The chill of the stone floor seeped into my bare skin, a constant, gnawing reminder of my predicament. I pulled my knees to my chest, trying to conserve some semblance of warmth, but the darkness was a tangible thing, a suffocating blanket that pressed against my eyelids even though they were already closed. I was trying, desperately, to hold onto the frayed edges of my sanity.

  "Calm," I whispered, the word a thin, brittle sound in the oppressive silence. "Positive. Just… positive."

  It was a pathetic mantra, a flimsy shield against the rising tide of panic. I was naked, lost, and trapped in a dungeon, a cliché so absurd it would be laughable if it weren't my reality. And then there was Temi, my "personal assistant," a voice in my head that alternated between cryptic pronouncements and withering sarcasm.

  "Temi," I said, my voice tight with frustration, "I thought you said I was made from pure mana. In my opinion, pure mana sounds awesome. It sounds way better than 5 MP, so why the hell is my mana so low? It makes me feel weak just thinking about it."

  A sigh, or what I imagined was a sigh, echoed in my mind. 'You are weak. You are Level 1, just like a human infant from Tironia. Also, your body is not "made" of mana. It was created by mana and turned into a physical form which was only made possible because of the organic material here at the time of need.'

  I listened intently, afraid to interrupt. Temi's moments of clarity were rare, and I wasn't about to squander this one.

  'As you were "created" by pure mana, that means the body you now control has a faster and much greater potential for growth than the average human inhabitant of Tironia. Certain decisions or actions may help you raise your attributes from time to time, but only XP can raise your level. When your level rises, you will receive a boost to all your attributes at once. The level-up boost is where your mana-created body will shine. With each level up, you will grow at a rate of almost four times faster than a regular person. So while you may be weak now, know that you have the potential to be strong in the future, assuming you don't die here.'

  "Wow," I breathed, the information a sudden beacon in the darkness. "Okay, attributes, XP, level-up boost… got it."

  It was like a twisted RPG, a game with stakes far higher than any I'd ever played. My memories were fragmented, like shattered glass, but the echoes of countless hours spent in virtual worlds resonated within me. I knew the rules, or at least, I thought I did.

  "So, monsters," I mused, the word a strange, foreign sound on my tongue. "They're real, right? And I get XP from killing them?"

  'In order to acquire XP, you will have to kill monsters. The ones that you kill inside the dungeon will be able to be looted. By doing this, you will acquire items that you will need to survive. When looted, the remains will be reclaimed by the dungeon, and the monster will spawn again, at some point in the future.'

  "Loot?" I repeated, the word conjuring images of treasure chests and gleaming weapons. "So, like… items? Food?"

  My stomach rumbled, a hollow, insistent growl that echoed in the silence. The thought of food, of anything warm and filling, was a desperate craving.

  "Temi, what can I get to eat down here?" I asked, my voice laced with a desperate hope. "Succulent chicken breast, stuffed and seasoned with complimenting herbs wrapped in more meat, mmmm."

  'Once again, it was a wasted effort trying to impart knowledge as you obviously weren't paying attention.'

  "I was, I swear! I wasn't daydreaming that time or anything, honest. You said kill monsters, get XP, level up, loot bodies, and… and… that's it, right?"

  'That is correct. Well done, good job, you did listen. Great. So you should know what to do now then.'

  "Eh, no!" I protested. "I'm still stuck on the food thing. And… what about the darkness? How am I supposed to see?"

  'Nothing. It is always dark here.'

  "Yes, but how am I supposed to see?" I pressed, my frustration mounting.

  Acquire the needed skill or magic.

  "Skills and magic," I muttered, the words a tantalizing whisper. "Okay, okay, I can do this."

  Suddenly, a familiar light flickered into existence before me, a pale blue rectangle filled with shimmering stars. It was the system interface, a digital window into this bizarre reality.

  [Skill Acquired: Night Vision]

  A surge of relief, almost giddy, washed over me. "A skill! Thank you, Temi," I exclaimed, the darkness of my room slightly less oppressive.

  That was not me. I cannot seem to activate that function at the moment, Temi responded, her tone devoid of its usual playful edge.

  "If that wasn't you, then who's sending me text messages?" I asked, a flicker of unease creeping in.

  That is the System in charge of Tironia and its inhabitant's growth. I was the System in charge of the soul sphere, she explained, her voice gaining a hint of detached professionalism.

