Alex slowly woke up to the pleasant sound of birds singing in the trees around him. A warm gentle breeze flowed over him. Taking a deep breath of the deep earthy smell that surrounded him, he lay on his back, not quite wanting to get up. The gentle creaking of the branches above him lulling him away from full wakefulness. With a small groan, Alex sat up and stretched up his arms, yawning. When he opened his eyes, the same wooded landscape greeted him that he went to bed in. Well, didn’t fall through another rip in the universe when I was asleep, so today is looking up. He ran his hands through his short cropped hair, picking out a few errant twigs and leaves that had gotten stuck during the night. Alex reached for his pocket to eat a few berries before starting his day, only to find a large gaping hole in the side of his pants.

Looking down at his pants, he saw the ragged hole where his pocket was supposed to be, stained a dark purple from the berries that had been there before he went to bed. Well, fudgen heck, he cursed, frowning at his leg. I guess I’m going to have to scavenge breakfast today.

Sighing, Alex swung his legs over the side of his bed and sank his toes into the soft earth of the forest floor. I really need some shoes. He glanced at his sheets or at least something to cover my feet. Sighing again, he started pulling up one of his sheets, ready to turn them into some sort of foot wraps. Using his teeth to rip the sheet into long bands, he then started to wrap them around his feet. It took him a while to figure out the best way of covering them. Not too tight, but also secure enough not to fall off. When he was done, he had a pair of possible footwraps, made from a dark blue of his sheet. Well, if it works it works Alex shrugged. Now, off to find some berries.

Without the constant need to check the ground in front of his vulnerable toes, searching through the forest was a much more enjoyable experience than last time. Now he could spend more time looking around at the massive trees, with their gnarled bark and the vines that twisted up around them. He had to push down a craving for mushrooms as he saw a hoard of fungi consuming the corpse of a titan of a tree laying on the forest floor. Not wanting to get close to probably mutant magical mushrooms, Alex decided to give the dead tree a wide berth.

As he continued his trek through the forest, he started to notice the trees around him shrink a bit and grow further apart, letting more and more sunlight through their canopy. Am I getting to the edge of the forest? He wondered as he walked, an odd feeling he couldn't place tugging at his gut

Suddenly he saw the forest thinning up ahead and walked out of the tree line into a clearing. For the first time since getting dropped into this forest, Alex could see the sky completely. Above him, he saw whisps of clouds drift softly through the blue sky. A single sun shone down from above. Hmmm, not too different from home, I guess. Scanning the clearing, Alex immediately saw something standing roughly in the center

A large boulder sat surrounded only by rough dirt and a few scraggly bushes. He could see a few patches of what looked like stone tiles peeking through the earth. Odd, softly glowing crystals seemed to be growing off of it in random directions. Staring at it, Alex felt a soft pulling sensation in his gut. Frowning, he slowly started to circle the clearing, staying away from the strange rock formation in the center

What the heck is that? Maybe it’s magical? He started getting excited at the thought of anything dealing with magic. Odd glowing rock in the middle of a forest, that sounds magical. He started to make his way slowly towards it. Something that you should definitely stay away from. He edged closer, feeling the strange pulling in his gut getting stronger as he got nearer

Ignoring the sensation in favor of looking at the magic rock, Alex got within touching distance of it. About three feet high, and twice that wide, the stone looked roughly circular, besides the crystal growths. Now that he was closer, he could see odd lines carved into the stone, with the crystals following them. The groves shimmered slightly in the sunlight as if they were filled with liquid metal, pulsing with a soft blue light, almost like a heartbeat. As the lines lit up, Alex felt a similar response in the pit of his stomach. An almost painful sensation of something being pulled out of himself

Backing up a little, now that his curiosity was satisfied, Alex tried to puzzle out what was going on. It’s definitely magical in some way, shape or from. And it’s pulling something...

