Opening his eyes, Torrin saw he was now sitting atop the mountain plateau he'd seen displayed in the testing room. Allowing his gaze to wander, he could see mountains, forests, and rivers stretching into the distance.

"Our first phase of testing shall be with wind," A disembodied voice echoed around Torrin, "Take a moment to prepare yourself and let me know when you are ready to begin. At any time during the testing, you may call out for me to stop the test."

Torrin nodded. He stayed seated, his legs crossed, and tried meditating. He was soon viewing his shining golden crystalline core, checking out the dazzling runes he'd inscribed it with and wandered through his pathways before coming back to himself.

'This testing stone completely simulated my core and body,' Torrin thought curiously.

"I'm ready, what should I do for this test?" Torrin asked.

"Just stay seated--or stand if you prefer--and I will generate wind mana around you. Just do what comes natural to you," Ollivel's echoing voice stated mysteriously.

Torrin's eyebrow raised at the ambiguous instructions, but nodded anyway, "Okay."

Torrin allowed mana to seep from his core into his eyes and looked for any mana in the air. There was nothing to be seen, the testing world completely devoid of mana.

"Beginning wind affinity testing," The voice said calmly. Suddenly, a greenish stream of wind mana swept towards Torrin at high speeds, coaxing the air around him into motion.

His clothes began fluttering in the strong wind, his body moving slightly from the force. The greenish stream arrived and sliced across Torrin, causing a small scratch on his enhanced body. Torrin looked at it curiously, before returning his attention to his surroundings.

More and more wind mana was being generated in the fake world, streams of air zipping towards him. Torrin closed his eyes, trying to feel the mana instinctively. He sat still as a statue as he was battered relentlessly by the wind.

Reaching his will forward, he could sense the fluctuations in the freshly generated mana on the plateau, but this was not allowing him to control the slowly intensifying wind. A rather brutal burst of mana cut deep into his shoulder, causing him to flinch and lose his concentration. He shook his head, redoubling his focus on taming the turbulent winds.

After a burst of wind pushed him over, he stood on his feet, centering himself. He felt incomparably light due to his weights not following him into the testing stone and he allowed himself to sway in the wind, moving with the wind rather than against it.

With his eyes still closed, he allowed his mana to speed up his perception of time so he could get a better feel for the turbulent energy. The wind slowed in his mind's eye as his will took in every detail of the force. The way it twisted and writhed fluidly through the air, before forming into a hammer-like substance or a veritable blade of wind.

His body was thoroughly punished by the intense wind, but he held on, never losing his focus as more and more cuts and bruises appeared on him. Instead of blocking the currents, he allowed them to devastate his body, analyzing what type of wounds were caused by each stream of wind mana.

Allowing his perception to return to normal, he continued his analysis of the forces of wind. His body continued swaying back and forth, like a sapling in the breeze--a leaf blown here and there by a gust. The longer he stood within the storm of wind mana, the more he began to understand the intricacies of the wind.

He opened his eyes, watching as a tornado roared around him on the mountain top; sand and small stones swirled within the flow of air, gaining momentum and power. Torrin soaked in everything he could about the energy as he was also lifted into the air, joining the debris in their twisting journey above the ground.

The tornado tore a path across the plateau, Torrin swirling within its depths as he memorized every feeling and sensation occurring around him. The sound of the wind, its touch, the force it could generate, and the different forms it could take on naturally.

Soon enough, Torrin was completely covered in wounds--his newly generated outfit in complete tatters. As Torrin flew, a darkness crept to the edges of his vision due to the simulated blood loss and eventually his vision went completely black.

The disembodied voice cleared its throat, "Ahem, no control over wind...we will now move onto earth affinity testing." it said awkwardly.

"Run it again."

"Run it again?" the voice questioned, confusion lacing the echoing tones.

"Run it again." Torrin repeated firmly, opening his eyes as he sat on the peaceful plateau once more, his body and clothing completely restored, as if he had just entered the testing stone.

A long, silent pause blanketed the plateau before Ollivel's distorted echoing voice broke in once more, "Beginning wind affinity testing."

Torrin closed his eyes once more, readying himself for his brutal punishment under the wind's careful ministrations. A long while passed as he followed the same routine he had before, analyzing while he sat--his perception sped up greatly, the wind moving like a trickling stream--before standing as the winds became more intense.

He did not assert any control over the mana or wind flowing around him. He allowed himself to be swept up once more into a chaotic tornado of wind mana. Soon enough, his vision blacked out once more and he found himself sitting on the mana-less mountain top.

"Again." he said, before Ollivel could speak.

"Rin, there is no sense in continuing with wind if you have no affinity for it...this is admittedly hard to watch..." The voice stated awkwardly.

