The training for Mana Coating was simple. He asked me to sit down under the only tree in the white space and meditate.

The trainer was the only one who could teach me about it. Even if he lied, there was nothing wrong with trying.

I had all the necessary time that I needed in this world, he said so himself.

And so, I sat with my legs crossed under the tree.

“You are fortunate that I know about Mana when the others in your world haven’t even explored it yet. Now listen closely and close your eyes.”

I did what he said and closed my eyes.

Step Step Step

He was walking around me in a circle. I could hear his footsteps.

“Mana is a matter that is present in the body. God gave you Mana by allowing a particle called the Magic Particle into the humans heart. The heart then pumped the Magic Particle like pumping blood and turned it into Mana in your body.”

It was ridiculous, so Mana that was in my status was present in all parts of my body? Like blood?

“Each person has a different amount of Mana that they could contain in their body. However, one thing is for sure.”

I listened closely to not miss anything that he said. It was valuable information about Mana, something new that was unknown to us.

“When you hit the max capacity, your heart stops producing mana. The skill that was bestowed by God used Mana automatically. Especially Magic Skill, it was a skill that could make or control a natural phenomenon. For example, a skill to control water, fire, or even Light. Almost every skill except for passive skill uses Mana to activate.”

If every skill needed mana to activate, why did my skill require 0 mana?

My eyes were still closed, but I frowned because I couldn’t understand why my skill was different.

“Moving on, Mana could be used to enhance physical ability. I call this Body Enhancement. If you coat part of your body or weapon with Mana, that’s a technique called Mana Coating.”

‘Simply put, Body Enhancement uses Mana inside our body to boost our physical strength, whereas Mana Coating requires us to move the Mana outside our body to coat part of our body or weapon?’

As if the trainer could read my thoughts, he said.

“That’s right. Now, I will ask you to feel Mana inside your body. It was spread all over your body like blood. Feel it, and then try to move it. If you can move the Mana, open your eyes. Until then, I won’t allow you to open your eyes or even move a single bit.”

That was easy to say. If Mana was similar to the blood that ran in my body, the task of feeling Mana would be an arduous one.

I tried to concentrate on feeling the mana inside my body, but I couldn’t feel it no matter what I did.

Step Step Step

The footsteps that I heard also distracted me, but I couldn’t complain.

I wanted to become strong, I would leave this place.

In order to do that, learning the technique was necessary. I would learn it no matter what.

‘I will leave this fucking world. They are waiting for me.’

And so, time passed.

***

It had been a long time. I don’t know how long it was, but I just sat under the tree with my eyes closed all this time without eating or drinking anything.

I couldn’t feel hunger, and my body was always in top shape thanks to this world that somehow kept me in my best condition, the same condition when I entered this world.

The footsteps that circled me were in fact similar to a ticking clock.

Finally, without knowing how long I closed my eyes, I could feel warm energy around my body. It moved through my body in the same way that blood does, beginning at the heart and spreading throughout. “Oh, you have succeeded. My estimation was off a little. I thought you were going to spend 2 months learning how to feel Mana, but you did it in less than a month. You can open your eyes.”

I opened my eyes after I heard the familiar voice of my trainer, something that I’ve grown used to during my training. It seemed like I had trained for a month. He told me various things when I tried to feel mana, and all the things he told me would benefit me greatly when I escaped this world.

My eyes were blurry; it had been a month since I opened them after all. Slowly, my eyes gained focus, and I saw my trainer crouched in front of me with a big smile on his face.

He stretched his right hand and patted my shoulder.

Pat

“You did it. Now, try to move the mana with your eyes open. Body enhancement will not decrease your mana because all you do is move them inside your body and it won’t disappear into the atmosphere. With your mana moved, your body will get stronger. It’s as if you are high on adrenaline.”

Because the result of the training method that he told me was effective, my trust towards the trainer had increased.

I nodded my head slightly and said, “I will try.”

Feeling the mana inside my body with my eyes open was a bit hard, but I had managed to get the hang of it.

A few minutes later, I could feel it even with my eyes open, and I moved it around my body, circulating from heart to brain, before going back to the heart.

When I moved the mana around, my body was full of energy, and I felt stronger.

A smile slowly crept into my face, I stood up without waiting a second longer.

I, however, was a fool. I stood up without any preparation after sitting for a month, my leg muscles had not yet adapted to the sudden movement and I collapsed on the ground.

Thud!

The trainer unexpectedly caught my body and supported it.

“There there, slowly.” His tone was now kinder than before. It was strange, and somehow …

“It’s gross. Release me, and stop talking like that.”

“Hahahaha, you finally don’t hold yourself back and say what’s on your mind.”

He was laughing.

‘Is he crazy? I called him gross.’ I was confused.

He slowly pushed my body and held it for a few seconds before releasing it. I could now stand by myself, and he had his hands on his back before turning away, facing the Fake Rena in the distance.

She was still idly standing in the center, and then the trainer spread his arms.

“Now, you are able to use body enhancement. What you lack now is one thing, and that is martial arts.” He turned to me and grinned.

“How about Mana Coating?” I asked him.

He then waved his index finger and said.

“I showed you Mana Coating to motivate you. It’s not your level yet, so be satisfied with Body Enhancement right now. You are two or three times stronger with Body Enhancement.”

I touched my chin.

‘Is that so?’

His words were confusing, but he certainly knew what he did.

‘I need to learn Martial Arts.’

So I followed him.

He was my trainer. It was me who never saw him as my trainer until I learned it the hard way, from his arduous way of teaching. So I lowered my head.

“Please teach me. I want to leave this place and meet them again. Please.”

And begged like a Loser.