Over the past few days, Sam had experienced multiple applications of magic: from being physically crushed by divine auras to getting smashed in the chest by a flying rat. In each case, he’d been able to feel the direct impact of the magic hitting his body, but the most he’d seen were some shimmering heat waves and glowing eyes.

  Even the enemies within the Twilight Crypts were fairly mundane. Sure, they radiated magical light, but for all intents and purposes, they may as well have been wearing LEDs. Seeing magic, real magic, was so much more impactful.

  The world around him felt deeper, more vibrant, as if tidal patterns had been imprinted onto his vision. Everything from the stones beneath his boots to the breeze flowing through the window all had a subtle imprint of mana. The force of it strained his eyes, and only after a few seconds, he could feel a pressure building up at the base of his skull. Still, he could appreciate the value, even if his body couldn’t handle it quite yet.

  Reading the description of his new skill, he was excited to explore its full utility.

  [Arcane Eyes - Iron - Rare - Upgradeable]

  They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. They're right. The eyes of the Magus see further still, revealing the secrets of the universe. Gain the ability to see the natural flow of mana. Identify Creatures, Warriors, and Vegetation. Glean insight into their magical properties.

  Sam had to stop himself from jumping up and down. The new skill retained the properties of both of its components while adding additional functionality. It sounded as though he’d be able to identify what type of magic something used, which felt like an extremely powerful upgrade.

  He was still confused by the whole process. Was it just a coincidence that he’d been able to merge his skills, or did it have to do with the fact that they had some kind of natural synergy? Was there a way to replicate the process?

  Wait a second, does that mean I only need to get the spira to level up a single skill? Or does this new combined one require more work to tier up?

  A dozen questions blazed through his mind, and he checked the time, noting the late hour. It was just past 2 am on the fourth day, but he pulled up his Party tab and selected Arther from the drop-down. Beside his name was a small mail icon.

  The process of drafting the message was incredibly easy, and he laid out most of his big questions and gave a quick recap of the situation. He glossed over the part where he’d been bitten in the ass by a rabbit, but otherwise included most of the pertinent details.

  He was just about to hit send when he remembered that he’d gotten multiple achievements for the skill’s creation. He’d been so overwhelmed by the sudden onset of [Arcane Eyes] that he’d completely forgotten to check.

  [Achievement Unlocked: Skill Morph]

  Successfully morph two compatible skills.

  [Spira: 500]

  [Achievement Unlocked: Mana Network]

  Successfully create a personal Mana Network.

  [Spira: 250]

  “Well, that's just fucking useless,” he muttered to himself. He added a quick addendum to ask what a ‘Mana Network' was. It might be his imagination, but it felt like the Arbiter was personally trying to stump him with their constant lack of descriptions. They seemed to take personal joy in highlighting that he hadn't done the tutorial.

  In any case, he’d get an answer through Arther, but it constantly felt like he was playing a game of catch-up. He wondered how much real influence Zetos had over it, or if everyone else had similarly empty text boxes. He’d have to ask if he ever managed to get a party member.

  He lay back on his blanket and stared at the cracked slab of stone that made up his shelter’s roof. The prospect of finding additional party members was as daunting as it had been on the first day. While he couldn't deny the personal progress he was making, other parties would already be working on their synergies, developing tactics and strategies.

  For every step that he gained, it still felt like he was falling behind.

  He pushed the thought aside and forced himself to relax. Finally taking a moment to rest brought the full weight of the day’s activities into focus. All the various cuts, scrapes, bruises, and punctures rose up, demanding attention. Utilizing [Rodent’s Resilience] and [Basic Regeneration], he systemically went through and addressed the worst of his injuries.

  It was tedious work as [Rodent’s Resilience] would only work on wounds sustained when he was outnumbered. Apparently, the Arbiter kept track of that, which felt oddly invasive. He settled on splitting up the skills, utilizing the focused healing of both to deal with the most painful spots.

  Eventually, fatigue overtook him, and he drifted off into an uneasy sleep…

  Ding!

  Sam jolted upright as the chime from his talfa echoed through his mind. He’d been fully asleep, but the subconscious part of his mind instinctively summoned his knife. He sat crouched, blade pointed at the dimly lit entrance. His newfound senses went into overdrive, and [Mana Sight] lit up the low light with a flood of vibrant colours.

  He summoned the [Mooneye Gem] and sent it around the edge of the room, discovering that it had a max range of about fifteen feet. His hideout remained empty of intruders, and he let himself breathe, heart rate dropping from where it had spiked.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The chime had brought back unwanted memories. For a second, he’d been back in Professor Singh’s classroom, back when his biggest worry was whether or not he’d be able to finish his thesis paper. Looking back, it all felt so silly.

  Before the Spire, the closest he'd been to a life-or-death situation had been when his mother had gotten into a car accident when he was a kid. He’d been nine at the time, and they’d been driving in a blizzard, going through the Rockies on the way to a ski trip. She’d nearly gone off one of the narrow mountain roads, and they’d hung precariously over the edge until a passing trucker had been able to winch them back up.

  Sam had been sitting in the back seat. His mother had yelled at him to move back—to keep them balanced. The car had rocked violently in the wind, and he’d cried until his face hurt. The whole time, it had felt like the world might give out beneath them.

  Sam felt like he’d been living that permanent state of imbalance ever since he’d woken up in the woods. At any given moment, the unsteady foundation he was building could crumble. As exhilarating as it could be, it was also exhausting.

  He focused his attention back to his tafla and checked his notifications. A reply from Arther hovered conveniently at the top of the screen.

