Chapter 4
I make my way into the cave, looking around for hidden enemies or useful objects. A quick search of the cavern in which I saw the goblins earlier yields nothing of use, however I take the single torch from the wall. I make my way to the opening on the other side of the cavern. It leads upwards for roughly ten metres before turning and opening onto another cavern. Thus one is smaller than the first one, perhaps seven metres across and three metres high.
It appears to be the mages room. There are some hides bunched up to one side, stained with things I definitely don't want to think about. Opposite the hides is a stone that seems to have served as a table. Resting on it is a dagger in a sheath. I walk over and pick it up, drawing it. It's made of a light silvery metal. The blade is approximately thirty-five centimetres long and five centimetres wide at the base with a blood groove one centimetre wide and twenty centimetres long. The crossguard is thirteen centimetres wide and the handle is twenty-three centimetres long, covered in soft black leather. The pommel is an oval with some type of leaf emblem on it. The sheath is made of the same leather as that covering the handle, and inscribed with the same leaf emblem as the pommel. The blade is flawless, not a nick or scratch to be seen, and looks incredibly sharp. It fits in my hand as if it was made for me, and it feels as light as a feather. I hold my breath while admiring it.
It's beautiful... What kind of metal is this? It's too light to be silver. Platinum perhaps? No, platinum should be heavier. There's no way it's mithril, right? Yeah, there's no way... Probably... Still, how did that goblin get something like this? And this emblem, seems like it belonged to a big shot.
I sheathe the dagger and attach the sheath to a belt loop on the left side of my jeans. I try drawing it, and it's easy to reach and comes out smoothly. I search the cavern once more, but find nothing of interest.
Now then, if I clear this place out I could turn it into a temporary base. There's clean water and a fruit tree nearby, and I'd feel a lot safer here than inside a tree... I wonder why there were so few goblins here? Surely this wasn't a whole tribe. Were they kicked out? There's not much here so I doubt they've been here for long.
Bracing myself, I gather up the stained, sticky, smelly hides that were the mages bedding, and carry them outside of the cave. Since I can't currently do much, I jump dump them on the ground and head back inside to the first cavern and start removing the garbage lying around in there, dumping it on top of the hides outside. Once I've removed everything I look at the pile.
Sure wish I could use fire magic to get rid of this stuff... Wait, I did learn fire magic from killing the mage. Too bad he didn't leave any convenient magic books for me. Well, let's just do some testing. First, do I need to learn to feel my mana?
I sit down cross legged in the second cavern of the cave and close my eyes. It smells, but I'll put up with it for now. I breathe deeply and focus on myself, trying to feel anything different inside my body. After an hour with no progress, I start feeling frustrated, and just as I'm about to give up, I notice that there's a pressure just below my navel. I focus all my attention there and the feeling gets stronger. It feels like something is pulsing under my skin. I continue focusing on it, and the feeling gradually grows stronger, though it's not unpleasant. Then suddenly, I can somehow 'see' a swirling purple ball in my mind. I try to touch it with my mind and it ripples. I try to pull on it, and a small string of it stretches out from the ball.
Is this mana? It feels nice...
My thought is proven in the next moment when...
Notice
Learned Skill: Mana Control 1 (0/25).
Mana Control Allows one to freely control their own mana. As the skill level increases, the amount of mana you can control as well as the speed of control increase.
Learned Skill: Mana Perception 1 (0/25).
Mana Perception Allows one to perceive the surrounding mana. The colours represent the different properties of mana. As the skill level increases, the range of perception extends. This skill can be controlled by ones' will.
I open my eyes and my world is suddenly filled with swirls of coloured energy. It makes me feel dizzy for a moment but I simply think that I don't want to see it, and it disappears. I then think that I only want to see the mana inside living things. It works, upon looking down I can see my own ball of mana. I stand up and walk outside. The trees and plants around me have small amounts of brown mana swirling inside them, but since it's nice to look at and not enough to affect my view, I leave it like that. The perception range appears to be around ten metres currently, but it's supposed to increase with the skill level.
This is great! When the skill level gets higher I should be able to see enemies coming even through most obstacles. Now it's time to try using magic. Since my fire magic is level 2 I should probably start there.
I return to the caves' deepest cavern. I close my eyes and focus on the ball of mana in my body, then raising my left hand, I will the mana to move to the tip of my index finger. A small stream starts to stretch out from the ball, up through my chest and arm, eventually reaching my fingertip. I then imagine a candle-like flame on the tip of my finger. I open my eyes while maintaining the image. It seems to be a success.
