Magic Affinity

Master was very brutal though.

He made me run every single day. He said that it’s to make body strong. Well, thanks to him I had already controlled my mana and I knew how to cast basic spells.

Controlling mana was specifically so hard. It’s just like balancing your weight while crossing a rope. After learning the basics of mana, Master made me undergo an affinity test. He also explained that a person with a magic affinity can most likely be marked with a spell that corresponds with that affinity. This helped me identify what kind of magic spells can I wield. Even wizards are presumably unable to cast certain spells on those who lack the necessary affinity.

He mentioned that there were common magic affinity types like Flight, Earth, Water, Fire and Air. These affinities are common and usually not dangerous. It requires less training and is very easy to develop.

Harnessing the powers of Lightning, Poison, Clay, Ice, and Magma can pose greater challenges and risks, demanding significant training to master. Acquiring these abilities may require more time and effort, depending on the innate talents or dedication of the user.

He also specified the rare affinities such as Light and Dark. Such affinities are rare in nature. This may be because they are difficult to develop or because the public avoids them. These are double-edged swords, as they require sacrifice from the user.

The rarest affinities of all were Celestial, Holy and Demonic. These affinities are extremely rare in nature. These are typically difficult to develop from scratch and require extensive training to use effectively.

“That’s hard to take.” Well, I couldn’t memorize all of it.

“One can only have one affinity. In some rare cases, you can have two.” He also added.

“So what’s your affinity, Master?” I curiously asked him. I didn’t mean any harm though.

“I have the ice and light affinity.” He stared at me. Shouldn’t he be proud of it? He had two magic affinities.

“You’re amazing, Master.” I said with a smile on my face. “You must’ve been through a lot of hardships because you have a rare affinity.” I added. “Having a light affinity could develop envy from other people. Well, you’re possibly being hated by the other wizards.” I explained.

“How did you know?” He asked. Were you that dense?

"You possess an uncommon magical talent and also some good looks," I remarked nonchalantly, with no malice intended.

"You're quite an odd one," he responded, looking taken aback by my words. Then, he gave a faint smile. Only a hint of one.

To test your affinity, you have to drop your blood in a mana-based water. Regular water won’t do. Because I was too busy memorizing all the affinities I had no time exploring how the other affinities work.

As my blood touched the water's surface, a miraculous transformation unfolded, with sand and vines emerging and taking root.

“You have the affinity of Earth. It’s a common one.” He seemed satisfied.

“Really?” Thank God! I really wanted a normal life here.

When we were about to stand up, the glass of water started cracking and erupting, turning the water into a fiery hot liquid like a magma.

“It looks like you also have a Magma affinity.” Master and I were taken aback, but the most astonishing moment was witnessing the water slowly morph into a luminous white hue before shattering the glass entirely.

It seemed I possessed three affinities, a very rare occurrence.

When the glass shattered, Master protected me from it by using a defense magic.

After the whole scene, he grabbed my shoulders.

“You must never tell anyone about this.” He looked so worried. That time, I didn’t know the seriousness of the situation I was in.

“Even if you don’t tell me, I will.” I replied.

“How can this be possible?” After saying that, he sat down the chair and started thinking deeply.

The only explanation that I could think of was because I have two identities, Klea and Valkyrie.

“Master, what is my third affinity?” I asked him.

“It’s better if you don’t know.” He stood from his seat. “You can only use earth and magma affinity in the final selection. I forbid you in using your third affinity, Val.” Why are you calling me in my nickname all of a sudden?

“It’s the first time you called me. It had another impact because you called me in my nickname. Aren’t you embarrassed?” I asked him. It was really sudden.

“Do you want me to call you ‘crown princess’ instead? I can call you that, your royal highness.” He smirked. What a jerk!

“Master, do you want to die?” I was pissed off. I started throwing punches but he could easily evade them.

***

My rigorous magic training started.

Having the earth magic was just right for me. I could use spells related to manipulating the earth, such as creating earthquakes, shaping stone or metal, controlling plants, and summoning creatures of the earth like golems or elemental beings.

I started memorizing the spells. It was hard but luckily, Master was with me. He made me memorize the spell books and everything.

“μηδεὶς ῡ̔μῶν λεγέτω!” And we started having mock fights together. I launched a floral attack but he easily evaded it. I kept hitting him but no attack could reach him. Well, he was considered a genius wizard. Wasn’t that a bit unfair?

“Master, stop moving around and let me hit you just one time!” I was already annoyed.

“Ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ!” I launch a sandstorm on his way, but just as usual, he managed to get away again. “Damn gymnast!” I wiped my sweat. He was really something.

“You are too impulsive and reckless.” He slammed the book he was holding on my head.

“Ouch!” I reacted. “Hey, what was that for?” I reasoned out.

“You tend to overuse your mana. Try being calm, so you could assess your opponent’s movements.” He advised while walking away from me. “Ah? By the way, let’s try catching some fish for dinner. Riri will like it.” He added.

He’s trying to get close to Riri. Every time Master plays with him, Riri always scratches him. I find them funny and cute.

Our carefree days were running out.

***

“Καλῶς γράφει, δῡν εἴληφα.” I tried splitting the ground so I could outbalance Master who were like playing with me during our battle together. We did our battles in a plain field.

When the ground split, magma appeared out of it.

“Oh? You already mastered your Magma affinity in just one month? Excellent.” It’s the first time Master gave me such a praise.

I caught him by surprise and he really did stumble a little.

“Gotcha! Ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ!” I launched my sandstorm spell but he still evaded it again.

Is he really a human?

“You should try attacking when you think your opponent is too comfortable. Tomorrow is the day of the final selection, Val.” He reminded me again.

“Yes, I know! Stop pressuring me, Master!” I already knew that. I keep attacking him but he never once attacked me. He only evaded my magic. He’s clearly going easy on me.

I gave up.

“Are you done?” He asked me.

I only witnessed Master wield his magic once. That was when he defended me during my affinity test. When the glass shattered and I almost got hit by it.

“Master, I already know that you’re a popular figure here in the enchanted forest. You’ve been branded as a genius wizard.” I admit that he’s outstanding at such a young age but I couldn’t stop myself from asking him, “Does being a genius allow you to use your magic without reading a magic spell?” He taught me that you have to voice out every magic spell, but he never did it himself.

“You already noticed that?” He smilingly asked me. “Between you and I, I truly believe you’re the genius one.” He added.

“What?” I reacted.

“It took me five months to master my ice affinity and eight months to master my light affinity, and you did yours only after a month.” He explained. “You have summoned a familiar without any ritual and any proper knowledge of mana foundation. No one has done that before.” He added. He continued explaining. “You are a rare existence. You possess a third affinity, untrained but a very rare affinity.” He came close to me.

“Master, my question is not about me. It’s about you.” He was trying to dodge the subject here.

“Let’s see? You’re asking why I can access magic without voicing out a magic spell?” He turned his back on me and suddenly took a glance of me again. “If you pass the final selection, I’ll tell you.” As soon as the words left his lips, his shimmering white hair and golden eyes resonated with the radiance of the sun. It was a sight so stunningly beautiful that it remains vivid in my memory to this day.

My master, Eisen, never really smiled that way before. I know from the bottom of my heart that the smile he showed that day was genuine but at the same time, somber.