Smacking himself on his head, Alex pulled up his status page. Looking at his mana, he saw that it showed 7/12. Of course, it’s pulling mana into itself. Should have figured that out before. He squinted at the boulder; I wonder how it's doing that. Maybe it's those markings on it? And the crystals? Could they be powering it, like a battery?

All these questions bounced around inside his head as he studied the rock formation. Another pulse from the rock sent the same queasiness to his stomach, though it was slightly less than last time. I bet that's the feeling of my mana being sucked out, he thought as he looked at his status, seeing his mana drop a point. Definitely doesn't feel good

He inched closer to the center of the clearing, avoiding any of the patches of stone sticking up out of the otherwise flat landscape. As neared the stone, he could almost feel a strange distortion in the air around it, getting stronger the closer he got, now that he wasn’t entirely focused on the stone. He paused for a second, puzzled by this new sensation. He moved his hand through the air, but nothing seemed to be physically different, just an odd feeling. Almost like he was struggling to breathe, but when he took a breath, it came in fine. With another pulse, Alex felt the same pulling sensation deep within. Looking at his mana, it showed 5/12

Hmmm, only two points every time? That’s not too bad. Thinking to himself, Alex sat down on the ground, about 5 feet from the boulder. I could stay here for a little longer then. I don’t think I want to find out what happens when it drops to zero. Probably something bad.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Alex started to focus deep within himself. Now, if I could only sense what was being pulled away, maybe I could use my mana! He thought excitedly to himself. That’s probably the reason why I couldn't throw fireballs around before. I couldn’t even feel my own magic.

Hoping his reasoning was sound, he closed his eyes, focusing in on himself, trying to see if he could feel more than just an unease when his mana got reduced. He tried to calm himself, breathing slowly in and out, but his mind began to spin around aimlessly instead, thinking of all the things that could go wrong with what he was doing instead of focusing

Starting to feel like it was a bad idea, Alex was almost about to get up and sprint to the edge of the clearing. All of a sudden, he felt the familiar pull in his gut and he immediately zeroed in on it, trying to sense anything else. Straining his mind, Alex began to think he could feel something flowing out of his chest and into the air away from himself. Something that streamed through the air and mixed with it like the wisps of steam rising up from a boiling pot. He could feel a faint connection to those streams as if they were still connected to him even though they were steadily being drawn towards the stone

You have gained the skill

[Mana Sense] (Uncommon) lvl 1

10 XP gained

His focus was broken by a blue screen popping up in front of his face. He blinked it away, trying to regain his focus on what he assumed was his manna. Alex closed his eyes again, searching out with his mind for the wisps of energy that had drifted from his chest. As he did, he started to notice smaller streams that felt similar to the ones that had come off of himself in the air around him, all flowing towards the center of the clearing. He could only sense them in a small radius around him, but to his eyes, the ever flowing, hypnotic patterns of these wisps were awe inspiring.

He sat there stunned, just gazing out with his newfound senses until the familiar pulling sensation shook him from his trance. He again saw the streams of energy flow out from his chest and into the air, before disappearing from his senses. As they drifted away, Alex reached out his hand to try and grab them, but they just passed through his fingers.

Frowning, Alex got to his feet, only to sway a bit as he suddenly got lightheaded. Feeling a bit queasy and nauseous, he started to quickly walk away from the clearing, into the woods, trying to put a bit of distance between himself and the magical boulder. As he entered the shade of the trees, he started to feel a little bit better. On a hunch, he pulled up his status

Status

Name

Alexander White

Race

Demon (Human)

Class

-

Level

1 (20%)

Titles:

Marked by The Serpent

Health

11/11

Mana

1/12

Stamina

6/7

Attributes

Vitality

11

Toughness

9

Endurance

7

Wisdom

12

Vigor

7

Presence

7

Agility

11

Intelligence

14

Strength

8

Willpower

9

Attribute points

0

He immediately noticed his mana was down to 1. Well, that can’t be good, I’m glad I got out of there before it dropped lower. Probably would not be a fun experience. Looking over the rest of his status, he noticed the percentage next to his level had jumped up to a 20% Nice! Slowly getting there! Maybe risking death by sitting next to that rock was a good thing. Maybe I should go there again. He looked at his mana. Once my mana fills up again.

