I whistled as I walked through the sewers below Hernberg. Things were looking up again. Cashing this quest in would put my finances back in-line, earn me some more fame, and get me off the hook with Baria. Even the stench of human waste couldn’t put a damper on my mood. I adjusted the man on my shoulder to settle his weight more comfortably as I rounded another corner. Left, then right, then left again and I would be back to the tunnel we had come in from.

My happiness however was inevitably short-lived. My whistling had masked the approaching footsteps and I was unaware I was being followed until a sugar-sweet voice spoke up from behind me.

“Good evening”

What now?......

I groaned inwardly as I turned to face my newest problem. Behind me was….. Well, honestly she was difficult to describe. A sheet of lovely black hair fell from her head and down to her slender hips. Her skin was pale, not porcelain pale, but maggot white. Like something stuck under a rock suddenly forced to see the light of day. Her body was slender but still retained enough feminine curves to draw the eye. Her face was perfection. High cheekbones, a delicate chin, dark-red lips , and two black eyebrows that drew your gaze to her eyes.

That’s where the problems started.Her eyes bulged from her face and were multifaceted like an insect's. Her clothing was equally foreign. It looked like someone had decided to tie dozens of sashes around her instead of give her proper clothing. They accentuated her hips, and breasts, and disproportionately skinny legs. The effect was both sexy and disturbing. To top off the odd ensemble she held a small gilded harp in the crook of one arm.

“My master said there was someone skulking about down here that should not be. I did not believe him but here you are and carrying away one of the flock. It appears he was once again correct.” Her inflections were all over the place but her voice remained sweet and polite. It raised my hackles and I let the body slide from my shoulder freeing myself for a fight.

“No need for that.” She said as my stance grew combative. “You’ve already carried your burden far enough. You must be tired.” Delicate fingers plucked at her harp and a beautiful melody filled the tunnel. The song was majestic, strange and melancholy but all the more beautiful for it’s sadness.

I really had walked far enough today and that was after being on my feet for hours. I was exhausted and this seemed like as good a place to rest as any. I slumped to my knees, but the jolt of pain through my knees as they hit the stone cleared my head for a moment.

What the Hell am I doing?

Then it clicked. “You sneaky bard bitch.” I said as I opened my magical senses. I had no idea what I was actually looking for. I’d never fought anything with mental powers, but I managed to find it anyway. To my mind’s eye a thin tendril of purple power seemed to stretch between the girls harp and my forehead. Knowing it was there helped me separate the feelings.

Under closer scrutiny I could feel both sets of emotions. One set pissed and ready for a fight, and the other calm, placid, and tired. I pressed my will against the alien emotions and they slowly slid away. I gritted my teeth and pushed harder with sheer will. Then the tendril of power popped free of my head and the other thoughts vanished all together.

I was breathing hard after the mental battle and sweat ran down my face as I stood up. I stumbled a bit, acting more drained than I actually was before taking two fast steps and diving at the girl in a full-body tackle.

She moved like quick-silver and instead of hitting her in the gut with a shoulder, I only managed to catch her hip with one grasping arm. I pulled her against me with main strength as we tumbled to the floor before rolling on top of her. I managed one wild right as we wrestled for position and it caught her right on the tip of the nose. The punch bounced her head off the stone floor and globs of green-black blood started to drip for her now broken nose. She shrieked like a banshee, the sound completely inhuman,then balled her legs against my chest and kicked. I flew backwards like I’d been shot from a cannon landing in a sprawl at least fifteen feet away.

“What the hell are you?” I said as I struggled back to me feet. I couldn’t tell if this was a player an NPC, or some other god-forsaken creation. All I knew was she was definitely not human.

“You wish to gaze upon my true from?” She asked sweetly as a long pink tongue licked at the ichor dripping over her dark red lips.

I really, really didn’t but I never got the chance to voice my protest. The girl simply changed. Her bones and joints snapped with loud popping noises, and her body elongated and re-formed. Black spikes grew from her body, and her lovely face spit at the chin forming her lush mouth into two dripping mandibles. Translucent blue-veined wings grew from her back, and she crouched on all fours now only vaguely humanoid.