Notice
Learned Skill: Chantless 1 (0/25).
Chantless
This skill improves ones' ability to use magic without a chant, as well as reducing the penalties associated with it.
Normal Penalty: 200% Mana Consumption, 50% Spell Power.
Current Penalty: 190% Mana Consumption, 55% Spell Power.
Damn. Thats's a pretty harsh penalty. I definitely need to max this skill out as soon as I can to lower the penalty. Still, I never thought magic would be so easy. I suppose it's because I already have the skill, and it's even level two. I guess it's grinding time.
I will the flame on my finger to disappear, and it does. Checking my status reveals that I used forty mana, leaving me with 1060/1100.
Methinks it's skill grinding time! Yeehaw!
This time I try making a ball of fire above my palm. This one consumes thirty-eight mana. It seems to cost the same as the candle-flame, with the chantless skill reducing it by 2. I will this one to go out as well. Next I attempt to make a ball of fire in both hands. It takes a lot more concentration, but around a minute later I manage to do it.
I continue to create fireballs in both hands and extinguish them. After doing so another five times...
Notice
Mana Control has leveled up to 2 (3/50).
Mana Perception has leveled up to 2 (3/50).
Chantless has leveled up to 2 (2/50).
Another four times...
Notice
Fire Magic has leveled up to 3 (5/100).
I think I'll leave Fire Magic at level 3 for now. It's not going to be overly useful for combat in a forest, and level 3 should be enough for cooking and light. I should train earth. Hopefully I'll be able to use it to make tools if I get the level high enough. Perhaps I can even remodel the cave a little. The question is... How do I train earth?
I exit the cave, deciding soil should be easier to manipulate than stone. I sit and place my hand against the ground, and will mana through it while picturing a needle of earth rising in front of me. It works, but the needle is a lot smaller than I imagined, likely due to my low skill level and mana control. I try again, this time sending mana through both hands. The spike is larger than the first one. I repeat this once more...
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Notice
Earth Magic has leveled up to 2 (4/50).
Seeing that this method is effective, I continue casting spikes with both hands. After this skill level up, the spikes are larger and casting requires less focus. Two casts later...
Notice
Mana Control leveled up to 3 (4/100).
Mana Perception leveled up to 3 (4/100).
Chantless leveled up to 3 (3/100).
Then after five more casts...
Notice
Earth Magic leveled up to 3 (3/100).
I decide to take a break and go pick some apples. While I walk, I observe mana in the plantlife around me. My perception range is now thirty metres. A group of stronger mana signatures suddenly enter my range and move to surround me. I count five of them. Unlike me, the mana seems to flow throughout their bodies, and based on their shapes, they appear to be dogs, or, more likely, wolves.
I draw my shiny new dagger and move so my back it to a tree before they can completely surround me. Probably realising that I've noticed them, they stop trying to hide and surround me. Four of them look roughly a metre tall at the shoulder, they are coming towards me from the sides. The one directly in front however, it as least half again as large. They stop a few metres away, and I stand there, dagger at the ready, waiting for them to make the first move, wondering how I'm going to get out of this one.
Here I was beginning to thing there were only goblins in this forest.
An idea comes to mind, but it's something I haven't tried before. Nonetheless, if I don't do something I'm going to die. Keeping my guard up, I will mana towards my feet, through my shoes and into the ground, and imagine two earth spikes impaling the wolves to my left. Amazingly it works, but fails to kill them. Still, it manages to wound them and takes their attention off me for a while. At the same moment, the two wolves on the right leap at me. I move towards them as well, desperately swinging my dagger at the nearest ones throat. I watch in disbelief as my dagger slices through its neck almost effortlessly, half severing its head. I quickly regain my senses as I notice the next one about to bite my own throat. I tuck my chin down just as its jaws close. It hurts less than expected, and I don't seem to be bleeding much. I throw an uppercut at its stomach and it lets go, only to meet its demise as my dagger plunges into skull from the side.
At this time the leader, having seen me kill two members of its pack, moves towards me. It's seems angry that its weak prey had suddenly shown claws. The other two were almost recovered so I had to kill the leader quickly. I swung my dagger at its neck as it leapt at me, but it somehow managed to turn its body slightly in midair, causing me to miss, and then its jaws clamped down on my shoulder. This time it hurts more, but I can still bear it. I stabbed my dagger into its side. It yelped, but didn't let go. I kept stabbing it in the side until it let go and fell weakly to the ground, unable to move. I quickly turn to the other two wolves, who had finally recovered we just about to come at me, but froze upon seeing their alpha defeated. While they were hesitating, I created two more earth spikes under them. These ones stuck true just as I'd imagined and impaled them through the throat.
