Magic Talent

Xia Lin touched his nose and shifted uncomfortably. "Ahem, well... twenty-six."

Emily sprang up from her stool as if stung by a Manticore, nearly tipping over the rickety old wooden table. "I was thrown into the Mage Tower to rub magic orbs when I was eight! Brother, listen to me, communicating with the magic net is like bone density! Under twelve, that's the golden age; your brain is like freshly baked sponge cake, soaking up the magic net's energy instantly! After fourteen, forget it, your brain is like dried-out old cowhide. Don't talk about communication, the magic net could throw a party next to you and you wouldn't even feel it!"

"So it sounds like this Goddess of Magic is a pedophile?" Sera slowly wiped imaginary grease from the corner of her mouth, a hint of amusement flashing in her dark red eyes.

"Pfft... Hahahaha!" Emily froze for a moment before erupting into loud laughter, pounding the table uncontrollably. "Your friend, haha... a pedophilic Goddess of Magic? If those old fuddy-duddies in the Temple heard that, they'd tie you to a stake and purify you with holy flames for seven days and seven nights!"

Xia Lin watched his sister laughing hysterically, then glanced at Sera, who looked expressionless but was likely holding back a smile, and felt his temples throb.

But he wasn't giving up. Clinging to a sliver of hope, he pressed, "Emily, is there... is there really no way at all?"

Emily finally stopped laughing, wiping away tears of mirth.

She sighed helplessly and spread her hands. "A way... theoretically, it's not entirely impossible. But the difficulty? It's probably about the same as you going to fight an adult Red Dragon right now. Forget it, forget it, seeing your persistent look,"

Her eyes darted. "How about this: finish this meal, then come with me, and I'll let you personally experience what an 'unbreakable Aegis of talent' feels like."

The three left the smoky alley of the "Dwarf Stew Pot." Emily led them through several narrow, vibrant streets unique to Orlando's Lower City, finally stopping in front of a somewhat aged wooden building that looked like it could fall apart at any moment.

"We're here, my cozy little nest." Emily pointed to the creaking stairs leading to the attic.

The attic was small and dimly lit, filled with a peculiar scent blending old books, dust, and cheap incense.

A simple wooden bed, a desk piled high with various parchments, ink bottles, and odds and ends, and a few wobbly bookshelves occupied almost all the space.

"Don't mind the mess, Brother." Emily casually swept some clothes off the bed. "Make do. It might be a bit messy here, but at least you don't have to worry about drunken Dwarves or horny Goblins kicking down the door in the middle of the night."

She walked to the cluttered desk and pulled out a rough, palm-sized piece of paper from a pile of parchments.

Her name, "Emily," was scrawled on the paper in a special silver ink.

Emily placed the paper flat on the desk, took a deep breath, and extended her index finger, gently tapping the silver runes.

She closed her eyes, her lips moving slightly as if murmuring something.

A few seconds later, the word "Emily" on the paper began to glow faintly.

The light was weak, like a firefly's tail light, but it was exceptionally clear in the dim attic.

"See?" Emily withdrew her finger, a mix of pride and practiced nonchalance on her face. "This is the most basic test for an Apprentice Mage – [Rune Glow]. As long as you can sense the magic net, draw a tiny bit of energy from it, and guide it into these special runes, they'll light up. Basically, it's like lighting a small lightbulb. Anyone with a bit of talent can do it after practicing for a few days."

She paused, looking at Xia Lin with a playful tone. "Come on, Brother, you try too? Maybe you're that one-in-a-million, exceptionally gifted, uniquely talented individual, secretly stamped on the forehead by the Goddess of Magic, a hidden powerhouse?"

In this world, everything was immersed in an invisible sea of energy that mages called the "magic net."

It was like a giant spider web covering the entire world, with pure Arcane energy flowing through every strand.

Casting magic involved using one's own Mental Power to sense, understand, and manipulate these energy strands, weaving them into specific "spell structures" to trigger various miracles in the real world.

For beginners, the first and most crucial step was "sensing the magic net."

This required extreme mental focus and an almost instinctive resonance. Children's minds were pure, like an unpolluted lake surface, making it easier to reflect the magic net's fluctuations.

As they grew older, worldly distractions and ingrained thought patterns created a barrier between the mind and the magic net, like thick oil scum on a lake's surface, making perception extremely difficult.

Even if one could barely sense it, drawing energy from it and controlling it was even more challenging.

This was why most mages began their training from childhood. Missing that golden period, it was almost an impossible task to step into the hall of magic.

Xia Lin took a deep breath and walked to the desk.

He extended his finger, mimicking Emily, and gently tapped the paper with "Emily" written on it.

He closed his eyes, trying to recall the esoteric descriptions in Old Green's notes – "Clear your mind, feel the flow of aether..."

One minute passed.

Two minutes passed.

The paper remained motionless, still looking lifeless.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on Xia Lin's forehead. He could feel Emily and Sera's gazes focused on him. It felt... a bit like a clown in a circus performing a sword-swallowing act and getting the sword stuck in his throat.

"Ahem," he opened his eyes, forcing a strained smile. "It seems... I'm not cut out for this."

His tone carried a hint of disappointment he himself didn't notice.

"I told you," Emily shrugged, looking "as expected." "Brother, don't be discouraged. Being a capable Adventurer is pretty good too; at least you won't starve. Magic, you know, really depends on looks, oh no, it depends on talent."

"Hmph, some people just don't face reality," Sera said, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe, her tone laced with its usual sarcasm. "They thought they were some chosen one, capable of casting forbidden spells with a flick of their fingers. And the result? They can't even pass an apprentice's entrance test. Truly... pathetic." The tip of her purple tail swayed gently behind her, as if silently mocking him.

Xia Lin felt his cheeks flush. Just as he was about to retort, Emily suddenly exclaimed, "Ah!" as if remembering something important.

She spun around and lunged at the messy desk, frantically searching among the musty parchments, quills, dried ink bottles, and half-eaten hard bread.

"I remember... I remember seeing it somewhere..." Emily muttered as she searched, dust and paper scraps flying everywhere with her movements.

Xia Lin and Sera watched her, bewildered.

Finally, Emily let out a cheer and pulled out a slightly worn, thin booklet from beneath a pile of old papers. The cover featured a comical wizard wearing a pointed hat.

The booklet's title was written in a fancy font: Arcana of the Mage - Issue 421 - Special Supplement.

"Found it!" Emily held up the booklet like a treasure, her face flushed with excitement. She flipped through the pages rapidly, the paper rustling.

"Wait... not this page... not this page either..." she mumbled as she flipped, finally stopping at a certain page.

She spread the booklet open and pointed to a headline printed in bold red ink, saying to Xia Lin, "Brother, look at this!"

Xia Lin leaned closer. The headline read:

Breaking the Age Barrier? Seven-Ring Mage Sri Lanka's Latest Research Findings: Partial Decryption of the Ancient Magical Empire's Alchemy Secret "Touch of Enlightenment" May Significantly Improve Adult Magic Net Communication Efficiency and Arcane Affinity