In this world, there were countless elements. But only nine were universally acknowledged by the world of magic. Fire, water, wind, and earth were called the Four Natural Elements because each corresponded to the forces of nature. Lightning, holy, and dark — while they could also be considered natural in origin — were known as the Three Supreme Elements due to their superior characteristics. The remaining two of the Nine Great Elements, space and time, were called the Two Supreme Laws, because they could not be easily grasped and were the very forces that allowed the universe to exist. The two laws could not exist without each other — without time, space would cease to move and collapse instantly. Without space, there would be no medium for time to exist in the first place.
As for Affinity Crystals, they were legendary stones rumored to be capable of changing a Mage's elemental affinity. If he used one, his affinity — originally dark element — would shift to the element that crystal corresponded to. In other words, as long as he obtained one, he wouldn't need to worry about being exposed.
Alzer stared at the nine Affinity Crystals, his eyes filling with something that could only be called greed as countless possibilities took shape in his mind. If he used the time or space Affinity Crystal, he would become a renowned genius overnight. Powerful factions would fall over themselves to recruit and nurture him into a future expert. He was certain of it.
A few moments passed before Alzer settled himself. He began weighing the downsides of holding an Elemental Law. People would start watching him from the shadows — and that was the one thing he refused to tolerate. He remembered a certain person from his past life who had been forcibly suppressed by the Royal Family after declining their "sincere invitation." That person had resisted, until the threat of having her entire family killed had broken her will. If his every movement became the subject of scrutiny from those forces, he would never sleep soundly again.
After thinking it through, Alzer crossed the Supreme Law Affinity Stones off his list entirely. That left three Supreme Elements and four Natural Elements. He needed to choose carefully.
As he turned the options over in his mind, a memory from his past life surfaced — one he hadn't thought about in some time. It was about an ancient ruin known as the Tomb of God. As its name implied, the Tomb of God was the resting place of an entity that had reached the God Stage. After centuries of research, scholars had concluded that only those with a Dual Elemental affinity could enter. In other words, if he possessed Dual Elements, a path toward Divinity was within reach.
There was one problem, however. Affinity Crystals could only replace a person's existing affinity — they could not add a second one. The only object rumored to carry that ability was the Supreme Affinity Crystal.
"Hmm?" Alzer studied the nine Affinity Stones again, examining them with care. He took in their colors, their shapes, every small detail. And as he looked, something clicked.
If his reasoning was correct, these were not ordinary Affinity Crystals. These were Supreme Affinity Crystals from the Land of Gods.
The more he considered it, the more plausible it became. After all, these nine crystals had appeared in the wake of a fragmented soul of the Snow Phoenix's death. An entity of that magnitude would not leave behind anything ordinary.
After a moment's deliberation, Alzer slowly raised his right hand and touched the violet crystal — the Lightning Affinity Stone.
A powerful surge erupted instantly. Lightning energy from the crystal flooded into his flesh, coursing through his mana channels before condensing into a spherical shape within his abdomen.
When the lightning energy had fully compressed into a Mana Core, a second overbearing force began flowing through his channels. This one was dark — a deep, overwhelming dark power. Its intensity was such that his mana channels cracked under the strain.
The dark energy entered his abdomen and coalesced into a dark-colored sphere, mirroring what the lightning power had done moments before.
Just like that, Alzer had condensed two Mana Cores and officially become a Dual Elemental Mage — advancing to the first level of the Man Stage in the process.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself back in the room. The faces of his relatives surrounded him, their gazes fixed on him with barely concealed expectation. He also caught Father Kuro's brief sidelong glance — sharp with cunning, its meaning impossible to read.
"Are you okay, Alzer?" Hannah asked the moment she saw her older brother's eyes open, her voice thick with concern.
Same script, Alzer thought, before arranging his face into an exhausted but genuine-looking smile. "I'm fine, Hannah. Just tired."
"That's to be expected," Father Kuro interjected. "Awakening always takes a toll on novice Mages." He produced a mysterious orb from nowhere and set it on a nearby table. "Here — place your hands on this and channel your mana into it. We'll be able to see what your affinity is."
"Of course." Alzer nodded and rested his hands on the crystal.
He knew what this device was. It was used to identify the element a person had awakened. The reason he had been able to observe the powers moving through his body during the Awakening was his heightened perception — an inheritance from his past life. He couldn't extend that perception outward yet, but with his affinities now active, reading his own body was simple enough.
He pressed his hands flat against the orb and channeled his mana into it, while silently issuing one internal command. Suppress.
A violet blob of light bloomed within the crystal orb. Its glow filled the room.
The people watching went silent with shock. Alzer had awakened one of the Three Supreme Elements — Lightning.
