James’ face was inches away from a Big Rat. It wasn’t a high level one, probably a level 2 based on its size. But the rest of James’ body was still stuck in the passage connecting the main cavern to this cavity.
He instinctively flinched back and slammed his head into the rock above. Right after, the rat lunged forward and bit James right in the nose.
“Gah, what the fuck!” The combination of slamming his head and being bit on the nose caused anger to spark within James. Partially because of the little monster that just tried to eat his nose, but mostly, the anger was self-directed. Getting distracted and putting himself in this situation was utterly idiotic. James mentally kicked himself, even as he finally got an arm through the hole and grabbed hold of the rodent.
James held the Big Rat by its throat and quickly pinned it on the ground as he squeezed. It squirmed in his grasp, but James' grip was steel-like. He smashed the rat into the ground a couple of times, and when sure that it wasn’t going to bite him again, James released it and pulled the rest of his body into the hole.
It was a small space, forcing James to stay crouched low lest he hit his head on the ceiling again. With both hands available, James grabbed the rat again and twisted its head unnaturally until a crack sounded.
You have killed a Big Rat (Level 2)
10 experience gained
Your proficiency with Pain Resistance has increased 2 🠊 3
Your proficiency with Unarmed Mastery has increased 2 🠊 3
James felt at his nose, where the rat bit him, but was surprised to find no blood. It didn’t even break the skin. A 24 in endurance seemed to mean these low-level rats couldn’t even draw blood. His nose would probably have a bruise soon, but seeing the effects of his increased stats was amazing. His head still throbbed from hitting the rock above, but it dulled slightly as he felt the Pain Resistance skill level up. He rubbed the top of his head for a moment, cursing his idiocy, then moved on.
James focused on why he entered the dugout in the first place. The armor and dagger were nestled in the corner, just a few feet away from him. There was also something attached to the armor—a skeleton.
He was so focused on the equipment that he hadn’t noticed it at first. It seemed to have been there for a long time since no flesh remained on the bones. Or this person died recently and was eaten by rats until only bone remained.
‘Will this be my fate as well?’ The thought flashed through James’ mind.
Seeing the remains of a person likely in a similar situation as his own sobered James's thoughts quickly. Sure, there had been some dangers, and James had a couple of close calls, but he had always prevailed. The screens and levels made the whole scenario feel artificial, as if he were inside a video game. But faced with the skeleton of a real person, this world felt all too real. The reality of his situation came crashing down, and James nearly started hyperventilating.
He tried to center himself with the breathing technique he always used to calm himself. James took slow breaths in and out, slowly emptying his mind until the morbid thoughts were all gone.
‘So what if I’m in a new world with monsters and magic? I will survive. I’ll use these skills and stats and grow even stronger until I can find a way out of this damn cave.’ It took a few minutes of breathing before James could calm his racing heart. That skeleton was like a slap to the face, telling him to get his priorities straight. Every living thing he had seen since arriving in this world wanted to kill him, and if he didn't take this situation seriously, they would do just that.
Your proficiency with Unyielding Composure has increased 3 🠊 6
His mind finally clear, James went back to the task at hand. He worked the equipment off the skeleton with some effort. There were also some dingy, tattered pants on the skeleton, but James didn’t bother with them. Tucked between a skeletal hand and the wall was a small, leather-bound journal. Lastly was the dagger near the foot of the skeleton. Its blade was half the length of his forearm, and the metal had a minor coating of rust. It came with a small sheath with a clip that could be attached to a loop in his jeans.
All in all, James found a chest piece, two bracers, and a pair of boots, all made of leather, the long dagger and sheath, and a journal. James wasn’t religious, but he had a moment of silence in thanks for the supplies. Hopefully, whoever this person was, they didn’t suffer too much.
First, he tried on the chest piece. It slipped over his head and had straps along the sides for tightening. James found it fit surprisingly well. Next were the bracers, which started at the wrist and almost reached the elbow, covering his entire forearms. They also had little straps that James could use to tighten them. Last were the boots, which were a little too big on James but still sturdier than the sneakers he had been wearing.
The dagger was next. The blade was still sharp, and it ended in a fine point. It was straight and had a sturdy hilt that felt like leather. It fit nicely in James’ hand, and he wanted to try a few slashes with it, but the tight confines of the cave he was in made it difficult.
New skill: Analyze (Common)
James paused as he saw the window pop up in his vision before mentally pulling up the full description for the skill.
Analyze
Rarity: Common
Description: This skill allows the user to analyze any equipment, monster, or sentient being. It will provide various information on any of the subjects mentioned earlier. The amount and detail of information will increase with skill levels.
This skill was a game-changer. James had just been fumbling along this entire time, trying to make the best of the situation. With this new skill, he would know what kinds of monsters he was fighting before actually engaging in battles. The skill said it also worked on equipment, so James tried analyzing his new gear. Activating the skill was as simple as thinking the word ‘Analyze’ while focusing on a particular piece of equipment.
