30 Dual Talents

Upon hearing the prompt, Alexander felt a surge of surprise.

Under normal circumstances, it's common knowledge that each person can only possess one talent, something even a two-year-old child on the continent of Arsen knows.

However, after constructing the Holy Tower of Eternity, it seemed Alexander had broken this rule. Not only had he acquired an additional talent, but it was also of the EX level!

This was almost unbelievable! 

Alexander's face lit up with a genuine smile: "Finally, I can overcome the limitations of my talent!"

Seeing the smile on their lord's face, every soldier rejoiced sincerely for him.

Recalling his days in Hurricane City, Alexander remembered how, when facing Lord Benjamin, he saw him as an unreachable king, someone he could only look up to and never surpass.

All because Benjamin possessed an A-level talent "Blood Fury."

But now, Alexander himself had acquired a legendary EX-level talent! This level of talent was ten million times stronger than the A-level talents!

Now, Alexander had two talents: one was the F-level Mining, a birth-given talent that condemned him to a life of obscurity, toiling away as an unnoticed miner.

He had worked hard for ten years, only to be ruthlessly abandoned.

But things were different now. Alexander had acquired another talent -- the EX-level Ultimate Elemental Affinity. Such a level of talent was unique on the continent of Arsen, and perhaps even in the entire Centaur Galaxy.

With this EX-level talent, Alexander reaped immense benefits.

He could perceive the subtle changes in each element, guiding their power as easily as coordinating his limbs. 

He found strength and passion in the fire element, calmness and change in the water element, freedom and possibilities in the wind element, stability and security in the earth element. Meanwhile, the life and death elements brought him the mystery and depth of life.

He became like a conductor of the elements, guiding their dance with the melody of his soul. His will could influence the movement of elements, and their power would fluctuate with his emotions.

Alexander felt as though he had become a master of the world. The power of the elements seemed like his subordinates, and his gaze could penetrate the surface of matter, seeing the structure and movement of elements.

He discovered that even without using magic, he could still utilize the power of elements to affect his environment.

He could ignite wood with fire elements, freeze lakes with water elements, shape hills with earth elements, and whip up strong winds with wind elements. Amazingly, he found he could even promote plant growth with the life element and slow down the aging of organisms with the death element.

However, as his current level was only 10, the effects of these elements were not very pronounced. Once Alexander reached a certain level, there would be a qualitative change.

With the blessing of the EX-level talent "Ultimate Elemental Affinity," Alexander gained a new understanding of various magics.

He took out a scroll of "Accelerate," a spell that normally takes half a year or even a year to master. However, due to Alexander's control over the wind element, he learned the skill just by glancing at it.

Originally, the "Acceleration Spell" was only intended for a single target, but Alexander felt he could apply its effects to multiple individuals simultaneously.

To test this theory, he randomly selected ten burly men from the crowd.

These soldiers were mostly shield bearers, strong and sturdy, but lacking in speed.

Alexander then chose ten more soldiers, these ones leaner and smaller, dividing them into two groups for a 500-meter sprint in the open area of the City of Hope.

When Carbin, a hefty shield bearer, heard about Alexander's plan, he wasn't pleased. "Lord, why are you doing this? Do you want to see us embarrassed?"

"Yes, speed isn't our strength. We're bound to lose miserably in this race," agreed the other shield bearers.

Alexander didn't offer much explanation, merely responding with a calm smile: "Don't be so pessimistic. The race hasn't even started yet. How can you be so sure of losing? Just do your best, and I'll assist you."

Hearing Alexander's promise, the previously disheartened shield bearers were now filled with fighting spirit.

The other ten soldiers were from the scout regiment, known for their agility and speed.

"Since the lord has said so, we must give it our all and show everyone the strength of our scout regiment!" said a young soldier named Zeta.

"You're right, Zeta. With the lord and so many brothers watching, it'd be embarrassing to lose to you guys, so we'll definitely go all out."

"Don't cry if you lose too badly, haha."

Soon, the two teams were lined up, and at the signal, the race officially began.

The scouts were swift, like rabbits on the plains, quickly leaving the shield bearers behind.

Within a few breaths, they had covered 100 meters, roughly in 11 seconds, a speed almost on par with professional sprinters.

Though Carbin and his men were far behind, they didn't give up and continued to chase with effort.

Alexander then cast the "Acceleration Spell" on the lagging shield bearers. Instantly, Carbin felt lighter, his movement speed increasing by 50%.

This spectacle left the shield bearers in awe; they knew it was Alexander aiding them. Thus, they redoubled their efforts and finally caught up with the scouts just before the finish line.

"This is unbelievable!"

"I felt like a cheetah; it's an exhilarating feeling."

Alexander watched from the sidelines, his face always adorned with a faint smile.

It was proven: his idea was correct. Since mastering Ultimate Elemental Affinity, all the magic he wielded was enhanced.

At that moment, a flock of crows flew overhead. Alexander casually applied the Slowing Spell to the birds.

Instantly, the speed of ten crows noticeably decreased, and they were quickly left behind by their flock.

Today's 500-meter sprint was just a friendly match. In the heat of battle, Alexander's simultaneous use of these two skills would undoubtedly have a significant impact on the battlefield.

However, at present, it seemed that applying magic to ten targets simultaneously was his limit.

To increase the number of targets further, he needed to level up. With a high enough level, he could expand the range and effect of his magic, potentially applying it to all soldiers on a battlefield.

For Alexander, the combination of "Slowing Spell" and "Acceleration Spell" was an extremely powerful tactical tool. By casting both spells simultaneously, he could maximize the mobility and reaction speed of his allies while hindering his enemies, making their movements sluggish.

On the battlefield, the effects of such a strategy would be tremendous.

Of course, to achieve this, he needed to level up as soon as possible.