As I moved my mana, it obediently followed along with the chunk of stone it had merged with, which initially startled me as I feared the cave might be collapsing. After realizing the cave was not in danger, I felt a sense of wonder and decided to conduct some experiments.

I found that I had remarkable control over the stone, and I could manipulate it in various ways. I made it float, reshaped it, and discovered that the mana inside the rock played a crucial role in its transformation. For instance, when I formed the mana into a circle, the rock also reshaped itself into a circle.

However, I encountered some limitations during my experiments. When I attempted to shrink the mana and the stone it was embedded in, it would only condense to a certain size. I could reduce a chunk of rock, perhaps as large as the boulders in the cave, to the size of the smallest pebble in my cave, but further shrinking was impossible. Similarly, when I tried to expand the rock, it only grew up to three times its initial size before refusing to get any larger.

With the control of my mana, I began to reshape the entire cave, making it smoother and giving it the appearance of a dome. To secure my heart, I fashioned a sturdy pillar beneath it. I then extended another pillar from the top of the cave, connecting it to the pillar supporting my heart. However, my attempt to bury myself within the pillar proved to be uncomfortable, causing me to feel as if I couldn't breathe. Deciding not to push my limits further, I instead created a series of mini-pillars around my heart, linking both primary pillars. To ensure my heart remained secure, I also crafted a bowl-like shape within the supporting pillar, preventing it from rolling out or falling. In the end, I successfully transformed my cave, giving it a new appearance with the cylindrical pillars and smooth surfaces.

Now that my cave looks much better than before, I decided to keep waiting and experimenting. I can control the dust in my cave now. I created a small tornado and then made it disappear, creating a foggy appearance in my cave. This makes it harder for others to see, which I consider a good defence.

Another thing to note is that I've gradually moved away from seeking help and, instead, focus on defending myself. This shift became more pronounced after the incident with the spider. I've become less interested in getting help, and now I'm more inclined to take action if something or someone enters my cave. I no longer assume they're here to help me, as I can't be sure of their intentions. They might believe my heart is valuable and want to sell it, possibly after chipping and reshaping it. On the other hand, they might harm my heart, which would be very bad for me.

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Regarding the spider, I used my mana to control some rocks and shaped them into a bowl to pick up the spider's body. I then threw it outside the cave to maintain cleanliness. If any similar incidents happen, I'll continue doing the same. I just realized that I forgot to test what would happen if I put my mana into the spider. It's too late now since I can't access the spider's body anymore. However, I'll try it with the next spider or any other creature that enters my cave to see what happens.

Just as I finished thinking about that, I spotted a bug entering my cave. It wasn't just any bug; it was my favourite type, an ant. My instincts didn't signal any danger, so I decided to observe it. It appeared to be a worker ant of the black ant species. The ant wandered around my cave, perhaps searching for something. I guessed it might have detected the scent of the spider I had thrown outside earlier. The ant even climbed a pillar briefly, presumably to search for the spider. After a while, it climbed back down and continued exploring the entire cave.

I observed as more ants enter then leave, and then enter again for days, following the same routine of the first ant wandering around the cave. Nothing else seemed to be happening. While watching them, a thought crossed my mind: "What would happen if I infused mana into the ants?"

I concentrated my mana and moved it closer to one of the ants. It appeared to notice and quickly ran out of the cave. It seemed that the ants could either see or sense mana. I decided to try again with another ant in my cave.

This time, I moved my mana towards the ant, and just as it realized what was happening, I accelerated the mana's movement and then slowed it down right before it touched the ant. This time, it seemed to work, and the ant didn't react until the mana was already absorbed into it.

The ant started to glow in the same colour as my core for a while, but then it stopped. I noticed that its eyes had turned blue, and it paused for a moment. Afterward, it didn't move in the same random way as before. This time, it seemed to be heading towards the other ants in the cave.

When it reached the first ant, it appeared puzzled by the ant I had infused with mana. However, the ant I had empowered with mana charged at the other ant and began attacking it. They fought, but it became evident that the mana had significantly strengthened the ant's body, as the regular ant couldn't even harm it and ended up getting killed.

The ant then started moving towards the other ants. At this point, I had a theory I wanted to test. The change in its behaviour seemed to occur after I had infused mana into it, and I thought, "stop." When I say "said," I mean I essentially put the command to the very front of my mind. I hadn't figured out how to speak yet, but it was safe to assume that I couldn't.