“A were-cricket, really?” I asked baffled.

She shrieked something I didn’t understand in a series of clicks and hisses. I had a feeling they were mostly cuss-words in whatever language it was that cricket people spoke. I braced myself for an attack, but instead of diving at me with preternatural speed like I was expecting she plucked a string on her harp with a single black claw.

The air around her bent with magical power and the note that came out rang from the stones at a deafening volume. The tone seemed to reverberate off the creatures spread wings, becoming even louder and more focused. I could feel the vibrations in my teeth and my bones as the whole world seemed to shrink to nothing but that one terrible note. I tried to cover-my ears but it was useless. The sound was everywhere.

“KNEEEL MANLING!!!” the creature screamed in a hissing voice. There was no subtlety in the command this time, just brute force. It swept my meager mental defenses away like a pile of sandbags trying to hold back the Mississippi.

I knelt, all thought wiped from my mind.

“Yesssssss, that’s good. Now, what to do with you?” The creature pondered in a softer voice. “Killing you will be pointless since you're one of THEM but I think we can some up with something. Now be a good boy and sleep.”

I laid down the cold stone. Then closed my eyes and fell down into dreams.

*************************************************************

The sound of water dripping on stone greeted me as I awoke. I hung suspended from a short chain, that ran from my manacled wrists through a large iron ring sat in the ceiling. A quick examination of my feet revealed that they were in a similar state.

Son of a Bitch…..

The room I was in was a simple one. Three walls of rough worked stone with the fourth wall opened to one of the sewer tunnels. Moss and mold grew along them giving color to the otherwise uniform grey. A thick layer of mud caked the floor, thickest in the corners and along the walls. While thinner in the middle and under the water that dripped from the ceiling to my left. The sound of the dripping water was loud in the silence and it set my teeth on edge. A torch flickered to my right illuminating to room dimly but it was already starting to gutter out. Soon I’d be in darkness.

My pack was laying in the corner of the room right in my line of site but obviously out of reach. That bitch must have put it there just to taunt me. Although, I wasn’t actually sure if she could steal my stuff or not. If you got PK’ed you dropped gold, potions, or other consumables, but never actual items. It wouldn’t make sense if someone could just knock you out and steal all your crap. It was something MoProblems would have yelled at me for not knowing.

Where was he anyway? I should have about 1000 PM’s but now. I opened my friends list but a red message obscured my vision.

You Have Been Captured by an NPC. Friends List is Disabled Until You Escape

It’s was really going to be one of those days. I reached out with my earth magic but it was as I’d suspected. I couldn’t use my power on worked stone or brick. I needed natural stone or dirt. Had this been a cave I could have torn the whole place apart and been out of here in about a minute but fate had once more conspired against me.

It was then I felt the collar around my neck.

That can’t be good…..

I thought as I opened my inventory.

Torc of the Undying

(Magical) [Cursed]A collar created by the Magi of Algresh for the Caliph’s Dungeons. While wearing this collar a prisoner will not be able to kill themselves or end their torment.

Armor: +5

Class: Accessory

Slot: Neck

Durability: 30/30

Effect: User does not require food or water while wearing this collar. User regenerates 1 HP per second.

Curse: The wearer cannot gain experience. The wearer cannot use teleportation magic. The collar cannot be removed by normal means and will resist all damage within the room it is bound to.

Note: The curse pertains to Level XP only, Skill XP is not affected.

“Oh that’s just fucking great.” I said to the empty room. Now I couldn’t even die. I was going to be stuck down here for God knew how long. I pulled against my wrist shackles, pitting my strength against the iron ring in the ceiling. At fifty strength I was pretty damn strong. It wasn’t a linear scale as far as I could tell. Having fifty strength didn’t make me five times as strong as someone with ten strength. I’d guess I was about three times as strong as I was at level one. I was on par with the really big guys at the gym. Not yet Olympic level but someone your buddies were dare you to arm wrestle when you had a few drinks. It was not nearly enough to break an inch thick iron ring.

