Once I got back among the trees, the shadows enveloped me. Without the flashlight on my phone, it was slow going and I tripped several times. With everything that had happened tonight and the thoughts of strange energy running through my head, walking through the dark forest had my heart beating quickly.

“You know…,” Cax began to say just as I fell again, scraping my hand pretty badly on a sharp rock on the ground. I couldn’t see clearly to judge just how bad it was, but it was quite painful and felt wet. That may just have been the muck that was coating me, though, and not blood.

“Not now!” I irritably snapped, shaking my hand to try to ease the pain. I was too frustrated and more than a little scared at stumbling through the dark forest to be reasonable. Cax wisely kept silent as I started grumbling to myself while I continued on, the sound helping me keep the fear at bay.

Finally, I stepped out onto the path that ran around the park. I could see the road outside the park’s entrance as it was lit up by streetlights and some houses in the distance across the road. I took in a deep breath of relief and my shoulders relaxed slightly. The familiar sights helped ease my tension. The car park remained empty and there was still no one around. At this time of night, that wasn’t surprising, but I had worried that the strange light may have attracted others.

Now for the next challenge. Getting home without someone seeing me and calling an ambulance or the police. Looking down at the sorry state of my clothes, I thought about what to do. There was a drinking fountain in the park, but with the amount of gunk on me, it would take forever to get clean that way. I decided just to make for home as fast as I could and get cleaned up there.

With how good I was feeling thanks to the changes that had been made to my body, I was able to jog back at a pretty good pace. I went faster along the main road since it was better lit and there was a greater chance of someone spotting me. A couple of cars drove by, but either they didn’t notice my poor condition or just didn’t care.

Once I turned onto the side streets leading home, I slowed down a bit and stuck to the shadows as much as possible. There were more lights on in houses than was probably normal at this hour, but nobody was outside. Must be still awake because of the earthquake earlier, I thought.

When I got home, I went in the side gate and straight to the back yard. I didn’t want to get any of this filth in the house. The sensor light turned on, making it easy for me to move around. Out here in the suburbs there was plenty of privacy. We had a high fence and a lot of trees to block prying eyes, so I didn’t even hesitate to strip out of all my clothes. My shirt was quite tight and ripped a bit as I got it off.

I grabbed the hose and started washing myself, scrubbing hard with my hand to get the dried grime off. Luckily, it was mid spring, so the temperature was comfortable enough.

As I was cleaning myself, a twinge in my hand reminded me of the fall I had taken. The pain had lessened, so I had forgotten about it until bumping it just now. Looking at it, there was a slight graze on my palm but no blood like I had expected. I frowned a little. Based on the pain I had felt, I could have sworn it was worse than that.

Cax spoke up. “That is an effect of the increased amount of mana flowing through your body. You will recover much faster than before.”

“Incredible,” I said, shaking my head slowly as I inspected the wound.

I went back to scrubbing, and as my skin became visible, I was shocked again. I had actual muscle definition now! I had pecs and abs. I ran my hand over my chest and stomach, marveling at the hard feeling. It was much more noticeable without the sludge on me.

My stomach fat was completely gone. I brought my hand up and ran it along my shoulders. They felt bigger than I remembered. I was eager to get in front of a mirror to see what else had changed.

My eyes moved down to check out my equipment. The water temperature wasn’t exactly warm, though, so I would have to check for any changes when there was no shrinkage.

Once I was as clean as I was going to get, I turned the hose off and realized I had a problem. The back door was locked. I was going to need to go back out the front and enter the house from there. Still standing there naked, I looked at the pile of dirty clothes in distaste. There was no way I was going to put them back on!

It wasn’t like I had never done a nude run before, but I had always been drunk then. Doing it sober was a whole other thing. With another look at the filthy clothes, I decided to risk it. Cupping my junk with one hand, I ran to the front, grabbed the key from its hiding place and unlocked the door. Rushing inside, I quickly closed the door behind me and took a deep breath. Safe!

