003 Spellcaster Potential

Rio Dureito returned to his dilapidated house, casually tossed the goods and trinkets he had snatched from the young men returning from the city onto the table, and immediately lay down lazily on the bed, leaning against the bare wall, squinting his eyes and taking a comfortable rest.

"Tsk, these descendants of self-sufficient farmers with land and fields, with their West Sand Tangerine and Snake Tongue Fruit, all brain-enhancing academy products, do they really think they can get into the academy just by doing their homework meticulously?"

Rio curled his lip, rummaged through his pockets, and mocked the delusions of these young people, but in reality, he was extremely jealous.

If his parents hadn't died young, he wouldn't have resorted to robbing others' supplies in this way. Who wouldn't want to escape the impoverished and remote Blue Chrysanthemum Village? It's already the Interstellar Era. No young person can resist the allure of the universe and still be willing to live in such a rural area. Those noble mages often preach: go to the Magic Academy, get a diploma, serve in the fleet for two years, and you can become a social elite, earning a high income of 400 Silver Essence per month, and you can settle down and buy a house in any city you like.

The villagers of Blue Chrysanthemum Village are well aware of these generous welfare benefits.

Their ancestors were laborers working on this educational planet. Many of them changed their fate through education. Most importantly, they changed their own and their family's status through schooling, transforming themselves from laborers earning a mere 30 Silver Essence a month into Battle Mage or Cultivator Bureaucrat.

Rio Dureito was filled with jealousy towards the young people in his hometown. His parents had died early, and his family's land had been sold off cheaply to the government by his relatives long ago. In a fit of anger, he stopped associating with his relatives and started his own household.

Over the years, Rio wasn't exactly idle. He was in good shape, quite robust for his age, but his appearance was somewhat intimidating. With his slanted forehead, triangular eyes, and a head of messy, straw-like blond hair, coupled with his imposing physique, he looked exactly like Barbarian from ancient history.

With such an appearance, it was naturally difficult to make a living; he could only survive by stealing chickens and dogs and occasionally taking odd jobs.

While Rio was actively developing his side business into his main website, his peers had already begun preparing for the Magic Aptitude Test, taking it more than three times.

Unlike the demonization and delusion of people in the past regarding Magic Side Civilization, who believed them to be a kind of retro-monarchical rule, Magic Side Civilization are actually very precise in their selection of talent. Because Magitech and the Magic Workshop system started very early, the civilization of the Crystal Tower is a typical Parliamentary Politics. From factories to the front lines, from pioneer teams to civil service groups, there is always a thirst for knowledge about all kinds of Spellcasters.

Furthermore, it is even more difficult for Magic Side Civilization to form aristocratic families.

The fundamental reason is that Spellcaster Potential can degenerate.

Unless it is an extremely high-level magical creature, such as Dragon Kind or Elf Kind, in the case of ordinary creatures, the Spellcasters's potential is often exhausted within two generations, and the next appearance may not be until seven or eight generations later.

The problem is that Dragon Kind and Elf Kind wouldn't deign to join a civilization like yours that isn't recognized. You can leave behind some of their descendants, but even so, the Spellcasters's bloodline won't change much.

On the other hand, the scarcity of naturally born Spellcasters inevitably means that in Magic Side Civilization, Spellcasters acquired later in life make up a large proportion, even taking over the political stage and gaining the power of discourse.

The best way to train Spellcasters is through education, without exception.

Intelligence is the key to entering the magical world. Rio's peers studied late into the night under the supervision of their parents from a young age. They were not necessarily lucky enough to have the potential to Spellcasters from birth, but by studying hard and improving their intelligence, they were sure to be able to understand those complex Magic Textbook.

Descendants of laborers like them have provided considerable convenience to the faculty and students of White Candle Star over the years, so the Crystal Civilization has given them many preferential treatments. An adult villager can take the Magic Aptitude Test at least five times. Once they pass, they are no longer farmers and have more options as ' Magic Apprentice '.

Those who are young can go to school, study at the Magic Academy, and upon graduation, they become formal mages with high income and status.

If you get older, you can work in Magic Workshop and obtain the qualification of a formal mage after ten years. However, you will still need to take some continuing education exams to improve your academic level.

The exam content isn't actually complicated; the book was provided long ago. But the fundamental problem is that if your intellectual level isn't up to par, you're simply not qualified to understand the content between the lines.

Being a mage is not an easy profession. If you can't even understand the basic teaching materials, you can basically say goodbye to the path of Spellcasters.

