurate than ever but that meant not much because the map in my mind before this skill took effect, was only a straight line. It symbolised the straight path I had followed.
Now it was like a passage was drawn in my mind. The drawn corridor was simplistic but noticeably better than the straight line which the passage replace.
I also noticed that this skill added points to two statistics. Did this mean that this skill was higher tier than the Dark Vision skill or did the added points simple symbolise which stats were used for the skill to work? I pondered this question a bit and concluded that I would get the question answered through the analyses of more skills.
While I was thinking about this an idea began to bloom in my mind. Could there also be a screen for skills like for my statistics? After I thought this I willed a screen for my skills to appear in front of me. It worked for the skill description after all. I suddenly heard a ping which broke my concentration.
Skills (Active&Passive)
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Active:
Mind Mapping. Level 1(0/100)
Passive:
Dark Vision: Level 1 (6/100)
It worked and it also looks like I had made progress on my Dark Vision skill. I dismissed the screen in front of me and started to walk forward again. I took a step by step and used my new Mind Mapping skill to store the Map of my surroundings in my head. I advanced slowly on my path but it had the added beneath that the map in my head was more detailed. That means my walking speed and my concentration affect the effect of the Mind Mapping skill.
After some time I felt like I was slowly getting weaker as I was advancing on the path. It was really alarming. I stopped and looked around me but there was nothing besides the same walls that were here from the beginning. How did I acquire this effect?
I took some steps back to see if this had any effect but it did not. So the only option available to get rid of this effect was to get as fast as possible out of this cave. I only hoped that this weakness would end after I was out of this strange cave. I began advancing forward again. First I walked slowly but as I got weaker and weaker I started to walk faster and faster. That intensified the effect of me getting weaker. The fear that took hold of me the first time I noticed the effect began to grow the weaker I got.
I slowly began to run until I missed a step and simply fell down on my face. The pain broke my concentration and the Mind Mapping skill was deactivated. Surprisingly, as soon as the skill was deactivated the weakening effect also stopped.
I slowly sat up with my face scrunched up in pain. Was the skill making me weaker? No, that was not possible. So what was it? I willed the screen of the Mind Mapping skill in front of me and concentrated on the written text.
Mind Mapping: Level 1(34/100) (Active)
Mind Mapping is the ability to map the surroundings with your mind. It saves the map of your environment in your mind.
Cost: 20 Stamina per Minute
Bonus for the Level of this Skill: The higher the Level of this skill the more can you remember of your surroundings and the more accurate the map of your surroundings in your mind will get.
Adds 0.05 Points of Perception per Level of the Skill.
Adds 0.05 Points of Intelligence per Level of the Skill.
In a second I had found the culprit of my weakness. It was the cost associated with the Mind Mapping skill. It cost Stamina to keep the skill active. Stamina I concluded was the energy of my body and I had used it. So I got weaker.
Cost: 20 Stamina per Minute
I also opened my Status to confirm the cost of the skill and was proven true.
Title: None
Name: Nico Moore
Age: 21
Race: Human
Health Points: 85/92 (Health Points Regeneration: 1.15 per Hour)
Mana Points: 104/104 (Mana Points Regeneration: 1.25 per Minute)
Stamina Points: 14/94 (Stamina Points Regeneration: 1.2 per Minute)
Strength: 7
Vitality: 8
Dexterity: 8
Perception: (10+0.05+0.05) = 10.1
Intelligence: (9+0.05) =9.05
Wisdom: 8
It looked like I was right. The skill cost was really high but it was also effective. I could remember the Map in my Mind vividly. But my Stamina Regeneration was simple to slow for this skill and I did not make it better as I started to run because of my fear as I got weaker. It looks like I had to rest for a bit.
I also noticed that my Health Points also took a hit because my face took a literally hit because I fell face first on the ground. Unfortunately, the Health Points Points will take a long time to regenerate.
I robbed my body from the middle of the path to the wall beside me. I leaned against it and pondered what to do while I waited till my Stamina regenerated. It looks like everything I do will get turned into a skill if I do it in a right way and for some time. While I sat against the wall I thought about all things I could turn into a skill. I had many ideas but they all took a step back in front of my first priority. Survival.
I took another look at my Stamina and concluded that I could the Mind Mapping skill active for about five minutes with the regeneration counted in. So I formulated a plan. I would keep my Mind Mapping skill active for the five minutes and rest to let my Stamina regenerate. While mapping this place I would keep looking for water, shelter and food. This were the three things I had to acquire for my survival to be ensured.
I transformed my thou8ghts into actions and kept exploring the cave. I ignored everything around me and kept my priorities straight on mapping and looking for water, food and shelter.
Unfortunately, I did find nothing. This cave-like system was like a labyrinth. After what felt like hours my mind cleared of its fanatic haze as I sat down against a wall to regenerate my Stamina. I was momentarily confused why I stopped my rabid seeking of survival. But then I noticed that my vision was slowly getting black. I also was getting sleepy.
I fought against the sensation as good as I could but it was all for nought. The blackness slowly overcame my vision and my body slumped more against the wall than it already did. My mind was slowly whisked away as my body lost all senses.