We returned home, hand in hand.
Upon our return, we found a box in front of the door.
"Oh! Our materials have arrived."
"In that small box?"
"Yes, it's a dimensional box."
"Interesting."
I picked up the box and entered the house, followed closely by Maya.
"So, what do we do now, Maya?"
"Well, I originally wanted to do some adult things, but judging by your eyes, Maya…"
"You know me well! Come on, training time!"
"Alright."
I laughed. Even if I didn't get my moment of pleasure, I couldn't blame her for wanting to train. After all, that's just how she is. How could I possibly be mad at my gorgeous girlfriend for being herself, right?
"I just want to check something first. Have you ever measured your mana? Or rather, the amount of mana you possess?"
"No. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I'm curious. You told me that by fighting, you could become stronger. So I wonder if your mana reserve follows this evolution."
"I don't know. We can test it."
Maya took a device and measured my mana. The number displayed was: 300.
"Wow, you've surpassed the basic limits. That worries me a little."
"Why?"
"Limits are usually a good thing, but exceeding them might cause a slight headache… or worse, if you keep going."
"But I feel fine, don't I?"
Really, for now, Mina is fine, and I, Jina, haven't had headaches since Two Thought. But most importantly, the headaches used to come from my character, Mina.
"You must have high resistance. But let's test an improvement to see if you can increase your mana limit."
Without waiting, we returned to the forest, and I spent 1,000 star points to increase my Mental Power to 7 after killing a monster.
Back home, Maya tested me again. This time, the number rose to 350.
"You can increase it! Incredible!"
"But I hope you can control when you become stronger."
"I don't want you to push too far and die."
"I can control myself, but not forever."
"It'll be fine. Once you have your second rune circle, you'll be able to keep growing stronger. Can you wait until then?"
"Yes, perfectly!"
In reality, I'm sure my stats can rise without a problem, but I want to make her happy.
"By the way, what happens when you reach or exceed the mana limit?"
"Well, it's simple. The more mana you have, the longer you can use magic and chain spells."
"But most importantly… once we improve its quality… your power will be absolutely amazing!"
"And the Master Mage sent us exactly what we need to enhance its quality!"
"How do I take it?"
"I'll turn them into a potion, and you'll drink them while cultivating your rune circle."
Maya approached her instruments and began handling various components I couldn't understand, with expert precision. She ground a mixture in a mortar, the gritty sound echoing through the room. A light herbal scent spread, soon replaced by a more acrid smell when she added another ingredient.
I nodded as Maya prepared the potion. Meanwhile, I trained using Two Thought to multitask.
I put on my Doll Mask and started using its abilities while practicing the cultivation technique Maya had taught me to recover mana through combat.
It's really hard to do both at the same time!
Normally, I can perform one action while doing another thanks to Two Thought. For example, modifying my umbrella while adjusting my dress. But as soon as I try to integrate the cultivation technique as well… I either lose control of my umbrella or my dress!
The only good news is that I'm making slow but steady progress.
After several hours—yes, only a few hours—my gorgeous girlfriend finally finished the first potion.
I sat down and took the potion, which had a delicious strawberry scent. Even the taste matched!
"Strawberry flavor?"
"Yes, I changed the bitter taste. Do you like it?"
"A lot!"
"Thank you, love."
"You're welcome, baby."
I drank the strawberry potion, then started the technique to cultivate my rune circle.
Practicing this technique felt like deep meditation. When I opened my eyes, several hours had passed. In the meantime, Maya had continued making potions.
"You kept going while I meditated?"
"Of course!"
"And you, Maya? Aren't you training?"
"Of course I am, baby. I didn't just make potions for hours."
"That's good. I don't want you to waste too much time and fall behind in strength because of me."
"That won't happen, my baby, I promise."
We shared a tender kiss. At first, she wanted to keep making potions, but after some insistence on my part, we both meditated together until morning.