Chapter 102: Elemental Affinity and Mana Circulation

"Now," she said, tone shifting with precision, "let’s talk about how elemental affinities are influenced by mana."

She paced slowly, eyes scanning the students.

"First, we need to understand how someone even possesses an affinity and why or just what even the hell it is? Why do some people have stronger control over fire, others over water or wind, and a few even possess rare dual affinities?"

She stopped and looked directly at the class.

"As with many other things, it’s tied to your bloodline too. Inside your body are unique structures called elemental cells. These elemental cells, unique to every individual, are dormant until they come into contact with mana. Once activated by mana, these cells resonate with specific elemental energies present in the environment, creating a connection between the individual and their elemental affinity.

Now, let’s be clear elemental energies exist everywhere in the world. Fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, ice, and more. The concentration of these elements varies depending on the location. For example, dry and arid regions will have much lower concentrations of water or ice elements due to low humidity, while volcanic areas might have an abundance of fire energy. However, traces of every elemental type are present everywhere. The environment simply affects how easily one can draw upon or manipulate that specific energy.

So yes, position and environment matter. A wind affinity user fighting midair 400 meters above ground has a natural advantage over an earth affinity user in the same situation even if they are the same rank. The environment becomes an extension of your element, either supporting or suppressing your power.

Students nodded slowly, the concept starting to click.

"Now, some people are born with a large number of elemental cells more than average. These dictate what kind of affinity you have: fire, wind, water, earth, lightning, and so on. In rare cases, individuals are born with multiple types of elemental cells. We call that a mutation and it’s one of the rarest traits a mage can possess."

She wrote Elemental Mutation across the top of the board.

"Thought elemental cells that allow for dual or even tri-affinities, though that is exceedingly rare. The strength of your affinity depends on two things: the quantity and quality of these elemental cells. They can evolve over time, and yes they can be strengthened. There are many ways to develop them. Think of elemental cells like muscles. With training, they grow stronger. The more they are used, the more your body begins to adapt, making the affinity stronger. Some rely on effort. Others on external aids. But if you’re born with talent, your body naturally knows how to grow and balance them. It’s what we call innate ability."

She turned back to face the class.

"But here comes the challenge: elemental cells consume mana to function. If you have too many elemental cells without enough mana to sustain them, they begin to feed on your body’s life energy. This leads to extreme fatigue, organ failure, or even death. That’s why having a well-balanced body is essential. Talent, again, plays a big role here. Talented individuals instinctively maintain this balance or they just have enormous amount of mana that amount elemental cells in there bodies doesn’t matter them"

Gasps stirred around the room.

"So for not so broken people that’s why balance is everything. You need enough elemental cells to channel power but not so many that they burn through your reserves and destroy your body from the inside."

She tapped the board again.

"Now let’s talk about elemental particles how you can increase number of these elemental cells through it. So first hese are the free floating, natural particles of elemental energy found in the environment. If you have enough knowledge and precise control, you can absorb them into your body and just increase number of elemental cells on your body grow or your already existing elemental cells can absorb them and grow."

She raised a hand. "But be warned. This method is complicated and dangerous. Pulling in too much too quickly especially more than your body can handle will lead to internal imbalance and serious damage."

The students nodded, Ofcourse its a common knowledge but knowing exactly why is intresting to them now.

"Also for this you need a basic level of mastery in that specific element before you can even attempt to draw in external particles. It’s not something you try on instinct. Which again at one level brings you to have talent and resources"

Then she smiled slightly.

"Which brings us to the most practical method absorbing elemental cores."

"The most efficient, safe, and powerful method of strengthening elemental affinity absorbing elemental cores. These cores are refined crystallizations of balanced mana and elemental energy. When absorbed, they provide energy and elemental strength in a perfectly tuned ratio, helping the body grow stronger without disrupting the internal balance."

"This is why elemental cores are so valuable. They can be absorbed by beasts and humans alike. In high society, many noble families invest enormous resources to acquire elemental cores for their children."

She let that sink in.

"Now, I know what some of you might be thinking: if we’re constantly using mana to activate elemental cells and perform magic doesn’t our mana decrease over time? Doesn’t it eventually run out?"

She walked back to the center of the room.

"Let’s say you’ve trained for 10 years and reached the mana capacity of a 3rd-rank mage. You spend it all in a single, desperate battle exhaust every last drop. Shouldn’t it take you another 10 years to recover that mana again?"

She looked around.

"But it doesn’t. Most of the time, it regenerates within a few hours or days."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Isn’t that strange? Isn’t that worth questioning?"

Silence. Then she smiled.

"So here’s the question. Why does mana come back so quickly, even after full depletion? If it took years to build up, why does it restore so easily?"

She folded her arms.

"Anyone smart enough to answer?"

