Each type of magic has its own unique properties, none more so than mind magic. Each person, magically oriented or not, has a natural aura that shields them from magical effects. It would take as much energy to rip a breath of air from a person’s lungs as it would to create an F2 tornado.

  Some may point to magical aids as an example of aura infiltration. Artifacts, potions, and runes operate by blending with a person’s aura, not fighting it.

  Some magics can penetrate the aura of a person with overwhelming force, but mind magic is the only known magic that can affect a person and manipulate a person despite the natural resistance of an aura. There are limits: auras can be trained to defend against mind magic, but these unique properties are only a few of the reasons many researchers focus on mind magic in their experiments.

  -Traveler’s guild, report on mind magic from Hortis

  Only half an hour has passed since I entered the sewer. In the time I was gone, each of my teammates found a comfortable place to lounge far away from the entrance. Kurt found a nice log he had hacked into a seat, while Benjamin and Olivia lounged on the cart.

  I wave over to my teammates, but they keep their distance as Benjamin throws a waterskin at my feet. Confused, I look down at the waterskin on the ground and my unmoving teammates, sitting beside each other fifteen feet away.

  Processing the situation, I notice Kurt has specifically placed another log that he hacked up on the far side of the clearing, far away from them. I look at the chair sitting only a few feet from the entrance and then back to my friends. Kurt helpfully motions for me to take a seat.

  “Why did you place the log way over here?” I ask, eyeing the guilty, chagrined looks of my group.

  “Oh well, wouldn’t want you to have to walk so far. After working so hard in the dungeon, you should take a seat in the nice chair I carved for you.” Kurt says while scratching the back of his head.

  My eyes narrow. “I should probably scoot closer to talk.” I move over to pick up the makeshift wood seat.

  Olivia waves away my comment.

  “That’s ok, I can hear you from here,” Olivia says with a strained grin.

  I frown as I cock my head and say, “You know you’ll have to go into the sewer too, and I’m doing this so you can stay safe.”

  “I greatly appreciate your sacrifice… from over there,” Olivia says while giving a thumbs up.

  I shake my head in bemused exasperation. I inform the group about the numerous dire rats and other creatures in the sewers. I also explain the strange dead rats with mushrooms growing from their bodies.

  Right as I finish my story, Morgana drags the pulped body of the mushrooms-ridden corpse by its tail in the middle so everyone can get a good look. While everyone looks at the rat’s corpse, my eyes lock onto Morgana’s fingers that are liberally coated in blood, but the claws from before are nowhere in sight.

  “Strange, you said you only found these in tunnels, but not the intersections or general waterways?” Benjamin said, rubbing his chin. “If someone were trying to kill the pests, it would make more sense to plant the mushrooms at the intersections, where there is more foot traffic.”

  “Do you think it’s some kind of marker to a hideout? Like breadcrumbs… toxic breadcrumbs?” Kurt asks.

  Benjamin shakes his head. “I think the mushrooms are being used to keep a clear path to the front of the sewer, but they don’t care if the rest of the sewers are infested. Not sure if choosing the rats to grow the mushrooms means anything, but they are probably just the easiest to grab.”

  Benjamin kneels to examine the remains, cutting back some of the still intact mushrooms with a long knife.

  “It’s kind of hard to tell with the body as pulped as it is, but it looks like something killed this rat, cut it open, and grew the mushrooms inside. The strangest part is that there are only a few lacerations, so either they died in a few precise hits or the damage was less physical and more internal. If our enemy had some type of disease artifact, the mushrooms would be everywhere; instead, they’re concentrated on these wounds that are clearly lacerations. The rat looks like it was killed by these scorch marks here. Based on how localized they are, I think it was lightning.” Benjamin points out each of his findings with his knife.

  “You think he’s a lightning mage?” Olivia asks with a serious face.

