Four days have passed with the same training circuit. Tomorrow will be the day I find out my magical affinity.

  I’ve seen progress in all my skills, but one in particular has grown immensely—my swordsmanship.

  “Grandma, why are my skills leveling up so fast?” I hadn’t asked before out of embarrassment, but today my curiosity beat my shame.

  “Leveling up fast? What do you mean?” my grandmother asked, looking genuinely confused.

  “I’ve seen my skill levels increase a lot these days. Let me show you how my status looks now.”

  My updated status: Maki: 8 years old – Basic Amethyst.

  SKILLS:

  Swordsmanship – Level 5 → Level 11

  Enhanced Senses – Level 2 → Level 7

  Quick Step – Level 4 → Level 9

  Mana Control – Level 3 → Level 9

  My grandmother was silent for a few seconds, staring at me like I was some kind of rare creature. She opened her mouth a few times, only to close it again as if trying to find the right words.

  “You’re amazing, kid. No matter how I look at you, you’re an anomaly.”

  An anomaly, huh? I think I get what she means, but it's a little rude to call me that while looking at me like I’m some sort of giant bug.

  “The level increases come from how well you understand the skill itself. Also, if you start shaping it in new ways until you achieve what you want. Your swordsmanship is far superior to any child or even young adult I’ve seen in my life. I was expecting a fast rise—but seeing you over level 10 is still shocking. The same goes for your other skills—they’ve progressed so quickly, it almost feels unreal.”

  I understand now. Everything depends on practice, knowledge, and variety in how I use my skills. I need to reach the next sword rank soon.

  “Grandma, what level do skills need to reach to rank up?” No one told me before, probably because no one expected such a quick increase.

  “For Rank 2 and Rank 3, you need to reach level 15 to advance. You’re a lucky little boy.”

  “Lucky? Why?” I’ve certainly been lucky to be welcomed into this warm family. My life conditions are good, but no one knows about my past.

  “Yes, Maki, you’re very lucky. The world blessed you from birth with talent far beyond the average. It’s not just your swordsmanship—your other skills reflect the fruit of your talent and effort too. But I’m not talking about that.”

  “Then what do you mean?” I was getting more and more confused as she tried to get to the point.

  “It’s your life circumstances. If you had been the eldest son, you’d have far more responsibilities. You’ve seen Ritmo’s life—he’s always striving to innovate and improve our villages. Sers didn’t have it easy either—we didn’t have time to teach him or for him to train because we had just acquired the second village, and he had to help.

  You, on the other hand, arrived during a time of stability. Sure, we still face monsters and are expanding, but it’s not yet time to involve you. And even if it were, we’ve structured everything to prioritize your training. Everything aligned—time, timing, and talent—to give you the best opportunity.”

  I paused to think. If we were at war, I wouldn’t have this time to train or have my family support me. If we weren’t nobles, life would be harder. I might’ve had to work from a young age, cutting hours from training. Even being a high-ranking noble comes with duties and more intense studies.

  My older brother had to study a lot as a child to gain knowledge. Sers focused more on helping people and supporting our parents. I’ve never had those kinds of responsibilities—not even the pressure of waking up early.

  I don’t need to study much because I have knowledge from my past 20 years. I still lack details about this new world, but I have no problem with the basics.

  “Thank you, Grandma. If you hadn’t told me all this, I would’ve stayed unaware. Should I start taking on more responsibilities?” I feel useless when everyone else contributes to the villages except me.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “No. Like I said, your potential matters more. We’ve prioritized your development. It’ll be far more valuable if you reach Ruby rank like us—or even Diamond—and surpass us. We’re betting on your future, little one.”

  “I’m running late, Maki. I have to go. See you tomorrow at the same time… Don’t forget—tomorrow you’ll discover your magical affinities.”

  She closed the door and left me sitting on the floor, thinking about my future.

  My only thought is to become strong and help my family. That’s my goal… but it feels empty. I need short-, medium-, and long-term goals.

  With renewed spirit, I kept training until nightfall. I gained another level in each of my skills.

  What surprised me most was the change in Enhanced Senses. Before, I couldn’t feel anything when covering my eyes. Now, I can sense pieces of wood just centimeters before I bump into them. I can’t perceive shape or contour, and it only works at times, but it’s a huge step.

