“The golems' slow movements are attributed to their excessive bulk. Use that to your advantage.”

“Thanks, captain obvious. Don’t you have any better advice? This sword is useless against their metallic exterior.”

I was met with a sight of a golem wielding its hammer, aiming it in my direction at my head. With a sharp intake of breath, I nimbly dodged it by slipping under its massive hands and rolling through its legs. The next golem waited patiently and then, with one powerful blow from its colossal hammer, shook the ground. To prevent myself from tumbling, I leaped onto the weapon and raced along the handle, feeling the handle vibrate beneath my feet. With a flick of a wrist, I sent one claw dart flying towards one of the creature’s exposed eyes, hoping the impact would be enough to make it flinch. Sadly, it harmlessly bounced off. Hearing whistling behind me, I dove to my left just in time before the previous golem could hit me.

“Your movement is impressive. You have the skill to precisely identify when to withdraw and meticulously schedule your next attack.”

“Why am I not hearing any advice coming out of your mouth?”

“Admiring a good fight is one of my weaknesses. Back on topic, the key to winning against these foes is mana. There is a reason I had you consume the Torqinite. As you appear to be inexperienced with regards to mana, allow me, Solgen, to instruct you.”

The golems stationed before me reassembled, clutching their weapons tightly with their frigid, inanimate hands while intently gazing at me. I quickly stepped back as they came closer to me.

“So how do I use mana?”

“‘Tis but a simple matter. Your psyche is the deciding factor. Form a mental image of the power you wish to manifest. Consider mana as the mold and shape what you desire by using it. The blue lights that should have appeared when you consumed the Torqinite are mana.”

The explanation was simple enough to understand. First things first- locating a safe place to calm my thoughts. All I needed was one minute. The cliff from earlier should suffice.

I looked around my surroundings while pondering the next course of action. All I saw around me were rocks, the lake, and the stalactites rooted in the ceiling.

Wait, that’s it! If there’s one thing I learned while I spent my time here, it’s that you should use the environment to your advantage!

Employing the strength of my legs, I propelled myself towards the high ceiling of the cavern, feeling the cool and damp air against my skin. I stretched out my arm, feeling the wet texture of a long stalactite. The plan was to have the golems wade through the water to catch me. Once they entered the water, I’d drop into the lake. Noting their sluggish movements and my speed, they won’t be able to catch up to me as I swim past them. That was all I could come up with in the barren cave.

The golems stomped into the lake, one after another, and the lake rippled with their weight. I seized my chance, tensed my body, and was hit by a wall of water that engulfed me. The sensation of an ice bath enveloped me as I submerged in the freezing waters. I was not looking forward to getting out of the cavern sea if I made it out alive.

After wiping my face from the droplets, my eyes landed on the two figures. They were flailing their arms in an awkward manner, as though it was their first experience of swimming. It dawned on me that these golems were not very intelligent. Their sole purpose seemed to be fighting, not thinking.

It took a good minute for them to reach my location. The next part of my plan was to swim right past them. I thought that part would be easy, but what I didn’t account for was adaptability. Every passing second, their sluggish movements became more fluid. They went from bumbling buffoons to intermediate swimmers. Wanting to avoid the worst-case scenario, I dove underwater to limit their visibility. One golem followed my lead and tried to swing its hammer underwater. I watched as the weapon moved slowly through the dense water, its movements hindered by the heavy liquid.

By strengthening my legs, I was able to increase my pace. It did not take long for me to reach the shore. With deep breaths, I climbed out of the water and bolted straight onto the cliff, ignoring my plummeting body temperature. With a quick peek, the golems were still far. Knowing that my plan worked and reaching my destination, I sat cross-legged and closed my eyes, and began my meditation.

The voice mentioned that I should think of mana as a mold and shape it to what I desired. So, I thought of myself as a sculptor. The heap of clay that sat in front of me served as the mold. The challenge I encountered was determining what to create.

I briefly considered the possibility of a nuclear weapon, but immediately rejected that absurd thought. Blowing myself and the cavern was a stupid idea. Maybe a gun? Not that either. I must account for the bullets too and it’s highly likely that making too many would tire me out. And making too little may not be enough.

Wait a minute. I’m overthinking it. Simplicity is sometimes the best option. A sharp blade made from mana will do.

In my mind, I thought of the schematics of the first weapon I had studied extensively for a school project. I fondly remembered crafting a cap, a handle, and a guard. As I was concentrating on sculpting my weapon, Solgen piped up.

