The next day, in the afternoon, Kael was sitting in his room, looking at the elemental crystal in front of him. He thought, "When I asked Lucas how long we could keep the crystal, he said it had to be returned to the Runecrafter Conclave in two days. So I took it from him, saying I'd study the seals on it in the meantime."
Kael continued staring at the crystal, then reached out and picked it up. He focused mana into his eyes, observing the rune seals on each side of the crystal.
Although channeling mana into sensitive organs like the eyes, nose, or ears requires precise control, so that they can't damage the organ by concentrating too much especially the eyes which are very delicate, But it wasn't difficult for Kael as he had focused heavily on mana control before learning lightning spells and Flicker Step. Also, every runecrafter would need to learn this if they want to analyze the complex runes and seal formations, so Helena helped him once he reached the intermediate level in runecrafting. Kael mastered it in just a week, learning to properly focus the mana in his eyes. This method also offers additional benefits, such as enhancing one's vision—allowing them to see much more clearly and at much greater distances.
After analyzing the rune seals on the crystal, Kael thought, 'As I guessed, the runes in these seals aren't of intermediate level. They must've been inscribed by a master runecrafter. There are a total of thirteen different seals on the crystal—one on each of the twelve sides, and a thirteenth seal that links all of them together to form a complete formation.
Each of the twelve seals contains six different runes. Out of those six, one is an elemental rune placed at the center, two runes are responsible for producing the color corresponding to that element when mana of that affinity is infused, and the remaining three are reinforcement runes that ensure the seal functions properly.
The elemental rune symbols used in this crystal are far more advanced than what I'm familiar with.I easily identified the fundamental and compound elemental runes, but the arcane elemental runes—they're completely new to me. I was only able to determine which element they represent because of the color-producing runes in the seal, which activate when mana is infused.
At first, I thought there would be a separate rune set specifically for identifying someone's elemental affinity. But it turns out, it's just a clever combination of intermediate and master-level rune sequences. When mana with a fire affinity is passed into the crystal, the seal with the fire elemental rune reacts, and the color runes produce a vibrant red glow. Then, the thirteenth seal—which binds the twelve—spreads that glow across the entire crystal, making the whole thing light up in red. It's a lot like writing logic back in my old world. As long as you understand the logic, the code practically writes itself.
I should record these seals in my notebook for future study.'
He immediately drew the seal formations in his notebook. After finishing, he inspected his drawing and nodded in satisfaction, it was accurate.
Kael then closed the notebook and turned his attention back to the crystal, observing it closely.
'The seals are engraved into the mana stone itself. I remember that these stones form naturally in dungeons and areas dense with mana. Normally, these stones hold an enormous amount of mana since they form in such high concentrations. But this one is completely empty. I suppose they specifically use depleted mana stones for crafting these types of crystals. Even though the stone has lost the mana it once held, it still retains the property of glowing when mana is infused. Without any seals, an empty mana stone glows pure white when filled with mana.
So the color the crystal emits is entirely determined by the seals, influenced by the elemental affinity of the mana user. If the user has fire affinity, the glow turns a vibrant red; water results in a deep turquoise; wind becomes a soft white; and earth manifests as a rich brown. For compound elements, lightning produces a striking neon blue, ice gives off an icy pale blue, metal shimmers in silver or grey, and wood glows a lush green. Then there are the arcane elements—space, which radiates a mysterious purple or deep indigo; gravity, which gives a somber dark grey; light, which shines with radiant gold; and darkness, which pulses in an intense black.
So in the end, the entire crystal functions like a filter. You pour your mana in, and it shows your nature back at you in color. It's brilliant... and honestly, not all that different from writing logic in code. Understand the rules, and the outcome is guaranteed.'
Just as Kael finished analyzing the seal structure and recorded everything in his notebook, a vague memory from the novel surfaced. He thought 'That's right, these elemental crystals were also used to determine how far someone had progressed with their element. However, they are more advanced elemental crystals and very huge. But this small one can do the job too, though it only shows the depth of one's connection by glowing stronger.'
He remembered reading that those crystals were expensive, far beyond what any commoner could afford. Only noble houses or prestigious academies had access to them in abundance.
The one in his hand was just a basic version. It only revealed the user's elemental affinity and the depth of their connection to that element. But even so, it was enough for him to gauge how much progress he'd made with lightning over the past few years.
His curiosity lit up. Holding the crystal in his hand, he wondered, "I wonder how much I've progressed in lightning all these years… I remember that when the real Kael awakened, the crystal glowed just like it did for Emily. Time to find out." Eager, he immediately infused mana into the crystal.
But, Nothing happened. He frowned, thinking he might've infused too much mana and tried again, this time sending a steady flow of mana pulsing into the crystal. Still, there was no reaction from the crystal.
He muttered, "What the hell… is the crystal broken or something?" But before he could check, the crystal suddenly sparked—no, exploded in light. A burst of vivid neon blue surged through it.
Kael was stunned, the glow was far brighter than Emily's, way beyond what he remembered seeing when he first tested his affinity. But just as he let out a breath of relief, the crystal began to shift again. A new color bled into the crystal—a deep, mysterious purple, like the night sky swallowed the lightning whole.
He stared at it, dumbfounded. "What the fuck!"
Not believing what he saw, He infused mana again, even slower this time hoping he was mistaken. But no, the same thing happened. Bright Neon blue and dark mysterious purple split the crystal clean in two.
