Hours passed, and soon enough, it was lunchtime. Tayna sat on a tree stump and munched on a sandwich. Her body was slowly changing as her mana vein grew. She was naturally a pretty woman with long, silky brown hair and an above-average figure, which would have made her very popular among the male nobles if she hadn't been scared by the slime from her childhood. But her body was becoming even more shapely, and she felt as though she had more stamina than ever before. Her loose-fitting leather breastplate and skirt had become tight, and her skin glowed with health and vitality. The mana made her look almost goddess-like as her breasts became perkier, her waistline slimmed, and her thighs thickened.

Her muscles were more toned than before, and her abs could be seen under the soft, supple flesh of her stomach. Tayna was becoming a real warrior now, and she was excited to see how strong she'd become by the end of her training session.

Tayna could feel her mana vein expanding, and the strange sensations of excitement came with it. She was getting dangerously close to being affected by Mana Rush. She thought it was something that she could feel approaching and stop. But it is more like running over a cliff. Once she goes past that point, there's no stopping it.

"Are you alright?" Rya asked as she looked at her with concern. "You seem a bit flushed."

"Y-yeah," Tayna replied, trying to sound casual. "I think I'm getting used to absorbing all this mana... You were making such a big deal out of this Mana Lust thing. But I don't really feel it."

"Well, I suppose it's possible that the effects will be less pronounced on lower-level Veins," Rya said with a shrug. "I've only seen it happen to Nieren and Johan... Speaking of which... One of my golems ran into him at the capital... He's looking for you... You didn't tell him you were coming here for a few days?"

"W-Well, he was busy with his father... I didn't want to disturb him..." Tayna said.

"Uh-huh," Rya said, not believing her. "Well, he's coming and should be in Mangst by 1:00 pm. Are you ready for the next set?"

Tayna nodded. "Bring it." She stood up from the stump and readied her sword and shield while returning to the clearing where she had been slaying all those monsters that were being harvested by six of Rya's golems. They were collecting the horns and the meat from the Horn Hares, the fangs and the wings from the Giant Bats, the venom sacks and stingers from the Willow Wasps, the cores from the Slimes, and the fangs from a Nightfang. Rya thought it would be a waste just to burn the corpses. So they might as well make a little money out of it.

Tayna's mana veins were expanding rapidly, reaching the growth rate of an Elite-Level Mana Vein despite being at the Grand-Master level. This unprecedented acceleration was attributed to the swift and substantial annihilation of numerous monsters within a remarkably brief period.

Her body had already absorbed an immense amount of mana, causing her mana vein to throb and pulse as they surged with magical energy. Tayna could sense the powerful mana coursing through her, sending tingles across her entire body giving her goosebumps. The mana felt warm and cozy like a blanket on a cold winter night. Her mana vein pulsed as it grew, and the mana continued to circulate around her body, sending shivers down her spine.

'I never knew such pleasures could exist!' Tayna thought as she made her way to the center of the clearing. She readied herself as Rya's golems came out with some more Willow Wasps and a Horn Hare.

'Dammit!... These Willow Wasps are going to be the end of me and my sword... Unless?... Okay, Tayna. Remember what Lady Nelumbo told you when you need to cut through something tough. I need to center myself and be loose with my movements until you are about to make contact with your target... My mana should flow into my blade and allow me to slice through the Willow Wasp's armor.' Tayna thought to herself as she got ready.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm herself. She didn't fully understand the importance of meditation but now that her Mana Vein has grown she could feel it flowing within her. It was like a river running through her, and if she concentrated hard enough, she could almost see the river of mana coursing through her veins.

She slowly began to let go of her thoughts and focus on the sound of the wind blowing through the trees, the rustling of leaves, and the soft chirping of birds. She tried her hardest to concentrate on the sounds around her instead of her worries and concerns. She had never been good at meditation before, but now she was starting to realize how much she had missed out on. Once her state of mind found its balance, she knew she was ready. She was going to use the basic techniques of a Maja.

With one last deep breath Tayna opened her eyes and looked at the first Willow Wasp that was busy stringing away at the golem. And with a quick motion she glided towards the giant wasp with grace and precision of a seasoned warrior. Her feet moved quickly across the forest floor, and she swung her sword at the Willow Wasp, slicing through its abdomen like butter.

*Swing!*

'One down,' Tayna thought to herself with satisfaction as she continued to weave around the other golems swiftly. 'Just need to breath and go with the flow.'

