Drip...Drip...
In a cave, from depths that no light was able to reach, only the shaky breaths of an injured man could be discerned in the darkness.
"Ahh, how painful."
I rubbed my hands together in an attempt to generate heat, only to fail due to the rain that had soaked me just a second ago.
Maybe it was only because of the adrenaline, but the pain that I was unable to feel before was now all coming back, crashing down on me like a ton of rocks.
"Sss...", I breathed through my teeth.
Not to mention, I couldn't see anything at all.
Twweet, tweet
Only bats and me...
"Haaa..", I sighed.
But despite escaping the immediate danger to my life, this was not a moment to relax. It only allowed me to think about other things.
While I did indeed escape to the Demonic Realm, the demons that live here are extremely hostile to humans. I was only hoping of a slightly higher chance that they'd accept me instead of automatically being branded as a criminal in the human empire.
But...no doubt I'll still have to hide my identity here.
Cael was a half-demon, a half-blood. From what I know, half-demons could be accepted with either humans or demons. But as his ancestors had already pledged loyalty to prior human emperors, the Seryth family was labeled as part of the human faction. And as a high ranking family in control of one of the strongest military forces, the Seryth family had killed perhaps more demons than the other six families combined.
I shook my head. If I were to be found out here that I was part of the Seryth family, I would be killed instantly.
...No, I would be tortured. They would all be laughing and crying for my death to be as painful as possible.
My only saving grace here was that as Cael still lacked training at this stage of the novel, he had never participated in any battles or war, so his face would likely not be recognized in the Demonic Realm.
Regardless, I'll have to stay low-key and avoid drawing attention. Those who are exceptional would certainly be put on watch, similar to those who are weak or causing trouble.
"Though, it was a little strange.", I held my chin.
I recalled how the knights gazed at me when I released my killing intent. It was focused, and sweat was trickling down their faces. What was it? It was as if they were consumed by...something familiar.
I scratched my head. But it was probably because they didn't expect me to pull out such a card, I shouldn't need to worry about it.
Standing up, I searched for the walls of the cave to cling to while pondering about my next move. Finding a way out of the cave and toward civilization is my next highest priority right now.
"Hello? Is anyone there!", I shouted, but only the echoes of my voice came in reply.
The world of my story took place in a fantasy world of swords and magic, so considering no monster had come to take a bite of me yet, it was probably safe to shout for help...probably.
However, considering that this is a world of magic, could I use it too..? No, I definitely could. Cael was exceptional in magic, as a result of the [Elemental Embodiment] trait.
Then...what if I used mana to scan my surroundings? Ah, what a good idea!
Not wasting time, I got to work. It was unlikely anyone would be here in a dark cave anyway, so there was no choice but to search for other solutions.
"Let's see, was it like this..?"
I sat down on the ground, and entered a sort of meditative position, crossing my legs and putting my hands on my knees.
Meditation was the main method for humans to gather mana, but I still should be able to use it as a half-blood if this was truly the world of my novel. I focused my mind, closing my eyes.
Magic was a concept relying on consciousness and imagination, with mana particles in the air acting as fuel. Thus, as long as I expanded my consciousness...
...I don't feel anything.
"Why??"
It should be as easy as picking up a spoon! Is it because I originally came from modern earth that I can't sense anything?
"No, let's try again.", I resolved myself once more. I can't give up so easily.
...But still, after a few minutes, nothing.
I was troubled. What did I do wrong? I recalled the setting that I wrote.
Every living being had a consciousness, and sensing mana shouldn't be too hard of a task as long as they willed it into existence.
The gears in my head turned--is it because there was no direction?
Ah, so imbuing intent while expanding my consciousness? I'm sure I plenty want to escape the cave though.
Upon more thought, this was likely hard for me because I wasn't originally from this world, adding a sense of unfamiliarity. But at the same time, I didn't have the time to learn how-
No, wait, I've done it before.
I closed my eyes and focused once again, but this time, the thought that I used to sense mana wasn't to escape the cave or to scout for an exit...
Let me search for something alive. A faint feeling of excitement coursed through my veins. Something alive that I can kill.
I activated [Killing Intent].
At that moment, I felt something surrounding me in the air.
I identified it quickly, "This is...mana?"
Particles in the air that floated with no direction--I could feel an invisible connection toward them. It was fascinating.
Seizing the opportunity, I willed for the invisible particles in the air to gather--to which they did--and reinforced my connection to them, subconsciously taking them as an extension of my own self.
[Elemental Embodiment]
Afterward, once I gained some control, I spread them out, through walls and deeper into the cave, creating an artificial radar for any living being that had their life intact. It was a little hard to control, but thankfully, it was manageable. Slowly but surely, I could sense multiple points of life force throughout the cave.
Although this wasn't a direct map to lead me out, if I were to take the common sense from my novel, then any location that seemed to have monsters gather and be more dense likely led deeper into the cave. While areas that didn't seem to have any presence of life at all...
"!", I smiled opportunistically.
Standing up, I hurried in a specific direction. And, surely, in only a short time, an obvious sign appeared that signified I was headed the right way--light.
Over time, light slowly blended with the darkness of the cave, illuminating the rock walls and moss growing in its corners, and within a few minutes...
The exit!
A large opening that seemed like a doorway, and a scenery of color that lay past it. At this point, the amount of blood that had left my body from my arm injury and the fatigue from being chased around nearly overwhelmed me.
I could only be thankful that Cael was a half-demon, granting me a slightly more resilient body than regular people, else I died of blood loss.
I stepped out of the cave, joy flooding my face as I took everything in--the trees, grass, blue sky, the shining sun, a person...
I froze.
"State your name!", a short, feminine-mannered, pink-haired boy drew his staff at me, "Who are you, and why are you here!"
Undoubtedly, he was a demon. Elongated and pointed ears, small bat wings sprouting from his waist, and skin as pale as a ghost's. The mana surrounding us stirred as he prepared a spell to incinerate me, just in case I said anything out of line.
...Give me a break.