The room remained quiet for a few moments, until a girl near the front wearing glasses spoke up.

"It’s because mana can be compressed indefinitely, and as it compresses, the body’s natural absorption rate increases. Even if we completely deplete our mana, the absorption speed and density remain at the highest level we’ve achieved. It’s like the body somehow remembers the maximum density it once held though we haven’t figured out why.

Because of that, the size and density of a person’s mana pool directly affect how much mana they absorb from the surroundings. The bigger and denser your mana pool, the faster your recovery, the stronger your spells, and the more refined your magic becomes," She said clearly having studied the subject in depth.

Thalia clapped, clearly pleased. "Correct! Amd well said."

She turned to the rest of the class, gesturing to the girl. "That’s also why those with stronger mana pools can absorb mana from their surroundings faster and in greater amounts. Most of the mana we use comes from the environment not from within. That’s why someone with a vast mana pool might absorb more in one minute than someone else will in their entire life."

She pointed to the board.

"Let’s say someone has a mana pool of 100 points and absorbs mana at a rate of 10 points per minute. Logically, after one minute they’d have 110, right?"

She smiled.

"Wrong. Because absorption is continuous happening every second, every millisecond the real value would be more like 115 or higher. And every second you absorb mana, your pool condenses just a bit more. That, in turn, increases your absorption speed."

She tapped the board. "And this process is irreversible. You can stop absorbing mana, yes but your absorption rate itself doesn’t go backward. If you hit 100, it will never become 99. It only moves up. That’s one of the most remarkable discoveries of the past generation. And I must say... credit to the brilliant minds who came before us."

A hand shot up.

"But Professor," asked Harley, leaning forward, "didn’t you say earlier that absorbing too much mana can cause the body to explode? Doesn’t that contradict what you just said?"

Thalia turned toward him, pleased.

"Excellent question, Mr. Harley. But no, it doesn’t conflict. As I explained before, the danger isn’t from having mana. The danger is in using it. Think back to the cannon analogy: the cannon only explodes when it fires when it tries to use too much energy at once."

She tapped her fingers against the podium.

"Now, if mana couldn’t be compressed indefinitely, it would be a problem. But it can. And amazingly it has no mass, at least not in the traditional sense. So no, your body won’t explode from storing it. But if you try to use high-density mana beyond your control... then yes, you risk everything.. it can shatter you from the inside. Some mages, with flawless control, can use it without backlash. But for most? It’s a deadly risk."

Harley looked thoughtful, clearly still trying to connect the dots.

""I see... But if that’s the case. Then what about absorbing high-ranked elemental cores?" he asked. "You said earlier that if a third-rank mage tries to absorb a sixth-rank core, they’d explode. Doesn’t that also conflict with the compression idea?"

"Another great question," Thalia said with a nod. "But it doesn’t conflict, either. That’s where absorption rate comes into play."

She turned to the board and drew two new diagrams.

"Let’s assume your body has a mana absorption rate of 100. If you attempt to absorb a core that pours out mana at a rate of 10,000 you’re forcing your system to take in a flood it’s not equipped to handle Obviously you are pulling in more energy than your body can regulate. The mana might be compressed, yes, but your body doesn’t have the filter or flow control to manage the intake."

The class went quiet again.

"That’s why it’s safe to absorb same-ranked elemental cores. Your absorption rate and the core’s output are close enough. But once you jump ranks especially multiple ranks the risks increase drastically. The higher the rank, the more volatile the outcome."

Another student raised a hand. "But can’t we just stop the absorption if it’s too much?"

"Yes," Thalia replied. "You can. Most trained mages know how to halt the intake process if their body feels unstable. That’s a safety mechanism. But remember no matter how elegant our theories, there are always exceptions. Biology isn’t perfect. And not every body responds the same."

She stepped away from the board.

"So the core truth? Keep your mana in balance. Just because you can absorb more doesn’t always mean you should."

"That’s also why I always say stick to balance. Master your rank. Grow your pool steadily. And when absorbing cores, don’t chase ranks you haven’t earned."

Harley rubbed his chin, deep in thought. ""Hmm... interesting."

Thalia smiled.

"Magic is full of mysteries. But the rules? They’re always there. If you learn to listen."

"Also his is why we have a ranking system for both mages and aura users," Thalia continued. "Rank One being the lowest, and Rank Nine being the highest. Of course, we all know there are only a handful of people in the entire world at Rank Nine so few you could count them on one hand. I don’t think they need an introduction."

She glanced across the room, making sure the students were still following.

"Each time your mana pool condenses to a certain level, it undergoes a qualitative shift. The purity of your mana increases. These stages of refinement define the ranks. And while strength can’t be measured perfectly through this alone, it’s still the closest metric we have."

