"Show Mana Manipulation Skill."

Mana Manipulation Beginner Level 1. 0%

Ability to use mana to its fullest potential. A skill usually instinctively acquired by high tier mythical beings such as dragons or even gods. Allows one to manipulate his or her mana spatially like an aura to determine scope and effect which can be further elementally composed. The higher an affinity to nature, the easier it is to compose higher quality effects.

Understanding mana has helped you undertake your first step towards attaining affinity to nature.

Affinity to Nature + 5%

Mana Cost : Directly proportional to amount of mana used.

YES! This was it. This hidden skill was exactly what I wanted to have. I thought understanding mana would help me learn spells at a faster pace but that wasn't it at all. This skill meant that I could freely manipulate my own mana to create original skills. However there may be some limitations to the skill. Since there won't be magic circles with runes to enhance elemental affinity my spells may not be as powerful as someone with the same stats at me even though i can be more flexible with the way I cast it... But i also had the option of increasing my affinity to nature or specific affinity to certain types of magic...

I decided to give it a try. "Claire sorry to trouble you again but this time can you find me a book that would teach me a low level tier 1 spell like flare or lightning bolt or fireball?" I asked earnestly.

"Wait have you figured out the essence of mana itself already?! In just 10 days?! I will fetch it immediately but you owe me an explanation!!" She half shouted while scuttling to get the book.

A librarian breaking her own rules. Its kinda cute though.

She arrived back shortly with a skillbook of flare. Thanks to the fast reader skill I learnt it almost instantly as the spell was a simple one.

New skill : Flare.

"Show Flare skill"

Flare Beginner Level 1. 0%

Creates a small source of bright light from mana.

Mana cost : 3 mana per second

I cast flare and sure enough a small bright ball of light hovered around the palm of my hand about the size of a tennis ball. I looked at my mana bar which i could toggle on and off and sure enough it was declining negligibly.

I turned flare off and proceeded to use mana manipulation instead. I manipulated my aura of mana into a small ball of the same size and imagined it shining brightly. Sure enough the size of the skill was the same and the effect was similar as i could not notice any huge difference in brightness but the mana cost was definitely higher. For the sake of flexibility, I had to trade a higher mana cost for it. For dragons and gods obviously this was a better deal but I did not have large mana pools like them. In fact my mana pool now was puny. This was an extremely useful and rare hidden skill but it still had its drawbacks.

"Open status window."

Stat Window Charcter Name Jinx Level 1 Profession NA Race Human Fame/Infamy 0 Health 100 Mana 300 Strength 10 Agility 10 Wisdom 30 Intellect 30 Vitality 10 Affinity to Nature 5% Leadership 0 Luck 0 Attack 2 Defence 0 Elemental Affinities NA

Thanks to my advent in the library, I already had a good bit of wisdom and intellect. Should i go to the intelligence guild now? I thought about what I really wanted. I had about 20 days more till me and my friends were supposed to meet back together with a class. However I finished up all of my bread already and i needed a place to earn money and eat my meals. And furthermore even though I wanted to deal in magic in RR, i think i'll also enjoy the thrill of close combat fights with monsters while casting magic. Especially since my magic won't need incantations and magic circles, the risk of backfire which was when your magic circle casting got interrupted is nonexistent. I thought about my options.. I decided that if i was a jack of all trades in real life, I would like to also be a jack of all trades in RR.

"Claire, thanks so much for your help. You have been indispensable to me for this academic journey. Would you like to know about what i found about mana?" I asked.

"Hmm at first I wanted to but it just doesn't seem right just asking you for it after you did so much hard work. I guess I will pass as this week has been kind of fun for me too. Please do come and visit often even though you already have what you need to know now!"

"Of course. Thank you so much again."

And I was running off to another establishment which would be important to me for my own survival for at least the next 20 days or so. It was an inn called the Boar's Head.

"Excuse me! I'm looking for the owner of the place. Is he or she in?" I asked the moment i stepped in.

"That would be me. What do you want?" A burly woman appeared from the kitchen. She was extremely well built, was tanned and had short brown hair. The way she looked at me sent shivers through my spine. She looked like a lieutenant instead of an innkeeper.

"I was just wondering if you need workers here. I need a place to consume my meals and sleep and I don't mind trading hard labour for it." I replied, getting down to business as quickly as possible.

