The change in color was temporary, new mana entering, and going back, it went back to the dark purple color it had before.

And the wound closed. It seems to have happened slower this time. I really want to continue trying but… 

(“one more time cannot hurt, can it?”)

Judgment down, masochism up

(“It would be unwise, our body is weakened”)

Judgment up, calm up

(“rest is also a form of training, we should leave it for tomorrow”)

Judgment up, discipline up

Yes, I should leave it for later. I already have hurt my mind and soul, why would I also risk my body?

I slithered away (“And why am I starting meditation?”). I really did (“If you are hungry, it’s better not to think about food, it won’t help”). I was going to do the sensible thing.

But… MAGIC. And it’s only one more time, one more spell! It’s going to be fine! Just a small scratch. Actually, just to be save, let’s do it in different place! This wound will heal!

Judgment down, masochism up

I could see the other mes looking at me with disappointment in their eyes before disappearing. This is the path I took.. And somehow now it seems like the only path I could have taken. Weird how looking back choices always seem inevitable, don’t they? 

And so I went back, even more coiled up than before, as if trying to hide from the consequences of what I’m about to do. Or maybe from the remnants of my better judgment. I found a place on my tail, some distance from where I was wounded before, seemingly less protected and easier to pierce, where scale type changes from square belly scales to side, rhomboid ones. I snuck my teeth in between them, not wanting to damage them, feeling for succulent flesh, as if possessed by something.. 

Ouch.

I saw the blood.. I bit a bit too hard and there was more than expected.. But what’s done is done, I have to hurry! I felt burning around the wound, did I poison myself a little? But thanks to the new masochism skill, it felt like pleasant warmth. Once again I wanted to use magic. But this time I wanted to try other elements! How about moving air? How about light and dark? 

First, air - let’s try A small breeze. (“Hurry!”) I tried imagining air currents… and nothing happened. Or maybe it happened too weakly? (“Tik, tok, tik, tok”) No, the mana density didn’t seem to have changed.. I just realised that it is harder to imagine the movement or position change of something that’s not visible…

(“Don’t be a stupid human! You are a sly snake!”)

I forgot! Eyes are no longer the only source of my “sight”! The habits of past life make me forget it, but I have my snake tongue! Temperature sense! 

Instead of imagining the air moving by itself, I tried making air at a certain spot warmer than the surroundings, knowing it will also make it move. To imagine heat, I imagined a small tornado ball, like in a certain anime series, hoping the friction would produce heat.. (“... this makes no sense, you can’t make air move so you move it to produce heat?”)

It worked! (“... you know what? Yeah, it did MAGICALLY work. Stupid magic.”) How much mana did it use?! I looked back at the mana infesting my body, it’s color changed from dark to lighter purple… though it was darker than when I moved sand. Looking at the wound reminded me of the pain, and the burning, but, somewhat It didn’t seem that important. And I saw my body trying hard to close the wound…

Let’s try moving light! What seems like an easy light related magic... I looked at my shadow. Yeah, moving it a bit should be easier than creating a new image or something. I made sure to concentrate on staying perfectly still this time, as I might accidentally think I succeeded in moving light, instead of  the reality of moving my fat ass. 

As a way of possibly improving my efficiency, I tried not only imagining the shadow changing its shape, but also a direct path between the wound and the target. It was the same path a liquid would take.. As long as it was frictionless, and didn’t soak up. 

A drop of blood started falling. It followed the path, as expected, until it hit the ground, dying it red.. While it’s magical content split! Still droplet shaped, it spilled further, guided by my thoughts, until it hit the edge of my shadow, where it.. evaporated? The shadow changing only slightly becoming less opaque in one place, as if an acid ate through it. This small spell drained more mana than any before, and yet the change was so slim.. I guess light is a powerful force in this world, with tons of inertia....

Suddenly I felt weaker. I felt as if something was burning inside me, stronger than before. Now even masochism didn’t seem enough to stop it from my mind registering the pain. It was coming from both wounds… or rather from around them, as if flame was spreading throughout…

Reisinling

Magic- not even once. Well well well. What could that be? A cliffhanger? Noooo!