Lei Wen's Choice

Flowing Frost City.

Temple.

Lei Wen looked at the Magic Academy glowing faintly in the distance, his heart showing little reaction.

With first-rate elemental affinity, the result was like a stagnant pool—neither good nor bad.

For ordinary people, becoming a mage was already a blessing from their ancestors.

But for a transmigrator, for someone familiar with the plot of the Dragon World magic drama, it was far from enough.

Without reaching the Saint Domain, one would remain an ant.

With first-rate talent, no matter how hard one cultivated, the limit would be a nine-ring mage.

Wanting to break through the barrier to the Saint Domain was harder than climbing to the heavens.

"Step onto the platform."

Nuo Shi's voice interrupted Lei Wen's thoughts.

The gloved hand pointed at the Stone Stage beside them, engraved with strange purple patterns.

Lei Wen stepped onto it as instructed.

In an instant.

A wave in the shape of a character enveloped his entire body.

It felt as though an invisible giant hand was gently stroking every inch of Lei Wen's skin.

The sensation was neither uncomfortable nor painful. Instead, it brought a strange tingling numbness that nearly made him fall asleep.

"Hmm~"

The magic crystal embedded in the Stone Stage suddenly trembled violently.

Nuo Shi, who had seemed somewhat absent-minded, suddenly underwent a drastic change in expression. His stiff face, like carved stone, revealed a crack of astonishment.

His pupils contracted sharply as he stared fixedly at the number emerging above the crystal ball.

The light grew brighter and brighter, becoming somewhat dazzling. The entire hall was shrouded in an invisible spiritual pressure.

"This... how is this possible?"

Nuo Shi's hand trembled slightly.

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief and checked the number again.

"Spiritual power... thirty-six times that of his peers!"

Silence.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm the turmoil in his heart.

"Superior!"

Those two words were like thunder exploding in the hall.

Dead silence.

Absolute silence.

After several breaths, it was as if a drop of water had fallen into boiling oil, and the entire hall erupted.

"Thirty-six times?"

"Am I hallucinating?"

"Heavens, what kind of concept is thirty-six times?"

"This monster... he's a little monster!"

Xue was completely stunned.

She covered her mouth, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.

They were not tears of grief, but a physical reaction after overwhelming joy struck her.

Even Barte Lei, who had always remained calm, could not keep himself composed.

The muscles beneath his thick brows and beard twitched slightly. It was the expression of someone who wanted to laugh but was trying desperately to hold it in.

Thirty-six times!

Even on the Yulan Continent, such a genius in spiritual power was rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns!

Lei Wen, however, calmly walked down from the Stone Stage.

With the soul strength of two lifetimes, if his spiritual power had been no different from that of an ordinary child, he might as well have smashed his head into a block of tofu and died.

Still...

He looked at the back of his hand.

During the moment when the spiritual power had just been measured, he had sensed that the fetal mark there faintly glowed, seemingly absorbing part of the spiritual pressure.

That was his greatest secret.

Just then.

Several old men in different translucent mage robes crowded forward.

"Lord Barte Lei!"

"I am the director of admissions for Moria Magic Academy!"

"Your son's talent is simply a gift bestowed upon Moria Academy!"

"As long as he is willing, tuition will be fully waived, and he will receive a thousand gold coins in scholarship money every year!"

An old man with a goatee stood at the front, his face piled with smiles.

"Move aside!"

"How dare that second-rate Moria Academy open its mouth?"

"I'm from Purple Thorn Royal Magic and Martial Academy!"

"Brother Barte, we're old friends!"

"If your son comes to us, I can personally arrange for an eight-ring archmage to be his mentor!"

"All resources will be tilted in his favor. What do you think?"

A middle-aged fat man in brocade robes beside him immediately shoved the old man aside.

"Hmph!"

"What does Purple Thorn amount to?"

"Our Storm Academy is the best choice..."

For a moment.

The once solemn temple hall turned into a marketplace.

The recruiters, who normally acted lofty and superior, argued until their faces were red and their ears burned. Some even rolled up their sleeves, ready to fight.

Barte Lei was squeezed to one side, grinning so widely that he could not close his mouth.

He responded to the recruiters while glancing at his son from the corner of his eye.

That boy had truly brought him a tremendous surprise.

However.

Lei Wen's gaze passed over the noisy crowd and turned toward a corner of the hall.

Several people stood there, dressed in gray robes embroidered with silver patterns, with special emblems on their chests.

That was Ernst Magic Academy—the number one magic academy in the Empire.

They merely watched coldly, their expressions indifferent, showing no intention of approaching to recruit him.

Lei Wen understood.

Ernst Academy had extremely high admission standards.

Superior spiritual power was naturally rare.

But his elemental affinity was only average.

That was a shortcoming.

To those top academies, only flawless geniuses were worthy of their active pursuit.

So that's how it is.

Lei Wen thought to himself.

First-rate affinity meant that his speed of absorbing magic elements was only one percent, perhaps even less, of those superior geniuses.

No matter how strong his spiritual power was, without enough magic power to support it, he would merely become a useless person who could only cast low-level spells.

The most fatal weakness.

After returning to the viscount's residence.

The sky had already darkened somewhat.

The servants had long prepared a lavish dinner, and even the aged wine stored for years had been brought out.

The entire residence was brightly lit, even livelier than during the New Year.

"Lei Wen, which academy do you want to attend?"

"I think Purple Thorn Academy is pretty good. It's close to home..."

"And that fat mage said he could arrange an eight-ring mentor..."

At the dining table.

Xue was still immersed in immense joy.

She kept placing food on her son's plate while chattering endlessly.

At that moment, she was completely immersed in blissful happiness.

"Lei Wen, what do you think?"

Barte Lei took a sip of wine, set down his cup, and looked at his silent son.

Compared to his wife, Barte Lei was much calmer.

He had not been dazzled by the recruitment offers from those academies.

Lei Wen put down his knife and fork and wiped his mouth.

He looked around at his mother, whose face was full of expectation, and his father, whose gaze was deep and thoughtful.

"Father, Mother."

Lei Wen's voice was calm, yet it carried a maturity that did not suit his age.

"I don't want to attend Magic Academy."

Clang!

The knife and fork in Xue's hand fell onto the plate with a crisp sound.

"What did you say?"

"You don't want to attend Magic Academy? Then where do you want to go?"

"That's thirty-six times spiritual power! How could you..."

She thought she had misheard.

"I want to become a warrior!"

Lei Wen directly interrupted his mother.

"A warrior?"

"You have such excellent magic talent, yet you want to become one of those big, rough men..."

"Are you saying you want to be a warrior? Are you trying to anger me to death?"

Xue's voice instantly rose several pitches. She simply could not believe her own ears.

Halfway through her words.

She noticed her husband beside her and hurriedly changed her tone.

But the shock and confusion on her face did not fade.

"Your reason?"

Barte Lei was not angry. He merely raised his brows slightly.

Lei Wen stood and walked to the window.

Outside the window hung a huge full moon. Moonlight spilled over the martial arts field in the courtyard, where various heavy stone locks and wooden stakes stood.

"It's very simple."