A Prodigy’s Unveiling: Ai Ou’s Astonishing Talent

“Ah, this is wonderful!” It wasn’t the young girl who cried out first, but her father, a portly middle-aged man who resembled a wealthy merchant. Beside him stood a woman, sobbing with joy.

“Quiet,” the bald middle-aged man snorted in displeasure.

Immediately, staff members approached. They escorted the young girl and her parents to the academy’s admissions officers. Many watched the girl with envy.

“Heavens! This girl was actually admitted to Saint Roland Academy!”

“To become a student of Saint Roland Academy, and with superior spiritual power at that, means she’s starting as at least a Sixth-tier Mage!”

“As long as she graduates successfully, the Empire will immediately bestow a noble title upon her. She’ll become a revered aristocrat, an elite of the Empire!”

“How truly fortunate! Looking at this father and daughter, they were likely just wealthy merchants, but soon, they’ll be part of high society. Truly remarkable!”

Once the girl had completed her registration, several discerning men swiftly advanced.

“Hello, I am Duke Flandorff’s butler…”

“I am Marquis Andru’s secretary, if you would…”

They extended offers to the young girl, one after another. Becoming a mage meant gaining both status and power. With no financial worries, her destiny had fundamentally changed the moment she met Saint Roland Academy’s standards. Everyone envied the lucky recipient of such fortune.

****

As time passed, the hall grew increasingly crowded. Unfortunately, for a long while, no one else was admitted. Finally, it was Ai Ou’s turn.

Ai Ou gazed ahead with a tranquil expression. Unlike the others, he possessed a clear understanding of his own talent. With his dual dragons, his aptitude was absolutely top-tier; if he couldn’t pass such a minor test, he might as well take his own life.

“Next,” the bald middle-aged man announced.

Ai Ou composed himself and stepped forward.

“Place your hand on the crystal ball!”

Ai Ou already knew the testing procedure. His fair, slender fingers gently covered the crystal ball. Slowly, the crystal ball began to glow. Observing the light, the bald middle-aged man inwardly mused that the young man’s magical perception was quite good, qualifying as moderate. He wondered about his spiritual power.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, suddenly—

The entire crystal ball flared with a blinding intensity, like a miniature sun. Fiery red and watery blue light intertwined, occasionally even mingled with an extremely faint trace of green. The brightness of the crystal ball reached an astonishing level. The dazzling radiance forced even those nearby to squint, unable to look directly at its glow. The crystal ball was transformed into a work of art, painted in hues of fiery red and watery blue.

The bald middle-aged man had been proven wrong. However, he showed no anger. Instead, upon witnessing this phenomenon, he abruptly leaped up, his expression one of profound excitement. He glanced at the crystal ball, then spoke with a trembling voice:

“Fire Element Affinity! Superb!”

“Water Element Affinity! Superb!”

“Wood Element Affinity! Moderate!”

Magical talent is defined by elemental affinity. The lowest tier is ‘Inferior,’ making it incredibly difficult to attract elemental attention, requiring immense effort for even a slight response—essentially equivalent to no talent at all. This is followed by ‘Low,’ ‘Moderate,’ ‘Superior,’ and ‘Superb.’

An average mage typically possesses ‘Moderate’ elemental affinity, while ‘Superior’ is quite rare. As for ‘Superb’… that is incredibly phenomenal, a sight rarely seen in decades. Moreover, the higher the talent, the faster one’s magic power recovers and refines, significantly outpacing those with lower aptitudes.

Seeing this, the bald middle-aged man could not contain his excitement.

“Your name is Ai Ou, correct? Regardless of your spiritual power test results, you will be admitted to our academy! We hope that one day, Saint Roland Academy will be proud of you, rather than you being proud of Saint Roland Academy.”

‘I actually have wood affinity!’ Ai Ou mused inwardly. He wasn’t surprised by his fire and water elemental affinities, but rather intrigued by the wood element within him. His body’s wood affinity had not been extinguished, even when suppressed by the incredibly dominant dual elements of water and fire. Instead, it had secretly blossomed and grown.

“Having tested your elemental affinity, it’s time to test your spiritual power! Esteemed Ai Ou, please come forward!”

Ai Ou nodded at him.

“Please step into the magic circle. Remember, during the spiritual power test, you must persevere, and try to last as long as possible.”

The bald man even used a rare ‘please’ when addressing Ai Ou. Indeed, the gazes of many surrounding nobles towards Ai Ou had changed. A ‘Superb’ elemental affinity meant he could refine magic power in a very short time, significantly more efficiently than others. His future was undoubtedly promising; only ‘promising future’ could describe it.

Ai Ou stepped into the magic circle. The white light of the magic circle illuminated, and then a pressure immediately acted upon Ai Ou’s soul.

‘Mental magic that directly affects the soul! The pressure on my soul has returned!’

As time elapsed, the magic circle’s light grew brighter, and the spiritual deterrence intensified. Everyone in the grand cathedral hall held their breath, understanding clearly from this scene that this young man would undoubtedly become a formidable mage.

“Does anyone know that young man? Which family is he from?” The nobles below began to whisper amongst themselves. If they could forge an alliance with such a promising young man early on, they might gain a powerful friend in the future.

“His name is Ai Ou?” A recruitment officer, having learned Ai Ou’s identity from the test personnel, murmured.

Within the magic circle, Ai Ou alone resisted the pressure on his soul. He breathed heavily. As the bald middle-aged man continuously intensified the pressure, Ai Ou’s entire head began to feel dizzy. The powerful oppression was like a mountain pressing down on him, and it was still escalating. Yet, Ai Ou continued to persevere—

This was even more intense than the Deep Sea Winged Serpent. The serpent’s coercion had only caused initial pain before he quickly adapted. This time, there was no such sudden adaptation!

‘The longer I endure, the better the academy I can enter.’

With this thought, Ai Ou gritted his teeth and held on. It was unclear how much time had passed, but when the pressure reached an unbearable level, Ai Ou’s soul could no longer withstand it. He collapsed onto one knee with a thud, his hands braced against the ground.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the bald middle-aged man. The bald middle-aged man, his face flushed with excitement, exclaimed:

“Ai Ou! Spiritual Power: Superb!”

“Adding to his previous evaluation, his overall score is… Top-Tier!”

At that moment, several recruitment officers from prominent noble families rushed in.

“Hello, Ai Ou, I am from the House of Landry. Our House of Landry sincerely invites you to join us. If you accept, we will cover your tuition fees, provide annual magic stone stipends as scholarships, and arrange for senior mages to mentor you…”

“Ai Ou, I am from the House of Williams, we…”