After hearing Heloisa's words, Marina took her notebook and started scribbling everything they had learned.
"Okay, let's see… that's a lot of information from just four areas explored. But let's start with the most immediate thing. I don't know why, but I feel like we aren't in danger of falling asleep again here."
"Yeah, me too. I can feel my body full of energy and ready to take action. And my mind is very clear."
Everyone agreed with what Henrique said. Everyone was sharing the same feelings about their own bodies. With one exception. Carlos raised his hand hesitantly.
"I, actually… There's something more for me. My mind is also clearer, but the world… I don't know how to describe it, but some things seem to emit some sort of shine. It's very faint, but it's there."
"Huh? What things? Can you give an example?"
"Of course, Ma. Those butterflies and this bag, specifically."
He was pointing to the bag that Henrique was carrying, the one they found within the chest in the rat nest.
Everyone was silent for some time. Heloisa stared at the backpack with a pensive look, then spoke.
"Does that shine have color?"
"No, it doesn't. I don't know how to explain it. It isn't like a visual shine, like the light the butterflies emit. It's more like the sensation of something shining."
Marina seemed to think of something and asked for Henrique to pass her the bag, and then also took her copper coin from the backpack. She took the potion out of the bag and also one piece of rat meat.
"Carlos, one question. Do all these three items have that shine?"
"No. Only the little bottle. The other two have nothing."
"Then, I have a hypothesis. You're able to detect magic in stuff. Or mana. Or whatever magical energy this world has."
"WHAT?"
The other four shouted at the same time.
"M-magic? Is that true? Real, actual magic?"
"I don't know. It's just a hypothesis. I mean, the bag clearly has magical 'properties,' and the potion should have as well. Yet the coins and meat have not. Then there are those butterflies… and they look very magical to me."
Carlos fell silent after Marina's explanation of the reasoning behind her hypothesis. Meanwhile, Marina put the stuff back again in the bag and handed it back to Henrique. Then put away the coin in her backpack as well.
"If that's true, then Carlos' importance grows a lot. Even if he doesn't participate in combat, being able to detect magic might help us find hidden things! Maybe even treasure!"
"Ravi, you look more excited than Carlos himself. And he's the one who always dreamed about having magic."
"I'm not too excited exactly because it's what I've always dreamed. I'm afraid of it being a false hope, so I'm weighing it in my head and my heart to see if it's really true."
Carlos broke his silence to react to Heloisa's words. Then he added.
"But, to be honest… What we just unlocked is something called 'Soul Expansion.' If that doesn't sound like magic, I don't know what would. So it makes sense that I would awaken the ability to detect magic after unlocking it, right?"
Marina nodded vigorously.
"I agree. What about testing it? I haven't searched this area yet, as we fell asleep right after coming in, and we've been just sitting here talking since we woke up. What about you try to use that new perception to find something?"
"Oh? Okay. Let me see…"
Carlos stood up and looked around. Soon, he saw something 'shining' behind some bushes in one corner of the cave.
"There's something over there."
He started to walk towards the place, but Marina stopped him.
"I'm the scout, remember? Let me check first."
She walked towards that corner, walking slowly and taking precautions to not trigger any trap.
The big bush was very close to the wall of the cave, hiding the corner, and it isn't possible to see anything beyond it. She thought that without Carlos' pointing, she would have never tried to look for something in this corner.
She carefully pulled the bush branches to the side, revealing a niche on the wall. In the niche there was only one object, a book. She looked around, didn't notice any danger, and then called the others.
"There's really something here, Carlos. Come here, y'all!"
The other four came quickly.
"Whoa, that's amazing!! Is that a magic book? Can you cast magic now???"
"Calm down, Ravi. Carlos hasn't even touched the book yet."
Carlos' expression as he examined the book was solemn and grave. But below that surface, his mind was bursting with excitement and eagerness.
((Is this it? Will I be able to cast magic now? Am I becoming a wizard? I want to help everyone… But what if the price of magic is too high? What should I do?))
Those were the thoughts crossing his mind as he slowly reached the book and took it in his hands.
It was a thick book, with pages a bit smaller than A4 size. The cover was made of leather, with golden metallic borders. It had an intricate design drawn in relief on the cover, looking like a tree with ten spheres.
The moment the book left the niche, the environment changed. A chilling wind came from nowhere, and the light of the room dimmed. When they turned around, they noticed that the butterflies had disappeared and the wind was gathering in the center of the room.
"Fuck!"
"Oh my god, what did we awaken?"
"This will be harder than the rats in that nest. I can feel it."
"I don't want to die…"
"Everyone, let's work together. Remember our tactic from last time! We can do it!"
The party was surprised and confused, but Marina managed to bring their focus back down to action.
Henrique took the front, and Ravi went to his right side. Marina went to the left and took her slingshot and a pebble and started aiming at the point where the wind was gathering.
Carlos' words at that moment sent a chill down everyone's spine.
"Guys. That wind… it's heavy in magical energy. A magical being is going to…"
Before he managed to complete the phrase, an ethereal and eerily beautiful fox appeared at the point where the wind gathered, and the air became still again.