“Mama, where are you?” I yelled after leaving my room.

“I’m here.” She replied from her room across the house.

Her door was open, and she stood in the process of attempting to tie the lacing of a black corset that she had layered over an orange tunic. I could tell from her uncharacteristically troubled expression, that she could use some help.

“I’m just about finished.” She grunted while trying to wrangle the lacing on her chest.

“Do you need a hand?” I asked her, suppressing a mocking grin.

“Sorry honey, it’s been a few years since I’ve put this on. I may have put on a gram or two, could you. . .?”

“Yeah.” I said teasingly, taking the laces in my hands. "What is this anyway? You look like you're going to a renaissance fair."

“Trust me, darling, this is nothing compared to the flashy outfits that Everlyse likes to wear.” She chuckled as I grabbed the laces.

"This is dungeoneering garb." Mama said, grunting as I pulled the laces tautly and tied them off. "It's been modified with enchantments to enhance protection and magical efficiency."

"Dungeoneering? This sounds fun! Are we going to find treasure and fight monsters?" I asked, amused.

“No, darling.” She said with a frown.

"The dungeon nexus is a dangerous and unpredictable place." Mama said, her expression turning grave. "We'll take a shortcut, but even that route is not without hazards. Natural dangers such as magical creatures and traps are a concern, as well as supernatural hazards and other mages who might try to stop us. It's important that we stay vigilant and prepared at all times. I want you to treat this with the utmost seriousness. I won't be around for much longer, so I need to teach you as much as possible."

That's right, mama was dying. She looked fine, at least right now, so it was easy to forget, but. . .

"What can I do to help?" I asked, feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety.

"I'll teach you some basic self-defense spells." Mama said, her expression turning serious. "If we do encounter an enemy, I will almost certainly be able to handle the danger, but you must be prepared to get out of the way if something goes wrong. It's important that you listen to my instructions and trust in my abilities."

I nodded, trying to push down the fear that was gnawing at my gut. I knew we had to be careful in the dungeon, but that wasn't what was really worrying me. I had been trying to avoid thinking about it, but I couldn't ignore it any longer. I had to know the truth.

"Mama..." I said hesitantly. "I know you've been sick for a long time. And you've never really talked about it. But... is there really no hope for your curse? Is there nothing we can do to save you?"

Mama's eyes filled with a bittersweet resignation as she looked at me. "I wish I could say there was, Yan Lyn." She said, her voice breaking. "But the truth is, the curse is beyond my ability to cure. Even with Everlyse's power all we could do was delay the inevitable. My only wish right now is to make sure I deliver you safely."

I felt my heart heavy with grief. "I'm sorry, mama." I said, my voice trembling. "I wish there was something more I could do."

"You don't have to apologize, my dear." Mama said, smiling sadly. "You've already done more than enough for me. I'm so proud of you, Yan Lyn. You're a strong and talented young woman, and I know you'll continue to make me proud no matter what happens. Just remember to always stay true to yourself, and never lose hope."

She tapped on my forehead and I felt a pleasant warm energy gather in my eyes.

"Now for your first lesson," Mama said, her voice taking on a playful tone. "What do you see?"

Suddenly, the room appeared brighter and more vibrant than before. I could see the faint glowing mist flowing around Mama's clothing, and the delicate shapes and eddies swirling around her. It was beautiful.

"Whoa," I whispered, unable to look away. "This is amazing."

The warmth in my eyes dissipated and my vision returned to normal.

"That's a relief." She said lackadaisically. "Are you sure that it's not overwhelming, painful, exhausting, or vertigo-inducing?"

"Huh? No! What are you talking about?" I looked at mama completely puzzled.

"I can't see mana dear. Mana sight is a rare gift. At most, only one child per 100,000 born on Paurales have it." Mama explained. "I can sense mana with my aura, which is a much less rare ability, but seeing mana undoubtedly has its advantages. You'll need to consult with Everlyse to learn how to use it effectively."

"Okay," I said, instantly forgiving her for making me a guinea pig. "How do I turn it on?"

"The first thing you need to do is focus on your core," Mama said, pointing at my belly. "This is where the vast majority of your mana is stored. Close your eyes and take a deep breath, then concentrate on your core. When you're ready, tell me what you feel."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on the feeling of my core. It was like a small, flame burning in my belly.

"I feel a vibration, it's like the flickering of a candle's flame."

"Good. That feeling is like a heartbeat. Just like your heart needs to pump blood throughout your physical body, the core needs to circulate mana throughout the magical part of you. Now I want you to try to make that flame glow a fraction brighter."

I did as she told me. Feeling the flickering become steadier and the flame burn brighter. It was remarkably intuitive but difficult to keep up.

"Now what do I do?" I said while struggling to concentrate.

"Remember how it felt when I tapped your forehead?" She said. "Try to recreate that sensation."

I imagined the sensation of warm pressure building up in my eyes, and when I opened them again it worked.

"Definitely too conspicuous. . ." Mama said reaching up to my forehead and brushing my bangs out of my eyes.

Puzzled by what she meant, I opened my mouth to ask a question, and my vision returned to normal.

"Ahhh! I lost it!" I said in frustration.

"It takes practice dear, but soon enough it will be second nature."

I nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. I couldn't wait to see what else I could do.

Mama finished putting on her gear as I tried through the exercise a few more times. Her final outfit came with a cloak and some basic armor. She wore shin guards and bracers as well as a small plate to cover her stomach. I wondered why she would opt to cover her stomach over her chest but just assumed that it had something to do with the core being located there.