“Yes. You are doing fine. Do not falter. The latter steps are the most important. Should your mind be frail, so shall the weapon.”

Ignoring the voice, I continued sculpting. The ground quaked beneath me as the golems approached the shore, their footsteps reverberating with increasing volume. I hastened the pace even further. The blade collar was next in line to be made and finally, the blade. Afterwards, the clay must be subjected to heat, otherwise the whole structure collapses.

What do I use as a heat source, though? Do I just imagine a furnace?

I felt a warmth within my heart that answered all of my doubts. At the very least, I believed it to be my heart, but it turned out to be something entirely different. Something affixed to it was the source of the warmth. Was it a second heart? Although it was a lot smaller, the same size as a golf ball.

As I used the unfamiliar organ as a furnace, I felt the heat radiating through my skin as the clay weapon I’d been crafting stabilized. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead as I pushed myself to finish the task. The rumble of the golems’ movements echoed from beneath the cliff. Eventually, the flames subsided, indicating the completion of the process.

[First Mana Formation completed]

I opened my eyes, and the first thing I felt was the weight of a katana in my left hand, the mana within it thrumming through my palm. It had the same color as the blue butterflies, and its length of around 70cm. A feeling of familiarity and safety washed over me the longer I clutched it.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“What a weird design for a sword. I’ve never witnessed this kind of craftsmanship in all my years.”

Solgen was intrigued by what I produced. Why was this weapon unfamiliar to them? It’s well-known worldwide and almost anyone would recognize what it was unless you lived under a rock…

Oh my god. Why am I just now putting the pieces together?!

As I stood there, deeply engrossed in my thoughts, a colossal hand emerged before me. A golem had now reached on top of the cliff.

I stood up abruptly. “Alright Solgen, just sit back and watch while I dispatch these brutes.”

“I have remained entirely motionless throughout this entire duration…”

Disregarding the sarcastic tone, the round frame of a head popped out from underneath. Its pitch-dark eyes, like two pools of ink, made my skin crawl, just like the red mage. The blade in my hand trembled.

“While fear takes hold of me now... Knowing Isaac is waiting for me on the other end; my determination makes that feeling brief.”

Since my longsword was too cumbersome, I stowed it in the Inventory and two-handed the katana. As my knowledge and experience of sword fighting were null, my current capabilities should lessen the gap. Taking in deep breaths, I charged toward the defenseless golem, swinging the blade.

The blade made contact with the golem’s hardened face. Instead of the usual sound of metal clashing, the katana pierced through the exterior as if it was cutting through melted butter. With great effort, I exerted the most force I could muster into my arms and tackled the hanging golem off the cliff.

The other guardian, who was waiting down below, saw its companion falling and sidestepped aside. Before it hit the ground, I, who was still on top of the golem, sprung over to the next one’s shoulder. The golem was too slow to react to my sudden burst of speed. Hands still firm, I swung my blade at its neck. The headless golem then jerked spasmodically, throwing me to the ground. The structure slowly crumbled, and the loud boom of its collapse echoed through the cavern.

“Is it finally over?” I said with ragged breaths. The mana sword in my hand flickered rapidly.

A sharp tone from Solgen entered my mind. “Dodge now!”

My body suddenly jerked in the opposite direction and I felt a suffocating weight on my stomach. My whole body was then thrown onto a nearby wall. I felt the pain ricochet throughout my body as I bounced off the wall, leaving a hole the size of a small crater. Feeling something rising from deep within, I vomited out a stream of goop.

“Merely one of the golems was destroyed by you. Your assumption of the defeat of your earlier target, whom you stabbed, was incorrect. Its connection to the core was not severed.”

There was some internal bleeding and maybe a cracked rib. The pain was tolerable, but any movement would trigger it to follow, similar to the sensation of acid being poured on my nerves. And to think I was the one who said to run if things got too dangerous…

Looking around, I noticed that the katana in my hand was no longer there. Desperately searching, I found it near the foot of the golem. I must have dropped it when the hammer connected. The blue light from the katana was alarmingly dim, as if it would fizzle out any second.

“Just how am I going to grab it...”

The pain worsened after speaking out loud, and a headache began to develop. My condition wasn't great, and I sensed my mana was depleting. At this rate, I really was going to get killed.

No Laila. Don’t think about dying. Think about the consequences if that were to happen.

