Adam's luminous eyes came to life in the familiar room as he gazed at the two kids discussing combat techniques.
Surprisingly, Aurelius absorbed Julius' knowledge like a sponge in the last three months. Even if he didn't possess Qi, his discipline and quick learning intrigued him.
'It's just a pity the body cultivation path is dead already,' he thought, shaking his head in regret. But he didn't worry too much. The boy's youth allowed him to commit mistakes and fix them later. Anyway, since when did training his body become a waste of time?
A moment later, he stood in their dormitory's courtyard after he asked Julius to move.
"Don't tell anyone what you are about to see. I want to keep it a secret for as long as possible." He smiled at the confused boy before raising his hand. His deliberate movements cut through the wind as the hum of mana filled the air, its soft tune resounding harmoniously in the surroundings.
In a split second, a familiar arrowhead weaved itself, its sleek yet solid frame refracting the sunlight in a dazzling array of colors. Yet, Julius' eyes narrowed. Every member of their group had seen this mana technique before. So, why did he ask Aurelius not to follow them?
However, what happened next left him in complete disbelief. Before his very eyes, the arrow suddenly brightened, its color turning bright orange, then vivid blue, and finally milky white. The sound of crackling fires reached his ears as horrifying flames engulfed the object, raising the ambient temperature.
Yet, before he could recover from his shock, everything returned to normal... only to become bizarre again. This time, the sharp projectile turned a pale blue, releasing billowing steam above it.
Next, it turned into purple arcs of lightning, molten rocks, water, wind, light, darkness, shadows and many more until it disappeared in the wind.
As he thought his raging heart could finally calm down, Adam's voice sounded in his ears.
"I don't think an arrowhead is good to test this one."
Echoing his words, a translucid sword appeared in his right hand. The sheer pressure it released distorted the surrounding space, causing the air to shimmer and warp. Julius instinctively took a step back, his eyes wide with fear.
Then, his brother swung his arm, an eager smile stretched on his lips. The wind parted in the blade's wake, cleanly cut in halves. Light fissures cracked the space for a brief instant before disappearing and the tip of the sword released a brilliant, translucent light.
Yet, only after a few centimeters of travel, it disappeared, disappointing Adam. His smile faded as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a furrowed brow and a sigh of frustration.
"Humph. I thought space would be a step above the other elements," he said, preparing to grumble more.
However, loud rumbles echoed, interrupting him. His eyes constricted, and fear danced in their depths as he turned towards the noise's source.
"Shit..." He muttered, looking at the room's inside through the long gash his move left. Opposite to his belief, space wasn't weak. It was just too strong. 'Did my attack teleport?!' He thought in disbelief as ruble collided with the ground.
Then, polished stones filled the smooth tear with a wave of his hand, repairing the wall in seconds. "If anyone asks, it wasn't me!" He said, gazing at the slacked-jawed boy with a mischievous grin.
Awakened from his stupor, he blurted out, unable to process what his eyes fed his brain. "What happened? Do you have an affinity now? No! Do you have several? But how?
It doesn't make sense! Even Shepard only has three!"
"Calm down." Adam's smile broadened as he waved his hand. "It's the ritual's effects," he said, finding the boy's hastening breathing amusing. Next, he explained his new affinities more comprehensively to give him a general idea.
Of course, he didn't mention Kwame's grimoire or story. After all, despite his incredible... and painful research, he was a criminal from a distant past. Knowledge about the man, especially after his rebellion against the magus, was too dangerous to be shared until Julius grew older.
After concluding his explanation, he pondered about the elements he wanted to test the most. Yet, after witnessing how dangerous space was, he revised his plan.
'What will happen if I mess up with time, vibrations, and atoms?' he thought, a fire igniting in his eyes. But he knew he must proceed with utmost caution with these. Not only could they be a danger to the other innocent students, but to him. He had no desire to be vaporised or become an old ghost because of his lack of control.
Meanwhile, Julius finally understood why they had to take so many risks in the past few months. Despite the terrible memories he made, especially about the Beast Emperor, his lips curled into a soft smile. He knew his brother could become an incredible mage. Yet his lack of affinity had always bothered him, prompting the question, 'How powerful would he be with a rare element?'
Upon reaching this thought, his smile shifted, turning wry as he mused, 'Well, he doesn't only have one now.' He wasn't sure about the exact number, but his brother had shown no less than a dozen unique elements during the earlier show!
His calm heart rate began to hasten again as he imagined the wide range of applications and how his big brother could definitely be faithful to his words.
However, before they could form in his mind, Adam laughed heartily and said.
"I know I can become the best mage!"
It was the same sentence he had heard years ago. Yet, this time, they held much more weight. Unlike before, they didn't stem from baseless beliefs or arrogance but his brother's uniqueness as a primordial weaver and the only person who ever had an affinity for mana!
He lingered for a bit, his eyes reflecting his admiration before a radiant smile covered his lips. "I know you can," he said, earnestly acknowledging his brother's bold claim for the first time.