Five of the parchments have rat drawings in them. These are the kill notifications. I study them briefly, noticing the differences between them, but what I really wanna see is the last page. Is it what I hope it is? A level up notification?

Of course, it's hard to tell, with all the text in an unknown language. But it looks good! There are several drawings that are glowing slightly, in that way that means that something will happen if I touch them. I even recognize one of them! It's a potion, and the symbols beside it have a triple-loop, so it might be a mana potion! I feel like my mana regenerates by itself over time, but I'm not sure if the effect of the mana potion I took is gonna run out, and I'm gonna go back to my previous, nearly magicless status. Or, if it is a permanent buff, maybe taking a second potion will make my bolts stronger, or allow me to shoot more in a short time. Either way, it's tempting. But I want to look at the other choices carefully.

One of the other choices is also a potion, but with a different name. The name is triple-loop, crown, spiral, spiral, fancy gamma. I wonder why the spiral is repeated? Also, triple-loop has to do with mage and crown has to do with warrior, so what's the combination of them mean? I'm curious. Maybe I'm reading too much into the symbols. I also wonder what kind of potion you get with a level up. Maybe a strength potion? In Pixel Dungeon that would be the way to get stronger each level. Or maybe this potion increases health? Ah, I could keep guessing all day...

Another choice is a scroll. Its name is different from the one that comes with the mage class, although the triple-loop symbol is also there. I wish I remembered better what the name of the first scroll was, so I could figure out what part means "scroll". Again, I can make a thousand guesses as to what it does, but I have nothing to base it on.

The last two choices are very different. They don't really look like items. One looks like an open hand with lines coming out of it, and the other looks like a... hmm, a flame-like spell making an arc. The names for these two begin with the same symbols: a couple of lines that look like a scythe, a curved N that looks like a sitting dog, and the same knot from the warrior class name.

I can't help but think these are actual magic spells that I can learn to cast with my own power. Using the magic staff is great, but wouldn't it be even cooler to cast spells with only my hands? I just wished I could make out what these spells are supposed to be. A shining hand? It could be anything. A magic bolt? Well, I already have a bolt attack, so either this is very redundant, or it's an upgrade on the magic bolt from the staff. I'd love an upgrade. The bolt could become stronger, or faster and harder to dodge. Or the flame-like aspect of the drawing means it will become a firebolt. That would be cool. And dangerous.

Hmm I'm kinda leaning towards the bolt option because I had all these ideas on what it could be. But before I decide, I should make an effort to think what the shining hand could be, right?

Actually, no! I'm in a dungeon with giant sewer rats that keep trying to kill me, more enemies could come at any second, and I'm wasting time trying to interpret these vague drawings when the fastest way to learn is by experience! So I'll go with my gut and choose the bolt spell.

Although... is this really the right choice? Maybe the shining hand is gonna be something extremely useful like a healing spell...

No, no, no second-guessing everything. I need to make a decision, and one of them at least seems pretty clear to be something that will increase my attack power. And if I can defeat the monsters before they get to me, I won't even need healing!

Before I can convince myself to reconsider, I touch the drawing of the bolt. Another parchment appears, this one with few words and the glowing drawing of a hand. Hm. Yes, it's a hand, but it has two thumbs, one on each side. It's a symmetrical hand. Kinda weird. It's a large drawing, the size of my actual hand. I touch it with my finger, and nothing happens. I open my right hand and press it over the drawing of the hand. The drawing shines, and a colorful magic light involves my hand.

AAAGH! HOLY RAT, THIS FUCKING HURTS! I feel a thousand needles pricking my hand at once. I pull back my hand, but the Magic is already dissipating. My hand is tender and hurting. I examine it, turning it around. Huh. There's a drawing in it, now. A rune of some kind. It's a complex shape, full of twirls and details.

Peculiar. A new parchment unfurls in my face, full of written text. Ugh, why can't you be written in a language I understand?? I touch the ok/accept symbol at the end, dismissing the text. I'll have to figure this out on my own.

I suppose this rune would give me some kind of power? I try pushing mana through it, as if it were a staff. Nothing happens. I can feel the mana moving, but it doesn't do anything. The rune might as well be just a tattoo. It does look good, as a tattoo, but, let's just say aesthetics is not my first priority right now.

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I try moving my hand. Flexing it, hitting the wall with it, just plain willing it to activate. Nothing.

This is frustrating. I just gained a level up, but I can't understand what I gained from it. I'm in a corridor full of rat corpses stacked against a door and smelling like a sewer (why do these rats smell so bad anyway? are they sick?). And to boot, I still have no idea of what this place even is. The level up seemed like it would be a progress, but now that I got it and can't figure out how to use it... It just feels like I'm stuck.

