"What are the ways?" Azrael asked, now that he'd learned the harsh truth about the world.
They say ignorance is bliss, but a lack of knowledge can be a curse, too.
For him, it wasn't about blaming his upbringing or his family. His origins had just dealt him a bad hand. Even so, things were finally looking up, and now he could learn how to get stronger.
Some bastards at school must be the teachers' favorites, and they got their hands on those secret methods. I'll smoke them all once I'm back.*
Without missing a beat, Mary replied, "Pushing past human limits is the only way for you to increase your basic stats. You've already done it at the top of the mountain by training in thin air. Each attribute requires a different method, so which one would you like to explore first?"
"Intelligence boosts mana, so I need that higher for sure," Azrael said.
"Good choice. In that case, you need simulation."
"Simulation?!" Azrael gasped. "Will I be able to simulate my kiss with Kaya and relive that beautiful moment?!"
"You might as well relive the punches you took from her," Mary threatened, glaring.
Like a good son, Azrael backed down. The punches that broke his nose definitely weren't part of any beautiful moment. Instead, he listened.
"Human bodies store reserve energy. The same applies to mana. To raise Intelligence, and therefore mana, you deplete yourself and then simulate danger. Trick your body into releasing what it's holding back. When that rush hits, you grab it and make it permanent. Rinse and repeat until you hit the bottleneck."
With her first instruction delivered, Mary added, "You should be able to simulate your experience in the snake boss's stomach to draw out your mana reserves."
That part was easy.
"Yeah, let's do it," Azrael said.
He summoned countless Conditional Spheres, hit them with Law of Control, and drained himself dry in seconds. A bigger mana pool was exactly why he was here.
With no mana left, his focus slipped. Tiredness hit him, and his vision wavered. It felt like the end of a long, brutal marathon.
Lowering himself onto the dungeon's cold floor, he replayed the events in the forest. He remembered the hiss of stomach acid, the lack of oxygen, and the way they were trapped inside his Conditional Sphere.
Still, nothing stirred.
After a moment, Mary thought aloud, "It must be because you subconsciously know you can always retreat and come back. That's why I insisted... well, it doesn't matter. Try another scenario. Your dungeon gets overrun, monsters and conquerors everywhere. No escape. No going home. You're stuck.""
"Okay. I'll do that," Azrael said with a nod.
Imagination had never been an issue for him. Blink demanded it. Yet no matter how hard he tried to trick himself, he couldn't.
Modern schools had tech to force that reaction. Azrael didn't. Asking the Third Lord for help wasn't an option either, not after she'd already given him a skill to communicate with others.
Mary felt the same frustration, and she wasn't one to give up easily.
"Imagine there's a sleeping beauty in the golden chest within the snake's stomach! You open it and see her, someone who matches every preference you have, the woman you'd simp over for eternity!" Mary shouted, words she never imagined she'd say.
Unfortunately for her dignity, the milk had already been spilled.
Even stranger was that... it worked, a little.
Azrael shivered.
Sensing his mana reserves were about to break loose, Mary put her whole heart into it.
"The sleeping beauty awakens and notices you! She screams that she'll be yours if you save her! As she does, her torn dress slips, and her huge breasts spill out of the chest, soft and milky. Yes, 2 soft, milky tits in one package!"
That did it.
This time, his imagination finally cooperated. Blood surged into his cock, pressing against his pants like a perfect mast. At the same time, his hidden reserves burst open and filled him to the brim.
With that new energy roaring through him, Azrael spent it all to save the beauty, even though she never existed.
The fantasy popped. Gone.
"No!" Azrael's eyes snapped wide open.
Exhaustion was gone. His vision was clear.
Yet Azrael still felt oddly worse. The beauty was gone.
Mary raised her voice. "Idiot! Why did you spend that mana on your Conditional Spheres?! You're supposed to grasp it and permanently add it to your stats!"
"But the Third Lord's beautiful tits asked me to save her!" Azrael shouted.
"What? Did you really imagine my creator when I told you about the most beautiful woman?" Mary asked, her voice oddly flat.
"Of course! They're the most beautiful I've ever seen!"
"You only saw the cleavage!"
"Anyway, my little angel, that was genius. Exactly what I needed." Azrael jabbed a finger at his chest. "I need real drive to draw out the hidden reserves. But now you have to figure out how to make me hold on to them, because I'll always burn everything I have to save the Third Lord! She changed my life!"
"Your sentiment means a lot to me, though I can't forget what you just made me say." Mary huffed. "You need to think about this simulation yourself. I need to be alone. You might as well go practice your stamina at the top of the mountain, or keep simulating without me!"
And so, the little guardian left Azrael alone... or she wanted to.
"Can you open the door to your house?" she asked, awkwardly.
"As much as it pains me, I will!"
"Just do it already."