  "So there's more than one System? And everyone has access to the world system? So in other words, I didn't need to bring you as everyone has access to it anyway? Damn, did I really just waste the opportunity of a lifetime? I could have brought a Jet Bomber right, they're real, or a Tank, that's also real. Why did none of these ideas surface when I sat there for... time!?" I ranted, frustration bubbling up.

  Everyone is connected to the System but no one else can interact with it, Temi clarified, her voice patient.

  "Oh, so you mean it's just me?"

  Us.

  "Us?"

  Yes, we... are unique.

  A sliver of hope sparked within me. Maybe this wasn't a complete waste after all. I turned my attention to the room, where the newly acquired skill was beginning to take effect. An almost imperceptible outline was forming in the darkness. I focused, pushing the boundaries of my vision.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  'All races know of their general stats and are also notified by the System when reaching a Level up, acquiring a skill or magic, or when receiving a title or class,' Temi provided, her voice a steady stream of information.

  [Skill: Night Vision Level reached Level 2]

  The faint outline resolved into a large gash running down the wall, right in front of my face. The sheer difficulty of seeing in this place was staggering. Beside the crack, the faint outline of the exit became visible, leading to an even deeper abyss of darkness. Hunger gnawed at my stomach, a sharp, insistent reminder of my predicament. I needed food, and the only potential source was beyond that dark passage. But venturing out, naked and blind, felt like a death sentence.

  I decided to focus on training my Night Vision, hoping to push it further. I concentrated, straining my eyes, trying to make sense of the shadows as time passed.

  [Skill: Night Vision reached Level 3]

  As the darkness began to yield, a chilling thought struck me. "Temi, what will happen if my MP runs out?"

  You will become tired and fatigued, with a slight pain from lack of mana. The worst-case scenario is that you pass out from reaching zero. The natural ambience and power in the atmosphere will be absorbed by your body, replenishing your own mana reserves over time. The higher the mana density the better the restorative effects, she explained, her tone reassuring.

  "Ok, so not super dangerous. Awesome. Can I use magic now?"

  Yes.

  "Can you explain how I can learn it?"

  Yes.

  A wave of exasperation washed over me. Why? Why was I expecting a better answer? Was it because she'd been helpful in a steady stream of information that I forgot her split personality?"

  More time elapsed, and I continued to stare at walls, wondering if I had reached the limit of my Night Vision in this room. I desperately wanted to learn magic and decided to try a different approach with Temi. I needed to be persuasive, to tap into my inner diplomat.

  "Temi, please would you be so kind as to explain to me how I can begin to understand magic and start using it? Please. Thank you," I asked, my voice dripping with sincerity.

  I suppose it wouldn't be too bothersome. It's simple really, magic is only limited to one's power and imagination. All you have to do is imagine what you want to happen and then create it with your mana, she replied, her tone surprisingly helpful.

  [Skill: Night Vision has reached Level 4]

  [Acquired Skill: Starvation]

  [Acquired Skill: Pain Resistance]

  The room was now bathed in a dim, grey light, a vast improvement over the pitch blackness. But I couldn't dwell on it. I had a lead on magic.

  "Simple... That sounds incredibly vague, Temi. Imagine what I want mana to do, then do it? That's basically what you said, right?"

  Silence.

  "Hey, don't ignore me now. Have you ever used magic before, Temi?"

  ... Of course, I've used magic before. How do you think I created your body here, whilst we were on the Astral Plane?

  "Ok, good point. But why does your explanation on magic suck!"

  That's just how it's done on the Astral Plane. Think, shape, create. Simple. The inhabitants of Tironia learn magic the same way they do with skills. With practice, teachers and books. However, have you even tried my method or did you just complain straight away?

  She had a point. I had jumped to conclusions without even attempting her method. Maybe she wasn't as unhelpful as I thought. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to her than I realized.

  The void yawned, a gaping maw of nothingness where coherent thought should have resided. My mind, a once-orderly library, was now a ransacked room, shelves overturned, books scattered and illegible.

  "What the hell?" I muttered, the words a thin, reedy sound in the oppressive silence. It was the quintessential blank slate, the frustrating, maddening emptiness that descended when a familiar answer teetered on the edge of recollection, only to vanish like smoke.