Leather Chestpiece
Type: Armor
Rarity: Common
Description: A simple piece of leather armor. Will provide moderate defense for the upper body.
Leather Bracers
Type: Armor
Rarity: Common
Description: A simple piece of leather armor. Will provide moderate defense for the forearm.
Leather boots
Type: Armor, Footwear
Rarity: Common
Description: Simple footwear made of leather. Will provide moderate defense for the feet and average traction on hazardous terrain.
Steel Dagger
Type: Weapon
Rarity: Common
Description: A simple dagger with a steel blade. Will provide average cutting power. The blade has slightly dulled from rust after a prolonged period of inactivity.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Your proficiency with Analyze has increased: Level 1 🠊 2
James tried to Analyze the journal as well, but nothing happened. It seemed that only specific things would work when using the skill. As the description said, only monsters, equipment, and other people could be analyzed with the skill.
He took a closer look at the journal. It looked to be of high quality. Fine stitches along the edge bound the leather, and with a cursory flip through, James found the papers were all bleached white. This was a journal of similar make and quality that could be found in his original world, leading him to wonder just what the level of technology was in this world he now found himself in.
Though rifling through a dead man's journal unsettled James, his curiosity was far stronger. While within the safety provided by this little cave, James decided to rest for a bit and learn a little about this new world. The thought of staying in these tight confines with a skeleton only disturbed James a little. Flipping to the first page, he read.
In black ink, a name was written with messy but legible handwriting. Alex Harvell
The first few pages were quite ordinary.
Today was the start of secondary school. History class was so boring. I thought we’d learn about the advent of the system, but they’re making us learn about some old place called Mesopotamia. Apparently, history class only includes the stuff pre-system. :(
I forgot my keys at school and got locked out. Had to wait 2 hours before Mom got home from work to let me in.
James continued flipping through the journal. This world seemed quite similar to the one he knew. Alex Harvell lived in a city called ‘New Toronto,’ leading James to believe he was from Canada. However, to James' knowledge, his world had no ‘New Toronto.’ He lived in the Bronx in New York City and never really familiarized himself with all the cities and provinces in Canada, but he was pretty sure there was no New Toronto in his world.
There were other unknowns, like this ‘advent of the system.’ If he had to guess, these status screens and skills haven’t been around forever. But that begged the question: Who or what made this system, and why?
‘I think this diary will give me more questions than answers.’
Continuing through the journal, James found a familiar level of technology. People drove in cars and had electricity in their homes. It was challenging to get any hard facts on the world at large from the journal of a teenage boy, but eventually, James came across an entry that sparked his interest: magic.
Today, a real hunter came to our school to teach us about the basics of mana! His name is Charles Montag, and he’s an adept! A real adept!! I hope I’ll get to that level one day, but my highest skill is Cleaning at level 11, not very useful for fighting monsters.
Mr. Charles told us that the first step to learning any mana skill is to control the mana in inside us. We need to pull all the mana in our bodies together until it forms a mana core. He said it takes a long time for most people, but some can do it without even trying! Mr. Charles told us to all close our eyes and focus on the energy inside us. I tried for an entire hour, and nothing happened. I could feel the mana inside me, but it never listens to me, no matter how much I try!
Clarice was able to start moving her mana after half an hour. She said she even got an Uncommon skill for it! It's not fair that there are geniuses like her in our school. But I’m not giving up! I’ll keep feeling for my core until I find it! One day, I’ll be a hunter and get filthy rich!
The journal had a few more entries, but it quickly became hard to read. James could decipher a few words like ‘Dungeon,’ ‘Rat,’ and ‘Mom,’ but these last few pages were smeared in a glossy, red-brown substance that smelled faintly of blood. He figured that Alex was bleeding out and trying to write a final will or goodbye note but ended up ruining the last few pages of his journal in the process.
'So, everyone had mana inside their bodies, and to best use it, you needed to make something called a Mana Core by condensing all the mana in the body into one spot. Lets give it a shot.'
James shut the book and relaxed his body. He closed his eyes and tried to feel for… anything. He took calm, deep breaths and tried to look inward. He’d tried to meditate a few times before, but it wasn’t his thing. He preferred physical exercises to clear his mind. Now, with the promise of actual magic? James was willing to give it another shot.
While he didn’t know precisely what mana should feel like, he had an idea. Every time he leveled up or ate a monster core, that warm energy would rush throughout his body. James tried to recall that feeling, like drinking a hot coffee on a cold day or that warm feeling in your stomach after taking a shot of liquor.
At first, he felt nothing, but he pressed on. After a few minutes of focusing on each part of his body, he felt something. It was like a steady undercurrent of electricity flowing through his whole body.
