Victoria PoV

Slowly I open my eyes, my body feels rested.

‘Results of your training:

Health +2

Mana +1

WIS +1

VIT +1’

Sixth day of my training in the temple, I have yet to learn my first skill.

I have been playing the game as much as possible, luckily we are currently on summer break and there are two months left before going back to school.

So far I’ve discovered that you can sleep inside the game, in fact, your avatar gets tired and it’s impossible to remain awake, I discovered that the second day of playing.

Every day after waking up inside the game I get a message showing the results of the training from the day before.

“Show Status”

‘Name: Victoria

Class: None

Health: 30/30

Mana: 23/23

Stamina: 100/100

Satiety: 18/100

WIS: 4

VIT: 3’

At this point most players have discovered this, instead of having to level up, you get status by training. The Priestess told me that killing monsters works the same, you get status the next day taking into consideration the monsters you killed the previous day.

While training with her, we have become good friends, her name is Daniah and she has been a priestess for around five years.

Someone knocks on the door.

“It’s me, Daniah”

The room I’m currently in has been lent to me by the people in the temple until I finish my training.

“Come in”

The priestess enters the room and smiles.

“Good morning Victoria, did you sleep well?”

“I was really tired last night, training is really consuming”

I sit on the bed.

“Your hard work will be rewarded, I’m sure of it”

“I already feel the results, the amount of mana flowing through my body has more than doubled since I started training”

“That’s good, let’s have breakfast and then go back to training”

I get up from the bed, one thing I really like from this game, when I wake up I look exactly the same as the day before, it’s amazing how this long hair still looks good after sleeping.

“Let’s go”

We both leave the room and walk through the temple.

On the way to the dining room we greet the people passing by.

The breakfast is delicious, I enjoy this food, after all for the rest of the day I will only have fruits.

When we finish eating we go outside to the garden, it’s time to train.

So far the results are amazing, I can get the feeling of my mana within five seconds and one out of five times I manage to get the water glowing. I expect to get the skill today, Daniah said that I should learn it anytime now.

Once I’m in position, I grab the bowl and fill it with water from the fountain, then I begin with the usual exercises. Sometimes I feel the mana around my body almost unconsciously.

“It’s glowing”

I open my eyes, the water in the bowl is glowing in the first try of the day.

Daniah looks happy, she’s been really supportive these past few days.

A couple of days ago I asked her why is she training me, she told me that only a few players have the potential to learn Naleya’s teachings, most of the people learning about healing in the temple are being taught a basic spell, instead she’s trying to teach me an exclusive skill to the followers of the Goddess.

But to learn that skill there is a prerequisite which is what I’m practicing right now and she said that the second step depends solely on me, there is only a fifty percent chance that I will learn the skill.

Even if don’t learn the exclusive skill, I feel that this training has helped me develop my character so I won’t regret it.

“Try again, if you manage to do it three consecutive times then you’re ready”

“Here I go”

I close my eyes and focus a little portion of my mana on the water, without opening my eyes I know it’s glowing.

I think that my current wisdom status is helping.

“You have managed to do it again”

Daniah’s voice sounds really excited.

“This will be the last time, I’m sure of it”

I’m confident, I feel different than the previous days.

This time I will focus a larger amount of mana into the water, the more mana the brighter it glows.

Little by little I pour my mana until I reach my target, I open my eyes, it’s the first time the water has glowed this bright.

‘By practicing the use of your mana you have learnt Mana Manipulation

Show Skills command unlocked

Mana +5

WIS +1’

Finally.

“I got the skill!”

“Congratulations”

Daniah hugs me.

“Thank you Daniah, it’s all because of you”

“It’s all because you worked hard”

It’s been a long time since I’ve felt like this, in the real world you don’t notice your hard work paying off this fast.

“Show Skills”

‘Class Skills:

None

Common Skills:

Mana Manipulation – Beginner Level 1’

“How do I get a description from the skill?”

“You have to say Mana Manipulation Description”

“Mana Manipulation Description”

‘Mana Manipulation – Beginner Level 1

Basic control of the mana flow within your body, it can be used for different purposes and has influence over all other mana related skills.

