Steam curled into the air, swirling gently around Alex as he leaned back against the edge of the bathtub, his body sinking into the soothing warmth of the water. A dull exhaustion settled deep into his bones, his muscles aching from the ordeal.
Six hours. That was all it had taken him.
An entire E-rank dungeon—one that even a well-balanced D-rank party of four or five members would need at least twelve hours to clear safely.
Even an optimized speed run, with no breaks, would have required at least eight hours. Yet, he had done it alone. And this was his first time.
Letting out a slow exhale, he felt the tension in his body gradually unravel. The heat of the water seeped into his weary limbs, a soothing balm against his exhaustion. Inch by inch, the fatigue drifted away, carried off by the gentle ripples in the bath.
Just as Alex was about to close his eyes and relish the rare moment of tranquility, Aurora's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"I was the one who taught you magic, taught you spells, and helped you… but you never seem to give me anything." she huffed, her tone laced with exaggerated grievance.
Alex's eyes snapped open in shock, nearly jolting upright in the water. "Huh?!—Wait, what the hell are you even doing here?!"
A flicker of amusement colored Aurora's voice. "What? Are you getting shy now?" she teased. "You never seem to complain when you bathe with your master."
Alex's face twitched, caught off guard by the unexpected remark. "Y-You—!" He quickly sank lower into the water as if that would somehow shield him from the sheer absurdity of the situation. "That's completely different! Master is—!" He stopped himself before he dug his own grave.
Aurora let out an exaggerated sigh, feigning hurt. "I see how it is… You're starting to favor your master now, huh? I feel so neglected."
Alex narrowed his eyes. He could practically see her pouting smugly in his mind. 'She's just messing with me.'
With a sigh, he rubbed his temples. "And what exactly do you want, oh great Aurora?"
"Hmph. Nothing now, but I'll let you know when I decide." she declared smugly, clearly pleased that he had acknowledged her grievance.
Alex smirked, sinking deeper into the warm water as he delivered a sharp jab of his own. "Just don't forget—you still owe me a Tier-5 spell."
For a brief moment, Aurora went silent. Then, with an exaggerated huff, she scoffed, "Ugh, you just had to bring that up, didn't you?"
Alex chuckled. "Of course. I'm just keeping track of my debts, since you seem so concerned about fairness."
Aurora clicked her tongue in mild annoyance. "Fine, fine. I'll keep my promise… So? Want to learn one now?"
Alex leaned back, letting the warmth of the bath soothe his sore muscles as he replied casually, "Hmm… I'd like to learn one, but not right now."
Aurora perked up, curiosity evident in her voice. "Oh? And why's that?"
A slow grin spread across Alex's face as he glanced at his system interface, his eyes locking onto a particular number. "Because," he said, barely able to hide his excitement, "I finally have enough System Points to acquire a new magic affinity."
His eyes gleamed as he stared at the SP total—over 500. His heart pounded with anticipation.
Aurora let out an amused hum. "Oh? Right, you mentioned you could acquire more magic affinities through that system. So… which one are you going for?"
"Ah, well… same as with dark magic, it's all randomized. I don't get to pick which affinity I'll get."
He navigated through the system interface, his finger hovering for a moment before selecting Awaken Random Magic Affinity. The instant he confirmed his choice, 100 SP vanished from his total.
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[The host has awakened Ice Magic Affinity]
[Magic Affinity: Ice (F)]
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Alex's excitement surged as he stared at the notification, his mind racing with possibilities. He had awakened his second magic affinity—but Ice Magic? He wasn't sure how to feel about it.
He knew the basics, of course. Ice magic typically involved freezing and slowing enemies, but beyond that, its full potential was a mystery to him. Was it versatile? Was it strong? He had no idea.
Before he could dwell on it further, Aurora's eager voice cut through his thoughts.
"What magic affinity did you acquire?" she asked, practically buzzing with excitement as she leaned over his shoulder, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Her enthusiasm was infectious, but Alex could only offer a wry chuckle. "Ice Magic—but it's only F-rank." he replied, still unsure of what to make of it.
