Elemental chaos

"So before you ask something useless let me just say, don't try to judge or understand this new world from your understanding of the previous one. Although many things are similar and your knowledge will certainly be useful, there are nuances and complexities that might surprise you. The elemental plane, as the name suggests, is an amalgamation and interaction of the various elements of nature. Here, you will bear certain affinities and talents, and I will bestow some gifts upon you and can allow you to be born in an affluent family, but only if I deem you worthy," the old man said authoritatively.
"Just moments ago, you told me my body is perfectly fine on Earth, so where does this talk of being born old come from?" Axel panicked.
"Don't sweat the small stuff. I just said that to avoid unnecessary drama. And what's with all this cowardice? If you behave like this, forget about any gifts," the old man retorted.
'What the hell is wrong with this geezer? He's playing with me,' Axel thought. "Okay, so kindly carry on," Axel said politely.
"Now that's the spirit. So, as you've chosen the School of Cognition, I will give you a choice: either be born with all your memories or choose a weapon or element affinity that will make it easier for you to comprehend and use the element or weapon of your choice. For example, if you choose the light element or daggers (schools offered are in line with talents already existing), with your existing affinity, you will be a genius in that field," the old man explained.
"Is there an element of darkness?" Axel asked. Despite his maturity, Axel's personality was full of curiosity and a sense of adventure and freedom. Having read numerous fantasy novels, he had certain expectations.
"Nope, darkness is the absence of light, not an element in itself. Although there are other things that are similar to what you're thinking, I'm not going to divulge that information," the old man said cautiously, afraid Axel might catch onto something.
'Things aren't that simple. He's clearly hiding something, and he has ulterior motives. Otherwise, why so much attention on me?' Axel thought, but he kept his poker face. "I would like to keep my memories intact," Axel answered.
"Hmm... are you sure?" the old man asked.
"Yeah," Axel answered. 'Although I have no idea what's going on and I'm not in control of anything, my memories will be helpful.' 'Shit man, I don't even know who this fu***r is and how safe this world is. Do I have no other choice?' Many thoughts raced through Axel's head, but he maintained his composure.
"Okay then. I will give you a gift, a sort of system screen that will try to quantify and simplify the things you experience. But don't be overly reliant on it. Most things aren't easily quantified, and concepts like levels and scores are utter bullshit," the old man said. "Oh yeah, one important thing I almost forgot: choose your element very carefully. From the moment you first use an element, it will fuse with your soul. Most people can only master one element, but your case might be different. You should choose light as your first element, and then choose one more... It will be interesting to see a dual-Elementalist, huh."
"What are these elements you keep talking about? I get the basic idea, but shouldn't you explain a bit more? And are dual-Elementalists rare? From the novels I've read, it should be common for people to use various elements, isn't that the case?" Axel asked, sighing. He felt the old man was unreliable, making decisions on a whim.