Luckily, Mum shouldn’t be home for another couple of hours. Tiptoeing to the bathroom as if that was actually reducing the trail of water I was leaving behind, I had a nice hot shower and used up a whole lot of soap.

Finally feeling clean, I got out, dried myself, and then went to the mirror. I wiped away the bit of steam that had collected on the glass to get a better view. I couldn’t believe my eyes!

I always kept my hair cut pretty short, and it still was, but it seemed fuller and a deeper brown than before. My eyes were a brighter shade of green. My body was a little bigger than it used to be, but it was all muscle mass. Everything was tight without any fat to be seen.

The best change, though, was my skin. It was flawless! I had always had some freckles and spots on my face, but they were completely gone. The same for my body. Everywhere I could see, I had unblemished skin.

Another look at my package had me smiling. Even my old fella had gotten some love. I had always been happy with the size, but I wouldn’t say no to a little extra.

I wasn’t a fan of the disgusting process of purification, but I definitely appreciated the results. Any remaining anger at being forced into this situation was completely gone. My smile grew as I sensed Cax’s relief.

Once I stopped admiring myself, I threw on some clean clothes. They were a bit tight. I might need to change my entire wardrobe now. That’s going to clean out my account, I thought with a wince.

I went and cleaned up the water I had dripped on the floor. Mum would kill me if she came home to a dirty house. Maybe literally. Night shifts often left her tired and extra cranky.

I had already been starting to feel calmer about this whole situation. Doing something as ordinary as cleaning helped settle me down the rest of the way.

I went out the back and threw the dirty clothes into a plastic bag, shoes included. Walking around to the garbage bin, I tossed the bag away. With how bad they smelled, I didn’t want to take them inside the house to wash them. They were probably beyond saving, anyway.

Having taken care of everything, I went back in and finally listened to my stomach. I was starving. I couldn’t remember ever being this hungry before. I chalked it up to a side-effect from the changes I had undergone. It was about four in the morning now, but I wouldn’t be able to sleep with my stomach gnawing at me, so I heated up some leftovers.

I took the plate to the kitchen table and started eating. I polished it off in record time. Pushing the empty dish away, I sat back in my chair. It was time to see what I could find out.

“Alright Cax. You said this interface thing could show me information about myself. How do I control it?”

“Simply concentrate and think, stats. That will show you your main information.”

Doing as he said, I was rewarded with the appearance of a screen a short distance in front of me, filling up the entire center of my field of view. It contained a table of information.

I was shocked. Of course, a little of that was due to the fact there was a screen hanging suspended in front of me. Mainly, though, because what I was looking at was so similar to what could be seen in a video game. How was that even possible?! Was it simply the enchantment on my mind making the information appear in a familiar format? Or had there been contact between our two worlds before?

Cax sounded thoughtful as he answered my unspoken question. “I think it unlikely our worlds have crossed paths before. My best guess is that somehow those on this world who are more sensitive to the flows of mana picked up on some information even across worlds. After all, mana is in everything, everywhere. Who is to say it has the same limitations our forms do?”

I shook my head. Cax’s guess was as good as any, and it didn’t really matter how or why it looked like this. I needed to deal with the information I had at hand, not chase down ideas I may never know the answer to. I focused back on the floating screen.

There was a lot of information there. One thing that stood out, though, was the lack of attributes like strength and intelligence. Was that something the stories had gotten wrong?

“Actually, no. That is standard for adventurers. It seems we have found our first example of how you differ.”

I was confused. “You said ‘adventurer’. I’m pretty sure you said ‘mana user’ before. Are they the same?”

“Not quite,” he replied. “Adventurers are just one type of mana user. They are the ones who go out to take care of problems and the ones who go into dungeons. There are also healers, guards, craftspeople, and many more types of mana users. Becoming an adventurer is a fairly popular path, though, as it is one of the fastest ways to grow stronger and wealthier.”

I was fascinated to learn more about his world, but there was something bugging me. “How do you know so much about all of this? If the stories are to be believed, you weren’t able to leave your dungeon, right?”

