'It was a fun playing that game with them... too bad I'm here now. Ugh, I just want to go home.' He calmed down the tree, annoyed that he remembers the dream he had.
He was stretching in a way that made his back pop a few times. *pop* *pop* *pop* *pop*
"Oh yeah, that's better." 'I want to get something to eat now, but first.'
He quickly relieved himself.
'damn, at times like this, I wish I had a toothbrush and running water... now that I think about it, we needed to brush our teeth in-game because of how weirdly realistic the game was in some places.
But the NPCs never needed to brush their teeth because, well, the in-game explanation was they used their mana to keep themselves clean. I just thought the devs were lazy and didn't want to add that.'
His eyes widened as he realized something.
'Wait a sec, now that I think about it, only special NPCs had divine weapons and could rank up. But normal NPCs couldn't, according to what Jess told me. The NPCs train and use mana to get stronger. Sure, they won't get as strong as a player with a divine weapon, but normal soldiers are about as strong as a rank 2 player. The only reason that is possible is because players couldn't feel mana and were limited in the techniques they could learn because of it.'
'I thought it was just a game mechanic so NPCs wouldn't be overpowered by the players. So by that logic, the reason NPCs that had divine weapons are stronger than players is because of how they use mana.'
He then sat on the ground and closed his eyes after finding a safe place to hide so he isn't interrupted.
'I may have a hard time remembering some things, but if I try, I can memorize stuff, and one of the things I memorized was Mana Body.
I got it as a reward from a king in that game because I thought I'd be able to use it to make up for being the weakest member of my team, but it didn't work no matter how many times I tried. Sure, I could have learned and cast spells like other mage builds, but remembering all those formulas and chants was too much for me... that's also why I got given the nickname Idiot Mage by other players.
'If this works, I'm gonna slap myself for not memorizing the basic spells.'
He then sat quietly and recited the technique in his head.
(Take a deep breath in through your nose, allowing the air to fill your lungs completely. Hold this breath for a count of 30 seconds, allowing the mana to saturate your entire body, bringing you a sense of vitality and energy. As you feel the power building within you, exhale slowly and steadily through your mouth, releasing any tension or negativity that may reside within.
Step 1:
Focus on each part of your body individually to enhance their strength and resilience. Begin by turning your attention to your bones, the foundation of your physical form. Envision your bones transforming, becoming as tough and unyielding as steel, able to withstand any challenge that may come your way. With every breath, imagine the power of mana infusing your bones, reinforcing them with unwavering strength.
Step 2:
Shift your focus to your blood, the life-giving force that courses through your veins. Visualize your blood becoming as hot as magma, flowing through your body with unbridled energy and vitality. Feel the power of your heart as it pumps this fiery, potent blood through every inch of your being, invigorating and empowering you from within.
Step 3:
Fortify your internal organs, your organs, ensuring they are strong and resistant to any toxins or poisons that might threaten your well-being. One way to achieve this is by consuming the flesh of powerful monsters, absorbing their essence and incorporating their strength into your very core. With each bite, feel your organs becoming increasingly fortified, able to repel any harmful substances that may come your way.
Step 4:
Focus on your muscles and your ability to surpass your current limits. Step out into the world and seek out formidable adversaries, engage in battles that push you to your physical and mental boundaries. Through these challenging encounters, your muscles will be tempered and strengthened, enabling you to rise above your previous limitations and unlock new levels of power and growth.
Remember to repeat these practices regularly, embracing the power of mana within you as you focus on each body part. With dedication and perseverance, you will witness remarkable progress and discover the potential that lies dormant within you.)
*Cough* *Cough* *Cough* "Ow, fuck." *Cough* *Cough* As it was his first time using this Technique, he wasn't able to hold his breath long enough.
'Ok, this is gonna be more difficult than I expected.' He thought as he gasped.
'But I did feel something similar to when I used my staff the other day.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh," he said. "I was an idiot for picking that technique."
'How interesting that I can use this here. The only skills players can get are the ones from the Divine Items they get, and magic wasn't considered a skill as you needed to memorize them to use them, and Techniques are things you can do without magic or the Divine Item. Does that make this a Magic Technique?'
"Well, let's focus on that later. For now, I need to find and eat a goblin as I'm hungry."
He spent the day looking around for goblins and managed to find one and kill it.
'Lucky~ Usually, the weak ones travel in pairs. So this guy was probably a little stronger and decided to travel alone, but I shouldn't make assumptions.'
'In any case, let's check the loot.' He opened up its belly and removed its heart, but found nothing other than its heart.
"Tsk." 'Damn, and here I thought I was lucky.'
He ate the heart, ignoring the taste, then cut up the goblin and took some back to the nice hideout he found, only to discover it has been invaded by slimes.
'FMSL, why did fucking slimes invade my hideout?'
Slimes are an annoying creature as these things don't go above Rank 0, so they are easy to kill and never give any magic stones.
"Hmm." 'Are slimes edible? No one tried to eat them because there were better things to eat. But if I can eat them, I would like to do that instead of eating goblin meat,' he thought as he approached the slimes.
The slimes are flat, round creatures with a small, hard pebble-like core in the center of their bodies, and the ones he was looking at were clear. Usually, these monsters are not hostile.
'What type of slime is this? I only remember seeing the blue ones,' he poked one with a stick to see how acidic it was. The stick entered its body with little resistance and he held it there for a moment.
...
..
.
And nothing happened to the stick.
'Well then, let's see if it will eat any goblin meat.' He cut a small piece of the meat he had and placed it on the slime.
After a moment, the area around the meat began to sizzle a bit like it was cooking, but there was no smell.
"Interesting."
He experimented with other slimes and different materials he had, using metal from the dagger and rope he got from the well.
He discovered the slimes seem to not eat anything at least not anything he can see. After the sizzle of the meat, dagger, and rope stopped, he checked them and noticed the dagger was now clean of the blood it had on it, the rope was now drier than it was before, and the meat no longer had blood in it.
"So, do the slimes eat liquids?" he asked himself as he looked at dried out goblin meat. Then he smelled it. *Sniff* *sniff*
"Hm? There's no longer any smell. Interesting. Does it taste different?"