Emily wasted no time, making Adam confess everything that had happened while she was gone. She quickly realized Lyra had truly grown into a woman. A wave of jealousy washed over Emily as she listened to the romantic moments Adam shared with Lyra and his blossoming love for her.
Seizing the opportunity, Emily began to playfully torment Adam in bed, declaring him "naughty" and a "playboy." Unable to move freely, Adam was at her mercy, succumbing to her relentless teasing.
Emily then revealed something that shocked Adam: she had anticipated this outcome between him and Lyra. She knew Lyra was unable to take his virginity due to pre-established rules. Adam was stunned, as Lyra had never mentioned these rules, nor had he fully understood what had transpired that night.
"I'll be the first to take your virginity, Adam," Emily declared with a mischievous glint in her eye.
Adam, mortified by his vulnerable state, begged her to wait until he could move, proposing they wait until marriage. Emily was genuinely surprised by his answer, touched that he had thought so deeply about their future together and about marriage.
She agreed, accepting his implicit marriage proposal. However, she warned him, she intended to tease him relentlessly throughout the night, ensuring he remained awake and aroused as she continued to rub his private.
Adam, bewildered, wondered what had happened to the sweet Emily he thought he knew.
Emily simply smiled. "Now that I've regained all my memories, even from when we were young, I remember," she purred. "You weren't always so sweet to me back then, teasing me and making fun of me. Now I finally have you where I want you." This was her moment to return the favor. She continued to tease him before finally leaning in for a kiss.
Adam and Emily awoke the next day, feeling rough and sleep-deprived. Emily's parents, seeing their exhausted state, told Emily she could skip a few days of school to care for Adam. Once he recovered, he could enroll in the same class. As Emily's parents left for work, the two lovebirds drifted back to sleep.
A New Source of Mana and a Hidden World
Meanwhile, Emily helped Adam with his recovery. She sensed something was amiss with his body and remembered a place with mana that could help. She led him to the foot of a forest mountain, carrying him all the way up to an abandoned temple. Adam immediately felt the mana circulating, using it to regulate his body and strengthen his weak limbs. Before he knew it, he could walk freely again.
Suddenly, a portal appeared, and a group of beast tribes emerged – werewolves and lizardmen. They questioned Adam about disrupting the mana. Adam explained he had used it for recovery, but also that he could produce mana. Intrigued, they asked what he meant. Adam revealed he possessed a high-density mana stone that emitted powerful mana. The tribes urged them to follow, leading them through the portal.
They found themselves in a cramped, crowded dimension where numerous species coexisted, all drawn to this last remaining mana-rich area. This was the Spiritual Realm, or as they called it, "another dimension on Earth plains," accessible through portals worldwide.
They pleaded with Adam for a mana source, as they were in desperate need. Adam warned them that his black mana stone was too potent; it would cause mana poisoning and berserk states, even killing them.
Instead, Adam conjured a naga core and modified it to emit mana similar to what the "green zone" had in the other world. He cut a small piece of the black mana stone and inserted it into the naga core. When he pulled it out, a burst of energy pushed through the dimension, a mana output stronger than they had seen in centuries.
The dimensional plain vibrated with new life, and small mana crystals began to form. The residents cheered, overwhelmed with joy at receiving such abundant mana. They declared they could now grow stronger and "handle the gates."
Adam and Emily exchanged confused glances, wondering what "gates" meant.
The History of the Spiritual Realm and the Gates
The tribe leader, Kwaru, invited Adam and Emily to his house. Before they left, Adam conjured multiple towering buildings and homes for the species, a gift to all. Kwaru, seeing Adam's usefulness and his ability to bring mana, put his trust in Adam, hoping to gain his support.
Kwaru explained that for centuries, creatures had been pushed back into this other dimension at the request of Solomon, who wished for humans to live in peace. Solomon tasked the creatures with protecting human society. However, many creatures rejected Solomon's command and sought to create chaos in the human world.
Long ago, humans and creatures lived side-by-side. Countless wars and clashes ravaged the plains now known as the human realm. This area, the Spiritual Realm, was simply another dimension of Earth. Human greed caused immense destruction, driving species like dragons to extinction as they exploited creatures for their bones and tusks, seeking wealth and immortality.
The widespread slaughter for profit led to massive retaliation from the creatures, causing widespread chaos. The ongoing war, fueled by revenge, triggered a catastrophic incident: gates appeared from other realms, attempting to invade Earth.
Humans and creatures put aside their differences, uniting to fight the invaders. Kwaru looked at Emily, recognizing her as the Favored One, who had successfully led the war, closing the gates. He explained that hundreds of thousands of gates had appeared throughout time, though the recent incidents were minor in comparison to the original cataclysm. These smaller gates were sent to test their strength and dwindle their numbers.
"As you can see, we are outnumbered," Kwaru said.
Solomon had instructed them to use mana and train, as creatures had a natural affinity for it. This dimension was a gift to the creatures, their only salvation to prepare for fighting the invaders from the gates.
Many creatures now hid among humans, conducting surveillance without disturbing human society. Yet, there were also those who sought chaos, using humans as prey and even switching sides to aid the invaders.
While the creatures were united against the invaders, humans had lost touch with themselves, labeling creatures as myths and living disconnected from Earth's mana.
As this connection severed, the once mana-rich lands dwindled to the small pockets that now existed around the world. Many had tried to create artificial mana fields, which humans referred to as "deities"—instances where humans, through focused connection to Earth's mana, inadvertently created these powerful fields.