Seven elements

"At the thought of the books, refreshed and invigorated now, Orion strode purposefully towards the library. It had become his second home, a sanctuary of knowledge where he spent most of his time when not honing his skills.

Seating in the chair of the library, With a subtle wave of his hand, the red runes on his arm ignited into a golden glow, conjuring a shimmering golden book into his grasp. His gaze lingered on its title for a moment.

"Secrets of Ascension," he read, as he contemplated the hard-earned wisdom it held.

In the desolate lands he'd come to know, he had realized that the path to advancement in the realm of magic was a treacherous one, where information regarding the advancement was a rare and precious commodity, precious enough to cause wars.

He cracked open the book, his fingers turning the pages one after another, which came to an abrupt hold as his eyes were drawn to a particular page, "Ways to Reach the Silver Mana Core." Orion read the heading, though Orion had already achieved the stage of a silver mana core. He couldn't help but reread the first few lines that described it.

"Only after reaching the silver core do one become a true mage. Those beneath it are mere jesters, conjuring tricks for the circus," Such a bold statement it was. The first time Orion had encountered those words, he had dismissed them as blind arrogance.

However, now, standing at the stage of a silver core himself, he couldn't help but nod in agreement, for he understood the profound truth concealed in those lines.

He continued to read further, "Until the bright yellow core, mages are primarily focused on fortifying their cores only, enhancing their mana augmenting capabilities with affinity of their respective elements. Their magic remains confined within, unable to extend beyond their own bodies, rendering them unable to perform long-range casting of magic."

But the revelation that followed had left him curious when he had read it the first time. "To advance within the silver core, one must conquer the resistance of at least two elements, mastering control over them. This mastery enables mages to extend their mana beyond their physical forms, unleashing their magic upon the world itself."

This description had caught Orion by surprise when he first encountered it. For he had never experienced any such resistance while using mana. The ability to wield magic beyond his own body had been inherent to him from birth, and even if measly in quality, he could always use his magic beyond mana augmenting.

It was then that the grand hopes that his grandfather had harbored for him began to make sense. While he still didn't believe in fate, the undeniable truth was that someone as extraordinary as him was destined to be a formidable player in the future, affecting the world one way or another.

But just thinking about the prophecies of that old man brought back bitter memories for Orion. So he quickly turned to the next page.

"Reaching the silver core is but the dawn of a true magical journey, which is a two-step ascent," he read, his focus intensifying. "The first step involves expanding one's mana core to a specified level, a feat attainable by most mages."

"The second step, however," he continued, "entails fortifying one's control over their respective element. The pivotal process for advancing in the silver core. To achieve that, there is only a singular method – allowing the untamed essence of the elements to surge within their own body and then asserting dominance with their own will or with the help of their most familiar element. This arduous process is known as 'Overcoming of Elements' or 'Affinity Enhancement,' a testament to the elemental affinities that play a pivotal role."

The text delved further into the concept of elemental affinity. It outlined how most mages possessed affinities with only two elements or three, out of the seven, with four being less common and five a rarity.

The text boldly proclaimed that there had never been a mage with an affinity for more than five elements.

Orion's eyes rested momentarily on this revelation before slowly extending his hand with an open palm. In a breathtaking display of mastery, a mesmerizing dance of elements began to encircle his hand. Fire and water swirled in opposition, the earth and a miniature tornado of wind materialized causing the air to hum in surrounding. The faint crackle of lightning graced the room, while a radiant golden sphere of light joined the ethereal ensemble, like a miniature sun.

The room trembled under the tremendous display of magic, as all the six elements vied for supremacy. Yet, with the snap of Orion's left hand, the elements fell into an instant silence. The room hung in awe-struck stillness, as if even sound itself dared not disrupt Orion's command.

All six elements continued their entrancing dance, whirling in a mesmerizing vortex over Orion's hand. The room was still in shambles, the books still tumbled from their shelves, yet the eerie silence remained undisturbed.

To the point, it appeared an unnatural phenomenon; And why wouldn't it be, it was magic after all, a manifestation of the most rare and elusive one, the seventh element – The sound.

The room pulsated with ethereal energies as Orion held the elements in a tight orbit. Then, with a determined clench of his fist, Orion shattered the silence with a flourish of his power, restoring the world back to its mundane state. The room lay in disarray, books strewn across the floor, but Orion paid little heed to the chaos he had summoned.

Once more, he turned his attention to the book before him, his eyes gazing on the final line once more, "There's never been a mage with an affinity for more than five elements."

'It didn't seem to be the case now.' Orion thought as there was one exception to it now, The Orion himself.