If he could just take his time, he could eventually memorize it by rote, but Rio's current financial situation made him doubt whether he had that future.

The young men and women from the same village basically took the exam three times, and each time they scored higher. Some of them, whose families were urging them to take the exam, got married and started families, and continued to study and take the exam after that. Even if they failed in the end, they wouldn't be left without a place to settle down.

Rio was jealous of them, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it.

He was especially jealous of that dark-haired Luther Klin, who, in Rio's eyes, was a complete winner in life—his parents were alive and well, he was good-looking, he had a sister, a house, and a bride, and although his family had fallen on hard times, he was still doing well. Every time someone said he did well on a test, he would coldly reply, "You didn't do well."

Damn, what are you pretending for!

Rio rested his head on his arms, feeling depressed. He couldn't see any future for himself. Perhaps the only thing he could do in his life was to grow old alone until death.

Just as Rio felt his future was bleak, there was a knock at the door.

Knock, knock, knock! "Who is it? Speak!"

Rio replied irritably.

Knock, knock, knock! But the person outside seemed not to hear, not answering a word, and continued to knock on the door relentlessly.

"What the heck? Who would come to visit me for no reason?"

Rio muttered to himself as he stepped forward and pushed open the door. He saw only blue moonlight spilling onto the threshold of the steps, creating a faint glow. Looking around, he saw only the Elemental Butterfly fluttering and playing in the middle of the night; otherwise, the air was completely silent.

"What are you doing? You're really making fun of me."

Rio was completely baffled. He turned to go back inside, only to find that his front door was locked and closed for some reason.

"Hey! What's going on? I didn't close the door."

He quickly reached into his pocket, his face changing instantly—oh no, he'd forgotten his keys.

That's it, we'll have to break through the window to get in.

Rio, his face dark, picked up a rock, ready to smash the window, when suddenly he heard rustling sounds coming from the bushes, mixed with some laughter.

A thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately realized something.

"Looks like someone deliberately messed with me—it must be that kid Luther. He was the one who didn't submit to me today and wanted to fight me. He was definitely the one who knocked on the door and closed it."

With that thought in mind, Rio quickly stepped into the bushes in the dark, parted the grass, and observed by the moonlight. Sure enough, he saw fresh footprints on the ground.

"Really."

The footprints stretched out, and Rio followed them. He didn't want to break the glass for nothing; he wanted to catch that Luther and make him pay for the broken glass.

After walking only a few miles, Rio felt something was off—could Luther really run that fast? Just as he was starting to have doubts, he suddenly heard a man's voice calling out from ahead, followed by Lin Ye trembling violently.

"Oh! This kid probably has accomplices; it seems they've discovered him!"

Rio, unsuspecting, quickened his pace and rushed forward. Although he knew he was getting further and further away from the countryside, Rio was not worried at all—this was White Candle Star, where there were no bandits or outlaws. Even if there were some ferocious beasts, he could easily escape with his skills.

He followed along and could tell that Luther was getting tired. From time to time, he could hear panting and whispering in the woods. Rio couldn't hear clearly, but the tone of voice and the heavy breathing were unmistakable.

"Hahaha, you little rascal, you can't run anymore, can you!"

Rio quickened his pace, diving directly into the waist-high bushes. He swiftly parted the grass with his hands, and immediately saw a long, black blade coming down towards his neck! Whoosh! Rio reacted with lightning speed, instinctively stopping in his tracks, rolling backward to avoid the slash. A chill ran down his spine as the blade grazed his shoulder, easily tearing through the air, reminding him of the village's Coron Law Enforcement Officer —who could create air blades thinner than a hair with a mere flick of his fingernail, capable of cleaving steel.

"The Father of Crystal!"

Rio prayed, quickly got up, grabbed a rock, and threw it at the assassin. He was quite strong; the assassin tilted his head slightly, and the rock struck the mountain behind him like a cannonball, carving a hole in the rock face and embedding itself deeply, then cracking open countless tiny, snake-like fissures.

"Not bad. His strength has reached the Gamma-rank, but his brain isn't quite Gamma-rank yet... Although he's a bit smarter than me, he can be easily tricked with a few tricks. I guess he's not fully developed yet."

The assassin glanced at the cracks on the rock face and casually commented on them in an unfamiliar language.

"Who... who are you?!"

Rio, still shaken, was no longer the arrogant man he usually was. Faced with this suddenly appearing knife-wielding thug, he dared not even run away, clutching another large rock in his hand as he nervously watched the other man.