  My mana senses also improved—I can sometimes sense my grandmother’s spells. I still can’t discern their form, but I’m getting there.

  “TODAY IS THE DAY.”

  I’m so excited. I’ll finally learn my elemental affinity—something that will be with me until the day I die.

  I trained with my grandmother and returned with her for a family breakfast. It felt nice being with everyone—I was getting tired of eating alone.

  We talked about our days, the previous day’s activities, and some village matters. Apparently, the monster levels haven’t increased—always good news.

  I shared my training methods, daily routine, and exercises. Everyone was happy to hear it. I kept the actual skill levels a secret—I want to surprise them later.

  We’re now at the altar where I received my magic. They placed the same bracelets on me, but this time, the glasses have changed.

  “Why are there ten glasses now, and why are the bracelets connected?” My family hadn’t explained anything, and curiosity got the better of me.

  “Everyone is born with ten types of affinities. You need to channel your mana through the bracelets—they’re connected to each glass. After a few seconds, each glass will send a signal to this paper, revealing your affinities.”

  “I see, Mother. Sounds simple.”

  They told me not to release too much mana—just enough. Apparently, the bracelets would guide me.

  I began to channel mana into them. This time, they glowed golden. After twelve seconds, the glasses started emitting mana signals. Ten seconds later, I cut off the flow.

  “Pay close attention.” My father took the paper and began reading, meeting each of our gazes.

  “Jarrid, stop with the suspense! Let us read or just tell us!” He chuckled and handed the paper to my mother.

  “Maki, you have three one-star affinities, and four two-star affinities. We’ll discard those—low-star affinities aren’t worth training.”

  “I understand. What about the other three?”, My mother smiled and looked at me with eyes full of love.

  “Congratulations, son! You have a four-star lightning affinity, like your father and Sers. Though theirs are five-star. And you have a five-star ice affinity like me and Ritmo.”

  “That’s amazing, Maki! You’ll be a powerful mage with two high-quality affinities.”

  “Yes, Maki. If you master both magic styles, your skillset will be hard to counter.”

  My brothers both shared their excitement. I could hear the joy in their voices.

  “Thank you, Ritmo and Sers. I’ll ask for tips soon.”

  “Darling, what about the last affinity?” I wouldn’t have noticed if my father hadn’t asked. I was too caught up in the moment. My mother had only mentioned nine affinities.

  “The last one is just three stars… but it’s a gravity affinity. That’s incredible, Maki.”

  Gravity? I understand the concept from my old world—but what’s so amazing about it?

  “Son, that’s amazing—a category 3 affinity.”

  “Father, what’s a category 3? I’ve never heard that term. It’s only three stars—it sounds smarter to focus on the four- and five-star ones.”

  “Son, magic is grouped into small categories. Category 1 includes the basics: fire, water, wind, earth—they have natural opposites. Category 2 includes derivatives and specials like ice and lightning—it’s the largest category.” My father looked toward my grandmother and stopped talking.

  Rita's POV

  I decided to touch my son’s aura with mine to interrupt him—I wanted to explain the difference between category 3 and the others myself.

  “Little one, category 3 magics are special because they lack a natural counter. Let me give you examples: Fire is countered by water, water by electricity, electricity is weak to earth and its derivatives. But category 3 magics don’t have natural enemies—gravity, for example, cannot be ‘countered’ like an element.”

  “Don’t get too excited—it sounds strong, right? The downside is mana consumption and how long it takes to understand this kind of magic.”

  “They consume more mana?” Maki looked at me, waiting for an answer.

  I sometimes forget Maki is still a child. He acts so much older, understanding complex things quickly, seeing the world differently than a normal kid.

  “Yes, category 3 magic uses 20% more mana. And since yours is only three stars, you’ll use around 35% more mana than you would with your ice spells.”

  Every advantage comes with a price—they always go together but never blend.

  “I’d recommend using all three types of magic. You have a huge mana pool, and it’ll grow over time. If we calculate it carefully, the benefits outweigh the costs with a category 3 affinity.”

  “Thanks, Grandma. Then it’s settled—I’ll use all three affinities. They’ll be the foundation of my strength.”

  Every day, I see more potential in this child. I feel a small spark of hope when I look at him. Maybe—just maybe—he’ll be the first in our family to reach Diamond rank.

  And if he has enough time… maybe even Obsidian—a rank most can only dream of.