As Asher continued to think about the events that led up to his current situation, the pain he was feeling began to fade. And then a new notification appeared on the screen.
[ Ding! ]
[ Healing mana vein process is complete. The awakening of the Host's dormant Space Affinity has also been completed. ]
"Space Affinity?" Asher couldn't help but feel both shocked and confused by this news. "This means that the original Asher had an affinity with the Space Element, and yet, he died when the magic of teleportation was used on him. How fucked up is that?" He said, shaking his head at the absurdity of the situation. "And why didn't he awaken it before? If he had awakened his Space affinity, he wouldn't have had his mana veins shattered by a fucking teleportation spell."
Another screen appeared in front of him.
[ Answer: The awakening of a person's elemental affinity requires an elemental core of the same affinity. This core is very rare and costly; as such, the previous Asher had no way to acquire a space elemental core for the awakening of his dormant Space Affinity. ]
"Seriously? How hard is it to acquire an elemental core?" Asher asked, not quite understanding the magnitude of the problem.
The System's answer made him understand that this wasn't a small issue.
[ Elemental cores of Space Element can only be obtained from the rare and elusive Void-Beasts that can be found only in the highest tier of Dungeons. These cores are also required to create powerful teleportation gates, so they are always in high demand and short in supply. ]
"Ah, I see. No wonder," Asher said, realizing the rarity of such items and the reason behind the original Asher's inability to awaken his affinity.
But now that his affinity was awakened, he had to know what kind of power it gave him. He had read a few web novels about people with systems, but he was still unsure about the specifics of what he gained from this awakening.
"System, can you show me a detailed status page? I want to see what my current state is and what abilities I have now," he asked.
In response, the System provided him with the following details.
─ Name: Asher Sinclair
─ Age: 18
─ Race: Human
─ Titles: None
─ Status: Awakened
─ Mana Core Rank: E-
─ Affinity: Space
─ Strength: 11
─ Agility: 12
─ Endurance: 12
─ Intelligence: 15
─ Mana: 11
(10 is the average for Mages in the E- Rank)
─ Skills:
─ Gravity Bind (Rank S) (Active Skill)
Manipulates gravity within a certain radius, increasing its intensity to create a crushing force that slows enemies' movements and puts pressure on them.
Cooldown: None
─ Warp Step (Rank S) (Active Skill)
Teleports the host to a certain distance, leaving behind a temporary afterimage that distracts enemies.
Cooldown: None
Note: The strength of all skills is based on the host's Mana Core Rank and Mana Reserves.
"Talk about being an Extra," Asher muttered to himself, looking at the status page and realizing just how weak he was. "My strength and other stats are just so average, it's almost embarrassing. I'm nothing but a useless side character at this point." He sighed and continued to read through his skills, which were pretty impressive despite his low ranking.
"These are great skills, especially Warp Step," Asher said, his mood brightening. "I can see myself using it in all kinds of situations, and with no cooldown, I can use it as much as I want. But why aren't there any other skills besides these two?"
He tried to remember which skills and abilities the previous Asher had, but he realized that there were none. "So the original didn't know anything except for basic Mana Manipulation techniques that could enhance his physical body a bit."
Asher was feeling more and more like an extra with each passing second, and he was determined to change that. He knew that he needed to become stronger if he wanted to make a difference and achieve his goal of being free to do whatever he desired.
"System, how can I use these skills?" he asked, looking up at the glowing screen in front of him.
A screen with the instructions for the use of both skills appeared.
─ Gravity Bind: To activate Gravity Bind, focus your willpower on a specific location and concentrate your mana in that area. Visualize the gravity increasing in that area, and use your mana to make it a reality.
─ Warp Step: To activate Warp Step, visualize the location you wish to teleport to, and use your mana to transport yourself to that location. The more specific your visualization, the more precise the teleportation will be. Remember that teleporting to a location requires a certain amount of mana, and attempting to teleport to a location that is too far away may result in a failure, wasting your mana and leaving you in the same place as before.
"Nice. At least the skills are straightforward to understand and use. But I need to practice using them before I can actually use them in a fight." Asher sighed and closed the screens.
The very next moment, Asher heard the sound of something rustling behind him, and he quickly turned around to see that the naked girl was waking up. She opened her eyes slowly and sat up, her wavy silver hair falling in front of her face, covering it slightly. As she looked around, confusion was evident on her face.
She then looked down at herself and realized that she was stark naked; her face turned red with embarrassment and anger. However, she didn't scream or act in a panic; instead, her gaze shifted towards Asher, and she glared at him with pure anger in her eyes while standing up.
Asher couldn't help but take in the sight of her naked form, which was both alluring and intimidating. Her body was curvy yet toned, and he noted her full breasts and wide hips. However, the cold look in her eyes and her clenched fists made him wary, and he knew trouble was brewing.
"Tell me, how do you want to die?" She said, her voice cold and sharp, as if it could cut right through him.