I Have 10,000 SSS Rank Villains In My System Space-Chapter 35: Dark Faction Affinities?

[Congratulations, Host.]

[You have absorbed a D-grade Monster Core (Third Rank).]

[Dark Mana successfully absorbed: 100%.]

[New Affinity Unlocked: Shadow Affinity (Very Light).]

[Host Mana (MP) Stat has been Updated.]

[From Mana: F- ➝ E+]

[Congratulations, Host. You have finally upgraded your Mana stat.] The system’s cold, mechanical voice echoed with an eerie finality.

Razeal’s breath caught for a moment as the digital panels hovered before his eyes. A thin grin crept across his face.

"Good," he muttered, fingers curling as a faint pulse of dark energy flickered over his palm.

The status window confirmed it F- to E+. He had actually done it.

For the first time since he had awakened in this cursed world of white mana, his mana stat had risen.

Finally... a breakthrough. Even if small.

But the satisfaction didn’t last long. Something wasn’t right. A frown tugged at his brow as he studied the floating notifications again, instincts flaring.

Something... was off.

Eyes narrowing, Razeal tilted his head. "System," he said aloud, tone sharp, "on what basis did my stat increase?"

[Specify your confusion, Host.]

"You said I absorbed 100% of the core, right? And that beast was a third-rank monster, classified as D-grade. I remember clearly it had D grade mana listed in its status panel."

His voice turned colder, more calculating.

"So why... did my mana only rise to E+ instead of straight to D?"

A brief pause followed. Then the system answered in that familiar neutral tone.

[You are correct, Host. Under ordinary circumstances, absorbing a D-grade core would elevate one to D-grade mana.]

[However, due to your... unique talent, the amount of mana required to advance each stat is ten times greater than that of a normal being.] ƒreewebɳovel.com

Razeal’s eyes twitched. "Wait, what?" he muttered. "Ten times...? How is that a talent?! That sounds more like a curse!"

The system responded as if it hadn’t noticed the rising fury in his voice.

[It is not a disadvantage, Host. Although it requires ten times more mana to rank up, your internal mana pool the very vessel that contains your energy is ten times larger as well.]

[This increase in capacity will allow your body to retain higher purity, greater density, and an eventual affinity for complex mana manipulations that lesser beings can never comprehend.]

Razeal ran a hand through his hair, exhaling deeply. "So... I hold more mana than a regular D-rank, but my stat just says E+?"

[Correct. You now contain more mana than a standard E-rank would possess, even approaching D grade in volume. However, until your vessel is completely filled, your stat classification will not update.]

A slow realization dawned.

He wasn’t weak.

He was just... built differently.

"I see... I see..." he muttered, voice lower now, more thoughtful. "So this system isn’t just about numbers it’s about potential."

He gave a faint smirk. "Alright. Guess I’ll play the long game."

But then his gaze shifted to the other notification the one that had made his heart skip the moment he first saw it.

But then his gaze shifted to the other notification the one that had made his heart skip the moment he first saw it.

Shadow Affinity (Very Light)

[Very surprising, even for me, Host. It seems that just as elemental cores grant mana and strengthen a matching elemental affinity, monster cores can do the same.]

Razeal blinked. "Huh? Affinity?"

He stared at the floating notification, eyebrows furrowing. "Wait... shadow is an actual affinity?"

His lips parted slightly, confusion flaring in his chest.

"I’ve never read anything like this in the novel..."

And then, another thought slammed into him.

"Hold on. Didn’t you say elemental cores can only strengthen existing affinities? That if someone doesn’t already possess a matching attribute, the core would be useless?"

[Yes, Host. That is correct.]

Razeal’s breath hitched, heartbeat accelerating.

"Then... this notification ’unlocked’ you’re saying I already had this affinity? It wasn’t granted by the monster core, just... awakened?"

There was a long silence before the system finally responded.

[Affirmative, Host. You have always possessed Shadow Affinity. It was simply locked... dormant.]

Razeal stood frozen.

His mind reeled, piecing things together like shattered glass falling into place.

So all this time... he’d carried this hidden power, never knowing.

And yet how could he have known? In a world dominated by the White Faction, where all elemental affinities were monopolized by the holy spectrum Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, Ice, Lightning, Wood, Light... every single one of them aligned with the white.

And he he had been told he couldn’t use any of them.

"Dammit," Razeal muttered, an almost childlike awe breaking through his usual calm. "So many surprises today... and I thought I was just collecting some monster core scraps."

He looked down at his hands, still faintly tingling with residual mana.

[This affinity, Host, belongs to the Dark Faction. Shadow is one of the elemental affinities unique to it. In fact, it is considered one of the higher ranking elements among its kind.]

Razeal’s eyes widened. "Wait... the Dark Faction has its own elemental affinities? Why the fuck you never told me"

He had never even considered the possibility.

His chest tightened. So all along, while he was mourning his inability to wield fire or ice or lightning, the truth was far deeper.

He had his own elements.

"System... you said I had this shadow affinity locked inside me. So..." He took a breath, his voice rising with anticipation. "Do I have only this? Or are there more?"

For once, he felt... hopeful. Hungry to know.

Could it be that the monster he killed just by pure, blind luck happened to have the same affinity as him? What are the odds?"

No.

Then scoffed.

"No, never mind. With how shit my luck is, that probably was the only time an affinity matching monster ever crossed my path. If I only had one affinity, I’d probably never found that affinity monster in life."

Unless...

[You possess the absolute genius talent of the Dark. Naturally, you are compatible with every elemental affinity of the Dark Faction]

Everything stopped.

Razeal stared ahead blankly for a moment. "Wha..."

Then he threw his head back and laughed. Loud.

"Hahahaha! Finally! Finally this damn bullshit talent is actually doing something!"

Guess he finally gone crazy.

He almost jumped on the spot, barely stopping himself.

For once, the title "genius" didn’t feel like some cursed sarcasm slapped onto him by fate. It felt real.

"System list them out. What dark affinities do I have?" he demanded, heart pounding.

But the system fell eerily silent for a moment.

[That, I cannot do, Host. If you wish to discover them, you’ll have to absorb more cores. One by one]

Razeal’s eye twitched.

"What the fuck, System?"

"Apologies, Host. Some knowledge is restricted. If you seek answers, enter the System Space and consult a Villain within the Valley. That function exists for a reason."

Razeal let out a long, frustrated groan.

"Goddammit. It’s always like this with yo..."

Just as Razeal was about to hurl more curses, a flash occurred he was suddenly teleported, pulled outside the Gates of Worth.

The time for the trial was up.

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Thanks for reading guys hope you all loving it.

Don’t forget powerstones and library.