A ray of light stabbing my eyes, the burning pain of fresh illumination causes me to recoil in response, covering my eyes with my left hand so that I may scour my surroundings.
Squinting my eyes, I see the exact same surreal scenery of glass tapestry and crystal-like formations protruding from the walls and ceilings as I'm again reminded of my reality.
"What happened...?"
Instantly, recollections of past events are made conspicuous as remembrance of how I drained my mana develops.
How I'd swung the blade once, and with a fell swoop, discarded all of my mana down to the last drop and removed the one thing driving my life force.
"So that wasn't a dream?"
Taking note of how I've been laying on the ground in a supine position, I lay my right hand to my side to propel myself up, still weak from getting my mana drained.
Looking to the corner of my vision to open the status window, I open the menu that has detailing of my health and mana.
"Zero mana, huh? Why is it that I'm always wrung dry... especially after the system just granted me a full refresh."
Taking a few seconds to just sit back and relax for a bit, I again take a look at my surroundings, this time focusing on the surrounding mana.
It was, for lack of a better term, fucking gorgeous.
Individual blue motes of mana were floating out and about, waving around like fairies in a forest. It was the type of scenery that you would see in movies, except made reality through my new system.
Just having the ability to see mana alone would warrant world-wide esteem, and that's only a modicum of this system's capabilities; it really is amazing what I've been gifted with.
"Hey, system, why is it I was chosen after I died?"
For a moment, I could've sworn I heard a breathy 'guh' in response to my unexpected calling of attention, but as I sat in anticipation for response, I was met with pure silence.
"Okay, not willing to spill the beans, huh? That's fine. But at least tell me where I am."
"That is not something I can answer, but what I can tell you is that based off of the atmospheric mana quantity, the monsters encountered here will far exceed everything you've faced prior."
"Well, isn't that just great news?"
As my left cheek holds tense to form a crooked smile, my stomach begins to churn as a deeper feeling of tense, volatile fear forms.
Even though I've largely dealt with every threat I've faced ever since obtaining this system, it is still nigh-impossible to overcome my deep fear of monsters.
But where does it come from... was I always this way?
Anxiety beginning to appear in the form of trembling, I decide to take my mind off of the future dangers in this labyrinth and to instead just focus on the more promising aspects of present...
Such as being able to see and feel mana!
Propelling myself up with my right arm at my side, I get up off one knee and make my way back into a standing position.
I reach my hand out, observing again the peculiar nature of the individual blue motes freely flowing throughout the labyrinth.
They were so numerous that one could've mistook them for dust particles had they not had a distinctively circular shape with light blue shading and a deeper, indigo aura emanating from them.
As I attempted to touch one, it just swerved around my hand, being displaced along with the air.
"Hah..."
Intent on getting my hands on one, I take a more firm approach, opting for quick, violent movement.
Swiping as fast as I can, I aim for the same mote, reaching my palm out to its location before promptly closing my fist.
"Got you this time!"
For a couple seconds, I thought that I had done what I sought out to do, but as I inched my fist closer to my face, I was immediately led to disappointment as the mote just floated off into the distance.
The deep frown on my face a deep contrast with my before intense exhilaration, I look on again at the mote floating up and about as if it were mocking me.
"How dare you look down on me..."
What ensued was a pure onslaught of attempts to capture the mote, opting for different methods like using both hands, swatting it, inhaling it, and whatever else crossed my mind.
"There... and that... and that... and there...!"
Continuing my pursuit for the mote, I still maintained my onslaught, my attention diverted solely to this single task.
Despite the gargantuan amounts of energy put forth to accomplish this goal, all my attempts were met with pervasive, almost god-like reflexes on the mote's part.
"Hahhhh... huughhhh..."
Both hands on my knees, my lungs burn with such fire that it feels as if they'll collapse at any moment.
Have I been expending far too much time and energy into capturing this mana mote? Perhaps.
But have I accomplished my goal?
Yes!
Raising my left hand up, I look around and take note of no identical mote of mana in the vicinity.
"Well, how about that you midget?"
Now, to reap the fruits of my labor.
However, just as this thought crosses my mind, a deep humming begins to resound through my hand as I felt a deep reverberation twist and churn the deepest provinces of my soul as it went from the bone and cartilage in my hand all the way to the most proximal portions of my arm.
"Zrttt..."
Consequently, a deep indigo began to peek out, starting with the crevice between my ring finger and middle finger before extending to the one between my pointer and middle, and so on until essentially my entire hand was lit up.
"The hell?"
BOOM!
With no warning, a huge outburst of energy detonated, crisping the inside of my hand as it formed a little sphere about roughly the size of a watermelon.
My hand was displaced, getting pushed off to the side as I flung back, revealing a little mote at the epicenter.
Thrumming a little "Tzzrrrr", the small mote of mana buzzed off, flying off with a haste.
Looking back down towards my injured hand, I grasp it with my right as I gently graze over my skin.
Subsequently, a sharp jolt of heat emanated from the point of contact to all the surrounding damaged skin, mimicking the sensation of my hand being put on a hot stove.
"Damn, that hurt you little bastard."