The crackling of the fire filled the silence between Octavius and Lysara, the flames casting flickering shadows across the small clearing. Lysara’s golden eyes were sharp, scrutinizing him as though she could see every detail of his soul. Octavius shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, still trying to process everything he had been through since arriving in this strange world.

“I’ll start with the obvious question,” Octavius said, breaking the silence. “What is this place? What’s Eltherion?”

Lysara leaned back, the glow of the fire catching the edges of her emerald-green cloak. “Eltherion is a world of mana, shaped by the Eternals—ancient beings who built the System to govern life, death, and power. It is a place where strength, intelligence, and will determine survival. For those like you, newcomers drawn from other realms, the System is your guide and your curse.”

“Curse?” Octavious asked, frowning.

She nodded. “Every System User is given immense potential, but it comes at a cost. You’ve already noticed, haven’t you? The monsters. The constant danger. The System doesn’t simply grant you power—it demands growth. If you don’t improve, you’ll die.”

The words hung heavy in the air. Octavious thought back to the wolves, the glowing raptor, and the strange stats displayed in the corner of his vision. It was all starting to make sense, though he wished it didn’t.

“So, it’s survival of the fittest?” he said bitterly.

“Not just survival,” Lysara replied. “Ascension. The System doesn’t just test you; it molds you. If you can conquer it, you’ll find rewards beyond imagining. But fail... and, well, the graveyards of Eltherion are littered with the remains of those who couldn’t keep up.”

Octavious stared into the fire, digesting her words. “And you’ve survived. How?”

A faint smile played on Lysara’s lips. “Because I learned quickly. I studied the System, mastered my stats, and made allies when I could. But I’ve also lost more than you could imagine.” Her voice hardened at the last sentence, and Octavius decided not to press further. Instead, he focused on his immediate needs.

“Can you teach me?” he asked. “I’ve barely been here a day, and I’ve already been attacked twice. If this place is as dangerous as you say, I don’t think I’ll last long without help.”

Lysara regarded him thoughtfully. “You’re bold to ask for my guidance. But boldness alone won’t save you. Show me that you’re worth training.”

“How?” Octavious asked, his gut tightening.

She pointed to the edge of the clearing, where the trees loomed like silent sentinels. “The forest is filled with creatures called mana wisps. They’re harmless on their own but difficult to catch because they’re fast and elusive. Bring me three mana cores from the wisps. Do that, and I’ll consider teaching you.”

Octavious frowned. “And if I can’t?”

“Then I’ll know you’re not ready for what lies ahead,” she said simply, her golden eyes unwavering.

With no choice but to accept, Octavius stood and glanced toward the forest. He adjusted the straps on his briefcase and took a deep breath. “Alright. Three mana cores. How hard can it be?”

“Harder than you think,” Lysara said with a smirk. “Wisps are pure mana. You’ll need to weaken them with magic before you can even touch their cores.”

“Magic, huh?” Octavius muttered. He thought back to the firebolt spell he had used against the wolves and the raptor. It had been effective, but he still wasn’t entirely sure how it worked.

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As he stepped into the forest, the air grew cooler, and the glow of the crystalline trees seemed to intensify. The hum of the leaves was soothing, but Octavious knew better than to let his guard down.

“Alright,” he said to himself, scanning the area. “Mana wisps. Whatever those are.” A faint flicker of light caught his eye, darting between the trees. It was small and bright, like a firefly, but it moved with unnatural speed.

“There’s one,” he whispered.

He raised his hand, focusing on the sensation he had felt earlier when casting firebolt. The warmth spread through his palm, and an orb of flame materialized. The wisp zipped to the left just as he launched the firebolt, the spell missing by inches and exploding harmlessly against a tree. “Damn it!” Octavius cursed. The wisp flickered mockingly, as if taunting him, before darting away.

