I must have let my focus wane just before I fired, Nick decided. Still, two out of three isn’t bad and I think I can improve my accuracy if I practice. He was pleased with his progress, since he had learned that many beasts could sense magical energy. Thus, being able to fire multiple spells at once along complex trajectories would increase his range of options mid-battle, allowing him to land more hits more reliably.
After checking in with his energetic core, he could sense that he still had enough mana left for one final dart, although conjuring it would drain his reserves completely. He decided to use the opportunity to send a dart along the most complex flightpath that he could imagine, then move on to experimenting with his flask. However, the attempt didn’t wind up working out quite how he’d planned.
The instant that he summoned his final dart, he was overcome with a wave of disorientation. He sat down as fast as he could, so he wouldn’t faceplant due to the vertigo that had risen to engulf him. His thoughts were muddled, his body felt weak, and it was all Nick could do to keep himself from passing out on the spot.
It felt like his body was covered in ants, an itching crawling sensation moving along every inch of his skin. His ears began to ring, so loud that he had trouble hearing the sound of his own thoughts. His sense of smell was muddled, and even his taste was affected. Waves of sour and spice, sweetness and rot, broke over his palate, making bile rise hot in his throat. Well, this really fucking sucks. Let’s try not to do it again.
This condition must be related to running out of mana, he forced himself to think through the cloying haze, lying flat on the floor while looking up at the ceiling. While he had felt a bit of discombobulation after draining his mana before, it had been nothing like this. Just a momentary flash of disequilibrium, instead of a fugue state comparable to being black out drunk.
It must get worse the higher that I raise my magic attribute, he mused, pleased to discover that he was already beginning to recover. While it would be a critical liability in battle, at least it wouldn’t cost him part of the day to recover. As his thoughts gradually returned to their usual clarity, he decided to call the phenomenon ‘mana sickness.’ He was still too out of it to visualize a trajectory for his dart, so Nick let the spell fizzle out while he contemplated his discovery.
If mana sickness was only going to get worse as he became more powerful, Nick needed to make sure that he never ran completely out of juice in battle. Another key variable to keep in mind as he progressed along the path of magic. Maybe I can take advantage of the phenomenon by hitting my opponents with a mana dart when they’re already low on mana. Then the spell can steal the last bit, sending them over the edge and into this debilitating state.
Five minutes later, the last traces of mana sickness had passed. The trickle of mana that had accumulated within Nick’s core seemed sufficient to prevent the condition from manifesting. He tried his best to sense the cutoff point now, while he was just above the cusp.
On a brighter note, now was a perfect time for him to try out his flask of restoration for the first time. He was low on stamina, and near the bottom of his mana pool. It was an ideal opportunity to judge the extent to which the elixir restored his energetic reserves. While the description had stated that it would refill a quarter of each resource, he needed to know what that meant on a visceral, instinctual level.
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Since he had no way of seeing his mana or stamina as a numerical value, the percentage was an abstraction, and he needed concrete results. Nick was excited to try out his rare item reward for the first time regardless, and while it was less important than the rest, he was curious to find out how the magical elixir tasted.
Buzzing with anticipation, he pulled himself off the floor, walked over to his pile of gear to retrieve his flask, then sat down in his chair. He held the crystal container in front of his eyes, examining the changes it had undergone since he had last looked at it, eager to experience the item he had won after his month-long ordeal on the Searing Isle.
The flask was now completely full, a rose-colored liquid fizzing with tiny bubbles like the elixir was carbonated. When Nick held the flask in a beam of sunlight and looked through it, he could see tiny golden flakes swirling within the elixir, like one of those fancy drinks people ordered at high-end bars.
Ready to find out what the elixir could do, he used his thumb to pop the lid open. Now that it was ready to use, the cap came off without resistance. Before he drank it down, he brought the flask up to his nose and took an experimental sniff, pleased to discover that the fluid had a pleasant aroma of citrus and spice, strong enough that it cut through the lingering effects of mana sickness.
He brought it to his lips and drained the contents in a single gulp. Nick sighed in contentment because the elixir was delicious. The taste reminded him of mangos and basil, with just a hint of lemon and lime. It wasn’t an exact match to the flavors that came to mind, but it was the closest comparison that his brain could make, given his limited experience with alien culinary sensations. It went down smoothly and left a pleasant aftertaste on his tongue.
The moment that the mysterious magical fluid hit his stomach, he started feeling better. His energetic core began burning brighter, like someone had tossed another log onto a dying fire. The exhaustion from his intense exercise session evaporated, like warm sunlight dispelling morning mist. His warped senses and perception righted themselves within a matter of moments, and Nick let out a long sigh of relief, resolved to never let himself run out of mana again if he could possibly help it.
The effect continued over the next minute before tapering off, leaving him feeling much better than before. It hadn’t completely recharged his stamina or mana, as the elixir only restored a quarter of his pool. But it was enough to make a major difference, especially when Nick was near the bottom of his reserves.
He was extremely pleased with the results, satisfied that he had chosen wisely from his options in the treasure vault. He had some other tests that he wanted to run at some point, but they weren’t as vital as understanding what the elixir did on a fundamental level. For example, if he drank half of the elixir, would he receive half of the benefits, or was it an all or nothing deal. Questions for another day.
With his major goals for the day met, Nick was ready to relax for the rest of the evening. He spent several hours listening to the alien music player, dancing until he had worked up quite a sweat. He didn’t reach the same level of trance that he had the day before, but the exercise was still incredibly enjoyable. He just wished that he had a way of recording the songs, so that he could listen to them later and share them with his friends and family once he made it back to Earth.
After running through the shower, he stretched out while gazing upon the great cloud ocean below, then made himself dinner. On the menu tonight was a pair of loaded baked potatoes, some kind of fish stew, and, most delightful of all, a massive slice of cherry pie. He had worked up quite an appetite during his day of training, and he wolfed down the main course enthusiastically before reaching for the pie. It was the first dessert that Nick had eaten since waking up in his new life and he devoured every last crumb before licking the plate clean.
Satisfied with his progress for the day, Nick slid between the covers and closed his eyes, ready to enjoy four hours of sleep before getting back to work in the morning.