Mana Awakening

[James's POV]

As I journeyed through the forest, guided by the compass, I found myself entranced by the beauty surrounding me. The tall trees, the vibrant flowers, and the intriguing, almost fantastical wildlife made the entire experience feel like a dream.

During my travels, I even spotted a unicorn and other magical creatures drinking from a lake. Seeing these once-fictional beings in the flesh piqued my curiosity, and I resolved to study them once I had settled into my new life.

Finally, I arrived at a mountainside covered in moss and plants. The compass glowed brightly, dispelling the illusion of plant cover and revealing a shallow depression the size of the compass. When I placed the compass in the depression, the rock wall parted, leaving the compass floating in the air.

I retrieved the compass and hung it around my neck before stepping through the opening. The passage was lined with luminescent crystals, and as I entered, the door behind me closed. The passage led to a large chamber with stalactites hanging from the ceiling.

The chamber was illuminated by the crystals and had several tunnels branching off from it.

In awe of the sight, I took a moment to absorb the view before sitting down in a corner of the chamber.

I held up my left hand and focused my intent on the ring, bringing out the items stored within it. There were books with titles such as:

- *Guidebook to Awaken and Properly Use Mana*

- *Elemental Magic*

- *The Mind, Body, and Soul as One*

- *A Dive into the Mental Realm and Its Magic*

- *The Fundamentals of the Soul*

The ring also contained empty scrolls, a magical pen that produced unlimited ink with the infusion of mana, furniture, a rainbow-colored gem whose function would remain unknown until I awakened my mana, and a survival kit that included a first-aid box, a cutlass, a canteen, and other essentials.

I had to admit, the Being was thorough. The books and the runes on the items alone provided a strong foundation for my magical journey.

But these benefits made me suspicious. He could have simply dropped me off in some remote place and been done with it.

*There's no use musing over it; I'll confront the situation when the time comes,* I thought to myself.

After putting the items back into the ring, I began to explore the tunnels. There were seven in total.

The first led to a depression with a pool of water and a blue magic circle beneath it.

Seeing that I had a clear water source, I stripped down to examine the changes the Being had made to my body. From my reflection, I could see that I had grown to about 6 feet 2 inches tall. My bronze swimmer's build was now well-sculpted, with defined abs. My brown eyes had a certain vibrancy, my hair shone with a beautiful luster, and my face was—well, to die for.

After flexing a few times to admire the changes, I put my clothes back on and continued my investigation.

I fetched some water from the pool using the canteen from the ring. The water was refreshing, washing away any lingering physical exhaustion and thirst. After filling the canteen, I checked the second tunnel, which contained a rectangular stone platform resembling a kitchen area, complete with red miniature magic circles.

The fourth to seventh tunnels were empty.

**[Picture of James]**

Returning to the large chamber, I began setting up the furniture, which included two chairs, two couches, a bed, and a table.

Plopping down on one of the chairs, I took out the books titled *Guidebook to Awaken and Properly Use Mana* and *The Mind, Body, and Soul as One* and began reading them excitedly.

**(Two Hours Later)**

I could easily fall in love with my improved mental prowess, allowing me to finish two thick books in just two hours. I also thought my keen interest in magic helped me read faster.

The books detailed mantras, mudras, visualization, and meditation techniques to help awaken my mana sea and connect it to my body, mind, and soul.

So, there I was, sitting in the lotus position, levitating in my mana sea, and reciting mantras. The mana sea is a dimension of mana that grows with the practitioner and is anchored within them, serving as a battery for magic. Mine was substantial. I took it a step further by connecting it to my soul, mind, and body, allowing it to nourish them since some magic could be taxing.

**(Three Hours Later)**

*Boom*

The mana outburst from my body in the physical world was immense, forming an aura around me and turning my eyes white. This was caused by my mana sea synchronizing with my entire being. It made me feel free and light. Snapping out of the mana-induced euphoria, I quickly formed hand signs to calm the outburst, reducing the aura to a faint outline around me as I gently floated back down.

"I guess flight is the first ability I've figured out," I whispered to myself.

I looked around the chamber, which bore signs of the disturbance—the furniture had been knocked over, though unharmed. Clearly, that Being knew what he was doing. After setting the furniture back in place, I sat down in the chair and took out the book on elemental magic.

"Let the journey begin," I said to myself as I flipped open the book.