Following the rat pack's departure, I exited the hole and started planning out my next moves. I definitely have to level up and get more skills, I also need to get more information on what type of world I’ve been born into, and while not as important I kinda also want to know about my old world. I don't know why but I feel a strange sense of longing for my previous world even if I can only remember bits and pieces from it. Hell, I can’t even remember my own name.

  Speaking of which, I checked my status again to confirm something and see my progress.

  “I wonder if there’s a limit to how many skills and mutations you can get.” I absentmindedly thought. Seeing that my skills were progressing nicely, I instead focused on my {Name}. Trying to use {Identify} on it, I was only met with confusion. {The individual has not earned a name}. “Huh, are names something special in this world?” I really need to figure out the rules of this world. Filing that little tidbit away for later, I begin mentally preparing myself to exit this cave and explore the rest of the {Nuvarno Crypt}.

  I floated as quietly as possible to the entrance cave and peered carefully out. I seem to be in an intersection for a hallway of sorts with three passages. One going to the right, one to the left, and the last one straight ahead of me. “Welp, might as well go straight ahead and see what’s out there.” I moved as silently as I could, which in retrospect is quite easy given the whole floating skull thing. After a few minutes of skulking about, I finally found another creature, a rather ugly one at that. {Identify}

  {Rotroach: Lv 1}

  {A species of insects that thrive in areas with potent death and dark affinity mana. These bottom feeders can be found anywhere containing corpses, cadavers, or carcasses of any type. They are primarily scavengers and are quite docile but can attack if provoked}

  “And I thought those rats were disgusting but these things truly take the cake.” The {Rotroach} looked like a cockroach if it was enlarged and given even more unsettling features, their twitching antennas and compound eyes are especially unnerving. “Sorry roach, but you're gonna have to die, I need your exp.” I floated a bit higher to get a better angle and started aiming at him. Once I was certain my shot would land, I fired a single {Mana Bolt} to test its reaction.

  {You have inflicted 3 magical damage to Rotroach}

  {Rotroach: Lv 1 has been slain}

  {You have gained 1 Exp}

  “Huh, easier than I thought.” Feeling confident about my win, I waited until my mana regenerated fully before going off to search for another beast to kill. A couple minutes later I found four roaches eating the corpse of a {Nuvarno Rat}. Using {Identify}, I gauge the level of the roaches too see if they were worth fighting {Rotroach: Lv 1}, {Rotroach: Lv 2}, {Rotroach: Lv 1}, {Rotroach: Lv 1}. “Three level 1s and one level 2s, shouldn’t be too difficult.” I don’t want to be too careless so I decided to end this fight quickly. I {Float} a good distance away and fired four bolts in rapid succession.

  Two of the bolts hit two roaches in its head killing them instantly, one of them hit a roach on its side, injuring it but not enough to kill. The final one whiffed entirely as the roach managed to dodge. I felt a surge of power enter my body making me almost drop to the ground. Luckily, I regained my composure quickly enough and focused back on the roaches. The one that I missed seemed to be angry at me and looked as if it was about to do something.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Checking my status, I'm pleased to find that my mana had not only regenerated but also increased {12/12 MP remaining}. Suddenly the {Rotroach: Lv 2} fired out a ball of viscous black goo at me, reacting quickly I floated out of the way and fired back with a bolt of my own. The roach nimbly dodged it but I anticipated this after learning my lesson from the {Nuvarno Rat}. I fired off a second bolt as it was dodging and I made sure to aim to where it would most likely run to.

  {You have inflicted 3 magical damage to Rotroach}

  My bolt managed to clip its front pair of legs on the right side. The {Rotroach} let out a shriek of pain, startling me a bit. Wanting to end this quickly, I swiftly fired a bolt at its head.

  {You have inflicted 4 magical damage to Rotroach}

  {You have slain Rotroach: Lv 2}

  {You have gained 2 Exp}

  Finally finished with that guy, I turned my attention to the other roach that I failed to kill initially. It was writhing around on the ground and looking to be in a whole lot of pain. A single bolt finally ended its suffering. Looking around at the dead roaches, I cringe a little in disgust as their corpses looked absolutely vile. Once I was sure nothing was left alive, I started heading back to my cave to recuperate and check up on some notifications that I left unchecked.

  I made my way inside the cave and after making sure nothing followed me. I opened my long line of notifications and began reading, starting from the oldest.

  {You have inflicted 3 magical damage to Rotroach: Lv 1}

  {You have slain Rotroach: Lv 1}

  {You have gained 1 Exp}

  {You have inflicted 3 magical damage to Rotroach: Lv 1}

  {You have slain Rotroach: Lv 1}

  {You have gained 1 Exp}

  {Congratulations, you have reached level 2}

  {+1 Intelligence, +1 Arcane, +2 Free stat points added}

  {You have inflicted 2 magical damage to Rotroach: Lv 1}

  {Mana Bolt has risen to level 3}

  “So that’s what that surge of power I felt was, I leveled up. It also looks like leveling up regenerates my resources fully, that's good to know.” Satisfied with my notifications, I went to ponder on where to put my two free stat points. “My build is a caster build, so I should probably focus more on Arcane, Willpower, Intelligence rather than Strength or Dexterity.” Was the idea I had but thinking more logically I truly didn’t know what type of monsters this world could have. For all I knew there could be something out there that's completely resistant to magic.

  Thinking this I decided to play it safe and put one point into {Toughness} to boost my rather small HP pool and one point into {Willpower} to further increase my mana regeneration. A surge of power entered me once more, making me feel satisfied with my choices. I pull up my status to marvel at my growth.

  “Not too bad for my first hour being here or at least I think it's been an hour, time is kinda hard to tell with no clocks around.” Finished with inspecting my status, I plan to exit the cave again. “Time for some grinding.”

  I returned back to where the roaches were and was surprised to see two of the corpses already gone, with only some blood and a severed leg being the only indication of them being there. “Must’ve been another Rotroach, either that or something else entirely.” I {Float} past them and started going further in the {Nuvarno Crypt}

  After about 30 minutes or so of wandering I finally came across something interesting. A massive ebony tree with hundreds of leaves of ashen gray sitting in what appears to be the remains of a fountain with water overflowing onto the cold dingy floor. Feeling curious I got closer to the tree and immediately felt the ambient mana change drastically. It's an odd sensation but it's as if the mana here is easier to control like it's more connected to my body. “This must be death mana, judging by how natural it feels to me.” I pondered.

  I had a hunch so I checked my mana and yep it’s regenerating faster than before. “I wonder what’s causing this death mana, could it be the tree?” Wanting to know more, I used {Identify} on it.

  {Identify has risen to level 3}

  {Ruinwood Sapling}

  {A juvenile sapling to the Ruinwood tree. Ruinwoods are a rare variety of tree that can only be found in areas with a heavy concentration of dark and death affinity mana. These trees are known for their innate ability to absorb ambient mana into their trunk where it is then transformed and expelled as death affinity mana, rapidly changing nearby landscapes to desolate wastelands. Has a variety of unknown uses.}

  Getting closer to the tree, A glint of something green caught my eye. I moved closer to it but before I could see what it was, something unexpected happened.

  {You have received 2 magical damage}

  {You have been inflicted with (Shadestalker Hex)}

  {You have resisted (Shadestalker Hex)}

  “What the Shit!!!” My vision went dark for a moment only for it to return to normal the very next second. I quickly floated away and looked around frantically to find my assailants. I eventually found them, they were perched up on one of the big branches of the {Ruinwood Sapling}, Just mere inches to where I had been. “I really can’t catch a break, can I.” I mentally lamented.