I sighed, but the sound was tinged with more anger than resignation. I was getting pretty god-damn tired of being Otherworld’s red-headed step-child. If I wasn’t fighting for my life against six high-school chess-club rejects in a fog bank my idiot apprentice summoned. I was being chained to a wall my some crazy cricket bitch with mind ju-ju powers and all because of some useless Goddess was making me do her dirty work.

Tap…

Tap…

Tap…

Tap…

My anger grew along with my annoyance and after an hour of futile struggles against my bonds I’d worked myself into a rage. I didn’t need any of this bull-shit. I’d made it out. I was a player now like everyone else. So why was I always the one getting shit on?

Tap…

Tap…

Tap…

The persistent sound of the water dripping drove my anger even higher and after another hour I went a little bit crazy. I pulled against my chains with everything I had making the shackles dig into my wrists and sending trails of blood running down both of my arms.

“YOU HEAR ME YOU BLONDE TRAMP?! NEXT TIME YOU GIVE ME SOME STUPID FUCKING QUEST! I’M TELLING YOU TO SHOVE IT UP YOUR PERFECT ASS!” I screamed into the uncaring room.

There was a muffled Crack from the ceiling and the tapping stopped. I sighed with relief. Then a fat cold drop of water fell onto my forehead.

I laughed half-hysterically and my rage grew even hotter… “That’s right….. that’s right.” I ranted while nodding. “That’s REALLY fucking mature. Excellent use of divine power there.” I said reasonably as the drops continued to fall on my head. Then I screamed again. “DON’T THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT WAS YOU!” There was a softer crack, and the drops falling on my head doubled in speed matting my hair to my head. I railed against my shackles again. My muscles strained and the cuffs bit deeper finding bone but it was still useless.

That’s when I went completely ballistic. I reached for magic and hurled fire against the ring in the ceiling. I was terrible at fire-magic. I’d neglected training it up for far too long. I had much more mana now but I was emptying a pool with a single hose. My best flame was about the same temperature as crock-pot on low but I was way beyond caring. I was in a fire sort of mood.

I pushed my mana out into the room in one continuous stream. Fire cascaded across the ceiling, rolling like ocean waves in a growing circle, but I kept pushing. The fire was dark red and not even hot. Hell, the ceiling was covered in flame and the room was still chilly. That made me even angrier.

I was furious, frustrated, and looking for something to vent my rage on. I kept the mana going but the futility of it infuriated me. I couldn’t even throw a damn temper tantrum properly. So I packed all that impotent fury into a tight ball and hurled it against the place in my mind where the fire was born.

It was like snorting Tabasco. Red-hot agony shot through my mind and I exalted in it. The fire I was covering the ceiling with reeled for a moment like it was some beast that I’d just put spurs to. Then it went wild. The temperature in the room climbed rapidly and the magic broke free of my control. Fire exploded from arms, wrists, and head. I could feel the flames burning my clothes and flesh but I kept pushing.

This was what I’d been wanting. This was power. I fed the flames my frustration, my fear, my doubt, and everything other feeling I could reach. The agony in my mind intensified as the fire danced in my veins. What the hell did it matter anyway? If I died I’d at least get out of this shit hole. The world darkened as I pushed even more magic through my over-taxed mind but I was beyond reason. I laughed and the flames laughed with me as my thoughts slipped away.

*******************************************************************

I drifted in grey world, my thoughts sluggish and ephemeral. My mind was a chaotic mass of disconnected images and sensations but it did not matter. This was not a place for thought. I drifted in a haze lost and uncaring. Then a soft hand caressed my hair and cupped my head.

“Foolish boy.” A soft voice said fondly.”Even if you cannot break your real body in my world, you can still break your mind.” The voice was familiar and feminine but in this place that meant little.

“I know this was not your choice. It was thrust upon you the moment you awoke in that cave. It was not fair but neither your world nor mine is a fair one.” The voice continued sadly as the hand stroked my cheek. Her words echoed in this grey place. Their meaning clear for only a moment before even that drifted away.

“What is fair changes little I’m afraid. Especially to one who has already been changed. You must soon choose your path. They will come for you when they discover what you are, both in my world and yours.” The voice was tinged with warning this time but warnings were useless in this place. There was no danger in the grey world.

