Next is Lector's class again. When I fly over, the already gathered class eyes me with some fear. Ignoring them, I set down a field over. I already have permission from Lector to train during this time as I see fit, and there is something that I rather want to try.
I conjure a massive orb of water in the sky, and like with metal I force the particles together such that they will not separate, making them truly water in the sky. I then direct a massive ball of compressed fire into it, being sure to drink an endurance potion in the process.
[Seriously, though, why do I have to drink so many of these things? I have a pretty high resistance to magical exhaustion, that I should still get exhausted so often is rather ridiculous.]
The fire has the desired effect of turning the water into steam. Using wind to direct the steam, which is much harder to manipulate than liquid water, I force the steam together into a small cloud. Once the droplets of water within it have grown large enough, they begin to fall of their own accord. To further amuse myself, I direct an orb of lightning into the cloud and from it pull lighting bolts periodically, being sure to put out fires they light in the dry grass.
[Heh heh heh. Whoever said that training can't be fun?]
The answer to that question becomes apparent when I feel an aura coming from Lector's direction, something I have never felt from him before. I glance back with my heightened vision to see him glaring at me, as well as his whole class looking at me.
[Oops. I guess this was too distracting? I'm not really sure how this is more distracting than my normal process, though I guess this is literally designed to be a spectacle for my own amusement. Or maybe they are just hyper-aware of my after yesterday's display? Well, whatever the case, I probably should get rid of this storm before Lector gets rid of me.]
That thought in mind, I summon another massive fireball and utilize its heat to fully disperse the rain clouds.
Despite Lector's apparent protest, I cannot help but be happy at my success. After all, who wouldn't want to make storm clouds? Now, the effect could perhaps have been better if I could manipulate the darkness element; however, that element, and light besides, only become available at Master Elemental Manipulation. Why something so obvious as light and darkness require higher skill levels than emotions, I am not sure; however, the creator of this universe and the skill system that governs it has a very strange mind, so I guess this oddity can just be blamed on that.
Left with nothing else I really want to try, I spend the rest of my time practicing my various skills, many at the same time. Compacting, projection, multicasting, mana shaping, and other minor methods, all practiced with the goal of mastery.
These methods can combine to do nearly anything in the field of elemental manipulation. If I can only master these, my success in the future will be all but guaranteed.
Stepping back, I realize how greatly my powers have increased in my time here. Swordsmanship, magic, level, even learning to read… a truly great time of growth. My efforts, training day and night for months on end, alongside some truly unfair bonuses to leveling of both myself and my skills. When I first arrived here my apparent fate was to perish on a nameless battlefield for a country that has done nothing but enslave me, and now my power is approaching even the commanders here.
Of course, I still will have to be careful on the battlefield. Should someone on Lion's level show up, all my efforts will go down the drain. But if I can survive for even just a few years, assuming I can maintain this ludicrous rate of growth, I should surpass even him and enter into a territory where my primary goal of survival is nearly guaranteed so long as I avoid the truly powerful. And then I will move on to my more ambitious goal… or will I? Such a goal clearly conflicts with my higher aim of survival. Still, I can surely move towards my secondary goal in some ways while still remaining safe, right?
But this leads again to the question - what should occupy my priority? Am I willing to take some risks to bring judgment upon this world? Or will I cower in whatever position I deem safest, only angrily lashing out at this world when I feel it is safe to do so?
That any risk I take will be calculated beforehand is almost a given, so long as I am not impulsively driven to do something from powers beyond my control. So, perhaps I should calculate the impact of my actions on bringing this world to its knees with the cost to my goal of survival by doing so. Of course, my survival would be weighted several times higher than my secondary goal.
One may ask why this is even worth considering, to which I would reply that it certainly is. Otherwise, say that I have an opportunity to destroy a monarchy which is in favor of slavery, with the risk being only a slight chance of being caught and executed. I would have to see past the risk and take the opportunity.
On the other hand, say that there is a slim but possible chance of taking out the monarchy through poisoning, with a very high chance of getting caught. I would have to know exactly where my values lie to properly make such a decision.
So, an answer is in order. And my answer is as such: should I deem the impact towards goal two to be positive with no negative impact on goal one, I shall pursue it. Should I deem the impact on goal one to be at least moderately positive with only a moderate negative impact to goal two, I shall pursue it. Should I deem the impact on goal two to be greatly positive with only a slight negative impact on goal one, I shall pursue it.
Conversely, I shall not at all pursue my second goal through any condition in which my first will be negatively impacted to at least a moderate level, nor shall I pursue it for slight benefit in the second area at a cost of slight detriment in area one.
As to what determines benefit and detriment, such is rather simple. For my first goal, benefit is anything that prolongs my life or guards against death, while detriment is anything that comes with the risk of cutting my longevity in any way. In this area, the degree is determined both by likelihood of detriment and extent to which my longevity and chance of survival change as a result.
As for the second goal, benefit is determined by negative impact on this world's institutions and inhabitants, detriment being the inverse and the degree being again based on likelihood and extent of change to this world's condition.
Though these are still rather vague, I figure that they will grant me some aid in determining how to behave in situations where there is conflict between my goals.
Once Lector dismisses his class, I trod back towards him, more than a little fearful of his anger with me for distracting his students.
"My apol-" is all I can get out before I am cut off.
"Bah! No need to apologize; your demonstration was an amusing spectacle, I just wanted you to stop before my class completely fell apart. Don't worry about it."
Mentally sighing in relief, I respond "Well, I apologize anyway, for making your job more difficult than it needed to be."
"Hmph. You need to get better at following my orders; when I say 'don't worry about it,' I mean as I say: you need not worry about it."
"On the battlefield, perhaps I may."
"Grr…"