I slowly stir from my deep slumber, woken up by the sounds of pigeons tapping away with their feet, shitting on my window and kids screaming at each other during some game they're playing.

"I seriously need to buy a scarecrow or something to get these salmonella dispencers away from my house. I wonder if it will work on those annoying children as well."

Rising from my bed I go take a shower and brush my teeth. After that I dress up with some simple pants and a T-shirt. I also pick up the VR bodysuit thrown in the corner of the room. Going to the main room of my house where my VR capsule is placed I  prepare some breakfast, the room doubles as my kitchen.

Looks like I forgot to close my phone, as a result it has been spewing nightcore songs and anime openings all night. Picking it up I check the time - 11:24. By the looks of it I've slept for about 7 hours.

Its long enough for me to feel somewhat refreshed I guess.

Going to the fridge I pick up a milk bottle with some fruits and use them to make a corn flakes breakfast. While making it though, my phone rings. Answering it, what I'm greeted by is a voice I'm all too familiar with.

"My dude how have you been doing" - describing the voice is actually simple. Imagine a hippie with sunglasses in the form of peace symbols and a rainbow skyle scarf around his neck. Deep voice. The guy sounds like he smokes a kilogram of weed just after breakfast, he probably does too.....Yea I think that describes how he sounds pretty well.

Open the Spoiler at your own peril.

"Good morning Mike, I've been doing just fine" - Michael, or Mike for short, is a good friend of mine all the way back from my school days. He deals with graphical design and game programming - In actual fact he also worked on the production of Magnum Magia.

"Don't you mean good evening? It will be noon in half an hour" - looks like he's trying to be witty here.

"..." I fall silent for a bit "I'm just trying to greet someone who has just woken up with 'Good morning' as dictated by proper manners"

"OOOoooooooh, you would have burned me if you didn't stop for a second there" - He replies immediately

"I hate you."

"Hahaha. Well, how are you doing in the game? I've picked a gnome to play with, if you're in the same world as me maybe we can meet up in the future?"

"Luckily for you I am in actual fact in the same world as you. I play as a draconian though."

"Of course you'd pick a draconian to play with, I expected nothing less of you my good buddy. You're like a furry but obsessed with everything that has scales and claws instead."

".........Michael."

"...yea?"

"I know where you live... and I have a gun."

"Oooh, that's good then! I've been thinking about using the old noose I have hanged in my bedroom. If you want to do my job for me then you're welcome to come and finish me off."

"You have a noose in your bedroom?"

He pauses for a bit, about 20 seconds later my phone vibrates since a message was sent to me. Opening it up the first thing I see is a bong about 1 meter in height. Above the bong however you can in actual fact, find a noose.

"What the fuck!? Why do you have such a massive bong in your house?"

"Ayy, you know dude, desperate times call for desperate measures."

"What desperate times!?" - I screech at him.

"Wait, is that block in the corner actually hash and not wood?"

"Oooops, you weren't supposed to see that"

"...................."

"You know what?...I'm not even going to ask. It ain't like this is illegal so you do you."

The rest of the conversation isn't very interesting, we exchange in-game names and talk a bit about our first day experiences of the game. He's playing the tutorial area on normal difficulty. Apparently you should not under *any* circumstances tell the villagers about the mana vein lest they take it away from you - that happened with him. They just gave him barely enough to become a mage and started building a mini fortress on the place the vein showed itself. Very unfortunate.

Oh well, I spend some time checking out the internet for information about the game. It's actually surprising how much information has been released not even 24 hours after the release of the game. Finding a recipe on how to make magical monster blood extract is not very hard - you just need to boil monster blood until it turns pitch black. The recipe goes into further detail about what counts as a magical monster. It looks like the hell-spawn rabbits will do the job.

Also, making liquid mana follows the same process. You just boil the water out of the mana infused water until you're left only with the pure liquid mana. You do need to use it immediately though if you don't have a special container, since the mana starts dissolving into the air after you separate it from the water.

Probably a reason for this much information being released at once is people just copy-pasting the information they find inside of      in-game books. That actually gives me an idea. Can I find what that wolf I met while exploring the forest is? Maybe I will be capable of killing it after becoming a magician, maybe not.

It doesn't take long for me to find a beastiary of sorts, it documents all sorts of random magical monsters and plants. After about 10 minutes of scrolling through the pages I find it.