For the next hour, Octavius chased wisps through the forest, his frustration growing with every failed attempt. The creatures were incredibly fast, and his firebolt spell drained his mana with each use.

Finally, he stopped to catch his breath, leaning against a tree. His stats appeared in his vision, showing his mana dangerously low.

[Mana: 15/120]

“Great,” he muttered. “At this rate, I’m going to pass out before I catch even one of these things.”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “Think, Octavious. If firebolt isn’t working, what else can I do?”

The System chimed softly, and a new message appeared.

[Tip: Use your environment to your advantage.]

Octavius glanced around the forest. The crystalline trees were sturdy, their branches thick and sprawling. An idea began to form in his mind.

The next time he spotted a wisp, he didn’t chase it. Instead, he followed it carefully, observing its patterns. The creature seemed to move in a loose circuit, returning to the same area every few minutes. Octavius climbed one of the nearby trees, positioning himself above the wisp’s usual path. He summoned a small firebolt, holding it ready in his palm. When the wisp zipped beneath him, he dropped the spell directly onto it. The firebolt struck true, and the wisp faltered, its light flickering weakly.

“Gotcha!” Octavious exclaimed, leaping down from the tree. He grabbed the wisp before it could recover, his fingers closing around a small, glowing orb—the mana core.

[Mana Core Acquired: 1/3]

He grinned, the thrill of success surging through him. “One down, two to go.”

The next two wisps proved just as challenging, but Octavius's confidence grew with each success. By the time he returned to Lysara’s camp, he was exhausted but triumphant, the three mana cores clutched tightly in his hands. Lysara looked up from the fire as he approached, her expression unreadable. “You’re back. And you succeeded.”

“Barely,” Octavious said, dropping the cores at her feet. “Those things are fast.”

Lysara picked up one of the glowing orbs, examining it closely. “You’ve got potential, Octavious. You’re reckless, but you learn quickly. That’s a good combination in this world.”

“So, will you teach me?” he asked. She nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Yes. But understand this: the path you’ve chosen is dangerous. If you’re not willing to give it everything you have, you won’t survive. Are you ready for that?”

Octavius met her gaze, his determination unwavering. “I don’t have a choice. If I want to live, I need to get stronger. And if I’m going to be stuck here, I might as well aim for the top.”

Lysara chuckled softly. “Ambitious. I like that. Alright, let’s get started.”

Over the next several hours, Lysara guided Octavius through the fundamentals of magic. She taught him how to draw mana from his surroundings, how to shape it into spells, and how to conserve his energy during combat. “Magic is as much about control as it is about power,” she explained, demonstrating a simple spell that caused the fire to change colors. “If you can’t control your mana, it will consume you.”

Octavious practiced tirelessly, focusing on refining his firebolt spell. By the end of the lesson, he could summon the spell in half the time it had taken him before, and his aim had improved significantly.

“You’re a quick study,” Lysara said, watching him with approval. “Most newcomers struggle with even the basics, but you’ve already grasped the core principles.”

“Thanks,” Octavious said, wiping sweat from his brow. “I guess I don’t have the luxury of being slow.”

Lysara’s expression grew serious. “No, you don’t. Eltherion is unforgiving, and the challenges ahead will only grow harder. But if you keep pushing yourself, you might just have what it takes to survive.”

As the fire burned low, the System chimed softly, and a new message appeared in Octavius's vision.

[Quest Complete: Rest in a Safe Zone][New Quest Unlocked: The Village of Eldros]

“Eldros?” Octavius read aloud. Lysara nodded. “It’s a small village not far from here. If you want to learn more about this world, that’s where you should go next. But be warned: the road to Eldros is dangerous. You’ll need to be ready for anything.”

Octavius clenched his fists, determination burning in his chest. “I will be.”

Lysara smiled faintly. “Good. Then let’s prepare you for the journey.”

And so, with his first taste of Eltherion’s trials behind him, Octavius began to steel himself for the next chapter of his mana-bound odyssey.