  Benjamin nods before continuing. “That’s what I think is the most likely, but I doubt a lightning mage could live in a sewer; there’s not much wind and fire. The mage could have some kind of mana source in the tunnels, but that would be noticeable. Gleam or Storm is more likely. I doubt the mage is a gleam since they would need fire and light, and they would be even more disadvantaged.”

  I see Olivia grimace at his statement, but he continues, lost in thought, “…but since storm mages have affinity in water and wind, they should have plenty of natural mana in the area.”

  Confused, I ask, “Wait, I get how there is supposed to be water mana, but why would there be wind mana underground?”

  Olivia turns to answer. “Wind mana and Earth mana are opposites like Water and Fire. There are, of course, dual mages who can use both, but most of their spell forms take advantage of their natural repulsion.

  “Wind mana is injected into the sewers by the city to thin out the Earth mana. While keeping anything from spawning under the city would be impossible, this keeps Earth affinity monsters from growing too dangerous too fast. The process doesn’t add much wind mana, but it’s enough to keep a low level of wind mana throughout the sewer.”

  “Wait, why don’t they push light and fire mana down there, too?” I ask.

  “Wind mana is easy to inject into a sewer grate. All you need to do is create a wind flow, and the mana will naturally disperse the earth mana, but fire would be very costly to keep fueled, and light mana will not travel far from the light source.

  “…it’s possible to use fragile mirrors to inject light throughout the dungeon, but it’s a lot of work just to weaken monsters a little bit. It becomes a question of how much it will cost the estate against what the advantage to the estate is. It’s much cheaper to send a team of adventurers on a contracted quest once a year and has the added advantage of strengthening the city’s adventurers.” Olivia explains.

  The conversation lulls as I watch Benjamin continue to poke and investigate the remains.

  Curious about the mushrooms, I ask. “Can you tell anything about the mushrooms? Do they cause paralysis or poison damage?”

  Benjamin shakes his head. “If I had time and an alchemy kit, or if we had time to experiment on a few live rats, I could find out, but that would take too long. We don’t have enough sleep powder to keep the guards knocked out for that long.”

  “So, we think we are facing a storm mage who uses mushrooms? …and they are some kind of alchemist?” I summarize.

  Olivia clarifies, “It could be that there are multiple mages. A storm mage and a dual affinity user of earth and water, called an ooze mage. Ooze mages can create poison, acid, or disease-type attacks. I doubt there’s an ooze dual affinity mage since it would be easy for an ooze mage to melt the bars on the grate to escape, and no one wants to live in a sewer if they can help it.”

  Despite being well before noon, as a group, we decided that we wanted to spend the rest of the day prepping. I take a quick bath, not at a bathhouse, but at the inn. Benjamin sets up a few traps in the dungeon to grab some rats.

  He ends up catching two, which he gave the mushrooms. It won’t be as informative as doing alchemical analysis or a few days to study the full effects, but it would give us a general idea. It turns out the mushrooms give a form of partial paralysis. While a rat didn’t die from the mushrooms, I can see why the rats in the sewer would want to avoid the toxic mushrooms.

  While Benjamin works with the rats, Kurt and Olivia spent the rest of the day buying supplies ranging from tonics that will give us poison resistance to armbands. The armbands are simple leather straps that give lightning resistance. I ask them about the poison resistance tonic, considering they were adamantly against buying poison resistance armor.

  Kurt explains, “Paralysis is extra nasty and fast-acting. Using potions or armor to combat low-level poison damage or low-level monsters that use poison is problematic, but you want as much resistance as possible when dealing with fast-acting poisons. It's kind of a public secret that many mage lords of significant standing get magical tattoos against poison. The tattoos cost a fortune, but by the time a lord reaches level thirty, there’s little else that can kill them.”

  “Does Olivia have one of these tattoos?”

  Kurt snorts, “You should ask her.”

  I purse my lips, and Kurt doubles over laughing. When he’s done, he says, “Even as an heir to a noble house, the tattoo is prohibitively expensive, enough that they won’t craft it until she’s at least in her mid-twenties, level-wise.”

