I'll keep your information and just polish it while making sure Gray doesn't master everything instantly and that gaining Ice Control (F) feels earned.
I thought about all the possible ways to use my Darkness Affinity, but no matter how much I tried, my mind remained blank. The only things I could think of were blinding techniques and smoke screens. Compared to Ice Affinity, Darkness was too unfamiliar to me.
"If I can't think of anything, I can always ask Amy later."
Unlike Darkness, both of us possessed Ice Affinity, so I had someone who could help me if I got stuck. But before asking for help, I wanted to try creating every spell I could think of by myself.
After thinking for a while, I realized that Ice Affinity had excellent defensive capabilities in addition to offensive ones. Ice walls, ice shields, barriers—those kinds of spells should be possible.
So I focused on creating an ice shield.
I imagined the shape of a round shield in front of me and poured mana into it. At first, only frost appeared in the air before disappearing. I frowned and tried again.
This time, a thin layer of ice began to form, but before it could take shape, cracks spread through it and the whole thing shattered.
"…Again."
I took a deep breath and focused more carefully.
On my third attempt, the mana finally responded properly. A shallow ice shield slowly formed in front of me. It wasn't large, and it definitely couldn't block any powerful attack, but it held its shape.
"I got the hang of it…"
Feeling encouraged, I continued experimenting.
Ice spikes.
Ice blades.
Ice needles.
Small walls.
Defensive barriers.
Most of them failed midway. Some broke apart immediately, while others consumed too much mana and collapsed before completion. But with every attempt, my control improved little by little.
Hours passed before I finally received a familiar notification.
[Congratulations! You have gained the skill: Ice Control (F)]
I stared blankly for a moment before a smile appeared on my face.
"Finally!"
It had taken me almost an entire day of experimentation and training, but I had finally gained my first elemental skill.
Since I was still a beginner, the skill was only F-rank. But skills could grow. If I someday obtained Space Control (F), I could train it until it became Space Control (E), replacing the previous rank. Of course, improving skills wasn't easy. Creating new spells, refining old ones, and accumulating experience were all necessary to raise their rank.
Today's training had taken a heavy toll on me.
Unlike physical exhaustion, I felt mentally drained. My mana was nearly empty, and using my imagination continuously had exhausted my mind.
"Let's see how much I've improved."
I called out in my mind.
"Status."
[ STATUS WINDOW ]
NAME : GRAY STARLIGHT
AGE : 8
RANK : G+
Bloodline : [Unawakened]
Physique : [Unawakened]
CLASS : NONE
TALENT : SS+
[Attributes]
Strength : G+
Agility : G+
Endurance : F
Mana : F
Mana Capacity : F+
Will : F+
Charm : S
Intelligence : C+
Luck : ??? (Random)
AFFINITIES :
ICE AFFINITY
DARKNESS AFFINITY
SPACE AFFINITY
Skills :
ICE CONTROL (F)
MASTERY :
SWORDSMANSHIP BEGINNER MASTERY (98%)
BIGINER MANA MASTERY (41%)
BOUND WEAPON :
NAME : ECLIPSE
Rank : ?? (Currently G+)
Abilities :
Lifesteal
"Hm… I made quite a bit of progress."
My Will had reached F+, and my Strength and Agility had improved as well. My overall rank had risen to G+, which was enough to satisfy me for now.
Most importantly, the skill section was no longer empty.
I finally had my first skill.
Ice Control (F).
As soon as I gained it, I could feel the difference. Manipulating ice became smoother, and I could use less mana to achieve the same result. My mana was also recovering little by little.
I could meditate and restore it faster, but I decided to stop for the day.
I walked over to Amy and sat down quietly beside her.
She was still training her sword seriously, sweat dripping down her forehead as she repeatedly practiced her swings.
Just because I had finished my own training didn't mean I had the right to interrupt hers.
That would be disrespectful.
So I simply sat there silently and watched my sister train, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere while waiting for her to finish.
I've polished your scene while keeping your personalities and events intact. I also toned down Astrid's reaction so she's surprised by SS+ talent but not overly shocked, since she's an experienced woman and the second-in-command of the Starlight family.
About a quarter of an hour later, Amy finally finished her training. By then, I was sitting beside the training area with one hand supporting my chin, half asleep while waiting for her.
After finishing her swings, she noticed my sleepy appearance and immediately got a mischievous idea.
A grin appeared on her face.
She silently coated her hand with ice and gently placed it on the back of my neck.
And waited.
I was already half asleep, so the moment the freezing sensation traveled down my spine, I jumped out of the chair.
"Ah!"
I hurriedly looked around in confusion, wondering what had happened.
Then I heard a small giggle.
Soon, it turned into uncontrollable laughter.
Seeing Amy laughing while holding her stomach, I immediately understood.
"You did that on purpose!"
But things were different now.
I had an element too.
