I breathed out, cold air spewing out from my mouth as the bluish green aurora light from my fingertips glowed.

I swiped my fingers to the right, still maintaining my rune seal.

"...It worked"

I small grin formed on my face as I looked around the area, spikes of ice reaching out to the sky scattered around. 

This was one of the few spells that I have made over the past few days.

Although this one was the first completed spell after 'Freeze'. My other spells are still incomplete with some not doing what I want it to do which was really frustrating.

However I could call this a success having found some of the conditions in making a spell out of my rune.

It took a lot of time and many trials and errors but this serves as a fundamental basis for future improvements considering what Leyana has told me about the limits of rune spells.

"Ok two down~"

I brought out my journal, writing down my new spell. After I wrote it down, I looked over the findings and conditions that I discovered.

===

*If written wrong the rune will shatter

*The rune seal should be active to cast. It won't work if I speak without it in place.

*I cant write the runes using any other part of my body, just my fingers

*I can't write on constructs I made

*I cant write multiple runes unless I use the first one first

*The starting point of my spells always comes out of where I wrote it

*The runes only stays for about 30 minutes before it shatters or vanishes

*Each spell drains an equal amount of arcane proportionate to the quantity of ice I produce (still open for changes)

*Amount of spells I could use is 16 max if consecutive but maybe more if done in enough intervals in between (could be improved through circuit capacity)

===

The last one reminded me of what happened a day ago where Ben had apparently broken through the lower threshold of Arrayed stage and is now on the upper threshold.

On the morning assembly, he notified our instructors if anything was wrong with him since he felt very different from the usual. He also emphasized the increase in arcane in his body.

After a quick look from the couple, they immediately concluded that he had broken through a stage on his circuits hence the power up.

The news made him very happy as he fist bumped right there and then. I could understand his excitement since he had basically met the basic minimum goal of this whole training camp.

Although I was happy for him, it made me realize that we don't have much time at all left having the first week of the last month gone by already.

At that time, Rea had a poker face on, not showing any hints of surprise or emotion whatsoever but I had my suspicions that she wasn't doing great like me.

'I could understand how she felt though' I grimaced

Everyday I could see her at the morning assembly looking more wearer than the last every time she goes with Mrs. Nellie to train.

Her state could clearly also be seen when we ate together as we listened to the lectures and stories of our instructors.

Normally she would be listening intently but I've noticed that she was out of focus. 

In my case, I never listened seriously since most of the stuff they covered were already explained to me by the princess even if I didn't want to at all.

I wanted to have a talk with her to see if she's doing ok seeing that I was also becoming more agitated as well myself.

Alas she was always busy in the morning and even at night where I tried to visit her tent that one time only to realize that she wasn't there.

I couldn't ask her about where she went or what she did at night. It was clearly an invasion of privacy in my opinion

All I could do was watch over her as her friend

'..All I could do huh~' I thought sarcastically.

I sighed as I looked over again at my notes.

===

*Limitations could be unlocked by circuit breakthrough (unproven)

===

I understood at some point that Ben's rapid growth was a cause of his ability directly affecting his physique and circuits so doing the same wouldn't benefit me at all.

"...At least now I can hope to match my weaknesses with my spell"

I muttered going over the most important discovery that I had written down.

===

Conditions:

-Conjuring any weapons and structures that are too complex are impossible to create, this may be due to my own limited imagination or my runes' own inherent limit

-I can conjure constructs that are naturally formed or found innately in the nature. For example freezing grounds, Icicles

-I can't create hail or snow (reasons still unknown)

-With enough concentration, I could mold a pillar of Ice into a manmade construct such as a wall, a dome or slide

-By swiping my rune seal either left or right after I cast a spell, the rune won't dissapear. It basically links it to another spell however I can only do it twice for now.

-I can't melt the ice I create but I can shatter it by using a link spell.The way it shatter may go either inward or outward, depending on how I want it to be.

===

I was confused at first as to why I couldn't make anything at all. I was starting to think I was too dumb to create anything other than freeze things.

But luckily I was able to pull through by remembering what that Goddess said about the Inverno rune, that it must be plausible to it's nature or capabilities.

That conjecture explains why I could cast freeze easily while swords, spears and shields are a no go.

Hence I started guessing words that were naturally related to ice as much as I could and that's where I started to advance in my findings up to now.

'Fortunately it didn't take that much time, now I only need to polish this more..'

I clenched my hands as I started to walk back to camp and before I left I spoke, my rune seal in an aurora hue.

"[-Shatter]"

All the ice in the area shattered instantenously as the shards flew upwards slowly making it seem that the place didn't have huge ice spikes a while ago.

----

I was eating beef stew, savoring each bite like it's my last. After I got transported to this world, I have learned to appreciate meat like it's the most treasured luxury in the world.

If soup was my staple food then anything meat is like something from a michelin star restaurant. 

'To hell with soup!' I thought as I swallowed.

As I was savoring my food, I felt a stare looking at my bowl. I glanced to the side where Ben was salivating staring straight at my beef stew.

I noticed that his bowl was already empty.

"..Hey Co-"

"Not going to give you any~"

I interjected as he slumped down in defeat and his face showing despair, he then decided to just listen to Mr. Harold talk about military strategies which was akin to a radio repeating over and over.

'This beef stew is mine you hear!'

I looked to my side as I heard girls giggling.

Leyana and Rea was talking to each other, not minding Mr. Harold talk like no tommorrow.

"What is a television? No records show that kind of device from previous champions" the princess asked inquisitively.

"Well...Leya imagine it like a medium where theatric plays are held, only smaller" Rea explained

"I see.."

'..You're skipping some details there.'

I was a little relieved from that sight. I was really worried about Rea but I was grateful for the princess on accompanying her at these time where Im practically useless.

I turned towards my bowl as our dinner continued through the night.

-----

I was heaving and puffing out cold air as I slumped down, deactivating {Gliding Strides} for a second to rest.

"[-Shatter]"

The ice construct shattered downwards against the ground of the general training area.

I was just done doing my arts training after finishing what seemed to be the last session for parrying which meant that I was going to be taught attacks although counterattacks in particular.

'She didn't seem that enthusiastic about that though' 

I mused after remembering the look on her reluctant face as she told me.

"You clearly don't want to do it...you ditz princess"

I mumbled as I started to go back as I used my arts, passing  through the area where Ben usually trained.

"Colt?"

Although as I passed through the place while using {Gliding Strides}, someone called out to me which caught me off guard as I turned my head to the voice.

"...Rea?"

There was Rea crouched down behind a rock pillar, her eyes glowing pale blue but most of all, trails of tears were flowing down her brown eyes as she sniffed.