Running his hand through his hair, Alex wondered how long it would take for his mana to recharge. My stamina went up by itself when I went to bed. Maybe my health, mana, and stamina recover by sleeping? A pang of hunger reminded him of his original goal for today. I’ll just keep an eye on it for now. Circling around the clearing, Alex began his search for breakfast once again, now quite hungry.

Alex stumbled through the forest, growing hungrier the longer he walked. He felt as if he had been wandering the same patch of the forest for hours now, and he probably had. After leaving the clearing, he had meandered aimlessly in search of something edible. Remembering not to stray too far away from where his bed had been dropped, Alex had begun to circle back to where he had started. Now he was tromping through what felt like the same patch of forest, hoping to run into the bushes he had found before that had the berries on them.

He leaned up against a tree to take a rest, feet sore from all the walking. As he did, he thought he could hear a strange sound. Cocking his head to the side, Alex tried to listen in on the noise. As he strained, he could make out a soft quiet burbling sound coming from his left. Curious, he cautiously made his way around a few bushes and trees, following the sound. As he got closer, he started to feel the temperature cool a bit. Looking ahead, he could spot something glistening in the sun.

Pushing through the last bit of forest, Alex finally got a good view of what was making the sound he had been following. Meandering through the forest was a clear stream of water, only a few feet across. The water flowed over a bed of polished river stones, a few trees drooped their leaves into the stream. Insects buzzed above, while Alex could see a few birds flitting through the branches above. Seeing all that water reminded him of how thirsty he was.

He made his way down to the bank of the small stream, and carefully crouched down. Cupping his hands, he dipped them into the cool waters. A cloud of dirt bloomed to the surface as the running water cleaned off a bit of grime he had collected over the past few days. Shaking his hands under the water to clean them off, Alex brought up a handful of water to his mouth. He paused a second, his rational mind taking over for a second. Wait, is this safe to drink? He thought for a second, I think running water is okay to drink from, right? Maybe I should just take a small sip first.

He slowly took a sip of the water in his hands. He spat out a bit of silt that had gotten into his mouth. It tastes pretty much fine, though kind of different from what I’m used to. He sipped a bit more. Though it seems fine to drink from. As he bent down to get another handful of water, a blue box sprung into his vision.

Proficiency gained

[Survival] lvl 1 => lvl 2

10 XP Gained

He dismissed it, surprised. I guess I do get experience when I level up a skill. Alex remembered that he had only gotten 5 XP when he had gained level 1 [Survival]. Huh, and it looks like it gives more XP at a higher level. Is it double each time? That would be nice. It went from 5 to 10 so it does look like it might. I’d make it to level 2 in no time.

Smiling at his discovery, Alex continued to sip from the river, not realizing how thirsty he was until he started drinking. After finally quenching his thirst, he stood up, whipping his mouth on his sleeve as he did so. Now, if I could only find some berries, this would be a perfect morning. He took a quick look up at the sky and corrected himself. Morning and afternoon.

Alex decided to follow the river, letting it act as a guide for his continued exploration. He continuously scanned the underbrush for anything that looked like a berry. Occasionally he would look up at the branches above, hoping to find an apple tree or something similar. Not finding any berries or fruit, Alex did find a nice size fallen branch that he decided to make his walking stick.

Whistling a little as he walked, Alex enjoyed the calm soothing sounds of the rippling river next to him and the gentle swaying of branches overhead. Even though he hadn't found any food, he still felt content just walking in the shade of the forest. He rounded a bend in the river and stopped in his tracks.

A large creature was standing in the stream, its back towards Alex. He could hear loud slurping sounds as it greedily drank from the water. Standing on four massive legs, the creature slowly ambled forwards, making large waves in its wake, stopping again to drink. Its dark green fur dripped with water, as what looked like brambles covered its back, sprouting from its shoulders.

