"Alright, let's move on," Will said at last, his brows drawn together tightly. "What exactly is this Primordial Affinity?"
The foolish effects of the earlier talent notification had left a distinctly sour taste in his mouth.
The initial excitement he usually felt whenever rewards arrived was gone, replaced by a faint irritation and a guarded wariness.
For the first time since awakening, Will genuinely felt that the system had played a joke on him, and not the harmless kind.
[Understood.]
The system's reply was neutral, lacking its usual teasing tone, as if it too sensed that this was not the moment for jokes.
[Primordial Affinity resonates directly with the cosmos. The host gains the potential to awaken all elemental attributes.]
Will stopped walking for a moment, standing still in the quiet corridor of the inn as the explanation continued.
[Omni Affinity, which Ethan has awakened, guarantees awakening of common elements. It also increases the probability of awakening rare or conceptual elements such as time, space, gravity, and similar forces.]
[However, Primordial Affinity functions differently.]
[With Primordial Affinity, the host is guaranteed to awaken all elemental attributes, including common, rare, and conceptual elements as long as conditions are met]
Will's eyes narrowed slightly, his breathing slowing as he focused fully on the explanation.
[The condition for awakening each element remains the same as it is for Ethan's omni affinity]
[a sufficient time of exposure, comprehension, or resonance with the corresponding element or concept is required.]
For a brief moment, Will said nothing. Then he let out a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"…Good," he muttered.
Relief spread through his chest, subtle but genuine. At least this time, he hadn't been pranked.
"Sweet," he added quietly.
Primordial Affinity meant he would eventually awaken all the element even rare and conceptual elements.
Given enough time and the right conditions, every element, every concept, every force that could be classified would eventually respond to him.
As the implications settled in, Will resumed walking.
He left the inn room behind, his steps measured and calm, and descended the stairs to the lobby. The innkeeper looked up from behind the counter, surprise flickering briefly across his face as he looked at the changes in his physique only in a few days.
"You're leaving already, sir?" the man asked.
Will nodded, pulling out a pouch of coins. "Payment for the extended stay in the room," he said evenly. "Take care"
The innkeeper quickly accepted the payment, offering a polite bow.
Will didn't linger any longer. He stepped back out into the streets of the outer district, the city feeling strangely subdued after the chaos of the previous weeks.
As he walked, his thoughts drifted naturally to his bonds.
[The other two bonds will awaken soon, Host.]
"Well," Will replied internally, in a thoughtful tone "the strongest two have already awakened."
Ethan, the protagonist. Maximus, the villain of the first arc. The two pillars of conflict and progression had already taken their first true steps.
"The next two are heroines," Will continued, his gaze sweeping across the bustling street. "Their talents are unique, to say the least. But the next one won't awaken for a few more weeks."
He paused briefly as he crossed an intersection, avoiding a merchant cart before continuing.
"Until then, I need to secure a recommendation for the World Academy" he said, more seriously now. "And take care of a few other plans."
The World Academy was a neutral ground for everyone. A place where races coexisted under a delicate balance maintained by the threat of demons.
A place where power dictated your status rather than lineage. But more importantly, it was the center of the continent's future conflicts.
Many of the major arcs of the story unfolded there, and it became the epicenter of this world's fate.
The academy maintained a ranking of the top one hundred most powerful individuals on the continent.
These were monsters in their own right. Living calamities. Walking disasters who could end nations with a sweep of their hands.
Being among those hundred granted privileges that could not be bought with gold or influence.
One of those privileges was the right to issue a recommendation.
The recommended individuals would bypass the written examinations entirely and enter directly into the ranking battles of the World Academy Entrance Trials. For most, that alone was priceless.
But for Will, the true value lay elsewhere.
Those hundred would not undergo background checks.
They would not be subjected to mana inspections.
Their talent ranks, affinities, and hidden traits would not be recorded or archived.
The World Academy claimed its systems were foolproof, encrypted and Impossible to breach for anyone.
But Will knew better.
The recorded Data of so many years at this point of time had already been breached by demon spies in the academy.
Joining the academy was essential. It was the only place where Will could stand among elites from every race, wield influence openly, and manipulate events from within. Too many future conflicts revolved around that institution for him to ignore it.
[But who will give you a recommendation?] the system asked.
Will smiled faintly.
"In the empire alone, there are plenty of powerhouses," he replied. "But most of them already have disciples lined up."
He thought briefly of Klaus. The Sword Saint stood comfortably within the top hundred, but his recommendation was already claimed.
"Even Klaus," Will continued, "has Ethan."
The implication was clear. No one would casually waste a recommendation on an unknown shopkeeper from the outer district, no matter how talented.
Will stopped in front of a familiar building.
Infinity Choco House.
The shop had been reconstructed beautifully. The facade was cleaner, stronger, and more refined than before. The windows gleamed. The signboard was newly crafted, polished and elegant, yet still humble enough to blend into the outer district.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The scent of chocolate lingered faintly in the air, though baking had been halted for days. Will walked slowly through the space, his footsteps echoing softly. This place had been his shield, his disguise, his anchor to normalcy.
"I need someone to run this business while I'm gone," he muttered, glancing around. "I already have someone in mind… but not yet."
He walked behind the counter and retrieved a small wooden board, flipping it over and hanging it on the door.
CLOSED
The sign felt heavier than it should have.
As he turned back, the system spoke again.
[You're planning something dangerous right now (⊙﹏⊙)]
Will's smirk returned, sharper this time.
"Earlier, I had different plans," he said. "Safer ones."
He reached into his shelves and began pulling out supplies, placing them inside his inventory. Rations, cooking tools and a few sets of clothes and burners for cooking.
"But," he continued, his voice lowering slightly, "after being pranked with a love letter from the universe…"
His eyes hardened.
"If I don't get to have the backing of the heavens," he said quietly, "then I'll get the backing of a being that defies the heavens themselves."
The implication hung heavy in the air.
[Host… if you're thinking what I think you're thinking,] the system warned,
[You might die before you even grow up properly ￣へ￣]
Will chuckled softly, unfazed. "That's always been a possibility." before he walked to the door
he turned around and took one last look at the shop.
"Besides," he added, "some things cannot be achieved without life or death risks"
He stepped out, locking the door behind him.
"I have the SP from the last mission right?"
[yes]
"Excellent buy healing and stamina potions of all grades from the shop, I will need those when the sun goes out"
During a normal sunny day his physique regenerated and recovered on its own, but he did not have a similar advantage at night so he needed to be careful during the night.
"Wait a minute!!" a familiar voice sounded before he could walk towards the entrance of the city.