The magic coalesces in a ball on top of my palm, and I watch as it slowly dissipates exposed in the air. What does it dissipate into anyways? And why? This cavern has high concentrations of mana – does that dissipate too?

Wondering about these things aren’t going to put food in my stomach if I even have one anyways. I need practical applications, not theories on things I can’t even answer yet. Like before, I cast a spell of light, but the old one this time. I use my mana sight to try and see what exactly happens when the mana transforms into light.

Mana Sight has leveled up 1 → 2

The mana’s visibility increases and I can see more details on what exactly I’m looking at. I can see each and every individual change to the stream of mana. Many complex things are happening at once, but I think I understand them. Using this information, I have an idea about what the intelligence stat represents.

The intelligence stat doesn’t represent how knowledgeable someone is; It represents how complex someone can make their spell. The higher intelligence someone has, the more efficient their spell becomes if cast through this method. Like, with higher intelligence, the brain is more capable to perform the complex calculations – or whatever that magic does when converting from one state to another – to increase the efficiency or power of the spell.

Or maybe I’m just overthinking it, and all it really means is that high numbers equal bigger boom. I’ll go along with my theory instead, as I have nothing better to believe.

I wonder if I could one day get to the level to understand exactly what is happening with the magic on a deeper level, so I could maybe improve on the calculations myself, if my hypothesis is to be correct.

Answering that question wasn’t my intention with casting a less efficient version of my spell though. I was actually trying to see if I could alter the intensity of light instead.

I already know that more mana would entail a more powerful spell, but I had problems trying to siphon it into my spell. Like I would try to force a higher quantity of mana to flow into it, but it would cap out at a set rate.

But what if I could send bursts of mana all at once into the spell for a small moment of intensity?

My mind goes back to when I was playing with the ball of mana on my hand. I was able to build it up to a sizable amount before the rate of decay became equal to the rate at which I could send in mana. What if instead, I were to build up that ball of mana inside of me, where it won’t decay at all?

I start forming my mana into a sphere, trying to get it as compact as I can. I can really feel the mana points that I have tick down.

Magic: 12/50

Yea…

I refocus on the magic ball I have. Eventually, the ball forms big enough to the point where I can’t compress it further than I already have. I had a thought that maybe intelligence has to do with that as well, seeing as how my control over the ball is starting to waver. As I gather up mana, my control over it starts to weaken. I start to sweat in exertion and concentration as I try to gather even more mana into it.

It's grown even bigger. I think it's time to let this one go.

All at once, I shove the ball of energy from out of me and into the spell, a breath of relief coming out of me as I do so. I can see the ball of energy even without my mana sight, or rather, its imprint. It bends the light around it slightly, leaving me to wonder how much I really don’t know about mana. The ball decays quickly, but at the same time it’s burning up just as fast as it turns into light. I had to avert my eyes because of its brightness, and it lingers on for about five seconds before it finally stops.

You have obtained External Magic Manipulation LV1

I panic and look side to side, look for any signs of danger. I hope nothing out there saw that, otherwise I’d be in trouble. I may be level four, but I’m still weak.

Yes, I can’t forget that. There will always be stronger opponents in this world. It leaves me with a disconcerting feeling.

I’m not a heroic person like in the novels. I can’t adapt my mental state so quickly to face my fears. I’m still just a boy, struggling to survive.

One day though, I know that I will finally be able to change into the person I dream of being.

An image of a valiant individual, casually flying while simultaneously throwing out bolts of mana at massive monsters pops up into my head.

So cool...

I perish the thought, a feeling of hot embarrassment welling up within me.

But there's nothing wrong with that image right?!

I refocus myself and let out a sigh. I think that’s enough experimenting with magic for the time being. I’m running low on mana and I need to keep some in reserve in case I meet a monster trying to kill me.

It’s not like I really have anything to defend myself with – just a small flame and some bright lights, but having the ability to do something magical gives me a sense of comfort and easiness.

It’s unfortunate, I really wanted to continue experimenting by sending mana into my body parts like I’ve done with my eyes, but things don’t always go the way you’d want them to.

I should know, I guess.

