The world came back into focus, the light broke through the thick leaves of the tree Charlie took residence in and the chirps of nearby birds were carried in by the wind. The morning air was fresh and a bit chilly, but pleasant. Charlie could get used to waking up like this, surrounded by beautiful scenery and not covered in a mysterious slime from an even stranger plant.

Granted, even up here, the temporary peace was nothing more than an illusion. Danger lurked behind every tree, every brush and was almost as deadly as the cave itself. Yet, it was a most welcome change nonetheless.

Charlie made his way down the low branches and plopped onto the soft earthen floor with a muted thud.

Today, Charlie had a set of simple goals and, hopefully, he would get the chance to complete them. First and foremost, Charlie wanted to explore what the new {Power}, [Worm of Envy], entailed. Both the description and the whispers of the System were unhelpful in fully grasping it's capability.

Secondly, Charlie wanted to scout out the area and find his way back to the humans gated entrance into the cave. Whilst he was glad to be out of there, Charlie knew that if he wanted to level up, there would be no better way than to undertake the lethal trials within the cave. Before coming up with the rest of the plan, Charlie would need to find the human settlement, and a safe way in.

There were creatures more powerful than himself even up here on the surface, but they were scarce, and it would waste too much time in searching for suitable prey. Down in the cave, he was surrounded by both predators and prey - there was simply no comparison in the amount of experience he could receive thrown amidst the chaos.

With the plan confirmed, Charlie set off in the general direction of where he thought the entrance might have been located. The mountain was still in view but Charlie didn't spend a lot of time memorising it's landmarks, having other things to worry about the time, and therefore was unable to recognise exactly on which side he had exited.

The trees were still stacked tightly, and the underbrush was as dense as possible - signaling to Charlie that he wasn't close, but not far either. If he could use the foliage to his advantage and observe the humans from afar in relative safety, that would become an invaluable boon in his stuffy. With the discovery of Magic, the humans were suddenly far more interesting.

Charlie had already witnessed their physical might and their magical prowess first hand, and thought he had seen it all. Yet, now Charlie felt like he knew nothing at all again.

Charlie made quick work of the forest floor, navigating it as easily as a native - expertly maneuvering through the fallen branches, thick grass and tightly packed flora. It was like the forest was becoming an extension of himself, and a hint of a connection, an almost fleeting feeling made itself known - Charlie felt like he was one with the forest.

Is this Magic, too? Is it Mana that I'm feeling?

It was hard to tell the difference. Where did one end and the other begin? At first it seemed so simple, so easy to understand, but it was starting to feel like there was still too much he didn't know.

At first, Charlie imagined Mana as a bundle of sticks, and Magic as the fire that burned on a cold evening. The Magic turned the physical log into something entirely new, heat, light and it even provided comfort by chasing away the shadows.

Yet, how did Mana do that? How did it produce Magic? How did it make an object float, or listen to the owners command? How did it create fire or physical shadows from seemingly nothing?

It felt like Mana and Magic were connected, and overlapped, in more ways than Charlie could hope to understand.

But, even if Charlie couldn't break down what Mana and Magic were to their most basic parts, he didn't need to. He had begun to understand how to use it, and that would simply have to be enough for now.

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And use it he shall - the first target of Charlie's plan had made an appearance.

Charlie wanted to test out [Worm of Envy] on something living. There had been plenty of little creatures scurrying about, but none of them stayed still for long. He wasn't sure if they needed to be still, but didn't want to accidentally waste what might be his only shot.

Charlie didn't know if it was more like [Devour] or [Hollow Fang]. Would it have a single use where he would need time to recover, or could he use it over and over again before he drained his Mana empty? So, Charlie decided that he'd need to find a stationary target to test it out on.

A couple dozen meters ahead of Charlie lay a large cattle-like beast, thick horns on its head and a thin tail swaying side to side. The small tuft of fur at the tip of its tail swatted away something too small for Charlie to see - flies most likely.

It had a long and thick face marred by many nasty looking scars, two large horns sticking out of its head in opposite directions and powerful hooves instead of paws on their four legs. It looked muscular, but not bulky, clearly being built for both strength and speed.

It was about twice as large as the Razorclaw, but still not as large as some of the other creatures he had seen rampaging down into the cave. Simply put, it looked dangerous.

Charlie knew nothing about the [Worm of Envy] power, and wasn't certain if there was a range limitation like with [Devour]. So, Charlie focused all of his attention inwards, and hoped he had ventured onto the right path.

The System had been vague to say the least, and the description barely helped. Instead, Charlie tried focusing on his body, really focusing on it. He moved his awareness from the tip of his stubby tail, to the feeling of wind on his scales, and then to the feeling of his fangs sitting still in his mouth.

He felt the sun shine on his body and fill him with warmth, he focused on the smallest details of his body and emptied his mind.

Charlie thought back to his use of [Hollow Fang], but couldn't accurately depict it in his mind. Undeterred, Charlie simply used it without opening his mouth, and imagined himself sinking his fangs into the soft flesh of his prey.

The familiar pull on his being was there, barely noticeable - but it was there! Charlie could feel it, and if he could feel it, he could memorise it.

Initially, Charlie disliked the fact that [Devour] almost had a mind of its own, but at least it let Charlie use it with almost no work on his part. He didn't realise that using a {Power} would be so difficult without it's self-serving guidance.

Still, Charlie continued immersing himself into the sensation of Mana coursing through his body. The more Charlie focused, the more he realised that it was a very physical sensation.

Charlie was under the impression that the pool of sacred water below his soul was his Mana, but after feeling it course through his body so clearly, he wasn't so certain any longer.

It started in his chest, likely where his very own translucent gem lay, and radiated outwards and towards his fangs. There was so little Mana used that it was hard to even perceive it, let alone the speed at which it traveled - It felt almost instantaneous!

A spark of inspiration hit Charlie like lightning. In the deep state of focus, Charlie was struck with the memory of the searing pain in his brain after he used [Devour] on Nirina. The last time he gained something was the teeth from the now-extinct Sklite, so maybe instead of directing the Mana to his fangs, he should direct it to his mind!

Breaking his concentration with excitement, Charlie spent a moment to calm himself before attempting to regain control of the Mana inside again.

It was barely there, but Charlie could feel it again, the flow of Mana inside of his body, surrounding his translucent gem like a calm pool of water.

Slowly recreating the control [Hollow Fang] took over the Mana, Charlie guided it's path up his torso, into his throat, and instead of directing it to his fangs, Charlie directed it to his brain.

A tingling sensation overtook Charlie as he made contact with the spot that burned like white-hot knives before. It was pleasant this time, like it was bubbling away and sending shivers down his spine - like it wanted to be used.

But, Charlie didn't know what to do next. Recreating the feeling of [Hollow Fang] wasn't enough here, he needed one last push. Keeping the Mana still in his brain was no easy task, it fought back, it wanted to slip through his grasp and return back into the translucent gem.

Charlie racked his brain, trying to find an answer.

What did the description say again? Curiosity, wonder... Desire and Envy?

Suddenly, there was a change in his perception. The world undertook a slightly duller hue, like the colour faded away under the passage of time. A powerful and familiar feeling emerged from the depths of his heart - Charlie's curiosity exploded and the creature before him suddenly became incredibly interesting.

It clicked.

It was curiosity... It was wonder, it was desire. He wanted to know more, to know everything. He wanted the creatures secrets for himself.

Charlie felt Envy.

The prickling Mana ignited in his mind and a question formed of its own volition.

What... Are you?

A tremendous pull assaulted Charlie's being as information flooded his mind, leaving him breathless.