33 Emilia 

Feeling tired, Lucius guessed it was due to his mana being at 30/100. He wondered what would happen if it dropped below that level. Would he die at 0?

There was a saying that every creature needed a life force, so was mana considered a life force? Pondering these questions, he decided not to risk it and resolved to stop using his mana when it reached 10/100 at the maximum.

Looking at the sword he had crafted, he felt a sense of accomplishment and decided to store it in the storefront as a trophy of his first creation.

With his mana running low, Lucius thought it was time to try self-creating a skill. Sitting alone in the crafting room, the rest of the group had gone out to take a break, with Charlotte being persuaded by Lily to join them.

He began contemplating what the system had said about self-creating skills.

Did his sword technique count as one if he trained it high enough? Did his ability to sneak and hide in the shadows count? How skilled did he need to become at something for it to count as self-creation? And how could he manipulate the mana to his will? With all these questions swirling in his mind, he decided to meditate and take a deep breath, seeking clarity.

"I have a sword skill," muttered Lucius as he activated the skill, watching the mana flow from his heart and reaching the blade, covering it in a shimmering light. He closed and opened the skill a few times, getting used to the feeling. He had never noticed before, but now he could see how the mana moved in his body to reach the blade. This realization sparked an idea in his mind.

He decided to create a movement skill, similar to the one the goblin had used. Standing up and looking around the room, he realized it was too small to practice properly. So, he walked out to the city roads, where there was more space to move around.

As he observed the bustling city, Lucius couldn't help but wonder how long it would last. They were forced to hunt and explore the outside world to get stronger. What if one day the city's protection mechanism vanished? That thought interested him as he watched some people relaxing, oblivious to the potential dangers that lurked beyond the city's walls.

Finding a less populated area, Lucius stood by the river, watching it flow. Taking a deep breath, he powered his leg muscles and jumped forward, slashing at the same time.

The move he performed was a sort of dash with a slash, moving as he advanced. Feeling it was fast, he changed his posture, trying to find the fastest way to rush forward and slash at the same time.

This time, he activated the sword skill before ending it in the posture, closing his eyes as the mana spread from his heart to his legs. Lucius's face started to sweat; he hadn't considered it to be this hard.

His legs began to shake as the mana went out of control. Trying to focus harder, he managed to make it up to the knee before a crack sounded, and he felt pain. A small vein had burst as he tried to compress the mana in his legs. He sat on the ground, clutching his hand over the affected area.

"What are you up to?" A girl, around the age of 18, with striking blue eyes and long green hair, looked at Lucius like he was an idiot. She stood at a height of 1.6 meters, possessing a slender figure, and her clothes remained pristine, without a single mark.

Lucius declined to answer, further triggering her curiosity, and she couldn't resist moving closer. In this city, nothing could harm her anyway.

Seeing Lucius's state, she was confused. ''What was that?''

''I'm testing something,'' Lucius answered, looking at his leg, trying to ponder the issue.

''How did it happen?'' She asked, sitting down next to him with her hands under her chin, looking intrigued.

"I am trying to manipulate mana and guide it down to my legs," Lucius said without expecting an answer.

"Oh, interesting," her eyes sparked as she stood up, attempting to do the same.

Lucius looked at her, shaking his head, knowing it was not that easy. However, he felt a bigger amount of mana gathering in her heart, guiding it towards her hand. It started to glow bluish and then shattered as she shook her hand. "I felt it would fail, so I cancelled it, but this is interesting," she said with a smile.

"What is your name?" Lucius asked, impressed by the person in front of him who seemed to have an extreme talent for mana control.

''Me? Emilia,'' she said, looking into his eyes.

''I'm Lucius. You are very talented in mana. What level are you?'' he asked.

''I'm Level 1,'' she stated matter-of-factly.

''You have not gone outside?'' Lucius curiously asked.

''Why? Do I have to? I can survive at least 30 days without food,'' she shook her head and continued, ''It's better to let others go out and enjoy the free time and gain information. You will be surprised how much you learn just staying within these walls, like the mana manipulation thing you just did,'' she added matter-of-factly before sitting down.

Her personality was complicated, but Lucius couldn't deny that she was smart and extremely talented.

Closing his eyes, Lucius began to focus on the mana again, starting from his heart and keeping it there. The sound of his beating heart echoed in his ears, and with each pulse, he felt small mana explosions happening, though they were so subtle that he couldn't feel them.

Deciding to cancel the process as it was getting out of control, he felt a bit sick, but it gradually improved. Relaxing on the grass and gazing at the river with someone next to him was rather pleasant.

After a while, he offered some cooked boar meat to Emilia, who looked surprised. "Oh, so you're one of those hunters, I guess," she thanked him and took a bite. Although she could survive for 30 days without food, she was undoubtedly hungry.

"What level are you?" Emilia asked while savouring her meal.

''LvL5,'' splash! Her food left her mouth, and she turned to look at him with a weird face.

''Say, do you gain experience if you sit here?'' she asked, curious about how he gained experience, wondering if there was a passive area somewhere nearby. She looked around in search of such a place.

Understanding her nature, he just shook his head.

''So tell me, is it safe to go outside?'' she asked, speaking a bit more quietly this time, as she wanted an honest answer from someone who had experienced more than anyone else in the area.

''Oh, you believe me?'' Lucius said with a smile before continuing, ''Safe is a complex word, but you can survive if you gain experience and reach level 3, at least around here,'' mentioning some safe areas.

''But as I said, it's a complex word. What happens if an Lvl5 goblin comes or a human wants to kill you? Or a beast?'' Leaving these questions unanswered, he started eating.

Emilia believed his words, not just because of the boar meat or the power she felt from him, unlike others, but also because of the complex mana manipulation he told her about.

She might be level 1, but her insight was terrifying. Using mana to make a skill? That was amateur. If someone could control mana in their body to perfection, they could use all the skills if they knew the foundations behind them. Unknown to herself, she had stumbled upon an answer that was typically only learned at higher levels.