I stood there for a moment, covered in blood, surveying the carnage. A transparent screen appeared. I fainted.
I woke a few minutes later, completely healed. Looking around, I almost fainted again from sensory overload. I moved my eyes to the screen in front of me.
Notice
Inheriting skills. Inherited Heightened Senses (Canine) 9 (MAX). Skill incompatible with your race. Adapting. Learned Skill: Heightened Senses (Human) 9 (MAX).
Heightened Senses (Human) Enhances all senses by 100% per skill level.
Inheritor leveled up to 18 (120/180)
Vitality 1100→1800 Stamina 1100→1800 Mana 1100→1800 Strength 110→180 Dexterity 110→180 Agility 110→180 Endurance 110→180 Constitution 110→180 Intelligence 110→180 Wisdom 110→180 Luck 110→180 Charm 110→180
Learned Skill: Dagger Technique 2 (5/50).
Dagger Technique Improves your knowledge of fighting with daggers.
I sat there for almost half an hour, trying to adjust to the flood of information assaulting me. It was like a whole new world, and it was overwhelming. I could see and hear every tiny thing within about ten metres, smell things I'd never smelled before. Even the feeling of the air touching my skin was so much clearer.
Damn... I need a bath. I REEK! Wonder if I can make one with magic soon...
After adjusting enough to get on with things, I stood up, slightly unsteady on my feet. Looking at the bodies of the wolves around me, I though I should attempt to butcher them. Sadly I had nothing to tie them up with to drain the blood, so I likely wouldn't be able to eat the meat.
Starting with the wolf that lost half its head, I cut its head the rest of the way off, and start trying to skin it. It doesn't go very well. I end up with an unusable hide, full of holes. But it wasn't a waste...
Notice
Learned Skill: Dismantling 1 (19/25)
Dismantling Improves your knowledge of dismantling techniques and anatomy.
After absorbing the knowledge that flooded my head, I start on the next wolf. It's a lot easier after absorbing the knowledge from the skill. I end up with a passable hide this time.
Notice
Dismantling has leveled up to 2 (14/50)
More knowledge appears in my head, and after absorbing it, I go to the third wolf. This time the hide is nearly perfect. I move on to the last of the normal wolves. This hide would be flawless if not for the two holes made by earth spikes.
Notice
Dismantling has leveled up to 3 (4/100)
More knowledge on dismantling... Now for the big one. I'm extra careful with this one. It's not any different to the normal wolves, just larger, and the hide is tougher, but that's no problem for my dagger. This one would also be perfect if not for the five stab wounds in its side.
While working, I also retrieved some shiny stones from their corpses. My new dismantling knowledge tells me that these are magic stones. Apparently they are the source of mana for monsters, and the reason that mana was moving through their whole bodies when I saw them with mana perception. I use earth magic to create a hole, collect all the meat and organs in the hole and then use fire magic to burn them, before covering the ashes. Looking at the pile of hide, bones and magic stones, I wonder how to transport them to the cave. My earth magic isn't up to the task of making a wheelbarrow.
Guess I'll just have to carry them. I might need to make a few trips. First though, I'm starving after all that. APPLES!
I jog the rest of the way to the apple tree, eat a few, and pick some more for later, then jog back to where I left my spoils. I carry the magic stones and bones first, since I have now idea how to tan hides, so they're the least important right now. I leave them in the back room of the cave and return for the hides. Nothing eventful happens during transportation.
With my now heightened sense of smell, the cave is nearly unbearable, but the pile of junk I left outside is worse. I once again make a hole with earth magic, put the junk in, burn it, and cover the hole. I jog to the lake to drink some water and give myself a quick wash, trying to reduce my odour.
Tomorrow, I really need to learn wind magic so I can air out that cave, and then water so I don't have to come back to the lake. Since my other two magics are level 3, I guess I'll aim for that with them as well for now...
Feeling mentally exhausted after everything that happened today, I return to the cave, start a fire, placing the hides around it in the hope that they'll dry and I can at least use them as bedding or something, and then I find a relatively comfortable spot close to the cave entrance and quickly fall asleep.