Torrin closed his eyes to let his annoyance fall away, understanding how crazy he must seem. He breathed out slowly, standing to his feet. Opening his eyes, he looked to the sky and said, "Again."

Ollivel must have seen his conviction because he acquiesced, saying, "Beginning wind affinity test."

Torrin activated his mana sight as he watched the mana appear from nothingness, slowly swirling the air atop the plateau. As the first stream--a wind blade--approached him at high speeds, Torrin moved his body out of its path, attempting to assert control with his will as it passed. Nothing happened, so he waited for another to approach.

A gust of wind shot towards him like a flying maul and he spun his core, allowing mana to flow from it in a thread as the hammer of wind descended upon him. Dodging to the side, he wrapped the wind mana in his thread, before moving it with his will--allowing it to flow around him instead of at him.

The connection of his own mana made all the difference, the wind now moving under his control. He was unsure if this was the proper way to control it, but he continued his practice controlling the turbulent winds across the platform he stood upon--enhancing his body with Saen to increase his physical speed and enhancing his mind with mana to increase his information processing speed.

Time passed slowly--hours to his sped up perception--as he weaved more and more threads of mana from his spinning core, grabbing wind blades and bursts, adding them to the original gust he'd taken control of. A while later, instead of flying off the ground to join the hurtling stones and debris, he was controlling his own small, roaring tornado of wind--standing in the eye of the storm. Hundreds of tiny mana threads spun around him, controlling the wind and forcing it to follow his orders--his body moving in a dance along with the currents as he controlled the tornado.

Eventually it was too much of a strain to control his body, sped up perception, and the mana all at the same time and he lost control of the turbulent energy. Instead of the assault of uncontrolled energy and wind Torrin expected, he was left on a completely silent and still mountain top.

Torrin stood for a time in complete silence, basking in the achievement of having controlled the wind without using a spell. He breathed deeply, satisfaction filling his lungs. Through his analysis of the wounds he'd received through the first two tests, he realized that the wind would naturally form itself into an attack just by the generated mana affecting it and used that to be able to shape the turbulent winds to his own whims with his threads of mana.

"Ending elemental affinity test..." Ollivel trailed off as darkness descended upon Torrin slowly.

Opening his eyes once more, he saw that he was sitting against the testing stone's resting place. His sweat drenched clothing clung to him tightly, his hair plastered to his head. He slowly let out a sigh of relief at his success, turning to look at Ollivel.

"Well?" Torrin asked cheekily.

Ollivel looked at Torrin and shook his head continuously, as if it weren't screwed on properly and couldn't be stopped. Torrin furrowed his brows and began to feel worried as Ollivel continued this for a full minute.

'Did he break?' Torrin wondered as he stared blankly at the elf.

"Eh?" Torrin asked eloquently, eyebrows raised in surprise at the display.

Torrin's change in expression must have triggered something in Ollivel, as the man stopped his head shaking and sighed.

"I've been testing people for a long time, Rin..." The elf trailed off, folding one arm across his chest and using it as a base to rest his other hand on his chin in contemplation, "But never have I seen someone so young assert such control over an element. Especially after failing to do anything on their first two attempts..."

Torrin shrugged at the words. He got to his feet and stretched his exhausted body. Though he hadn't used his physical body in the test, the testing stone was so real that his body refused to believe it hadn't been crushed, cut, and battered by wind mana for hours on end.

His body feeling tired was slightly annoying, but one good thing was his head didn't hurt from using his enhanced perception in the testing stone. His mind was definitely tired, but at least it didn't feel as if his brain was too big for his skull.

Seeing that Ollivel was deeply concentrated on thinking, Torrin walked over to get a better look at the blank screen that previously showed the empty plateau. Below the screen was a small platform extending from the wall upon which were shining silver runes--the ones that controlled the testing, he assumed. He looked at the intricate runes, baffled at the complexity of them.

'Lars really was as good as Grams says... His rune-work is astounding. I can't even begin to comprehend his work.' Torrin praised inwardly.

After letting Ollivel stew for a bit, Torrin tapped the man on his arm to get his attention.

"Hm?" Ollivel blinked a few times, returning from his dazed state.

"Is that the only test we are doing? Or are we going to get to the earth affinity test now?" Torrin asked, though he was tired, he was eager to try his mana thread method on the earth affinity test.

Ollivel shook his head in response, "Though your physical body isn't affected in the testing, it still puts a strain on your mind and spirit. You spent two hours in the testing stone, so you'll need to wait just as long to let yourself recover."

Torrin nodded in response, understanding that overdoing it could be harmful to his growth, "Alright, that sounds like a plan. Is there somewhere I can get cleaned up?" he asked awkwardly, looking down at his tattered and drenched clothing. He still hadn't changed since his initial battle with Ollivel.

