After all the mystery was solved on his way to class, he received a notification from the System. "Ethan, you have not yet mastered the Language skill. It is imperative that you continue your education."
Ethan groaned inwardly. He had been putting off the Language skill, hoping to focus on the Painting skill instead. But he knew that he couldn't delay it any longer.
The System presented him with a quest: "Master the Language skill by completing the following tasks:
Learn 500 new words
Converse with a native speaker for 30 minutes
Pass a comprehension test
Reward: Level 4 access to the System, increased intelligence, and improved communication skills"
Ethan sighed, knowing that this was going to be a tough challenge. But he was determined to complete it.
Ethan's eyes scanned the page, the words blurring together as he struggled to make sense of them. He had been working on the Language skill for hours, and his brain felt like it was going to explode.
He had always been terrible at languages. In school, he had barely scraped by with a C+, and now, as an adult, he was expected to become fluent in a foreign tongue? It seemed like an impossible task.
As he read the passage again, Ethan's frustration grew. Why couldn't he just understand this?! He had watched videos, listened to podcasts, practiced speaking with native speakers... but nothing seemed to stick.
He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. This was ridiculous. He was a gamer, for crying out loud! He could conquer entire worlds with ease, but ask him to learn a language, and he was stuck.
Ethan sighed and shut down the program. He couldn't take it anymore. Maybe he would come back to it later, maybe not.
But as he lay in bed that night, he couldn't shake off the feeling of inadequacy. He felt like a failure. What kind of gamer couldn't even learn a simple language?
The next day, Ethan approached the Language skill with a renewed sense of determination. He opened the program and began to study once more.
At first, it was tough. His brain felt like it was going to seize up from all the new information. But slowly, incrementally, he began to make progress. He started to recognize words, phrases, and even sentences.
The breakthrough came when he met with his language exchange partner, Anna Maria. She was kind and patient, explaining things in simple terms that Ethan could understand.
As they conversed, Ethan felt his confidence grow. Maybe this wasn't so impossible after all.
But just as he was starting to feel good about himself, doubts crept back in. What if he didn't pass the comprehension test? What if he failed?
Ethan took a deep breath and pushed those thoughts aside. He had come too far to let fear hold him back.
With renewed determination, he dove back into his studies. And this time, when the comprehension test came around, he was ready.