Magic Attacks +1

Chanting Speed +1

Mana consumption -10%’

“This skill is amazing”

Daniah nods while smiling.

“It’s the most useful skill for a magic user to have, most people learn it after years of using magic”

So I will an advantage over most players.

“Look at this”

She picks up the bowl of water and puts it on her lap, then she moves a hand on top of the water, seconds later the water is frozen.

“The skill you just learnt isn’t only to make water glow”

Daniah laughs.

“Try it”

I pick another bowl of water and do the same actions as her.

Once my hand is over the water, I spread my mana through it, a cold sensation leaves my hand, and then I watch as the water freezes.

“Wow”

After that I notice that I exhausted my energy and my eyes close, everything goes black.

As I open my eyes I see a sad expression on Daniah’s face.

“I’m sorry”

My head is on her lap.

“What happened?”

“You used all your mana freezing the water, it’s all my fault, I forgot to tell you that freezing it consumes a lot more energy, I’m really sorry”

I smile at her.

“It’s okay”

I sit next to her.

“You know, it’s a good thing I learnt about this while being here, can you imagine what would have happened if I exhausted my mana in front of a monster?”

Daniah smiles awkwardly.

“I owe you for teaching me all about magic, so cheer up”

I’m really thankful to her and I’m glad we became friends.

She stands up and puts on a serious face.

“Take this”

Daniah hands me a berry. I eat it and my mana is replenished.

“It’s time for you to learn the healing arts from our temple, follow me”

I follow her inside the temple, we walk through the corridors for a while until we arrive to a staircase. We go to the second floor of the temple.

We enter the first room.

On the center of the room there is a statue, it looks really similar to Daniah.

“She looks a lot like you”

Daniah smiles at me.

“My family and me are direct descendants from the Goddess Naleya

“I see”

I wonder how many people in this world are descendants from the gods.

Daniah stops in front of the statue, drops on her knees and prays for a couple of minutes.

I remain quiet while she prays, waiting for her to tell me what to do next.

“Do you believe in the existence of the gods?”

Hard question, in my world I don’t believe in god, I’m not religious at all, but in this world I can’t say that, besides I’ve seen magic and Daniah told me she’s a descendant from a goddess, they must be real.

“Yes, I do”

“Good, the next task should be easy”

She stands up and faces me, looks at me like the first time we met.

“This is the room where we talk to Naleya, here she teaches us and shares her love and wisdom, you have to stay here until you can hear her voice, she will teach you the skill you are looking for”

“I understand”

Daniah walks towards the door then she turns around.

“There is food on that basket, you can sleep on the bed, if you leave this room before you have learnt the skill, it means you have failed and won’t be able to try again”

She opens the door and leaves, once she closes the door I hear her whisper “good luck my friend”.

‘Skill Learning: Naleya’s Touch

To learn this skill you have to pray to the Goddess Naleya, if she deems you worthy she will grant her blessing.

Conditions: You will fail if you leave the room before learning the skill’

I’ve never prayed before in my life, this is going to be hard.

What does it mean to be worthy? If I’m not, will I fail?

My mind is clouded in confusion and insecurity.

Daniah said I can do it, I have to trust in her.

Then I get on my knees in front of the statue of Naleya. I close my eyes and wait for something to happen.

I remain there for minutes, I don’t feel anything different. The room feels the same.

Should I talk to her? What should I say?

“Goddess Naleya, I don’t know if you’re listening to me or not, the place I come from is different to this world, I have never prayed over there, I’m not sure what is it that I have to do”

At first I feel silly talking to myself. But the more I talk about myself and my world something inside the room starts to change.

‘Goddess Naleya is listening

Faith added to your status’

Looks like I picked her interest.

For hours I keep talking about different things, school, my parents, my friends.

I know there is someone else in the room.

After a while I feel tired and hungry.

I get a fruit from the basket in the room and fill my satiety.

[Sleep child, tomorrow you can tell me more about your world]

A warm and gentle voice resounds inside my head.

“Goddess?”

‘Goddess Naleya has left the room’

Well, at least I know she was here and wants to hear more.

For now I will sleep and try again tomorrow.