The Threshold of Magic and the Anomaly of the Soul

The healing effects of the hot spring were truly miraculous. Coupled with Elisa's "Tranquil Body" aura, which was comparable to top-tier calming potions, Leon was surprised to find that the pain in his body had lessened considerably when he woke up the next day in the soft, large bed in his room. Although moving still caused a dull ache, it was at least no longer like his body was falling apart as it had felt yesterday. The sluggish Battle Qi within him also seemed to flow a little more smoothly.

More importantly, he felt a clarity of mind he had never experienced before. The confusion, fear, and the lingering tension from yesterday's life-or-death duel that had plagued him since his transmigration were all quietly soothed by the warm spring water and Elisa's last words, "no one wanted to avoid me."

He sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at the gradually awakening Imperial Capital outside the window. The thought that had begun to form before the duel and become clear in the hot spring grew ever more resolute in his heart.

Power. To survive in this world, he needed power. The Knight path left by the original host had a foundation that was too weak, and his Battle Qi was superficial. It would be as difficult as scaling the heavens to reach a level where he could protect himself in a short period. Moreover, the Knight's path focused more on the physical body and close combat, which didn't quite align with his modern-world mindset.

So, what about the other path? Magic.

Mages held a position of great respect, relying on knowledge, wisdom, and mental power. This seemed to better suit his potential advantages as a transmigrator—perhaps he possessed a different perspective and understanding? Furthermore, Elisa was an exceptionally talented Mage, and Aunt Margaret was a top Grand Archmage of the Empire. Being close to the water meant getting the best fish; this was a massive resource that the original host had never considered utilizing, or rather, had not been qualified to utilize.

If he could learn magic, even just the basics, he would not only gain new power to protect himself but also find a reasonable excuse to get closer to Elisa and break down the icy barrier between them. This was simply killing multiple birds with one stone!

The thought made his heart race. He quickly got up, washed, tidied himself, and changed into a clean, neat casual outfit. Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the dining room. He would make this request at breakfast.

The scene in the dining room was the same as usual. Aunt Margaret sat at the head of the table, reading a "newspaper" made of magical energy. Elisa sat quietly beside her, taking small bites of jam-covered bread. Magic Puppets served them silently.

As Leon entered, Aunt Margaret glanced up at him. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, seemingly surprised by his rapid recovery, but she said nothing and lowered her head again. Elisa merely swept her violet eyes over him as he entered before returning her attention to her breakfast, as if the conversation by the hot spring pool last night had never happened.

Leon suppressed his slightly nervous feelings and sat down in his seat. A Magic Puppet served him breakfast.

The dining table was quiet, with only the faint clinking of cutlery. Leon ate a few bites without tasting his food. Finally, he mustered his courage, cleared his throat, and broke the silence.

"Aunt, Elisa," he put down his fork and knife, looking first at Aunt Margaret, then at Elisa, his tone carrying a deliberately crafted seriousness, different from his usual demeanor, "I... have something I wish to ask of you."

Aunt Margaret did not look up, merely responded with a soft "Hmm?" to indicate she was listening. Elisa stopped eating and raised her eyes, looking at him calmly, awaiting his next words.

Leon took a deep breath and said, "After yesterday's events, I... deeply realized my own lack of strength. Relying solely on Knight training, it's likely difficult to make significant progress in a short time, and... it doesn't seem to suit me very well." He paused, observing their reactions. Aunt Margaret remained expressionless, while a faint hint of surprise flickered in Elisa's eyes.

He continued, "Therefore, I... I want to try learning magic. I wonder... if I have the possibility? If so, I hope... I can learn some basic knowledge from Elisa."

He had finally said it, his heart pounding. This request was bold. The threshold for becoming a Mage was extremely high, requiring talent; not everyone who wanted to learn could. The original host had grown up in the Imperial Capital, and Aunt Margaret was a top Mage, yet she had never guided him towards magic. This in itself explained many things—it was highly likely the original host had no magical talent at all.

As expected, Aunt Margaret finally put down the "newspaper" she was holding. Her ice-blue eyes, capable of seeing into the soul, fixed on Leon with a scrutinizing gaze. "Learn magic? Leon, you should know that the path of magic is no child's play. It requires extremely high elemental affinity, strong mental power, and unyielding focus. Which of these do you believe you possess?"

Her tone was calm, not mocking, but an objective inquiry that put immense pressure on Leon. Yes, the original host was restless and indulged in pleasures; which part of him looked like someone who could calmly study magic?

Leon braced himself and replied, "Aunt, I know I was... unbearable before. But people can change. After yesterday, I've thought through many things. I want to become stronger, I don't want to be at the mercy of others like before. As for talent, I... I'm not sure. But I'm willing to try, willing to put in the effort. Even if it turns out I have no talent, at least I tried and won't have any regrets."

His words carried a rare sincerity and determination that the previous Leon would never have possessed.

Aunt Margaret watched him in silence, seemingly weighing the truth of his words. After a moment, she turned her gaze to Elisa. "Elisa, what do you think? You are his fiancée and currently my only student. If you wish to guide him in the basics, I will not object. But you must be clear that teaching someone with zero foundation, especially... someone with an unstable mind, will consume a great deal of your time and energy."

The pressure was now on Elisa.

Elisa put down her bread, wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin, her movements as elegant and composed as ever. She looked at Leon, her violet eyes like a deep pool, revealing no emotion.

"The foundation of magic is meditation and the condensation of mental power," she began, her voice cool and clear, cutting straight to the point. "If you cannot even sit still for half an hour and clear your mind, then we have nothing more to discuss."

