Mana.

It is a type of energy that all living things possess.

Of course, Axel himself, as a living being, innately possesses mana—an immense quantity at that. Though the Harem Settlement System is using 99% of his mana reserves to support its function, leaving him with only 1% to use for other purposes.

But his high innate mana is what put him in trouble at the moment.

The Mana Tonic, after all, increases one's base mana by a certain percentage if their mana passes a certain threshold, referencing the user's actual mana levels. And Axel's body couldn't really support 100% of his mana, much less increasing it by another 400%...

Thus, a mana overload happened.

The mana in his body, unable to find a way to "release" itself, was moving about chaotically, injuring his mana pathways, his blood vessels, organs, and everything else. If nothing was done, then his body would turn into mush, and he'd lose his life in a gruesome manner.

"Hey! Keep it together!"

But not all hope was lost.

Princess Teruria Hallbach, noticing the abnormal explosion of mana, rushed to the scene.

As a witch, she was quite sensitive to the fluctuation of natural energies—mana included. That's why she was able to rush instantly. However, witches don't really use mana the same way mages do; instead, they use life energy, a form of "processed" mana combined with one's vital energy.

This is the main reason why witches are good "doctors" too.

'This is bad!' Teruria, examining Axel's body, frowned grimly. 'His mana is already out of control and is too vast for me to grab hold of! At this rate, his body will break in under a minute!'

Her brain quickly analyzed the situation and started giving suggestions on how to help him survive.

The first option is to use a curse on him. Mana Drain Curse! This curse will forcefully drain mana from the target, leaving them low in mana and vitality.

But currently, Axel's body suffered heavy internal and external injuries from the rampaging mana. Teruria wasn't sure if he'd survive having almost all of his vitality drained!

The second option is to use the mana inside his body directly.

The reason it's rampaging around is that it couldn't find a "path" outside. If she used his mana to cast a spell of some sort, wasting all of it, then the problem should be fixed.

This one's much safer compared to the first option, but it still has its own set of risks. In particular, if Teruria's control over Axel's mana falters even for a moment, then it's not just Axel who'd die; she would follow him to the afterlife too!

"...No choice but to choose the third option!"

Without waiting for another second, she loomed over and rested her body atop Axel's. Then, she bit her lower lip until it bled and placed her lips over his.

A Witch's Kiss!

Compared to the previous two, this one poses almost no risks. And through the "covenant" sealed with the kiss, she could harness the mana inside Axel and mix it with hers. In short, like a shared mana pool in games!

Though at the same time, it came with a lot of "baggage"... but that doesn't matter at the moment. Her priority was to save Axel's life!

Next, using her own blood, dripping to the tip of her tongue, she should carefully draw a pattern on top of Axel's tongue... but she couldn't do it.

Axel's jaw was locked tight as he bore through intense pain. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't even open his mouth!

"Behave...!"

Albeit forceful, Teruria grabbed his chin, pulling it open slightly—just enough that she could slip her tongue in. However, since Axel's body was convulsing powerfully, her hold faltered, causing the jaw to lock closed once again.

"...!"

Her tongue was bitten hard, sending waves of pain like electricity coursing through her body.

But despite the pain that brought tears to her eyes, she persevered. She reinforced her tongue with vital energy, ensuring it wouldn't get cut by the bite, and persistently and carefully drew the insignia inside Axel's mouth.

A simple hexagram inscribed in a circle!

The moment she succeeded, a bright flash exploded.

Axel's mana, which was rampaging inside him, suddenly found a new conduit through the hexagram and moved to its new "container": Teruria's body!

"HNGGG!!!"

But despite the process being "safe," it's not like it's painless.

Numerically speaking, if Axel has about 1,000 units of base mana, Teruria has only about 50. But now, roughly 2,000 units—half of what was rampaging inside Axel's body—were forcing themselves into her mana heart.

It felt as if magma was poured into her veins, melting away her body from the inside out. The pain was so severe that she felt her heart would stop beating then and there. Still, she hugged Axel's body tight, trying to brave through the pain, and gritted her teeth.

At the same time, she didn't forget to extract all the mana from Axel's body, along with her mana, to create an "external" reserve they could access—something that existed in a pocket dimension space, ensuring 0% energy loss when stored.

Slowly but surely, she moved all the dangerous, rampaging mana into that space before finally sealing it off.

Finally, one minute later, it was all over.

Thankfully, both survived.

Axel was covered in a mix of blood, sweat, and dirt, fainted on the ground.

Teruria was only sweaty and out of breath, with her mind foggy from all the pain and concentration she had exerted. Although tired, upon seeing Axel breathing normally, she smiled and heaved a deep sigh.

"Thankfully, I succeeded..." she whispered as she closed her eyes.

It was her first time actually performing a lifesaving measure, but she was happy that it all went well.

Just as she began relaxing her nerves, the method she used finally sank into her mind.

She was too focused on saving a life that she failed to realize what she'd done.

"..."

Teruria touched her lips.

"My first kiss..." she whispered longingly before shaking her head. "No, wait. Didn't I do something bolder than just a simple kiss?!"

A Witch's Kiss is a covenant. It is a type of curse in its own way, tying the witch and the target into an unbreakable bond.

Well, long story short...

A Witch's Kiss is only exchanged between lovers during marriage.

A proof of oath, of eternal love, of sharing everything with their partner.

"Ahhh!" Teruria covered her hot face, realizing what she had done. "I...! With Sir Hexel...! Waaah~!"

And just as she was squirming at her careless, intense, split-second decision, a casual sigh echoed.

[And here I thought Contractor would kick the bucket. I guess he's got the devil's luck.]

"...!"

Teruria's body stiffened.

The voice... was one she couldn't remember hearing before.

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