Arya leaned forward eagerly. Even if she had learned about this before, hearing it again still amazed her. Even Nyss turned her head slightly toward the projection, her pale fingers resting calmly on the desk. Emilia, though silent, watched with eyes sharper than blades.

Hargan's voice was calm now, like a teacher finally slipping into rhythm. "There are four tiers of elemental classification."

He gestured at the chart. One portion of the glyphs lit up.

"Core Elements—or rather, Basic elements, eight in number: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Wood, Metal, and Ice. These are the elements accessible to almost every race. They form the backbone of all affinity rune construction."

Then another six symbols shimmered above.

"Advanced Elements—Gravity, Sound, Shadow, Illusion, Blood, Decay/Rot. Very rare, even in the entire kingdom. Rarely found."

Just as he finished speaking, another two symbols lit up above.

"Top Elements—Light and Darkness. Super rare. One Top Element user is rare to find even in many kingdoms."

Finally, five glowing sigils appeared above them all. More abstract. More foreign. More supreme.

"Ultimate Elements—Fate, Time, Space, Life, and Death. There are a few others, but these five are the most well-documented. Few possess them. Fewer survive long enough to master them. And there is only a single being who is confirmed to possess an Ultimate Element."

He let the information settle for a moment among everyone. Commoners scribbled frantically as this knowledge wasn't publicly available, while nobles listened to Hargan's words with fire in their eyes.

Hargan began again after a moment of breather. "Your elemental affinity determines how easily you can manipulate the corresponding element, but only through the creation of an Affinity Rune can you truly begin cultivating it as your own."

He pointed toward Orion—specifically at his chest.

"The moment a user awakens their affinity, that elemental power condenses into a Globe in the Sea of Consciousness. Around this, an Affinity Rune is carved. This rune is unique to the individual, shaped by their soul and nature. Once formed, it allows you to channel, enhance, and eventually manifest your element externally."

He raised his voice slightly, letting it echo through the hall. "Without an Affinity Rune, your elemental affinity is dormant. It is like having blood but no veins."

Some students gasped in realization. A few nobles looked nervous.

Orion's mind raced.

'So the rune isn't just a symbol. It's a circuit—my soul's language written around my affinity.'

[Exactly, Master! That's why formation is so important. If you mess it up, it affects your casting speed, elemental control, and even mana efficiency. Your first attempt was rather reckless.]

'Ugh, give me a break. I just arrived in this world and was reckless.'

"And," Hargan added, tapping his staff once more, "a rune can be reforged—but only through pain, effort, and a much higher understanding of said element."

His eyes swept the class slowly.

"But some of you… may break that limit."

His gaze briefly flickered toward the front-row seats, pausing briefly on Orion.

"This concludes the first part of today's lecture. Take five minutes. After that, we begin the real work—Affinity Rune Formation Theory."

Orion leaned back slightly in his seat, letting the information from Vice Dean Hargan's lecture sink in.

Behind him, murmurs began to rise as the students processed the tiers of elements and the truth of Affinity Rune formation. Arya scribbled something into a small enchanted notebook while Emilia sat still, likely conversing with her spear.

'So that's how it really works…' Orion mused. 'The globes in the Sea of Consciousness are Affinity Globes, alright. I had figured out at least that much. But layers… I didn't know that.'

[Hehe, of course you didn't, Master~ You went ahead and tried forming one without even knowing how it worked. That's like throwing spaghetti at a wall and hoping it becomes a magic circle! (≧▽≦)]

'Tch, stop reminding me about that. I at least nearly formed the first layer, right?'

[You brute-forced the Origin Glyph through sheer willpower and instinct and nearly made it. Most people stop there and call it a day. But without the next two layers, it's like strapping a rocket engine to a paper kite. That's why the Affinity Rune was dissolved.]

Orion chuckled inwardly, then glanced around. Several students nearby were whispering in confusion—likely nobles who had basic elemental knowledge but not the full picture of rune structure, and commoners who knew nothing at all.

Even those from influential houses were now frowning with furrowed brows, as if their tutors had skipped half the syllabus.

Arya nudged him lightly, whispering, "Pretty amazing stuff, right?"

Orion tilted his head and smiled. "More than amazing. This answers a lot of questions I didn't even know I had."

She giggled and nodded. "Hehe, Vice Dean is better than the Royal Tutor I had. But he hasn't touched upon anything that I don't know. Most noble households don't teach their young ones all the details and let them fend for themselves in the academy to hone their mind and willpower."

"No wonder all the students from noble households were just as eager to learn here as the commoners," Orion said, turning his eyes back to the elemental projection above the stage.

"Mhm," she said, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "The deeper the foundation, the higher you climb. This is the start."

Orion let her words linger in his thoughts. 'Foundation... huh? I have so many Affinity Globes in my Sea of Consciousness that I don't even know when I will be able to use them to their fullest potential. I need to understand more about this Affinity Rune so I can forge a truly pristine foundation. I still have that Origin Mana Pool to strengthen myself as well.'

[Ohoho~ Master's got a full collection of globes ready to go! Let's hope you don't blow up trying to carve seven of them. That would be embarrassing.⁠(≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)]

He felt his lips twitching. 'Even I'm not that reckless. And I won't have so many issues if you don't distract me.'

[(⁠✯⁠ᴗ⁠✯⁠)]

'...'

A hush fell over the room again as Vice Dean Hargan returned to the center of the stage, raising his staff once more.

"Five minutes have passed," he declared, voice regaining its thunderous edge. "Let us now move to the second and most vital part of your foundational lesson—Affinity Rune Formation Theory."

He gestured again, and the elemental glyphs hovering above the stage rippled and faded. In their place appeared three concentric circles, each pulsing with slow, rippling light.

"This," he said, "is a simplified model of an Affinity Rune."

The innermost circle lit up in deep blue. "At its core lies the Origin Glyph. This is the core layer. Your Sea of Consciousness houses these Affinity Globes, and when you try to form your Affinity Rune around it, it instinctively forms an Origin Glyph through raw emotion, soul resonance, and spiritual intent."

"You do not need Runic Knowledge to form the first level for the Origin Glyph."

Many students leaned forward in their seats, fully invested in this topic. A few looked relieved, as if glad to know they wouldn't have to memorize arcane scripts right away.

"But," Hargan continued, "this layer alone is insufficient. Think of it as a heartbeat without arteries—raw power with no direction."