Nothing Special

With the dispute here settled, Jeral and Heloline both stepped onto the deck of the Bauhinia.

With powerful reinforcements having arrived, Sabo looked much more relaxed as well.

Jeral was still wearing an utterly displeased expression. He gripped the metal short staff hard and gave it a squeeze. Where its tip pointed—the sturdy deck—burst open with a huge hole, sending smoke and wood chips flying into the sky.

Jeral's action startled all the wizard apprentices. At the sight, Isley was so frightened that he stumbled back again and again, only stopping when he reached the mast.

Isley's calves began to tremble violently. He had nearly forgotten that the person before him was not that wastrel from the Silver Heron Dynasty, but a lofty wizard lord!

Isley's terror kept mounting. He desperately wanted to kneel before Jeral and beg forgiveness, yet under the pressure of Jeral's presence, he could not even muster the courage to kneel and plead.

Fortunately, Jeral did not seem to intend to hurt anyone. He merely gave Isley a cold warning glance before withdrawing his pressure.

At this point, Sabo knew that Jeral's "lesson" had ended. Chuckling, he walked over and casually cast a level 0 cantrip, Cleaning, clearing away the dust and splinters scattered across the deck.

Sabo did not bring up what had just happened. Instead, he asked curiously, "Why did only the two of you come? Where are the people from Gravity Forest?"

Having just vented his anger, Jeral's face remained stern and cold. He said nothing, so Heloline, wreathed in misty water, answered Sabo's question.

"Gravity Forest sent Poku the 'Treant.' But he was drawn in by magical plants on an island midway through the journey. He's probably still trying to transplant them now!"

Though he was called a "Treant," everyone knew that Poku was actually still human, not an intelligent humanoid lifeform from another plane—the treant race.

Poku's nickname of "Treant" came from the fact that he followed the path of a bloodline wizard. Moreover, rather than transplanting beast bloodlines, he transplanted plant life.

Poku had never revealed what plant he had transplanted into his body, but when fighting, he could reveal a massive true form resembling that of the treant race. Over time, he came to be known as the "Treant."

Kormoen, standing behind Sabo, secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that someone from his own organization had come as well.

"So it's Poku the 'Treant.' I've heard his skill in carving magic patterns is exceptional. Even in Sky Mechanical City, the wands he makes would count as fine pieces." Sabo nodded.

Heloline merely smiled without speaking.

After some pleasantries, Jeral and Heloline each walked over to the guide from their own organization.

Heloline approached Florent and withdrew the thin veil of water surrounding her, revealing her true appearance. She was a young woman with a graceful figure and cold, stunning features. Her waterfall-like hair and star-like eyes were both aqua blue, and together with her flowing dress in layered shades of the same color, Heloline looked as though she had come from the sea folk.

Heloline glanced at Moro standing behind Florent, her pale blue brows lifting slightly. "I remember your name. Moro Moen, was it? Twenty years ago, you studied flame wizardry under my mentor."

Overwhelmed by the favor, Moro bowed deeply and nodded repeatedly. "Lady Heloline, I never expected someone as busy as you to still remember this unworthy old man. It is my honor."

Heloline looked over Moro's cultivation—level 3 wizard apprentice—then nodded, offering a slight sign of approval.

That single nod made the joy in Moro's heart impossible to suppress. Had he managed to leave an impression on a formal wizard?

Do not underestimate such a negligible impression. Many times, a formal wizard's slightest recollection was enough to change a wizard apprentice's fate! Moro had heard a story about a lucky young man who left a tiny impression on a wizard lord. After that lord conducted a great experiment, he tossed some scraps to the lucky fellow. Those scraps alone saved him decades of effort, allowing him to advance to level 3 wizard apprentice before the age of thirty. Afterward, he surged forward like bamboo splitting stone and became a lofty wizard lord himself.

Thinking of that story, which had inspired generation after generation of wizard apprentices, how could Moro's heart not burn hot?

Heloline paid little attention to Moro's thoughts. Turning to Florent, she asked, "Did you take in any promising seedlings this time?"

Florent bowed respectfully before giving a rough account of the gifted individuals White Coral Floating Island Academy had taken in aboard this ship.

"Were there any with special constitutions or special talents?" Heloline asked.

