When Arthur placed his hands on the surface of the crystal. For a moment, nothing happened. Then…he felt something being injected inside of his body, he paid attention to what it was and figured it was mana, and it was scanning his body.

The next moment the crystal darkened.

The entire hall fell into stunned silence. The crystal, which had displayed vibrant colors before, now turned completely pitch black, as if absorbing all light.

A chilling aura filled the room.

Elias and Saria both stiffened. The other instructors also stood frozen. The examinees gaped, their minds unable to comprehend what they were seeing.

“What the hell…?” someone whispered. “What does black even mean?”

Even Arthur was momentarily stunned. What he did not take into consideration is the mana he had been absorbing for the past three days had evolved his body to become the best conductor of mana, making his talent in handling mana extremely high.

Elias turned sharply and whispered something to an assistant, who immediately ran out of the hall. Moments later, an elderly man in ornate robes arrived, his eyes sharp with wisdom.

“Are you certain of what you said to me?” the elder asked.

“Please see for yourself elder,” Elias gestured.

The elder turned to Arthur. “Place your hand on the crystal again.”

Arthur did as instructed.

Once more, the crystal turned pitch black.

The elder’s lips parted slightly, his breath hitching. Then, to everyone’s surprise, his expression shifted from shock to excitement.

“This… this is extraordinary,” he murmured, his voice trembling slightly. Then, looking at Arthur with newfound intensity, he declared, “Come with me.”

The test continued for the rest, but all eyes remained on Arthur as he followed the elder out of the hall.

…

Arthur followed the elder down a dimly lit corridor, the echo of their footsteps the only sound breaking the silence. The walls were adorned with ancient tapestries, depicting grand battles and legendary figures from magical history. Ornate sconces cast a warm, flickering glow, illuminating intricate carvings along the stone walls. 

The elder led him through a large wooden door reinforced with iron, pushing it open with ease. Inside, the room exuded luxury, though in a distinctly medieval style. A massive mahogany desk, polished to a fine sheen, stood at the center, covered in neatly arranged scrolls and books. Behind it, a high-backed chair upholstered in deep crimson velvet. 

The walls were lined with bookshelves filled with thick tomes, some bound in leather, others in materials Arthur couldn’t identify. A large, arched window allowed a sliver of moonlight to filter in, complementing the golden glow of a chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling.

“Sit down.” The elder gestured toward an intricately carved chair opposite the desk. Arthur took his seat, his gaze flicking around the room, taking in every detail.

The elder moved to a nearby cupboard, opening it with a quiet creak. He pulled out a spherical object wrapped in a cloth, handling it with great care. As he placed it on the table before Arthur, he removed the covering, revealing a flawless, translucent orb.

Arthur frowned slightly, his curiosity piqued. Before he could ask, the elder spoke.

“This is to test your affinity.” His voice was calm but carried a weight of experience. “Go on, place your hand on it.”

Arthur hesitated for only a moment before resting his palm against the cool, glass-like surface of the orb.

But nothing happened even after thirty seconds.

A heavy silence followed.

The elder exhaled a long sigh, shaking his head. “Life truly is unfair.” His voice carried a note of genuine pity. “What a pity… Even with a mythical Black-level talent, you were born with a blank affinity.”

Arthur remained quiet, processing the words. He had expected something unusual, but a blank affinity?

The elder studied him for a moment before asking, “Are you affiliated with any noble house?”

Arthur met his gaze evenly. “No.”

The elder nodded slowly, rubbing his chin. “I see.”

Leaning back in his chair, he explained, “Blank affinity mages are inherently weaker than those born with elemental affinities. Magic is closely tied to an individual’s natural affinity, fire, water, wind, earth, light, darkness, or even rarer types. Mages with an affinity can cast spells that are vastly stronger and more efficient. However…” He sighed. “Over the years, scholars and mages have developed spells that don’t require an affinity. While not as powerful, they allow blank affinity mages to still carve their own path.”

Arthur absorbed the information without reacting.

The elder’s gaze softened slightly. “Still, you will be treated like any other student. The academy does not discriminate based on affinity. Strength is not always determined by what you are born with.”

Then, with a small, knowing smile, he reached into thin air.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the motion. A subtle ripple in space appeared, he immediately recognized it as a high-level spatial storage device. A moment later, the elder pulled out an aged book bound in dark leather, its cover inscribed with intricate golden runes.

He placed it on the table in front of Arthur.

“This,” he said, “is a book that details how to advance to a Third Circle mage, along with a refined meditation technique for better mana manipulation.” He smiled faintly. “Consider it a gift from me.”

Arthur glanced down at the book before looking back up at the elder. There was no deception in his eyes, only a genuine gesture of goodwill. 