  "Relax," I told myself, the word a mantra against the rising tide of panic. "Deep breaths. Patience." The air, thick and still, filled my lungs, a meager anchor in the swirling chaos of my thoughts. Slowly, painstakingly, the fog began to dissipate, revealing fragmented memories, like shattered pieces of a forgotten mosaic.

  Spells. They were there, lurking in the shadows of my mind, remnants of games played, anime watched, and perhaps, something more, something deeper. They were potent, devastating, the kind of magic that could reshape landscapes and shatter mountains – boss-killing spells, all of them. Utterly useless. My cramped, moss-lined room was hardly the stage for such grandiose displays, and frankly, my fledgling magical abilities would likely implode before they could even begin to channel such power.

  "Focus, you fool," I chided myself. "Something small. Something manageable." Light. That was it. I needed light. I pictured it, a simple, incandescent bulb, its filament glowing warmly, illuminating the dark corners of my mind. I reached for it, trying to pull the light from its mental casing, but it remained stubbornly fixed, a teasing mirage.

  "Alright, one more try," I muttered, determination hardening my resolve. This time, I stripped the bulb of its glass shell, exposing the pure, unadulterated light within. A strange sensation bloomed in my stomach, a fluttering of anticipation, followed by a sudden, expansive feeling, as if a dam had burst within me. It was an urge, a primal need to draw that inner light and merge it with this newfound wellspring of power.

  With a surge of will, I pulled the light from my mind, and it coalesced before my outstretched hand, a perfect sphere of pure radiance. It pulsed with an inner rhythm, the light refracting and folding in on itself, an infinite loop of brilliance. "Incredible," I breathed, mesmerized.

  …Erin, I… I didn't think you could actually do that, Temi's voice, faint and surprised, echoed in the room.

  "Behold!" I proclaimed, a surge of triumph coursing through me. I reached for that inner sensation again, the wellspring of power, and pushed it towards the sphere of light. The effect was immediate and breathtaking. The sphere intensified, radiating an almost unbearable brightness, the light swirling and churning, a miniature sun suspended in the air. It was a spectacle, a dazzling display of raw, untamed magic.

  The light filled the room, banishing the shadows, but I was too absorbed in my creation to notice anything else. This was magic, real and tangible, and it was mine. A flicker of fear pricked at the edges of my awe – the light was intense, dangerously so. I shielded my eyes, bracing for the inevitable, and in that fleeting moment, I knew this spell deserved a name.

  "Sphere of Illuminating Light!" I declared, the words ringing with newfound power.

  "You shouldn't…" Temi's voice was cut short.

  A searing pain exploded in my head, a blinding, agonizing flash that threatened to shatter my skull. The sphere of light flickered and died, leaving me in a disorienting darkness.

  "Ow!" I groaned, clutching my head. "You never mentioned severe head trauma during our magical training lesson."

  A wave of dizziness washed over me, and I stumbled, my knees buckling. "What's going on?"

  You do not have severe head trauma, Temi's voice, now tinged with concern, echoed in my mind. Nor did you have a magic lesson. I merely explained the basics of how I used to use magic. You just forced the rest of your mana into your spell.

  Used to use? The phrase hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. I sank to my knees, the mossy ground a small comfort beneath me. My consciousness was fading, slipping away like sand through my fingers.

  "Used to use?" I whispered, the words barely audible. "Does that mean… you can't use magic anymore?"

  A wave of remorse washed over me, a bitter, stinging regret. I had been so caught up in my own excitement, my own burgeoning power, that I had completely overlooked the possibility that my actions might have consequences.

  "Well, shit," I muttered, the words a testament to my foolishness. I had been so proud of my newfound ability, so eager to show off, that I had inadvertently reminded Temi of what she had lost. No wonder she kept her distance. I had stolen a part of her, a precious gift, and I had done it without even realizing it.

  "I'm sorry," I whispered, the words lost in the growing darkness. "I'll… I'll fix this. I'll find a way to make it up to you. Maybe I could… create a new body for you?"

  My thoughts were becoming muddled, the edges blurring. I needed to apologize, to explain, but the darkness was closing in, pulling me under.

  "I hope I don't get eaten," I mumbled, the last coherent thought before I succumbed to the void.

  And as I slipped into unconsciousness, I missed the small, flickering notification that appeared in the corner of my vision:

  [Magic Acquired: Sphere of Illuminating Light]