Chapter 38: Just What The Hell Is A Dark Dragon?!

Noah leaned back in his seat, one hand turning the yellowed pages of ’An Introduction to Elemental and Non-Elemental Affinities.’ The words swam in his vision as he absorbed them, each line giving new insight into the foundations of his power. He read about his Darkness affinity first, solely because it was first on his status window. The book started by denying everything his Physics textbook had told him back on Earth. Here, Darkness was not the absence of light. Instead, it was presence. It was dense, living shadow. The element of concealment, corrosion, and consumption. Spells rooted in Darkness distorted perception, obscured movement, and drained vitality. It could choke light, silence sound, and swallow mana. Common abyssal beasts that granted this affinity were Shade Hounds, Null Crows, and most infamously, the Wraithborn Serpent. They dwelled in Monoliths filled with shadowy terrain or permanent night, feeding on fear and memory. Mages who bonded with these beasts were especially adept in spells that blurred their outlines, slowed others, or consumed weaker spells entirely. Noah tapped the page thoughtfully. His new B-rank spell, Devour, was clearly similar. He’d have to add a Dark Dragon to the list. Time passed as he moved onto the next affinity, Fire. Fire Affinity was actually the most common elemental affinity in Camelot, and that was solely for its clear, destructive ability. Fire represented change, destruction, and rebirth. It burned away the old, making room for the new. The book emphasized that while Fire mages were seen as destructive, advanced users could wield it with the kind of skill and precision that they never destroyed an inch more than what truly intended to destroy. The beasts that granted Fire affinity included Dragons, Flame Raptors, Magma Drakes, and Ember Spiders. Notably, the Lava Wyrm was known to be one of the deadliest fire beasts captured for noble advancement rituals. Noah nodded. Fire was straightforward. Blunt. Powerful. His Fireball spell was proof of that. But mastering it? That was another story entirely. He reached for the next book, ’The Void: The Space Between All Things.’ Void affinity was... strange. Because apparently, Void was not nothingness. Instead, it was potential. Space between. Silence before sound. A mage with the Void affinity could fold distances, distort locations, and manipulate connections between objects. Void-based spells were rare because they required incredible focus and control to not unravel the fabric of their own spellwork. Beasts of the Void were rarely found outside Monoliths and were considered unstable. Among them were Rift Snakes, Null-Faced Lions, and the elusive Spatial Moth. Their habits were unpredictable, phasing in and out of visibility, ignoring terrain altogether. Bonding with them required immense mental stability. Noah reread that paragraph twice. Space folding? Instant movement? Maybe one day, he’d find a Void spell worth learning. Or better yet, make one. The fourth affinity was Decay. According to the book he was reading, Decay was rot, but also entropy. Time’s slow hand eroding all things. This affinity didn’t just destroy; it unraveled. Armor rusted. Spells faded. Strength ebbed. It was about bringing things back to the dust they came from. Beasts of Decay included Moldfiends, Rust Vultures, and Blight Toads. Their presence ruined the world around them. Trees shriveled, water soured, and metal corroded. They weren’t powerful in brute strength, but their effect was devastating over time. Spells in this affinity often required prolonged contact, or triggered after impact. They were perfect for weakening enemies, wearing them down, layer by layer. Noah felt a chill crawl down his spine. Something about Decay felt right for him. Cold. Patient. It didn’t scream for attention. It whispered, and still, it destroyed. Then, finally, came the last affinity, Hunger. He opened ’Hunger: A Study of Endless Consumption,’ and immediately felt like he’d stepped into something forbidden. Hunger was not an element. It was a drive. A need. A consuming force that could never be filled. Mages who wielded this affinity gained the ability to absorb energy, drain life, and consume magic itself. Not to destroy, but to take. Hunger spells fed the user, growing stronger the more they devoured. Only a handful of known abyssal beasts carried this affinity. The Devourer Worm, the Glutton Shade, and the infamous Maw Beast. All had mouths larger than their bodies, existed in constant starvation, and could consume magic, matter, and mana alike. Unlike other affinities, Hunger did not create spells meant for shaping the world. It created spells meant to eat it. Noah’s breath slowed. He reread the last line. ’Spells meant to eat the world.’ Hunger wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t elegant. It was pure and primal. It was the gnawing that crept into the soul when everything else had been taken away. He looked down at his hand. ’Is that what I’ve become?’ he thought. ’A mage of hunger. Of rot. Of void.’ He closed the book. Noah exhaled, leaning back to stare at the high ceiling of the library. This was a lot to take in. He’d just learnt that with his S-rank attributes needed for spells, if he got the spell formations, he could wield weapons like Void, Decay, and Hunger. And now that he had read through it, he realized that all five of his affinities were basically the same thing. Darkness was rooted in consumption, Fire destroyed, Void distorted, Decay eroded, and Hunger was simply insatiable. No matter how he looked at it, his beast had been created to take. To destroy. ’Just what the hell is a Dark Dragon?!’ Well, whatever the beast was, all he knew was that he’d been given these affinities. They were his, and he’d learn to wield them all. He stood with a sigh, and began packing his books. Slotting them back in their places on the shelves, he packed his things and left. As he walked all the way back to his dorm, his mind went to his mission here in Camelot. He was not interested in fighting the kingdom’s wars against the demons. His ’oh so mighty’ classmates would take care of that. Instead, he had another war to fight within the kingdom. A war that was the reason he hid his potential. He needed the public opinion that would come with a mage of FFF-rank potential seemingly advancing past his potential and destroying those who stood above him. Something that would allow him to create an environment where everyone receives the same education regardless of potential. That was all he was fighting for. For everyone to start with the same resources. And whether Camelot liked it or not, he’ll drag them into the new age himself.