We were teleported back to the Intermediary Floor in a sudden flash of white. The bitter cold vanished instantly, replaced by the familiar warmth and hum of the room. The floor beneath us was solid again—smooth and polished. My breath still came out in shaky clouds, but the frost was already fading from my skin.

  Sosuke was the only one there. He sat slouched on the couch, one leg over the other, lazily crunching on a bag of chips. When he sensed our arrival, he turned his head slightly, his usual smug grin forming as crumbs fell from his lip.

  “Good job.” he said casually, as if I hadn’t just fought a twenty-foot-tall monster by myself. For him, it was probably a walk in the park.

  Mary nodded politely. “Thanks.”

  That was all she said before heading off toward the game room. She especially likes the Playstation Three.

  I didn’t respond. My thoughts were already elsewhere.

  The yeti was strong—its physical power far exceeded mine. That fight taught me something important: I can’t rely on raw strength. My class and choices so far just weren't built for it. Even with enhancements, my base stats won’t let me compete with monsters built purely for power.

  Speed and magic, though... that’s different.

  Using those spells drained my mana by roughly fifteen percent. Not terrible, but enough to make me cautious. My reserves were high for now, but that wouldn’t last forever—not at this rate. The fireballs were the real disappointment. I had poured extra mana into them, forcing the spell to compress tighter than usual before release. The result should’ve been devastating. Instead, the yeti shrugged them off like I was throwing sparks. That kind of resistance meant one thing...

  I had to continue upgrading my class.

  Following the pattern, this must be an upgrade to Earth Wall.

  Well—perhaps not exactly an upgrade, but definitely a replacement. Earth Wall has outstayed its welcome. I can’t see through it, and at best it creates thick barriers or spheres that block both sight and sound. Light, though... light feels more malleable.

  Yes.

  I opened my palm. “Light Wall.”

  A circular glow formed above my hand, bright but soft, rippling like liquid sunlight. The air shimmered faintly as a translucent pane of radiance spread outward, about the size of my palm at first before stabilizing at twice that. The pattern in the magic circle was the same one from Heavenly Wrath.

  I leaned closer. The wall was thin, like glass made of condensed light. I could see my own reflection in it, blurred and refracted by shifting lines of energy. My instincts told me this was far more stable than Earth Wall ever was.

  I needed to test it.

  I extended two fingers toward the far end of the room. “Lightning Bolt.”

  The air cracked as a pulse of raw electricity gathered midair. The bolt formed instantly. It was now purple. I tensed up, bracing for impact.

  The lightning struck the barrier.

  And nothing happened.

  No recoil, no heat, not even a flicker. The bolt dissolved into the light as though it had been swallowed whole. The Light Wall absorbed it completely. Even the static in the air faded almost immediately.

  I lowered my hand slowly. My palm tingled, but there was no pain, no resistance. I could still feel the faint echo of the mana network in my arm. I think I just absorbed the mana. My reserves are the same as before. I wonder how it'd work for physical attacks.

  I turned toward Sosuke, who was lounging on the couch as if nothing had happened. “Hey.” I said, still watching the dissipating traces of light. “Are you not worried?”

  Sosuke raised an eyebrow, a chip halfway to his mouth. “You ignore my compliment, then ask me a question?”

  I stayed silent.

  He shrugged and took a slow bite. “Everybody here has earned my respect.” he said finally, brushing salt from his fingers. “Even you. They won’t fall to something like this.”

  Sosuke picked up the remote and flipped on the TV. The room was suddenly filled with the sound of some shounen anime opening, energetic and loud. He leaned back, eyes locked on the screen when what I assume to be the main character appeared.

  He gestured toward it with a lazy grin. “Trust in them a bit more.”