Today the day had been going by without any problems, and in the afternoon I finally received the notification.

  “Sword skill has reached level fifteen, possible evolution paths are opening…”

  When I heard the words in my mind, I focused on setting them aside, and just as my grandmother mentioned, the words disappeared. I can still feel them in my consciousness, very deep down; if I need to read them, I can easily bring them back and make a decision.

  “I’m two levels away from reaching level fifteen with Quick Step, I’ll focus on this skill.”

  After some time practicing, it went up to level fourteen. I felt the same sensation of not progressing no matter how much I continued using the skill. It was time to sit down and reflect.

  Both of my brothers used different attributes for their movement skills, each focused on different moments and uses.

  Ritmo used his to freeze the ground and slide away when his opponent was close enough. It was a lifesaving skill, and in his case he could only use it a few times.

  Sers used his to advance toward his target with rapid steps; electricity gave his movements an explosive boost, something much more aligned with my fighting style. Despite having a lower rank, my mana pool is larger in comparison, so I can use that skill a few more times.

  Should I keep focusing on sword combat? Lately I’ve been using magic much more; maybe I got carried away by the new sensation of learning something unknown in my life. How do I imagine myself fighting in the future?

  It took me a bit of time to visualize myself in a real fight using magic; it’s something technically new. After thinking for a few minutes, I reached a convincing answer: a swordsman wielding two short swords. In my mental projection I use cinquedeas. I want to be a speed-oriented swordsman, and at the same time I use magic constantly throughout the fight to have an extensive repertoire of abilities.

  Decided. I will be both a swordsman and a mage at the same time. The time needed to master both categories is double or maybe triple, something I honestly have plenty of right now.

  “It’s time to practice.” I begin my training by trying to add electric mana to my feet. It doesn’t go as well as I want, but it starts working little by little. I lose my balance at times when accelerating or landing. I don’t control the amount of mana well for the selected distance; sometimes I use too much, other times too little.

  Hours feel like minutes while practicing. I can’t use mana on every activation because the skill consumes much more than expected. During the moments when I recover mana, I try to use the skill the way I did at the beginning to gain better understanding.

  Time flew by, and now I’m training longer than usual. I’ve already gone thirty minutes past dinner time. I’ve decided to stay until I raise it to level fifteen; I feel the level-up very close. Another half hour should be enough.

  As expected, after twenty more minutes of usage and rest, it finally reached level fifteen. I stored the notifications deep in my mind and went to eat dinner.

  I can execute the skill in half the time now. It still consumes too much mana to use it dozens of times in a row, but I’ve increased its uses by 10% after carefully measuring the exact amount. I no longer fail as often when calculating distance, and I’ve almost fixed the issue with stability at takeoff. I can’t say the same about landing.

  Lying in my bed, I fall asleep before I even realize it. When I open my eyes, it’s almost time to go train with my grandmother.

  “Today I’ll surprise my grandmother.” It’s always fun to see her surprised face, even if it happens less often than I’d like.

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  We arrive at the training room almost at the same time. Once seated, my grandmother must have sensed something strange; she’s looking at me with a face that says: Go on, ask.

  “I can’t hide anything from you, Grandma.” I complain a little and pout slightly.

  “You’re very obvious sometimes, little one. Your face full of smiles shows how excited you are to tell me something new.” She shows a mischievous smile, making me feel a bit foolish.

  “Get ready, Grandma! Yesterday I managed to reach level fifteen in two more skills.” Her eyes widen slightly and almost immediately return to her usual calm smile.

  “Grandma, it’s not fun if you don’t get surprised.” I complain again.

  “Little one, I am surprised. According to my calculations, you should have raised one or two skills this week or the next. I didn’t think it would only take you two days.” I strike a proud pose, puffing out my chest, and my childish pose makes my grandmother laugh.

  “Tell me, which skills did you raise to level fifteen? I suppose sword skill is one of them.” It’s a bit annoying to be read so easily.

  “Yes, that’s one of the two, and the other is Quick Step. I received the notifications yesterday; I haven’t read them so I could read them with you.” She looks a bit relieved when I finish speaking.

  “Hurry up. The longer this takes, the less time we have to train your enhanced senses.” She claps, urging me to read the notifications.

  Without wasting any more time, I focus on the notifications, and they quickly appear in my mind.

  “Sword skill has reached level fifteen, possible evolution paths are opening…”

  “Sword skill improved, Dual sword mastery, Sword reinforcement, Cutting sword reinforcement.”

  “I received these four variations, Grandma. Any recommendations?” She looks thoughtful at my question.

  “We can discard the first ones; they’re the basic variations of sword mastery. I’m very interested in the latter two, both are very similar. From what I understand, the difference lies in the defensive aspect.” I’m a bit confused by that last part.

  “Defensive? Both are offensive skills from my point of view.” I didn’t want to contradict my grandmother; I just don’t see it the same way.

  “Yes, both are offensive. Just think of it this way: Cutting sword reinforcement will give you sharper, more cutting attacks, but you’ll lose some ability to defend against blunt force. Imagine a blow from a massive hammer or sword; with a cutting-focused skill it will be harder to defend. But if you’re fighting monsters with strong defenses, the sharpness will let you defeat them faster.” Her explanations always use easy analogies.

  “I understand the point. Even though both are offensive and their defensive capabilities are normal, there are situations where each can shine.” I have plenty of experience with swords.

  “Exactly, Maki. Sword reinforcement is a 6 in offense and 4 in defense, while cutting sword reinforcement is a 7 in offense and 3 in defense. The difference isn’t huge, but it exists.”

  “Which one do you recommend, Grandma?” Deciding on my own would take some time. I don’t have any defensive skills yet, and for now I’m not lacking offensive power.

  “In your case, I’d choose Sword reinforcement. I haven’t seen you practice any defensive skills so far; your focus is entirely on offense. It’s useless to be overwhelmingly strong offensively if you’re as fragile as paper.” Her suggestion is well received, and I choose that skill.

  “I understand, Grandma. Let’s move on to the next skill.”

  “Quick Step has reached level fifteen, possible evolution paths are opening…”

  “Swift Step and Lightning Step.”

  “I only received two variations?” I frown slightly when I see only two options.

  “Don’t feel discouraged, Maki. You haven’t practiced enough variations and flexibility with your Quick Step.” Rita explains why I only have two options.

  It makes sense. I used to try injecting mana at the beginning, then stopped until I obtained my affinities. I never tried anything extravagant, nor did I use my ice affinity, only electricity.

  “One is the typical variation using only mana, and the other uses electric mana. There’s not much to think about; use the affinity-based variation, they’re usually more useful for fighters.” Her advice sounds convincing, and I decide to follow it.

  “I’ll go with that one, then, Grandma.” Without wasting any more time, I select both skills.

  “Sword skill has transformed into Sword reinforcement.”

  “Quick Step has transformed into Lightning Step.”

  “Thank you for your advice, Grandma.” I smile from ear to ear.

  “They’re not just mine, Maki. I speak with your parents daily about your progress. They’re very proud of you and feel sad they can’t help you directly. Some of those suggestions came from them.” Even while so busy, they’re still thinking of me.

  “Tell them thank you very much, and that I love them both.” I feel a bit bad for not being able to help them.

  Even though we haven’t seen each other much lately due to so many problems in both villages, they’re always attentive to me. Always looking out for what’s best for my life overall. I’ll never stop being grateful for being reborn into a family where everyone is loving.

  “I’ll pass on your words. It’s time to train, Maki. The only skill still at rank I is Enhanced Senses; you’ll soon manage to level it up.” She’s right. I need to train that skill so all of them are at the same rank.