Testing His Strength

Arro looked at Nicole and made a request. "Mother, can you let me experience the strength of a Formal Wizard?"

If Arro had said this to any other wizard, there might have been some consequences. But the person before him was his birth mother.

"Of course."

"Shall we go to the Training Ground now?"

Arro sprang to his feet excitedly. He had tested it long ago: as long as he activated Master Level Cat Style Fist—Dash, with his full-body fur sensory system active, even his Grandfather's witchcraft had a hard time hitting him.

What would be different when facing a Formal Wizard?

If the gap was not too great, he still had fifteen Skill Points. If he spent them all, would he not be able to face Formal Wizards without fear?

Nicole smiled faintly. "There's no need to make things so troublesome."

Huh?

Arro immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Sit down!"

Thud!

Mental Pressure!

A wizard's godly skill for crushing weaklings in a duel!

Too fast!

A Formal Wizard's Mental Pressure was far too powerful. Arro could not even feel his fingers moving.

Nicole hurriedly withdrew the Mental Pressure and stepped forward to help Arro up. "How are you? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine!"

Arro waved his hand and panted sharply for a moment. Once his breathing steadied, he shook his head. "That one doesn't count!"

"Ohohohoho~"

The black cat let out an absurdly exaggerated laugh and mocked him. "My adorable student, you have truly made me 'see you in a new light'!"

"Gemma, please be quiet."

After scolding the black cat, Nicole looked at Arro in confusion. "Why not?"

Ignoring the black cat's mocking gaze, Arro asked, "Mother, roughly how large is the range of your Mental Pressure?"

Nicole pondered for a moment. "Around seven or eight meters. I only recently advanced to Formal Wizard, so I still have plenty of room to grow."

A pathetic two meters.

Arro secretly glanced at his Grandfather.

Pahz blew his beard and glared, staring fiercely at Arro.

Arro lowered his head as though in thought.

Hmm... seven or eight meters.

There was no room to escape at all. And that was not even a Formal Wizard's complete combat state.

It seemed that before a Formal Wizard, he had no chance to fight back at all.

Sigh!

Arro let out a helpless sigh and looked up at his mother. "Mother, then test my strength. Don't use Mental Pressure directly."

"Test your strength?"

Nicole nodded thoughtfully. "That works too. If I know your strength, then when it comes time for the Death Test, I will be mentally prepared and able to judge which dangers you can handle on your own."

In the Castle's underground Training Ground, Nicole casually flung out all kinds of witchcraft. Witchcraft energy in every color surged like a roaring flood of radiant beams.

Arro did not dare relax. He activated Master Level Cat Style Fist—Dash to its fullest, sensing the direction of every witchcraft attack.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The results of years of training revealed themselves at this moment. No matter how hidden the energy beams were, none could escape Arro's senses. Like a slippery fish, he swam upstream through raging waves!

After a full five minutes, not a single beam had hit him.

Seeing her son perform so outstandingly, Nicole gradually became serious. She wanted to see exactly where his limit lay.

Her black Formal Wizard Robe billowed with a rustle, and Nicole's body slowly floated into the air. Countless hollow energy halos condensed behind her.

"Arro, I am a wizard of the Elemental Side. After advancing to Formal Wizard, an Elemental Energy Source opened up within my Spiritual Sea. Therefore, when I truly enter a combat state, all my witchcraft will take this size. Do not be fooled by the fact that they are only halos—this is merely because I have weakened their energy intensity."

As she spoke, Nicole tossed down an energy halo. The halo, which had been only Fist-sized, exploded into a Light Spot a meter wide when it hit the ground. Like countless fireflies, it flickered as it gradually went out.

"This is its range of power. With your physical strength, one hit will send you flying. Two hits will certainly kill you!"

"One minute. In this state, my energy source can normally only last one minute!"

"Arro, get ready. It's beginning!"

At the edge of the Training Ground, Pahz's expression was excited. He respectfully performed the salute of a wizard apprentice, gazing up at one who had walked ahead—for he too was a wizard of the Elemental Side.

Arro had already focused all his attention.

As the Light Spheres began to descend, his mind started racing, frantically calculating the explosion range of every Light Sphere.

Dodge!

A Light Sphere exploded beside Arro.

Evade!

Arro's expression was tense as he mobilized every muscle in his body, twisting himself and barely avoiding another Light Sphere.

Then he swiftly raised his head, intending to observe the direction of the Light Spheres that followed.

At that moment, countless Light Spheres overlapped in layers overhead, blotting out the sky and covering every inch of Arro's vision as they slowly descended.

His expression abruptly froze.

Left?

Right?

Forget it. Better close my eyes. It was definitely going to be dazzling.

Bang—rustle!

Bang bang bang—rustle!

The strangely familiar sounds stirred a trace of curiosity in Arro. He narrowed one eye open.

