Gasping for air, Charlie reeled from the sudden influx of information flowing into his mind. Though strangely lacking, the trickle of information felt different, yet familiar, especially when compared with the Systems whispers.
It was like memories that Charlie had always had clicking into place, one after another, and without break. It momentarily pushed all other thought out of Charlie's mind, rapidly swapping between understanding before one coherent thought had a chance to finish, and another would immediately start. Eventually, Charlie was able to reign his mind in, and regain a grasp on his bearings.
Sifting through the newly acquired information, Charlie was quite pleased with the results of his first test.
The first bit of information that flowed into Charlie was it's species - The Liger. An apex predator created from the union of two powerful cat creatures. It was incredibly fast, propelled forward by muscular and powerful legs, tipped with sharp and permanently extended claws. Though only slightly larger than the Razorclaw, this creature would make quick work of the far dumber cat.
One of the more powerful pieces of information that Charlie had received was a vague understanding of its intelligence - and this creature was far smarter than its inferior cousin.
Upon the [Worm of Envy]'s first use, Charlie was able to understand a bit more about the right way to use it too. The exact distance Charlie could activate it from was still a mystery, but with plenty of daylight left, Charlie was sure he'd be able to figure something out.
Even with information still just out of Charlie's reach, he knew just how incredible the {Power} truly was - almost too good to be true. It allowed Charlie to learn about his environment in a way that he could have never imagined. Charlie, on a deeper level, was afraid of staying ignorant of the world around him, forced to pick up crumbs of understanding about every minute detail. Yet, even if he were to do so, simply having a single conversation with a human would have proved to be more valuable than likely even the culmination of years of his efforts.
The [Worm of Envy] was truly, beyond a shadow of a doubt, a blessing. Nirina was right, he would receive his answers. She must have known something, something about him and [Devour] to be so certain he would receive it. Whatever it was, Charlie hoped to reach that level one day and experience the power she held for himself.
Before his heart could ache, Charlie pushed the memory of Nirina to the back of his mind. If he wouldn't allow himself to lament his dead wife, then Nirina would also have to wait. Charlie will eventually find the right time, but it wasn't now - no matter how much Charlie longed to honour the fallen.
The second thing Charlie learned was, that a broad question, would probably provide him a lot of useless information. Alongside the creatures species, Charlie also learned how heavy it was, it's body structure, and it's relative danger level.
Which was, in fact, not what Charlie expected. He didn't even know that it was a piece of information that could have been gained. Danger was a concept that varied highly on the circumstance. Certainly the Liger was a towering apex creature, sporting powerful muscle and dangerous weaponry, but Charlie doubted they posed a threat to the warriors, or even the Cult of the Worms Magic users.
Yet, Charlie could now feel it. He could feel the exact level of threat the Liger posed to him. Not in words, exactly, but there was a perceptible aura around the creature now. It was both internal and a feeling, and a visual representation.
If Charlie didn't focus on the Liger, nothing seemed different, it looked like an ordinary creature. Yet, when he brought his full attention, there was a shimmering red glow around the Liger, accompanied by a deep foreboding feeling - one that screamed danger.
Of course Charlie already knew this, but it would prove to be a mighty tool in his kit. Simply knowing, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the creature was dangerous in some way, was more information than Charlie could have wished for in this perilous world.
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With the initial test completed, Charlie decided to try again and cast [Worm of Envy] on the same Liger, but this time with a different question.
Pulling the Mana from his core, the translucent gem, Charlie guided it's path with his will, speeding up the process now that he was a bit more familiar with the route. It was still too slow for his liking, but practice made perfect.
The Mana made it's way up Charlie's spine and reached the nexus of his mind, filling it with the bubbly and prickly sensation, and held the unstable connection.
How do I-
Before Charlie could even finish his thought, the Mana that coursed through his body locked in, frozen in place, and began drawing a tremendous amount of energy from his core. An infernal, agonising itch exploded out from the depths of his center, and followed the Mana path all the way to his brain.
Charlie's mind was overwhelmed in an instant and felt his consciousness waver - nausea kicking into high gear, emptying the contents of his stomach. Fortunately Charlie had finished digesting the little furry creatures as he slept, so there was only bile and water left.
Collapsing to the ground, Charlie took deep breaths and tried to compose himself after a few minutes if intense heaving.
Charlie's theory was right, it was closer to [Devour], and required time for Charlie to gather enough Mana in his body before he could use it again.
Taking his time, Charlie pushed himself off the floor and sat upright, easing his still swaying brain before setting off back into the underbrush to recover. He didn't expect it to have such a violent recoil, but up until this point Charlie had never really pushed the limits of his {Epitaph} and {Power}. It was a sobering experience - one Charlie was unwilling to go through again.
Though, easy in theory, it's going to be difficult to not accidentally push through and accidentally have a repeat incident. Charlie, hopefully, will gain even more ways to use Magic in the future, and with no easy way of knowing what is too much... Well, Charlie decided to not think too much about it.
Hidden away under the cover of thick grass and leafy bushes, Charlie stabilised himself and set off to at least try and accomplish his secondary task - find an entrance back into the cave!
The sun was still low in the sky, giving Charlie plenty of time to cross a large distance before night fell again.
Crossing the forest floor was an easy matter, barely requiring any thought in navigating it's densely packed flora. Melding into the deep shadows, traversing the trees when a particularly nasty creature showed up, and maneuvering through the plethora of dangers was as easy as breathing.
On this side of the forest, the ground was a lot more varied than where he had initially come from. Scarred by deep crevices in the ground resembling rocky wounds, and forming natural canyons with pitiful rivers at the bottom - this side of the forest was a completely new sight.
There were new creatures trotting about, new colours to see and interestingly, fewer scents than before. Maybe it was due to the fact that there were a lot more open spaces with the appearance of the canyons, but everything smelled... Clearer.
As if there were less creatures on this side, but, that went against everything Charlie could see with his eyes. On the rocky walls Charlie could see yellowed and stone-like Lizards crawling across their surface. The trees held many new dangers, and so did the shadowy caverns Charlie could spot lining the canyon floor. Sure, he couldn't see the last few, but Charlie doubted they were truly empty.
Yet, his enhanced sense of smell couldn't pick them up over the faint smell of earth and greenery.
Strange. I need to be careful - over-reliance on scents will turn me blind to the obvious.
Charlie immediately picked up on the potential dangers this area could hold. One option was certainly more convenient - to not go down into the canyon, but it also could prove to be the slowest and probably the most dangerous. The closer Charlie got to the mountain, the more likely he was to come across another human. At least down in the rocky canyon, Charlie would be less likely to cross paths with those warriors.
Charlie could of course refuse to go down either way, but he really wanted to return to the cave. It was dangerous, and even the simplest mistake would be a lethal one, yet it was still his best option for progressing forward.
If he wanted to keep the memory of his late wife, Sabrina, and Nirina alive and kicking - He would need power.
Life on the surface would be easier and highly unlikely to ever push him beyond his mental limits again, especially now that he knew so much more and could be so much more prepared.
But that was not going to help him achieve anything.
With that, Charlie looked up to the blue sky, and in seeing that there was still plenty of daylight left, descended down the rocky hills, down to the canyon floor.
It was time to explore something new, and who knows, maybe Charlie will come out unscathed in the end.