Awakening in The World of Gods

Here's the enhanced version of the scene, with added detail, humor, and a sense of gravity for the situation:

Poll stretched his legs with a long, exaggerated groan, like an old man complaining about creaky joints, then shook out his hands as though preparing for a sparring match. "Alright, focus time," he muttered under his breath, folding his legs into what he assumed was a meditative pose. Cross-legged equals wise and powerful, right?

Closing his eyes, Poll drew a deep breath and directed his mana inward. He visualized it flowing like a lazy river through his veins, calm and steady, as he reached out with his senses to scan his surroundings. Okay, mana, do your thing. Let's see what secrets this place is hiding.

But just as he began to grasp the threads of the environment, an invisible force shoved back against his mana. It was like trying to wade through a swamp, only to find himself ankle-deep in quicksand.

"Ugh, what the—?!" His eyes snapped open as the flow of his mana hit an unnatural, unyielding wall. A barrier. Of course, they'd have some magical defense. Because why not make my life harder?

Grumbling to himself, Poll tilted his head thoughtfully. This is definitely artifact-level stuff—either to dampen magic or keep people like me from showing off. Cheaters. He rubbed his temples, feeling the dull ache of frustration creeping in. How am I supposed to look competent if I can't even flex a little mana?

Then, like a ray of light piercing the storm clouds of his despair, he remembered something. His hand darted into his pocket, rummaging past lint and crumbs, until he pulled out a small magestone. It glimmered faintly in his palm, a little crystal pulsing with low-level magical energy. His mother had given it to him ages ago for practice.

Poll grinned, turning the magestone over in his hand. Thanks, Mom. Guess this little guy is finally going to earn its keep. He held it up to his face like a precious gem, the dramatic glint in his eyes totally unnecessary. Alright, let's give these folks a light show. Nothing crazy, just enough to say, 'Hey, I'm here, and I'm awesome.'

Carefully, Poll channeled a slow, steady stream of mana into the stone. At first, it resisted, buzzing like a cranky wasp, but then the crystal began to glow faintly. Encouraged, he fed it more mana, shaping it with deliberate precision. He imagined a spiral—elegant, controlled, and definitely cooler than a boring blob of light.

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he worked. "Okay, just a little more… no, not too much. Control - Poll. Controlled!" His muttering turned into a pep talk as the magestone's glow brightened, casting soft, dancing 3D stream around him.

Finally, the glowing spiral floated gently above his hand, humming with subtle energy. It wasn't flashy enough to cause alarm, but it was intricate enough to say, "Hey, I'm no amateur." Poll leaned back, admiring his handiwork. "Haaa… that should do it," he sighed, a smirk tugging at his lips.

But as he admired the glowing spiral, a tiny crack appeared in the magestone. Oh no. Nope, nope, nope. The crack widened, the glow intensifying ominously.

"Uh-oh." Poll's smirk vanished as the spiral flickered like a candle in the wind. "Uh… abort mission?!" he yelped, frantically waving his hand to dissipate the mana. The spiral dissolved just as the magestone fizzled out with a soft pop. Poll stared at the now-dull crystal in his hand, sighing.

"Well… at least it didn't explode." He glanced around, making sure no one had witnessed his near-mishap. Then he pocketed the stone, muttering to himself, "Yeah, that was totally fine. Super controlled. Nothing to see here."

Still, he couldn't help but grin as he walked away. Even if it wasn't perfect, it was a step in the right direction. And hey, small victories were still victories, right?