SABRE TOOTHED WOLF

'A FEROCIOUS TYPE OF WOLF 2 TO 5 METERS IN HEIGHT. USUALLY FOUND WHEN THE 'FOREST-KING' WOLVES NATIVE TO THE DRACONIAN AND DWARVEN LANDS COME INTO CONTACT WITH HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF MANA. THEY LIVE A SOLITARY LIFESTYLE AND ARE VERY VIOLENT --- KILLING EVERY MOVING THING ON SIGHT. THEY HAVE MONSTROUS STRENGTH, AGILITY AND DEFENCES BUT DO NOT HAVE THE CAPABILITIES OF CASTING SPELLS..........'

I continue to read through the entry describing the sabre toothed wolf in greater detail. By the looks of it, I may be capable of killing it right after I become a magician, though it will be a bit of a close one. My spells will be able to harm it, however, the problem comes with evading its attacks and making sure it won't come close to me. I do have an idea on how to deal with that problem.

I spend time gathering some more information online - mostly about how the 'ritual' to become a magician is supposed to happen and your capabilities as a newly born one.

After making sure I haven't missed anything of importance I once again change into my VR bodysuit and enter the world of Magnum Magia.

After logging in to my account I find myself in the exact same place I left off. Looks like all the NPCs don't mind that I just spawned out of pure air. The AI can be manipulated for our convenience so we won't have to deal with odd and annoying situations that come up with us simply playing the game. Me spawning in the middle of a crowded street is just an example. What if someone dies while in the presence of NPCs and then shows himself right in front of them 5 minutes later? Won't they be absolutely freaked out? Well, the game has got your back when it comes to that, friend!

I make my way to Mandora the smith once again.

"Good afternoon, how have you been?"

"Ragna? Came to buy from me again, haven't you? What can I get you?"

"You work with leather, right? Can you sell me a backpack and a waterskin?"

"Those? Sure, no problem. Give me a minute, I'll go and find them out back."

"Alright, also this is a somewhat odd request. I want to ask if you could smith it for me."

"What I need is a sort of needle, but hollow on the inside with an opening on both sides. It's sort of like a cylinder"

"I don't follow, explain it in more detail."

The next 10 minutes is me explaining the concept behind the high and *mighty* 'needle', she asks a lot of questions about how to make it but gets the idea eventually.

"Making it won't be a problem, however it will take me a bit of time. I'm not very good when it comes to making detailed works out of metal."

"That's fine then, when will you be done?"

"Come back in an hour. I should be done by then."

"Alright..." - I turn around to leave.

"Oh yeah, before I forget, do you happen to give smithing lessons?"

"You want to learn how to smith, boy? You won't be trying to take away some of my earnings, would ya?" She stands up and tries to give a somewhat intimidating air. Though it's obvious she's trying to tease me looking at the smirk decorating her face. You could say I've gotten to know her well enough to be aware of when she's joking and shen she is not.

"Haha, I wouldn't dare. You'd probably crush my head with only the palm of your hand if I did that."

"Really? I don't know if I have that in me. Well, whatever. I won't mind showing you some of the rudimentary skills required when it comes to smithing. I'll even do it for free considering how much of a good patron you've been."

"You'd do that for me? Thanks a lot!" I'm a bit surprised she'd give me pointers for free.

"Keep in mind you will have to pay for all the materials you waste. I'll have you working on iron only though so it shouldn't cost you too much."

"Oh..."

After leaving the smith I go to a place where they make pottery. There, I buy some pots with which I will be processing the materials needed for the 'ritual' and bring them back to Mandora. Seeing that I've come back she says.

"What, are you going to observe me making this needle of yours for the next hour?"

"Yes." I reply bluntly.

"...."

"I can leave if it will disturb your work."

"Nah, it's fine." She replies.

For the remaining time I just scroll through the control panel and check what I can do with it. Making screenshots and a video is an option, including streaming online. I guess this is how the player base copied all those books.

Oh, it's Michael. I go ahead and accept his friend request. Right after he calls me in the game. Interestingly enough, the system message said NPCs won't hear me when chatting with other players in the game though I can turn that off if I so desire.

"Cheezus, couldn't have you chosen a name even harder than that ot type down, I actually had to log out and check since I forgot it."

"I personally think my name is absolutely perfect and that you should stop whining."

"Why you have to be so mad bro? Can't a nigga complain a bit?"

"Nope, why did you call me?"

"I'm exploring the forest in the tutorial area for alchemy ingredients and got bored. Because of that I decided to call you"

"Really? Well, right now I'm waiting for the town smith to make me a needle so I can go through the 'ritual' of becoming a mage"

"Niiice, so you didn't tell those scumbags about the mana vein?"

