System Congratulations, you have received the skill:

Mana Manipulation. System Congratulations, Mana Manipulation has leveled up! System Congratulations, you have received the skill:

Will Exertion.

The skill mana manipulation was somewhat expected, you know since I was manipulating mana, but the skill Will Exertion was unexpected. Through the notification screen, I focused on the skill; allowing analyze to do its work.

Analyze

Skill: Will Exertion

You have exerted your mind's will repeatedly. This skill allows you to exert your will stronger, and faster.

The skills information was actually very useful in explaining why I received it. I haven't really noticed it myself, but I guess I have been pushing my mind against a lot of obstacles since the change. I wonder how much stronger it makes my will though?

Once I was done with the screens, they automatically started to disappear from my vision. The night was growing old, and with the sun set to appear in a few hours, I knew I should get some semblance of sleep; even if I feel fine. Before that though, I had to check the full extent of my status screen, partially so that I could see the amount of mana I used.

This time though, I tried to will the system forth without meditating. Surprisingly it wasn't that difficult, I just had to avoid focusing too much on what was in my vision, then I could use my will to call forth the system.

Acott Myers Level: 1 Race: Human Class: None Mana: 17/19 Status: Strength-10 Constitution-8 Agility-7 Dexterity-6 Intelligence-13

Wisdom-10

Skills: Rock Climbing: 1 Meditation: 4 Survival: 1 Mana Manipulation:2 Will Exertion: 1 Effects: Titles: Survivor

Interestingly, I only used two points of mana... Which I guess makes sense. I did only bring mana outside of my body twice, and they weren't big either. Closing out of the system, I let out a yawn. I haven't actually gotten any sleep this night, and while I felt fine I knew skipping sleep is a bad idea.

So, I laid against the wall, with my poor weapons next to me, and drifted slowly off to sleep.

I awoke as the sun started to rise, sending rays of light around the thick trunks of the trees. I pushed my self off of the cave's floor, blinking away the blurriness that was present in my eyes. I was only slightly hungry this morning, no need for me to eat the other egg yet.

I walked out of the cave, feeling the brisk morning wind that was blowing throughout the forest, causing a shiver to run down my arms. Huh, the area I awoke in seemed to be transitioning into winter. I'll have to hunt one of those deers soon, for the meat and the pelt. I hope that they weren't the only deer in the forest, I'll have to scout around and make sure there's more. Don't want to kill off a species already.

I sat next to the burnt-out fire, removing the charcoal that formed from the wood and put new, smaller, pieces of wood onto the ash. I definitely wasn't going to start a fire by hand now that I have mana.

Taking a step back from the pile of wood, I concentrated on the mana inside of me, drawing from the thick mana stream and making a smaller one leading to my finger. Just before breaking through the wall, I focused my mind onto the mana, imagining thoughts of fire: heat, flame, burning. Then I thought about how I wanted to execute it. I didn't want to just hold my finger next to it, that would be boring. No, I wanted to throw it. Like a fireball, but you know, miniature.

While holding onto the thoughts of fire, I also imagined it jumping out of my hand into the pile of wood, hoping that would work. When I pushed these thoughts down onto the mana stream though, it seemed weak, frail. And my instincts told me that what I had here wouldn't be enough, it was too little. So, I pulled more from the larger mana stream, adding it to the thin stream leading down to my finger.

The new, thicker, mana stream seemed more acceptable to my thoughts. The mana stream took on an orangeish hue like last night, but had small mixes of light gray through it. Then, with some mental strain, I pushed it through the wall in my finger.

I felt drained though, not greatly, but the feeling was still there. Before I could open my eyes to look at the flame on my finger, I felt the mana disconnect from me and jump away. With my eyes open now, I could see it go splat against the wood, causing portions of the wood to burn. The small fire brought a small amount of warmth with it.

I rubbed my face, feeling the small stubble of a beard growing but ignoring it for later. I think... what I did was wrong. I mean it worked, yeah, but not how I imagined it. The fire jumped out of my finger before I wanted it to. If this were a fight I don't imagine this working very well. Maybe I imagined the jumping wrong?

Before my thoughts went too far though, a notification appeared in my vision alerting me of a level up in mana manipulation.

For now, I left the mana aside. Right now it wouldn't be usable in quick battles anyhow, maybe as a sneak attack, but not in direct confrontation. I'm far to slow for that right now. And I wanted to be rounded well out anyhow. I mean who hasn't imagined themselves as a badass swordmaster?

I don't have a sword though... only a pointy stick... Wait no. Not a pointy stick.

A poor spear.