Affinity

"There's no way right?" The man says out loud, almost shouting. This makes Michael wonder what kind of affinity he has. Could it be a rare one?

 "You have a space affinity!" Neither Michael nor Alicia had heard of this element before. Judging from the man's reaction, it is a special element in some way.

 "Mr-" Michael starts.

 "Carl. You can call me Mr. Carl." The man, now known as Carl, says hurriedly.

 "Mr. Carl, what is the space affinity? Is it a rare element?" Michael asks. This affinity isn't one he has heard of before, meaning that it is likely a special affinity or an extremely rare affinity.

 "The space element is one of the rarest affinities in the world. It is even rarer than having a gravity affinity!" Hearing this, it was Michael and Alicia's turn to be stunned. They knew of the gravity element. The gravity affinity was so rare that only three people in the world are said to have this affinity currently. One of them having just awakened last year!

 "Is it really that rare?" Michael asks.

 "This affinity is absolutely that rare! It is said that a person who has a space affinity can teleport anywhere at any time and they can hold an infinite amount of items by making their own subspace!" Carl goes on to explain just how rare this element is.

 "With this element, most of the magic academies are going to be dying to get their hands on you. You can go to almost any academy you want!" Carl speaks fast as if he is more excited than Michael himself.

 Michael thinks about this. He is an orphan. He was found in the village square, wrapped in a blanket and crying. The only thing he had on him was a nameplate that read, Michael Void. The woman who found him, Grace Farmer, decided to take him in. Since then, Grace has worked every day to keep Michael and herself fed.

 If he manages to get into a top magic academy, he can graduate and become a low-ranking noble. Michael would have all the money he ever wanted. His mother would never have to work again.

 He decided. He was going to get into the top magic academy and graduate. However, he is a Divine grade tome holder. How could he accept being anything other than the best? Michael decided to be the top student in the academy.

 "One more thing before you guys leave." Carl started talking to them while Michael was thinking, interrupting him.

 "Now that you have awakened your elements, you should have something written on the page after your status page. This is your spell tree. This will grow alongside you and is the source of the magic spells you can use." He starts explaining.

 "You will get a second spell tree when you unlock your second affinity. There should be two spells currently unlocked in your spell tree. One of them is your personal mana-cultivating spell. Make sure to practice both of them if you want to get into a magic academy." Carl gives them a long drawn-out explanation. 

 Michael takes a look at the page after his status page and sure enough, he sees a spell list.

[Spell list]

[Divine Cultivation]

[Space Storage]

[Notice: Can Choose Next Spell Every 100 Mana Cultivated]

[Notice: Can Choose Next Affinitiy Every 1,000 Mana Gained.]

 Michael was a bit surprised at his spells. However, he does not pay too much attention to it right now as he does not want Carl or Alicia to discover what the grade of his tome is. After looking at his spell list, Michael's tome seems to disappear. 

 Everyone in this world has the ability to call on their tome at any time. However, to keep it out of the way when it is not needed. They can send their tome to a different plane of existence called the Infinite Library. Nobody can access their tome but them.

 After Michael's tome disappeared, he looked back towards Carl.

 "Thank you for helping us." Michael thanked him. 

 "No, thank you guys. I never thought that I would be able to see a double Gold grade awakening. Now, I just have to get back to Starbright City and make my report." Carl says gratefully. 

 "Remember this, the entrance exams to get into the magic academies begin exactly one year from today. If you two want to join an academy, make sure you are at Starbright City. Now, you guys should go home and celebrate with your families." Carl brings them to the exit and without saying goodbye, throws them out of the awakening building.

 After kicking the two newly awakened out of the building, Carl's expression changes.

 "I need to report this to him." Carl says mysteriously before immediately leaving the village and heading towards Starbright City.

 Looking at Michael, Alicia starts thinking. She decides to ask him if he plans to go to a magic academy.

 "Michael, are you going to be going to a magic academy?" Michael, hearing this question, starts thinking. Should he tell her his plans? In the end, he decides to. After all, everyone would find out which academy he is planning to join when he leaves for the academy entrance examinations anyway.

 "Yes, I am. In fact, I am planning to go to the Royal Magic Academy." Michael answers Alicia's question.

 Alicia is stunned by his answer. She knew that just about any academy would accept him in due to his Grade, Talent, and affinity. However, the Royal Magic Academy is not just any magic academy. It is the best academy in the Kingdom of Stonewall. Even with his talent, it would be hard to get into this academy.

 "That will be difficult, won't it?" She asks him.

 "Of course it will be. However, I don't have any plans to be a mediocre magic student. So only the best academy will do." Michael does not plan on telling her that he is confident in getting in due to his Divine grade tome.

 "I see." Alicia responds to him before going quiet once again. Before long, the two split up.

 Almost home, Michael starts thinking about what to tell his mother. He can't tell her about the grade of his tome or else she will be in danger. 

 As he is thinking about what to tell his mother, he comes upon a small and old house. Michael starts to head inside the house.

 "I'm home mother!" Michael calls out to his mother. A small woman with amber hair and blue eyes comes racing at him. She grabs him in a hug.

 "I'm glad you're back." The woman says, while still hugging him.

 "I managed to awaken great magic talent, Mother!" Michael starts to tell the woman, his mother, about what happened today. Grace, the woman lets him go before asking him excitedly about it.

 "Really, what is your GTA?" GTA stands for Grade, Talent, and Affinity. This is a common way to ask about someone's magic ability across the whole world.

 "You won't believe it, Mother! I awakened a Gold grade tome with a high level talent. What's more, is that my first affinity is a rare one." Michael tells his mother in an excited tone.

 "Oh, dear." His mother manages to say.

 "You aren't lying to me are you?" She asks him weakly.

 "No, this is real." Michael breaks her imagination and tells her directly that it is true. He summons his tome and shows her how the cover is golden. Sighing, his mother turns around.

 "Well then, I will make a feast tonight to celebrate your successful awakening!" Grace then rolls up her sleeves and walks into the kitchen. She stops and looks back.

 "I'm happy for you, my son." She turns back around and heads into the kitchen.

 Seeing this, Michael feels warm inside. It was nothing but a quick interaction with his mother, but it made him even more determined.

 After waiting a while, his mother comes out with a pot of soup. Michael sits down at the little table in their house alongside his mother.

 After eating and making some small talk with his mother for a while, Michael decided to tell his mother about his plans for the magic academy.

 "Mother, I-" Michael starts.

 "I am planning to go to a magic academy. Not only that, but I am going to go the the Royal Magic Academy." He stops, expecting his mother to tell him not to go, or to disagree with his choice of school. However, nothing is said. 

 Michael looks up at his mother, only to see her smiling. She was smiling because she knew. Grace has raised him since he was nothing but a baby. She knew the way he thought, and she knew what he would do from the moment he told her the results of his awakening.

 "I knew. I knew from the moment I found you that day, eighteen years ago. You are destined to do great things. I-" She stops, crying at this point, and says to him what she thinks.

 "If you want to go, go. But make sure you come back."

 "Of course Mother." Michael gets up from the table and hugs his mother, determined.

 In his head, Michael's only thought is that he needs to start training. 

 He has no idea that danger lurks just around the corner, waiting for him.