The elf nodded, "Yes, of course. Follow me and I'll show you to the changing rooms. Once you've finished cleaning up, you can watch some of the students if you want until it's time for us to resume your testing."

Torrin was led from the room and taken to another door close by. Inside, he saw there was a pit in the floor containing steaming water, emitting a floral scent into the air. The pool of lightly bubbling water contained a few elves cleaning up after their training. Ollivel nodded to Torrin and exited the room to inform the king of the results of the initial testing.

Without hesitation, Torrin stripped down and sank into the pool of water. Instantly, he felt his mana core stirring in response to the touch of the water.

'There must be some mana infused in here somehow...' Torrin thought as he lay back against the wall of the bath, closing his eyes and allowing the warmth to seep into his body, washing away his exhaustion.

The three elves in the room all stared at Torrin with wide eyes. A human was a mythical existence to them, something they had never seen in person before Torrin.

"Excuse me," a nervous voice called from beside Torrin, causing him to open his eyes, "Hi, I'm Tillien Velar... Ah, I just wanted to welcome you to our home." Tillien trailed off awkwardly as he met Torrin's silver flecked, golden eyes.

Torrin smiled genially, "Hello, Rin Gram, nice to meet you." he said, raising his arm above the water in greeting. Tillien stared at the proffered hand for a long moment, seemingly confused at the gesture.

Chuckling, Torrin said, "Do your people not shake hands? Sorry, I'm ignorant of your culture."

Tillien shook his head, "It's fine," he said, grabbing Torrin's hand awkwardly in his own, "Learning new things is always nice." A smile appeared on Tillien's face as Torrin shook his hand up and down.

Torrin took a moment to look at the young elf, he appeared to be around 16 or 17 by human standards and wore a charming smile. His hair was a light blonde shade--almost silver--that hung down to the bottom of his jaw and his eyes were a vibrant sky blue, like a cloudless day. As with all the elves he'd seen so far, Tillien's ears tapered to a point at the top.

After a moment, Tillien asked, "You just went through your affinity testing, right? Which element are you attuned to?"

Torrin chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he responded, "I kind of only got through one element, wind, and it was a... Success, I guess."

The elf's brows scrunched, "You were in there a couple of hours, right? Why so long for just one element?"

Torrin realized the elf must have been one of the students in the training hall when he was first introduced by the king. He gave a small shrug, "I didn't get it right the first two times, but the third went well."

Tillien's eyes became saucers, "You took the test multiple times? I've never heard of anyone doing that."

"Has anyone ever asked to?" Torrin mused aloud.

Tillien shook his head, "It doesn't usually work like that... Most people, after failing the first time, are eager to move onto an element that might respond to them. The testing also takes a lot of energy to conduct, so we're only given one chance for each element..." the elf trailed off, a thoughtful look appearing on his face.

Torrin shrugged, "Guess I got lucky that Ollivel gave me another shot..." he thought for a second before continuing, "Or maybe he felt bad for beating me up when I first arrived," he said, laughing.

"I heard about that!" Tillien said excitedly, "You and him fought for over half an hour on the dirt path! People came to the training hall chattering about it in excitement, they said you were a match for him with a blade!"

The words slightly soured Torrin's mood as he shook his head, replying, "Not even close, Tillien... I was only matching his speed at my best, and if he had used magic...I would have died many times over. I can't even be sure he was pushing himself, either."

Tillien nodded at the words, "I thought it might have been a bit exaggerated, but it makes for a good story, nonetheless. The mysterious young human almost taking out our Master of Combat? Wow, what a tale." he finished with a wide grin on his face.

Torrin couldn't help but return the grin, "It does make a good story, doesn't it?"

After a moment of companionable silence, Tillien spoke, "Well, Rin. I look forward to seeing you in the training hall sometime, I'm currently working on my affinity with water, so we won't be paired together anytime soon. I've got to go now, but I'll see you tonight at the celebration." The elf left the pool and the other two followed, eagerly whispering to Tillien as they dried off and left.

Torrin leaned back once more, thinking of everything that had happened during the wind affinity test. He wasn't completely sure, but he thought he'd felt the Change Rune on his core helping him to control the wind element somehow.

'Just what exactly does this rune do?' Torrin wondered as he finished his soaking.

He dressed himself in black pants, a silver long sleeved shirt, and a green tunic hanging to his knees. He stared at himself in a full body mirror, tousling his black hair until he felt it was just messy enough.

Walking from the room, Torrin let his eyes wander around the training hall where a few elves were being instructed on different techniques. He noticed the king standing with Ollivel at the door to the testing room. The two spoke in low voices as they watched the training in the hall, pointing to things that caught their eye.

The pair of elves finally noticed Torrin walk from the wash room and waved him over to them. The king wore a real smile as he greeted the young human.

