CHAPTER 7
Grey had freshened up, consumed his breakfast, and hurriedly departed the house for the library.
He was driven by the fervent hope of securing a scroll that might assist him in unlocking any one of his latent affinities.
He moved down the street with his hands buried deep in his pants pockets, his gaze cast downward while walking in silent contemplation.
'I wonder which attribute I will manifest first. Perhaps the lightning element would be incredible, since I admire the way it functions; it significantly boosts a person's velocity, and it is remarkably rare. Or, maybe I will ignite the fire attribute, just like that First Mage.'
'The irony is that these specific powers are quite scarce. If I were to actually awaken them, I would dearly love to see the expressions on the faces of everyone who previously looked down on me.' Grey smiled at the satisfying thought.
'I haven't informed Mom yet because I want it to be a truly special surprise for her when she eventually discovers the truth.'
Finally, after several minutes of travel, Grey stood before the library.
With a deep, steadying sigh, he pushed the door open and stepped inside, walking more confidently than ever before.
He approached the towering shelves and began navigating through the various volumes he wished to examine.
He continued skimming past the books one by one until his eyes caught two particular tomes that caught his fancy.
He quickly slid them from the shelf, found a secluded seat, and began inspecting the materials.
'I don't possess the funds to rent these books for a few days, so I will simply have to remain here and study them in hopes of mastering a thing or two.' He thought this as he opened a volume bearing the title:
Introduction to the Use of Fire Magic
Grey began poring through the book carefully, memorizing every single detail written within its pages with surprising speed.
He read and reread every passage over and over again.
The text contained the fundamental basics of pyromancy: how to trigger the affinity, the necessary conditions for success, and the practical application of fire magic alongside the philosophy needed to understand it.
Grey studied everything until the knowledge became akin to muscle memory to him.
"Okay, time for the spell book associated with this magic," he whispered to himself, picking up the second volume to begin his research.
The reason Grey had selected the fire magic book first was quite simple.
When he had previously grabbed the lightning manual and skimmed its contents, he found that the criteria for unlocking that element were exceptionally rare and hazardous—and he wasn't quite ready for that level of peril yet.
While the requirements for fire magic were much more attainable than those of lightning, they were still dangerous in their own right; however, Grey was prepared to embrace the risks at this juncture.
Grey studied all the basic spells he could find and practiced the mental visualizations required to perform them easily.
He committed to memory both the incantations a person would utter to activate them and the intricate hand formations a practitioner would need to execute.
Grey was unaware that he possessed a unique talent for retaining whatever he read or heard without any stress; it was a gift he had inadvertently revealed when he originally cultivated his mana core entirely on his own.
Finally, after hours of intense reading and focus, Grey had mastered the theory of all the basic fire spells he could find.
He was more than eager to test them, but that would have to wait until the following day, as the hour had grown quite late.
Exiting the library, Grey felt significantly happier than usual—unaware that his current joy would soon transform into sharp annoyance.
"Hey, weakling!" a voice shouted, calling out to Grey.
He turned around, his eyes twitching as he instantly recognized the voice and exactly who it belonged to.
"Clark!" Grey muttered in anger, knowing precisely what would likely happen next.
"What are you doing at the library?" Clark asked, his tone dripping with condescension.
"Huh?" Grey raised an eyebrow in genuine confusion. "Isn't the library open for everyone?"
"Yes, it is—it is, but it's meant for mages, not weaklings like you," Clark laughed, the sound harsh against the quiet street.
Grey just sighed, a weary sound, and muttered under his breath,
"If only you knew."
"What's that? Are you cursing me under your breath?" Clark demanded furiously, his face reddening.
Clark's loud shouting quickly gathered the attention of nearby adults.
However, when they approached and saw Grey, they simply turned away again; they already recognized the lopsided dynamic and felt no inclination to intervene.
In their minds, if the person being bullied couldn't stand up for themselves, why should anyone else bother to step in? This was the harsh reality of how the world functioned now, and it seemed nothing could alter it.
"Why should I curse you under my breath when you are already cursed!" Grey chuckled, a spark of excitement dancing in his eyes despite the tension.
Clark was so incensed that a thick vein could be seen popping up on his forehead, throbbing as if it might actually burst.
'I'm going to teach you not to mess with me. The new wind spell that took me months to master will finally be tested on you,' Clark thought venomously as he raised his hands.
Clark quickly thrust his dominant hand out, his palm facing downwards.
He then sharply flicked his wrist while simultaneously shouting the activation words.
"Aerius!" Clark bellowed, directing the flick toward Grey, who stood only a few feet away from him.
Immediately, a burst of transparent, swirling air erupted from Clark's palm, accompanied by a sudden, loud whooshing sound.
The gale surged toward Grey at a decent speed and crashed into him, the force knocking him back several feet.
Grey collapsed onto the ground in sharp pain as the strike connected.
While he winced, he heard the heavy thud of footsteps heading toward his fallen form.
"You see the difference between us? You can never bridge that gap, and I would advise you to keep quiet the next time I am speaking," Clark stated, preparing to walk off with a triumphant smirk.
"Hey, Clark!" Grey called out.
Clark stopped in his tracks, slowly turning around to face his victim.
Then Grey smiled.
He raised his hands in a manner almost identical to how Clark had just done, pointing his dominant hand and keeping his palm faced downward.
Seeing Grey mimic the hand signs, Clark felt a flicker of fear as his heart thumped loudly against his ribs.
'Is he going to perform the Aerius strike? But that took me months of practice, with constant trial and failure. No, that's impossible; he doesn't even possess a mana core,' Clark thought frantically.
Then, he saw Grey bring his hands close together.
Suddenly, Grey pressed his palms together and bowed deeply.
"Thank you for teaching me this valuable lesson, and I promise not to forget it."
"What?!" Clark exclaimed, stunned by the submissive gesture.
He then scoffed, shaking his head.
"As expected from a pathetic weakling like you," Clark said, turning his back and walking off.
As Clark stormed away, the street grew quiet once more.
Grey rubbed his aching chest, wincing as he leaned against the rough stone wall for support.
But then, a faint, rhythmic warmth pulsed from deep within his core.
It wasn't painful, but it was insistent—a steady, internal vibration like the beat of a distant drum echoing in his soul.
Grey's eyes widened in realization.
He focused his mind inward, and for the first time, he felt it clearly: mana, swirling and gathering in his chest like a simmering flame waiting to ignite.
The power was there, dormant no longer, circulating through his veins with newfound vigor.
A slow, knowing smile crept across his face.
'Tomorrow, everything changes,' he thought, his resolve hardening like steel.