A bitter pain surged into my brain, though it was kept in check by my Frozen Core. Impressive. It hurts a little, but this pain is definitely not from losing an arm. I can think clearly and move without issue. I amputated my arm for several reasons, and this was one of them.

The second reason was on its way. I tried using my Vital Synthesis to regenerate my arm. From the amputated stump, a new arm began to form. It was disgustingly grotesque, so I avoided looking at it. I controlled the pace and speed of regeneration—four seconds to fully regrow an arm if I focused only on that area. That was fast.

While I continued running toward my trusted lake, I glanced at the notifications. I still couldn't believe it. I was shocked I'd pulled it off in just over two weeks.

Now seated comfortably on the ground, it was time to go through everything. From the latest notification and up:

"Do you want to learn the ability: Gravity Well (II)?"

It made me happy to have obtained the skill, though I also felt a bit disappointed—it was only a second-rank ability. "Maybe I've gotten too spoiled lately..." I had recently received rank (III) and even a rank (IV) ability.

I accepted it without hesitation. "Let's try it out!" The ability worked just like how I'd been using my own version of gravity manipulation, but now it constructed faster, had more flexibility in adjusting the gravity intensity, and wasted less mana. "I love it!"

And I was in luck. I could now fuse abilities. When I first read the notification about learning the Yin Yang Law, a tinge of regret had struck my heart—I could have waited and maybe earned a rank (IV) ability. That sadness was quickly replaced by joy when I read the next line: I could fuse them.

"You have met the Law requirement. Compatibility detected between: Edge Control (III) and Withering Touch (III). Do you wish to fuse them?"

I accepted mentally, and the process began just like before:

"Mana quantity and control: Approved."

"Imra quantity and control: Approved."

"Pseudo law or law of death: Approved."

"By fusing Edge Control (III) and Withering Touch (III), you have acquired: Death's Edge (IV)."

"Congratulations on your first semi-absolute ability."

"That name sounds amazing… and powerful." I picked up a sword from the ground and activated the ability. My Imra surged out, forming a blade sharper than ever, and my mana danced around it, eager to cut and kill. I had no way to test it yet, but I was sure—this wasn't just any ability. Infused with the Yin Yang Law, it felt like death itself was embedded in the blade.

I had finally acquired a death-based ability. I was finally ready to face a monster squadron on my own. I canceled the ability and laid the sword on the ground.

Next notification: I had achieved enlightenment? I wasn't entirely sure what that meant. Mental note—ask someone when I get out.

Thanks to this early enlightenment, my mana capacity had exploded. Apparently, it was a percentage-based increase. If the average person had 100 mana, I now had 400—and just received another eighth added on top. That's 50 points—half a normal person's pool. Absurd.

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And with that came a bonus: I was allowed to break the bottleneck of a skill that lacked a pseudo law. Only two skills fit that: Domain and Electrified Steps. Which should I choose?

Lying back and staring at the sky, I munched on some food while exhausting brainpower over the decision. I finally chose Domain for two reasons: my father might help me find a suitable lightning law, and according to my grandmother, Domain is rare and versatile. Who knows when I'll meet someone compatible with my skill again?

I broke the bottleneck. I wasn't sure if that made the skill weaker somehow, or if it would just hit a wall again in the future. I'd need to find that out eventually. Another mental note.

Finally, the last notification—and to me, the most important:

"You have learned the Yin Yang Law: Life and Death."

I had no idea how it happened. I was only aiming for a pseudo law, never expecting to get a full law so soon. I wasn't complaining—just stunned. Trying to figure out how it happened was a waste of time; I didn't fully understand the difference anyway.

With this new law, my abilities had been significantly empowered. Not just Vital Synthesis—I could apply the Yin Yang Law to almost all of my death-aligned abilities. That meant more damage, and it would make healing much harder for my opponents. With this, I could fight monsters or even people one level above mine.

Thinking about that, I realized something—I felt the same sensation I did back in the Amethyst rank. If I wanted to, I could rank up right now. I didn't know exactly why, but maybe it was because I had acquired a rank (IV) ability, a pseudo law, and now even a full law.

But I wouldn't. Just because I could didn't mean I should. I would wait, build up my foundation until my skills were in their best state—just like I did at Amethyst rank. Back then, it almost cost me my life. The only difference now was my healing ability.

With all that settled, my preparations were complete. I checked the time—almost 5 p.m. I'd use the remaining hours to relax and sleep well. This was the calm before the storm.

Sitting in my cave, I found myself thinking about the ogre whose arm I severed. With their regeneration, it had probably grown back by now. "What kind of face will he make when he sees me again?" I couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

I liked his rock spikes. They were different from my orbs—his were sharp and cutting, while mine were more blunt-force, built for impact. Even with the electrified spikes in version 4, they only added extra damage—they couldn't slice through or split enemies in half.

Maybe I should create a variation. I began crafting ice swords. Swords had always been a part of my life. I had a clear image in mind, and that vision shaped the construction. I refined the design—about 60 cm long, 15 cm wide. The process was tricky at first but grew easier with practice.

Knowing swords well and having a rank (III) construction skill made it easier. With time, I'd be able to build them as fast as my orbs.

Version 1 was simple—just a basic sword like my base orb. Version 2 contained concentrated ice mana, like my v2 orb. Version 3 incorporated Death's Edge (IV) into the structure. It consumed a lot of mana, Imra, and focus. And the final version combined both my pseudo law and my full law in its construction.

This final sword was terrifyingly powerful. Just controlling two of them pushed my brain to the limit. If I wanted to use other skills at the same time, I could only summon one—until I improved the spell or raised its level.

Satisfied with this new goal, I slowly closed my eyes to sleep. Tomorrow, at dawn, I would hunt down all those ogres. I would be ready to face that group of ten, the one with the two leaders.

Before I drifted off, I checked my mental status:

Maki – Age: 11. – Advanced Emerald Rank

ABILITIES: • Death's Edge (IV) – Level 1 • Fortified Construction (III) – Level 10 • Unified Malleable Mana (III) – Level 11 • Domain (III) – Level 10 • Frozen Core (III) – Level 11 • Vital Synthesis (III) – Level 10 • Electrified Charging Steps (III) – Level 10 • Gravity Well (II) – Level 1

LAWS AND PSEUDO LAWS: • Yin Yang Law: Life and Death • Pseudo Law of Ice

I woke up well-rested, my body calm and my mind sharp. I took my time eating and preparing, and once everything was ready, I headed toward the fortress.

An hour of waiting near the main gate paid off—I saw the group of ten leaving for their usual hunting route. They hadn't relaxed in over fifteen days of peace.

I followed silently, activating the necessary skills: Gravity Well, Frozen Core, Fortified Construction on my head and chest, three v4 orbs, four charges of Electrified Steps, and Death's Edge on my sword.

The calm before the storm was over. It was time to unleash a natural disaster—and bring this to an end.

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