“Will you drift with the current in my world as you have done so far in your own?” The voice asked less comforting this time and more firm. “Or will you stand for something? Will you fight for something or will you fritter both lives away?” The hand left my head. I wished it would come back but that thought too was soon gone.

“I have seen something in you Thomas Ritter. You are lazy, and without ambition. Immature, apathetic, and perverse, but you are honest and stronger than you think. When they press you I know that you will not break.” Then a pair of soft lips pressed against mine before they too faded away.

*************************************************************************

I awoke in darkness with my head pounding. I could see the vague outlines of my prison so at least I hadn’t gone blind this time. Things had gotten hazy after I’d tried feeding my magic with my anger and honestly I couldn’t remember what happened after. That was probably for the best. The whole episode had been idiotic and I felt more than a little chagrined.

I really need to stop doing that……

I thought as my stomach roiled dangerously. I hadn’t eaten anything for over a day so I wasn’t sure what it was trying to prove. I summoned some fire for light and winced as a fresh bolt of agony rocketed through my head. It let me see the room in detail. The room was mostly unchanged, although a black circle of soot extended across the ceiling for a good ten feet around me. I pulled at my shackles again and they remained as stubborn as ever.

“Alright, apparently throwing a temper tantrum like a three year old is not an effective means of escape.” I said into the darkness. I did feel better now, emotionally anyway. Sometimes you just need to vent. Actually, what I really needed was a drink.

I logged out.

***************************************************************************

“Starting early are we?” Chris asked when he came out of his room. I was sitting on the sofa eating an omelette and washing it down with a cold-one.

“Been one of those days” I said as I flipped through the channels. My headache from the game-world had carried over. I felt like crap. There had even been a few drops of blood under my nose when I had logged out. That seemed a bad sign, but I was taking a break anyway. I kept flipping but there really isn’t anything on at ten-o'clock on wednesday morning. That didn’t stop me from looking though.

“What happened?” Chris asked as he walked into the kitchen.I heard a tab pop a few seconds later then he walked back into the room and sat down beside me holding a mountain dew. I should had one of those instead. I didn’t even like beer.

“I got beat up by some crazy chick and chained up in a sewer.” I said taking a swing of my beer. It was the cheap-stuff but any beer will do today.

“That sucks.. Didn’t you tell her your first rule?” Chris asked as he stole a piece of my omelette.

“Of course I did.” I sighed. “I thought ‘No bondage on the first date’ was pretty clear but she insisted.” I said shrugging.

Chris couldn’t keep a straight face anymore and started laughing which set me off. The laugh hurt my aching head, but relieved my stress and brought a smile to my face. It really had been a rough day.

“You really do have the shittiest luck.” Chris said as stole more of my breakfast. There was only one bite left and I wasn’t letting him get it. He tried to swipe it but I parried with my fork.

“I fucking know.” I said exasperated having won the right to finish my breakfast. ”First I get internet famous for getting my ass-kicked in a fight that wasn’t even my fault. Then some crazy bitch mind-controls me and I end up chained up god-knows where.” Chris snorted..

“You get any gems when you did all that mining?” Chris asked as I savored the last bite of my eggs.

“Didn’t I just give you a thousand dollars worth of ore.” By my count he had to be one of the top-crafters in the game with as much raw materials as I’d given him.

“Yeah, but I got my first commission and I want it to be special.” He said. “Common…..”

I raised my hands. “I already gave you a commission….. “ What the hell did he need gems for? He was supposed to be making me leather armor. “Wait……….. Did some hot chick ask you to make her something?” I asked suspicious. Chris averted his eyes.

“Oh c'mon you can’t be serious!” I said incredulous.

“Can you give me the gems or not?” Chris said refusing the bait. “Please dude.”

I stared at him. He was being unusually persistent. “Was she Asian?” I asked giving him the evil-eye. Chris always made fun of me for the goth and punk girl’s I crushed on but his tastes were less socially focused and more ethnic in nature. He couldn’t meet my gaze.

