Amelia watched her sister's retreating figure with a furrowed brow. "That's my third sister, Mia. You hadn't met her yet."
Leon nodded, still processing the encounter. "She was... acting strange. Is she always like that?"
Amelia shook her head, clearly troubled. "No, not at all. Mia is usually quite composed and reserved. I've never seen her behave like that before."
Leon muttered to himself, "Mia, huh?" He glanced back down the hallway, where Mia had disappeared, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Amelia sighed. "Let's just get back to my room. We have enough to deal with without adding Mia's strange behavior to the mix."
Leon nodded but remained silent. It was clear Mia had her eyes on him, but Amelia seemed oblivious.
The rest of the walk back to Amelia's house was uneventful. Despite the silence, it wasn't uncomfortable. They enjoyed the quiet moment, holding hands and walking with their shoulders touching. Amelia's face flushed red as servants passed by and greeted her, their curious gazes making her self-conscious about walking with a man. Too embarrassed to speak, she could only nod in response.
Amelia felt a strong urge to hide her face in the warmth of Leon's chest but resisted, knowing they were in public. The more she resisted, the redder her face became. She subconsciously quickened her pace, hoping to escape the prying eyes without making it too obvious. Leon noticed her discomfort and matched her pace, smiling at her flustered state.
Upon entering Amelia's room, Leon lay on the bed and spread his arms wide, inviting her to join him. With no more prying eyes on her, Amelia finally rested her head on his shoulder, feeling his warmth that chased away her previous embarrassment. Her breath quickened as she relaxed into his embrace.
Leon could feel her soft breasts pressing against his chest, and he felt a stir of arousal, his dick was starting to get rock hard but he knew now wasn't the time, so he focused on comforting Amelia, holding her close as she nestled against him.
Meanwhile, his mind was brimming with questions about the world he found himself in. "Amelia, can you explain everything you can about this world? Since I have amnesia, I've forgotten most of the things I knew."
Amelia didn't complain. Instead, she leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek. "Of course, Leon," she said warmly, then took a seat beside him. "I'll start from the basics."
She began explaining the realms, starting with the one they were currently in. "We are in the Human Realm, which is classified as a Low Rank Novice Realm. There are different tiers of realms, each more powerful and complex than the last. Here's a brief overview of the known realms:
- Novice Realm
- Initiate Realm
- Adept Realm
- Master Realm
- Great Master Realm
"Each of these realms has low, high, and peak levels. Beyond the Great Master Realm, there might be more, but we don't have much information on them yet. As you progress to higher levels, it becomes harder to advance. Higher realms have inhabitants much stronger than those of lower ones."
Leon nodded, absorbing the information as Amelia continued.
"Next, let's talk about dungeons and labyrinths," she said. "These are smaller, secluded spaces compared to realms and lack a world consciousness. The main difference between the two is that a dungeon self-destructs after being cleared, while a labyrinth remains. A labyrinth can even grow into a realm, though it's extremely rare and difficult."
Leon looked intrigued. "So, what about cultivation? How does it work here?"
Amelia smiled, pleased with his curiosity. "Cultivation is the process of enhancing one's spiritual and physical capabilities. There are several stages of cultivation, starting with Qi Condensation and moving up through various levels such as Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and so on. Each stage grants different abilities and strengths."
When Amelia mentioned how cultivators use Qi, Leon frowned. "Why am I using mana instead of Qi?"
His system responded, explaining that the ritual his father performed on him allowed him to tap into mana, a more powerful energy than Qi. [Mana particles are smaller and more potent than Qi wisps. The energy surpasses Qi by a great deal.]
'I see...' Leon modded thoughtfully, if what the system was saying is true, then it's indeed a good thing for him, he has an advantage that probably no one in the world has.
Amelia noticed Leon zoning out. "Leon, are you still with me?"
Leon shook himself out of his thoughts. "Sorry, Amelia. I got distracted for a moment. I'm listening now."
She continued, moving on to explain the different cultivation realms:
1. **Qi Condensation**: Absorbing spiritual energy to enhance physical and mental abilities.
2. **Foundation Establishment**: Refining the body with spiritual energy.
3. **Core Formation**: Forming a core of spiritual energy inside the Dantian.
4. **Nascent Soul**: Breaking the core to produce a Nascent Soul.
5. **Spirit Severing**: Mastering a specific domain of power.
6. **Dao Seeking (Great Dao)**: Understanding natural laws and forming a Dao Essence.
7. **Immortal Ascension**: Merging the Dao Essence with the Heavens.
"The highest known cultivation realm is Immortal Ascension. Anything beyond that is unknown to us."
Amelia then shifted to explaining the ranking of beasts. "Beasts are classified into several ranks, with Spirit Beasts being the highest known rank. Here's a brief overview:
1. **Wild Beasts**: Strengthened by divine power.
2. **Feral Beasts**: More savage and resilient.
3. **Mutant Beasts**: Possess some magical powers.
4. **Qi Beasts**: Tap into divine power.
5. **Spirit Beasts**: Harness spiritual energy.
Beyond Spirit Beasts, there are more powerful beasts, but their exact abilities and classifications are less understood."
Amelia took a deep breath, sensing that Leon was following along. "Lastly, body tempering is an important aspect of cultivation, enhancing physical attributes like bones, muscles, and organs through various stages."
Leon nodded, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. He now had a clearer understanding of the world around him, thanks to Amelia's patient explanations.
"Thank you, Amelia. This helps a lot," Leon said sincerely.