Her blade was a blur as she spun and twirled around before striking another wasp that was beginning held by X1. The golem was holding the creature in place, allowing Tayna the chance to strike. With the edge of her sword already glowing, she was able to strike the wasp through its exoskeleton, killing it with ease.

*Swing!*

'Now that wasn't so bad. This isn't so hard... Maybe I'm finally getting the hang of this.' Tayna smiled to herself as she continued her onslaught.

Another swing, another dead monster. Then another.

*Swing! Swing! Swing!*

Before she knew it, the whole horde of captured monsters were gone. She had killed them all with no injuries and only used a fraction of her mana to accomplish the task. It was as easy as breathing, and she couldn't believe how effortless it felt. It was almost like second nature to her, and she was enjoying the feeling.

Rya watched her friend's transformation in awe. 'Damn... Looks like all the training with Nelumbo paid off... And my genius idea of collecting monsters for her to slay worked like a charm. She might be ready to take on the real deal... But we'll wait to do that tomorrow—'

Rya's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a rustling coming from the forest. It didn't take long for a loud roar to be heard, and she knew exactly what it was.

Tanya jumped when she heard the roar, "W-What is that?"

"Your next test."

The creature that burst forth from the forest was none other than a massive, white-furred Emberhorn. Its upper body resembles a bear while the lower half it a ram. It also has two molten ram's horns on either side of its head and it's fur was rugged enough to dull a steel blade with a single swipe. It was at least fifteen feet tall and looked absolutely terrifying. It was one of the stronger monsters on this continent.

"That thing is a Emberhorn. I read a book saying that it is one of the top 200 strongest creatures in the world. But I think you can take him," Rya said with a smirked.

"WHAT? W-What do you mean by my n-next test!? Are you crazy?" Tayna shouted. Her meditated state was long gone, and her mind was now flooded with panic.

"Yes. That is the point. You have been training with Nieren, Dalia, Nelumbo, and me for the past two weeks; now, you need to put what you have learned into practice. Nothing like a little adrenaline to hone your skills," Rya said calmly.

"But... But... I can't fight that thing. I've never even seen a beast like that before. And it's much bigger than anything I have fought—Whoa!"

The Emberhorn charged at Tayna because she was the closest and M5 rushed in and pulled her away from its swipe.

The Emberhorn growled and tried charging at her again but M5 blocked its path with her fist, forcing the creature to take a step back.

"Don't worry, Tayna... My golems and I will come in if you are truly in danger. Now, focus," Rya said and then her voice changed to a commanding one, "Focus, and fight, Tayna! I believe in you."

"O-Okay... I can do this," Tayna said and calmed her racing heart. She closed her eyes and focused on the mana in her body. "I can do this. I can—"

Tayna felt a presence coming right at her and when she opened her eyes she saw the giant bear claw coming at her.

"AHH!" Tayna screamed and her mana flowed into ever part of her body causing everything to slow down. She stepped back and spun around as the claws just grazed her leather breastplate. She instinctively swiped her sword upward and cut through the ferocious beast's rugged fur.

"ROOOAAARRRR! RRRRRRAAAAHHH!" The Emberhorn screamed in pain and rage as its blood spilled out of its shoulder.

Tayna's momentum skidded across the forest floor, kicking up dust and dirt. When she stopped, she saw the blood pouring out of the wound she caused, and she couldn't believe she had managed to injure such a monster.

"Did I do that?"

The Emberhorn didn't wait as its horns glowed red hot and charged at Tayna with the intent of running her through with its horns.

Tayna's body was still recovering from over saturating her body with mana and was unable to move with same speed as before.

"Use your shield! Protect yourself!" Rya shouted.

'There's no way! Gah!' Tayna thought but she challenged her mana into the circular shield, which made a forcefield that blocked the scorching heat. She braced herself as the Emberhorn smashed into her shield, pushing her back about 30 feet, which caused the dirt to fly everywhere as her feet dug into the ground until the beast lost all of its momentum.

'I stop it!? Oh, crap!'

The beast stated at her with a burning fury and she countered it by stabbing it in the eye with her sword.

"ROOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR!" The Emberhorn roared.

The sword didn't pierce the eye but it did leave a gash along its snout, which sent a spray of blood onto her leather armor.

'I have to take this bastard out!'