“I told you man, never again.” I said mock-angry.

“Common dude. Don’t do this.” He pleaded. “It’s not that bad.”

“Not that bad?! Last time you were chasing an Asian girl you wrecked your dad’s Porsche.” I said incredulous.

“That was NOT my fault.” He denied angry.

“You ran a stop-sign. In what world could that POSSIBLY be not your fault!” I shouted.

“I told you, she called me Onii-chan. I wasn’t mentally prepared.” He said offended.

“Oh for Christ’s sake.” I said as I stood and took my empty plate back to the kitchen.

“Can I have them or not?” He called after me.

****************************************************************

I inspected my cell critically. I had no locks to pick, no weak links in the chains, and no hope of getting out by dislocating a shoulder or thumb like they always did on TV. The shackles had been bolted together and didn’t even have a lock. The ring in the ceiling was my best line of attack as far as i could see. I opened my skills looking for inspiration.

SkillsSecondary Skills 1Weapon Skills

One Hand and Shield:

Dagger

2 hand Weapons:

Spears

Staves

Maces

Hand-To-Hand:

Striking

Wrestling

Medium Armor(Secondary):

Novice I

Novice I

Beginner II

Novice I

Novice I

Beginner II

Beginner I

Beginner I

Beginner I

Novice IMagic Skills

Witchcraft: (Secondary)

Barriers

Blessings

Cure

Meditation:

Elemental Magic: (Primary)

Earth(Spec)

Fire

Water

Elemental Fury

Beginner I

Beginner II

Novice II

Novice II

Novice V

Novice V

Beginner I

Novice II

Novice I

Novice I

General

Camping:

Outdoorsman:

Fury:

Dungeoneering:

Stealth:

Assasination

Tracking

Beginner I

Novice V

Novice V

Novice V

Novice I

Novice I

Novice I

Crafting

Cooking:

Seafood

Fishing:

Freshwater

Spear Fishing

Diplomacy:

Bartering

Mining(Secondary)

Herbalism(Secondary)

Novice V

Novice III

Novice II

Novice IV

Novice IV

Novice II

Novice III

Beginner II

Beginner I

I immediately noticed the two additions to my familiar list. I’d apparently picked up Mental Resistance with my fight against the bard. It was also obvious when I’d picked up Elemental Fury but I wanted more info on that one.

“Elemental Fury, Details” I said and quickly read my newest skill.

Elemental Fury

This skill is unlocked when an Elemental Magic user attempts to use their emotions as an alternative fuel for their magic. This skill represents the control and potency of the resulting effects. Skill level will increase through combining emotions with magic.

Warning: Combining emotions and magic is a very dangerous practice. The resulting effects are rarely predictable and often violent.

If the User has also discovered the Fire Sub-skill, discovering this Skill will unlock the hidden class Pyromancer

That was certainly interesting. No wonder things had gotten a bit out of hand. At least some good had come out of me throwing a hissy fit. It was a symptom of a greater problem though. I’d just discovered a completely new avenue of my power because I’d been neglecting my Elemental Magic so badly.

I was a sorcerer, or at least had Elemental Magic as a primary skill. That made me pretty much a sorcerer. However, I’d ignored training anything besides earth magic. The other elements just weren’t useful to me when I got them at level ten. My fire did about five damage a second at it’s current level. Which meant the rats in the basement of Sten’s inn would have taken five full seconds to dispatch. Against the Kobold’s in the swap that number would be closer to twenty five seconds. It was just way too long in a fight when my hammer could do fifty or sixty damage in a single swing..

I had been stupid. I should have been spending my mana to zero every single time I regenerated it just to grind up my skills. I should have done more testing and tried to expand and improve my abilities. I should have learned more about Elemental Magic like I had done with Witchcraft. I’d relied too much on training my raw attributes. Granted, that had worked. From the little reading I had done on-line, I had stats on par with a level nineteen or twenty character at fourteen and that gap would only widen as time went on.

However, I’d learned the hard way that having a crap-ton of HP and being able to down a level eight player with a single knee wasn’t really enough. I was now in a position where I had all the tools I needed to escape this place but had no idea how to use them. I was going to have to decide if I was willing to put in the time and effort it would take to be someone in this world.

