During the sexual act, Mina started to feel a spark of love for Maya. As Jina, I decided to remove that feeling, although Mina still retains it. Why don't I want my main body to experience this emotion? It's simple: Maya loves Mina, not Jina. Even though Mina is a creation of my power, Maya only knows her.
When Star Luna becomes a global continent, I don't intend to stay in contact with my characters. I'd rather let them live as normal individuals because it will be much more useful for my future project. As for Maya, even if I explained to her that Mina is one of my clones, she wouldn't fall in love with me. On the contrary, it might even make her hate me, especially since Mina has a different personality from mine.
Mina woke up with Maya still in her arms, under their blanket. I gave her a kiss on the forehead before snuggling closer to make myself more comfortable against her. A few minutes later, Maya woke up, still groggy. She looked at me sleepily before moving closer to kiss me.
"Good morning, little tinkerer."
"Good morning, my love."
I was surprised by how she called me. My love? Does that mean I have a chance? We stayed like that for a few minutes before getting up. I helped her in the kitchen, even though it's not my forte. No, clearly not—I almost blew up the kitchen… Luckily, Mina can't cook! But why does she want to learn? In reality, I know very well why: after Maya took care of us, Mina wants to return the favor. And the only thing she can do is cook.
Why cooking? Because Maya doesn't let me do anything else. She insists that I train as much as possible to level up. Cooking is the only activity different from training, apart from the rest breaks Maya forces on me.
After a hearty breakfast, I settled on the couch to meditate and create non-elemental runes. It took me an entire week to create my first circle of non-elemental runes. But for me, Jina, only two days had passed on Earth. Although I was already sure, I now had confirmation that the time spent in Star Luna is different from Earth's. A good thing to know.
"Maya! I've created my first rune circle!"
" Really? That's great!"
While we were in each other's arms, the star system appeared in front of me.
[Congratulations! You've created your first rune circle, becoming a Rank 1 Mage! You've earned 500 star points for this personal achievement!]
I smiled. Just 500 more points, and I can add another stat point to my MP to reach 3. Then, I can buy the skill I want.
"Mina, it's time for you to bond with the Doll Mask. I'll explain how to do it."
Maya explained that to bond with a mask or any other object crafted by a craftomancer, the mage must channel mana from the elemental core to the rune circle, then to the chosen object. Not only does this allow bonding with multiple masks, but it's also necessary to activate already bonded masks. Maya detailed the process: first, focus on the core, then the rune circle. Once I feel the internal mana, I need to connect the core's mana to the circle, then to the object—in this case, the Doll Mask.
I didn't succeed immediately. It was harder than expected. But Maya reassured me, saying that it's normal for beginners and that with practice, it becomes second nature. After a few hours, I finally managed to link my non-elemental core mana to the rune circle. I repeated the process several times for practice, then picked up the Doll Mask. I placed it on my face and linked the three points.
The moment the mask connected to the rune circle and my non-elemental core, I transformed. A frilly dress, a tall hat, and completely blue DQS shoes appeared on me. In my hand was a umbrella adorned with frills of the same blue. Additionally, my hair turned as blue as the rest, though the inner part remained candy pink. My eyes also turned blue, with candy pink "+" shapes in the pupils, intersected by a faint white "x."
I spun around happily, thrilled at my success. Then, I transformed back and forth multiple times until I felt perfectly at ease. Maya praised me for managing to bond and transform naturally.
"Well done, Mina. Now, let me explain the powers I embedded in the Doll Mask."
Maya explained that summoning an object or mask linked to an elemental core drains mana, starting from the rune circle and then from the core. The largest mana consumption occurs when summoning the object or mask and using its powers. Although staying transformed or keeping the summoned object active also drains mana, it's negligible.
As for the Doll Mask, it allows my doll body to regenerate using mana. The more severe the injuries, the more mana it consumes. However, my doll skin is fragile. That doesn't worry me—by accumulating points, I can increase my stats, including defense, which will improve my doll body's durability over time. Additionally, my doll body provides another advantage: the ability to move my limbs in unpredictable ways, with all my joints rotating 360°.
Lastly, my clothes and parasol can be modified for combat. For instance, my dress can sprout spikes to injure enemies, and my DQS shoes can become as sharp as daggers. Essentially, everything can be adjusted to attack or defend depending on the situation.
[Congratulations! You've bonded with your very first lower-tier mask! You've earned 500 star points for this personal achievement!]
[Congratulations! You've used magic for the first time! You've earned 1,000 star points for this personal achievement!]