I take a deep breath to ease my nerves and then resolve myself. No more playing around. If I’m going to survive in this cave, I’ll have to be smart about it. No more throwing pebbles at scorpions or rushing into my death, no, I have to plan out my encounters.

I activate my camouflage skill, blending me into the environment better than before now that it has leveled up. Can’t have monsters getting the jump on me, can I?

I guess the first thing to do is to find some water to fulfill my thirst and hopefully wash off all of my blood. My wounds have healed at a surprisingly fast rate, but I still have purple blood all over me. I mean there must be something that these creatures drink. I just have to go looking for them.

I wander the cavern and try to head towards the more lush areas with lots of bioluminescent plants, thinking that areas with more greenery are more rich with water. On the way there, I happen to spot a couple of monsters, but using identify on them told me that they weren’t something to be messed with.

Blue-Eyed Cavern Lizard

A voracious and deadly predator of the caverns. It’s known for its striking blue-violet eyes, which it can use to temporarily paralyze prey by looking at them.

Usually only found in cavernous areas with high concentrations of magic.

Level 12

Deepcrawler

A centipede that hunts by using its natural camouflage to hide from its prey, and then jumping on them to inject its poisonous venom.

Only found deep underground.

Level 9

There are some pretty spooky plants as well.

Yellow Boomshroom

A dangerous type of mushroom that can be fatal if ingested. The mushroom holds a liquid in its yellow cap that explodes violently if exposed to air. It grows in single quantities but is most often connected in big, underground root systems.

Only found in this specific cavern next to sources of water.

Yeesh. I do not want to be anywhere close to something that volatile.

Identify has leveled up 2 → 3

Oh, it finally leveled. Took a while, I’d been identify everything that I’d seen since I got that skill.

I find it a bit strange though. All of these descriptions for living targets all follow the same pattern: Name at the top, a short description that becomes more specific with higher levels, and then the target’s stats. My description at the beginning of when I got here was just something like A unique Juvenile Shade Beast. Unlike others, this one seems to hold a higher degree of autonomy. Just saying that I’m unique and is more self aware, but nothing about what Shade Beasts are actually like. I wonder if that will change if I identify myself right now, with it being a higher level.

The User.

A unique Juvenile Shade Beast. Unlike others, this one doesn’t exist.

~Unknown error detected~

~Resolving~

~Resolve failed~

~Resolving~

…

…

~Resolve s̸͖̈ù̵̟̍̓ć̸͉͓̋́cessful~

~Reverting to past log~

T̸̯̎h̴̹̍ē̶̡̦ ̴̖͗Ǘ̶̹̞̕s̶̲̓̀é̴̳̿r̶̟̅:

A unique Juvenile Shade Beast. Unlike others, this one seems to hold a h̷̨̃͒i̴̓̎͜g̶̘͙̾̀h̷̯̤̓e̵̞͉͌̋r̵͔̄ ̸̳͇̿̕ď̸̻̟ĕ̴̢͙͑g̵̘̈́r̷̰̘̋̌ẻ̶͓̼ȩ̵̥̋ ̷̱̠̾́o̴̮̞͛f̴͘͜ ̵̢̆̑à̷̡̝͝u̶̧̱̕ť̷̪͈ö̸͎̭́̊n̶̹̓͝o̷̱͆̓m̵̮̼̒͑ỹ̶̬͝.

Juvenile Shade Beasts are a rare type of monster that arise from dark areas in places of high mana concentration.

I pause in my steps.

What the hell…

What was that? Does this system think that I don’t exist? Uh… not really sure about that one. I mean I thought I did a fine job showing off how much I exist by screaming in circles when chased by that scorpion.

Whatever the case may be, I’ll have to keep this at the back of my mind. My main objective comes first: To get some water. I’ll keep using identify and camouflage to try and level them up, all while avoiding the dangerous predators. All the same, I keep wandering this forest inside a cave. I can say that the view is pretty nice. It’s dark but the areas are lit up by moss or mushrooms, giving it a kinda neon atmosphere. The grass here also glow, but they are only in areas where the ground is soft enough for it to grow. The mushrooms just seem to grow everywhere it looks like. I wonder where they get their nutrients.

