After a short, but heartfelt, goodbye to the hole he called home, Charlie set off towards the other wall of the cave. What lay on that side was still a mystery, but he had glimpsed some interesting sights from the atop the coves. The glimmering lights that lined the walls were definitely something he wanted to check out, but it was going to be a long journey. Ever since the inhabitants were forced deeper into the cave, it was almost like the walls were spread further and further out. Reaching one side is not a trivial matter, as even though the sheer number of creatures that still lived here had diminished, it did not mean there were no dangers to come across.

Charlie, after all of the painful lessons he had learned first hand, was not going to underestimate the potentially fatal perils that were on the horizon. [Mana Sense] had remained permanently enabled, even as Charlie slept, and provided plenty of information to avoid many of the pitfalls that his stunted senses would otherwise lead him into.

Ever since [Mana Sense] had reached Level 2, it's range had dramatically increased. At first it was overwhelming, but as time passed and Charlie became more used to the new sensation and quantity of information, he was able to more easily understand what was being drilled into his head. With each increase in Level, there was also more information.

At Level 0, the {Epitaph} provided the ability to feel the living creatures and to feel the world at large on a deeper, more meaningful level - with increased sharpness and clarity than when he felt the world manually. Level 1 increased the range, the accuracy and information provided. Even though he couldn't see a creature hiding behind a rocky wall, he could feel their presence, and even their general size now. At the time it was still in its infancy, but after reaching Level 2, Charlie could almost describe what the creature looked like. The range of [Mana Sense] had exploded outwards, and was able to reach far further than what his piddly sight could manage.

It did not provide any assistance in dealing with the information, though, as the headaches that wrecked his mind were on another level themselves. It took two whole days before Charlie could move around his own base without the want to vomit whatever was in his stomach at the time. Eventually it had become easy enough to move around and visit the river, but it took another whole day before he could handle fighting, even if he was simply executing the weaklings.

The long and winding paths no longer posed such an uncertain terror, not knowing what lurked behind each bend, or within shadowy corners, and instead now reminded Charlie of a leisurely stroll. Though what constituted as leisure for Charlie had dramatically changed since his arrival on the new world, too. If there weren't creatures actively hunting him, or if Charlie didn't require to recover from wicked wounds, then he was content and relaxed.

With each stone cove passed, Charlie could sense varying degrees of life held within, and sometimes was tempted enough to take a peek - especially when the Mana signatures coming from inside the stone walls were new and unique. [Worm of Envy] was an incredible tool in bridging the gap, and filled out his still middling stack of knowledge. With each day that passed, Charlie could learn more and more about the environment he was in, and where exactly he lay on the totem pole of power.

Even with all of his explosive growth, unfortunately Charlie still ranked too low for his own liking, but he could see his progress outshine of those around him. There was a reason that they remained here, unable to move up or down, and Charlie refused to stagnate like many around him.

The vast majority of creatures that Charlie had used [Worm of Envy] on were not important enough to learn the names of, and he didn't even bother coming up with his own versions. There was simply no need, as either he would never see them again, or they were not something he wanted to interact with - whether due to danger or indifference, it rarely mattered.

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Instead he focused on learning the overall Level and danger levels of those he came across, filling out his encyclopedia with the foundational understanding of the real world around him.

Much like during his scouting missions, Charlie stuck to the shadows, draped by their silk-like black gossamer. Though the shine off of his glossy scales had been muted, his green eyes remained piercing and unrestrained - deterring the weaker and more pitiful creatures from ever investigating the shadows through fear.

The unconscious fear of the serpent, it was starting to take root in the hearts of the weak.

The growing unrest surrounding Charlie was a boon when all was said and done, allowing Charlie the time needed to split his mind and work on his side project. Over the course of the two weeks, Charlie had never stopped trying to emulate the Magic he had seen the male human cast, trying his hardest to make something levitate.

As Charlie avoided a particularly nasty creature that was about to turn the corner, he hid himself on a shadowy perch and thought back to his current ideas on how the human had achieved such an enchanting display.

Charlie had no teacher, nor guide to show him the right way, all he had was his own mind and all the time in the world. Using the concepts he had already understood, Charlie wanted to extend his Mana out of his body in much the same ways as he did with [Mana Sense], but instead of it being aimless and broad, he wanted to concentrate it and focus its power onto a singular object; a pebble.

Charlie carried a singular pebble in his mouth everywhere he went, always trying to make it float or move, or do anything at all - yet he had not succeeded even once. Charlie found that extending his Mana in such a concentrated and focused way was incredibly taxing, and incredibly inefficient. At least it seemed so, as even a single attempt to reach a pebble a meter away nearly drained him as much as a single use of [Devour].

It was no longer a death sentence to use that much Mana, but it still felt awful to do so. So, to alleviate the stress on his Mana reserves, and the pressure placed on his mind, Charlie decided to simply hold it in his mouth. The shortened distance was a godsend, allowing him to try and attempt it time, and time again, without losing too much Mana. It also meant that he didn't need to really look for a suitable object, as he always carried it with him. It sure would have been nice to have pockets, but beggars can't be choosers in such situations.

The journey across the caves floor was filled with the usual excitements; blood, gore and violence galore. Thankfully, Charlie was able to keep a wide berth from the action, but was still able to enjoy it from a safe distance. It wasn't to say that it wasn't still dangerous, but definitely more pleasant.

Ever since Charlie had become more proficient in using [Mana Sense], the only real danger that Charlie came across were the flying creatures. The Horen were a problem, sure, but they mostly dealt with the almost-dead and soon-to-be-dead. The real problem were the much smaller, and far faster Vitesse.

The Vitesse were built for speed, and their talons were built for murder. It also had a sharp beak sat between two forward-facing yellowed eyes, and a mean look to boot. Its feathers were brown, gold and grey - but one rarely had the chance to truly take in their striking appearance, as they were usually the last thing its prey would see.

Their beaks and talons were as sharp as knives, but their real power lay in their absurd speed. It was so fast that Charlie was not able to accurately track them using [Mana Sense], but thankfully he was never on the receiving end of their ire. As birds of prey, they were vicious and ruthless, utilising their speed to drive their talons into the soft spots of large creatures, or to simply lift up and snap the smaller beasts.

Though Charlie was confident in his ability to kill one with [Hollow Fang], he remained uncertain if he would even have a chance to retaliate against something so fast. Whilst land creatures were the most abundant, the ones that could fly posed the greatest threat to creatures of Charlies size.

Their speed and versatility greatly outshone anything that he could achieve even with the added benefit of being able to use magic.

The more Charlie learned of the world around him, the more reason he found to stay humble. It was hard to think of oneself as powerful, when everywhere you look, you see a beast highly adapted to their environment, capable of crushing him without even breaking a sweat. Though in humility, Charlie also understood that he was not to be underestimated, either. Those that did, they would become the fuel necessary for Charlies path to power.

And there were plenty that needed to be humbled.