9. Voice

“One, and two, and three!”

Slamming down on the grassy soil, I channeled my inner mana into my hands and gushed it out in one sudden burst. The ground responded by sprouting a malformed root that died within a blink of an eye. This spell was pointless; it left me with nothing but a disappointed expression and an ugly stick. Moreover, it was so fragile that the river current would crumble it to dust if I gave it a short dip.

I felt like my arcane heart and mana manipulation had no synergy with plants. Even with all my energy, I can’t keep a single seed alive.

I wasn’t that good at creating water orbs either, as the viscosity was utterly wrong. It was presumably due to them being a mixture of water and pure mana. Sure it was effective when used as a second skin, but once I stop leaking mana, it’ll lose its purpose.

My most impressive invention was the stone pillar I used to kill the insect. It works surprisingly well if you use your opponent's momentum; however, it has downsides. Not only does it consume excessive mana, but it also decays when I stop feeding it, not to mention its preparation time.

Yet another month has passed, and I’ve shown little to no improvement. Nothing had changed stat-wise as I hadn’t learned any new spells nor defeated any enemies. Although I didn’t want to admit it, I began craving that sweet notice whenever my stats improved.

So far, I’ve visited the Caretaker four times after our first meeting; adding the four months I spent before walking and a few prior to awakening, my body should be nearing age one. I was a little blue, realizing I couldn’t celebrate my first birthday, but I have probably had hundreds of them in my past life. So missing a few shouldn't matter much.

There were about 25 days until my next visit through that boring two-hour walk. The last time I went there, I noticed another pathway a few minutes after turning right.

I’ve wanted to investigate it since I saw it, and since I was hardly progressing anyway, there isn't any better time than now.

Walking toward the exit and effortlessly pulling myself out was something that still made me smile, even after all these months. It reminded me of the hardships I had and will overcome, even if they were fundamental. From being unable to crawl to practicing to conjure magic, I was on the right path, although I was stuck and unable to progress at the moment.

From here, it was easy as I memorized this entire network. However, I was still amazed that this enormous cave system was just a foyer. Just visualizing the deepest depths of the Rift sent me a pang of uneasiness through my veins. What awaited on the other side if the creatures here were considered weak yet could effortlessly murder two combat-experienced adults? I should probably have asked the Caretaker to describe them more detailedly, but strength was what I needed now; information comes later.

Approaching the two-hour-long tunnel, I rubbed my hand against the chilly stone wall, signaling the Caretaker of my location in case something happened. But, of course, I still won’t be reckless with her protection.

I kept my hand on her strands as I turned right as I couldn’t be too cautious. She instructed me to infuse them with mana if caught in a pinch. Supposedly, her strings should slam around, obliterating everything while guarding the source of mana which was me. I was honestly a bit more worried about how safe that was, considering she used the words: obliterating everything. Also, having felt her aghast and unparalleled power, I wouldn't be shocked if she genuinely turned this place into a wasteland.

This pathway had the same familiar shape but was slightly larger and surprisingly brighter. There were no illuminating flowers or crystals, so the dim but definitely existing light source was a mystery. It was as if the air and space glimmered in a violet glare.

In the distance, fierce growls sounded that reminded me of acid puppies. Was there another group of them, or was it something else? Perhaps a different race? Either way, it's better to be safe. If they noticed me, I would be on my toes, ready to immediately surge the strands with mana.

As I ventured deeper in, the path split in two. The occasional growls came from the broader right tunnel while the deafening silence manifested in the other. These life decisions were beginning to stress me out, and I bet one of them was my impending doom. The left side was probably safe, but I still suspect creatures who can mask themselves astonishingly well inhabit there. In that case, I was more than screwed. Since I was supposed to be cautious in exploring, I forbade taking any chances, even though creatures populated the right path.

“Well, the right way is always right,” I mumbled, still keeping my hands on the wall.

The frigid, rough surface was irritating, and I had to swap hands every few minutes. In addition, the atmosphere was getting colder the deeper I went, and of course, the growls echoed louder. Something about the growl was off, though. Sure it had the dreadful sound of an acid puppy’s iconic bark, but there was only one of them. In my experience, they would rarely bark alone unless something had happened.

I picked up the pace and let go of the wall as it started to hurt but still stayed within an arm's reach. Did it hurt itself, or was it scared of something? Its growls, though, expressed neither pain nor fear and sounded neutral instead, as if it barked for fun.

Finally, I arrived at the bizarre growls as a room eliminating a cobalt blue haze came into sight after a sharp left turn. Creeping closer, a shadow of a frail humanoid with a hunched back appeared. It seemed to have noticed me, but it didn’t care as the same growls didn’t stop. Calming down my shaking body, I peeked my head anxiously into the room on the count of three.

An acid puppy, dead for at least a few weeks, lay on the ground with something sitting atop mimicking its voice.

A creature so thin that its bones were visible through its grey fur stared at me with its blinding blue eyes, the only features on its faceless head. It moved its arms uncannily, which would generally be impossible for the human joints. Then approaching me arrhythmically, a mouth ripped open out of the skin on its face and released an awfully familiar voice.

“There… it is. Stay… here. Mommy will be back.”

The words paralyzed my body as mingles of fear, hatred, and confusion engulfed my consciousness. Then, tripping backward with chattering teeth and an overflowing mind, the monster staggered over me, still forcing eye contact. Its mouth had formed six large dislocated teeth and a twitching chameleon tongue wrapped around its right arm.

Biting my lip until it bled, I regained control, immediately forming a water sphere and hurling it with all my might. It hit the creature's face; as expected, it didn’t even cause a scratch, but it was worth an attempt.

I got into a battle-ready stance, equipping my [Revitalizing Claws] and coating myself in my self-invented mana and water skin. It was finally time to test my new skills out on a target. Bloodlust was the only feeling racing in my mind as I relentlessly approached the monster. I wouldn't beg the Caretaker for help unless I were dying. Its life needed to be ended by my hand.

Aiming my dagger-like claws at its neck, I swung my arm in a right hook. It responded by blocking my attack with its arm, nearly getting it cut off.

I immediately ripped my claws out when a slimy sensation swallowed them. Its arm regenerated outrageously quickly, forming bubbly flesh, then gradually returning to its original shape. With that level of regeneration, I had to fight smart if I wanted to defeat it.

What were its abilities? What was its fighting style? That’s the first thing I needed to figure out, but that wasn’t an easy task. It constantly ambled closer as I backed off, and it never tried to attack but only defended. Its neck may be the weak point since it blocked it instinctively. If so, how can I get through his ever-recovering body?

When the monster was just within my arm's reach, I retracted my blades and crossed my arms over my face. As expected, without the presence of my revitalizing claws, it didn’t raise its arms to block. Then leaning forward, I sliced downward with one swift motion, activating my blades and digging two deep wounds in its neck. Persisting in my massacre, I could feel my revitalizing claws meeting in the middle. About to deal the killing blow, the words of someone I had long forgotten spewed from its mouth.

“Let them go, Kyrios.”

My arms stopped as memories recollected from the voice. Then, lost in thought, I accidentally drew back my claws and received a heavy blow to my stomach, knocking me unconscious across the room.

That voice was…