"The straightforward sort eh. I like that. My assistant had to leave for his hometown for a while as he had emergency matters to settle. I do suppose i could use an extra helping hand. However you have to prove your worth first. I need you to do an errand now that will be quite tough but I do this to all my workers to have them show their resolve to work here. Do you accept?"

Quest Received!

Help Elena the Innkeeper run errands. She says it will be tough on you and you don't know what the errands will be yet.

Difficulty Level : E

Will you accept?

Yes | No

"Yes. I accept."

I don't really have a choice in the matter i need a space to eat and sleep after eating only bread and sleeping in the library as Claire had so graciously allowed me to do.

"Very well here's your first assignment. Please go to the following shops to help me collect some items they are all written in this list and paid for already. Oh and go change your shoes into these."

Received Elena's Shopping List!

Received Boar's Head Shoes!

A pair of shoes Elena the Innkeeper loves to give her new recruits to wear. This pair of shoes have always been known for one thing which upon wearing it should be obvious enough.

Defense + 3

Weight +50

Equip Now?

Yes | No

"Yes."

Weight +50? Does it mean my inventory now can carry more space?

I was never more wrong in my life. Once i wore those shoes, it felt like my feet were rocks. Walking from the counter to the door of the inn felt like i was trudging through a mudflat. I looked at the shopping list, praying for about 3 places to go to.

I got 5.

"Oh and try to make it back within an hour. Its a very generous amount of time already." Smirked Elena.

I did not even have the strength to retort.

*2 hours later*

"I'M BACK." and I didn't even know how. I walked from the inn to the blacksmith to collect some pots and pans for Elena, from there I had to walk to the market to get some groceries. I had to walk to the tailor to collect aprons as well. Then i went to the post office to deliver letters for Elena. Last but not least I had to walk all the way to one of the corners of Junad to pass an old man a fucking spoon. I mean why the hell would you want to pass an old man a spoon. A SPOON.

However along the journey, whenever I thought I couldn't carry on, little boxes kept appearing in front of me and I knew I made a right choice. After finishing the entire quest my total bonuses came to this.

New Stat gained : Perseverance.

Perseverance helps to increase your threshold for physically or mentally strenous tasks. The higher your stat in perseverance, the higher your tolerance and mental strength.

New Stat gained : Sustenance.

Sustenance helps to reduce stamina usage for physical tasks. The higher your stat in sustenance, the higher your stamina will be so you can last longer in fights or other physical activities.

Strength +10

Vitality +5

Agility + 10

"2 hours? Pfft even my grandmother could do better than that. But at least you finished the task. Right in time for peak hour as well. Customers will start to flock in for dinner so remove your shoes and wear your original shoes instead. Oh and here's one silver piece for your efforts for completing the quest."

Quest Completed!

Rewards: 1 Silver Piece.

The rewards seemed meager for the uphill task but it was definitely worth it in my eyes. I gained so many stats just by walking in those godforsaken boots. And I finally get to take them off. The moment i did it, it felt like i could fly. It was not just the 10 agility i gained but from the drastic change between shoes as well. For the next 2 hours i was zooming from table to table taking orders, delivering food and collecting payment. It was also a rather big inn and i was surprised just me and 2 other helpers could manage the entire floor.

After the end of the peak hour, we could finally get some rest and even though I felt as light as a feather, I was still tired from the earlier quest and had to struggle mentally to complete the task. However thanks to that my perseverance stat increased by a further 5 points. It was definitely good training.

After working for 3 days I realised that my timetable was simple. I had free time till lunch to help out in the inn and I had to help Elena run errands after lunch if she had any and be back by dinner time to help out again. My daily services were rewarded with 2 silvers each which was quite little but understandably so as i did not have to pay for food or lodging. Sleeping in game was seen by some as unnecessary as one could simply log out to sleep but I did not have the luxury of time. 8 hours of sleep in RR would mean only 2 hours in the real world and since my body is resting in the capsule, i only needed to log out to fulfill my most minimum requirements such as food and toilet breaks.

Apart from serving customers in the inn, at all other times I should be wearing those godforsaken heavy as hell stupid boots as I call it as Elena insisted on it. The other helpers wore it too so I guess I could not say no. However the bonus stats I was gaining from it got lesser and lesser but at the same time the strain I was feeling was also diminishing. During my free time, I decided I would go to the basic training hall which was quite near the inn. I read about the stats you could gain there and I wanted to try close quarter combat as well. The instructor, Monarch, was a stern looking instructor but he treated those with discipline well. Most people could not handle hitting scarecrows for a few hours and doing nothing but that and I thought I could not as well but surprisingly, my sustenance and perseverance stats helped a lot.

