14 Day 7

"Listen closely Arion, I will explain the importance of your magical affinities," Seraphina said Seraphina's tone was serious, her eyes locking onto Arion's with unwavering intensity.

"Someone's affinity rarity doesn't determine how strong they will grow in the future, as there have been many who were born with the rarest elemental affinities but grew to be very lackluster individuals, "Seraphina continued.

Arion listened closely to his mother's words, his mind absorbing the wisdom she imparted. even though one of his element affinities was the basic fire, he had an epic affinity with light just like his mother does.

"Your elemental affinities allow you to freely manipulate that element and with higher understanding mimic its properties on your body, something you wouldn't be able to do with the affinity for it."

Seraphina's words resonated deeply with Arion as he considered the implications of his elemental affinities. Despite fire being a basic element, his epic affinity with light held the promise of extraordinary power and versatility. He understood that mastery of his affinities would grant him the ability to manipulate and embody their properties, allowing him to harness their full potential in combat and other endeavors.

"So how does your affinity affect your spells," Arion asked. "You have been teaching me other elemental spells when I was younger."

Seraphina pondered about Arion's question to find the simplest words because he was still only five. "Quite simple, one your affinity can make any spell you use a lot stronger with a lower mana cost, and for the reason I was teaching you other spells is that having an array of different spells can increase your ability in combat, but solely relying on them will be detrimental for your growth in the future."

Arion nodded, understanding his mother's explanation. He knew that mastering his affinity would be crucial for his growth as a mage, but he also saw the value in learning a diverse range of spells to become a well-rounded magic user.

"So I will still be teaching the basics of other spells, but understanding your Affinities will be the most important step during your training," Seraphin said before instructing Arion to sit down on the grass in the open training ground.

Seraphina also sat down in front of Arion, her expression thoughtful as she prepared to delve deeper into the intricacies of his elemental affinities.

"Alright, Arion," Seraphina began, her voice gentle yet firm. "Let's start by discussing the nature of your elemental affinities. As you know, your affinities with light and fire are quite rare and powerful. However, it's not just about the rarity of your affinities; it's also about how you utilize them."

Arion nodded, his eyes focused intently on his mother as she spoke. He was eager to learn more about the abilities that were inherent to him.

"Your affinity with light allows you to manipulate and harness the energy of light itself," Seraphina continued. "This means you can create blinding flashes of light, manipulate illusions, or even channel light energy into powerful attacks."

Arion's eyes widened with excitement at the possibilities. The thought of wielding the power of light itself filled him with a sense of awe and wonder.

"As for your affinity with fire," Seraphina continued, "it grants you control over flames and heat. You can conjure fireballs, create walls of flames for defense, or even manipulate the temperature of your surroundings."

Arion's mind raced with ideas as he imagined the incredible feats he could accomplish with his elemental affinities.

"But remember, Arion," Seraphina cautioned, her tone becoming more serious. "With great power comes great responsibility. Your affinities are a gift, but they can also be dangerous if not wielded wisely."

Arion nodded solemnly, understanding the weight of his mother's words. He knew that he would need to temper his newfound abilities with discipline and restraint.

"Now, let's practice channeling your affinities," Seraphina said, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Close your eyes and focus on the energy within you. Feel the light and fire within your soul, and let it flow through you."

Arion followed his mother's instructions, closing his eyes and reaching inward. He could feel the energy of his affinities humming beneath his skin, waiting to be unleashed.

Slowly, he began to channel that energy, allowing it to surge through him like a river of light and fire. He felt a tingling sensation spread through his body, accompanied by a warm glow that emanated from his core.

As he opened his eyes, Arion could see wisps of light dancing around his fingertips, and small flames flickering to life in the palms of his hands.

"Good job, that was the first step in understanding your affinities by feeling the elements around you." Seraphina congratulated Arion.

"Alright Arion, this next step will be a lot harder than the other one," Seraphina said, her tone becoming more serious." We're going to be focusing on channeling your affinities into your Mana core. This will require a deep understanding of how to manipulate your mana as well as light and fire to achieve the desired effects."

"Wait why am I channeling light and fire into my mana core," Arion asked, his brow furrowing with confusion.

"This will allow your Mana and Aura to possess the attributes of these elements. This is an essential step in strengthening your magical abilities," Seraphina said her tone still serious. "But first we will be trying to better your mana control as this step can be very dangerous and can cause harm to you if done incorrectly."

"Ok I'm ready"

Arion nodded, his expression determined. He understood the importance of mastering his mana control.

Seeing that Arion was ready for the next step, Seraphina brought out an ordinary rock and placed it in Arion's hands.

Arion looked at the rock with a confused expression on his face. He flipped, rotated, and even licked the rock, but to his eyes, it was just a rock.

Arion knew his parents had bizarre training methods, but this was ridiculous this was a rock!

'what the hell am I supposed to do with this?'

Arion looked at his mother who was staring back at him.