  It’s a bit cold in my book, but I’m new to this world and realized there was a gulf of difference between my experience and what other humans have had to do to survive.

  While my group works to prepare for the next day, I return to the entrance to keep an eye out. The gate is locked, and the guard is gone, but that’s fine. I hide Morgana in the bushes in case she sees anything else, before practicing magic to pass the time.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  While I sit on the chair Kurt made for me using my training stones, Benjamin looks around the entrance of the sewer.

  I take out the Constitution Training Stone. I began pushing mana into the stone, clumsily trying to vary the mana being injected. As I recede into the mindless routine of pushing mana into a stone, I feel a shift as the stone fills with neutral mana. I’m so surprised when I feel the spell form complete that I stop channeling, and it fades away.

  It takes me a few more tries, but I start to get the hang of neutral mana. Neutral mana is invisible and requires a lighter touch. Most affinity mana I use feels like a muscle, but neutral mana requires simply willing it, but if I concentrate too hard, it disperses. I have to have just the right amount of focus and effort, like bringing the lens of a camera into focus.

  After the tenth time, I’m sure I can consistently use the stone, but it will take a while before I can use the spell form without the stone. After getting the stone to work, I try my hand at the vision spells. I can coat my eyes in mana so I see flashes of light, but I can tell something is missing. The weird feeling of mana on my eyes, along with the mental roadblock, motivates me to shelve the spell for now.

  What I can use most is either another attack spell or a way to strengthen my undead. One of Benjamin’s traps caught a rat while it was trying to escape. The trap broke one of its feet. The blood must have pulled a nearby slime ooze, so by the time Benjamin found it, it was dead.

  I freeze the slime and recover the dead rat to raise it. It’s missing chunks of tissue that were dissolved in the slime, but the bones and most of the organs are fine. With the rat raised, I focus on the creature, channeling some mind mana into the undead construct.

  My hope is that if I can infuse mind affinity mana into the rat, I can create smarter undead, but instead of making the rat’s mind stronger, I project my mind into the rat. This is far different than directly controlling the rat. By projecting into the rat, I can give it commands.

  On the island, when I focused on the bond, I was able to see out of its eyes, but I had to control each movement of the creature. Projecting my mind takes a lot of concentration, and it’s still far too awkward to use in direct combat. Even though I know it will take hours, if not days of practice, before it can be reliably used, this is the first step towards having an army of the dead; minions I can command to scout. Best of all, I find I can alternate back and forth between ordering the rat remotely or controlling it manually.

  I’m excited about the idea of being able to channel magic through the construct. Maybe I can use magic remotely through the bond, but unfortunately, when I try, I feel the bond is too weak. I would need a stronger monster or one that I invest at least a dozen levels in.

  This new discovery does raise questions about whether Morgana is able to channel my magic. In some board games on Earth, familiars can cast a few of the spells that their bonded can. It’s something I will need to try when she’s not hiding in a bush, so nobody sees her.

  With a full day of prep completed, we pack up and call it a day.

  The next day, we met in the common room for a light breakfast. I’m a bit surly that we are taking another day to complete this impromptu quest. The assassin in the bathhouse soured my experience of being in a fantasy city, and every night I have dreams about a woman in a green toga looking for me.

  I realize that dungeon diving differs greatly from the games I played back on Earth. Adventuring isn’t all adrenaline and split-second decisions. Now that magic and adventure are real and I can’t restart from a save file, I need to get in the habit of carefully planning out my actions. Another day is a small price to pay to keep anyone else from dying.

  With all our members at the table, Olvia announces how our team would travel through the sewer.

  “When we traverse through the dungeon, Benjamin, as our scout, will go first to find monsters and clear traps. As the team’s combat mage, I will be at the center of the party to support and take out anything too difficult for Benjamin to clear. Kurt, as our heavy warrior, will stay in the back to ward off any assassins or flanking attempts.

  “Jason, since you aren’t familiar with how our team works, you should know my fire and gleam spell forms kill most things in one spell. It’s not often I need to cast more than one spell to deal with a monster, especially outside a dungeon, but my knights also act as interference.

