Slowly, cautiously like an uncertain adult stepping on thin cracking ice, I immersed myself, meditating and focusing on the mana currents surrounding me, sometimes swift like a stream, and other times slow like the lazy flow of a river. My senses faded, cutting me off from the surrounding world, while my awareness of mana grew drastically. I had never immersed myself this deeply nor allowed myself such a wide view of the magical reality around me.

  And although the pressure was rising quickly, and a mighty force threatened to pull me into the abyss and crush me like the fading rays of the setting sun, thanks to [Iron Will], I not only managed to resist this terrifying force, but also to gain a little stability, allowing me to take a broader view of the power flowing around me. In this constant effort, I felt like a wrestler fighting a stronger opponent, only able to temporarily overcome it due to sheer willpower.

  The key word here was "temporarily."

  Because I wasn’t sure how long I would be able to hold on at this depth. Why did comparisons to the ocean and diving seem most appropriate? Well, because the vastness and power of the ocean best matched what I was observing around me.

  Surrounded by streams of mana from all sides, I tried to find a balance that would give me enough stability to observe the flows of power, and if not fully understand them, at least open the gates hiding its nature.

  It was somewhat like having to juggle balls while maintaining balance on a rope suspended above an abyss.

  Possible, but damn difficult.

  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take a glimpse of this magnificent new world because just when I thought I had stabilized enough to focus deeper on my magical surroundings, I felt myself slipping deeper, losing control, and slowly succumbing to the immense pressure trying to pull me further down.

  Panicking and let’s not kid ourselves, full of desperation, I exerted all my strength to pull myself out of the depths. It was a desperate fight that ended in victory for me, a sweet, sweet victory. And when I returned to the gray, though vividly colorful reality, the first feeling was an unmasked relief combined with a few deep breaths.

  It was truly damn dangerous.

  But did it make me stop my further attempts to deepen my knowledge and abilities?

  Of course not!

  That’s why, continuing my practice every day, I also returned to that unknown yet so alluring depth to discover its secrets. And though it was a difficult task, almost Sisyphean, I began to notice slow progress. I found it easier to maintain my balance, stayed in it longer, and although the struggle against the abyss pulling me in was not easier, it also provided a thrilling rush.

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  I began to seriously worry that I was becoming a mana junkie.

  Especially since my efforts also had an impact on my mana perception and manipulation abilities. Although I was still only able to sense mana close to my body, I needed less and less focus on it, and it was slowly, but inevitably becoming as natural as walking. I still had to consciously use this sense, but as soon as I thought about it, I could continue my day without the constant effort of maintaining this ability.

  Mana manipulation, unfortunately, didn’t progress as quickly, though it was easier for me to pull a strand of mana from its stream and even move it around my hand or focus it into a swirling disk, even if only for a moment.

  So, I was pleased with my decision and effort and promised myself that once I stabilized and relatively mastered deep meditation and, as a result, the perception and control over mana, I would begin experiments with mana absorption.

  Thus, full of optimism and enthusiasm, I once again plunged into meditation.

  This time, however, after stabilizing, I noticed that the constant feeling of pressure pulling me deeper seemed to fade, and full of hope, I focused my attention on observing the magical reality for the first time with greater awareness. It was magnificent, like witnessing the first sunrise of my life. The beauty and power of the world around me overwhelmed and simultaneously intoxicated me.

  I was surrounded by a familiar landscape of the cave, though so different. Places of mana concentration, like luminescent flowers, mushrooms, or fruits, glowed like the remnants of a fire on a dark night, and the familiar bluish crystals, being the largest concentration of mana, were like stars in a cloudless night sky, and though I couldn’t focus on them for long, the mana whirlpools swirling around them made everything take my breath away.

  It was a world so alien, with its own currents and eddies, its own rules, yet so close to this real world that I felt a deep sense of dissonance. It was as if I couldn’t fully reconcile these two realities. But gradually, as time passed, which I had completely lost track of, both realities seemed to grow closer, as if my mind was trying to accept their difference and reconcile the two worlds, like reflections in a warped mirror. The only difference was that I wasn’t sure which of these reflections was closer to the truth.

  Or perhaps both were simply part of the whole, each true, but incomplete.

  I smiled at this thought; it was for some reason soothing.

  I relaxed and once again looked at the surrounding image, and my mind absorbed the view, accepting its nature.

  And then, in an instant, a cold stream passed through my body and mind. It was the most intense yet brief sensation I had experienced so far. And when it subsided, the image of the magical reality literally exploded with details and colors that I had not noticed before. Panicked, I immediately returned to reality, realizing one important fact.

  That constant feeling of pressure pulling me into the depths and suffocating my consciousness had completely vanished.

  Certain that this had something to do with my status, I looked at my window to see unexpected changes.

  Name: Eryk

  Race: Human

  Rank: Rare

  Body: Lesser

  Mind: Awakened

  Soul: Lesser

  Mana Core: None

  Aura Veins: None

  Traits:

  [Instinctive Fighter]

  Skills:

  [Alerted] (Basic)

  [Iron Will] (Basic)

  Well i'll be damned.