Keeping his eyes on the creature in front of him, Alex slowly started to edge backward. He didn’t dare look away, afraid that if he did, the creature would notice and charge at him. As he slowly moved back, not looking at where he was going, his foot caught on a root, causing him to stumble. Losing his balance, he landed hard on his butt.

Scrabbling to his feet, Alex shot a glance at the creature in the middle of the stream. He saw it tilt its head, as it swung around to look behind itself. Four eyes glared at Alex, two large ones centered on either side of its squashed snout, while two more glowered from the sides of its head. It opened its mouth, and Alex saw sharp-looking fangs. It let out a monstrous roar that shook the leaves around it, reverberating in Alex’s skull. Rearing up on its hind legs, it towered far over Alex’s head, and he could swear that he saw its eyes begin to glow a dull, angry red.

Alex bolted away from the stream and into the woods. Thunderous footfalls told him that whatever that thing wasn’t far behind. He could hear it slam into trees, ripping through bushes and saplings. Pure panic fueled his mad dash through the forest, scrabbling over rocks and sprinting around the underbrush. His breath began to turn ragged as he pumped his legs faster than he had ever run. He almost ran into a tree as a notification popped up in front of his face

You have gained the skill

[Run] (inferior) lvl 1

1 XP gained

Not now! He mentally screamed at the box, and it disappeared. He spared a look behind him and saw the lumbering form of the monster closing in, its lips pulled back into a snarl.

He swerved to avoid the tree and kept running. I...wish...I....tried...harder...in....gym he thought as his muscles began to scream at him for the abuse he was giving them. Trying his best to ignore their cries for him to stop, he continued sprinting for his life.

A small part of his brain began to recognize the surrounding forest, spotting a massive dead tree off to one side. A small plan started to form in the back of his mind as he continued to run. Just need to get there

He spared a glance behind him, and saw the monster rip through a large tree, its claws glowing a deep green. It let loose another roar, causing Alex to stumble as he ran, losing his footing. With a cry, Alex pitched forwards in a tangle of limbs, thumping into loose rocks and the occasional root.

Looking up, he saw the terrifying maw of the monster bearing down on him. A massive claw swung through the air down at him. His mind went into full panic mode, as Alex managed to roll out of the way of the strike. The claw smashed down into the earth next to his face, sending a spray of dirt and broken rocks all around. One caught the side of Alex’s head, making him grimace at the pain.

He scrambled to his feet as the monster reared up for another strike. Not having enough time to look behind him, Alex set off in a dead sprint. A faint whistling sound came from behind as he felt the wind of a missed strike buffet his back. Not pausing to contemplate how insanely strong a swipe would have to be to do that, Alex continued to run. His only thought was to get to the clearing that he had been to earlier. His whole world was consumed by that one idea. Get to the clearing.

With burning lungs, aching feet, and blood dripping down the side of his face, Alex burst into the familiar clearing, the large stone boulder sitting in the middle. Behind him, the trees shuddered as the massive bulk of the creature came barreling through.

Panting, Alex stood a few feet away from the central stone, ignoring the pulling sensation as it pulsed behind him. He could see large streams of mana roll off the monstrous form that was charging at him. He tensed his legs, ready to dive out of the way when the monster came at him. Come on now, please work, he prayed as the sun was blotted out from the bulk of the creature. It reared up on its hind legs, momentum carrying the last few feet to Alex. As it began to slam its massive claw down on him, Alex dove out of the way, revealing the stone behind him.

Unable to stop itself, the monster barreled into the boulder, spraying chips of crystals into the air. As it did, Alex could see a torrent of energy get pulled away from the creature, into the stone. The mana was so intense he could see it with his own eyes instead of sensing it.

Alex lay on the ground, gasping for breath, looking up at the massive, unmoving form of the creature sprawled on top of the boulder. All four of its eyes rolled back, exposing the whites. He sat there stunned, note to self, don't touch the rock.