Days passed one after another, and to be honest, I lost myself in my exercises. Fascinated by the new world unfolding before me, I fell into a training frenzy on the verge of obsession. It didn't help that every time I made even the slightest progress, I felt a wave of overwhelming joy and pride, bordering on ecstasy.

  I guess I have a problem.

  I became addicted to the feeling of fulfillment that came with being rewarded for my hard work. The system, despite its flaws, was fair and rewarded risk and hard work. And speaking of rewards, I must mention that during the grueling exercises, when the only thing keeping me going was my determination and relentless will to push forward until total exhaustion, I was suddenly pleasantly surprised.

  A familiar, cold wave washed over my body, giving me both relief and respite, signaling the changes the system, in its grace, had chosen to bestow upon me. So, confident that more status changes awaited me, I opened the window to see what have changed.

  And I have to say, I was very pleased.

  Name: Eryk

  Race: Human

  Rank: Common

  Body: Lesser

  Mind: Lesser

  Soul: Lesser

  Mana Core: None

  Aura Veins: None

  Traits:

  [Instinctive Fighter]

  Skills:

  [Alerted] (Basic)

  [Iron Will] (Basic)

  So, another skill. And this time, despite the lack of descriptions or hints, I had no doubt how it worked. It had to be a reward for my hard efforts and titanic will to push forward. And although I was sure it would be the foundation for my future progress, I also had to be careful. My body had its limits, and while I could push it to its edge, I had to remember that exceeding those limits could have tragic consequences. Now, equipped with a skill that greatly facilitated crossing that thin line, I had to be especially sensitive and cautious not to harm myself.

  Yes, skills were a great help, but they often came with challenges or, in some situations, even dangers. It seemed that nothing here was as simple and straightforward as it might appear. Once again, I had to chastise myself for not giving the system proper attention.

  Just because I had the [Alerted] skill didn't mean I was automatically attuned to every danger, especially those coming from my own thoughts, perceptions, and actions. The skills granted by the system were only aids, not miraculous solutions to all problems, and they had limitations that should always be remembered.

  So, keeping in mind my own weaknesses and the system's limitations, I stood before a choice.

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  Option One:

  I could continue my exercises as I had been, hoping for steady progress, especially in mana manipulation. This was a stable and safe option that certainly carried minimal risks, guaranteeing slow but steady progress.

  Option Two:

  I could try to use my new skill and, very cautiously, delve into deeper meditation while testing the limits of my mind to understand and perceive the flow of mana around me. This option carried greater risk but also gave me hope for a deeper understanding of magical energy and its flows, and consequently, more accurate manipulation of it.

  Option Three:

  This was my original plan before I received my new skill. I won’t deny, it was a bit crazy and risky, but due to the lack of options, nothing else came to mind, and I was convinced I should at least try it. It involved carefully— and I really want to emphasize the word carefully— absorbing the faintest traces of mana vapor from smallest mana streams into my body.

  And yes, I know how crazy it sounds, especially since I had only just started manipulating mana and the chance of losing control of it, resulting in internal damage or hemorrhaging, was not small. It was a very risky path, especially for someone without a mana core yet, but I hoped that, first, the damage wouldn't be severe, especially if it was just tiny amount of mana, and second, I wanted to see if I could sense aura veins assuming they even existed in my body. And, I also wanted to test how my flesh would react to an increased amount of mana within and whether this way I could strengthen, or using a different term, temper my body.

  Because let's face it, I wanted to at least try to find a path to improve or upgrade my body and mind, as the lesser status did not inspire much optimism.

  As for improving my soul, that was a completely different matter. I had no idea how to go about it except for fragments of hints and suspicions. Like how it seemed connected to my skills and the strange sensation that flows through me when the system changes my status.

  And that was pretty much it.

  So, this problem remained unsolved for now.

  But no matter how much I dragged out my deliberations, I had to make a decision about my next steps. Aware of the risks, I decided the most reasonable course of action would be to combine all the options.

  Why not, let's go all out!

  Glory to the brave!

  But in all seriousness, I planned to combine deep meditation with my daily exercises. After better understanding the flow of magical energy and improving my still-nascent ability to manipulate it, I would cautiously and slowly experiment on my own body.

  I know it wasn't the most optimal path and carried risks, but let's be honest with ourselves. I was trapped in underground caves in an unfamiliar place in the middle of a wild forest inhabited mostly by dangerous monsters, and the only way out of this trap was through massive steel gates leading into the unknown.

  And knowing my luck, the unknown didn't mean a safe and cozy place; it likely meant deadly dangerous challenges and a fierce fight for survival. That's why I needed power, and I needed it sooner rather than later because even large amounts of fruits and mushrooms were not inexhaustible. And I didn't want to end up in a slow death by starvation because I lacked the courage to reach for power.

  Especially since, depending on the results, I intended to calibrate my approach accordingly to my gains and risk associated with it.

  So determined to follow my chosen path, slowly and cautiously, I used [Iron Will] and immersed myself in meditation.

  All that was left, was to hope that I wasn't making a terrible mistake.