Without hesitation, I coated both my hands with ice.
Seeing that, Amy's eyes widened.
"Gray, wait—!"
She immediately turned around and ran.
"Hmph! You're not getting away today!"
And thus began our chase.
We ran around the training ground, then outside into the mansion grounds. Amy kept running while laughing, and I chased after her with icy hands.
The maids and servants only smiled knowingly before continuing their work.
To them, this was nothing unusual.
Amy and I always bickered and fought over little things.
It was simply another normal day.
While chasing her, we suddenly spotted a tall woman with long black hair and sharp crimson eyes walking toward us.
Her appearance carried some resemblance to Mother. There were some similarities between her and Mother. While Mother possessed unmatched elegance, Astrid herself was an exceptional beauty capable of turning heads anywhere she went.
The second-in-command of the Starlight Family.
Mother's right hand.
Astrid Starlight.
The moment Amy saw her, she immediately hid behind her shamelessly.
"Astrid! Save me! A raging beast is chasing me!"
"What did you say?!"
I became even angrier and chased after her, but she kept circling around Astrid while using her as a shield.
"Just wait, Amy! I won't let you off today!"
Seeing us running circles around her, Astrid could only smile helplessly.
She stopped us by placing a hand on each of our heads.
"Whoa, whoa. What happened this time?"
She smiled.
"Why are you chasing your sister again? What did you two argue about this time?"
I immediately complained with an angry face.
"After training, I waited for her to finish. I got sleepy and almost fell asleep, then she used ice and put her hand behind my neck to wake me up!"
Amy puffed her chest out and replied with an innocent expression.
"I only woke up his lazy butt with some ice."
Astrid almost laughed at the sight.
Gray's angry face and Amy's innocent expression were simply too amusing.
But years of experience had taught her to control her emotions, so she only shook her head.
"Amy, don't bully your little brother too much."
Then she looked at me.
"And Gray, let it go this time."
Hearing Astrid support her, Amy became even smugger.
She stuck her tongue out and smiled victoriously.
"Bleeh~"
Seeing that, I became even more annoyed.
But I held it in.
"Fine. But next time, I won't let you off so easily. Just you wait!"
I turned my head away grumpily.
Both Amy and Astrid burst into laughter.
Astrid gently rubbed my head and messed up my hair.
Inside, however, she was feeling nostalgic.
'Ah… I missed this.'
'It's been almost seven months since I last saw these kids.'
She smiled softly.
"My little Gray has grown since I last saw you."
She pinched my cheek.
"And you've become even cuter."
Then she smiled warmly.
"I heard your awakening went well. The Matriarch already told me and gave me permission to personally oversee your training."
Her crimson eyes narrowed with curiosity.
"So, little Gray, what rank is your talent?"
Immediately, I puffed out my chest proudly.
"I got an SS+ talent!"
I raised my head high.
"Hmph… Aren't I amazing?"
Astrid chuckled at my childish pride.
"Yeah, yeah. You're the best."
I puffed out my chest proudly, unable to suppress my smile.
Seeing me act like that, Astrid couldn't help but smile.
She smiled indulgently.
"And truly, your talent is amazing."
Even she was surprised.
In this world, talent was something fixed.
Once awakened, it could never be changed.
What one was born with was what they would possess for the rest of their life.
At least, that was what most people believed.
Of course, there were rumors about certain evil organizations experimenting on children to artificially increase their talent.
But those experiments usually ended in tragedy.
Most subjects lost their sanity and became little more than mindless beasts.
Because of that, such forbidden research was hated throughout the world.
And because she understood better than anyone how precious talent was, Astrid couldn't help but feel proud.
After all—
The boy standing before her wasn't merely the young master of the Starlight Family.
He was one of the children she had practically helped raise.
There were also forbidden methods to increase one's power.
One way was through inhuman experiments, forcefully altering a person's talent. But such methods almost always ended in failure. Most subjects lost their sanity and became little more than mindless beasts.
The last and most forbidden method was to accept the power of demons.
Demons and alien beasts were mortal enemies of humanity. Both races sought humanity's destruction, making any cooperation with them an unforgivable crime.
A person could either allow a demon to possess their body or enter into a contract to borrow a demon's power. While the strength gained was immense, the price was equally terrible.
Demons were not beings that could be trusted.
Most people who accepted their contracts gradually lost control over themselves. Their emotions became twisted, their minds corrupted, and in severe cases, they completely lost their sense of self and transformed into mindless monsters that only knew destruction.
Because of that, anything related to demons was strictly forbidden throughout the human territories.
Even mentioning such practices openly could bring suspicion from powerful organizations dedicated to eliminating demonic influences.
And Astrid, who had witnessed the horrors caused by such creatures on the battlefield, hated them from the bottom of her heart.
No matter how desperate a person became—
Borrowing the power of demons was never worth the price.