He discovered that Light Spheres of various colors were slowly circling around him. They were now exploding in an orderly fashion, turning into tiny fireworks that crackled through the air like beautiful night-blooming cereus flowers opening in full bloom.

As though sensing Arro's gaze, the Light Spots spun one after another to the front of him, only then blossoming at their most beautiful moment.

Once the last cereus flower had withered, Nicole walked over joyfully. She clapped lightly and praised him without restraint. "Little Arro, your Reaction Speed is so fast! I never imagined you could avoid two Light Spheres!"

Arro looked suspiciously at his mother.

Was avoiding two Light Spheres really worth such amazement?

Noticing his expression, Nicole explained with a smile, "The first Light Sphere can easily deal with a prepared Intermediate Wizard Apprentice. The second Light Sphere would be difficult even for an Advanced Wizard Apprentice to guard against."

Difficult meant it was not impossible. And she had emphasized guarding against it, which meant that as long as one had the strength of an Advanced Wizard Apprentice, they could withstand that Light Sphere.

"As for those last ones..."

"I know." Arro revealed a bitter smile. "Those... you were just playing with me."

Nicole smiled without answering.

Naturally, Arro understood that his mother had actually been warning him, telling him how powerful Formal Wizards were.

She simply did not wish to put on an overbearing air.

Arro lowered his head humbly. "Mother, I roughly understand my own strength now."

Nicole nodded in satisfaction, then said, "Then I'll first examine your aptitude and see how we should arrange things from here on..."

Early the next morning, after preparing the necessary items, Arro followed his mother and left the place where he had lived for eight years.

Through the wooden carriage window, he looked at the dim, familiar scenery outside and could not help recalling the fear he had felt when he first arrived. A faint smile appeared on his face.

Once the carriage left the dim stretch of road, Arro suddenly felt that things were rather quiet.

Why did it feel so quiet?

Right. There were no Young Men in sight.

Thinking of those Young Men, Arro deliberately looked around.

But... he still did not see them.

Lowering the window, Arro sighed softly in his heart, yet bore no resentment.

In youth, one knows not the meaning of parting; when one understands, one is already a wanderer in a foreign land.

Suddenly... he really wanted to play a round of League.

Pah, pah, pah!

What was he thinking? Was he not still a Young Man himself?

He was about to set foot on the wizard's path. Was that not far better?

A young body always brimmed with greater vitality. Arro quickly cast those thoughts to the back of his mind and looked ahead expectantly.

Yet when he suddenly saw the Fangzheng Squad standing in neat formation beside the road ahead, he still froze.

"Salute!"

Bang!

The neatly dressed Young Men wore determined expressions. Their Right Hands gripped their Sword Sheaths as they struck their left chests in unison, lowered their heads, and dropped to one knee.

"Young Master Arro, invincible in every battle!"

This was the rite for seeing off a commander-in-chief!

Nicole asked with a smile, "Do you want to get down and say a few words?"

Arro fell silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

Creak, creak!

The carriage continued onward, gradually disappearing into the forest beneath everyone's gaze.

This was only Arro's second time venturing deep into this forest.

The first time, he had come with his father. He had never expected his mother to accompany him the second time.

The forest was far more lively now than it had been during his first visit. Fierce beasts occasionally attacked the carriage, but for Nicole, dealing with them was scarcely more difficult than swatting a mosquito.

With barely any interruption, his mother carefully explained some of the details of the Death Test, then described the advantages and disadvantages of each Academy under Jungle Home.

Arro also boasted about how he had dominated "kindergarten," fighting without a day off for five whole years, taking on everyone else alone, and remaining undefeated no matter how impressive they were.

As his mother exclaimed in amazement and played along, time quickly passed. By evening, Arro and the others arrived smoothly at a Small Town.

Stepping down from the carriage, Arro used the last traces of daylight to Look At his surroundings curiously. "Is this the place? It isn't far from Grandfather's Castle either!"

Nicole checked both sides as she explained, "There is a Port nearby. It is specifically for delivering Knight Breakthrough Potions to the wizard apprentices stationed around here, so naturally it would not be built too far away."

Suddenly, her Footsteps halted. Pointing at an Inn nearby, she said, "All right, this is the one. I reserved rooms here yesterday. Gemma will accompany you inside shortly, and she will guard your safety tonight."

"The Young Men from the surrounding Small Towns who have wizard aptitude and know the news are all staying nearby now. Tomorrow, follow them to the Open Space before the Port."

"Remember, after boarding the Ship, unless there is something urgent, do not come looking for me. Do not reveal our relationship either. There is a Recording Magic Array on the Ship. Only if you perform well yourself will good Academies choose you."

"All right, Mother, I understand." Arro nodded obediently.

Nicole held Arro close with affection. "Arro, Mother can protect you only for this stretch of the road. The road ahead can only be walked by you alone. You must protect yourself."

"Mother, don't worry. I told you On the road that even when facing dozens of long-trained peers, I have never lost once. I'm super strong!"