Maki: 12 years old — Advanced Emerald.

SKILLS: • Death's Sharpness (IV) — level 9 • Warlike Architecture (IV) — level 2 → level 3 • Deadly Arcane Construction (IV) — level 2 → level 3 • Personal World (IV) — level 2 → level 3 • Electrifying Charged Steps (III) — level 10 → level 12 • Frozen Core (III) — level 19 • Vital Synthesis (III) — level 18 → level 19 • Crushing Zone (III) — level 6 → level 7 • Raging Electrifying River (III) — level 1 → level 3

Laws and pseudo-laws: • Yin Yang Law: Life and Death. • Celestial Domain Law: Space. • Pseudo Law of Ice. • Pseudo Law of Sharpness. • Pseudo Law of Electricity.

I look over my status, a little disappointed. In the early years I used to gain levels and ranks in days or weeks; now it takes me a very long time just to raise a skill at Rank IV by one level, or to push a level-19 skill up a rank.

My Frozen Core is the one I can level up fastest right now: my body, mind and cube are already completely used to me relying on electricity as a base for my combat functions. I'm a bit faster, more agile, and my mind processes information more quickly; thanks to that I can dodge and react in time.

I'm halfway from getting it; I feel a limiter I imposed on myself and I don't know how I did it. "I should be able to remove it…" I concentrate a little and my cube responds: with more training I could gain a new skill and perhaps merge it with Frozen Core. I've been using both mental-type abilities at once and they're compatible — I don't see why they couldn't become one.

The other skill is Vital Synthesis… what can I do with it? The supreme affinities are special. I haven't felt any progress since that skill reached level 19 a few weeks ago. Thanks to the bracelets the skill rose a level: rebuilding my limbs many times a day helped improve a skill I previously only used in the dungeon.

What should I focus on? I already heal fast enough from any wound; I don't know my limit and, for now, I don't want to find out. The main reason I gained this affinity was to heal my cube when it was damaged by so much strain at Amethyst rank; being able to heal myself was a bonus.

I focus on my cube, which is a little stressed from having so many Rank IV skills and Laws. I feel some fear thinking about what happened years ago with Sus; right now I can heal myself, but what if being only Rank III my skill isn't enough? I could be in serious trouble.

Sol's uncle crosses my mind — the situation where I couldn't save him is still etched in my memory. The problem is learning to apply life-mana correctly to heal others. According to Gase — who's Diamond rank and has a strong life affinity — it's very difficult to heal third parties. Our bodies are different worlds because our cube and brain know them inside out.

To heal others you need at least a basic medical understanding of anatomy and be able to channel mana smoothly without altering anything. It took Gase several years to reach a level where she can heal almost anyone, and she still has trouble treating wounds inside a cube if they're low-rank.

Gase recommended I not focus too much on that: fully restoring deep wounds or limbs of another is probably beyond my range; maybe I can heal basic wounds or somewhat deeper ones if they're not infected.

Practice keeps going while I think: my body continues injecting mana into the bracelets to teleport me side to side. I need to practice enough before visiting the marquis to get the basic information about the dungeon. While training an idea occurred to me that I had not tried before: I'd been thinking how to apply life-mana to my body, because otherwise the next rank will only increase the skill's potency.

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All this time my body has been protecting itself with a bit of natural mana and mostly with Imra for using the bracelets. What if I use life-mana instead of natural mana? Would there be a difference? I won't know until I test it.

Four attempts were enough to discard the idea for now: I didn't notice the slightest change; everything stayed the same. I'll ask the marquis later when I see him. "Maybe boosting the skill is not a bad option…" According to Gase, my skill is already at the level of a Ruby rank; she thinks it could be the work of the Law that empowers it.

Only my family and the three girls know the name of my Law; I didn't reveal it to others on my grandmother's advice. She said the Law may be special — already a fused Law, which is a requirement to reach Ruby — and she's read that name before but can't remember where; she's spent months searching books for information.

"Life and death." They are opposites and yet they hold each other's hands constantly. Without life there is no death, and without death there can be no new life; inside one there is a bit of the other.

I get ready to go to the marquis; the carriage ride is quick and I arrive attentive and eager.

"Maki, you came early. You must be excited." Julio has his head in a book, finishing the last lines before signing it.

"The excitement of a new adventure knocks at the door." I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited: my heart is pounding just thinking about the hero dungeon at full capacity.

"We're both busy people; let me explain some details." Julio closes the book and looks at me. "The dungeon has eight floors, and four different aspects are graded across the first six floors." Four aspects? This is a peculiar hero dungeon.

"The first two rate your raw strength; the third and fourth measure speed; the fifth and sixth evaluate reaction and senses; finally, floors seven and eight judge everything as a whole. Usually one of those last floors is a group battle and the other an individual fight." I'm surprised: if the dungeon grades you that way, the rewards should be equally special.

"We can't tell you the exact details of the dungeon until you attempt the challenge; the omnipresent words prevent us from divulging precise information to people who have not taken the trial." That's new: there's a strong restriction if someone as powerful as Julio, a Diamond rank, can't say anything.

"I'll only give you the basics." Apparently the dungeon scans you from head to toe — mana, Imra, Laws and skills. The only thing it can't initially scan is your fighting skill, which is why the first floors focus on strength. One more thing: although the floors are similar, each is different because of the variables every person brings.

"I understand; so far everything is clear." Julio has a unique ease with words; it makes things simple to understand — a basic requirement for a high-class noble, and one of the reasons it's easy for me to follow him.

"The rewards differ for everyone. Some can improve your weaknesses, others boost your strengths; in some cases, they give you something you've been looking for, and in others something you didn't even know you needed. It all depends on your performance and how many floors you clear." I plan to clear all eight floors in record time. I hope for the best possible rewards.

"I suppose you can't tell me what your rewards were." I ask casually, though I know the answer.

"Exactly; I can't, not until you've emerged from the dungeon." I'm not discouraged — I'd already expected that — but I do feel a little empty.

I force a theatrical sigh and we both laugh. "Uncle, when can I enter the dungeon?" I'm anxious to go in; I don't need preparations — I've rested well and have enough energy to face a big challenge.

"When you want; the preparations are ready." I nearly shout with excitement and my smile aches in my cheeks. Before accepting, I remember something.

"I have a pending meeting. Can I come back at night?" I need to visit Luks and talk about some things with him; I'm quite interested in the vizconde's adopted son.

"Yes, it's better if you dive in as soon as possible." He looks me straight in the eyes. "Time can vary a little inside: you may feel a day has passed while a week went by outside, or the opposite. Usually time flows the same, but there can be variables." That's something I must avoid. I can afford to lose a couple of weeks at most.

"Thanks, uncle. I'll return fully prepared tonight." I shake his hand before leaving; excitement is bright in my chest. If I hadn't planned that meeting, I would have immersed myself without thinking twice.

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