Chapter 42: Scholar and the Exile
["There are a total of Nine known Awakened Ranks, mainly..."]
["SSS, SS, S, A, B, C, D, E, AND F."]
["There are two types of Awakened, which are Warriors, and Mage. These two stages are divided into different categories."]
Asher blinked, this was new. He had spent his entire life treated as garbage, kept in the dark about the true mechanics of the world he lived in. The crisp, flawless handwriting before him was a stark contrast to his own rugged, survival-based understanding. He continued reading:
["Warrior: Assassin, Knight, Swordsman, Archer, Warrior."]
["Mage: Healer, Priest, Cleric, Support Mage, and Attack Mage."]
["The major difference between these two stages are Spirit energy capacity, and stats. A warrior awakened has the stats and speed to overwhelm any Mage awakened, and yes, Warrior Awakened could also gain skills and abilities, but these skills must focus on their stage."]
["For example... An Assassin can gain an ability related to speed, like a very powerful skill called Flash, or even wind steps."]
["For the other, those who are Mage awakened, has more Spirit energy at their disposal, and has a very high chance of gaining powerful world-ending abilities. A Warrior Awakened is strong, but without powerful gears, intelligence or skill, they can never defeat a Mage awakened in the same rank, well, only if that Mage awakened is a healer, or Support Mage."]
Asher absorbed the information like a sponge. Sara wasn’t just giving him a summary; she was breaking down the fundamental laws of combat with absolute precision.
["Almost forgot something very important; In average schools, kids were taught the four elements in the world, known as Wind, Water, Fire, and Earth."]
Asher nodded his head, although he didn’t have the privilege to attend any school due to his situation in the Starfire family, he still knows about the four elements. They were the common sense of the streets.
Luna was an Assassin, and she awakened the wind element, she became one of the fastest SSS-RANK Awakened. The memory of her terrifying speed in the dealership flashed through his mind.
He froze, seeing the words on the notebook taking a sudden, drastic turn:
["In advanced schools, there are a total of ten Elements."]
’Ten??? What the hell?! I only know of five.’ He thought in disbelief, realizing just how deeply the aristocracy hoarded true knowledge. The Starfire family had deliberately kept him ignorant.
["The ten are; Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, Darkness, Light, Lightning, Poison, Void/Space, Time."]
["Time has been lost, because people who could Awaken this ability can be counted in one hand, the most common are the four elements. But always have this in mind, they are people who have awakened more than two elements, but the ones only recorded are those who awakened three, you should know some of them... If you don’t know any, It’s on you."]
Asher raised an eyebrow, mildly stung by her blunt, matter-of-fact tone. Looking up at Sara, who was back to her food, her face an unreadable mask of calm, he sighed, and continued reading:
["These elements are very important for an Awakened, no matter how trashy the person is, he or she must awaken with one... These energies give you an advantage or disadvantage with your enemies, because they counter one another."]
["Water: [Strong Against]: Fire, and poison. [Weak Against]: Lightning And Earth."]
["Fire: [Strong Against]: Wind, and poison. [Weak Against]: Water And Void."]
["Wind: [Strong Against]: Earth, and poison. [Weak Against]: Lightning And Fire."]
["Earth: [Strong Against]: Lightning, and Water. [Weak Against]: Wind And Poison."]
["Lightning: [Strong Against]: Water, and Wind. [Weak Against]: Void And Earth."]
["Poison: [Strong Against]: Earth, and Water. [Weak Against]: Fire And Wind."]
["Light: [Strong Against]: Darkness. [Weak Against]: Darkness, and Void."]
["Darkness: [Strong Against]: Light. [Weak Against]: Light and Time."]
["Time: [Strong Against]: Void, and Darkness. [Weak Against]: Void."]
["Void/Space: [Strong Against]: Lightning, Fire, and Time. [Weak Against]: Time and Light."]
Asher read everything, stunned speechless. The sheer volume of tactical matchups was dizzying. He slowly turned the page, seeing it full of words, detailed notes, and strategic breakdowns. He blinked, looking up at Sara, who was done eating and simply staring at the wall.
’She wrote all this in five minutes?’ He thought in disbelief. Her physical core might be shattered, but her mind was an absolute fortress of academia.