"This is a rock" Arion stated the obvious, his frustration evident in his voice.

"Yes that is a rock" Seraphina replied calmly, her lips quirking up in a slight smile.

"This is just a rock" Arion repeated.

"Yes that is just a rock" Seraphina affirmed, her smile widening.

Arion was about to lose his mind at his mother's antics. He couldn't believe she was making him train with a rock.

Chuckling to herself, and sensing that Arion had had enough, Seraphina finally explained the purpose behind the seemingly mundane object. "This may seem like just a rock, but I've engraved a hundred different paths inside it with my mana. Your job is to create mana threads to follow each of those paths inside the rock."

Arion's eyes widened with understanding as he realized the significance of the task. It was a challenging exercise in mana control and precision, requiring him to manipulate his mana with utmost finesse to navigate through the intricate pathways within the rock.

"Now the goal is to accomplish this in less than a second, and then we will move on to implementing your affinities," Seraphina said, giving Arion a goal to achieve in order to move onto the next step.

Taking a deep breath, Arion focused his mind and began to channel his mana, forming delicate threads that he carefully directed into the rock, following the pathways engraved by his mother. Finding it more difficult than he initially thought.

At first, it seemed straightforward enough, but as he tried to weave the threads into the intricate pathways within the rock, he quickly realized just how challenging it was.

The mana threads he formed wavered and faltered, their movements erratic and unfocused. Arion gritted his teeth in frustration as he struggled to maintain control, his brow furrowing in concentration. The pathways within the rock seemed to shift and twist, defying his attempts to follow them with his mana.

With each failed attempt, Arion felt a growing sense of frustration and impatience gnawing at him. He couldn't understand why something that seemed so simple in theory was proving to be so difficult in practice. His hands trembled slightly as he continued to channel his mana, his movements becoming more and more frantic as he tried to force the threads into the rock.

Time seemed to stretch on endlessly as Arion wrestled with the stubborn rock, his mind consumed by the task at hand. Three minutes passed in what felt like an eternity, each second dragging on as he struggled to make any progress. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he fought to maintain his focus, his muscles tense with exertion.

But then, finally, after what felt like an eternity of struggle, Arion felt a small flicker of success. A thin, delicate thread of mana slipped into one of the pathways within the rock, following its twists and turns with surprising ease. Arion's eyes widened in surprise and relief as he watched the thread navigate through the intricate maze.

With renewed determination, Arion focused all of his concentration on guiding the mana thread through the remaining pathways within the rock. It was slow and painstaking work, but with each passing moment, he felt his control improving and his confidence growing.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of effort, Arion succeeded in threading his mana through all one hundred pathways within the rock.

"too slow," Seraphina simply said. "do it again"

Seraphina took the rock away from him and gave him another.

Arion's heart sank at Seraphina's words, but he knew that he couldn't afford to dwell on his frustration. Taking a deep breath, he nodded resolutely and accepted the new challenge.

With renewed determination, Arion focused his mind once more, channeling his mana with precision and finesse. He approached the task with a newfound sense of urgency, knowing that he needed to complete it in less than a second to meet Seraphina's expectations.

His hands moved with practiced efficiency as he wove the threads of mana into the intricate pathways within the rock. Despite the difficulty of the task, Arion remained calm and focused, his mind clear and his movements steady.

Seconds ticked by as Arion worked with unwavering concentration, his entire being focused on the task at hand. Sweat dripped down his brow as he poured all of his energy into manipulating his mana, determined to succeed where he had previously faltered.

Arion completed the task in half the amount of time it took him the first time.

"too slow," Seraphina simply said. "do it again"

Seraphina took the rock away from him and gave him another.

This continued for 4 more hours until Arion was finally able to accomplish the task in less than a second.

Seraphina looked impressed as she examined the rock, nodding approvingly at Arion's progress. "Well done," she said, her voice filled with pride. "You've shown great improvement."

Arion felt a swell of pride at Seraphina's praise, knowing that his hard work had paid off. Despite the challenges he had faced, he had proven himself capable of mastering the difficult task set before him.

"Since that took a little longer than expected we are going to put this on hold," Seraphina said. "it's time to go fight some magical beast."

"Magical beasts?" Arion's eyes widened with excitement at the prospect, his fatigue momentarily forgotten in the face of the new challenge. He had been eagerly anticipating the opportunity to test his skills in combat against real opponents, and the thought of facing off against magical beasts filled him with a sense of exhilaration.

Seraphina nodded, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Yes, magical beasts. It's time for you to put your training to the test in a real-world scenario."

Arion's heart raced with anticipation as he followed Seraphina out of the training ground and into the dense forest beyond. The air was thick with the sounds and smells of the wilderness, and Arion felt a thrill of excitement course through him as he prepared to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, Arion could sense the presence of magical beasts lurking in the shadows, their eyes watching them from the darkness

" Oh before I forget put this bracelet on."