“Wait, so we aren’t having an epic training arc right now?” I questioned. My mother gives me a bewildered look before roughly pinching my cheek. “Why did you do that?!” I yell, rubbing my cheek.

“Because you're talking gibberish. Did you really expect to merely strengthen your body? You've been trapped in this cave for the past 5 to 6 years and have no knowledge of yourself or the outside world. These are things you need to know, which is why I'm here to teach you. If your father attempted to teach you, he would have ended up talking about himself. So, what exactly do you want to learn now? I'd like to have a discussion that is more student-led.” She said.

Who'd have guessed that in a fantasy world, education would be so modern? “Can you tell me anything about myself?” I inquired.

“That's an excellent question. Let me begin by asking you a question, Methuselah. Have you noticed anything unusual or out of the ordinary about yourself?” She asked.

Quickly thinking I control my hair and pick up a cup at my side. My mother looked at me in shock, touching my hair in return. “When could you do this?”

“I could do it for a while and practice using it to pass the time. I thought I'd be able to use it similarly to you, but that hasn't happened yet?” I say. My mother nods and strokes my hair once more.

“Do you feel tired or exhausted after controlling your hair?” I shook my head at her question. “I see why your skill is so poor now. You haven't added any mana!” She chuckles.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Permit me to explain with a little biology. We mythical creatures are mana-based, and our entire being is made up of mana. Even when we die from an external cause or age, our bodies fade away into the earth as mana. You're not flexing that mana muscle, which is why your hair is so weak. To strengthen your hair, use the mana that exists within you. Concentrate all of your mana on your hair. Close your eyes and concentrate on strengthening your hair.” She informs me.

I close my eyes and imagine the mana inside my body, as instructed by my mother. What my mother said about us being mana-based beings was absolutely correct. I could feel the mana flowing through my body rather than coursing through it. I concentrate on my head and try to power it up, but nothing happens. I decided to take a different approach and flex the mana like a muscle. I hear a faint shouting as the mana bursts with power. My hair was lashing around me as I quickly opened my eyes. The grounds and walls were completely destroyed. I immediately stop flexing my mana muscle when I see the scene.

I became extremely tired and collapsed to the ground. My mother gently rubs my head with her hand. “You used too much mana honey, but you did a fantastic job nonetheless. While you were doing it, you also learned how to extend your hair. Will still need to cut it as it's way to long for regular use. Even a genius in the dryad community would take months to accomplish this, but not my son! Okay, you're going to take a few minutes to rest now. I'm going to tell your father the good news. However, you and I still have some classes to complete before we begin training with your father. Now just lie down and relax, okay?” Nodding my head, I relax, allowing the nagging sensation in my body to fade away. My entire body seemed to be in hibernation mode.

As I lay down, I made the decision to check my status.

Name: Methuselah, the Hereafter

Blessing: Demon God of Unity

Level: 6

HP: 150/150

Mana: 5/200

Estimated Attack Power: 45

Speed: 10

Skills: Little Helper, Vine Control, Flight, Nature’s Calling, Health Monitor, Baby Booster, Blessed Seeker

What is the purpose of this power up? It was only an hour ago that it was 20!!

[Perhaps it's because you actually used the skill the way it was intended to be used. You truly believed it would be mana-free. Nothing in this world or this system is free.]

Why do I get the impression you're laughing at me? You know what I'm going to do: I'm going to let it go. Just show me the Vine Control level already.

Vine Control Lvl 36-

The vines that make up a part of you are your body's arms. They have the ability to grab and move things, but they can also lash out.

For the love of God, it went up 16 levels for the sake of actually using mana.Only if I had another skill to put my mana to the test. Do you have any hints for me, Little Helper?

[In this world, you as a mythical being don't need books to learn skills that come naturally to your race.]

Who uses books to gain skills then?

[Ask with your mother. I'm afraid I can't tell you anything about other living things. Only things about yourself and the things that surround you. But, to return to my original point, your body is your weapon. Make an effort to make use of it. And keep in mind that with the Demon God of Unity's blessing, your learning speed is equivalent to that of a genius.]

Listening to what Little Helper said I sorta understand what he meant. I activated my hair using mana. What if I activate something else? I wanted to test it out but my mana was still empty. It took about an hour for my mana to reach half of what I had. So on estimate I can guess that it’s 100 mana per hour that is filled. Not that fast but it’s alright for now.

I wanted to see if I could focus it on my nails by repeating the process I used on my hair, but it was far too difficult. Instead, I wanted to concentrate on my fist. Slowly but steadily, it worked, and a light green glow surrounded my hand as I opened my eyes. I checked my status again and saw that only 20 points of mana had been depleted and wasn't changing. What's up with that, Little Helper? It was constantly draining when I used it on my hair.

[By using Vine Control, you not only give it strength, but you also give it control. Control skills are constantly depleted, whereas strength skills are not. And if you use your mana-powered fist, you'll get a surprise.]

I punch out, as suggested by Little Helper, and a powerful blast comes from my hands. This skill's power is demonstrated by the wind pressure alone! I'm curious what else I can power with some fine tuning and practice.

[You have now learned the skill Powered Punch Lvl 1]

You were correct, Little Helper, I could make skills. Thank you, as well as The Demon God of Unity!!

[Leave God out of it and just rejoice with me. Do you want me to explain the skill now?]

With a sneer, I give him the green light.

Powered Punch Lv1-

You will undoubtedly pack a punch with a mana-infused punch. Only to regular level 0 things, really. Still, a good job.

Okay, I have to ask why, when I check my skills, these sly remarks are sometimes added.

[I may have some sway over that, but don't be too concerned because you've grown stronger, haven't you?]

Yes, you are correct. I did get stronger, and I'm not going to stop now. I'll keep going for as long as it takes.