PART 1
Flip.
I stared at the page and started to conceptualize the information in my head. It explained that the core, when saturated with competing elemental energies, struggles to differentiate and isolate them during channeling.
"So this was the major drawback. At this state, how do people in quad affinity even use mana?" I wondered to myself.
The book also explained that without proper control, the core would instinctively try to fuse these elements together. This then usually leads to the formation of a new unstable unusable type of mana known as Null Mana.
"Null mana? Interesting. Is there really nothing one can do with it? one use for null mana, at least?"
The book revealed that Null Mana is a non-elemental, unusable energy with no reaction properties and no conductivity to external spells or internal enhancement. This meant that users with Null Mana are simply unable to perform magic.
Flip.
" Null Mana is not just useless, it is dangerous."
The book explained. It was said that null mana clogged and damaged the internal mana pathways, weakened the output, and in some severe cases, led to mana poisoning or complete burnout of the core which led to death of the mana user.
This is not a regular occurrence for people with triple affinity, as it has been proven that a core's limit is reached at three without causing mana poisoning, which is highly toxic to the physical body during channeling. However, triple-affinity users are far more prone to burnout, bottlenecked growth, or stagnation due to the mental load required, but without a doubt, they have a wide range of versatility in elemental control.
Only those with extraordinary talent, precise mental discipline, and often external guidance from more experienced affinity users could overcome this limitation and rise to become successful mages or swordsmen. That was why the percentage of triple-affinity individuals who reached mastery was so low. The advantage of absorbing more mana came at a cost.
Part 2
The book again clearly stated that although triple-affinity cores allowed for creative and hybrid spell and sword styles, once mastered, a triple-affinity user could never master any one element beyond 45%, and even that was considered exceptional. Despite this drawback, they were often regarded as wild cards in battle and extremely difficult to predict, as they usually used element weaknesses against others, such as fire having a natural weakness to water. They usually participated as adventurers and low-level mages.
Next, the book gave a lot of information about Quad-Affinity cores. It stated that Quad-Affinity, known as Generalists, are ironically the most common individuals but also the least likely to become successful mana users. Anyone who didn't have a triple-affinity or a single-affinity core was definitely a Quad-Affinity user, as this core type and the people who possess it are considered average or below average. They are unable to perform basic mana manipulation, even with the known fact that they possess all four types. The term "Generalist" stems from two points: one, the ability to absorb all four elemental mana types, and two, the commonness of such a core.
I thought to myself, "So this means nobody is born without a core, and having a Quad-Affinity core just means you're normal, not too good in any element."
Father then revealed in his books, "I possess a Quad-Affinity Core. It is impressive to be able to absorb four mana types, but it's the very reason I cannot use mana; therefore, I use mana tools, which are very rare items to possess."
Father further stated that the reason lies in the nature of the core itself. As I stated before, cores are generally bad at handling multiple types of mana. A Quad-Affinity core produces the highest number of mana types, but the absorption of all four elements creates an internal conflict. Without the ability to effectively separate and organize the different mana types within one's core, it begins to blend them together, creating what scholars call Null Mana.
Null Mana is a dead, unusable form of energy. It mimics the sensation of mana channeling, which may even feel like something is flowing, but it has no elemental properties, no reactivity, and cannot be formed into spells or enhancements. Repeatedly trying to cast or channel through a core flooded with Null Mana is not only futile but poisonous to the body over time. This condition, sometimes referred to as "Core Burn," leads to symptoms such as chronic fatigue, internal damage, or permanent mana blockage, and in the worst cases, death.
Part 3
Most creatures, human or beast, are born with Quad-Affinity cores by sheer chance. The majority never realize it, and if they do, they dismiss mana as something they simply "can't do," unaware of the volatile battle happening within them. As long as they don't awaken the core, they would function as if nothing exists within them.
In rare cases, especially argued during my days at Manyblood's Academy, a professor openly said that a Quad-Affinity user might manage to separate the elements successfully, but whether they could create a hierarchy that the core would understand without mixing the mana types into Null Mana was another thing he couldn't prove. All four mana types in a Quad-Affinity core are exactly evenly distributed at 25/25/25/25, which means a hierarchy cannot be defined. Theoretically, if a person successfully trains or "tricks" their cores to access each element, this would open up a wide range of spells across all elements, but unfortunately, only at 25% proficiency. Hence, nobody bothers with it, as the risk involved is too high. This makes the professor's claims more myth and theory than reality. The difficulty lies not just in splitting the mana but in maintaining a stable hierarchy between them, a technique used by dualists (who first identify the dominant mana type, as this alone requires a lot of mana testing) and elite triple-affinity users would apply this as well.
But as the book has said over and over again, in a Quad-Affinity core, there is no dominant element, no natural tendency to have a dominant mana. The elements constantly compete for manipulation and manifestation, making it nearly impossible to favor one over the others without destabilizing the core. Most attempts at prioritizing one type simply result in more Null Mana being produced and less control.
As I closed the book, I said to myself, "I better not get this Quad-Affinity core, or I'm definitely screwed."
Closing the book, I was already feeling exhausted. I had read enough for today and needed to let it all digest. This was indeed a well-written book; I never knew Father had such in-depth knowledge.
As I packed the rest of the books together, a strong urge to sleep came over me. This was to be expected for my four-year-old body. Lying down for a while, already about to nap, I wondered where Father was and why he was so late. When he comes back, I will definitely ask him how one awakens a core. Once I awaken mine, I will begin my journey.