Post by [Redacted] 9:15 AM, April 18th, 20XX

I did it! I actually did it and it worked! We have a number of long term coma patients at my work. Well, I just couldn’t take it anymore and tested it out. By using the patient's hand, I was able to have them enter the PPVS. I don’t know if they’ll be alright, but it has to be better than being in limbo for a half-decade. I’ll probably be fired because of this but I couldn't not do something, you know? And if the PPVS can do something for them, it will be worth it.

Trapped. I was trapped. Wait. Calm down baby claustrophobia, the last boss I fought had hidden treasure and a hidden exit. This room must have those as well. Probably.

I started in the middle where the big ash pile sat. Since I’d never seen the monsters leave ash behind, I figured out the significance of that pretty fast. Kicking my foot into the fluffy gray stuff was a mistake that made itself known when breath sucking pain shot up my foot. The hopping I did next was neither dignified nor graceful.

Once I’d recovered, I just used my hands to clear away the ash to reveal a small metal chest.

I lifted the lid. Inside sat a thin book with a silver and obsidian spiral. A spellbook! A beautiful, beautiful spellbook. The near physical need to learn it took over and I only just managed to remember to wipe my hands on the cleanest part of my sweater before I snatched it out.

I flipped the cover open and the scent of paper goodness overwhelmed me just before I saw the title. Teleportation.

This! I was going to learn to teleport! I was going to learn so hard!

It didn’t take long, maybe twenty minutes for me to read through its first nine chapters.

Congratulations! You have learned the Arcane Assassin spell Teleport level 1!

Cost: 1 mana per foot.

Cooldown: None while not in combat. 10 second cooldown while in combat.

Description: At this level, this spell will only allow the user to teleport themselves and creatures such as pets that count as part of the caster to a location within the caster’s line of sight.

While keeping a tight leash on my happiness, I stood and tossed the book into my inventory. A location near one of the walls about 30 feet away seemed like a good test spot. I mentally grabbed it. Motes of dust floating in the air froze as time seemed to stop. The areas beside the spot I aimed for appeared dark and blurry. I pulled my desired location until the ground under my feet matched that area. When I released my mental hold, my mana drained and the world snapped. Time continued and I found myself at the place I wanted to be.

“I did it…” I stood frozen for a second. Then it hit me, the joy. The adrenaline. Pure fun. “I did it!”

I jumped up and down then danced like someone who can’t.

“I... I have a superpower!” Okay, it was technically a magic spell but it felt like a superpower. Just let me have this!

Since I was there, I continued searching for the room by examining the walls. It took less time than I thought to find a manmade — or ratmade — line. I used one of my swords to dig around it revealing a square panel. After using my blade as a leaver I managed to pop it open. Inside, I found, not a way out but another chest. A vein in my forehead started to pulse with irritation. While getting more awesome stuff was nice, I needed an exit.

I pulled out the chest and opened it to find another book. This one had a stylized mountain on the front made from a tiger’s eye gemstone.

I opened the cover to see the title, “Add Earth.”

Perhaps I had to learn this spell to break the rock door so I could leave?

I flipped through the pages. It didn’t take long to learn, perhaps because I’d already read three similar spells, or maybe because my intelligence increased after I leveled.

Congratulations! You have learned the Arcane Assassin spell Add Earth level 1!

Cost: 15 mana

Cooldown: 10 seconds

Description: This spell will add 15 earth damage plus your magic modifier (4.5) to your next attack.

Huh, 5 more points than my first three Add spells? Is it because I found it on my own?

Whatever, I needed to get out of here first. Frankly, I’d spent way too much time in this cave and probably smelled like shit. Actually, I could use my sense of smell now and, while I didn’t notice a bad scent, that didn’t mean there wasn’t one... because I was in a toilet cave. Ew. I needed out! Now!

I glared at the cracked stone blocking my exit and teleported over to it. After I waited for a little while for my mana to fill back up I used my new spell by gently tapping the tips of my swords to the ground then stabbing into the center of the stone.

Crack! The block split in two leaving a two-inch gap. I pushed at the rocks to get them to move away from the door but it wasn’t budging.

“Seriously?!”

Wait. What did the teleport spell say? Line of sight? And it didn’t say anything about not being able to teleport through areas I wouldn’t be able to walk through. A grin spread across my face. I found the place I wanted to go, pulled and teleported through the crack in the wall. I grinned. I fucking love teleporting!

“There you are!”