After the first [Wave] formed, Nel felt half of his mana gone. With the recent upgrade, his mana had increased by five points. Yet, ten points were gone just to create the first stack. The good thing was there was no limit to how long he could store the stacks.

Nel also discovered he had become extra sensitive to mana in his body. He could feel them flowing through his body more clearly. Previously, because he was too focused on the skill itself, he didn’t notice this improvement. Nel sensed another source of mana in his navel, which was denser and more stable. It sat quietly like an obedient child without moving around.

‘Again!’ Nel eased his breathing and started to draw on mana from the space below his navel—also known as Magic Reserve. The miracle-causing energy flowed through his blood vessels and quickly arrived where he wanted—his right index finger. This time, Nel noticed how fast and smoother the whole process was. To be frank, it was a little spooky.

Previously, to perform the same action, it would take half a second at the very least. But now, it was near-instantaneous. Nel performed the ‘folding’ once again and observed in fascination as the mana darkened in color and retreated into his body. A familiar image flashed in his eyes as new information appeared in his head in the form of memories.

[Wave: 2]

[Effect Buff: 10%]

Nel frowned while massaging his head. His entire right side of the head was aching dully. It was a side-effect of having his mana drained so fast. Nel stopped experimenting and lay down on the couch to recover his spirit.

Growl!~

His stomach rumbled. Suddenly, Nel remembered he had not eaten anything since morning. They had been inside the dungeon for the entire part of the noon. Later, after coming out, he visited the loan farm and Gene Lab. He was both mentally and physically tired when he reached home. He had completely forgotten to eat amidst the emotional rollercoaster.

“I’ll make something after I recover from this headache. Ugh! I feel terrible!” Nel messaged this scalp. There seem to be something inside his head, trying to dig its way out of his skull. Even with five points in endurance, Nel was barely keeping himself from crying.

The effects of mana drain were no joke. Headache was just the mildest of all symptoms. In the worst-case scenario, people might go into a coma after suffering a brain stroke if they use too much mana in a short time. Although, it hadn't caused a single death yet.

It was due to this reason hunters never spam their skills in battle. It was especially true for those who depend heavily on skills for combat. They’ll be at their enemy’s mercy if the symptoms of mana drain appear suddenly.

The pain gradually lessened over the next few minutes. After recovering, Nel sat up and wiped his face with a towel. It was covered everywhere in sweat. It had been so long since he had suffered the symptoms of a mana drain.

Nel walked over to the kitchen, hoping to find something to satiate his hunger. His mood was down and he didn't have the motivation to do anything. He just wanted to quickly fill his raging stomach and return to sleep. He had a long day ahead.

Thankfully, there were some leftovers from the morning in his fridge. Nel didn’t even bother to heat them—he devoured them cold. After that, he went back to bed and soft snores followed soon after.

At that time, somewhere on the other side of the town, in a high-end apartment, two people were busy ‘exercising’ on a large queen-sized bed. It was intense enough to shake the bed made from a sturdy tree.

Half an hour later, they finally ended their act with a guttural growl from the man. Following that, they panted with exhaustion and looked at each other with smiles on their faces. The woman seemed to glow after the final climax, which the man found extremely attractive.

She was Loui, Nel’s teammate.

The man next to her was none other than Chen, who was panting and breathing hard after the strenuous act. They had been in a relationship for years, even before they met Nel, and only made it official a year after Nel joined their group. Of course, the latter never found it strange. They had never tried to be discrete about it either.

“You are amazing,” Chen said, caressing a strand of hair from Loui’s face and tucked it behind her ear. “As always.”

“Hmph~ Of course! Who do you think I am?” Loui snorted. “But you, mister! Don’t you think you should work hard on increasing your vocabulary? Your praises are getting kinda repetitive.”

“Really? But you usually say ‘reputation makes perfection’ to Nel. How come the advice changed for me?” Chen laughed.

“Well, Nel is…” However, Loui went silent. She sighed and looked away from Chen and stared at the roof of their shared apartment. “Chen, did we do the right thing?”

“...” Chen took a deep breath and remained silent. Loui continued.

“We hid such a huge matter from him for so long. Nel isn't a bad kid. He wouldn’t have opposed to our decision.” Loui sighed. “But why did we even hide such a thing? I’m a really bad sister!”

“Oh no, you are not.” Chen protested. He bonked Loui’s head and smiled, “if you feel guilty, then let’s go and apologize to him tomorrow.”

“You!?” Loui growled, rolling her eyes at him. “Aren’t you ashamed already? With what face you are going to see him? It’ll be awkward, I’m telling you.”

“What a wonder! The brave and mighty Loui, The Blazing Blade Loui, is actually afraid to meet her brother!?” Chen teased with a laugh. “You get to see new things every day!”

“What the!?” Loui growled at Chen. “You bastard stop playing with me. Why would I be afraid to meet Nel? It’s just that… I’m feeling guilty, I guess.”

Chen laughed, wrapping her arms around Loui’s slender neck and bringing her close to his body. “Nel isn't a kid. He will understand if we explain ourselves. Besides, even if you don’t want to, you’ve to go tomorrow.”

“What? Why so forceful?” Loui protested. Though, she sounded weak and void of energy. The ‘exercises’ they performed just now had sapped away nearly all her stamina.

“Tomorrow is Nel’s birthday,” Chen said, pinching Loui’s squishy cheeks. “As his sister and teacher, you’ve to attend it. Who knows, it might be the last birthday we are celebrating together.”

“What? Are you serious?” Loui screamed. “Tomorrow is Nelly’s birthday? Damn! I completely forgot.” She shook her head anxiously, “we haven’t even bought a gift for him.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already got that covered, ” Chen slapped his chest confidently. “And I know he will absolutely love it.”

“Hoho~? So confident! What did you get for him?” Loui asked. She looked into Chen’s eyes with her shining curious gaze, wondering what gift he got that made him so confident.

“You remember that time we went to Terka’s Smithy?” Chen asked.

“I do. We went there to repair my [Twin-Serpent Blades]. What of it… ah!?” Suddenly Loui recalled something as her eyes went wide. “Don’t tell me, you got that for him!”

“Yep! I bought it,” Chen said proudly. “Although, it cost me a fortune.” He sighed.

“Wow! How the hell was it still there after so long?” Loui asked in amazement. They went to Terka’s Smithy a few months ago. Logically speaking, a good weapon shouldn’t sit for so long without a buyer. That thing they were talking about; was one of the best items they had ever seen in their lives. To think no one had ever bought it after so long. Loui got a pleasant surprise.

“I don’t know. When I went there last week, it was still sitting inside that case and collecting dust,” Chen shrugged. Even he was surprised to see that thing left unsold after months. “I knew it will complement Nelly’s prowess so I paid the downpayment and asked them to refurbish it.”

“You are so attentive to everything. I bet Nelly will love it.” Loui sighed. She could already imagine Nel’s happy face when they gift him that thing.