Alistair was feeling outstanding in the lake, he just stood there chest-deep in the water and took the moment in. Here he was, swimming in unfamiliar waters, in a lake no one from Earth had seen before, as far as he knew anyway, and this world has fucking magic!

Hey Myst, how do people learn skills? Is there a school kids go to or are they passed down from family member to family member? Alistair asked after a long time without thinking or talking to him.

[Well, there are those methods you described, but mainly you develop skills based on what you end up doing.] Myst said. [For example, if you were to go underwater and hold your breath for as long as you could over and over again, you could eventually acquire the skill “Breath control.” On the other hand, if you sat still and focused on controlling your breathing you could receive the same skill. Different theories have had a history of some amount of success. Basically, they all surmount to half believe that skills are gained through constant repetition and understanding of the skill and the other half believe that you learn skills faster under duress when you need to.] Myst tried explaining. [You following?]

I believe so, so for example, if someone were to fight a dummy to learn kung fu, they would eventually, but if you were to spar or heck, even battle a kung fu master outright, you would have a higher chance at gaining the skill, but it is many times more dangerous. Alistair replied.

[One, what is Kung Fu? Secondly, you are essentially correct, however, I have witnessed people throughout the ages and have built my own theory, the trick is a bit of both, I believe.] Myst said, [Taking your hypothetical, if you were raised by a kung fu master and learned from him while training on his dummy, then somehow encountered a death match of some sort, it is my belief that knowledge of the skill and the experience of needing it plays into the acquisition process equally as heavily. I mean, if you are facing a Kung Fu Master, I’m assuming that’s some style of combat, and you did not know kung fu yet, you would not survive. However, if you knew the understanding of it and still did not possess the skill, you would be able to learn the skill and sometimes, albeit very rarely, be able to skip skill levels. Thus at least being able to stand a chance against the Kung Fu Master, however small that is.] Myst finished.

So I guess I’m stuck with the life-and-death experience way then huh? Alistair said.

[No, that is why I am here. With our connection and my knowledge, I can essentially show you the knowledge at a faster rate, and then you can use them in the field or in practice when you need to. Hopefully, power leveling you, in a sense, in the process.] Myst said. [I call it “the Balloon Method.” you see we fill the balloon, (Your head) with knowledge and know-how, and you do it either under stressful conditions or when you at least need to and see if the said balloon bursts with skill levels or it bursts from the thing that is placing you in that stressful situation and… well…] Myst trailed off a flash of what he was imagining slipped to Alistair.

Wow dude, you imagine my head popping often, do you? Alistair asked while trying to get that image out of his head.

[Ha, funny, but no, like I told you before, when you die, I will too. I only wish to be of as much help as I can while we get to experience this world.] Myst said. [And finally, get to interact with it…]

Okay, I’m starting to understand a bit more and I really appreciate you being here to help me understand this new place. Alistair said, slowly heading to the shore. I think that is enough swimming for now.

Alistair started making his way back, thankful for his new mini-map because he was a bit disoriented after he reached the shore. Looking to his upper left, he saw where he place his pool bars and found his mana to be full. It didn’t take long before he was at the base of the tree with the rough tree house, the pile of plant fibers still exactly where he had left them. I really need to make a bed out of those, they felt so comfortable.

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[I'm sure you can craft a softer material for your bed than plant fibers.] Myst said, [What did you normally sleep on back on Earth?]

Well, beds have gotten better and better throughout the years. When I was little it was a bed made out of springs, and cotton maybe. But… Alistair said, remembering the nice bed he had now, or rather had back on earth. My last bed was a mixture of things, ranging from enclosed springs, memory foam, a cooling gel-like layer, and I’m guessing cotton as a filler. I had a base for my bed however that I could incline the head and feet at a button press. It was nice.

[Memory foam… I don’t know what that is, but we can think about all that when you can actually make it up to your shelter.] Myst said. [Now time to craft some rope.]

Right. Alistair said, walking to the rather large pile of plant fibers. He tried remembering the feeling Myst had given him about making rope, the feel of it, the way it was braided, the coarseness of the material, and put his hand on the pile.

[STOP!] Myst shouted in Alistair’s mind. [What are you doing? Did you already forget what happened?] Myst said. [Mana Weakness…]

Right, is there a way to do it in batches then? Alistair asked. Or do I have to separate the pile first?

[That’s what I was about to explain to you when you put your hand on the plant fibers and say craft, it should ask if you want to make rope with a number. That number is the units you are crafting. It defaults to craft as much as the materials present would allow.] Myst explained. [However, if you focus on the number you can change it by thinking about how many you would like to make.] Myst finished.

“Craft,” Alistair said allowed.

Would you like to bulk craft Rope (28) from:

Plant Fibers (28 units)

Alistair focused on the number of ropes he was attempting to craft. He mentally did the math and just to be safe, decided on crafting attempting ten. Then the prompt changed.

Would you like to bulk craft Rope (10) from:

Plant Fibers (10 units)

Yes, Alistair thought.

You have successfully crafted Rope (10)

You have gained 35 Crafting Exp.

Congratulations you have leveled up Crafting. Crafting is now Level 3.

You have gained 65 Crafting Exp.

Crafting (Level 3): 65/450

A bright light briefly enveloped the pile of plant fibers, then some of them began moving quickly, swirling around each other until they stopped, in a neat bundle of what looked to be approximately ten meters of rope. Whoa, it's like something out of a fantasy movie with great CGI. Alistair thought.

[What is CGI?] Alistair asked.

Computer generated imagery, Earth had these things called movies, Alistair tried to explain. In these movies, there were things that happened in them that can not happen in my world. So when the movie calls for those things, they use a computer to fake or generate the things they can't create in the real world, thus allowing magic and other fantasy things to seem real, for our entertainment. Alistair finished. It's hard to explain without having lived in a world that doesn’t have magic I’d imagine… Or Computers.

[Interesting…] Myst said. [Your world really sounds both boring as fuck and interesting at the same time.] Myst added, [I think I’d like to visit only to see how bad people have it there.]

Kinda like a zoo? Alistair asked.

[I don’t know what a zoo is, but if it's a place to go and see how bad things have it, then yes.] Myst replied.

Alistair thought about it and that is exactly how one would explain what a zoo is if you didn’t use the word animals in the explanation.

Alistair checked his mana and was happy to see that his math seemed to be correct.

Mana: 206/300

Accounting for the time they were discussing how bad Earth had it, he already regained 6 mana.

Should we start working with this, until my mana is back to full? I don’t think I should get too low if I can help it, I don’t know when the effects of the mana exhaustion set in. Alistair asked. I’m aiming for us not to lose consciousness a third time. For one day at least.

[That would be ideal.] Myst said adding in a subtle, [he learns… it seems…]