“That is correct,” he replied. “I could, of course, listen to conversations held within my walls. My main source of information, though, came from the adventurers who perished in my dungeon. I absorbed them and everything they had on them. As my mana broke down their possessions, I was able to learn all about the items and how to create perfect copies using my mana. In the same way, when my mana absorbed the body, I gained all their memories and all the knowledge they had acquired throughout their life.

That made me sit up straight. “Hang on. You stole their memories?!” I looked at my hands in worry. “If I touch someone, am I going to take all their memories? Am I some kind of parasite now?!” I was afraid I would have to isolate myself from everyone for their protection.

I got the sense that he was a little indignant. “I did not steal anything. They were dead and no longer had any need for anything. And do not worry. Living beings are protected from that kind of thing by the mana flowing through them.”

“But people on this planet don’t have mana!” I anxiously told him.

To his credit, he didn’t sound impatient with my lack of knowledge. “As I said earlier, there is mana in everything. For regular people, it is simply enough to keep them alive, not enough for them to use. Now that your channels have been opened, your body will accumulate extra mana for your use.”

His tone changed to one of curiosity. “Going back to your previous reaction, I do not understand your disgust. From your memories, I’ve seen that people on this planet experiment on bodies. You even harvest organs from the dead and put them in other people. You are ok with this. Why does taking memories and knowledge disturb you?”

I thought about it. Cax was right. I myself was an organ donor and didn’t see anything wrong with that. So why did this make me so uncomfortable? If the person was dead, it wasn’t really an invasion of privacy, was it? And wasn’t it better for the knowledge they had gained to not be lost, and instead put to use? I didn’t have a good answer for him, so I chose to give him none. Instead, I avoided the topic by looking at my stats again.

My eyes were drawn to the Magical Affinities section. I had always dreamt of being able to use magic when I was younger. I wondered what exactly this meant.

With that thought, the table disappeared, and more text took its place.

Magical Affinities

Your affinities represent the types of magic you have a connection to and knowledge of.

Your mana is able to take on the form of these affinities, allowing you to cast spells associated with those types of magic.

You are at your current limit for affinities.

“Woah! How did that happen?” I exclaimed.

“Your interface will respond to your thoughts. You wanted to know more about affinities, so it provided the information it was able to.”

“Fantastic!” I said excitedly. The screen remained there. I wanted to go back to look at my stats. With Cax’s words in mind, I simply thought about the screen disappearing and being replaced with the stats one. As soon as I focused on that, they changed. Awesome!

I looked at the magic section again. “Do you know why I have these affinities? That other screen said I have a connection to them, but what does that mean exactly? How can I be connected to Light?”

“Sorry. Nobody knows the exact reason for the initial affinities. Most believe that there is something in your personality that resonates with them. Although, I don’t think that your affinity for spatial magic is regular. It is quite rare on my planet, and I would imagine it’s even rarer on this one. My guess is you have it because of how I arrived on this planet and the fact that my essence is mixed with yours.”

I was about to get sidetracked and look for information on that when a big yawn interrupted my thoughts. A wave of fatigue suddenly hit me. It had been quite a night after all, and no matter what had been done to improve my body, I had still been up for about 24 hours. I told myself everything would be waiting for me to go over tomorrow, so I should just go to bed and look at it all later when I was fresh.

Not to mention Mum would probably get home soon. I didn’t want to see her, or anyone for that matter, until I got a better handle on all of this.

I stood up and took my dish to the sink. After putting it in I turned around, and then stopped. I couldn’t resist. I couldn’t go to bed until I actually confirmed if I was able to do magic. How could I sleep when my childhood dream was within reach? Looking at my stats again, I saw that I apparently knew three spells. So, which one should I try?

Cax spoke up softly. “I suggest the Heal spell. I know that your father’s death still weighs on you and that you wish there was something you could have done. Now you have the capability to do something if that kind of situation ever happens again.”

I considered that. It was true. Seeing Dad in hospital and being unable to do anything to help had affected me a lot. If I were truly able to heal someone, I would never have to feel that helpless again. Also, Mum had been complaining recently about back pain and sore joints. I would love to be able to help her, although I would have to be careful about how I went about it. I couldn’t let her find out about what had happened to me. She would not handle it well.