Joanna's mind was already racing ahead to the future. She ran through possibility after possibility, and a sharp breath escaped her before she could stop it. A son with Lightning Element — did that mean the Volheim Family could realistically reach Marquis rank? The thought flooded her mind with visions of treasure and legions of followers hanging on her every word.
Beside her, Hannah's expression was something more complicated — neither greedy nor envious, but caught between excitement and sorrow. Excited because her brother was positioned to become one of the greatest Mages of their generation. Sorrowful because she already knew what that meant. A genius who awakened a Supreme Element would be consumed by that path. There would be no time left for her.
Count Volheim's expression was different entirely — serious, calculating. Like Joanna, his thoughts had gone straight to politics. If he announced this result publicly, the Volheim Family's dominance over Snow County would be beyond challenge. His political enemies had always been circling for an opening. This would seal every one of them shut. No one in this region would dare move against him anymore.
Father Kuro's expression was unreadable. Then a subtle movement caught his eye. He tracked it, and saw — for just a fraction of a second — a faint dark blob flicker within the orb before the violet light crushed it back into nothing. His expression shifted. He turned his gaze to Alzer, whose forehead was visibly damp with sweat. I see. So that's why he was struggling so much just to channel his mana into it.
Alzer lifted his hands from the orb and wiped his forehead. He turned and read the room — the expressions, the body language. He had expected all of this. With today's result, the family's resources were essentially his to draw from. But then his eyes found Father Kuro, and something cold settled in his chest. The old man was watching him the way someone examines a rare animal they've never seen before. The corner of his mouth was curved up, just barely.
Don't tell me…
If his suspicion was right, he was already in trouble. Dark Mages were the natural enemies of Holy Servants — which made him and this old man adversaries by default. If Kuro had caught the dark energy that slipped through, and understood what it meant, Alzer would be a threat in his eyes. And that was a dangerous position to be in. He knew plenty of spells from his past life, but the number he could actually use at his current level was limited. Kuro was at a far higher stage. Running wasn't an option — not yet.
Even so, Alzer kept his face still. Looking at Kuro's expression, it was clear the man was being deliberate. Probing. Why? Alzer already had a working theory.
Kuro knew he was not an ordinary eighteen-year-old. And Alzer suspected that if he let any panic show, the old man would move aggressively. The scrutiny had been a test — Kuro was checking whether Alzer met some internal criteria of his.
The word "criteria" felt right. Even if Kuro had confirmed he wasn't a normal boy, he hadn't interrogated him about it. He hadn't acted. That meant he had a reason to hold back — an objective that required something specific. Something that valued cunning over compliance. What that objective was, Alzer didn't know yet. But he would find out.
"Splendid! As expected of my son — truly favored by the heavens." Count Alexander ran a hand along his mustache with visible satisfaction. "I have no doubt you'll become a mighty dragon."
"Now then, why don't we celebrate?" Joanna said, her hypocritical warmth sliding perfectly into place.
"Mother, Brother is exhausted from the Awakening," Hannah cut in. "Can't we celebrate tomorrow and let him rest today?"
"Our little princess makes a good point, Joanna," the Count said, turning to his wife. "Let's follow her suggestion."
"W-well, yes. I suppose I got carried away in my excitement for Little Al's sake. We'll call it a day then." Joanna relented, catching herself.
Happy for my sake, my ass. Alzer kept his face composed. Her shamelessness was truly something to behold. He genuinely wondered how many times it could be tested before it cracked.
"Could I borrow Alzer for a moment?" Kuro stepped forward. "Just to speak about the ceremony. Won't take long."
"Of course. Feel free to speak with him once we've gone." The Count gestured for the rest of the family to follow, and the room emptied.
When the door closed, Kuro and Alzer faced each other in the silence. Then the old man smiled — slow, deliberate, and layered with things he wasn't saying. "You're not a normal boy."
"What do you mean by that?" Alzer smiled back.
"Don't play dumb, kid. You used your lightning power to suppress your dark power just now, didn't you?"
"You noticed."
"Did you think I wouldn't? Don't underestimate Holy Servants. We are sensitive to dark magic — it's in our bones. You might have fooled your family, but you can't fool my senses. I was trained to fight Dark Mages from childhood. You could say I know them very well." Kuro paused. "That said — I'm genuinely impressed by what you pulled off just now. What you did isn't recorded in any book I've read. It seems you have a teacher your family doesn't know about."
"I underestimated you — that much is fair," Alzer said, with a slight shrug. "But I don't think talking to me is your only objective here. You want me to do something for you, don't you?"
"Keke." Kuro chuckled, the sound low and unhurried. "Sharp one. Yes — I have something I'd like to negotiate with you."