Mage's Profound Truths

Chapter 4: Elemental Swordsman

Merlin was still in a daze, while Anson beside him said enviously, “Swordsman Perot is getting more and more powerful. The impact he made this time is even greater than last time. It looks like he’s almost certain to become a Second-Level Flame Swordsman. Those with strong elemental affinity do train quickly. Swordsman Perot is about to reach Second Level in just three years. That’s one of the fastest cultivation speeds in Blackwater City’s church.”

“Flame Swordsman?”

Merlin was intrigued. He had heard Swordsman Perot mention “Elemental Swordsman” several times before, but he had always assumed it was just a fancy name for sword practitioners. Now it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Merlin’s memory had only partially fused. Many key memories were still missing, including those about Elemental Swordsmen. He had no recollection at all in his mind. He desperately wanted to know everything about Elemental Swordsmen, but he also knew he couldn’t ask directly, or it might arouse suspicion.

So he asked Anson in a roundabout way. Fortunately, Anson didn’t suspect anything, and since the two were close, he inadvertently revealed quite a bit.

It turned out that Swordsman Perot was no ordinary swordsman, but an Elemental Swordsman with tremendous power!

In this world, many people were born with elemental affinity. They could attract invisible elements from their surroundings into their bodies. Once a certain amount accumulated, they could use special methods to guide the elements out, unleashing powerful force. These people were called Elemental Swordsmen.

Of course, guiding elements into the body didn’t necessarily require a sword. For instance, someone with wind affinity combined with a strong bow could become a formidable hunter. The reason they’re called “Elemental Swordsmen” is simply because most people use swords.

Swordsman Perot was already a true Flame Swordsman. However, people like Cardron and Maysnow only had elemental affinity but had not yet learned to guide elemental power out of their bodies. Or perhaps the amount of element inside them wasn’t enough, so they could not yet be considered true Elemental Swordsmen.

However, as long as they continued training, they might eventually become powerful Elemental Swordsmen with terrifying strength like Perot’s punch.

Learning this made Merlin feel excited. Didn’t this mean he might also gain such power?

But Anson’s next words quickly dashed his hopes.

“Merlin, Elemental Swordsmen are powerful, with limitless potential! But we don’t have any elemental affinity. We’re destined not to become Elemental Swordsmen. You’re a bit better off. Your sister Maysnow has high fire elemental affinity. She has a chance to become a Flame Swordsman. Plus, you’re the heir of the Wilson family. Even if you achieve nothing else, you’ll still become a baron. But me? I have two older brothers. There’s no way I’ll inherit any title…”

Anson’s tone grew despondent, and he fell silent.

“No elemental affinity…”

Merlin felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over him, instantly sobering his excitement. According to Anson, elemental affinity was the key to becoming an Elemental Swordsman!

Swordsman Perot, for example, possesses fire elemental affinity. That’s why he can draw fire elements into his body and turn them into his own strength, eventually becoming a powerful Flame Swordsman.

Generally speaking, the stronger one’s elemental affinity, the easier it is to draw elements into the body and become a Swordsman. Depending on the type of element, there are Flame Swordsmen, Frost Swordsmen, Wind Swordsmen, and many others.

However, the most noble and promising of all are the Light Swordsmen. Those with light elemental affinity, once they draw light elements into their bodies, become Light Swordsmen.

Every Light Swordsman almost always becomes a Guardian Swordsman of the Church of Light, receiving support and resources from the Church, and progressing far faster than other types of Swordsmen.

But regardless of the type, elemental affinity is the foundation. Without it, one cannot become an Elemental Swordsman. Merlin, Anson, and others happen to belong to the group with no affinity.

Those who came to Swordsman Perot to practice swordsmanship were divided into three groups.

The first group consisted of commoners without status or background. Each of them had elemental affinity, making them highly talented. That’s why the Church allowed them to train here. If they became Elemental Swordsmen, they would be absorbed as the Church’s military force. Kadoron was one of the best among them.

The second group was composed of noble children who also had elemental affinity. Compared to the commoners, their future was much brighter. Once they became Elemental Swordsmen, their families would send them to larger cities to further their training. Meixue belonged to this group.

The third group, like Merlin and Anson, were noble children without elemental affinity. Their future was limited.

Although these three groups all trained under Swordsman Perot, they remained distinct and formed their own small circles.

After a long silence, Merlin, thinking of Kadoron’s outstanding performance earlier, asked in a low voice, “How strong is Kadoron’s elemental affinity?”

“Kadoron? His talent is probably the best among all of us. He has light elemental affinity. Once he draws light elements into his body, he will rise instantly and become a Guardian Swordsman of the Church. Even now, although he isn’t yet an Elemental Swordsman, he has already attracted the Church’s attention. Swordsman Perot even took him as a disciple. It’s only a matter of time before he becomes one.”

After saying this, Anson glanced at Kadoron in the front row, his eyes full of envy.

Seeing that Merlin seemed disheartened, Anson softly added, “Kadoron is a genius, yes, but your sister Meixue isn’t far behind. She also has high fire elemental affinity, same as Swordsman Perot. He will surely teach her with great care. With Meixue, your Wilson family won’t fall for decades. Your future is still far better than mine.”

Merlin was startled. He hadn’t expected his sister Meixue to have such talent.

As Anson said, Swordsman Perot’s eyes did occasionally fall on Kadoron and Meixue, closely observing their training progress, showing how much he valued them.