  “As the other dual mage, you should follow behind me to support by healing. Being close to me will be important as it gives better vision and keeps you protected from harm.”

  Her plan sounds like the exact same one I would make if I were in a role-playing game. Flank the vulnerable magi with melee-focused characters decked in armor, so they could run interference while the mages unleash massive damage.

  Despite knowing the plan is something straight out of my strategies as a tabletop gamer, I’m not sure that the plan is the best idea for this sewer run. Now that I have been in person, I have a few insights I never would have had if I were tabletop gaming.

  Being so near, light spells will destroy my dark vision, which is one of the greatest advantages I have. Benjamin might be able to find the monsters in hiding, but it’s far too risky to put him in front where a snake could kill him with its venomous fangs. I only survived because of my affinity, which increased my recovery, healing spell forms, and my ability to counteract venom. Maybe I should trust his experience as a scout more, but why should we risk it when I could create disposable minions?

  I take a deep drink from my mug as I think of how to phrase my words.

  “I think we should take a different approach. You called me a dead caller, but we haven’t spoken at all about how I can use minions to protect the team. I also think we should keep some space between us. Your light magic will adversely affect my ability to pull dark mana. I’m supposed to be the secret weapon; I think it would be best if I’m kept a secret until absolutely needed.”

  Frowns appear on everyone’s face. Olivia is used to immediate obedience, but respect and blind obedience are two different things. Benjamin looks visibly upset, and through my empathy, I can feel his rage building as the dutiful brother sees a threat to his sister’s authority. It’s clear my suggestion doesn’t sit well with the group, and I don’t need my empathy to tell me.

  “If I didn’t know better, I would say you were trying to position yourself at our back so you could hammer the team against whatever we find down there,” Benjamin says in a low tone, hinting at the threat of violence should I betray them. Olivia and Kurt aren’t as concerned but are uncomfortable with the idea of having me keep my distance.

  I inject as much confidence as I can into my next words, “Then it’s a good thing you do know better. I don’t mind going in front, beside, or behind, but keeping me in the middle will severely limit me. Just because I’m proposing that you keep me out of the middle doesn’t mean that I can’t help.

  “I can raise rats to send forward to trip traps or act as bait for the predators in the sewer. Those snakes are massive and venomous, not to mention that a rat in front of you should be much less suspicious than a scout should we happen upon the lair of whatever is down there.”

  Olivia puts her hand on my arm. “I hear what you are saying, but it doesn’t sit well with me that as soon as we have a healer, we have them as far from the group as possible. Being a dead caller is great, but I would rather have you concentrate on healing than on trying to manage your own summons. Even if what you say about your darkness mana is true, your healing magic comes from your water magic, no? I can promise you will have no lack of water regardless of where you are in the sewer.”

  I see her motion to at least two waterskins, each of which she is carrying. Through my empathy, I feel she’s projecting trust and reassurance, even if it isn’t as strong as Olivia wants me to believe. Scratching my chin, I shrug, maybe she’s right.

  When I conquered the first dungeon, I gave up the spell forms that would’ve allowed me to dodge or create defensive enchantments. Up until now, my greatest defense has been using my shadow or mind affinity to distract, delay, or deceive. Most of my damage comes from my ice affinity.

  Even if I don’t have enough water in the water skins for my ice spells, there will be plenty of murky depths to create ice projectiles. I have no doubt a few lights will prove a problem in the depths of the sewers. I’m not sure if I’m more upset that I’m limiting myself, or that I didn’t have enough spell forms to justify my need to have greater access to the dark affinity.

  I nod my head in acquiescence, “I’ll stay in the middle of the group to heal, but we should still create as many raised rats as possible.”

  Kurt holds up his palm. “Hold on. Why not raise one of the snakes if they’re so dangerous?”