Hitting scarecrows also gave me stats but they were mostly for strength and vitality. The boots only gave me agility now so I guess it was balancing out. Oh and yes i still wear the boots to train in the training hall. Monarch treated me especially nicely and I got a feeling it was because he recognised these boots. He was a common patron in the Boar's Head and knew what these boots mean. Thus when I asked if I could try out different weapons he immediately agreed.

I tried out a plethora of weapons during my time in the training hall as I wanted to choose a weapon I found myself most comfortable with. With my above average stats in strength and agility now I could hold any weapon. The greatsword felt great but a bit too huge to manouvere. The spear had a great reach but the jabbing was not really my style. Dual wielding sowrds felt awesome but they took alot of concentration and I was looking towards mana manipulation along with weaponry as my answer to my play style. I wanted close quarter combat with spellcasting so the most natural way would be as a spellsword. Dual wield took too much concentration to further imbude my magic into it and I knew better than to chew off more than you could swallow.

Eventually, i found my preference. It was a traditional katana. It was slightly shorter than a two handed sword but significantly thinner. Although it looked more fragile due to that, I realised the manouvereability it gave was more than satisfactory and I could make up for that lack of sturdiness in the swordplay and magic. I practiced using a katana instead of the typical swords in the training hall and eventually I gained what I was looking for.

New Skill : Katana Mastery

"Show Katana Mastery skill."

Katana Mastery Beginner Level 1. 0%

Increases attack power with a katana +10%

Increases attack speed with a katana +3%

Now all I had to do was find a way to find out how to imbude magic into my swordplay. I had 10 days left till my friends agreed to meet back at Junad town square again. I could imagine anything with my mana manipulation but the mana cost would be high so I had to find something effective yet low in mana cost... I spent one day pulling my hair at the possibilities.

A burning sword with fire wrapped around it would look cool. A freezing sword that could slow down enemy movements also seems nice but all these auras need to be maintained and my mana cost would run out quickly. I needed something which could be toggled on and off at the instance of attack but it needs to be something effective. Flames coming out just before I strike an enemy doesn't really fit what I'm looking for.... Confound it.

It was the 22nd night already and I needed to figure something out. And as I took off that boots which felt of normal weight no me now it suddenly dawned on me. The answer was at my feet all this while.

I went into the training hall early in the morning and tried out my new idea. I took my usual katana and practiced my usual stand and strokes first. Once i felt warmed up it was time. I took a clean straight slash downwards and just before the point of impact, I used mana manipulation to wrap a small around of aura near the tip of the sword. Drawing on my experience of how the boots felt, I projected that same feeling into the aura and willed it to become heavier. It was gravity magic.

The heavier an object is, the more momentum it has. It's a simple rule in physics. Force equals mass times acceleration. If I could change the mass of the katana after i start my swing, it requires no extra strength for me to complete the swing as the momentum is already in motion, but the destructive force of the strike will be amplified greatly!

This was just theory but when my strike landed on the scarecrow, my theories were answered with a loud CRACK as i slashed through the scarecrow. Ii was still standing but it shuddered violently and even Monarch looked shocked. Everyone in the training hall paused to look at what made the sound and it felt awesome.

New Elemental Affinity Gained : Gravity

Affinity to Gravity +5%

Your time spent walking around in heavy boots by Elena has made you come to understand how frightening gravity could be. However you got used to it and now have realised how useful changing of one's mass could be in the application of a swordfight.

I was pleasantly surprised. I gained elemental affinity from understanding what gravity could do so I'm pretty sure the more i understand gravity or the other elements, the more affinity I could gain with them which was paramount for my mana manipulation skill. Affinity to nature should increase the elemental affinity of all elements so I should keep that in mind as well. I suspect my affinity to nature will increase along with my mana manipulation skill level as well.

I started practicing with an increased fervour in my strikes. I used gravity mana manipulation to make my strikes heavier and since it lasts just for the split second i start my swing, the mana cost was small. I could easily last about 100 strokes and still have some mana left. After practicing for about an hour, I gained a level in mana manipulation and suddenly, I realised that I could do something even more.