She put on her sandals and grabbed a satchel full of tools and stepped in front of the mirror. She admired herself in the mirror for a moment before letting out a nostalgic sigh.

“It suits you.” I said attempting to lighten the mood.

The outfit was more functional than fashionable with plenty of extra pockets.

“Thank you, honey.”

She gave me a kind smile.

“We’ll need to get you fitted for one when we reach your mother’s place. This outfit is enchanted with several useful effects that will be useful when we traverse the Nexus Dungeon. It’s exceptionally high quality too. Three master craftsmen worked together to make it, and it cost a fortune.” Her smile grew wide. "Everlyse will get you something even better."

She patted herself down and turned to face me.

"Now then, shall we?"

*****

Mama sat me down in the living room and pulled out a glowing marble-sized sphere.

"This is a dungeon bead," she said, holding it up for me to see. "It's a magical device that allows us to create a portal to the dungeon nexus. It's been ‘programmed’ to get us to a portal that is within a few days’ journey from a portal to Hel." She made an air-quotes gesture at the word "programmed."

I suppressed my curiosity about the suspicious emphasis on the word "programmed."

"So, then. . . How does it work?" I asked.

"Before I explain," Mama said while gesturing to her eyes, "why don’t you take a look?"

I activated my mana sight and to my surprise, the dungeon bead seemed to disappear, replaced by what looked like a pitch-black nothing. I squinted to take a closer look and jumped in surprise when Mama tossed it my way. When I caught it, it zapped me.

"Ouch!" I yelped, dropping the bead to the floor.

I gave Mama a dirty look. "You could've warned me," I said flatly.

I knelt down beside the bead and touched the impossible object—my fingertips tingled as if they had built up a static charge. I could see a thin film of mana being drawn from my skin into the blackness until it zapped me again!

"Ouch!" I cried as I dropped it back onto the floor. "It was drawing mana from my body, and then it just zapped me!"

"That's right," Mama explained.

"The dungeon bead is a powerful tool, capable of opening a portal to the dungeon nexus through the manipulation of mana. For most mages, using it is a simple task, but for you, it is a dangerous undertaking. Your body is made up of pure mana, and if your aura is depleted, the bead will draw directly from your body, causing you immense pain. Remember this lesson, Lyn. It is crucial that you learn to control your aura and manage your mana carefully.”

She patted me on the head and continued.

Mama smiled and continued.

"But your unique nature also has its advantages. Whereas other mages may spend decades honing their aura manipulation skills before they can charge a dungeon bead, you should be able to do it in a matter of seconds. Now, let's begin lesson two."

She gestured for me to follow her outside.

******

Soon I found myself standing beside Mama in the courtyard. The sky was starting to lighten, with the stars beginning to fade. Mama took a deep breath and gazed up at the sky. Her lips moved in a silent whisper.

"Are you ready, Lyn?" She asked, holding up the glowing sphere. "Once we start filling the dungeon bead with mana, we won't be able to stop until it's completely full."

I confidently nodded, catching the bead with my right hand.

"I'm ready," I said.

"Watch closely," Mama instructed.

I focused my attention on the dungeon bead, activating my mana sight. As expected, the blackness started to draw in small amounts of mana from my aura. But when my aura was depleted, it began to draw directly from my body, causing me pain. Before it became unbearable, Mama reached out and grasped my hand, infusing some of her own mana into my body. A mark appeared on the palm of my hand, and she stepped back.

"When I was designing your body, I calculated that your aura would need to be capable of accumulating mana at a rate that was one million times faster than was theoretically possible.” Mama explained.

A surge of power shot out of my core, through my arm, and into my hand. The blackness in the dungeon bead vanished, replaced by a glowing blue light like the inside of a lightning storm.

"Therefore, I created the mana engine, an infinite accumulator, and designed a series of mana circuits throughout your body. You can transfer mana into and out of your core faster than any aura ever could," Mama said.

A surge of power blasted out of my core, through my arm, and into my hand. The blackness in the dungeon bead disappeared, replaced by an inky blue glow like the inside of a lightning storm.

"Your body is now a weapon of incredible power, Lyn," Mama said, her voice filled with pride and excitement. "With the help of the mana engine and the mana circuits, you can wield a force, unlike anything the world has ever seen. But be warned, It is crucial that you learn to control and manage your mana carefully, or the consequences could be disastrous."

As she spoke, the air around us began to roar like a firework, sucking in nearby leaves and pebbles into a swirling vortex. My arm whipped and thrashed like a firehose, but I clamped down on my wrist with my other hand and held on for dear life. And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the power stopped.

"You'll need to practice controlling your mana circuits and get a feel for how much mana you have in your core," Mama said, wiping something off her face. "But that's it for lesson two. Now, what do you say we go on an adventure?"

The bead began to shimmer and pulse, and a loud, tearing sound filled the air. A swirling vortex of colorful energy appeared in front of us, the edges of the portal rippling and fluctuating.

"Let's go," Mama said, stepping through the portal.

I followed her, my heart pounding with excitement and fear. As I stepped through the portal, a wave of dizziness washed over me and I stumbled, barely catching myself on the edge of the portal. The colors around me swirled and twisted, and I felt like I was falling through a tunnel of light.

When my vision cleared, I found myself standing in a strange, otherworldly landscape. The sky was a deep, dark purple, with swirling clouds of glittering energy. The ground was rocky and uneven, with jagged outcroppings of crystal rising up around us. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

"Now then," Mama said, her voice dripping with excitement. "Lesson three."