Will you fight for something or will you fritter both lives away?......

The question echoed in my mind, foreign but oddly familiar. If I did want to stand out. I needed to get back to exploring the rules of this world like I’d done when I first woke up here. I needed to push boundaries. I needed to find more skills and new ways to use the ones I had.

There would be more idiots trying to muscle me for something. More PK’s and guilds who’d roll over me if I let them. As I’d said before, this game was life in a Microcosm and if there was one true rule on earth it was that anytime you find something of value there will be someone that will try to take it from you.

Time to get to work then…...

I pulled at my magic and a ball of flame appeared in the space in front of me. My magic stats were pretty good. Not on par with MoProblems but definitely solid. I drained about two mana second holding the fire in place. It was easy. I could hold this no problem until my mana ran low. Moving it didn’t cost any extra, or require much mental effort. The amount of mana expenditure was entirely bound by the size of the flame I produced. I could make two half-sized flames and burn the exact same amount of mana. That took more mental concentration and it made my head-hurt trying to keep both flames going at once, but it didn’t actually drain more power.

So I spent the first three hours doing just that. I summoned two small balls of flame at once and just let them burn while I tried to make sure the flow of power to both stayed steady. When my mana got low I would meditate it back up. I never let it drop too low. That would give me nosebleeds and make the headaches worse. As long as it didn’t drop below 15% I seemed to be alright. My fire magic raised to Novice III somewhere in the fourth hour. That let me add a third flame with about the same amount of mental strain but I was supposed to be pushing boundaries.

I tried adding a single water-ball to the two fireballs. Water worked differently than fire. I could create water with only the smallest investment of power. I could fill the entire room with water with my 110 mana. Water was all about control. Unlike fire that didn’t care if you moved it, moving water was HARD. Well, the water moved without any effort at all, getting it to move where you wanted was hard. Hell, just keeping water in one place was hard. Holding a single small water-ball aloft cost almost ten mana a second. More if I moved it at all. I suppose that made sense though, since I was holding a quarter pound of water in the air with nothing but my mind.

I couldn’t control both water and fire at the same time no matter how hard I tried. You had to really connect with the element you were using. I just couldn’t do the mental gymnastics necessary to control both water and fire simultaneously. I struggled at that for an hour or so before the next breakthrough.

Your Elemental Magic Skill Has Reached Beginner Rank! New Ability Unlocked!Elemental DualityThis ability allows the user to produce two types of elemental mana simultaneously.

Rank: N/A

Activation: Passive

I grinned and tried to summon the water and fireballs again. The grin died as a fresh spike of pain shot through my head. I could get both at once going now, but it was an intense effort. I could only sustain the water for a short-time anyway because it was so draining. I was making progress though. I kept at it.

I’d drain my mana by testing out various ideas. Then meditate my mana back up again. Time slipped by and I didn’t notice until both my Fire and Water skills made it up to Novice IV. How long had I been in here? 12 hours? Longer? The time between skill gains grew quickly and it would take at least another day or two of this to get to Novice V. Then two or three days after that to Beginner rank. Oh well, It’s not I didn’t have the time.

*******************************************************************************

I hung suspended in my prison while three tiny balls of fire and three more of water rotated around me. I’d had to make them very small to keep from burning all my mana, but that had proved it’s own sort of training. I’d worked on making them smaller and smaller so I could practice longer which had unlocked another skill for me.

Elemental PrecisionThis skill is unlocked when a Elemental Magic user attempts to use his mana efficiently and precisely. This skill represents one’s skill at conserving mana by using mana with control rather than power. This skill will gain ranks through use.

If the User has also discovered the Water Sub-skill, discovering this Skill will unlock the hidden class Hydromancer

I could do four separate energy-balls at once now with only minor discomfort, which was why I was doing six. Blood ran from my nose in steady drips, and my brain felt like it was on fire, but the collar I was wearing kept my HP topped off. I might as well use the damn thing to my advantage.

