[This work has been translated and may contain translation or meaning errors.]
The wood of the cabin creaked under the constant wind. Outside, the sound of leaves was muffled by the fog that covered the forest of Antares.
Haikai, seated at the small table, watched Melina closely as she tried to control the mana in her body.
"Again," he ordered, his voice firm.
Melina closed her eyes, took a deep breath, gathering the energy around her core. But once again, the mana slipped away… dissipating into the air.
"Damn…" she muttered, frustrated with herself.
Haikai let out a soft laugh, pouring tea into two clay cups.
"You've improved. In the beginning, you could barely sense your own mana."
"But it's still not enough…" Melina replied, taking the cup with trembling hands.
Silence fell. The scent of hot tea mixed with the cold forest air.
Then Haikai broke the silence.
"Melina… you know time flows differently here compared to the upper floors, right?"
She looked up.
"I know. Each floor multiplies time by three."
Haikai nodded.
"On the fifth floor, one year here equals three up there. If we want to speed up your progress… we can go up."
He paused. His gaze became distant, as if seeing someone else in her place.
"It will be cold. Harder. The conditions are harsh… and the monsters, lethal for you. I'll deal with them while you train. Measurement, mana accumulation… and Evaluation."
Melina took a deep breath. She knew the weight of it.
But she also knew what she wanted.
"I accept," she said firmly, without hesitation.
"If it's to become strong… if it's to survive… I want this."
Haikai smiled, his gaze gentle, almost paternal.
"You remind me… of someone very dear."
He looked down, sorrow in his voice.
"We'll leave at dawn."
Melina nodded.
The Antares forest seemed to sense the farewell.
The freezing air hit Melina the moment the portal closed behind them. The ground was covered in bluish snow, and the constant wind brought small ice crystals that cut like blades.
She shivered, hugging her arms.
"Too… cold…" she murmured, teeth chattering.
Haikai, beside her, seemed unfazed by the weather. His cloak flapped in the wind.
"This is the fifth floor. A world of eternal ice… where monsters lurk in the shadows." He pointed to the horizon, where ice peaks rose like walls. "Here… your training time is worth threefold."
Melina breathed deeply. The cold air burned her lungs.
"Even so… I'll endure."
Haikai gave a faint smile, walking ahead.
"I'll set up a cabin. We didn't take long on the fourth floor… and it won't be different here."
As they walked through the snow, Melina kept her Evaluation ability active.
The ice held intense magical properties, and the dense mana made manipulation difficult.
"The mana here… is heavier," she commented.
"Yes," Haikai replied. "A great place to build your resistance and control."
He stopped in a clearing, planting his sword into the ground.
"I'll clear the area. Stay close, but don't come near."
Melina nodded.
Shadows appeared among the hills — massive creatures with frozen carapaces and sharp fangs.
Melina swallowed hard.
But Haikai advanced.
The old warrior-mage moved like the wind. Blades and lightning spells merged in a spectacle Melina had never imagined.
In minutes, the creatures were dead.
She approached, activating Evaluation.
[Evaluation]
Race: Ice Behemoth Carcass
Class: Failed
Subclass: Failed
Note: Lethal for beginners and intermediates. Body holds high concentration of ice mana.
She trembled — not just from the cold, but from the vast power gap.
"See?" Haikai cleaned his blade. "Raw power doesn't always win. With the right technique, even superior monsters fall."
Melina nodded.
"I… want to learn."
He turned, his gaze gentle.
"And you will. Here… you have time."
The cabin was ready in a few days. Made from magical wood from the fourth floor and reinforced with enchanted crystals, it resisted the cold and storms.
Melina sat in the center of the room, trying to concentrate the mana. The dense, icy air made everything harder.
"Slower," Haikai guided. "Here, mana is dense. Forcing absorption will tear your channels."
She tried.
Mana particles danced, her skin burned.
"I can't…" she murmured.
Haikai chuckled.
"You're doing better than I imagined. In the beginning, my granddaughter…"
He stopped.
"You had a granddaughter?" Melina asked.
Haikai nodded.
"I did. She… was like you. Determined, even when the world was falling apart." He paused. "I lost her many years ago."
Melina remained silent, then smiled.
"I… thank you for helping me, Master Haikai. Even though I'm just an Evaluator…"
"Don't say that," he said, serious. "You are much more than that."
His eyes softened. "Maybe… this is fate giving me a chance to do things differently."
The bond between them grew stronger without them realizing.
More than master and disciple — it was a connection of solitude and redemption.
The training continued.
Melina spent hours meditating, shaping small energy spheres between her fingers.
"Focus on the base of your palm," Haikai taught. "Mana here is easy to condense, hard to maintain."
He demonstrated, creating a bluish sphere.
"Try."
Melina failed dozens of times.
The spheres exploded, mana dispersed.
But she didn't give up.
Haikai also made her practice wooden sword techniques, balancing in snow, silent movement, falls, and dodges.
One night, during a storm, Haikai woke her.
"Come."
Still sleepy, she followed him outside.
The world was nothing but wind and ice. But above, the sky glowed with magical auroras.
"Why did you bring me here?"
"Because you're ready."
Haikai placed the carapace of an Ice Behemoth in front of her.
"Evaluate it."
"But…" she hesitated.
"Do it."
Melina touched the carapace and activated the ability.
[Evaluation: Frozen Mana Core]
Note: Mana residue from a High-Class creature. Can be absorbed in small doses for gradual magical resistance enhancement. Excessive use may be lethal.
But then… Melina felt it.
The creature was still alive.
Haikai observed her.
"Don told me about your ability… to devour victims and acquire powers."
Melina's eyes widened.
"Are you sure, master?"
"Yes."
Melina hesitated… then finished the creature off.
She destroyed the body with her ability, absorbing everything.
[System]
Your ability has evolved to Gluttony Level 1
You can now acquire up to 3 abilities per devour.
You can sacrifice abilities to level up others.
New Ability Acquired
Cold Resistance Level 1
Regulates temperature down to -20°C. Below that, body maintains 37°C.
New Ability Acquired
Broad Mana Conversion Level 1
Absorbs ambient mana 30% more efficiently.
New Ability Acquired
Behemoth's Steel Body Level 1
4x more resistant to magical attacks
2x more resistant to physical attacks
Melina's eyes gleamed.
"This…"
Haikai smiled.
"We'll start working with this tomorrow."
He sighed. "My granddaughter would've liked to meet you."
Melina clenched her fist.
"I will get stronger, Master. For me… and for her."
The fifth floor, cruel and frozen, became the stage for the rebirth of someone who never imagined being more than an Evaluator.
And Haikai, for the first time in a long while… felt that perhaps, lost time could be recovered.