Inside a small cave above a makeshift bed, jolted awake a young man from a deep sleep. He was huffing and puffing as he sat on that leafy bed quite haphazardly made as pressed with time. Quite short of breath he had a terrified look, as if he had just met his death. With a blank expression, he checked his body immediately after waking up.

It hadn't been even a day since Alex had been mysteriously removed from his world and thrown out into this forest by unknown for unknown reasons. From the moment he had regained his senses, he had tried to do everything in his power to survive.

For food, he explored deep into the forest, hunted and killed animals or say monsters for the very first time in his life. He had even dissected the dead bodies of monsters to collect their cores for why? for survival. Yeah, it was like a gift for an indifferent and bored-out boy like him that's totally his own preference, ok let's leave that out for a moment.

After killing a group of goblins, he captured their territory and wanted to rest for the night but what did he get? He got death, and he died. No, he didn't die but that was scary, dying suffocated under countless slimes. It made him shiver getting chilled behind his back.

'What was all that? A dream, can a dream be so real life-like? No, that can't be a dream but then I should be dead No? What's happening with me?'

It was a dream but real or real but a dream. What was that paradoxical feeling entrapping his heart giving a squeeze? Even though he had been so accepting of his situation not even fazed by all these unexplainable incidents that dream or vision whatever was terrifying.

Even after thinking about a ton of different situations, he couldn't convince himself of what could that situation possibly be. Abruptly, he became aware of the low fire burning in the bonfire in front of his cave.

It was still night, maybe midnight as perceived by him. Hurriedly before the fire could go out Alex supported two woods inside the bonfire and more branches to make it last.

As he was doing that something inside the cave came into his sight. Black ashes had taken place where Alex had gathered those monster cores. He thought about what possible reasons could be behind that phenomenon.

Suddenly, he remembered that inside his dream many stone-like substances had surrounded him. He compared both of those situations; one inside a possible dream and the other in reality.

'Did I absorb all those cores and all energies inside? Did I get power; can I use magic?'

I should try who knows what would happen in this world? He thought and tried to recite ramblings with awkward hand signs.

"FIREBALL" no...

" WIND CUTTER " hmm...

" WATER BOMB " ... Quite embarrassingly he failed all the trials. He was Unworthy yeah...yeah enough of that.

He had become a child looking so happy as if getting the coolest toy on his birthday. It was not enough that he was even infecting me ahh (Sorry)

(A/N- Sorry for the filler in between. The narrator is incompetent. And no, I am not shifting blame. There will be no more fillers and... narrator. Sorry for the inconvenience. Continue and keep supporting.)

He tried everything he knew but nothing happened. But the ashes in front of him proved that what he saw and felt was not a dream or illusion but was real. As there was proof then Alex got convinced that by that dream, he had sucked the energy out from those cores and reduced those into ashes.

He surmised he should try to feel the energy inside his body. By doing that he should feel something. After deciding all that he sat in a good posture on the leafy seat, eyes closed he tried to feel inside his body and mind.

As his mind became still devoid of stray thoughts, he felt as if he was drifting into nothingness feeling empty. He felt as if he was floating in the void as he again went inside that mystical place.

Inside that unending void, Alex stood. Again, he looked around astonishingly but with a newfound knowledge and profound understanding.

'This place maybe it is inside me... my mind? my soul?'

Alex had reached the correct answer. It was a void inside his soul. That's why he had felt like being home and peace inside that place before. As it was a space inside his soul it was like looking at your own reflection in a mirror.

'If I am inside my soul then those solar systems what are those?'

As he thought about that in a blink of an eye, he came face to face with them. He saw two energy balls revolving around each of the cores in both solar systems. There was nothing out of place or different but he noticed something different in the bar in between those solar systems.

He perfectly remembered before there was only a single level filled in that bar. But now the second level was half-filled. As he intently investigated he remembered that after he came inside those energy balls formed and various energies gathered around inside.

After all the facts and proofs, he drew these conclusions:

First, he came inside that place after he slept. The condition for entering the void is to completely empty your mind and not have any thoughts. That's why after he emptied his mind he could enter in his second try.

Second, After his entry he absorbed those monster cores, and that made those two energy balls. And after those balls formed with their revolutions, they sucked inside the energies in the atmosphere.

Third, The bar in the middle might be an energy meter or a reservoir as he noticed energies being purified and gathering inside those levels of the bar. As he talked about it he was thinking the possibility after the second level fills up.

Fourth, About the monsters inside that space, he theorized that he only faced those whom he had already defeated. He specified it as a perk of that space or void. A perk to build up his fighting experience.

He surely made various theories quite efficiently and may be coming very close to the truth. Truth or not it would be proven after more observations and new knowledge and findings. Alex, quite excited with all these discoveries and, satisfied with all conclusions took a vow to unearth all the mysteries behind this.

Finally, he came inside the palace for his experiment. He would feel the energy inside him and try to execute magic spells that he had seen in games and read in novels.

With calm nerve, he let loose his body making it tense-free. Then with a shut-eye, he tried to feel energy inside. A few minutes later he felt it. A fuzzy feeling, a warm sensation filling his body.

The same sensation still fresh in his mind he chanted the spell 'Fireball'. Nothing happened. But he noticed something came out of his body and vanished into oblivion. He tried again this time focusing on the tip of his finger.

He felt the energy moving congregating at the tip of his finger. There he felt a warm sensation at the tip of the finger. He opened his eyes and saw a wisp of fire on the top of the finger. Seeing the magic crafted by himself he got overzealous making that wisp of fire disappear. He had terrible control that was ok as it was his first time.

After that, he tried various spells, different elements, and many different combinations. His control slowly started to shape up. So much time passed as he engrossed himself in his experimentation. As he gained newfound power and fresh motivation he decided to fight monsters again inside the void.

He came outside. He imagined a spear making a spear materialize. He acknowledged another use, he can use the space for training and as he can materialize any weapon, he can train in various weapons but for now his preference would be spear.

Ending all those thoughts he started the battle. Again, getting his instruction a single slime appeared. He shot a fireball toward it but missed it. It was a little difficult and awkward but at last, he succeeded. As that slime vanished, a single goblin appeared starting the same arrangement more and more monsters started appearing with each demise of a monster.

His early shots were missed but slowly he was getting used to the magic and various spells. His control was improving along with accuracy. He did last for more time than before but still died after getting swarmed and swallowed up by all the spawns.

He opened his eyes quickly. He was quite tired if not physically but mentally especially after facing double deaths. However, may he convince himself the sensation of death still takes a toll on his mind.

He noticed there was still nighttime outside.

'Maybe the Time flow inside the void is slow.'

He theorized. He decided to rest for the night. For the last time, he focused energy at the tip of his finger to make the fire confirming it was not an illusion or dream. After the confirmation, Alex passed out peacefully on the leafy bed.