Magic? Magic.

This place only serves to show me how much I don’t know about this world. It sparks an insatiable curiosity within me. I really want to experiment with magic more, but if I don’t stay fit, then I wont survive long enough to experiment.

Is that my goal then? It’s settled. I want to learn magic. That’s my goal.

With newfound resolve, I continue marching on silently through the cavern.

Camouflage has leveled up 2 → 3.

Nice.

-----

…

The scenery here really is something else…

…?

Is that it?

In my view, in the middle of one of the more lush and open areas of the cavern, I see a lake through all of the flora. Around here, the grass reaches high up and covers my vision, not to mention the giant mushrooms that have grown tree-sized. I pick up my pace, pleasantly surprised and satisfied with myself now that I have finally found it.

The trip didn’t feel too tedious at all, as I lost myself immersing in the environment and all of its wonders. It makes me wonder when or if I will ever find a sentient person out here. Well, maybe not in this cave probably. I’d have to go up to the surface for any chance at finding them. Who knows, maybe there is a city above me right now.

The chances would be low, I’d presume. Aside from that, the lake comes clearly in my view. I look around me, searching for any dangers. In the process, I witness the grandeur of my surroundings.

A view impossible to find on Earth: A massive, crystal clear lake in the middle of a cavern, reflecting the lush, bioluminescent flora that surrounds it. To the north, or at least north relative to my position, of the lake is a cliff that stands high above everything else. On the west side of the lake is a river… A river!

Could that by any possible chance lead to the outside?! An escape to this horrible, though admittedly beautiful, landscape?

I’ll have to find out soon.

To the east of the lake is a bunch of monsters, too far away for me to properly identify them. They don’t seem to have noticed me, but with them being that far away, I doubt they pose very much of a threat. I’d keep my eyes open just in case.

I perform one last look around just to make doubly sure that there aren’t any monsters near me. Then I walk close to the lake.

It’s… breathe taking.

Too much for a sheltered individual like me, who’s only experience with nature is the pictures I see on a screen. The water is clear, but at certain angles, it ends up reflecting the cliff in front of me.

A grand sight, definitely once-in-a-lifetime qualifying.

It makes me embarrassed a little, but seeing the lake, I actually break down crying a little. Seeing something like this, after being on edge for so long. It’s the only time I ever felt safe in this cave. All around me were toxic plants or bloodthirsty monsters, but here…

It just feels so serene.

I take a look at myself in the water. I truly am not a human anymore.

So this is what a shade beast is? I’m like a blank figure, shrouded in a haze. My eyes are visible, glowing a soft purple which I’d never noticed before. I try to smile, and I see the zigzag of my lips clearly. I feel like some monster in a horror movie – fitting for the class of “Shade Beast” I guess.

It fills me with a sense of loss, I suppose. To no longer be human anymore, and instead some beast; a monster. Cloaked in shadows.

A premise like that sounds way to edgy to my ears. Totally not cool at all.

I suppose this is who I am now. I wonder how a sentient person would think of me if they saw me. I hope my appearance won't label me as some sort of evil being to them. I remove those thoughts from my mind and put up a smile on my face. I won’t do me any good to think about those things now. I reach my hands into the water.

It feels cold...

Is it safe to drink water from a lake? I don’t know, but I did eat a bunch of bat corpses and dead scorpion before and it was an okay experience. I scoop up water with my hands. I don’t know how I didn’t notice it before but the tips of my fingers actually extend into spikes. Why haven't I noticed that when I was fighting the scorpion? I guess somethings are just overlooked when you’re not thinking straight.

I lift the water up and drink.

Kkk... Kah! Huh… huh.

Stupid. I don’t consume with my mouth. That’s for breathing only.

I form a vortex in my hand now, holding it into the water.

Mmmm… delicious.

Water tastes so much better when you haven’t drunk after walking for hours on end. I let out a laugh. I never went even close to a pool before, and the child within me just wants to have fun in the water.

Like the fourteen year old I am, I dive into the water. Not even realizing I don’t know how to swim.

...I'm such a dummy...