Chapter 64: Ice Elemental Affinity

Vinny had been shopping for several days and found nothing suitable.

The stringent requirements of [Armor Fortress] were partly to blame, as it demanded physical injuries, but another reason was the incomplete selection of skills in these shops.

There was no way around it—skills compatible with [Armor] were simply too limited. Even some general-purpose spells were out of reach, let alone more specialized ones.

When Vinny entered the Soul Armament shop, the doorkeeper barely glanced at him, too absorbed in the newspaper in his hands.

The man looked like he might fall asleep at any moment, likely lulled by the warmth of the indoor magic stone heater.

Vinny didn’t feel like going home either.

His house lacked magic stones for heating, so he decided to stay in the hall and enjoy the warmth for a while.

As he casually flipped through a scroll, Vinny examined the recorded skill and, with a sigh of disappointment, put it back.

It was yet another skill he could only admire but never use.

He didn’t need to choose a skill for Vanessa.

Her Soul Armament was innate, recorded in [Holy Emissary].

Whether she had it or not, she didn’t need to learn it—that was the prestige of a root Soul Armament.

The afternoon dragged on as Vinny wandered through the shop, sifting through various skills.

By now, he had little hope left. He couldn’t imagine finding a spell that would align with [Armor].

“Thunder Net, suitable for Mage Soul Armament.”

“Rockfall Blade, suitable for Mage Soul Armament.”

“Flame Burst Arrow, suitable for Mage Soul Armament...”

“Why are they all for Mage Soul Armament?” Vinny muttered with a soft sigh. It wasn’t surprising, really.

In a world dominated by mages, most long-range skills were exclusive to them.

No wonder so many aspired to become mages.

“Frost Lock, suitable for Mage Soul Armament...”

Vinny was about to put the scroll back when he noticed something different.

Like the others, it was suited for Mage Soul Armament, but there was an additional line at the end:

“Can also be used by individuals with Ice Affinity.”

“Oh?” Vinny frowned.

This meant the threshold for using this skill was lower compared to the others.

Besides requiring a Mage Soul Armament, it only demanded a decent level of ice elemental affinity.

Could he learn it?

Vinny felt a flicker of hope. This was the only skill he had found all afternoon that didn’t strictly require a Mage Soul Armament—just a decent level of elemental affinity.

If he remembered correctly, the levels of elemental affinity, from lowest to highest, were: Very Poor, Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Extraordinary.

And above Extraordinary, there was another level—Limit Breaker.

That was when the crystal ball used to test affinity would explode outright.

Of course, such dramatic results were reserved for protagonists.

In the original game, the protagonist Aesphyra’s fire elemental affinity was at Limit Breaker level.

During the entrance test, the crystal ball shattered, leaving the audience in awe.

But don’t assume Aesphyra’s affinity was strong only for fire.

Her affinity with other elements was equally impressive.

Indeed, people like Aesphyra were well-known—and, frankly, rather arrogant.

All her elemental affinities were exceptional, not just fire.

It was as if the words “peerless genius” were practically written on her forehead.

It was terrifying, honestly.

Consider this: if someone’s magical qualifications were high enough to receive a Mage Soul Armament, they were already considered exceptional.

If, on top of that, they had even one elemental affinity at the Excellent level, they could immediately proclaim themselves a genius and step into the spotlight.

Once the news spread, countless factions would scramble to recruit them.

Their future would be paved with endless opportunities, and they could enjoy abundant resources without even lifting a finger.

That alone showed how rare and coveted an “Excellent” level elemental affinity was.

Calling such a person a “once-in-a-millennium genius” wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

And then there was Aesphyra. Not only did she have a “Limit Breaker” level in fire, but all her other elemental affinities were also Excellent.

Any one of those affinities, if given to someone else, would instantly raise them to the status of a peerless genius.

It just went to show—the gap between people could sometimes be wider than the gap between humans and dogs.

Vinny wasn’t mistaken. Aesphyra’s first Soul Armament, [Hero], had a unique trait—it was incredibly adaptable.

Whether it was a mage’s technique or a warrior’s technique, she could learn almost anything with ease.

Imagine Aesphyra casually picking up a magic skill off the street.

She could choose anything—and there was nothing she couldn’t master.

Meanwhile, Vinny was agonizing over selecting even a low-level skill.

Vinny wasn’t sure if he could master Frost Lock.

He had only tested his magical qualifications, not his elemental affinity.

He had no idea what his elemental affinity was.

According to the game’s lore, the ice element was relatively unpopular. Not because it was weak—just because very few people had high affinity with it.

That made the ice element one of the least common, second only to the even rarer elements of darkness and light.

Vinny recalled that his elemental affinity in the plot was rather peculiar.

The text mentioned that light and darkness seemed to “insulate” him.

As for his affinity with the other elements—it was unclear.

But it probably wasn’t anything special.

According to scholarly research, magical qualifications were closely tied to elemental affinity.

Generally, someone with high magical qualifications was guaranteed to have at least two elemental affinities rated Good or above.

This was considered the baseline for strong magical potential.

People with low magical qualifications weren’t guaranteed anything—and their elemental affinities tended to be just as weak as expected.

After pondering for a while, and considering his current financial stability, Vinny decided to purchase the skill.

He didn’t necessarily need to use it right away—it also served another purpose.

He could use it to test his ice elemental affinity in advance.

If he couldn’t use it, that meant his affinity wasn’t even at the “Good” level.

But if he could, it meant his affinity was at least “Good” or higher.

With that in mind, Vinny approached the dozing gatekeeper, woke him up, and purchased the scroll for eight silver coins.

It was worth noting—mages truly operated on another level.

The cost of a single low-level skill was equivalent to a year’s expenses for several ordinary families.

Back at home, Vinny opened his Soul Armament and began to study the skill.

****

The next morning, after staying up all night, Vinny felt surprisingly clear-headed.

He went to the backyard, took a deep breath, and prepared to cast his first spell.

Nervousness was inevitable—this was his first time using magic.

He quietly recited the incantation, followed the scroll’s instructions, and channeled the faint magic within his body, transforming it into extreme cold.

In an instant, a crystalline Frost chain shot out from his palm, piercing the dead tree in front of him.

It worked?!

Vinny stared in disbelief at the Frost chain he had just released.

Although the technique was far from refined and the chain lacked proper form, this was still a monumental step.

He hadn’t relied on some convenient Mage Soul Armament or external aid.

This was entirely his own effort—and he had succeeded in casting magic.

Moreover, it seemed his ice elemental affinity wasn’t as low as he had feared.