"Nah, I figured they'd probably take it for themselves."

"You're a lucky man. Well, them taking the mana vein has its pros as well"

Really now?

"Such as?"

"You can steal all you want since most of the guards have left to protect the vein. By the way, did you read that after you leave the tutorial area the village gets 'reset'?"

"What do you mean 'reset'?"

"What I mean is that it's like you were never there, the people and resources in the area are the same, excluding the mana vein of course. The NPCs are the same but their memories get wiped and all the stuff you stole from them comes back."

"Oooh, that's nice. So you can be as much of a prick as you want but after leaving everything comes back to normal?"

"Yep."

"That is positively amazing, I would have stolen everything in the village but the problem is that even the regular guards are completely overpowered."

"Eh, you'd be fine after becoming a mage and doing some stealthy action to make sure you're not caught. Mages are very strong."

"I'll still avoid it. I wouldn't want losing all of the stuff I've gathered here. I have no doubt the village chief is loaded but trying to steal from him is just begging to get killed."

"Yeaa, I feel you there. I haven't touched the bigger buildings since they're very well defended even with the main guys not around."

.........................
...................
..........

We spend some time talking about this and that. I close the call after Mandora finally makes the needle.

"Alright, my stuff is done, I'll go and call you some other time."

"Cool, have fun dude."

I turn to Mandora - she does not act like I've been talking to someone this entire time at all.

"So this thing, along with the backpack and waterskin you wanted will cost you a total of 3 silvers."

"All right, here you go. Can I come tomorrow to get some smithing lessons?"

"Aye, you can come anytime you want."

"Perfect. Again, thanks a lot!"

Leaving the village I trace my way back to the area in which is spawned in. The water in the pond is supposed to be fused with mana, I wonder how many people died on just by trying to drink it.

On the way here I picked out the Kenloppa berries from a couple of small bushes, it should be more than enough to make all of the requred juice. As for the monster blood - It wasn't very hard to acquire it. The rabbits I met were quickly disposed of with the use of my spear. Having a good quality spear after dealing the shit quality one I crafted before is just pure bliss. A single strike from my spear and they're dead. Also I've noticed that the body tempering arts have done their job, I'm slightly stronger than yesterday and I don't tire as often.

The blood of the rabbits - I've packed away in one of the pots inside of my backpack. I was thinking on making a lot of blood extract and selling it outside of the village, but seeing how easy it is to make the whole thing is probably a scam to trick people who want to become mages and don't know better. Maybe I can become the scammer?

Welp, maybe some other time ... I go and gather some dead branches and dry leaves from the forest floor. It does not take long for me to do that and return to the starting area. Gathering some of them in one place I go ahead and start a fire after making a small platform for the clay pot filled with blood to sit on.

While that's boiling I go ahead and grind down the berries in another in order to get that sweet, sweet *somewhat* poisonous berry juice.

The work is very monotonous and boring, so naturally my mind starts to slowly ascend into the 4th dimention, asking many important questions in the process. *Deep*, philosophical and science related questions like - Does a penguin have knees, if it does can I shoot an arrow at them? Does 2 + 2 really equal 5? Does time flow backwards inside of a black hole? Why do people keep the weirdest animals as pets? - Who the fuck thought it was a good idea to keep skunks as pets? What about the mad russian families who look after literal half a ton weighing bears? Are traps gay? Also, why does the skeleton of a pufferfish look so fucked up?                                  (Authors note : srsly look it up, that thing is just weird)

While my mind was in the process of leaving its mortal body I finished making the berry juice required. Looks like the magical monster blood extract is ready too, since it has turned black in color, resembling tar, but with not as high viscosity. Measuring 300ml of kenloppa juice and 100ml of magical monster blood extract, I mix them together until it forms a liquid that's dark blue in color. If I remember correctly the name for this is navy blue?

Oh well~ whatever, time to shit up drugs~

Taking the waterskin I fill it with the mixture and strap the needle on it. Finding the vein on my arm I puncture the skin. After making sure it's in the right place I start squeezing the waterskin very, *very* slowly. Usually if you're admitted to a hospital and they need to inject into your blood a large amount of a specific medicine (or just sugar dissolved in water if you have a problem with your digestive system and can't eat food) they'd use a machine which over the course of 10 or so minutes pushes it all in. The problem is though, there aren't any machines in fantasy worlds.   Shocking, I know.

Wait, maybe there are?

The same numbness I felt when I ate the berries starts to spread through my blood circulatory system. I don't know how this procedure is supposed to work on a microscopic level, but hey, it's magic. You don't question magic.