Leon immediately stated, "I can try! I will definitely work hard to achieve it!"

Elisa ignored his promise and continued, "Secondly, your elemental affinity needs to be tested. The most common elements are Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Light, and Dark. The strength of your affinity determines your potential and direction on the path of magic. If you have no affinity at all, learning magic will be twice the effort for half the result, or even impossible."

"How can it be tested?" Leon asked eagerly.

"The Magic Tower has specialized crystal balls for testing," Elisa replied, then shifted her tone. "However, there is a simpler, and more brutal, preliminary self-test method."

"What method?"

"Close your eyes and try to 'feel' the world around you with all your might," Elisa instructed. "Do not use your eyes, do not use your ears. Try to use your 'heart,' or rather, your mental power, to touch the air, to perceive if there is a 'fluctuation' or 'color' that feels naturally close to you. If you feel nothing, only chaos and darkness, then..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Leon's heart tightened. This was the crucial step! Whether he had talent or not might soon be revealed. Would his transmigrated soul bring about any unexpected changes?

"Can I try now?" he asked, somewhat impatiently.

Elisa glanced at Aunt Margaret. Seeing that the latter did not object, she nodded. "You can."

Leon immediately took a deep breath and, following Elisa's instructions, closed his eyes. He tried to clear his mind of distractions—yesterday's duel, future worries, his expectations of Elisa... He attempted to empty himself, focusing all his attention on "perceiving."

The dining room fell silent. Aunt Margaret and Elisa watched him quietly.

At first, Leon saw only darkness, with the sound of his own somewhat rapid breathing and heartbeat in his ears. He tried to "feel," but besides darkness, there was only darkness. Time passed, and he began to feel anxious. Did he really have no magical talent at all?

Just as he was about to give up, his heart filled with disappointment, something unexpected happened!

That deep darkness seemed to... ripple. Like a stone dropped into the still surface of an ancient well. Immediately after, he "saw"—not with his eyes, but with an indescribable inner vision—some extremely faint, almost imperceptible points of light!

These points of light were of various colors, like distant fireflies in a summer night's wilderness, sparsely scattered against the boundless dark background. There were fiery red points, gentle blue points, heavy yellow points, light green points... They seemed to exist in the surrounding air, everywhere, yet elusive and difficult to grasp.

What shocked him even more was that amidst these scattered, faint, multicolored points of light, he vaguely sensed a... deeper, more hidden "existence." It wasn't a point of light, but something akin to a "vein" or "shadow," dark and cold, yet possessing an indescribable attraction, as if originating from the depths of his soul. This perception was extremely vague, flashing by in an instant, and when he tried to probe it further, it disappeared without a trace, as if it were just an illusion.

But the tremor it caused remained real.

Leon suddenly opened his eyes, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead. It wasn't from fatigue, but from the shock of the peculiar perception and... a trace of inexplicable fear. What were those points of light? Were they Magic Elements? And what was that dark "vein" he had sensed at the end?

"How was it?" Elisa's cool voice pulled him back from his shock.

Leon took a breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions, and described his experience. "I... I think I saw some points of light, very faint, red, blue, yellow... many kinds, but I couldn't see them clearly, nor did I feel any particular closeness." He hesitated, deciding not to mention the strange "dark vein." The feeling was too unusual, and he instinctively felt it was not wise to reveal it for now.

After listening, a genuine surprise flashed in Elisa's violet eyes, though it quickly vanished. She looked at Aunt Margaret. "Teacher, he... seems to have elemental affinity, and it's... all-attribute affinity."

"All-attribute?" Aunt Margaret finally showed a hint of interest. "Although weak, being able to perceive the existence of multiple elements after the first meditation proves that his mental perception is not entirely sluggish. It's... better than I expected."

Leon felt a surge of ecstasy! He had talent! Although weak, at least it wasn't hopeless!

"Then... Elisa, will you teach me?" Leon looked at Elisa with anticipation.

Elisa was silent for a moment, her gaze lingering on Leon's face, which was slightly flushed with excitement and anticipation. She recalled his unusual apology and persistent questions in the hot spring last night, and the rare seriousness she saw in his eyes today.

"I can teach you the most basic meditation techniques and mental strength training methods," Elisa finally said, her tone still flat, as if assigning a task. "But only that. Whether you can get started and how far you can go depends entirely on you. I won't waste too much time on someone without perseverance."

"That's enough! That's more than enough!" Leon exclaimed, overjoyed, and quickly promised, "I'll study hard! I'll never be lazy!"

Aunt Margaret watched this scene, the corners of her mouth seeming to twitch almost imperceptibly, as if a faint smile flashed across her face, but she quickly returned to her usual stern demeanor. "Since Elisa has agreed, let's give it a try. But Leon, remember, the path of magic tests one's character far more than the path of a Knight. I hope you're not just having a three-minute passion."

Breakfast ended in a subtle atmosphere. Aunt Margaret went to the Magic Tower as usual. Only Leon and Elisa were left in the dining room.

Elisa stood up and said to Leon, "Come to my Magic Laboratory at 3 PM. Don't be late." With that, she turned and left, leaving Leon alone, immersed in immense joy and anticipation.

He had succeeded! He had taken the first step towards learning magic! Although it was only the most basic guidance, it meant a whole new world was opening its doors to him.

However, amidst his excitement, the fleeting, dark "vein" he had sensed during his meditation earlier involuntarily reappeared in his mind. What exactly was that? Why did it make his soul feel a tremor that was both strange and familiar?

This question, like a mysterious seed, was quietly planted in the depths of his heart. His journey into magic, from the very beginning, seemed destined to be anything but ordinary.