Aurora let out an excited gasp, her voice practically ringing with enthusiasm.
"Wow! That's amazing!" she exclaimed. "Do you even realize what this means? You're now one in a million mages who possess dual magic affinities! That alone sets you apart from the masses!"
Alex raised an eyebrow, intrigued but still processing. "Is it really that rare?"
"Of course! Most people are born with a single affinity, and only a handful ever awaken a second one in their lifetime. But you? You've already done it at such an early stage!" Aurora's voice brimmed with excitement. "And not only that—with Ice Magic Affinity, you also gain access to Water Magic as a sub-element!"
Alex blinked. "Wait… seriously?"
"Obviously!" Aurora huffed, as if it were common knowledge. "Ice is a derivative of Water, so awakening Ice Magic automatically grants you some proficiency with Water Magic as well. It won't be as strong as someone with a natural Water affinity, but you'll still be able to use it."
Alex's curiosity deepened. "Then what about other magic affinities? I don't know much about them."
Aurora chuckled softly, slipping into a lecturing tone, clearly relishing the opportunity to showcase her knowledge.
"Magic affinities are mainly divided into two major categories—Main and Advanced," Aurora began. "Within the Main category, there are two subcategories: Common and Rare. Since there are too many to list, I'll just cover the basics."
She paused briefly before continuing, "Elements like Fire, Earth, Water, Wind, and Lightning are all considered Common affinities. Dark and Light, on the other hand, are classified as Rare. Though Lightning sometimes falls into a gray area—it's not as widespread as the Common elements, but it's not as rare as Dark or Light either."
Allowing Alex a moment to absorb the information, she pressed on, "Now, as you can probably tell, Ice is an Advanced version of Water. Similarly, Metal is an Advanced form of Earth. However, not all elements have an Advanced version."
Alex mulled over her words before asking, "Then does it work the other way around too? Can someone with Water magic affinity use Ice magic?"
Aurora nodded. "Yes, but there's a catch. A Water-affinity mage can use Ice Magic to a certain extent. But those with an Advanced affinity—can wield their Main element with far greater ease and effectiveness."
Alex's curiosity deepened. "Then what about Light and Dark? Do they also have Advanced versions?"
Aurora responded thoughtfully, "Well, Rare Main magic affinities don't have direct Advanced versions like the Common ones. But they do have something close—variants. In the case of Light and Dark, their notable variants are Holy and Abyss. You could call them Advanced versions, but that wouldn't be entirely accurate."
"Variants?" Alex repeated, intrigued.
"Yes," Aurora continued. "For example, combining Fire and Light creates Solar Flare, but replacing Light with Holy instead gives you Holy Fire."
"I see… so it's more complex than I thought." Alex crossed his arms, processing the new information. "Interesting. I assume each element has its own strengths and weaknesses too?"
Aurora nodded. "Exactly. Every magic affinity has its advantages and drawbacks. Take Dark Magic, for example—it excels in destruction but consumes more mana than other attributes. Ice Magic, on the other hand, is incredibly versatile but demands precise control and mastery."
She let the thought linger before adding, "Theoretically, in terms of magic attribute interactions, attacks using a favorable attribute deal around 1.5 times the damage, while attacks with a non-favorable attribute deal only about 0.75 times their usual power. And if an attack is made using the same magic affinity as the target's, its effectiveness drops even further—down to 0.5 times."
After a brief silence, Aurora's voice carried a hint of anticipation.
"That's why you should aim to acquire as many magic affinities as possible. It's not just about increasing your raw power—it's about versatility. The more affinities you have, the wider your range of spells and the better your adaptability in battle. Mastering elemental matchups will give you a significant edge over your opponents."
Alex considered her words carefully and nodded. She was right. Magic wasn't just about strength—it was about strategy, adaptability, and control.
Aurora's tone then took on an excited edge. "And now, your Dark Ice will become even more powerful!"
Alex's eyes widened slightly. Dark Ice—a spell that combined Dark Magic with Ice Magic—had already been formidable. But now, with his newly awakened Ice affinity, its power would increase exponentially.