If you're wondering why I'm doing this in the middle of the forest where I can be attacked and killed at any time by a viscious rabbit. Don't. The starting area is unaccessible to hostile NPCs like wolves. However 'friendly' ones can come here without a problem and steal your mana vein. If that happens you will just spawn somewhere else when you die.

Eventually the "Pain" you're supposed to feel fades away, I don't feel it though since I've turned pain off. While going through the process of burning the mana channels into my body, I took the liberty of refining the ponds water into liquid mana.

By the time I was finished with the first steps of becoming a mage it became night. The nights in this game are supposed to be 4 hours long and the days 8 hours.

Filling the waterskin again, though this time with liquid mana I do the same procedure of injecting myself. This time, I inject a smaller amout at an even slower pace. I'm supposed to inject a liter of this stuff anywhere between 1 and 2 hours, meaning that I'll be here for a while.

"...." - Thinking up something to do, I open up the Control Panel.

*ring* *ring*

"Yea? What's up"

"You see, it's your turn to keep me company. I'm going through the process of becoming a magician, meaning that I have an hour or two to spare."

"Damn, well alright then. I'm dealing with alchemy right now, so I'll tell you a bit about that..."

"...and that's how you can make an explosive potion, the one I make has the power of a stick of dynamite. It's not very strong considering this fantasy setting but it can help you tip the tide in your favour during a fight."

"The problem is, I don't know where to get the ingredients and tools required to make these potions, I'm guessing it's from some shops from the city."

"Yeah, you can get them from the city if you want to get positively bamboozled, the stuff there is overpriced since they have a monopoly going on. The bastards. I'm telling you, I shouldn't have made a gnome character. Every gnome NPC is out for your money and they won't stop until they scam even my kidney out of me."

"Sounds rough, atleast you got alchemists and several magicians in your starting village. Here I have just a single one and he's the most disturbing person I've met in my life"

While talking my face gets slammed by a system notification.

"JESUS FOKEN CHRISTE!" - I physically flinch at the sight of the notification in my face.

"Cheezus*, get on with the times. What happened?"

"Eh, it's nothing. The notification scared me."

"Nice."

This end of the notification sounds like a perverts wet dream.

"Do you know if illusion magic is a thing?"

"I don't get why it wouldn't be. I don't doubt it won't be used for anything good though. Alright, imma head out and let you get settled in with all the magic stuff."

"Will do, have fun."

Opening up the control panel I notice there is a new button taking up the space in its corner - [ACCESS MAGIC CONSCIOUSNESS].

Tapping on it with my finger I am overcome with the sudden feeling of weightlessness, like I'm falling through the ground. That only last for a split second though. What i'm greeted with when I open my eyes again is an odd sight.

I'm inside the center of what appears to be a dome, looking at my feet makes me change my mind however. I'm standing on a transparent flat floor, under the floor I can see the other part of this 'sphere'.

A small computer set forms in front of me. A desk with and a chair with a monitor, keyboard and mouse.

... reading through the messages I go ahead and sit on the computer. What I find there are 2 spells set as my starters - fireball and 'flame snake'. The fireball is pretty self explanatory and it appears like the 'flame snake' spell is just a fire jet you can shoot out continuously through your palms until you run out of mana.

Below each of the spells are a row of sliders along with the lines of - mana cost, projectile speed, power, radius of projectile and so on. It appears like theres even a slider on how long the fire stays on the enemy after it has been hit. In a nutshell there are a lot of things you can manipulate any way you want.

Back inside of my body, I stand up from the grass that I appear to have passed out on.

I turn to face a tree near me. Now then, casting the spells shouldn't be very problematic. It's a bit weird since this is my first time using this type of VR though. I'm supposed to just extend my hand and *will* the fireball into existence.

*BOoOoOOOOOOOOM*

".........wow"

"That was easier to cast than I thought. Nice..."

The innocent tree, a victim from my experimentation, crumbles to the ground.

"Heeeeeeeey, thats pretty good."

"The difference in the power of spells they give you on hard and normal mode is absolutely massive by the looks of things" - There is a difference in the strength of spells you're given at the start, that much I found out just after a bit of scrolling through the internet.

Hmmmm..... with this much I might  be capable of dealing with that sabre toothed wolf without too much trouble. Getting the armor set from the quest.

"First though, I'm gonna go and commit genocide on rabbits~"

Been playing a lot of hollow knight lately, getting deep into that lore.

Decided I'd draw how I imagine the main character looks like as an adult