Chapter Ten: Understanding

The foreign energy seeps through my pores, but it originates deeper inside.

I ignore the scent of my burning flesh and instead turn my attention inward. Through the feeling of my scorched fingertips, I follow the foreign energy as it branches out through my entire hand and up my arm. It is impossible to sense just how many avenues the energy seeps through, but I can tell that it doesn’t travel through my bones or veins.

The difficulty grows as I try to look farther, but I remember my objective and instead focus on my hand as a whole. I trace the lines with my thoughts and attempt to map out the network that the radiation seeps out of. I keep trying to look deeper, but my concentration cannot breach the lines to feel what is inside. That’s not good enough though so I sharpen my concentration even more. Something begins to drip onto my hand and sizzle due to the temperature, but I ignore it and slip deeper into my own mind.

At this point, the radiation is in the way of me identifying what runs through the lines, so I change tactics and overcharge <Emit> in tiny but powerful bursts rather than the constant stream I had been naturally using beforehand. The entire process of controlling <Emit> is strange and difficult, but for some reason it is easier to understand than my other skills. Maybe it has something to do with it being a starting skill, but I really don’t know.

As the skill fires off again and again in order to expel the foreign energy, I can finally feel glimpses of something inside the thin lines. I strain my mind to focus on the fleeting wisps of energy until I suddenly realize where the hidden energy is coming from.

It’s my nerves.

Before I let my thoughts run wild and ruin my concentration, I try something new. Since it is apart of my body, I assume the energy must react to my will. The fact it lies within the information web that my brain sends out orders to just cements my beliefs. So, without using <Emit>, I try to pull on the energy with the help of <Cogitation>. Almost as natural as moving any of my limbs, I feel the energy respond to my call and pour into my hand.

I strain my mind to push it further out of my body, but it proves to be too much for me to handle and I slip out of my concentration abruptly and collapse to the ground. I didn’t realize it before, but I am absolutely covered in sweat, and I have a raging nosebleed that pours down my face and onto my chest. Gasping for air, I feel like my entire body is buzzing, but a smile works its way across my face as notifications continue to ring in my head. Despite my wish to check them immediately, I instead get into a more comfortable position and lie there for a minute while I try to organize my thoughts.

The hidden energy runs from my nerve endings and up throughout my nervous system. The same nerve endings that were irreparably damaged during my treatments. I guess it makes sense that they were healed with the rest of my body when I started putting points in BDY. It makes me wonder why I haven’t been able to feel the new energy at all then. I imagine it would feel starkly different than normal, right?

Well, I suppose it has been a while since I was able to feel much of anything before I woke up in the cave, so that along with the radiation my body exudes could explain why I hadn’t noticed a change.

Something finally dawns on me.

“You got to be kidding me.” I mutter aloud.

I quickly open a part of my status to confirm my theory.

Condition: Mana Mutation [Permanent]

It had been staring at me right in the face the entire time. The ‘hidden energy’ I felt was mana. That must mean that whatever the mutation my mana has is somehow causing the foreign energy to be produced. I can’t believe I had been so dumb. Mana… of course.

“This place really is like a video game.”

I let out a snort in the face of my own ignorance before finally pulling up the notifications that have been waiting for me.

< Cogitation Lvl. 6 -> Cogitation Lvl. 7 >

< Cogitation Lvl. 7 -> Cogitation Lvl. 8 >

< Emit Lvl. 5 -> Emit Lvl. 6 >

< Cogitation Lvl. 8 -> Cogitation Lvl. 9 >

< You have learned the skill: Mana Control >

< Mana Control Lvl. 0 -> Mana Control Lvl. 1 >

< Mana Control Lvl. 1 -> Mana Control Lvl. 2 >

< You have received a new quest. >

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

My excitement rises as I look through the fruits of my labor. I got a new skill and almost reached level 10 with <Cogitation>. I’m surprised to receive a level in <Emit>, but I guess the system recognized my new method of using the skill in short bursts as some sort of breakthrough. Deciding to shelve that information for later, I move on from the notifications and instead take a look at the new quest I was given.

[Quests]

<Floor Objective>

1. Reach the Valley OR 2. Finish what was started

<Reward>

-Entry to Floor Two

-Access to Forum

-Common Gear of Choice

<Side Objective>