Affinity Manifestation.
Or, in short—
Manifestation.
People who reach this stage are called Masters. Unlike the previous stages, this one is divided further into sub-levels.
Early Masters.
Masters.
Late Masters.
Peak Masters.
Four sub-levels in total.
All of them still belong to the fifth stage, but because this stage contains such a vast difference in strength, the additional distinctions became necessary. Otherwise, someone who had just entered the stage and someone standing at its peak would be placed in the same category. And the difference between those two could be enormous.
Just as the name suggests, you will know you reached this stage the moment your affinity manifests.
This stage is closely connected to both Stage Three and Stage Four. Back in Stage Three, as Rash had already explained, people awaken their affinity color. Not the full affinity itself. Only the color of the mana changes.
Humans possess six inherent affinities, revealed through their colors during Stage Three.
Flame is red.
Stone is grey.
Water is blue.
Wind is white.
Light is yellow.
Darkness is black.
These affinities are known as soulbound affinities.
The reason for that name is simple.
Every person is born with one affinity bound to their soul, and only that affinity can truly belong to them. The name itself implies that other types of affinities must exist. But Rash didn't know anything about them.
He only mentioned that some races possess certain affinity restrictions and that unique affinities occasionally appear. Still, every human awakens one of these six soulbound affinities.
The manifestation of an affinity is also deeply connected to Stage Four. The strengthening of the body during that stage exists for one primary reason.
To prepare the body for Affinity Manifestation.
Until this point, mana only carried the color of the affinity.
But now—
It begins to embody its nature.
The mana flowing through the core and pathways slowly changes until it fully reflects the affinity it belongs to. The result depends entirely on the affinity itself. For example, someone with the Flame affinity will find their mana heating up and burn like fire. And that is where Stage Four becomes essential.
Without the strengthening of the body beforehand, this transformation would tear the body apart from within.
The pressure of water.
The heat of fire.
The currents of wind.
Any of them could destroy the user.
Because of that danger, the affinity manifests only in a weakened form at first.
Your affinity will manifest in a weak form because of that.
A flame user's mana will become hot enough to cause discomfort or pain—but not hot enough to kill them.
In a sense, the process mirrors what happened during Strengthening. But the direction changes. Before, the body adapted to mana. Now, the mana adapts to the body.
If the affinity manifested in its full force immediately, the user would die. So instead, it manifests weakly—limited by the body's current resistance. Over time, the body grows stronger and its resistance increases. In response, the affinity grows stronger as well.
Resistance and growth.
A cycle that repeats until the affinity can finally manifest at its full potential.
As the body grows used to the affinity, the user also becomes capable of using it more effectively.
Using an affinity sounds impressive. From the stories on Earth, one might imagine a single punch igniting a city in flames. Reality, however, is far less dramatic.
Your mana changes. But its function remains largely the same.
Your mana changes, but its functions will stay the same.
You can still enhance your body and envelop objects. Only now the affinity adds its own nature to those actions.
For example—enhancing the body with Flame affinity makes attacks more explosive and destructive. A punch might burn an opponent's skin. But only while you are touching them. Using the affinity through a weapon might ignite what the blade cuts through. Infusing a projectile could create a burning arrow.
The advantages are clear.
While it isn't overpowered, it can make someone several times stronger than before.
But that strength comes with its own problems.
Take the Flame affinity again.
The disadvantages are rather straightforward.
Clothes burn.
Weapons melt.
Objects touched may ignite unintentionally.
Even infusing a simple wooden arrow becomes difficult.
These drawbacks aren't permanent. With enough training and control, most of them disappear. But at the beginning, they can be troublesome.
The affinity itself also changes how someone fights. Every affinity has its own nature. And that nature can shape an entire combat style.
A Stone affinity favors defense but sacrifices speed.
A Water affinity may offer agility but lacks durability.
Each affinity carries both strengths and weaknesses.
On top of that, affinities interact with one another.
Some counter others or give an advantage.
Wind offers little advantage against Flame.
Water, on the other hand, naturally suppresses it.
And so on.
Because of that, combat can become a matter of strategy as well. Understanding an opponent's affinity can determine the outcome of a fight.
The entire fifth stage revolves around learning to control one's affinity. The more control someone gains, the more precisely they can regulate its power.
Increase it.
Decrease it.
Even suppress it completely.
With enough mastery, a flame affinity might burn without igniting anything at all.
The ultimate goal is to achieve harmony between body and affinity. And that harmony is the key to advancing to the next stage.
But here lies the most important point.
The fifth stage has a nickname.
The Wall.
The meaning should be obvious.
Everyone eventually reaches the fifth stage. Whether they pursue strength or not, their affinity will manifest sooner or later. From that moment onward, they begin the long process of learning to control it. For some people, it takes only a few years. For others, decades. And even that is only for control.
True mastery can take far longer.
But even mastery does not guarantee advancement. This is where The Wall reveals its true meaning.
More than ninety percent of all people remain trapped in the fifth stage. Most never overcome it. And that doesn't mean they all reach the strength of Peak Masters. Some remain Early Masters their entire lives. Others reach the level of Master and stop there.
The reason behind it isn't a lack of effort.
It's talent.
To advance beyond this stage, a person must achieve perfect harmony between body and affinity. But not everyone can do it. Some people simply cannot resonate with their own affinity.
It becomes a natural divide.
Between the gifted—
And the ordinary.
Those who succeed in achieving that harmony, however—
Advance.
They become Trancedents.
The true powerhouses of this world.
They reach the sixth stage.
Fusion.
Rash didn't know much about it.
He told me only one thing.
After reaching stage six, the user undergoes a transformation. Their body and mana become one.
Body and mana unity.
What happens after that, or what level of power they reach—
Remains unknown to me.
The knowledge about the Path of Mana was precious to me.
For the first time, I could clearly see my next goal.
Reaching the fifth stage.
The stage where my affinity would awaken.
That was the moment I had finally become strong enough to stand toe to toe with the people of this world. Since ninety percent of the population remained stuck in Stage Five, most of the guards likely stood there as well.
Which meant—
Reaching that stage might also become my ticket to escape.
And since everything up to that point happened naturally…
All I needed to do was continue what I had been doing.
Training.