John

As he invested his remaining points into Focus, John observed his body for any changes. Almost immediately, he felt a cold energy climb up his spine and gather around his head. It only lasted for a brief moment before it was gone. Afterwards, John took some more time to examine himself. He soon came to the conclusion that his body didn’t feel very different. He shifted his attention and began observing his state of mind.

He played a mental game that he remembered from when he was a kid, where he would visualize a dice with an ever increasing amount of sides. In that regard, John found something interesting. It was difficult to describe exactly how but his thoughts seemed clearer, and it was easier to make mental connections and avoid getting side-tracked.

Wait a minute. Didn’t this mean that he was now smarter? He found that fascinating. What were the limits of that?

Moving on, John then sat down to experiment with his new ability, Basic Energy Circulation. He tried to recall how it had felt earlier. He had sensed an energy moving through his body, but where had it come from? He searched his body internally. He soon realised that he could feel some very thin, almost imperceptible streams of mana circulating in various parts of his body. Maybe it was due to the fact that he had invested six whole points into Focus, but it didn’t take long for him to trace one of those streams of energy to its source.

It was an area about an inch below his belly button that seemed to function as some kind of reservoir, with mana streaming in and out. However “reservoir” was a strong word, as the amount of mana in there was kind of paltry. To put it in physical terms, it was barely enough to fill a small cup of water. However, John could feel the potential of that energy. He read the ability description again, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face. Deciding to take his experimentation to the next level, he tried to will the energy in his reservoir to move. To his amazement, it seemed to be working.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

Growing excited, John got an idea. He willed the energy to move towards the injuries on his upper body, and circulated it around his wounds. He kept that up for about ten minutes before he found that he was beginning to feel tired. It was like the energy pathways in his body were bruised from overuse. Yet after examining those same pathways, he could almost swear that they were slightly wider than before.

Then John shifted his attention, moving to examine his injuries under the thin ray of sunlight streaming in from the cave ceiling. He was astonished to find that his wounds had stopped bleeding and even seemed to be partly scabbed over. John stared in disbelief. That was unbelievable. If this was just Basic Energy Circulation, what was Advanced Energy Circulation like?

Something took John out of his introspection. He heard a noise. It was so faint that most would dismiss it as nothing, but he had spent years alone on a deserted island. He had learned to trust his instincts. He was not alone down here. He slowly stood up, not making any sudden movements so he wouldn’t alert whatever was hidden in the darkness. He moved his hand to the hilt of his knife again, and gently started circulating his mana.

John peered into the darkness, but the tiny shaft of light from the ceiling did nothing to illuminate his surroundings. He could tell that the cave he was in was quite large, and it was even likely that there were many other rooms connected to this one. He had a bad feeling that he had stumbled upon someone's home.

Suddenly something in the air shifted, and John reacted almost instantly, drawing his knife.

Quick Draw

Yet his attack hit nothing but air as he felt teeth latch onto his left calf. John sliced downwards into the darkness, but again his attack hit nothing. His attacker had already retreated. Whatever it was, it was incredibly quick. Cunning, too. To make matters worse, he felt a warmth spreading through his lower left leg. Venom.

A grim expression appeared on John’s face as he realised the predicament he was in. He circulated his mana, commanding a portion of it to move towards his leg. To his relief, that seemed to slow the spread of the poison. He then shifted his posture, entering a meditative state as he waited for the hidden creature’s next attack.