Her tone sharpened. "The most significant leap comes at Rank Four. The first three ranks are minimal compared to what happens from the fourth onward. Then again at Rank Six. The next major jumps are at Rank Eight and Nine. Those milestones are where true qualitative changes occur."

"Same applies to aura users," she added. "Their ranking reflects the level of physical enhancement their bodies have reached by measuring colour and density of aura as it have same concept as mana but differently and even quite oppositely."

Then she paused, a thought flickering across her expression.

"Now that we’re deep into mana theory, let me throw something interesting at you. Magic Objects."

A few brows lifted.

"Yes, objects. Most of you must’ve wondered about this at some point. Why do certain objects possess mana or energy? You.. living beings can absorb mana, breathe it in, manipulate it, and release it. That makes sense. But how is it that an inanimate object a blade, a rock, a pendant can hold mana? They don’t move. They don’t breathe. They’re not alive."

The room stirred. Some students leaned forward, intrigued. Others looked lost.

"It’s a fair question, right? Why does an object hold energy at all?"

Thalia walked up to the lectern and tapped it.

"This wood it’s made of molecules. You all know that.. Now, if I take fire to this lectern, what happens?"

"It burns," one student mumbled.

"Right. But why?" she asked, eyes scanning the room. "What makes it burn? Its not magical right?"

"Dryness?" a girl tried, shrugging. "It’s dry wood, so...and well just its properties are?"

Thalia nodded. "Sure. But why does it ignite? Why does dryness equal flammability? Let’s dig deeper. What gives it the energy to burn?"

She raised a finger. "Where does the energy in this wood come from?"

Silence. Then she answered for them.

"The sun."

That drew some murmurs.

"Yes. The energy this wood holds was stored during its time as a tree. Through photosynthesis, the tree absorbed sunlight. That solar energy was converted and stored in the tree’s molecular bonds specifically, as chemical potential energy."

She smiled at their thoughtful expressions.

"That’s why when you burn wood, you’re not just watching it disappear you’re watching the release of stored solar energy. The heat and flame are conversions of that original potential."

"When you burn the wood, you’re converting that stored energy into heat."

Gasps and soft "ohh" sounds moved through the room.

"So," Thalia continued, "even non-magical objects carry some form of energy. Now, magical objects artifacts, enchanted gear, mana-infused relics are simply items whose molecular structures have bonded with or absorbed elemental mana. They store it the way trees store sunlight. The difference is in what kind of energy, and how it’s used."

She paused to let it sink in.

"Rare magical objects can even store elemental energies or unique mana signatures. That’s what gives them their diverse effects: flame projection, healing, illusion you name it."

Meanwhile, in the back row, Razeal leaned back in his seat.

He wasn’t especially invested in the lecture. Most of this, he’d already learned as a child. The tutors his family had hired were far superior to Professor Thalia even if she was well-qualified. Of course she was. This was a royal classroom. But a Duke’s household had resources that would put most institutions to shame.

Still, he listened.

Not because he needed to. Just because he was bored.

It was also... interesting, in a way, to watch these noble heirs around him react. Many of them had never received this level of detailed theoretical knowledge. It was clear from their faces. Even Celestia Areon and Selena, despite surely knowing the answers, stayed silent.

Razeal squinted. Was it modesty? Or were they simply letting others catch up?

Razeal didn’t know.

More importantly, he didn’t care.

All Razeal knew was that he was getting bored.

[Host, was it really necessary to create conflict with that girl earlier?] the System’s voice rang in his head, smooth and neutral. [I’m not questioning your decision. It’s yours to make. I’m just wondering was there some profit involved? Something I should know about?]

"Not really," Razeal replied silently, lips barely twitching. "I just felt like it."

He tilted his head back.

"I’m not powerless anymore. If it had come to a fight, I could’ve held my own. And I guess... once you start gaining power, you start thinking, ’Why not?’ I’m already fighting half the world. One more annoying fly won’t make a difference."

[Hmm. That’s acceptable. No risk factors, at least. That girl wasn’t particularly important.]

"Whatever it wasn’t like i started it," Razeal muttered to himself, closing his eyes for a second.

Whatever came next, he’d handle it.

But gods, this lecture was dragging.

---

fhhew, alright this one seriously messed with my head.

So, here’s the deal: this is why you’ve been getting fewer Chapters lately. Trying to build a power system for a story isn’t easy. Out of nowhere, I was hit with a flood of ideas. I even deleted a bunch of Chapters because things just weren’t clicking. Total conflict by the end. That’s what took so long

But now, finally, it feels solid interesting, and it actually works logically. From this point on, all future powers can be explained using this system. It makes sense, and you’ll see how it all ties together.

Anyway, sorry for the slow updates lately and thanks, as always, for reading.

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