The pain in my head started to worsen as my mana drained again and I cut the magic plunging the room back into darkness as I topped off my mana again. I was thinking of what to try next when I got a pop-up.

Bleeeeep

Your Dungeoneering Skill has reached the skill cap! Do you wish to spend a skill point so it can advance?Yes/No

Hmmm……. Honestly, I should probably put the point in Elemental Fury or Elemental Precision. On the other hand Dungeoneering was a secret skill and a pretty obscure one at that. It’s only real use was buffing other skills. I was a fan of obscure skills though and it was the skill that had unlocked my class in the first place. It was thematically important. Which I recognized for the excuse it was. I wanted to do it. I had a good feeling about this.

“Yes.” I said firmly. The pop-up went away and minute later green light flared around me.

Bliiiiiip

Your Dungeoneering Skill Has Reached Beginner Rank! New Ability Unlocked!Stone SenseThe ability improves the user’s chances of finding hidden doors, passages, and chambers.

Rank: Novice I

Activation: Passive/tr]

I nodded satisfied. It was a useful skill. Maybe not as interesting as going on rage fueled magical rampages but it was interesting. It was also pretty unique. I didn’t imagine many people if anyone would be spending precious skill points on something like it. I nodded again and looked up at the ring on the ceiling.

The area around the ring was soot-blacked but it was still as strong as ever. Even with all my training I hadn’t been able to get my fire anywhere near hot enough to bend iron. Even after I’d gotten to Novice IV my fire still wasn’t hot. It was hotter, but not by much. It was like it was becoming more efficient at burning my mana but I was still missing something important.

It was the feeling I got when I was stumped trying to fix a PC. I was over-looking something simple. I’d assumed something I should not have somewhere along the line and it was causing me to look for the problem in the wrong place. I was tinkering with router settings when the user had just flipped off their wireless switch. I cleared my mind and topped my mana back off.

Let’s start at the beginning then. Fire was very simple element. It just devoured. It had no mass. I couldn’t move it or interact with it directly. When I wanted to move or change the fire I just changed the way I was feeding it mana. If I wanted to move it left, I sent mana to the left of it and it burned burned that direction to find fuel. I couldn’t compress or refine the fire. I’d tried for hours.

“If you want hotter fire…….. You don’t change the fire……. You don’t do anything to fire.” I said thinking aloud. “If you want a hotter fire you need better fuel. But my mana is the only fuel, so the problem isn’t with my fire, it’s with my mana.” I said nodding as I thought thought the implications.

I summoned a single tiny ball of fire but this time I did it slowly. I could do it my reflex now, but I took my time and examined each step in the process. First I connected with the element of fire. I pictured a flame mentally, hot, bright, and hungry. Then I could feel it there. Then I reached down within myself to my mana and pulled it up into the flames. The process changed the mana from it’s basic form I could use for witchcraft, or any other type of magic into fire mana. I stopped.

What if……

I started over. Then instead of pulling my mana into the flames I tried to refine it in it’s original form. That was not pleasant. Sweat dripped down my face as pain lanced into my brain but I kept at it. I could only compress the magic to about twice its normal level, but I felt like I was on to something. I pulled my new and improved mana into the flames then pressed it out of my body and set it alight. Fire bloomed in front of me, but this wasn’t the dull-red flame I normally produced. It was brighter and flickered with orange and yellow tinges. It was also a good deal warmer and the heat pulsed pleasantly against my face in the chill room. I broke into a grin.

Blip

[tr]You Have Unlocked A New Skill!Mana ManipulationA basic skill for all mana based classes. This skill is unlocked when a user tries to refine and manipulate their bodies basic natural energies. This skill represent how well a user can refine and improve their mana. This skill will increase through use.

Well, Shit…...

I thought grimly as I looked at the pop-up. People who picked Sorcerer or other magic classes likely got that ability for free, but because I was a hybrid I’d gotten weapon and armor skills instead. That explained why I always had so much trouble with my magic though. I’d been doing it wrong the whole time. I was really going to have to find another skill point for that. It would have to come before anything else. Assuming, I could get another skill point.

Sighing I got back to work. I had more things to practice now.