A hundred scenarios ran through my mind while trying to find the best plan possible. Solgen’s distant voice chimed in.

“Allow me to add; the mana you release is an extension of your body. So long as you establish a link, you can control it.”

At Solgen’s advice, a plan suddenly came to mind. If accessing my weapon becomes a challenge, I can simply bring it over, but I must time it perfectly. If the golem were to find out, then I was doomed.

The golem’s booming footsteps inch closer like a doomsday clock ticking, signifying my demise. I stuck my arm out toward the fallen sword. To call it back, I pictured a long string attached from my hand to the hilt. It was difficult to see the blade, but with careful observation, slight movements were noticeable.

A shadow slowly casts over me while I lay face down, biding my time. The golem, not knowing of my charade, paused a few meters away. It slowly raised its hammer, hellbent on casting it down onto my head. That was when I took the initiative. With a swift gesture of my hand, the mana blade, which had been motionless, suddenly flew up from the ground, zooming towards the target. I guided the weapon to the golem’s neck with perfect precision, but it only created a dull thud upon contact.

“Your mana is unstable because of your condition! You must release every ounce of your strength, or face certain death!”

The veins on my forehead throbbed as a high-pitched noise emerged from my mouth. While the golem may have paused for a second as it noticed something attacking from behind, it changed its attention back to me and swung the hammer down. I felt my eyes straining, and my vision became filled with tiny black dots. Just when I thought I was about to die, I felt the blade pierce through.

Just as before, the golem suddenly stilled and shuddered with energy. I rolled to the side as it released its hammer onto the ground. It then got onto its knees and fell face forward with a thundering noise. Every time I took a breath, a sharp pain would shoot through my body, making it a struggle to remain conscious.

“Quickly, take a Torqinite to restore your mana and use it for healing. Although it may not result in complete rejuvenation, it is still preferable to nothing.”

Following Solgen’s words, I opened my Inventory and took out a mana crystal. As I proceeded to consume it in its entirety, I felt an immediate sense of healing. My ragged breathing steadied, and the splitting headache faded.

“Wow… Just absorbing these things can heal wounds and replenish mana?”

“Yes, however, an excessive amount of it can be harmful to your body. Excessive consumption leads to your mana becoming unstable, and your health deteriorating, slowly killing you.”

“That is nice to know.”

“Now that we have addressed that matter, let us revisit our previous agreement. I helped you deal with the guardians. It is time for you to free me from my imprisonment.”

Oh yeah, kinda forgot about the whole prison thing while I was fighting for my life!

I unsteadily got up from the ground and examined my surroundings once more. “You say free yourself, but I don’t see you or any sort of prison.”

“That is because you aren’t using your eyes.”

I furrowed my brow in confusion at that statement. My vision was completely fine since all I saw were water and rocks.

Solgen projected a deep sigh within my mind. “Infuse mana into your eyesight. Then look at the far end of the lake and you will see what I mean. Honestly, what kind of Apithien are you?”

Following its advice, I attempted to fuse mana into my eyeballs. As I have familiarized myself with mana, I have become increasingly comfortable in handling it. Sure enough, at the far end of the lake, I noticed a small crevice. The crevice seemed intentionally obscured unless one was paying careful attention.

“Time for another cold swim…”

After reaching the shore, I inspected my body once more to check for any damage. The fatigue still lingered, and the pain in my ribs dulled. After finishing the health checkup, I dove into the lake and made my way to the crevice. Even with my speed, it took me a solid three minutes to cross. Once there, a small ledge appeared, and I hastily climbed on, soaking wet.

While talking, I entered the small hole in the wall. “By the way, your comment from earlier. I don’t know what an Apithien is, and I sure as am not one. I came from the planet Earth.”

“You’re not an Apithien?! Then how are you-“

I cut off Solgen with a loud gasp when I witnessed a disturbing sight. An altar was surrounded by a sickeningly dark pool of dried blood. In the middle stood a woman, her skin covered in a patchwork of scars. Chains staked into a wall were inscribed with runes as it wrapped around the arms and legs of a tall figure. Her pale white skin seemed to sparkle, as if the moon blessed it. The gray hair, disheveled and unmanaged, extended to the ground in a manner resembling an animal's coat. She raised her face weakly, and our eyes met. Her slight frame made her look vulnerable, yet her lavender eyes shone with an unyielding intensity.

“You... what are you?” Solgen croaked as we both gawked at each other.