["These elements are divided into three stages: Common, Epic, and Primordial... Must know this."]
["Common Elements:..."]
["These elements form a natural, interlocking web where every element has a distinct predator and prey, meaning, they are overwhelmingly stronger against them. For example:"]
["Water counters Fire: A high enough density of water smothers flames and drastically lowers temperatures, robbing fire of its fuel, making fire extremely weak."]
["Fire counters Wind: Fire feeds on oxygen. An intense enough blaze will consume wind currents, and attacks, creating a vacuum and turning offensive wind spells into fuel for the inferno."]
["Wind counters Earth: Through relentless erosion and high-pressure dispersal, wind slices through stone, turns boulders to dust, and uproots the earth... So wind is stronger."]
["Earth counters Lightning: Earth acts as an absolute grounding force. It safely absorbs, redirects, and nullifies highly volatile electrical currents. You should know this."]
["Lightning counters Water: Because water is highly conductive, a lightning strike weaponizes the opponent’s own element against them, traveling instantly through the water to shock the caster, water is Lightning’s worst enemy. These are for common elements."]
["Epic Elements:"]
’Why does it feel like I am in a class?’ He thought, a wry smile tugging at his lips. He was the breadwinner and the protector, yet he felt like a student sitting before a grandmaster.
["These elements exist outside the standard pentagram, relying on unique mechanics to overcome their opponents."]
["Poison: It counters Earth by blighting the soil, and Water; by contaminating and spreading toxins through the liquid."]
["It’s countered by Fire; extreme heat burns away impurities and neutralizes toxins, and Wind; which safely disperses toxic gases and miasmas before they can settle. Very easy to guess."]
’Is this easy?’ Asher frowned, realizing the massive gap in their upbringings. What was common logic to an elite noble was revolutionary insight to him.
["Light and Darkness... Well... These two are in a perpetual stalemate. Light pierces and banishes shadows, while Darkness suffocates and swallows illumination. In a clash between the two, there is no inherent elemental advantage; the victor is determined entirely by the sheer density of spirit energy, Gears, skills, or the cultivation base of the caster."]
Asher nodded his head, the mechanics of raw power making perfect sense, and turned to the last page:
["The Primordial Elements, known as Time and Void/Space. These are foundational laws of reality. They generally bypass the physical defenses of the lower elements and are practically immune to them, answering only to each other... In short, anyone with any of these elements, is invincible, and extremely powerful."]
Asher turned his head to Juliana, who was quietly laughing at something Kelly did in the other room, then smiled; the realization that his sweet, timid wife harbored a Primordial power filled him with a fierce sense of pride. He returned to the notebook.
["Time: It counters Void/Space: Time represents inevitable change and entropy. It forces progression onto the emptiness of the Void, breaking down spatial barriers by aging them into dust. It counters Darkness because Time eventually brings the dawn, naturally ending the night."]
’Nice way to put it.’ Asher thought, admiring the poetic yet brutally clinical way she described the laws of the universe.
["Last on the list; Void/Space: This element counters Time. Void represents absolute zero—The frozen, empty expanse where movement ceases. By creating an isolated dimensional pocket or an absolute vacuum, a caster can create a zone where Time literally cannot flow. This is the best way to deal with anyone with Time element."]
Asher froze. He actually didn’t think of time in that manner; he thought Time was the ultimate master of all existence, but it turns out even the Master can still be dealt with by sheer, absolute nothingness. He stared at Sara, piecing together the true depth of the woman sitting across from him, and a thought appeared in his mind, sharp and clear.
’She is dangerous.’
Not physically, but intellectually. If she ever regained her strength, with a mind this analytical, she would be an unstoppable force on the battlefield.
["It also counters Volatile Elements: Void effortlessly swallows energy-based elements like Fire, Lightning, and Light, banishing them into empty dimensions where they fizzle out harmlessly... With full Mastery of Void, anyone is invincible, but gaining Full Mastery is as difficult as controlling it... This is all I know for now."]
Asher exhaled, a heavy breath that seemed to carry the weight of this newly unveiled world, placing the notebook gently on the table, staring at Sara with an unknown expression—a potent mix of awe, respect, and profound gratitude.
’I so want to give her a hug right now.’ He thought, staring at Sara with a smile.