Scum and Genius

"Good thing?" Siosand muttered to himself, as if mocking himself. "Senior, sometimes I really don't know what you're thinking, or if I've even entered your sight at all."

He took a deep breath. "Senior Sart, do you truly know how much favoritism the teacher has for you?"

For a moment, they seemed to forget that Aaron was in the room with them.

Without waiting for Sart to respond, Siosand continued on his own. "I don't even need to mention the treatment you received at the Star Tower. Now, on this trip, the teacher gave me a drop of Blazing Sun Potion just for you, not to mention that the teacher personally held an advancement prophecy for you."

As he spoke, his voice couldn't help but rise a few decibels.

"Senior Sart, that was the teacher's personal intervention, to be your deputy when you, a Prophet who can't prophesy! You don't understand prophecy? It's fine, the teacher does! He's the best Prophet on this continent, he's helping you, Senior Sart, doing his utmost to help you, and what about you?"

"Senior Sart, what exactly are you doing?" A strange flush appeared on Siosand's pale face. "I'm not jealous of the teacher's favoritism towards you. I know about your past with the teacher, but!"

He spoke each word with conviction. "But why are you wasting his favoritism, Senior Sart!"

Silence filled the room, leaving no room for even a whisper.

Sart remained silent, his eyes lowered, staring straight at the ground, not daring to meet Siosand's fiery gaze.

"What exactly are you waiting for?" Siosand's tone grew increasingly louder. He even couldn't help but step forward, grab Sart's collar, and force Sart to look him in the eyes.

"I don't believe it, I don't believe that under these conditions, someone would only achieve this!" Siosand looked at Sart. "Others might only see your stagnation over the years, but I don't believe it. I don't believe that such a person could have so skillfully mastered spice ratios and ritual formations over so many years."

At this point, Siosand directly raised Sart's hand. The unassuming Spice Gloves were still on his hands.

"Senior Sart, I am very clear about the true value of these gloves. With just these gloves, you could be fought over by those old mad alchemists at the Tower of the Sun! You can accurately grasp the balance between a dozen or even dozens of spices, and you can skillfully use spices and simplified rituals to fight… This unassuming improvement and invention is enough to be inscribed on the monuments of the Star Tower, and even compiled into a reference textbook for the Compendium of Prophet Combat Notes!"

Siosand listed Sart's achievements one by one, his tone growing angrier. "So, please tell me, Senior Sart, what are you waiting for?"

By the end, his roars filled the entire room.

This person, who appeared so polite it was almost hypocritical, finally took off his mask at this moment, revealing his true, lion-like nature.

"I don't know," Even though Siosand was gripping his collar and yelling at him, Sart showed no anger. Or rather, he could understand Siosand's anger, and therefore could not feel any anger himself.

Siosand's words were all true, and he had no way to refute them.

For a Prophet or Diviner of the Gold Coin Path to successfully advance from Bronze Tier to Silver Tier, according to the rules, they must perform a correct prophecy.

Or, it could be said that Transcendent beings utilize and use their extraordinary aura according to their own understanding.

However, over the years, Sart had never had a truly successful prophecy. There were always slight deviations in some inexplicable places.

Yet, advancement required a precise prophecy. Only when a Prophet could sense the breath of Fate from a prophecy and receive feedback from Fate could they truly advance to Silver Tier.

If the advancement from Black Iron Tier to Bronze Tier was merely a quantitative accumulation, simply allowing the Transcendent to gradually build their cognitive system and lay a foundation, then the advancement from Bronze Tier to Silver Tier required a qualitative change.

Transcendent beings had to find their own way of understanding within the vast ocean of extraordinary auras, finding the right key to unlock the door to a new world.

However, before this incident, Sart seemed unable to find the key to this door at all. Siosand even couldn't help but doubt if Sart had truly stood before this door.

"Cough cough," Seeing that the situation was about to escalate further, Aaron couldn't help but cough a few times, signaling his presence to the two of them.

Aaron really wanted to continue listening, but seeing as it was about to involve their private matters, he could only give up.

Family matters should not be aired publicly. It was better to hear less about certain things.

This cough made Sart and Siosand realize something. Siosand glanced at Aaron, slowly let go, and casually took a few steps back, widening the distance between them and Sart.

Sart responded to Siosand seriously, "I really don't know what I'm waiting for. Perhaps I've been abandoned by Fate." He gave a bitter laugh, his words filled with helplessness.

This time, his prophecy had indeed come true. He had found Aaron and experienced an unspeakable feeling.

But what about next time?

After this advancement, he was merely a Silver Tier Prophet, common sights within the Star Tower.

He couldn't find apprentices, and he wouldn't be able to find them.

How long could his teacher protect him?

Sart didn't want to know, and he didn't dare to know.

He was very clear about the current situation and was willing to work harder, but some things truly couldn't be achieved just by working hard.

After all these years of effort, with the teacher personally assisting him as a ritual assistant, he had finally succeeded in advancing.

But what about next time?

Would he have to shamelessly ask the teacher for help again?

What would be the price next time?

Wouldn't the entire Star Tower have to serve him?

Thinking of this, Sart sighed, "Siosand, stop. I understand. I'll leave."

"Do you really think I need that answer?" Siosand let out a bitter laugh, even sneering repeatedly. "Senior Sart, sometimes I have to admit, you are truly too disappointing. You need to understand that what I need is someone worthy of being called my senior, not someone who retreats in disgrace halfway through."

He glanced indifferently at Aaron, who was lying on the bed, and left the room without looking back.

As he stepped out of the room, he threw back a parting sentence without turning his head: "I don't feel heartbroken about using the Blazing Sun Potion. I only feel pity for the teacher's expectations of you. Perhaps the teacher doesn't want to say it, so let this arrogant junior play the villain."

Sart stood silently, quietly watching the empty doorway, a helpless bitter smile appearing on his face.

After a long while, he finally turned and said to Aaron, "Do you think I'm very..."

He struggled to find words to describe himself.

"Just believe in yourself. After all, any senior who's been held back for years must be a master of explosive power," Aaron couldn't help but tease.

"…Explosive power?"

"Oh, come on! Thirty years east, thirty years west. Don't mock a young man's poverty!"

"Are you referring to the cycle of fate?" Although Sart couldn't understand Aaron's nonsensical rambling, he could vaguely grasp something.

However, he let out a quiet sigh.

Fate?

If Fate itself wasn't going to favor him, where would destiny come from?