Tayna's body recovered enough for her to pump her mana into it again with slowed everything down once more. Tayna's mind was screaming to run away. But Tayna's heart told her not to run.

Tayna charged forward and sliced the beast's throat and other shoulder, leaving a deep gash, but it didn't seem like enough to stop the monster.

It reared back and Tayna's adrenaline was pumping so hard she didn't even see the paw coming at her. It hit her across her left side and sent her flying towards a tree. Luckily for her, Rya caught her before she could crash.

'Ugh, this monster is tough... How do normal adventurers fight these things?' Tayna thought as she regained her bearings.

"Are you alright, Tayna?" Rya asked as she set Tayna down on her feet.

The noblewoman surveyed the field, seeing that the Emberhorn was struggling to standup as is was losing a lot of blood. She couldn't believe that she was actually winning this fight.

"Yes, I'm fine..."

"Nah... You look more than fine... Now finish it, Tayna." Rya smirked and handed Tayna a new sword.

"Thanks." Tayna smiled as she took the weapon.

She slowly walked towards the snarling beast, which was backing away from her, its tail between its legs, and its body shaking uncontrollably. It had lost its strength and was on the verge of death.

"Don't worry, you'll feel no more pain," Tayna promised, and in a blink of an eye Tayna's sword cut off the head of the Emberhorn putting the monster out of its misery.

"YES!" Rya cheered.

The body collapsed on top of the severed head, and Rya rushed over and hugged Tayna tightly.

"Aw, man... You had me worried there for a few moments." Rya sighed, relieved. "You were incredible."

Tayna was still processing what she just did. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would slay a monster on her own, especially a beast that was a danger to an entire village.

'Wow, I really did that... I can defend my husband!... I can't believe it! I feel AMAZING!' Tayna thought as her cheeks started getting rosy, and a smile stretched across her lips.

"I-I wasn't that incredible... I wouldn't have gotten here without all your help," Tayna replied while twirling her fingers through her brown hair.

"Oh, please!" Rya slapped Tayna's shoulder playfully, bumping her forward a bit. "Let me tell you something, Tayna... A lot of people get shown the door to success, but it takes someone special to open that door and walk through it. I can only show you that door, but it is up to you to walk through it."

"But... I'm just a noblewoman... My husband is an Illusion Mage..." Tayna said sadly, looking at her hands.

"Not anymore... You put in the work and you did all the hard parts. You're a Noble Maja... A female one at that... That is very rare and extremely dangerous." Rya chuckled and grabbed Tayna's hand and squeezed it tightly. "You will be able to protect yourself and your husband from any threat. I know it."

Tayna wanted to argue but the mana from the slayed monster was absorbing into her body. And before she knew it, she was beginning to feel a rush of excitement.

"Oooohhh! Umm?... Maybe you're right, Rya... M-Maybe I am amazing," Tayna gasped, as she stumbled backward.

Her perky C-cup breasts started to grow slightly and her hip bones widened a bit. The straps on her leather breastplate tightened around her shoulders.

"I can't believe it," Tayna panted, and her brown hair began to lengthen and change to a richer shade, becoming Auburn.

Tayna was having a hard time breathing as she began to fill out her outfit and her ass plumped up a bit. And a itch was coming from deep inside her pelvis, making her thighs rub together, trying to find relief.

"R-Rya... Do you think Johan approves of me becoming a Maja?" Tayna whimpered as a fire began to burn deep within her loins, causing her body to start shaking.

"Huh?... Of course he would—Oh?... Tayna?... Are you feeling different?" Rya asked as she witnessed Tayna's body changing in front of her.

"U-Umm... W-Why are you asking me if I'm alright? I've never felt better~mmmh!? I feel fantastic!" Tayna cried as her pussy began to drip, and her juices were leaking out. "I'm so... hot! Rya, do you think Johan would mind if I took the lead in the bedroom? Agh!... I want to be on top~hmmph! I feel so strange!"

"Uhh?... Tayna? Are you still in there?... Ah, crap... She has Mana Lust... Haah... X1, M5, watch over her while we cleaned up this place and harvest this Emberhorn. We're done for today," Rya ordered her golems and turned back to her friend. "Sit tight, Tayna... We'll get you back to Mangst and I'll see what I can do to get Johan to you."

Tayna was lost in her own mind as the pleasure coursed through her body, and she couldn't control her hips as all the Golems were busy gathering everything.