She had not taken in a true apprentice for decades, simply because there were too few students with outstanding talent. This time, she had decided to accept an apprentice. If she encountered a student with excellent aptitude, she naturally wanted to secure them first. Thus, the moment she arrived, before she even had time to learn about Barbie Restaurant, she asked about this batch of recruits.

Florent recalled the gifted individuals he had recruited. None possessed special constitutions, so he replied, "This time, I recruited seven gifted individuals from Revelation Continent, Demon-Eaved Corridor, and Spirit Island. None had special constitutions. As for special talents... there seemed to be one. During the talent orb test, one gifted individual from Spirit Island said he saw the stars filling the sky and flickering, though it was a winter night without stars."

"Seeing a sky full of stars on a starless night?" Heloline thought back for a moment, then said with some hesitation, "I seem to recall a similar case being mentioned in issue 467 of the Abyras Talent Compendium Yearbook."

"The record concerned a descendant of a wizard family. When he tested his talent using the Eye of Abyras, he saw every star in the night sky moving along a trajectory.

The stars filling the heavens then became countless star trails. I remember the book mentioning that the gifted individual had also been tested on a starless night."

"After detailed testing, that gifted individual's talent was indeed a special talent. Its developmental direction was confirmed to be the astrology branch of the mysterious side, and he later specialized in astrological divination." At this point, Heloline shook her head regretfully. "Sadly, he never became a wizard. He died beneath the scouring river of time, wasting such fine talent."

Everyone felt deeply moved upon hearing this. No matter how good one's talent was, it could not withstand the killing blade of the years. Without becoming a wizard, one would return to dust in the end.

"If the gifted individual you mentioned truly has an astrology talent, that would be quite good." Heloline sighed. "Unfortunately, I know nothing at all about the mysterious side."

If she truly accepted such a person as her student, it would be somewhat wasteful. It was not that she could not accept them, but after spending a great deal of time teaching them, their chances of becoming a formal wizard would not be high. That would waste both time and feelings. Heloline had no desire to do such a thankless task.

Heloline secretly shook her head and asked again, "Other than this person, are there any other gifted individuals with special talents?"

Florent shook his head. "Aside from these seven, Moro recruited another three. I do not know their circumstances."

Heloline looked at Moro. Moro immediately flicked his sleeve and stepped forward, saying solemnly, "This time, I recruited three gifted individuals on Edge Island. Two are my grandson and granddaughter. Their talents are passable, but there is nothing special about them. As for the other one's talent..." When it came to Angel, Moro recalled that the light flashing from the talent orb during the test had been quite eye-catching. But he remembered Angel saying that the change he saw during the test was 'floating.'

If it was only 'floating,' then the talent was merely ordinary.

"The other one's talent has nothing special about it either," Moro said with certainty.

After hearing the two men's accounts, Heloline's expression showed some disappointment. She inwardly lamented how rare gifted individuals with exceptional aptitude truly were.

Thinking this, Heloline glanced at Isley in the distance. If that boy had not already learned Hurricane Tower's Guidance Method, she might even have considered snatching him away. With mental power so outstanding, no matter which branch he specialized in, he had the potential to become a wizard.

What a pity. Such a fine seedling had already entered Hurricane Tower. Jeral might have established his authority and berated him just now, but he had not truly injured Isley. One had to know that with Jeral's usual violent temper, the other party would have been dead or seriously wounded. Jeral had shown mercy this time only because Isley's talent was indeed good and he had the potential to advance into a wizard. Otherwise, the outcome would not have been such a case of raising high and setting down lightly.

"Once matters here are settled, bring all the students recruited this time for me to see," Heloline said. The Eye of Abyras test could only count as a preliminary assessment, and it could be wrong at times. Since they were already at sea, once she had dealt with the matter before them, she would still have some spare time. She had decided to take a look herself.

How could Moro and Florent fail to understand Heloline's intentions upon hearing this? They could not help secretly envying the good fortune of this batch of gifted individuals.

Heloline had always enjoyed an excellent reputation at the academy. Her attitude toward wizard apprentices was not as lofty and aloof as that of other formal wizards. In the wizarding world, she was an unexpected clear stream.

This time, Heloline was even willing to lower herself and personally test this batch of students for their true talents. It was an honor beyond measure!

Just moments ago, Moro had been delighted at having left an impression before Heloline. Yet now, he deeply envied the "recruits" who had caught Heloline's attention—even though his own two grandchildren were among them.