‘I can feel it! Actual, honest to god, mana! This is insane!’ James felt his excitement rise but quickly stamped it down. He needed complete focus right now if he wanted to move the mana.
James tried to guide the flow of power with his mind, but it didn’t budge. He probably spent ten minutes trying to mentally nudge it one way or the other but had no progress to show for it.
He decided to try another approach. James visualized a black hole in the center of his chest. A hole that would suck up all the energy drifting around his body and bring it to the center. And it worked! Slowly, so slowly, the mana began to flow towards the imagined black hole. After five minutes, James felt all the mana in his body had been brought into that single point in his chest.
He focused with all his will, trying to keep the mana compressed. The mana that was spread initially through his entire body had been compressed into a golf ball-sized sphere in the center of his chest, near his heart. It felt like it wanted to burst out and flow through every inch of his body, and his willpower was the only thing holding it back. James felt sweat build on his forehead as the effort of holding the mana started to take a physical toll. His body was beginning to shake slightly as the pressure continued building.
Growing desperate as the strain continued building, he took a chance. He willed the mana to swirl like a whirlpool. It was slow at first, but the mana acquiesced. It began to spin, and the pressure James felt from holding all the mana began to ebb after a minute. The new spinning core was self-contained. He didn’t need to focus on keeping the mana within the confines because it was doing all the work for him. James barely passed his physics class, but he knew that the rotational force kept the mana in the core without letting it leak—something to do with torque or centripetal force.
‘Ha! I did it! I made a fucking mana core!’ James focused on the core within him. It felt like a small ball of fire nestled in his chest. It was such a strange feeling. Mana, a power that he thought of only in terms of video games and movies, was now a real, tangible energy that James could feel inside his body.
New title: Fledgling Mage (Uncommon)
Description: You created a mana core without a guide, using only your ingenuity and force of will.
Stats: +10 Mana, +1 Intelligence
James didn’t get any skills for creating the mana core, but he did get this new title that increased his mana. He felt the tiny core inside him grow slightly. But now, how did he use the mana? He tried pulling a thread of mana out of the core. Slowly, a string of mana left his core. James tried to guide it up his shoulder and then down his arm. It was far easier than originally condensing all the mana, perhaps because of the lesser amount he was trying to control.
The mana flowed down his arm until it pooled in his hand. James felt pressure build as more and more mana left his core and followed the path to his hand. He pulled the mana back up his arm, across the shoulders, and down the other arm.
While James directed the general flow of mana throughout his body, he felt it was following a set path. Like blood flows through veins, the mana was also flowing through veins of some kind, and James was simply nudging one way or the other with his will.
Now that he was conscious of it, James could easily feel the power flow through his body. After getting the mana to flow through each limb, one at a time, he tried pushing it through his entire body at once. It took more concentration than previous applications but was still manageable. After a few seconds, the power was spread from the top of James’ head to the soles of his feet. It filled him with indescribable energy as if he could run for miles, fight an entire army of Big Rats, and still have energy to spare.
New Skill: Mana Manipulation (Uncommon)
Description: Allows the user to control the flow of mana within their own body. This skill is crucial in the use of other mana-based skills. The efficiency and speed of the mana flow within the user's body will increase with each skill level
Your proficiency with Mana Manipulation has increased: 1 🠊 2
Once the notification appeared, James’ control over the mana inside drastically changed. Before, it required serious concentration to move the mana throughout the pathways inside his body, but now it was equatable to breathing. He barely had to think about it; the mana simply flowed through his body like the blood in his veins. It would cycle through his arms and legs, return to the core, and then repeat the process.
James found the entire process incredibly relaxing. It felt like his whole body was being massaged from the inside out as the mana slowly worked its way through each part of his body. He quickly found himself dozing off, only to shake himself awake.
‘How long has it been since my arrival here? 6, 7 hours? More? It's so hard to tell when there's no sunlight.’
It was 4:00 PM when James was abducted from his world. After hours of exploring caves and fighting rats, he was exhausted. He wanted nothing more than to sleep, but how safe would he be in this cove?
He glanced back at the hole that separated this cave from the main cavern. He tried fitting the Big Rat he killed earlier into it and found it was close to the size of the hole when positioned lengthwise. He had to twist the body in some unnatural ways to make a tighter fit, but he figured this would keep other rats out. And due to the small size of the hole, he wouldn’t have to worry about the huge rat getting in.
With that done, James glanced over at Alex’s skeleton once again. The thought of sleeping next to human remains was unsettling, to say the least, but he found his exhaustion beat out the uneasiness. Using his backpack as a makeshift pillow, James positioned himself until he was in as comfortable a position as possible when laying on a stone floor. Then, once again focusing on the feeling of mana pulse through his body, James drifted off to sleep.