Chapter 21: Mana Replenishment

Over the past couple of days, while cramming all kinds of knowledge about this world, Xing Yue came across methods of mana replenishment in a book.

Apart from natural recovery, there are two commonly used emergency mana replenishment methods.

The first is to drink alchemical potions laced with technology and additives, which can quickly restore mana. Even low-quality alchemical potions have certain side effects, but they are still very useful for mana recovery.

The second method of mana replenishment involves close physical contact to synchronize the mana circuits of two people, creating mana backflow.

In this state, the rate of mana absorption increases significantly, and the surplus mana from one person will flow into the one lacking mana until the mana levels in both are completely balanced.

Although this method is much faster than natural recovery, its essence is to balance the mana between two people. To fill one person's deficit, the other's mana will be rapidly depleted.

In dangerous situations during battle, more than one person will likely be low on mana. If they replenish each other, they still end up with the same total mana, so it's not very useful in combat. It's mainly used in daily life and also helps build intimacy.

Phyllis's intention was obvious: she wanted her to use the second method to replenish mana for this pink-haired girl.

"That cheap mother of mine is probably messing with me again..."

Xing Yue pouted, thinking this was quite likely.

Given Phyllis's nasty personality, she must have thought of another plan to prank her own daughter.

"Damn it, if she ever got the chance in the future, she would pull the plug on that old hag's oxygen tank and get revenge!"

Xing Yue thought resentfully, but in the end her body honestly climbed onto the bed.

Sitting beside the pink-haired girl, Xing Yue picked up her small hand and interlaced their fingers, then closed her eyes to sense the other's mana circuit.

According to the book, even holding hands like this can create mana backflow, but the mana recovery speed would be very slow.

After all, the area of physical contact determines the rate of mana backflow. The book strongly recommended hugging, kissing, and  methods, and even thoughtfully marked various embarrassing positions that would make one blush...

However, that didn't mean holding hands was useless.

"Slow is fine, as long as this little pink-haired girl won't die now."

Xing Yue originally thought so, but soon noticed something wrong.

'How could this girl's mana circuit be so huge!?'

The pink-haired girl's mana circuit was like a large empty swimming pool in an aquatic center, while Xing Yue, who was only at Tier 3, had an untrained mana circuit the size of a bucket.

This...

'This is clearly a pace to drain me dry!'

'Great! So that cheap mother set a trap for me here!'

In a fit of rage, Xing Yue got angry for a moment, then turned into an even softer little cotton ball.

"Hmph!"

"It's just mana replenishment!"

"I'll do it!"

Xing Yue poured her mana flow with all her might, but the actual result was a drop-by-drop influx like squeezing toothpaste. Filling up the pink-haired girl would probably take forever.

Taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable state was something Xing Yue couldn't do, even though she was also a girl now.

However, replenishing someone's mana was a dull task. She needed to calm her mind and ensure a stable mana backflow, and couldn't multitask.

The slight weakness from the loss of mana, plus having her eyes closed the whole time, made Xing Yue start to feel drowsy after a while.

Her will didn't last long; she collapsed, falling onto the soft bed, bouncing twice, and shamelessly fell asleep.

After falling asleep, Xing Yue still kept holding the pink-haired girl's hand. Driven by some instinct, they gradually drew closer until they were completely embracing each other.

...

Chaos, boundless chaos, like a thick black tide.

Emily's consciousness kept sinking, continuously falling in this abyss with no light, no sound, no direction, like sinking into a viscous sea of eternal night.

Fragments of thought flickered occasionally, but were instantly devoured by nothingness, as if they had never existed. Time lost its measure here; only the continuous feeling of sinking confirmed that she had not completely dissipated.

Suddenly, the sinking stopped, and a stagnant sensation like hitting bottom enveloped her.

In this absolute silence and darkness, a slightly cool, moist touch landed upon this "existence" of hers without warning.

The sensation was as soft as a dewdrop, yet carried an incredible penetrating power, spreading a nearly imperceptible ripple in the void.

Then the second drop, the third... they fell one after another, no longer cold, but carrying a hint of warm comfort, like melting snow water in early spring, slowly and stubbornly seeping into her fading consciousness.

Each drop brought a faint echo, eerily clear in the absolute silence.

Those invisible ripples intertwined, beginning to weave a very fragile outline around her—not light, but the perception of existence, being awakened from chaos bit by bit by these endless "water drops," re-drawing her.

'I...'

'Where am I...'

'And who am I...'

'Mm... so warm...'

Her stagnant thoughts began to turn laboriously like rusted gears, and scattered memory fragments emerged from the depths of nothingness, gradually converging toward her.

And those continuous "water drops" had now formed a shallow puddle, but it wasn't enough...

Subconsciously, she could feel that the closer she got to this puddle, the more nourishment she received.

As she kept approaching, the drizzling "water drops" above gradually turned into a steady light rain.

Bathing in this "rain," Emily felt an indescribable comfort.

Now she had arrived in front of this shallow puddle, and Emily began to actively seek.

She reached out her hand, trying to touch this puddle.

But her hand seemed to be separated by an invisible barrier. Not only was there no coldness, it was actually very warm and soft.

When her fingertips lightly touched it, the puddle rippled, and the next moment it was like a great flood above, pouring down torrentially, drenching her completely.

This sudden "flood" came and went quickly, lacking staying power, directly reverting to the initial one drop or two, and eventually no "water drops" at all.

No matter how much Emily touched that puddle, there was no more reaction from above, as if there really wasn't a single drop left.

However, after this ordeal, Emily completely regained everything of herself.

Then her small face turned pale.

'She remembered!'

'She had followed the Hero to the Dark Domain to defeat the Demon King, and then they were all wiped out!'

'Four against one and they still lost!'

'The Hero and Brother Li'ang died on the spot!'

'And she and Sister Wei'anna were captured alive by the Demon King!'

'After that...'

'After that, the Demon King carried her like a chick to the highest point of the Demon King Castle.'

'There she saw a black-haired girl wearing an elegant evening gown, exuding a dangerous aura.'

'The other girl licked the corner of her mouth, showing a bloodthirsty smile, and then her consciousness completely cut off there.'