Urgh. Ok, last test. I can't see how a tattoo on my hand could possibly be an enhancement to the Mana Bolt, but what do I know? For some reason Intro to Magic wasn't in my university course load. But I did have some classes on empirical testing, back in High School.

I point my staff at the far wall. Do I need to hold it with my tattooed hand for it to work? Maybe. I hold my staff with my right hand and shoot a Mana Bolt, paying close attention, watching for any differences.

The bolt seems unchanged. The bright blue magic gathers at the tip of the staff and shoots out towards the wall, like always. But then, I feel something in my hand. A slight tug, like something is pulling it. I reflexively pull up my hand to check it out, and the pressure increases. The rune in my hand glows for a second before the bolt hits the wall with a bang and quickly dissipates. My hand feels warm, even after the rune has stopped glowing. What... exactly happened?

I look up at the wall where the bolt hit, thinking the sound might attract more monsters, so I'd better move on. There's a slight mark on the far wall, where the grime and dust was pushed away. It doesn't look specially big or anything but... it does seem to be higher on the wall than I expected. Huh. I was aiming lower, and the bolt isn't particularly hard to aim.

I don't feel comfortable testing more, though. I glance back at the door -- I think it will hold, with the pile of rats keeping it closed. With that dead end at my back, going forward will be safer. I walk back to the T intersection, and follow the corridor to the other end.

I walk quietly, listening for any sign of danger. After the corner, the corridor narrows, and the walls are covered with moss. Aren't mosses plants, though? How the hell are they getting enough sunlight to grow under here? Well, whatever. "A wizard did it", I guess. The narrow way seems kinda badly constructed, and some meters ahead it's nearly blocked by thicket. How are these plants growing in here?! Do they feed on torchlight?! Or maybe magic?! No, wait, that's actually plausible. If I was writing a fantasy story I'd be sure to include some life-forms that take energy from ambient magic. As I'm trying to open a way through the thorny thicket, I notice there are many broken branches on the height of my thighs. I squat, and realize there's a hole more or less the size of a very large giant rat. Hmmm. It's reassuring, seeing the rat's tracks. I could probably fit through their hole, but do I want to? With my bare legs and barely-protected feet, this would be a nice way to get myself covered in scratches. Ah, what wouldn't I give for a machete right now! Maybe I can make do with the tools at hand. How good is a Mana Bolt against plant life, I wonder? And I could use this opportunity to try my new ability again.

I wield the staff on my right hand this time, and keep my right arm stretched forwards. As I shoot the Mana Bolt, I pay attention to the feeling in my right hand. As soon as the bolt leaves the staff, I feel it tugging on my hand. I push my hand down, and the tug grows stronger. This time, though, I'm looking right at the bolt, and I see the effect: the bolt curves downwards, and ends up crashing on the floor, smashing a few outward branches.

You know, being able to control the bolt after it leaves the staff is really cool. Can you imagine, sending bolts after the enemies when they dodge, or going around obstacles? Extra point for coolness factor. Minus points for how hard it is to control, though. If I can't master this, it will be completely useless. Worse than useless, if every time I try the bolt goes awry.

There's not much room to try it out here, so I send a straight bolt through the thicket. The bolt smashes through with ease and keeps going. Before it has gone too far, I pull my hand back against the tug, and watch as the bolt slows down. I keep pulling, feeling the resistance in my hand. I realize this actually limits my movements some: the pull of the bolt is slowing my hand down, and I can't move it without moving the bolt. I'm having mixed feelings about this skill.

I realize the pull has lessened, and now the bolt is coming back right at me. Oops! I jerk my hand downwards, and watch the bolt smash through the thicket again before it hits the floor a meter from me. That. That was amazing! But way too dangerous. On the one hand, I can definitely use this to surprise an enemy, but, on the other, odds are I'll eventually hit myself in the face with this. Worth it, though.

I walk through the smashed up thicket, careful not to cut myself on the remaining thorns, and find a door on the right wall. I try to open it, but it seems to be locked, or jammed. I'm ok with that. The corridor continues on, and an open door would mean worrying about enemies coming from behind.

The corridor ends in another door. This one is wide open, with a bunch of scratch marks on the inside. Did those rats force it open before coming to fight me? On the other side is a hall with three closed doors, and a small table in the middle with a glass key on top. I pick up the key; it's obvious this is gonna be important. I carefully test opening each of the doors, but they're all locked. Ah. I see what this is. I mentally transport myself to an old television game show. Which is it gonna be, door number one, door number two, or door number three? Which one has the prize, and which one has the monster?