"You want to teach me how to fight?" Adam asked his mother.

"I want to teach you how to use your mana in a fight." Maria answered. "Spells are too advanced for you, right now. But since you were able to transform into a dragon, you should already have a feeling of what to do."

Adam nodded. He knew his mother was right. He needed to practice his fighting skills in order to defend himself.

"What do you mean about transforming into a dragon and having a feeling of what to do?" Adam asked.

Maria took a deep breath. "When you changed into a dragon, you used your mana to change your body. Transforming, and maintaining the form costs mana. The same way you tapped into your mana to change your form, you can use your mana to give you a boost to your physical capabilities."

Adam thought back to the night of his first transformation. He remembered feeling the surge of power as he transformed. He hadn't even realized he was using his mana to change form, but it made sense.

"Why did I lose control?" He asked.

"You jumped into the deep end of the pool without knowing how to swim. We're starting with learning the basics, so when the time comes, you can handle your transformation properly. You'll have to practice until you can do it by instinct."

"Okay." Adam said.

He continued to listen, as his mother explained the basics of how to use his mana for physical enhancements. Maria explained the basic structure of the human body and how mana worked within the body. She taught him about the difference between an organ and a muscle, and how to increase the strength of both.

"How about a race?" She suggests.

This was probably the easiest way to learn the basics of using his mana for physical enhancement, without getting hurt.

"Alright." Adam agreed. "Let's go!"

Maria started off at a run, down the vast training room. Adam followed closely behind her. His mother was faster than she looked, and Adam found himself breathing hard just a few minutes into the race.

"You can do this." Maria encouraged her son. "Just relax and let your body move naturally. Tap into your mana the same way you reached your mind out to me."

Adam took a deep breath in, closing his eyes. He focused on his mana, trying to reach into his mind, only to be disappointed when nothing happened. He opened his eyes and looked at his mother with a worried expression.

"Relax." Maria said. "It takes time to build that connection. Just keep trying."

Adam nodded. They continued to run, side by side. Adam wasn't sure if he was making any progress or not, but he kept at it.

He closed his eyes, still running. Imagining himself in that dark room his mother suggested. He pictured himself entering the darkness, until he felt a presence nearby. As soon as his mind connected with whoever was there, his body reacted automatically.

"Whoa!"

His eyes flew open, and he stumbled forward. He hit the ground, landing on his hands and knees.

Maria put her hands on his shoulders. "You okay?"

"I felt something inside of me." He answered, rubbing his head.

"That's good, Adam. That means you've finally taken the first step towards controlling your magic."

"Didn't work though." He said, sitting up.

Maria offered a hand to help him to his feet. "Let's keep trying. Focus on that inner presence again. Don't force anything, just let yourself connect to it. It will take time, but you'll get there."

They assumed their original positions, where Adam tried to focus on his mana. This time, he imagined himself in the darkness of the room, and he reached out to his inner self.

"There's someone here." He said, looking around.

As he continued to tap into his mana, he could feel the presence of another individual. He couldn't tell who it was, but he could sense that they were in the darkness with him. He focused his concentration, and he could sense the presence growing stronger.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" He called out.

Suddenly, the darkness became clear and a figure appeared before him. A giant red dragon, next to it a beautiful woman in a white dress stroking the dragon's forehead and jaw. As Adam drew nearer, he could see that it was his mother next to the dragon.

"Mom?" He asked.

The woman turned her head to look at Adam. Her face was serene, and she wore a smile on her lips. She was beautiful beyond words, exactly like his mother. She smiled at him, caressing his cheek. She looked like his mother, but didn't exactly feel like her.

"You're not my mother." He stated.

She nodded.

"What are you?"

She smiled.

Adam had no idea what he was talking to. He wasn't sure if he was really looking at his mom, or some sort of illusion. He looked at the lying red dragon behind her, it blinked at him. He knew he didn't need to ask, because the answer was obvious.

"You're the source of my mana." He told her.

Her smile widened, she nodded.

"How does this work? I don't know how to do this."

She let out a silent laugh, pulling him close and kissing him on the lips. Adam felt his body react instinctively to the kiss, and he felt a spark between them. His whole body began to tingle, and he could feel his heart racing.

His eyes went wide, back to the vast basement. He was still running, but now felt lighter, his muscles were no longer tired from all the running, and his lungs no longer burned. He looked back to his mother, who was smiling at him.

Adam shot forward, taking off past his mother. He ran faster than ever before, his legs pumping hard. He felt the power of his mana course through his veins, and he could feel the magic flowing through every fiber of his body. He was so excited, he jumped into the air.

The ground was far below him, and he felt himself plummeting. He tried to slow down, but it was too late. He felt his stomach drop as he plummeted towards the floor. He managed to keep his balance, but he could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

He landed in front of his mother, who was still smiling, and he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Mom, I did it!" He exclaimed.

"What did you see when you reached inside of you?" She asked.

"You." He answered. "Standing next to a red dragon."

Maria smiled. "Good job, Adam. You're beginning to understand how your magic works."

"I don't, though. Why did I see you next to a red dragon when I tried tapping into my mana?"

"It's a manifestation of your mana. Your mana is tied to me, and so your inner self has manifested itself as my outer self."

"So there's two of you?" Adam asked.

Maria giggled. "No, just me. What you saw was your mana giving itself a form you could understand."

"How does your mana manifest itself for you?" He asked.

"A sword."

Adam tilted his head. "A sword? What kind of sword?"

"One I can wield to defend those I love." She answered, looking into his eyes.

Adam thought about this for a moment. "Well, I want to protect those I love, too."

Maria smiled. "Like mother, like son. Well then, shall we continue?"

Adam nods, ready for his next lesson.

"Maria! I brought some food." Olivia stood at the door to the training room, waving her arms.

"How about we have something to eat first?" Maria suggested, giving adam a wink.

Adam looked over his mother's shoulder, seeing that Olivia wasn't too far away. He then turned and noticed they hadn't gone too far away from the circle where they started their training, despite feeling they had run far away from it.

"Sure, why not?" He agreed. "What's the deal with this room?"

Adam, his mother, and the homunculi joined Olivia upstairs at the kitchen. Maria explained to him the room they were in expanded infinitely in every direction.

"My parents built it for me when they found out I got a brand." Olivia explained, as she prepared breakfast. "Do homunculus eat?" She asked, furrowing her brow.

"We don't have to, but appreciate it." Coraline answered.

“How’s your training going?” Adam asked Kaley.

“She’s as stubborn as a mule, but she’s making progress.” Hannah interjected.

Kaley leered at her, but kept quiet.

Adam was the first to finish his meal, excusing himself to go back to practice his mana control.

“I think we should take a short break.” Maria suggested.

“It’s okay. I want to practice.” Adam said.

The three homunculi followed behind. Once they were gone, Maria turned to Olivia.

“Any news?” Maria asked.

“Not yet.”

Maria grumbled, then her eyes lit up. “Did you bring it?”

Olivia smiled, taking out from her purse a double ended dildo.