This... was frustrating. I knew the words, I knew what they meant, but I didn't know what

they meant. All of the words together made no sense to me. Why even tell me if you won't tell me? I stared at the words, scanning up and down the list of notifications for a few moments, before my exasperation caused me to look away. Notifications... what a specific word to know... It spoke about [STATUS] and [SYSTEM], and I knew what both of those things were.

I wanted that. I wanted to see and know what it was. So, it was simple, I had to find it… but how to find it? These words were a clue, of course, but how could I use the clue? I had the perfect solution. It was as simple as asking. I didn’t know how I knew to ask, but I did, and that was of use to me. My mind vibrated within itself, painfully, as I willed forth the words that had come on their own.

[MENU]

In response to my command, the words came back, this time looking much different.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Personal Info ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Name: None(N/A) Title(s): Oublivant Hole Race: Dungeon Subrace: Necrotic Core Rank: F+ --------------- ---------------------------------- ---------------- Class: a*N/# Job(s): - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Level: Unleveled (N/A) --------------- ---------------------------------- ---------------- Status: Severely Damaged, Mana Leak, Resistance Lowered, NULL_TYPE0010/ERROR’_UNREGISTERED ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Spells ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Core Spells (Necrotic): Create Basic Undead Minion (F), Raise Basic Undead (D-), Necrophagia (B+) Racial Abilities (Dungeon): Assimilate Object (F+), Assign Champion (D), Dungeon’s Hollow Earth (D) Minor Project Consciousness (B+). Matter Crafting (B+) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Core States (Necrotic) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mana Capacity: Average (C) Mana Regeneration: Average (C) Draining (F-) Resistance: Absolutely Fragile (F-) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dungeon Stats ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Floor: 1 Type: Basic Hole (Underground) Mana Density: Absolutely Minimal (F-) Min. Count: 0 Champions: None (N/A)

It was… new. Interesting. That was pleasant to me. There was a lot to consider, and I liked considering it. Most important to me were the spells. Spells, abilities, things I could use to change the world around me. That was important, I was sure it was. Something deep inside me itched to start using them. Why was it adding another unpleasant sensation? My self should stop feeling bad. That doesn’t matter. What did matter was the odd letters placed beside them. What were those?

[NOTICE:]

[Ability rankings, ranging from F-, absolutely abysmal, to S+, practically unobtainable, are used to gauge the flexibility and effectiveness of the spell. This does not make two spells of the same rank equivalent in effectiveness or flexibility.]

Ah, the first thing I didn’t know, and the words were kind enough to respond to my question. Thank you, words.

My train of thought was interrupted as a sudden pain carved more of my organs out of me. I was… losing something. I hated that. It should stop. I looked at the spells. Something had to be there to make it stop. I scanned my spell list for merely a moment before [Matter Crafting] stood out to me. I was made of matter. This would help. I immediately focused on the spell.

[Matter Crafting]

More of me was sucked out of my body. I nearly screamed in pain, this time. It was getting worse.

[WARNING:]

[Overtaxing MANA reserves results in the expense of life force. Extensive use of life force can result in permanent injury.]

[WARNING:]

[MANA reserves are empty.]

Sudden agony ripped throughout my body again. I did scream this time. It was loud and unpleasant to hear, or would have been, if I had a mouth.

‘AAAAAAEGHHHHHHH!!!’ Was the best way to describe it. My screaming didn’t stop information from flowing into my brain, I could see everything, everything about myself to the smallest level. PAIN. SO MUCH. AEIIHAAAAACKIHHHH! Gibberish came out of my nonexistent mouth as I tried to focus long enough to see the broken parts of myself. My immediate thought was just to push it all together. Too bad that it just hurt more while I did so.

My brain wracked with agony as my self’s purple and white glow dimmed as I continued. Spider webs of cracks broke out from places I forced together, and I had to force all that together too, making it worse and better at the same time. I couldn’t think. Nothing made sense. JUST STOP. GO TOGETHER. The cracks fused together, and then spider-webbed and then I fused those, and then they spider-webbed, for far too much time… but not forever. The pain retreated, as my consciousness shuddered in relief, and let out a literally pained sob as soon as I relaxed.

What was left of me was a dull grey-purple, abstract hope of an octahedron. Parts were crushed together into creases to the point that I could barely make sense of what it had been. The pain continued to fade away, but not gone, just barely below the surface. I wasn’t getting carved up anymore, though, so that was good. It was just that everything else was bad.

A few minutes passed, as I basked in the pleasure of normalcy. Nothing hurt. I just felt sick, now, but that was better that ethereal torture. Then I opened my mind's eye, and saw what the words had tried to tell me.

[STATUS UPDATE: CRIPPLED MANA REGENERATION]

[STATUS UPDATE: WARPED PAIN]

[STATUS UPDATE: REMOVED MANA LEAK]