Force equals mass times acceleration. I have maximised the mass part with gravity but it occurred to me that I could also manipulate the acceleration portion. I could make the katana lighter first, so that I could swing it faster and once i start the swing of a higher speed, I could then make it heavier so as to maximise both mass and acceleration. I would need to use more mana manipulation in that case but seeing as one strike now costs about 3-4 mana, Using it twice would make it about 6-8 mana. I decided to give it a try.

However for this to work I needed to wrap my mana around the whole sword to make everything lighter for maximum effect, not just a small amount of aura. I started my backswing and lifted the sword above my head. I swung downwards with all the strength I had and the slash was so fast that I did not even have the time to adjust the mana back to being heavier. Monarch dropped his mouth which I have never seen before. It must have been too fast but since there was no weight behind the strike, the scarecrow barely moved. Making the entire sword lighter took about 50 mana off me due to the size of the aura i had to manipulate now. If i needed to use the same aura size twice, once to make it lighter and another to make it heavier, that one strike which theoretically can give the most damage would cost about 100 mana. With my current mana pool I would be able to use it 3 times before i ran out of mana. It should be saved for the finishing blow.

I tried my newly discovered move on more time, knowing I had only a fraction of a second to get the timing right. And this time, i succeeded. A gleaming flash followed by an even louder sound followed. It wasn't a crack but a howl. Like when the wind blows so strongly it cuts the air around it to form a high pitched howl. And the scarecrow was sliced neatly into two.

New Skill : Gravity Crush

Harnesses the force of gravity to maximise the strength of a strike.

Weapon Atk + 500% (Dependent on Gravity Affinity)

Mana Cost: 100

Oh so I can also make new skills from my own once the system registers it as a possible skill. NEAT.

"HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?" Monarch came running to me, extremely flabbergastered and with good reason. I was a level 1 newbie and even with 100 strength it wasn't something one could do.

"I have a skill that allows me to manipulate mana and I used it to imbude gravity into my strikes. I was testing it out just today and it worked quite well." I explained.

"Gravity magic? It is one of the rarest forms of magic how did you come across it?" He asked.

I didn't know gravity magic was rare.. I thought many people just preferred using destruction type magic like fire ice and lightning so I thought gravity was just unpopular..

"I have affinity to gravity from training with the boots from Elena and it helped. It's hard to explain but I can control mana to a much greater level than most individuals can."

"I can see that. Literally. Alright Jinx you have done well. Too well. I officially announce that you have successfully completed the basic training hall and I will now give you your reward. Usually I give a sword but seeing as to how well you have done and how you have personally handpicked your choice of weapon, this is my present to you instead."

Received : Iron Katana

A katana forged by a capable blacksmith that was given to the training hall as a present. This is not usually gifted to players but achieving an outstanding feat with a katana in the training hall will result in this item being gifted to him or her.

Level required : 0

Strength + 5

Agility +5

"Thank you for this marvellous gift." I thanked Monarch.

"Don't thank me just yet that was a present that would be given to you by completing the training hall. This is a present I will personally give you because I've seen your resolve and determination. Take this recommendation letter to the intelligence guild. I don't normally give recommendation letters. Especially to the intelligence guild instead of the warriors guild but this time I will make an exception. It should serve you well."

It seems like I have all the luck with NPCs! Thank you RR the NPCs are perrrrfect.

"Thank you very much for this. I will go to the intelligence guild first thing tomorrow to hand this to them. Thank you for all you've done for me. I will take my leave now."

While walking back to the Boar's Head, I realised I would probably be getting my class tomorrow and there usually was an initiation test of sorts.

Am i really ready?

"Open Stats and Skills table."

Stat Window Charcter Name Jinx Level 1 Profession NA Race Human Fame/Infamy 0 Health 100 Mana 300 Strength 10 Agility 10 Wisdom 30 Intellect 30 Vitality 10 Affinity to Nature 5% Leadership 0 Luck 0 Attack 2 Defence 0 Perseverance 20 Sustenance 30 Elemental Affinities NA Fast Reader | Beginner level 8 (64%). Finishes books 26% faster. Mana Manipulation | Beginner level 2 (25%). Affinity to Nature +6%. Flare | Beginner level 1 (5%). Summons a small source of light. Katana Mastery | Beginner level 3 (40%). Increases attack power with a katana +30% and attack speed +9%. Gravity Crush | Beginner level 1 (10%). Weapon Atk +500% (Dependent on Gravity Affinity) End of Chapter 3