I checked my pseudo domain for any threats. I was the only life inside my realm. I pushed my senses further out, relying on water's connection to life to track outside my fog. I could not sense any spirit beasts within two miles. This was my chance to reap what I've sown.

What are you doing?

What do you mean, what am I doing? I'm doing what you said.

I said get stronger.

Can't you see me hauling this chunk of meat up an ice mountain? It's easily two hundred pounds. And this is my third trip. That doesn't even include all of the cores I've collected. That was only sorta true. Instead of the task getting more challenging with each trip, it became easier. My connection with water allowed me to glide on the icy surface. I discovered if I invested energy on the soles of my feet I could use that to pull me across the surface.

Water longed to connect with another source—its nature was to gather. This would not have worked if it had just been a body of water. I would've sunk or, at the very best, stayed rooted. Ice was a bit different. Each crystal had its own structure. It was content to just be, to remain as is. I simply pictured an ice crystal ahead of me and commanded my mana-endowed feet to obey. I tripped more than once, and downhill was much easier than uphill, which took more convincing, mana, and willpower. I could not just picture the ice crystal. I had to know it was there and that my mana could become one with it. After trial and error, I developed a competent level of ice sliding.

I wasn't sure if the new skill would be practical in a fight yet—maybe if I was retreating. Realistically, it would take more practice and experience before I was comfortable mixing it into a fight. I wasn't working on being a realist at the moment. If I could develop the skill now, it would add a new element to my fighting. I was already fast on my feet, but this would increase my movement by two or threefold.

You are wasting your time.

My new skill was evident enough that I wasn't wasting time. Besides that, wasn't time on my side? You're just jealous because you won't be feasting on spirit beasts.

Gross.

True… spirit beasts weren't exactly delicacies unless the chef had powerful cooking skills or the consumer was ravenous. I pride myself on being a little bit of both. Besides that, wolfbears are supposed to be the exception. Well… the mana-modified beefbear version of the wolfbear is supposed to be tasty. That's gotta mean this slab of beef is top-of-the-line fresh.

You do not need to train your physical strength. I sensed an intense amount of frustration coming from Cal's memory. You need to focus on your mental pathways. Your mind must be stronger.

No. It's not that I didn't completely trust Calamari. It would be nice if I knew his real name and intentions or understood what he was doing in my mind. OK, I didn't trust Cal. Possession without consent was a glaring red flag, and I could not shake my gut, feeling that the guy did not have my best interest at stake.

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What do you mean, no?

I don't want to follow the path of a wizard or sorcerer.

This has nothing to do with pathways or classes. Tenty's words slammed into my mind with the intensity of a banshee screaming. A sharp pain erupted behind my eyes. It caused me to lose focus on my ice crystal. I slowed from a fast sprint to a standstill and began slipping down the hill. As soon as I regained focus, I created a new anchor point. What the hell? Your mind is too weak, the squid chided. We need to reforge it and build more layers on it. I can not move forward until you have reached the ruler stages of mind cultivation.

I'm buying us more time. I countered Tent's words even though they messed with my mind. I was moving forward.

No. You are skirting around on a playground of ice, pretending at power. Follow me, and I will show you how feeble your 'training' attempts are.

And how long do you suppose I will last in the ice before I die and have to start over?

You will not last longer than five days. I can teach you deep meditation, which will slow down your death even further. We could double or even quadruple that time.

Do you know what the body pathway will do for me?

Flayens never disgraced themselves with such foul practices. We cultivate the mind; anything else is a perversion.

So you don't know about the endurance and strength path? My body will become as durable as steel and be able to regenerate health. The upgrades to my body could triple my time in the ice, and that is before I am able to reforge the essences.

You will be wasting so much potential. I beg you to trust me. I will lead you to the stars. I will save you and your people.

For what purposes? To save your people? When they come, will they be looking for peace, or will they be looking to rule? It was pretty clear from conversations the squid disdained my people. In his eyes, we were inferior. Arrogantly, I disagreed.

If we were so weak, why was he dead? Why was he now relying on me? The truth of the matter was Calamari quit. He couldn't accomplish whatever task he was sent to achieve, and he had the power of recursion backing him. He tried to accomplish things his way, with all his mind powers, and failed. According to him, my mind was already tainted… I had already cultivated body essences. There was no way I would reach the level he was on. So why try to follow a path I can't follow? A path that led to failure.

I would've argued with Cal about all of this, but the squid split mid-conversation. It's not like he had anywhere to go. He was in my mind. I've been there. It's a dark void brimming with emptiness. The invader did save me during the fight, though. He called to me when I was caged in despair, breaking me out of the wolfbears' trance. Trust was a silly thing.

I reached the top of the hill shortly after the mental conversation ended. I placed my hand over the ice dome and created a door to walk through. I kept the door open as I made the rest of my preparations. My stomach was rumbling. I ached for nourishment. Even if I wanted to spend the rest of my life pursuing the path of the mind, I could not ignore my need to eat.

I skated down the hill one last time and walked to the forest's edge. The trees were much too large for me to use. It would take me hours of labor to cut down and process them. That was energy I didn't have. My focus was on the ground. During the battle of mages these massive trees were used like ordinary weapons. They were thrown, speared, morphed, and exploded. There were bound to be remnants of the mighty battle trees left behind.