That guy has run all the way here, so his stamina and speed are definitely better than mine. There's no way I can escape him. I might as well buy some time, calm him down, and see if there's any room for negotiation.

He calmed down, grinned, and revealed a smile that was even uglier than a grimace:

"Let's talk this out. You should be able to understand me, right, Big Brother..."

The assassin didn't answer, but slowly walked out of the woods. The clear and beautiful moonlight shone on his face, leaving Rio stunned. At that moment, even the moon paled in comparison to the person in front of him.

"What a handsome... man?"

Rio was incredulous. This was the first time he had ever seen a man who could make such a good impression at first sight, a man who was outstanding inside and out. His jet-black hair was casually draped over his shoulders, and his gray eyes were as clear and bright as crystal, full of a dreamlike aura. Every angle of his features and his smooth skin seemed to be a product of the Creator's own hand. Any slight alteration would not achieve such an effect.

Perfect—that word immediately popped into Rio's mind.

Even describing the beauty before him as perfect would fall short. But with his meager knowledge, he couldn't think of a more fitting description than perfect.

Rio froze for a moment, but the beautiful woman in front of him suddenly launched a surprise attack, mercilessly piercing his throat with her sword.

"Well--"

Before Rio's consciousness faded, he vaguely sensed that the other person was dragging his ankle and quickly moving him towards a certain place in the forest. Then, the assassin beauty searched through the woods for a while and dug out a huge silver swimming pool from a pile of leaves and wooden planks.

Thud! Rio's body was immediately thrown into the pool. His consciousness quickly blurred and eventually disappeared, but his body, under the protection of various medicines, repaired its wounds and maintained its life.

"This guy is really tough. I couldn't kill him with one stab. He's got amazing physical strength!"

Li Aoz breathed a sigh of relief, gazing at the male body quietly settling at the bottom of the Biochemical Pool, and nodded in satisfaction.

Anyway, he finally got the body. It took him a whole week. He still had to move the Biochemical Pool back to the vicinity of the ruins. Leaving it here would be too easy to expose it.

"Next comes the crucial moment."

Li Aoz raised his hand, and nerve tendrils sprang from his palm, instantly piercing the blond bully's neck. His cells rapidly divided and were injected into the blond bully's body.

[A new unconscious body has been detected. You may choose to contaminate this body with your own cells to transform it into your own implant, or use it as your original body.]

[Cell invasion complete]

[Under pollution...]

Split, devour, combine, integrate, and complete the replacement.

The whole process was already second nature to Li Aoz. A moment later, a reddish-black glint appeared in Li Aoz's eyes.

[Chromosomes have been altered; genetic modification is complete]

[This target has been corrupted by you—you can choose one of the following methods as the final disposal]: A—Body Possession: Preserve the target's talents, existing only as a backup body for you. However, when you switch to this body, it will not inherit any extraordinary abilities other than your original Primary Attribute. (Usage conditions met) B—Body Modification: Modify the target as a biological weapon. You can wear this body armor to maximize its combat effectiveness, but the armor requires regular maintenance and upkeep. (Usage conditions met) C—Incorporation into the Familia: After Gene Modification this body, implant some of your thought cells, making it your Familia. However, its offspring have a chance to inherit one of your own Aoneng and talents. (Usage conditions not met: [Intelligence] below 80)

"Hmm, what a pity. Option C was the most fun, but my intelligence wasn't high enough to meet the threshold. That's a hard requirement, and my expertise can't save me."

The option of including dependents was, Li Aoz remembered, very suitable for Zerg-based Overlord players, as it allowed them to easily mass produce hundreds of Descendants, whose production capacity was not much worse than that of Biochemists—the only downside was that these Descendants were generally not very bright and were easy to expose.

Li Aoz wanted to choose option A from the start, and without much hesitation, he selected 'possessing a body'.

With a slight tremor, his soul familiarly left his body, and his consciousness slowly ascended away from his physical body. After getting used to the movements of his mind form, Li Aoz slowly flew towards the blond bully.

[Transmission in progress...]

[Significant genetic differences; troubleshooting underway]

[Neural Link not responding]

[Re-linking in progress...]

[Transmission of knowledge complete]

Name: Rio Dureito

[Race]: Thanatos Human Race (Spell Aptitude: Spellcasters) [Gender]: Biological Male

Age: 22 Social Class: Gamma-rank