In the very back of the cavity, behind a rather large rock, I could definitely see the deep darkness of a tunnel going, well, somewhere.

...It would be a waste not to explore it, right?...

-But I’d better bring Allan inside first, it would be a real shame if he caught a cold.

With a simple flick of the wrist, a tug of the mind, I sling right on back through the cave(hitting myself on a couple of rocks and walls in the meantime) and back to the entrance.

...Allan, you look rattled.

“Th-, there you are!”

Here I am! Glad you missed me, not that I missed you or anything, b-, baka…

“Were those red wolololves running by your making?!”

My making? Wolololves? Oh, right, they are, in fact, named Wolololves. Weird name.

Yup, that was me.

Nodd nodd.

“You-, and-, what’s this mana floating around me?!”

Well, I was afraid something might attack you, so I covered you in mana so if anything got close I could come right on back and defend you.

“...I see you’re making a lot of explanatory gestures, but I can’t hear you at all. I have no idea what you mean by that.”

Well, anyhow!

It was really just for proofing, and it seems to have worked, so…

With a wave of my hand, the mana previously floating around Allan quickly snaps, becoming a thick layer of mana directly around him instead.

Hm-hm-hm.

That’s a lotta mana.

Now that I think about it…

Don’t I have like 140 mana or something?

Wait.

Did all the mana I gained just flow right on back to Allan!?

Well, no time like the now!

“I-, I really don’t like the way you’re looking at me…”

Huehuehueheuheuehuheue…

Mana!

cOMe!!

Almost all the mana enshrouding Allan suddenly flowed through the tail-thing that connects the two of us, and right on into me.

POWER!! UNLIMITED POWER!!!!

Allan looks very concerned.

My body, however, is too pumped for plebs like him.

I start to swell in size, eventually becoming at least twice my original size.

T-, this…

Is very useless, I don’t like being this big.

Maybe letting Allan have some mana around him would be good protection?

Then again, that might make him rely too much on me…

Considering my wierd fight with the large red wolf just now, I could disappear at any time, along with my mana…

But, then again, being this big is sort of inconvenient.

I can barely get back in the cave…

Can I maybe…

Compress myself?...

Yeah, no, that sounds weird.

So, what do I do…

Hmm…

Ah! I know! I can ask Allan!

Allan!!

“Ah! Don’t turn to me like that!”

Like what?

“Like someone just remembering that last piggy he didn’t lead to the slaughter!”

I’d never turn to you like that!

“But you did.”

Wait.

Hold up.

Can you hear me.

“No, you’re just very expressive.”

Like what?

“Well, you held up both hands and waved a bit, like “stop” or “be quiet”, and then you pointed to yourself and then to me. I’d be pretty stupid not to catch that one-”

Ah! I see!

“In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone who moves as much as you do…”

Well, I only have my body, so…

Ah! Well then! Perhaps you can help me?

“I do what to you?”

Help me. You. Help. Me.

“...I get that I’m supposed to do something to or for you, but… I really, really can’t understand that sign in between. What does rubbing your hands together even mean?”

Help!

Help me!!

Well, you already seem quite confused enough, so…

Alright.

Me. Shrink. How?

“You wanna get smaller?”

Yes! Exactly!!

“I thought you were a Magnus, aren’t you supposed to be a master of mana?”

Not quite. Nonono. Not.

Come on!

Help! Me!

“You want me to shrink you?”

Just tell me how. Please. I want to explore the tunnel before this chapter ends.

“Well, there goes my expectations… I don’t quite remember what grandma told me, but I think she told me that once you reached Lv.10, all the mana you had would become compressed to double density, making it easier to control and more powerful. Maybe you could try that?”

Aha! So that was the answer!!

Well well well, nothing can stop me now!

Hnnnngggg!!

Hooouuuuu…

This is going to be hard.

I’m going to have to control my very mana-atoms, aren’t I?...

Last time I did, it hurt and I got burned, literally…

Anyhow.

Compress compress compress compress…

Instead of each and every molecule coming closer, maybe I should just exert great pressure into the center of me?

Hm.

Forgive me, Allan…

“Wh-, what are you-,”

All my mana rushed back around Allan, creating a one or two meters thick shell.

Now to just…

Pressurize…

“What-,”

Huuuu… Thuum!!

I could feel my orb shaking in response to the constant pressure I was putting on myself(and Allan(RIP)).

And with a loud boom, I was suddenly half my size.

- You have compressed to double density. All mana gained will be automatically compressed. -

My body, or, atleast, what I could see from Allans perspective-ish, was far more blue than before, and it even shimmered a little.

I quickly detached from Allan and reformed my body.

Nice.

Alright Allan, let’s head inside!~