It was midday. Edward, a Level 2 swordmaster, was training with his sword in front of the house, practicing his combat techniques. Yet, his mind was still clouded by the dream he had three days ago.
He still couldn't understand what that strange man had meant—what choice had he spoken of? Who was he? Why had he said such things and vanished? What was his purpose?
Lost in thought, Edward continued performing Level 1 sword techniques, unaware that Clara had arrived.
"Ed, is something wrong?" came a concerned voice from behind. It was his wife.
Edward snapped back to reality. "Huh? No, I was just thinking about this month's taxes. Monster hunting has been very poor this year," he lied.
Clara could see through the lie but didn't want to push him further. She gently placed her hands on his. "Don't worry, darling. Everything will be fine. I'm with you."
Smiling back at her with gratitude, Edward replied, "Thank you, love. I'm lucky to have you."
Meanwhile, in his room, their son Elias had already read through half of the magic book his father had brought from town.
The book, titled Secrets of Supreme Power, explained magic and elemental use in great detail.
The people of Mirellen believed that magic was a divine gift from the gods. Elemental affinity and magical abilities were rare and precious—gifts not everyone could obtain. This power was called Elemir.
Elemir was an elemental affinity present in one's blood, something innate from birth. There were two ways to acquire it: it was either inherited through bloodline or awakened naturally within the body.
The elemental substance in one's blood was limited, much like real blood—losing too much could be fatal. Therefore, mages would synchronize their inner elemental energy with the natural version in the environment, forming a larger magical energy pool known as Sangra.
So what was the difference between Elemir and Sangra?
Elemir enhanced the body with elemental strength, granting superhuman speed, strength, reflexes, and durability. However, due to the lethal risks of overuse, it could not be manipulated or shaped.
Sangra, on the other hand, was a flexible and expandable pool of magical energy. It could be shaped, developed, and refined, offering great advantages in prolonged battles. But it came with its own dangers: once a mage exceeded Level 3 in Sangra usage, the ability would begin to form a consciousness of its own and attempt to take control of the user. This attack was mental, gradually eroding the mage's sense of self, driving them into madness, and eventually leading to death within a few weeks.
That's why most mages preferred to remain at Level 3. Sangra levels ranged from Level 1 (the lowest) to Level 5 (the highest). To reach Level 5, one had to completely subdue the awakened consciousness of the Sangra. The stronger the ability, the harder it was to control.
The four basic elements—fire, water, wind, and earth—were the most commonly used for meditation due to their abundance in nature. As a result, they were classified under the lowest magic tier: Common.
All magical abilities were ranked in five tiers: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Unique, and Legendary.
The rarity of an element in nature determined its power—the rarer it was, the more powerful. In the current age, Legendary-tier spells were unheard of. Only one spell was known to fall into that category: the Shadow Manipulation of the Demon Emperor, also known as the Shadow King.
However, the kingdom's rules forbade children from lowborn families to become mages. If a child with a Rare-tier or higher affinity was discovered, they would be taken from their families as infants and either adopted by noble households or placed under the king's custody.
Despite this, Elias's interest in magic only grew. After finishing the book, he attempted to meditate to sense the Elemir energy in his body. His first three attempts failed, but eventually, he saw colors flowing toward him like a rainbow. That confirmed it—he possessed Elemir energy. It meant he could one day master Sangra and become a powerful mage.
Trying to determine his elemental affinity, Elias felt a breeze enter through the window. He could feel a natural connection with the wind.
"So… I'm a wind mage," he whispered to himself. But he knew he had to hide it—not just from others, but even from his parents.
Later that evening, the family was gathered around the dinner table. The room was quiet. The first to break the silence was Elias, the small boy with snow-white hair:
"Dad, you're a swordmaster, right?" he asked curiously.
Edward turned toward his son, eyes slightly wide. "Yes… but why do you ask?"
Elias lowered his head. "Well… I want to learn how to use a sword. But it's okay if you say no."
He knew his father didn't like swords. Edward avoided them unless absolutely necessary and kept his old wartime blade locked away in a chest.
Still, Edward didn't want to break his son's spirit. Although the stranger's cryptic words still echoed in his mind, he didn't want to make the wrong choice.
"Of course. If you'd like, we can start training tomorrow," he said gently.
Elias's face lit up with joy. Seeing his son's enthusiasm, Edward smiled softly.
"Thank you, Dad!!" Elias shouted, finishing his meal quickly before running to his room, eager for morning to come.
Clara leaned over, concern in her voice. "Are you sure, Ed? You know what this means for you. And Elias is still just a child."
"I couldn't say no after seeing that look on his face," Edward said with a faint chuckle.
Unbeknownst to them, a bandit gang was preparing to strike—the village was surrounded.