I found the information on the spell.

Heal

Repair damage and restore 25 health.

Cost: 20 mana

Range: Touch

I looked at the hand I had hurt in the forest, but it had completely healed by itself already. There wasn’t even the slightest sign it had been hurt. Amazing, I thought in wonder. The changes in my appearance were easy to keep in mind, but I needed to remember that the changes went deeper than that.

I considered what to do for a second and then groaned. I had an idea, but I didn’t exactly like it. Wracking my brain for a better one but coming up with nothing, I gave up and went ahead with my crazy thought.

I got a knife and then put my left arm on the counter, palm up. The lack of comment from Cax surprised me.

“You’re not going to try and talk me out of it?” I asked him.

“No, I think this is a very good idea.” The complete seriousness with which he said it had me concerned.

Great. My new best friend is a masochist.

The lack of response to that thought had me even more concerned.

I raised the knife and then hesitated as my common sense kicked in, but my desire to use magic quickly overcame it. I very lightly sliced the knife across my arm just below the elbow, intending to make just a little cut. It didn’t break the skin.

I frowned. Strange.

“Remember, your body is stronger than before thanks to the extra mana. That includes your skin.”

I repeated the motion, but with more pressure behind it. Blood welled up immediately and started flowing quickly down the side of my arm onto the counter. Oops. I guess my skin hadn’t become that much stronger.

I belatedly realized I didn’t know what to do. “Umm, how do I cast the spell?” I asked Cax, nervously watching my blood pool on the counter and starting to feel a bit woozy at the sight.

“The same way you control your interface. Through thought and intent. For now, saying the word will also help you focus.”

Concentrating on the injury, my voice trembled a little with excitement as I said, “Heal.” Immediately, a spot between the base of my sternum and my stomach grew warm. That warmth spread from there out into the rest of my body, feeling a little stronger around where I had cut myself. It was quite comforting and soothing.

There was a soft, golden glow around the wound, hardly visible. Just a few seconds later, the warmth disappeared along with the glow. The blood had stopped flowing, and the cut and the pain were completely gone.

I had done it. I had used magic! Well, technically, I guess my interface had. I hadn’t needed to do anything more than start the process, then it had taken care of the rest. But still. Magic! I did a little dance, unable to keep my excitement contained. Anyone watching probably would have been more shocked by the quality of the dancing than the miraculous healing.

“Well done,” Cax said warmly. “Congratulations on your first use of magic.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Cax.”

A quick check of my stats showed 20 mana was gone and my health was full.

I touched the area just below my chest where I had felt the warmth begin, not feeling anything. “Is this where my mana is?”

“Yes, but there is no physical structure like the one I occupy. Imagine an invisible sphere with your mana stored inside it, just waiting for you to call on it. At the moment, that sphere is quite small due to your low level. As you grow stronger and your mana channels improve, that sphere will also grow, allowing you to store more mana for your use.”

I had a mental image of future me walking around with a bulge like I was pregnant.

Amused, Cax dispelled my worry. “It will never be noticeable or interfere with your body in any way. The mana will simply become more compacted before that ever happens.”

I was about to ask another question when a yawn that almost dislocated my jaw interrupted me. It let me know that even though the spell had healed my cut, it hadn’t done anything for the fatigue that came from being up for almost 24 hours. I was definitely done for the night now.

I got some paper towels and with the help of a lot of water cleaned my blood off the counter. I was a little amused that even though I now had magical powers and had just healed myself, I had to resort to such mundane methods to clean up.

After washing the dried blood off my arm under the tap, I was amazed to see completely smooth skin. There wasn’t even a faint line where I had cut myself.

I brushed my teeth and went to the toilet. Then I went into my room and took off everything except my boxers before getting into bed. I got under the covers and closed my eyes.

“Good night, Cax,” I mumbled tiredly.

“Good night, Dean,” he replied softly.

Despite all the thoughts going around in my head, I fell asleep almost immediately.