*****************************************************************************

Three days….. I’d been down here for three days, doing nothing but burning my mana, meditating it back to full and burning it all again. I’d logged back in after a good night's sleep in my real bed. Today I was getting out of this crap hole. I’d gotten my Fire and Water skills to Novice V, while Elemental Precision and Mana Manipulation were Novice IV.

I took a deep breath then packed my mana down as tight as I could. After I few skill ups I was getting better, but it was still only compress my mana to about 2.5 times as good as my normal stuff. Hopefully It would be enough. I turned it to fire mana then called fire.

A bright orange ball of flame flicked to life just below the Iron ring. It was close enough to my hands it would burn them, but I’d heal. The collar would see to that. The ball was only about the size of my fist, but I’d still only be able to hold it for twenty seconds or so. I didn’t think one shot would be enough. I’d likely have to meditate and call more fire. My meditation had capped before I’d been captured and it took about forty minutes to refill my mana. Luckily it was percentage based so it wouldn’t actually get worse as I gained more mana I’d have to find a point for that too at some point. Having to take breaks for that long would mean that most of the heat I put into the iron would bleed back out while I was meditating. It would be a long-slow process to heat the metal enough to escape.

The room heated as the fire blazed. The flame was close enough to my face I could feel my skin starting to dry out. My hands fared worse and I could feel my flesh burning. I pushed my mana into the single digits before finally relenting. I hung against my chains panting for breath as I felt the skin on my hands being healed. I regenerated my mana back to full and started the cycle over.

After the fifth cycle my head was pounding, but the iron ring glowed a dull red. On the eighth the glow had brightened a decent degree. On the tenth try as the world wavered around and me I pulled against my chains with all the strength I could manage. I strained with the effort and the ring gave sending me crashing against the stone floor. I lay there laughing as the world sawm and my screen filled with messages.

Bleep-de-deep-Bleep

Blip

You Have Earned an Achievement!Tenacious

You have struggled and overcome a great obstacle through persistent effort.

Rewards: +100 Fame, +1 Secondary Skill Point

Title: Tenacious - When the user fails at something while giving his all. His base attributes will increase by 2%. Stacks up to 5 times. Bonus will reset when he completes his objective or gives up.

You Have Unlocked A New Skill!DestructionThis skill is discovered when a user breaks a hard inanimate object by magical or mundane means. This represents a Character's skill at breaking things. Skill Increases though destroying inanimate objects.

Oh hell yes……

“Open skills, Spend Secondary Skill Point, Mana Manipulation.” I said from my back. I stood and stretched towards my bag on the floor. I could see it’s outline in the black room now that my dark-vision had improved again with my Dungeoneering skill up. I had to lay down on my stomach and stretch with my legs still bound but I could reach. I pulled my bag toward me. Then opened it and pulled out my hammer. I kissed it theatrically then used heavy blow and obliterated the Iron ring holding me to the floor.

Blip

My ankles were still chained together but I could walk now. I stumbled out into the tunnel then grabbed the collar around my neck, activated stone skin to protect my neck, and ripped it in half. It’s magical protection was no longer valid now that I’d gotten out of the room. It was just a few thin copper strands and was no match for my rage. The pieces evaporated into mist as I flung them against a near-by wall.

You Have Unlocked A New Skill!Escape Artist

This skill is unlocked by escaping after being captured. This skill represents the user's skill at circumnavigating magical and mundane restraints. This skill increases with use.

If user uses magical means to escape, discovering this skill unlocks hidden class: Spellthief

AN: Aright, Long training chapter here. I mixed it a bit of humor and some over-all plot hinting to keep things interesting., but I dive quite a bit into the nuts and bolts of how elemental magic actually works. So sorry if it was boring to all of you action guys out there.

MC gets beat up AGAIN, and is finally getting sick of it, so he takes his first baby-steps on the road to Badassdom.

Thanks again to all my readers. Also, I'm talking to an Illustrator I met at an Anime-Con to get a render of the MC commissioned. She does awesome work and I'll post it up here when it's done. Advertisement Support "Kill 10 Rats" PayPal Patreon Previous

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