The old man's expression turned serious, and Eryndor's attention snapped into focus. "You must be curious about why we're here," the old man said, his voice measured.
Eryndor nodded, his curiosity piqued. "Yes, I am."
The old man began to explain, his words painting a picture of the world of Kalidor. "Kalidor is divided into four continents, each with its own unique characteristics. The Vale Continent lies to the east, named after the majestic Vale Mountains that run through its center."
He continued, his voice rich with detail. "To the west lies the Luminous Continent, home to the elves and their enchanted forest. The Wysteria Continent, situated to the north, was named after the empire that once ruled over it. And to the south, we have the Celestial Coast, renowned for its breathtaking shoreline where the ocean meets the sky."
Eryndor listened intently, his mind absorbing the information. The old man's words sparked a sense of wonder and curiosity within him, and he felt a growing desire to learn more about this world and its secrets.
The old man's words painted a vivid picture of the world beyond Eryndor's understanding. "The west is home to a diverse array of magical creatures, including beastmen, dragons, giants, dwarves, and trolls," he said.
He continued, his voice filled with a sense of wonder and tragedy. "Long ago, a prince from the Wysteria Empire fell deeply in love with an elf, and they had a child together, despite the odds against them."
The old man's expression turned somber. "Unfortunately, the gods seemed to have played a cruel joke on the child. The beastmen's incredible strength and physique, combined with the elves' attuned nature and connection to the world, proved to be a toxic mix. The child's body was unable to reconcile the two powerful bloodlines, resulting in a damaged body and a severely shortened lifespan of only 50 years."
Eryndor's eyes widened as he grasped the significance of the old man's words. "To put that into perspective," the old man continued, "a normal human might consider 50 years a long life, but even Apprentices can live up to 120 years, while elves can live for triple that amount. Beastmen, while not as long-lived as elves, can still live for around 200 years."
The old man's words hung in the air, allowing Eryndor to absorb the weight of the child's condition. Then, he continued, "The mother, desperate to find a solution, came up with an idea to infuse a stronger bloodline into the child's body. She obtained a dragon's heart and implanted it into the child, which initially seemed to work. The child's physique improved, and they showed an unimaginable talent."
The old man's eyes locked onto Eryndor's, his expression intense. "By the time the child was 26, they had already achieved the rank of Grandmaster. However, the dragon's heart had not integrated perfectly with the child's body, and it began to cause problems. The child's body was not equipped to handle the energy contained within the dragon's heart."
In a desperate attempt to heal himself, the young man devoted his life to finding a solution. He became fixated on creating the perfect body – one that would be unencumbered by the limitations of bloodline, race, or energy. His vision was of a body that could adapt, absorb, and utilize all forms of divine energy, magical forces, and even elements.
The young man's quest for creating the perfect body led him to embark on an ambitious endeavor. He began collecting the blood or body parts of all the races in Kalidor, a task that he successfully completed. Next, he gathered materials with opposing elements and affinities, driven by his conviction that a perfect body must be able to harness and balance contradictory forces.
His reasoning was rooted in the understanding that opposing elements often had a symbiotic relationship. For instance, water could both restrain and fuel fire, while life and death were inextricably linked. By collecting materials with opposing properties, he aimed to create a body that could utilize and harmonize these contradictions.
However, despite his progress, a new challenge emerged. The young man realized that he needed a material or substance that contained a little bit of everything, or something pure and untainted with no affinity. This elusive component was essential to bringing his vision of the perfect body to life.
*Edited Version*
The young man's focus shifted to humans, a species that had long fascinated him due to their remarkable adaptability. During his collection of racial samples, he had acquired a few drops of human blood, which had sparked his interest in the human capacity to thrive in diverse environments.
As he delved deeper into his studies, he discovered that there existed rare cases of humans with no affinity, a phenomenon that piqued his curiosity. The idea began to take shape in his mind that perhaps a human with no affinity could hold the key to creating the perfect body.
However, a significant challenge presented itself: even if he could acquire a human with no affinity, how would he be able to extract and utilize their unique properties? The young man's thoughts were consumed by this question, and he became increasingly obsessed with finding a solution.
It was then that he conceived a radical plan – to reconstruct his own body. By reconfiguring his physical form, he hoped to create a vessel capable of harnessing the properties of the affinity-less human, thereby unlocking the secrets to creating the perfect body.