"Hello, Rin. Ollivel has been telling me about the interesting methods you used during your wind affinity test. I decided I would like to sit in on your next one, now that I have gotten everything straightened out for tonight's celebration." The king proclaimed.

Torrin nodded thoughtfully, 'The king must wonder why Ollivel used so much energy for me to only test one element or something.'

Ollivel spoke up, "Well, Rin. You've still got a bit left before we continue, let's watch some of the young ones practicing their elements, shall we?"

Torrin nodded, following the pair to the side of one of the rings where a pair of small elves practiced together, sending small bursts of wind back and forth. Watching them practice, he activated his mana sight to see what level their cores were at. His brows rose seeing they were only at the red core stage.

"These two were tested about a week ago, confirmed to have an affinity with wind. They'll work with this element until they reach the orange core stage, at which time they'll be retested to see if they have any other affinities. If they do, they can add that element to their practice, or continue focusing on wind if they prefer." The combat master explained to Torrin as they watched on.

The king cut in, saying, "As a person gets more proficient with their element, quite obviously, their proficiency with mana increases as well. This can cause them to understand other elements as they advance, which is why we retest them at each stage of core advancement." The king preemptively answered the question Torrin was about to ask.

"Are they only allowed to use one element during the red core stage, even if they have an affinity for more elements?" Torrin asked curiously.

Ollivel nodded, "Yes, they will start with the element they are most attuned to in the red core stage. This will allow them to set a firm foundation for themselves before advancing their core. We elves have quite a long natural life span, so we focus intently on our foundation... Most elves stay at the red core stage as long as possible to make sure their elemental and mana control is solid, some taking up to ten or twenty years, even."

Torrin's brows raised in surprise. Seeing this, Ollivel and the king chuckled.

The king took up the explanation from there, "Humans only live to around the age of seventy, with some able to live to one hundred if they are lucky. With a mana core aiding in the nourishment of their bodies, they are able to live for hundreds of years--the stronger the core, the more their bodies adapt to mana, increasing their longevity and slowing the aging process. Since they feel the inevitable drag of time on themselves, most rush to gain as much power as possible. Elves could do this as well, but we do not use runes to conjure spells, so we must learn our elements intimately, so that we may form spells properly."

Taking a pause, the king let his gaze move from the training students to Torrin, "Elven kind, however... Even without a mana core, we can live at least twice as long as humans. Our mana pathways are naturally more intricate than humans, for whatever reason. This allows us to infuse and enhance our bodies with mana much easier. Even at the red core stage, an elf can live for three to four hundred years."

Torrin shook his head at the information, wondering how long he could live in this new world. Just as the king had explained, humans didn't have a long life span compared to elves. Even in his old world, the longest a human at the peak of power could live was a little over a thousand years. He knew for sure that Grams was at least two thousand years old, and that was with regular mana pathways. With his advanced mana network and his Saen infused body, he couldn't fathom the longevity he would have.

Torrin's face scrunched up as he asked, "What about the..." Torrin took a moment to find the right words, "Higher forms of elements? Such as sound manipulation like you showed earlier? And lightning? What about ice? How do those fit into an elf's training?"

He'd noticed that most of the elves training were only focusing on the base elements, not using ice or lightning, only air, wind, fire, and earth.

Ollivel chuckled at the barrage of questions, "Those are much more advanced... Without runes to dictate the change in energy, it takes a long time to be able to form such spells."

After saying this, Ollivel flicked his wrist and water from a nearby bowl moved towards his open hand. The water congealed into a ball and the air around them shifted slightly, causing a small gust of wind to circle around the liquid sphere. The water almost instantly turned into a solid sphere of ice under his control.

Ollivel tossed the frozen sphere to Torrin, who caught it and slowly twisted it this way and that while analyzing the thing. Ollivel spoke up once more, "Take that sphere of ice for example. I had to control the water's temperature using wind to help freeze it. With runes, a human mage can turn the ambient water and air mana into ice with but a few words and the proper intentions."

Torrin nodded as he examined the sphere. He hadn't realized just how much work would go into creating a simple ball of ice without runes. The trio soon returned to watching the students train, Torrin asking questions every now and then.

As they watched, Ollivel explained everything about the training hall and its purpose. The circles on the ground would emit a mana shield once activated, keeping spectators and others training safe. There were larger training circles used for duels, which is where Torrin had watched the Elven Elites clashing against each other earlier. They contained a much stronger shield used to block out the more powerful attacks of the older generation, or those cause by intense battles.

Torrin soaked in all the information like a sponge, eager to be able to try one out himself. Time passed quickly and soon enough they were heading back into the testing room to begin the earth affinity test.

As Torrin sat below the orb once more, he looked over at the screen. It showed the same flat mountain top he'd seen before. Closing his eyes, he exhaled a long breath and sent his will towards the orb.