Kael sat frozen, his mind racing. He thought 'No way! I have space affinity?! That wasn't the case when I first checked my affinity. The original Kael only had lightning affinity. I remember that clearly.'
He immediately racked his brain, wondering why he suddenly had a new elemental affinity, one he hadn't possessed before. Leaning back in his chair, he thought hard. 'In this world, people retain the same affinities they awaken with throughout their lives. They don't just randomly gain new ones later on.
So this… this has to be because of me, or rather, my soul. Most people in this world believed that one's affinity was a reflection of their soul—a poetic superstition. But as someone who had read the novel that told the story of this world, I knew better. It was just probability. A game of luck at birth.
But if I entertained that superstition… it actually made sense. My soul wasn't from this world. Maybe that's why I have space affinity.'
He exhaled slowly, thinking 'I don't even know how to feel about this… On one hand, I have two rare elemental affinities that Most people in this world would go to any lengths,some would even risk everything they had just to awaken even one of them.
On the other hand, both elements demand a lifetime of training to truly master them. They require complete dedication and focus. If I try to train in both at once, it'll be like trying to become a doctor and a pro soccer player at the same time. Both need endless commitment—but in completely different ways. One calls for calm precision and deep study, the other demands raw instinct and physical intensity. And this also confirms that I've really did transmigrated into this body and I didn't just regain foreign memories after that fever.'
A bitter chuckle escaped him. 'And that's not even the worst part. Spatial mages are rare, exceptionally rare. And because of that, they're heavily sought after by nobles. If one of them discovered a commoner like me possessed space affinity, they'd stop at nothing to secure me—whether through adoption, bribery, manipulation, or even binding me with a mana contract. I can't let any noble to know about my spatial affinity and thankfully, I've got the perfect alibi. No one would ever suspect someone of awakening both an arcane and a compound element. Even I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it myself.'
"Still…I can't hide it forever," he muttered while thinking, 'The academy entrance exams, In those exams Every applicant was tested thoroughly. Not just for their elemental affinity, but also their mana control and proficiency. Artifacts and enhancers were strictly forbidden. So, no one can hide behind tricks. This level of thoroughness is partly to assess talent… and partly to weed out any demons trying to sneak in.
That's where I'll be exposed…But that's not really a problem, If I get in, the academy will defend me from nobles and other factions. And I don't have to worry about whether they'll take me in or not. I'm confident they'll accept me with open arms just because of my space affinity. But in return for protecting me from outsiders influence, I'd have to pledge loyalty to the academy and the Empire. If they need me, I'll have to answer their call.'
Leaning forward with his elbows on the table, he continued to think, "Is that really such a bad thing, though?" It's not like I'm planning to become a criminal or betray anyone. And if Alden ends up as king as in the novel, then I'll be safe. And As long as they don't ask something unreasonable, I'll have the right to refuse.
And still, there was the matter of learning space magic itself. There are no guidebooks for the arcane elements to learn basics in them like fundamental and compound elements do. If someone awakens an arcane affinity, they're expected to report it to their local noble or to a palace official. In return, they get resources to begin learning—but only after pledging their loyalty. And that was never going to happen.
Kael leaned back and sighed. 'I remember at least five to ten high-level spatial spells from the novel which are not that complicated in theory and can be learned if my basics are solid just like how I learned the three lightning spells, But unlike lightning element which I learned basics from the manuals I can't do that with space element. Sigh… I guess I'll have to wait until I attend the academ—'
But before he could even finish that thought, another idea struck him like a bolt. 'What if I become an adventurer? The guild keeps its members' info confidential. I might be able to access some basic spatial techniques that way' But he immediately shook his head 'What am I thinking? To become an adventurer, one must be at least 15 years old and must be in a party. Also, I'm planning to join the academy when I'm 14, So I can't register in the guild before I join the academy. Sigh.. I guess academy is the only way to learn space magic.'
Another sigh escaped him as reality sank in. He'd have to wait nearly two years before he could start learning any spatial spells. His eyes drifted toward the door and wondered 'Should I tell Helena and Lucas about this?' He thought for a few minutes then decided 'Alright, since I can't hide this in the long run, there is no point in hiding it from them. After all, if I can't trust my own parents, who can I trust in this world? Besides, If I'm lucky, they might even know something that could help me get started.'
Now, all that remained was figuring out how to break the news to them.
Kael slumped in his chair and groaned, "I already have my plate full with lightning training, swordsmanship, Mana assimilation, physical training, and runecrafting… And now I have to add space element into that mix?"
He buried his face in his hands and said, "If I'd known I had dual affinities from the beginning, I wouldn't have even started runecrafting. Each of these disciplines eats away at time and energy like a starving beast."
Kael let out one final breath and lifted his head and said "…Alright. Time to talk to them."
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Author's Note
Hey guys! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I've been meaning to ask this for a while now.
I know the story has been progressing a bit slowly, and that's mainly because I've ended up writing longer, more detailed chapters than I originally planned. Honestly, I thought I'd wrap up everything that's happened so far within 10 or 11 chapters… but here we are at Chapter 17, and I still haven't reached that point 😅
So here's my question to you:Would you prefer I continue at this current pace with more world-building and detail? Or should I trim some of that down and speed up the story's progression a bit?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments—it really helps me figure out how to move forward. The current arc will wrap up in about 5 to 6 chapters, so I'll start applying your suggestions from the next arc onward!
And if you've been enjoying the story, please consider leaving a review and dropping a powerstone! It really helps the story reach more readers. Thanks for sticking with me 🙌