  Sam,

  Glad to hear you've been making steady progress. Finding that Dungeon was a stroke of luck. You were right to enter it. Dungeons are categorized from 1-7 based on their difficulty. It's also a rough indicator of how many Warriors you'll need to clear it. You're easily as strong as 2 Warriors at this stage. It’ll be tough, but you can manage.

  As to your [Rare] skill, we can talk about that when you return. It’s complicated, and not something I can explain in a message. Morphs are extremely uncommon and require one of the skills to be [Rare] or higher. It's why I didn't bother mentioning it before. Both skills need to have a divine resonance and also align with your patron. I'm guessing that, since you don't have one, many of the basic skills would now qualify. It's something we should keep an eye out for. They take more spira to level, but not as much as two full skills. It's part of what makes them so powerful.

  A Mana Network is just another term for the natural pathways that channel magic through your body. Think of them as veins or arteries; only for mana. Normally, they unlock when you gain your first [Divine Skill]. I wasn't expecting you to get one yet. Your Enhancement and Martial skills use the same pathways, so you should see an overall improvement across the board when it comes to your skills.

  Sam, I cannot understate how important this is. Your ability to expand and strengthen your Mana Network will benefit every part of your class. As you learn to control your skills, this will only improve. Seems the Arbiter has a sense of humour. We’ve got a real shot now, lad.

  Stay the course and see the Dungeon through. Go quickly, I doubt you'll have it to yourself for long. Your instincts have been good so far. Keep trusting them.

  Arther

  Sam frowned as he read through the message. While it answered most of his questions, some of the minutiae still escaped him. Was the Dungeon graded based on his current power level, the party average, or the max potential for his rank? If parties could only keep a total of two members going into the Second Ring, and two was the average party size, did that mean that this was actually the highest difficulty for this Ring?

  His mind spun as he worked through the various permutations, eventually giving it up as a lost cause. He'd been challenged but not overwhelmed so far. He just had to hope the [Ghūl Matriarch] wouldn't be a dramatic step up.

  He ate a cold breakfast of jerky and water, once again wishing he’d had the foresight to pre-cook some hot meals. He’d buy a stock of bowls, plates, and cups. If there were situations where he couldn't light a fire, he still wanted access to his morning coffee. The bag of it was burning a metaphorical hole in his inventory, and he had to resist the urge to take it out just to smell it.

  Instead, he got by on sheer willpower, wetting a rag and giving himself a rough washing. His gear went through a cycle as well, and he sent a mental note of thanks to whoever decided that storing a piece of armour also cleaned it.

  With his camp fully packed, he crept out into the still air of the Crypts. He struggled a bit to reconcile his body’s insistence that it was morning with the perpetual gloom of the cavern. The tree provided a more consistent source of light, giving the impression of a bloody, overcast twilight.

  [Arcane Eyes] flared to life thanks to the additional stimuli. The torrent of sights nearly overwhelmed him, and he clung to the broken rock of the entryway like a drowning man. It was going to take some time to adjust; everything was just so bright. His head once again throbbed from the force of it.

  After a few minutes of very strategic squinting, he finally felt like he could leave the skill on without giving himself a migraine. Like anything, it would require practice, but he was determined to overcome it.

  His first magic skill hadn't been fancy. He couldn't throw fireballs or freeze people in a block of ice. Instead, he could see. See more than he ever imagined was possible. And while it may not be as flashy, he was determined to use it to its maximum potential.

  A flash of movement caught his eye from across the courtyard, and he slunk into the shadows beside the door.

  Two Ghūl made their way towards the base of the tree. Large roots blocked his vision, but he got the impression they were making some kind of offering.

  He stayed hidden as they continued on their path, taking the corridor that led toward the Draug territory. Once he was certain they'd gone, he dismissed [Arcane Eyes] and crept out from his hiding place. He carefully climbed the tangle of roots to the base of the great trunk. On a whim, he tried analyzing it, nearly tripping as the notification consumed his vision.

  [Great Nemesian Bloodroot - Vegetation - Bronze - Corrupted]

  Planted from a seed of despair, Bloodroot grows from soil soaked in the life force of mortals. The roots of revenge run deep…

  The description caught him off guard. It was the first thing he’d encountered that wasn't Iron Rank. Did that mean his Iron weapons would be ineffective on it? What would happen if he tried to chop it down?

  He chewed on the thought as he clambered over the final root and down into a shallow pit at the base of the tree. He wasn't sure what he’d been expecting, but a bubbling fountain certainly wasn't it. His eyes lit up, and he quickly summoned his canteen, keen to take advantage of the much-needed refill.

  The water itself was cold and sweet, devoid of any of the taint from the blood-tree. He surmised it must come from a deep underground spring, though he couldn't fathom how that made sense with the water table.

  He downed and refilled his canteen twice over. The frigid water was a shock to his system, so much so that he almost forgot his lack of coffee.

  He was so engrossed in slaking his thirst that he failed to notice the subtle sounds creeping up behind him.

  “Well now, what's this?” a rough voice sounded, causing him to spin and summon his shield and spear.

  “Looks like a thief, come to drink at the Crystal Spring.” The words were tinny, somewhere between a growl and a whine. The ghoul that spoke first was crouched on his hands and knees: legs tensed, ready to pounce.

  “Not a draug though,” said the second. Higher-pitched. Female? Sam realized he hadn't exactly been paying attention to Ghūl anatomy, but the one resting on a lower root did have a slightly thicker frame. Hints of what could have been breasts were hidden beneath a collar of fur.

  “Not a draug, no,” Sam replied, trying to look for any way past them. They had every major route cut off, and his back was literally against the wall.

  “Then what are you?” asked the first. “And more importantly—how do you taste?”