  “Sure, I would love to raise one, but the only one I killed was a tough fight. I found it by stepping on it, and then it dragged me underwater as it sank its fangs into me multiple times. If you can find one without stepping on it, let’s do it. I’m not going through that again just for a better-than-average undead.”

  We both turn to Benjamin. He looks at us before throwing up his hands. “No way am I going hunting giant venomous snakes. Scouting is one thing; I just clear the area in front of the group, but we would want a professional hunter to actively find Jason’s giant snake.”

  Olivia snickers, and we all turn to her. Benjamin scoffs, “Grow up, Olivia.”

  “Since Benjamin doesn’t want to take on Jason’s giant snake, how about we hand out the potions and resistance bands?” Kurt says, grinning as Benjamin glares at him.

  Olivia rolls her eyes before putting two bronze arm circlets on the table. I notice Olivia and Kurt are already wearing theirs. The band is thick, covering two inches of Kurt’s bicep, and has a picture of a lightning bolt in the middle.

  “Here, put these on; they’ll reduce your connection to the wind and storm affinity, which should make your aura resistant to spell forms of these affinities. Cost extra gold to remove the water resistance from the band, so it won’t affect your healing magic. It’s a shame since it’ll decrease the resistance to storm, but I would rather have some extra healing power than a higher storm affinity resistance.”

  As I slide the band over my shoulder, I feel the air grow a little stale. The feeling is uncomfortable, but if it can save my life, I’ll deal with it.

  Next, she put several potions on the table. Olivia names them as she puts them in front of us. Each of us receives a red potion of healing, a green and purple potion of toxin resistance, and a glowing purple storm resistance. She put another dark blue potion of mana regeneration. Now this is proper adventuring, I think, as I put the stoppered glass vials on my belt.

  “The regeneration potions will take a second to kick in, but should last for ten minutes. The resistance potions will work almost immediately, but will only last half an hour. The toxin resistance is of moderate potency and will also cure weak poisons and venoms.” Olivia explains.

  With the potions and resistance band on, I gear up with my leather armor, a shield, a sword, and a dagger, but exclude the bow. Shooting around those corners will be difficult for my pitiful skill, but being in the middle of the group, I’m not confident enough that I can shoot around my own teammates.

  We make our way down to the entrance wagon. Olivia and her team aren’t willing to say it out loud, but I can feel through the empathy that they’re scared. They feel like spooked deer ready to bolt at the first sign of true danger. Kurt runs off to grab the guard to open the sewer gate.

  When Kurt returns, it's not the same guard as yesterday. A different man follows Kurt, but we don’t wait to start trekking back to the sewer gate. We get there first. Benjamin checks his trap while I check on Morgana.

  ‘I didn’t see anything last night.’

  I nod, “Thanks for staying out here. I know you didn’t want to.”

  As soon as I’m done checking on her, I hear the trudge of boots, announcing Kurt’s arrival. The guard is an old, sour-looking man. He looks frail and old, but this time Benjamin isn’t able to pull any shenanigans.

  Every time Benjamin tries to act friendly, the old guard gives a non-committal, disgruntled huff. Not willing to leave an unknown man with the key to lock us in the sewer, Benjamin sneaks up behind the guard and presses a handful of dust to his face that knocks him out.

  Kurt and Olivia glare at him. He shrugs, “What? We’re finishing the dungeon today, so we’ll be gone before he even wakes up.”

  “What if something comes out of the dungeon and eats him?” I ask.

  “Well then, there are no witnesses, so we are good,” Benjamin says before he relents under the weight of the stares of his companions.

  “Fine, fine. I will wrap some cords around the gate so nothing will come out. Between the traps and the cord, nothing we could stop should get him.”

  Benjamin shuffles through the wagon before grabbing some metal wire. Ready, our party slips from the rising sun into the yawning darkness. Olivia raises her hand before uttering, “orb of light.”

  A tiny light winks into existence before floating over to her shoulder. Benjamin and Kurt each grab a torch and light it. Benjamin wraps the entrance closed with the wire, and we start making our way into the bowels of the tunnels.