The Antventure Begins

27. Long Roads

Thanks to my last encounter I’m finally starting to gain a little confidence. Perhaps I’ll be able to survive and find my colony after all!

I mean… I’ve always been confident! Heh… Alright then. Time to focus on the next task at hand. Along with my purchase of the Mana Manipulation skill, some knowledge on how to apply it has been planted in my brain.

It’s a little disconcerting to think that purchasing a skill is directly modifying my brain and memories. Exactly how intrusive is this system? I don’t really have the luxury of being able to worry about it, so I push any doubts out of my mind.

According to my new understanding, the Mana absorbed by my body comes from the air and is stored in my monster core. In order to use that Mana, I need to bring it out of my core and shape it. Hence, Mana Manipulation. With this skill I’ll be able to take the first step of using my MP to do something cool.

Time to make an attempt.

When concentrating, the core within me becomes apparent, sitting right in the centre of my midsection. It’s like a tight ball of heat, faintly pulsing with energy. That would be my Mana. Before I attempt to draw it out, I need to have a firm image of what I want to happen.

Something simple for the first attempt. Let’s go with… releasing it as a cloud from my mouth. Just a harmless puff of Mana from the mouth. Easy.

Focusing all of my mental energy on my core, I sink my mind deep within myself. My core is still tiny, probably the size of a grape. I believe I’ll get chances to grow it in the future. My max MP is only ten right now, surely that isn’t enough to do much.

My consciousness locks onto the core and draws within. I feel like I’ve been transported inside a crystal world. Fractal angles reflect off in every direction. Within this space, the Mana is floating lazily, turning in slow circles. Without anything to direct it, this is the state it will maintain.

I can feel the moment when the energy within begins to respond to me. Gradually it begins to move, to flow in the direction of my thoughts. This is so damn hard! Forcing with all of my mental might the Mana reluctantly moves out of my core and through my body.

The force is welling up in my throat like water caught in my oesophagus. Opening my mouth wide a small puff of glowing, transparent gas is released and quickly disperses into the air.

GASP!

That was so frickin’ difficult. I’m exhausted just from that!

I get that my ability to shift Mana is as low as it gets, but I’m completely wrecked after just one harmless puff of Mana. Magic is hard.

Checking my MP consumption, I’ve only used two points. All that effort for only two points is a little depressing.

Nevertheless, the more I practice, the faster my skill Level will rise and the easier it will be to practice, causing the speed of my training to get quicker and quicker. An exponential growth loop. The faster I get through these early Levels, the faster my future my growth will be!

Summoning all my determination, I once again focus my mind on my core, trying to replicate the effect.

HRRRRRNG!

Puff.

Gandalf, this is ridiculous! How did you master these mystic forces? Do I need a beard and staff?

I managed to practice another three times, using all of my Mana. On the last one, my mental energy runs out and I don’t manage to force the Mana outside of my body, causing it to dissipate harmlessly.

I’m so exhausted by this process I decide to have a bit of open-eye to recover. I wish there were some way of knowing how much time has passed. Being born here with a smart phone would be way too convenient.

When I wake up, I assume it hasn’t been that long, maybe three hours. I’m guessing based on how full my stomach feels. Digesting all that croc will take some time.

I’ve also regenerated six out of my ten MP. I won’t bother trying to use it all up until I get back to full. If I were to make another three attempts right now, I’d only be mentally wearing myself down before going out, which is far too risky.

Even after emptying all of my MP practicing, I still haven’t gained a single Level in Mana Manipulation. I can already tell that mastering magic in this world will be a long project.

I can only take on that challenge if I manage to survive. Time to head out and scout!

Emerging from my nest, and taking a little time to conceal the entrance by covering up the hole with some dirt and vegetation puts me at ease. I may not even return to this nest but if I can create a few hiding places as I move around it will only improve my chances of survival.

With that job done, I take a quick note of my surroundings. There doesn’t appear to be any creatures nearby, nor can I detect anything with my antennae. Thankfully, as I’ve been digesting my Biomass, the injured antenna has begun to regrow. If I continue to secure food my sensory organs will be returned to their former glory. At the moment they are only running at about 70% of capacity.

I can’t get too mad about it. There was so much gained from that encounter, the price paid was easily worth it.

The priority for this mission is scouting, not combat. Unless I’m able to identify a truly juicy opportunity, I’ll be passing it up in favour of information gathering.

There’s been enough risk taking for the time being.

Satisfied there isn’t anything nearby, it’s time to move out, keeping low to the ground. The massive cavern is just so wondrous. Such a ridiculous amount of open space under the surface just doesn’t make any sense. I mean, I’m not sure exactly how large underground caves were on Earth, but you could probably fit a city inside here, so long as you lopped the top off the buildings.

It just doesn’t seem possible for it to be natural.

Shifting through the undergrowth, my eyes are constantly focused in all directions. I especially don’t want to be paid a visit by those horrible gargoyles from above.

The terrain in here isn’t completely flat. Here and there are hills and large rock formations reaching up towards the ceiling. It wouldn’t surprise me if many creatures made their homes in these places, nesting in a more secure location will always be safer but also invite competition. Let’s skirt around them for now.

Now that I’m inside such a large space, the weakness of my eyesight is weighing down on me. My compound eyes are fantastic for focusing in all directions at once, protecting me from ambushes, but not good at seeing things far away like a human. Even if the range has been upgraded by my +4 mutations. This means I can’t get a good idea of the whole area at once by looking from a high vantage point, like a tree, or through a clearing in the trees. I have to move and get somewhat close in order to build up a map of what I see in my mind.

[Tunnel Sense has reached Level 4.]

Which is exactly what this skill is useful for. By maintaining my sense of direction, I can get a rough idea of what landmarks are placed where.

About time you Levelled up, Tunnel Sense! Some skills really do take much longer than others to skill up.

Wait—Something’s coming… Possibly something big. It’s vibrating through my feet and antennae. I scan the terrain. The thick, pale mushroom stalks sprout straight out of the rock here and there supporting the multi-coloured caps above them. The strange trees take up spaces between them, their twisted roots creating a gnarled carpet, spreading out from the trunk and piercing into the stone floor.

I can use those!

Instead of running and perhaps getting caught, I’ll need to rely on my Stealth to protect me. This creature could have incredible hearing or sense the air vibrations caused by my running. They could be incredibly fast and chase me down. I just don’t know. Better to hide.

I move to a particularly large tangle of roots and climb through them, concealing myself against the dirt and behind the strange wood. With careful positioning of my head, I’m able to see some of what transpires nearby.

Thud. Thud.

Those heavy footfalls are growing closer and louder. This is definitely a huge monster. When I finally lay eyes on it, I almost pass out.

What the hell is this thing!