Part 2 - The Training Hall

Work at the restaurant in game was uneventful, I got the usual pay and free meal. I checked the map to see if there was some place to figure out how to make use of the knowledge I had acquired. I didn't want to go to an open field outside of town, Yuki had told me of the open plains but it had monsters in it and I'd be wide open for attack. I was going to give up and just find a quiet place when I my eyes looked caught the words Training Hall.

The Training hall looked like a large recreational center, on one part of the building a range was setup with targets for people wanting to practice ranged attacks. There were also 3 bigger ranges with dummies arranged in various spots behind obstacles. On another part many dummies and scarecrows were set in an open area. In a corner there were rooms of various size that one could not see into. There were also rings and open areas in which one could spar or try out various group tactics. As always it was a busy place. I took all of this in and was thoroughly impressed; it looked like even higher leveled users found a use for this place. I approach the counter, and a burly man looking like a body builder covered in scars was manning it.

"First time?" I nodded. "It's 5 copper for entry and you're free to use whatever you want except the closed off rooms. Private room starts at an extra 5 copper and you'll also need to rent any equipment you need to use. If you need a sparring partner of a similar level there's a signup sheet there, the staff will help find one for you for another 2 copper."

"Then I'll take the cheapest room please just the room." I take out 10 copper and put it on the counter.

"No targets or anything? Alright follow me."

He led me to one of the rooms that nobody could see in, the smallest one. Just as I had hoped, the room was sound proof and I couldn't hear any noise from outside. It was perfect place to try and reach for mana like the book said. I sit on the floor and meditate, feeling a bit silly. I did as the book instructed and looked inside myself. In my mind I saw a small bright amorphous light shining in the middle of darkness. I felt it; it was like standing in a hurricane or being in the vicinity of a tornado. It was just sheer force and I could only stand in awe of it. I tried to grab in inside my mind, instead it just slipped away and I felt blown back. I guess it's not something you force out by grasping it, the book said to pull it out into the body though. Hmmm... Maybe you don't actually grasp mana to wield it. I imagine the force flowing out into my body covering me. Slowly I see the light flowing outward and I feel my body overcome with tremendous energy, I start feeling a lot lighter than before. I hold the image of the light flowing at the a steady pace as I stand up. I try running and jumping around and feel that my physical abilities has increased slightly. I feel the light getting dimmer, so I imagine it folding back into itself.

Skill acquired

-Internal Mana Control-

lvl 1

Allows user to control mana inside their body

Skill acquired

-Physical Enchant- (Self)

lvl 1

Increases [STR], [END], [DEX], and [AGI] by using 10 mana per minute.

[MND] has increased by 1

Skill level up

-Fast Learner- has increased to level 3

Wow! This is great all that with just one action. I feel like there's more to -Physical Enchant- though, I know I can control the output of mana to control it and what if I concentrated it to one point? I sit back down and try again. I do the same thing feeling that the light inside got back to full strength. This time I concentrate and make the light flow as slowly as possible. I hold it and see that there is almost no drain from the light left inside me. I hold and see that the light was regenerating faster than the output it used. I feel no change in my body. Then I pull out even more mana and as I do my body starts feeling lighter and lighter. I then let go, but I feel that the light is still trickling out very slightly.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Skill updated

-Physical Enchant- (Self)

lvl 1

Active: Increases [STR], [END], [DEX], and [AGI] by using 10 mana per minute. Current boost 1 point. Boost can be increased by using more mana per minute.

Passive: Increases [STR], [END], [DEX], and [AGI]. This has reduced mana regeneration by 1 mana per minute. Current boost 1%

Oh a passive! Not just some sort of mastery, but 1%? My stats aren't even in the double digits except for [INT], so the boost might as well be 0. Well it should prove useful in the long run, which means I need to get a stat to 100. The increased boost on the active though should prove useful in emergencies. Now to concentrate it on a body part, hmm how about the legs? I could easily test that here. I try the same thing, and this time concentrating the outflow of mana from inside me to my legs. It worked, and as I stand up I could feel my legs so much stronger than when I used -Physical Enchant-. I try it out by running and jumping around. I ran faster, and I jumped twice as high the feeling was amazing almost like flying. Speaking of flying I wonder if you could fly here. Flight, ah that would be wonderful. Anyways try this out first, with so much height he felt it would be easy to try flipping around. In the real he never could with his bulky body, the best he could do were cartwheels, round-offs, and some rolls. Now he had [AGI] and awesome legs to try it out. I tried it, and couldn't quite get the landing right with my hands. So I tried again and this time as he flew into the air moved the mana to his arms. This time I got it right and it was hard not to fall down as my arms had increased sense of balance and strength. I pushed off and was back in the air, moved the mana to my legs and rotated around for fun and landed back on my feet. Ah so much freedom! It really was a thrill. I tried running up walls, getting four steps up and feeling like I was being pulled back down so I flipped off and landed back. WOW! That was amazing, I know it's impossible in the real life, but I hope one day I can at least do one or two steps up and flip just to see if it felt that good. Before I knew it the light died down, and I was out of mana.

Skill acquired

-Body Part Enhancement-

lvl 1

Boosts physical capabilities of enhanced body part. Consumes 5 mana per minute. Boost can be increased by using more mana per minute.

Skill level up

-Internal Mana Control- has increased to level 3

Skill level up

-Fast Learner- has increased to level 4

[AGI] has increased by 2

[DEX] has increased by 1

Level 1 and I have two stats that are in the double digits! Now I'm out of mana though, I did flip through something about mana absorption. I sit down and open up the codex and look through the mana page. I see an entry about absorbing mana from the surroundings. The practice can increase mana regeneration, increase spell and skill effects, and reduce internal mana consumption. According to the codex I just have to feel the mana and draw it into wherever I'm using mana or to regenerate mana into my own source. I close my eyes and try to feel for the mana, I am shocked that it is all around me. Such tremendous amounts, but not as concentrated as when I had it inside me. I focus on gathering it all and imagine putting it all back inside the place I found the light inside me. As I do I feel tremendous energy filling me, and the light starts sparking back to life, soon it is completely filled up. I then try pouring the mana back out onto my body for -Physical Enchant- and reduce the flow a bit. At the same time I pull mana in from all around and pour it on to the mana enshrouding my body. The mana inside diminishes slower, but the effects feel the same. I try to increase the influx of mana, but could not do more. I increase the output of my internal mana to the max and fill much more power than before come out. I cut it off and resume gathering mana back to full, and then open my eyes.

Skill acquired

-External Mana Control-

lvl 1

Allows the gathering of mana from surroundings. Current maximum rate 5 mana per minute.

Skill Level up

-Physical Enchant- (self) has leveled to 2

Does this mean I can use -Body Part Enchantment- strictly through external mana? I try it, and find it to be true. I can enhance one part of my body just by gathering mana from my surroundings. I can then use my internal mana to boost another part of my body! My [MND] went up by 1 and -Body Part Enhancement- by 2 as I figure this out, I was going to practice some more, but I found that my alarm went off and it was time for work at the restaurant by the guild