Affinity Testing (2)

Lindarion's consciousness drifted back in pieces.

The first thing he felt was the wind—soft, cool, brushing against his skin. The scent of damp earth filled his lungs, and somewhere in the distance, water trickled over stone. Birds chirped. Leaves rustled.

It was actually kind of peaceful.

If not for the fact that his entire body felt like it had been torn apart and stitched back together by a blindfolded novice who used a rusty needle.

Pain flared in his muscles, a dull, aching soreness that made him groan as he shifted. His mana circuits burned, the remnants of overuse still tingling through his veins.

'Yeah… never doing that shit again.'

Lightning Affinity was a bastard. He had expected it to be fast and explosive—what he hadn't expected was nearly frying himself from the inside out.

Mana exhaustion wasn't a joke.

Still, at least he wasn't dead. 

And his mana had fully recovered.

Which meant…

It was time to test the rest of the affinities as well.

'Alright. Let's see if my other affinities want to kill me too.'

First up—Fire. One of the most basic elements.

Lindarion extended his hand, focusing. Mana surged through his veins, answering his call.

Immediately, heat flared around his palm, coalescing into a burning crimson glow.

The fire twisted and pulsed, shaping itself into a blazing sword—long, sharp, and deadly. The blade's edges flickered like liquid flame, yet despite its heat, he felt nothing.

It was completely under his control.

He swung.

A searing arc of fire tore through the air, leaving a glowing ember trail in its wake. The sword slammed into the ground—fire erupted outward in a violent shockwave.

The grass disintegrated. A deep, charred crater was all that remained.

Lindarion stared at the destruction.

'…Yeah. I should probably be careful where I swing this thing. Don't want to cause mass destruction everywhere I go.'

Lindarion exhaled slowly collecting her thoughts.

'Well, at least not yet..'

Next in line was the Divine Affinity.

'Kinda makes me sound like a priest, to be honest.'

Golden light bloomed around him, spreading warmth through his body. Unlike Fire, this mana didn't burn—it soothed, wrapping around him like a protective veil.

He had a theory.

Lifting his hand, he bit down on his finger. Hard.

Pain flared—then, instantly, the golden glow enveloped the wound.

Seconds later, his skin had completely healed. Not even a scar remained.

Lindarion flexed his fingers.

'…This is insane. Instant healing? That's… ridiculously useful.'

But it wasn't just that.

As he focused deeper, the golden energy pulsed stronger—and suddenly, his mana was recovering faster.

'So it boosts regeneration too? …This shit is way too fucking broken.'

He wasn't complaining, though.

Next—Darkness. The eternal opposition of the Divine. The thing that swallowed light, that devoured everything in its path.

The moment he called upon it, the world dimmed.

The light struggled against the creeping shadows, and a heavy stillness settled over the air.

A black mist coiled in his palm, laced with streaks of violet lightning. It flickered—alive, hungry.

Lindarion shaped it into a dagger. Its edges blurred, shifting between solid and intangible. He threw it.

The moment it hit the ground, it melted into the earth.

Silence.

Then—the shadows pulsed.

Lindarion exhaled.

'…I don't know whether this is terrifying or amazing.'

Both, probably.

Now for the one he was most excited about.

Time.

A slow breath.

Lindarion focused.

The world shuddered.

For one second—everything stopped. The wind. The rustling leaves. The water, frozen mid-drip.

Then—they continued to move without a problem.

'So I can basically stop time for one second without a problem.'

A grin tugged at his lips.

'Alright. Now we're talking. This definitely has to do something with me being Ouroboros's disciple though.'

But there was more.

He turned toward the grass ahead and willed time to slow.

A pulse of silver mana spread outward.

Immediately, the air thickened—the space before him became sluggish, movement trapped within its confines. The blades of grass barely swayed, locked in unnatural stillness. The stillness seemed to last for about two seconds. But even those two seconds were useful.

Lindarion tilted his head.

'…This is so fucking ridiculous. I love it. It seems similar to the skill I got from Ouroboros though.'

He quickly took a quick bath in the well, as his reserves got completely exhausted due to the usage of the time element. 

'I shouldn't use the time element too much. Depletes nearly all of my mana with barely two usages..'

Lindarion quickly jumped out and then continued.

Next—Water and Ice, they were basic elements as well, but powerful.

Summoning Water felt calm—fluid mana gathered in his palm, forming a rippling sphere. With a flick of his wrist, it stretched into a flowing blade, effortlessly shifting between liquid and solid.

Then—he froze it.

The sword crystallized into sharp, jagged ice.

'Not bad, actually seems useful'

He pressed the tip against the ground.

Frost exploded outward.

The earth crackled as thick layers of solid ice coated the ground in seconds, jagged icicles forming like a defensive barrier.

Lindarion whistled.

'Instant terrain control? Yeah, that's definitely useful.'

With that, he finally exhaled, stepping back to assess his progress.

Every single affinity had real power, and this was only Tier 1. The potential at higher levels…could be mindbreaking.

'There are other things I can do with these affinities as well, but for now, testing only this much is enough. I can make discoveries during my training.'

His gaze flickered toward the cave in the distance.

It was time to start exploring it finally.

His fingers twitched. A slow smirk spread across his face.

'Time to clear that quest and see what's waiting for me inside.'

First, he took a quick bath in the well, regenerating all of his mana quickly.

'Alright, let's destroy these little shits'

Without hesitation, he stepped into the darkness.

The shadows swallowed him whole.

No light. No sound. Just the suffocating emptiness stretching in every direction.

Then—something slammed into his face.

Lindarion let out a sharp scream—high-pitched, unrestrained.

Like a little girl.

His heart pounded as he staggered back, eyes darting wildly—until he spotted the tiny creature flitting around him in frantic circles.

A bat.

Just a bat.

"…Right. No problem. No big deal."

The words did nothing to calm his nerves.

The bat, completely unfazed by the near-death experience it had caused, continued to spin around him like a damn carnival ride.

Lindarion exhaled, rubbing his temples.

"You know what? Fine. You're actually kind of adorable. Come here"

Then, with a flicker of mana, using his full speed he reached out—faster than the normal eye could follow and the bat wasn't able to fight back.

His fingers snapped shut around the bat's tiny body. Its frantic flapping froze as he looked scared.

For a brief moment, the little creature hung there, trapped in stillness.

Lindarion looked at the bat with a devilish smile.

A small flame flickered to life in his palm.

Heat surged.

The bat crumbled to ash.

He watched the embers drift away.

"Rest in peace, you little fucking bastard. Try not to startle me in your next life."

[1/100]

'Wait it was actually a monster? Not just some bat?'

[It was a monster yes Host, not a very powerful one though.]

A chill settled in his gut. The bat's remains scattered on the ground like some kind of powder.

One down.

Ninety-nine to go.

The endless dark pressed in from every side, an abyss so deep it felt like reality had unraveled around him.

Lindarion forced himself to breathe.

'Alright. Which way to go now?'

He strained his eyes, searching for anything—any flicker of movement, the faintest outline of a path.

Nothing.

His Darkness Affinity helped—a little. He could make out vague shapes, enough to keep him from walking face-first into a wall. But beyond that? He was blind.

And the deeper he went…

The hungrier the shadows became.

Lindarion rolled his shoulders, exhaling.

"This is fine. Just another challenge. No big deal."

Now, he just had to find his way through this goddamn cave—without getting eaten alive.