“Which should be my priority?” Lying on a pile of cushions, I can’t help but think about which of the three options I should tackle first.

  ? Pseudo Law of Ice.

  ? Pseudo Law of Sharpness.

  ? Pseudo Law of Electricity.

  I check the options in my status—each one is very important. After analysing my situation a bit, I’ll leave the electric one for last; it’s the affinity I use the least for direct attacks. I use it all the time, but it’s not the main one.

  Ice? Sharpness? Both choices are tempting. I use both in every aspect when I fight. My swords are my main weapons, and my ice-based constructions are the backbone of my strength. Should I go in order of arrival? After thinking for so long, that’s the only thing I can settle on.

  I feel the ice within me, my affinity running from the tip of my toes to the last strand of hair. Sometimes I forget to enjoy small things like this—I’ve grown so used to this new body where magic flows that I forget I had nothing like this in my previous life.

  I build multiple shapes made only of ice. I don’t fuse it with other types of mana like I usually do; I don’t use my Imra or my Banner, and for each construction I infuse only a pseudo Law. The strength and consistency of my constructs increase. The ice, once cold and hard, now loses even more heat and becomes more solid.

  Dozens of small constructions appear everywhere, from simple sticks or branches to more elaborate things like huge swords and spears. I break each one without losing focus and preventing mana leakage around me. Recycling most of my mana is impossible, but at least I can take enough to rebuild many swords.

  These swords made only of ice mana and its pseudo Law are incredibly cold. The instant chill is completely different from a week ago, and compared to the first day I managed to construct any ice at all, there is no comparison.

  Now I can almost freeze part of the air around each construction. Anyone without proper defenses would start trembling from the cold as soon as they are surrounded by so many swords.

  What is ice to me? What do I want to achieve with my affinity? What is the role of my ice mana in my life? What is the goal of this affinity?

  I try to create new questions related to ice, and at the same time search for the answers. Every thought and movement I link to one thing: absolute zero. I want ice so cold it can freeze anything on contact—whether a person, an object, or an ability—I want the strength to freeze it.

  I sit in lotus position, relax my body to focus on the ice mana within me, and at the same time absorb natural mana to convert it into ice. I release it slowly around me in small, continuous pulses. My intention is to freeze as much as possible around me as I search for the path toward the Law of Ice.

  I reduce my perception to only five meters around myself and try to fill that entire space with ice mana, freezing it little by little.

  I remember my mother once explained that for her, ice is her family’s defense—the protective shield capable of covering and keeping safe the people she loves. She took a different path from the one I want.

  I know it's impossible to reach absolute zero right now, but I want to get as close as possible when acquiring this Law. I want to be able to freeze even death itself in anyone who dares harm those I love.

  Time passes—it's hard to track with my eyes closed; I can only guess by my internal clock.

  I slowly open my eyes. Everything around me is covered in ice. Every grain of sand within these five meters next to me has frozen. Even the air or mana in this semicircle is freezing constantly. I can’t freeze everything, but I can freeze the vast majority.

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  Ice is part of me. I myself am the foundation of this ice that wishes to freeze my enemies to death. Ice keeps my mind calm. It allows me to think clearly in every situation and makes me an unbreakable fortress. Ice is not fragile—it is solid and unyielding.

  I’ve reached several conclusions about ice over these eight days and seven nights of processing everything related to this particular affinity and myself. All this time, I never stopped using the affinity.

  Finally, my efforts bore fruit. At long last, after so much effort, I feel the pseudo Law slowly transform into its complete version.

  The notification of the omnipresent voice arrives in my head at that exact moment:

  “Congratulations! The pseudo Law of Ice has transformed into a Law!” A small smile forms on my face.

  I pause for a moment to check the name of my new Law: “Law of Absolute Frost: Ice.” I let my body rest as much as possible after so much strain. I’ve spent over a week without drinking water or eating anything; all my sustenance came from life mana.

  I eat everything I can, drink as much water as my body asks for, and slowly close my eyes on the soft cushions around me. At some point I fell asleep without noticing—my body didn’t wait even two seconds to rest.

  When I wake up, the false moon is rising—it seems I slept about ten hours. My body is still exhausted, my eyelids feel heavy, and my mind is a bit clouded from the strain. At least I destroyed all the ice around me before sleeping; otherwise, resting would’ve been uncomfortable. The air here is still quite cold.

  I take my Thundersnow Fangs from my cube and examine every detail of my weapons, especially their edges. I build some Joyeuse at maximum power, making them sharp with the intention of piercing anything in their path.

  I float upward to begin practicing with the sharpness of my swords and constructions. I have a hunch that I will obtain the Law of Sharpness much faster—after all, I’ve lived years upon years surrounded by sharp blades, and that should give me a huge advantage.

  I question myself with thoughts very similar to before, only replacing the base concept with sharpness. In this case, I want sharpness capable of destroying anything—no matter how unbreakable a construction or object seems, I don’t want to worry about anything being uncuttable. I want sharpness capable of breaking and piercing any defense.

  Deep down, I know it's impossible. After all, if someone wishes for absolute defense, it would contradict my desires. I simply want to push sharpness to its limit, to reach a point I never reached in my previous life—to become the best in the art of the sword.

  My body moves side to side, my sword movements perfect and fluid. My sword constructions clash against each other, each trying to cut the others. I must repair or rebuild them before repeating the same cycle.

  Every strike carries the intention to split everything in half. No matter what or who stands in the way—everything must be erased by a single slash. One swing should be enough.

  What is sharpness to me? I can’t help but relate it to swords—a past life filled with blades and many years in this new life using them again. Sharpness comes from the edge of a sword; whether it’s a cut or a stab, it always comes from a blade.

  Sharpness is the road toward the goal—it is the card that makes it possible. As long as I hold a sword in my hand, I can defeat and annihilate any person or challenge before me. Many thoughts pass through my mind, all related to the edge of my sword and my constructions.

  A day passes. I can feel my thoughts and the way I use my swords and constructions beginning to work.

  On the second day the progress stagnates. I didn’t feel much improvement for almost the first twelve hours. After readjusting my thoughts toward where I want to go, everything began to improve. At some point, my mind had begun to drift without me noticing—fatigue and keeping track of my swords' movements distracted me.

  I destroy half of my constructions to give my mind more room to process everything and stay in the same line of thought.

  Finally, when the third day is about to end, something happens—the sharpness of my attacks feels different. Each cut now has renewed strength and vigor. I feel as if I could pierce any metal or solid object.

  I look at the false moon almost centered in this damn dome where I’m trapped. I can’t deny it—it’s quite beautiful, and this place, all things considered, is very relaxing.

  I float gently toward the palm-like tree to take a well-earned break. Tomorrow I won’t train at all. I’ll dedicate the entire day to resting from all the mental and physical fatigue of these days.

  “Congratulations! The pseudo Law of Sharpness has transformed into a Law!” The same notification as before—I received the same thing days ago.

  I check the new name of my new Law. Upon reviewing my status, I notice only one pseudo Law remains. The proud smile reflected on my face is impossible to hide.

  “Law of Eternal Edge: Sharpness.” The name of my new Law is fantastic. Tired and happy from my recent achievements, I let myself fall onto the ground. It’s time for a well-deserved rest.