MTLNOVEL Chapter 15: Natural Affinities
"Today, we'll be conducting specialization assessments," Professor Vale announced to the S-rank class. "While you're all capable of wielding multiple elements, each mage has natural affinities that shape their magical development."
Sarah sat in her usual warded section, genuinely curious. Through Ravenna's memories, she knew specialization patterns often revealed deeper truths about a mage's nature. Her chaos marks swirled with interest as Vale conjured a complex diagnostic array in the center of the room.
"Miss Brighthaven, you'll begin," Vale gestured Elena forward. "Though I suspect we all have some idea of your primary affinity."
Elena stepped into the array, which immediately blazed with brilliant white light. The magical formulae surrounding her transformed into luminous threads that wove themselves into complex patterns.
"Light magic," Vale confirmed, though she was frowning thoughtfully at some of the secondary patterns. "But with unusual resonance patterns. Your affinity isn't just for light itself, but for the underlying principles of illumination and revelation. Quite rare, and potentially very powerful."
Sarah noticed how the diagnostic patterns around Elena seemed to echo certain chaos magic formulae - particularly those dealing with transformation and revelation. Interesting.
"Mr. Park," Vale called next. "Your turn."
Jin stepped forward confidently. The array responded with swirling patterns of electric blue energy that crackled and danced around him.
"Lightning magic," Vale nodded. "But see how it manifulates crystalline structures? You have a dual affinity - lightning and crystal. The combination explains your talent for precision casting."
Sarah remembered Jin's crystalline projectiles from the combat demonstration, how they'd carried electrical charges within their structures. His magic combined the sharp precision of crystal with lightning's raw energy.
Maya Chen entered the array next. The patterns that formed around her were fascinating - swirling indigo and silver that seemed to bend light itself.
"Refraction magic," Vale explained, looking pleased. "The manipulation of light, not as energy like Miss Brighthaven, but as a medium to be bent and reshaped. Combined with your talent for magical geometry, this makes you particularly adept at illusion and transformation spells."
The next student was Kai Sato, a quiet boy who rarely spoke in class. When he stepped into the array, the patterns turned a deep, resonant blue-green that seemed to pulse like waves.
"Water magic," Vale said, "but notice the depth of the resonance. Your affinity is specifically for water's adaptive properties - its ability to flow around obstacles and find new paths. Very suitable for defensive magic."
Sarah watched with growing fascination as each student's specialization was revealed. Aria Rodriguez demonstrated a vivid affinity for wind magic, but with an unusual harmonic component that let her literally conduct the air like music. The diagnostic patterns around her took the form of visual symphonies.
Lucas Zhang's earth magic manifested not as simple stone manipulation, but as an affinity for the processes of growth and transformation within the earth itself. The array filled with patterns of branching crystal formations and flowing metallic structures.
"Earth magic with a strong metallurgical aspect," Vale noted. "You perceive the living nature of stone and metal, their potential for growth and change."
The final S-rank student was Dex Williams, whose specialization test produced results that made even Vale raise her eyebrows. The array filled with shadows that moved like living things, but shot through with threads of golden light.
"Shadow magic," Vale said carefully, "but uniquely expressed. You see shadow not as darkness, but as the interaction between light and void. Quite philosophical, really."
Sarah's chaos marks were practically dancing with excitement by the end of the demonstrations. Each specialization revealed something fascinating about how different mages perceived and interacted with magical energy. Through Ravenna's theoretical knowledge, she could see how each affinity represented a different way of approaching the fundamental patterns that underlay all magic.
"Professor," Elena asked as Vale prepared to end the class, "do all mages have such specific specializations? I thought most just worked with basic elements."
"At lower power levels, specialization tends to be simpler," Vale explained. "But S-rank mages perceive magic more deeply, understanding subtle aspects that others might miss. Your affinities reflect not just what type of magic you're best at, but how you fundamentally understand magical theory."
She glanced briefly at Sarah before continuing. "Some theorists believe all magical specializations are really just different ways of perceiving the same underlying patterns. But that's a rather... controversial perspective."
Sarah kept her expression neutral, though her marks swirled with agreement. Chaos magic understood this instinctively - all magic was interconnected, different expressions of the same fundamental forces. These S-rank specializations demonstrated that truth beautifully.
After class, she heard Elena and Maya discussing their results.
"It's fascinating how your light magic and my refraction magic approach similar effects from completely different angles," Maya was saying. "Like we're seeing different aspects of the same principles."
"Exactly!" Elena agreed. "And did you notice how some of the diagnostic patterns seemed familiar? Almost like..." she glanced toward Sarah's position meaningfully, "...like patterns we've seen elsewhere."
Sarah pretended to be absorbed in her notes, but she was smiling inside. Elena had noticed the similarities between the specialization patterns and chaos magic's natural formations. The girl really didn't miss anything.
"Interesting observations today," Sir Marcus commented quietly as they prepared to leave. "Particularly regarding pattern recognition across different magical traditions."
"The theoretical implications are fascinating," Sarah replied professionally. "Especially regarding how different approaches to magical energy might... complement each other."
She let her gaze drift to his sword, thinking of how Sword Theory's precise patterns might interact with these various specializations. Marcus's slight smile suggested he was thinking along similar lines.
Back in her quarters that evening, Sarah couldn't contain her excitement any longer. "Did you see how their specializations created those amazing patterns?" she whispered to her chaos marks. "Elena's light magic practically sang with revelatory force! And Maya's refraction magic - the way she sees light as something to be shaped and redirected? That's so close to how chaos magic approaches energy transformation!"
She paced enthusiastically between her bed and her laboratory equipment. "And don't even get me started on Dex's shadow magic! Understanding shadow as an interaction between light and void? That's exactly the kind of perspective shift that chaos magic is all about!"
The marks swirled happily as she continued rambling. "Plus, Jin's crystal-lightning combination? Gorgeous! The precision of crystal matrices carrying lightning's raw energy - it's like a naturally occurring version of how chaos metal works with magical current!"
She flopped onto her bed, grinning at the ceiling. "They're all seeing pieces of the same big picture without realizing it. Each specialization is like a different window into how magic really works." She sat up suddenly, struck by a thought. "I wonder if that's why chaos magic was sealed away? Because it shows how all these supposedly separate types of magic are actually connected?"
Sarah fell asleep still theorizing about how each student's specialization might interact with chaos magic, her marks shifting through patterns that echoed their various affinities. Tomorrow would bring more observations, more connections to be drawn, more pieces of the magical puzzle to fit together.
And maybe, just maybe, these brilliant young mages with their unique ways of seeing magic would help her demonstrate what she already knew: that all magic was connected, waiting for someone to reveal the patterns that bound it together.