[You have gained a new Aspect skill.]
[Mana Sense: This gives you the ability to perceive mana, or magical energy, which could be invisible, tangible, or sensory.]
'Would you look at that, a new aspect skill.'
[Would you like to activate the aspect skill?]
'Yes, of course.'
[Mana Sense has been activated.]
Right then and there, Keal understood the world around him.
Initially, he was only able to see heat waves, but now, after acquiring this new skill, he could see mana.
But it wasn't just that; since mana was a branch of many other things, he was able to manipulate how he saw it.
In this case—pictures, as though he had eyes.
Everything became clear to him: the stone walls that molded around him and even his abnormal and freaky appearance.
Looking down at himself, Keal realized he was simply an oval fireball with giant insect legs moving around the place.
'What the hell? This is what I reincarnated as? This has to be some kind of joke!'
He moved to the right, and the blue flames dancing around him followed.
Shock!
'I am a walking torch!'
In a rush of excitement, Keal failed to notice one minor fact.
'Eh? Why am I seeing black and white? And why can't I see anything more than 2 ft. away from me?'
[The aspect skill Mana Sense is still in its dormant stage. Most skills only show their true potential after evolving.]
'Is that so? Hmm, so in order to do that, I need to kill more creatures. I feel like I will be committing some kind of crime.'
[Negative.]
[Using whatever means to survive is advised. Other creatures will do the same to you.]
The Korv moved to the side.
'Yeah, you're right. If I am to find more victims, I need to know—where do I go from here? It's bad enough I don't know where I am; now I have to wander around to find people to kill…'
[I detect a mana source a short distance to your right. If you wish to consume more mana essence, then that is the best route to take.]
Turning his gaze to the right, the Korv noticed a small crack in the wall that most definitely led to another part of wherever he was.
'By mana source, you mean creature?'
[Correct.]
[Said creatures have mana three times greater than the ants you killed; I suggest caution.]
'All I hear is more food; let's do this!'
Slowly, the Korv moved closer to the hole and then, with a single push, managed to slip all the way through.
As soon as he got to the other side, he screamed, realizing he was falling from a great height.
It took quite some time until a thud could be heard.
Baam!
He was flat on the ground, right next to a stream of water flowing not too far away from him.
'Should I be worried I didn't feel any pain after that? Because I can assure you, that wasn't a normal fall.'
[Your concerns are invalid; as a Korv, you lack pain sensors. As such, you cannot feel pain.]
'But I can still die…'
[Correct. The ways in which you can die are few. You can die from mana exhaustion—as in, if your flames go out, your body will not function. You can die from being consumed, and you can die from flame exhaustion. Falling is not one of the ways you can die.]
'Gee, that makes me feel so safe.'
The Korv carefully looked around him and noticed there was not a single creature nearby; all he could see was the raging water flowing next to him.
It didn't take long for him to realize staying near water that could put out his flames at any second was not a good idea.
So he quickly took a couple of steps back.
'Man, damn that goddess. Why do I have to suffer like this because she decided to put golden as a bad choice? Not to mention, she killed me for no reason.'
'ARGH! This is making me crash out big time.'
He sighed.
'Calm down, Keal; just go find monsters to kill. Killing always calms the nerves, as they say.'
Turning around, the Korv was about to take a step forward when he noticed the eyes staring at him from behind the rock.
Though he was seeing black and white, Keal was sure the monster's eyes were glowing, and it was drooling.
'Is that a… monster?'
[Correct. The creature before you is known as a Cave Wolf. These creatures are known to be smaller in size compared to their race; as such, they hunt for smaller prey.]
'Ah hell nah! A wolf?!'
The only reason Keal didn't spot the monster earlier was because he couldn't see something from so far away.
Only when it got close did he finally see it.
Which meant the monster must have been stalking him for a while.
'Change of plans, I am not fighting that thing!'
The Korv turned around, extending its legs and running as fast as it could.
But the moment he looked back to see if the wolf would chase after him, he realized the wolf was indeed going to chase him.
'Shit, shit, shit, it's following me! Why the hell do you want to eat flames, bro? I have no flesh, man; let me go!'
[You are made of 100% mana, and while you have no calories to fill bellies, some consider you to be dessert and refreshments. Some creatures need you as a means of euphoria.]
'Not helping, man!'
The Korv ran as fast as he could, using his long legs to cut through sharp corners, gaining more distance from the Cave Wolf.
For a brief moment, Keal was happy to be outpacing the Cave Wolf with his evolved Spike Legs, but something unexpected happened.
The Cave Wolf suddenly opened its mouth and then released a powerful howl that not only ripped the ground but also sent the Korv flying and slamming into a wall.