The elder might look to be in his mid forties but who knows how old he is. He has seen many extraordinary things in his life, and with Arthur’s talent even though he does not have any affinity for any element, he will still reach great heights. So, he thought it was better to form connections with him in his early days.

After a brief pause, the elder straightened in his chair. “You should return to the hall. The others are undergoing their affinity tests. Once that is done, you will all be assigned your dormitories.”

Arthur nodded, picking up the book and rising to his feet. “Thank you.”

The elder simply waved a hand. “Go on. And… do not let this revelation discourage you. There is more than one path to power.”

Arthur said nothing as he turned and walked out of the office, his expression unreadable.

…

Arthur walked back into the hall, his expression calm as his gaze swept over the remaining participants. The talent test had concluded, and out of nearly two hundred examinees, only a little over fifty remained.

The atmosphere in the hall was thick with tension and anticipation. The candidates who had failed the talent test had already left, but those who remained were abuzz with whispers.

“Hey, did you see that?” one boy muttered to his companion, glancing at Arthur. “That crystal turned completely black during his test. What the hell does that even mean?”

“We all saw an elder was called just for him.” Another girl, a noble by the look of her finely tailored robes and insignia on it, spoke in a hushed voice. “Whatever it means, it has to be something big.”

“But if it was something truly powerful, wouldn’t the instructors have made an announcement?” a skeptic asked.

The theories spread like wildfire, and while most were simply speculations, the one common thread in everyone’s mind was that Arthur’s results were different, something outside the norm.

Arthur paid the murmurs no mind and made his way to where Finn stood, waiting with the others. Finn noticed his approach and immediately leaned in.

“Alright, spill it,” Finn muttered, keeping his voice low. “What happened back there?”

Arthur considered his words before giving a simple response. “I have no affinity.”

Finn blinked, taken aback. “Wait… seriously?”

Arthur nodded.

For a brief moment, Finn didn’t know what to say. He had been expecting something huge after all, no one got called away by an elder over nothing. But instead of reacting with disappointment or pity, he grinned and nudged Arthur with his elbow.

“Well, damn. Guess you’ll just have to be a really terrifying mage with raw mana alone, huh?”

Arthur smiled faintly. “Something like that,” seeing Finn’s attitude towards him.

Finn chuckled. “Figures. Would’ve been too easy if you had some overpowered affinity on top of whatever the Black level talent is.”

Before they could talk further, Elias clapped his hands sharply, commanding attention.

“Alright, everyone!” his voice carried across the hall. “Now, it is time to assess your elemental affinities.”

The instructors stepped forward, placing five translucent crystal orbs on pedestals. Arthur immediately recognized them, they were identical to the one the elder had used in his private assessment.

The participants shuffled into five lines, each waiting their turn to step forward and place their hand on an orb. Arthur and Finn lined up together, watching as the first few students took their tests.

A noble girl went first. She placed her hand on the orb, and a warm orange glow pulsed from within.

“Fire affinity,” an instructor announced.

She smiled in satisfaction and stepped back.

One by one, the participants tested their affinities, water, earth, wind, lightning, and more common affinities appearing in various shades of the glowing orb.

Then it was Finn’s turn.

He stepped forward and placed his palm on the crystal. Immediately, the orb pulsed with a vibrant green hue, swirling with traces of faint white.

“Wind affinity,” the instructor declared.

Finn grinned. “Nice.” Although he already knew about his affinity.

Next up was the noble girl with White Talent.

As soon as she placed her hand on the orb, an incredible transformation occurred. Instead of a single color, two colors intertwined, deep blue and yellow which turned into deep green, which was different from the light green of wind affinity. The room fell silent as the instructors straightened in shock.

“Plant affinity,” the instructor announced, his voice tinged with admiration.

The silence in the room quickly turned into excited whispers.

“Plant magic? That’s a hybrid affinity, right?”

“Yeah! It combines both earth and life magic. It’s incredibly rare!”

“And she already has White Talent… she’s going to be a powerhouse in the future.”

The girl remained poised, merely nodding in acknowledgment before stepping back.

Then, it was the commoner boy’s turn, the other White Talent holder. He strode forward and placed his hand on the crystal.

A brilliant golden light erupted from the orb, illuminating the entire hall.

The crowd gasped.

“Light magic!”

This time, even the instructors exchanged glances. Light magic was one of the rarest affinities, an affinity primarily associated with high-ranking healers, battle priests, and divine mages. It was not only applicable for healing purposes, it was extremely destructive if used properly.

“Light magic and White Talent?”

“That’s ridiculous. This guy’s going to be a legend in a few years.”

“It’s like the academy’s collecting future heroes or something.” someone said.

Then, it was Arthur’s turn.

The hall grew quiet as he stepped forward. Though most weren’t expecting another shocking result, there was still an air of curiosity. After all, his talent assessment had turned the crystal to black.

***

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