In search of a way to increase mana

"Everyone already left," noted Alex as he entered the training grounds.

'I wonder why she is always meditating,' thought Alex as he approached Lilia who was sitting in a meditative position with her eyes closed.

"What did Grace want to talk about?" asked Lilia, opening her eyes when she felt Alex presence.

"Just wanted to know about the artifact," replied Alex as he sat down across from her.

"As I expected," nodded Lilia, "so, how much did you tell her?"

"Pretty much everything."

"Oh, how did she take the fact that you-"

"Pretty well, I must say. She even made jokes about it," replied Alex.

"What kind of jokes?" curiously asked Lilia.

Alex proceeded to narrate to her what happened, causing Lilia to burst into laughter.

"Why do you all think it's something to joke or laugh about? It's not!" exclaimed Alex.

"Uh-huh, if you say so," replied Lilia with a chuckle, "so, why didn't you take her on her offer? It would have been a very convenient way to obtain many soul points."

Alex became speechless hearing Lilia's words.

"Don't look at me like that, you know I'm right."

Alex sighed.

"You do realize that apart from the fact that it was obviously a joke, she is my grandmother!"

"So? Aren't you trying to get in the pants of your mother? I don't see the difference"

"...."

'It's becoming impossible to win a morality argument against her?' sighed Alex.

"Concerning the fact that she was joking," Lilia shrugged, "who knows, maybe it wasn't the case. You should have taken her offer and see what happens."

"Alright, I didn't want to ask last time, but..." Alex looked Lilia in the eyes, "...do you get off thinking about me having sex with members of my family ?"

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting now?"

"It's just that you seem really invested each time that I bring being in a sexual relationship with a member of my family," said Alex suspiciously.

"It's just in your head," replied Lilia dismissively.

"Is it though? You practically sent me into the arms of my sister, said that you will be helping me in seducing my mother, and now you are saying that I should have taken my grandmother offer to have a sexual, or whatever she meant, relationship. So it does make me wonder, perhaps you derive a certain excitement from it."

"No, I'm just doing it to help you," replied Lilia, unaffected by his words.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, now can you tell me why you are here?" questioned Lilia.

Alex chuckled, understanding that she wanted to change the subject.

"I wanted to know if you knew about a method that would help me increase the amount of mana I have without breaking through to level 5," he answered.

"Increasing your amount of mana?"

Alex nodded.

"Although making the smoke potion doesn't cost too much mana, my mana reserves are still not satisfactory. The problem is that if I use the artifact or absorb monsters' cores to increase my mana points, I risk breaking through to level 5, which I definitely don't want," explained Alex.

"Indeed, it's still not time for you to go to level 5," nodded Lilia.

From what Lilia had once told Alex when they were training, the first four levels were actually foundational levels. They were the levels at which you build your foundations in preparation for level 5, where the serious stuff actually happened.

When he learned this fact, he nearly fell into depression, which was pretty understandable. He had spent decades unable to even breakthrough to level 2, and suddenly he learn that the first four levels were just foundational. Not just him, more than half of the people on this continent would fall into depression.

However, it couldn't be helped. From Lilia's words, it seemed that the inhabitants of this continent were relatively weak compared to the wider world. So, for them, reaching level 4 was actually something to be praised, while on other continents, being at level 4 wasn't even considered noteworthy.

Anyway, from her explanation, Alex understood that the first levels were foundational, and their importance became clearer later on.

Apparently, when you breakthrough to level 5, the stronger your foundations, the more potent your strength becomes afterward. That's why Alex wanted to stay at level 4 for as long as he could, carefully amassing strength. There was no merit in rushing to reach level 5 if you were actually weaker than people at level 4 with good foundations.

"Unfortunately, I can't help you with this; the only solution actually requires you to breakthrough to level 5," explained Lilia.

"Can I know what this solution is?"

"You need to form a core, like monsters do. Unfortunately, it's not possible before achieving level 5."

"Why?"

"Mana control. When you breakthrough to level 5, your mana control takes a qualitative leap, which will help you in this endeavor."

'Each time she says such things, I really wonder where she come from and what she was doing before we met,' thought Alex.

On the Imperion continent, the continent they were on, people don't create cores when they reach level 5. In fact, they don't create cores at all. So hearing Lilia say that you can create a core was actually shocking to him, making him even more curious about her origins.

Lilia smiled wryly, imagining what her husband must be thinking.

"I'm sorry, but I can't-"

"Don't worry, I know that you can't say anything, for now."

"Mm, anyway, I don't have a solution, but when you broke through to level 4, Scarlett had said that your body, especially your heart, seemed to be able to absorb mana continuously like it didn't have a limit. Maybe you should explore in that direction; it could help you find a viable method that would allow you to increase your mana without breaking through."

"Alright, thanks for your help," said Alex.

The moment he stood up.

"Master, mistress, good evening."

He turned around with a frown, ready to reprimand Anna for still working as a maid despite him firing her from this position, but before he could speak, Anna quickly added:

"An unidentified man tried to force his way into the mansion."