The Magic Test

"Are you rested?"

As soon as he stepped out of the room, Clark's voice reached him.

"Father, I'm rested."

"Good. Let's go. I'll take you to the provincial capital now."

"All right."

Clark had already told Garen that morning, after returning from his exercises, that he would take him for a magic test, so Garen was prepared.

After saying goodbye to his mother, they headed out.

Clark was a reserved man who didn't say much on the way. He only reminded Garen about a few things to keep in mind in the city.

For example, not to walk in the middle of the road, since the carriages of the great nobles in the provincial capital wouldn't yield to him, and other safety-related matters.

Half a day later.

Blazing Sun City, Rhine Empire—a modest city near the Blazing Sun Desert.

It was Garen's first time visiting a city in this world. Though it couldn't compare to the big cities of his previous life, its exotic charm had a flavor all its own.

After walking with Garen for a while, Clark stopped in front of a hotel.

"Let's eat something first. Afterward, I'll take you to the Magic Guild."

"All right, Father."

They'd been walking for several hours, and Garen was tired and hungry, so he agreed at once.

They each had a large plate of meat, along with some juice. By the time they finished, both of them were thoroughly satisfied.

By the time they reached the Magic Guild, the entrance was already packed with people. Children waiting to have their aptitude tested had formed a line that stretched outside, with an estimated fifty or sixty of them. They were mostly between six and ten years old, and their parents or other companions stood on either side.

"They've tested several hundred children since this morning, haven't they? Only two had even enough talent to become mages. I doubt Blazing Sun City will have any promising candidates this year."

A few people nearby were chatting.

It cost ten gold coins to register for a magic test, and ordinary families weren't always willing to spend that much. Most of those who paid for the test came from noble families with mages among their ancestors, or from wealthy households.

Even so, only two out of several hundred children had magical talent. And judging by the people's conversation, those two had only just barely passed. It was no exaggeration to say that magical talent was one in ten thousand.

"Garen, go get in line. I'll register you. Don't be nervous."

Clark had heard the discussion, too. Worried that Garen might feel nervous, he patted him on the back.

"Mm, I'm fine, Father. Even if I can't become a mage, I'll work hard to become a powerful warrior. It would be great to have magical talent, but I won't be discouraged if I don't."

Clark nodded with relief and headed to the registration area, though he couldn't help smiling bitterly to himself.

His son was a good boy. He'd been sensible and well-behaved from a young age, and had hardly ever given his parents anything to worry about. But Clark knew his own circumstances all too well.

He'd trained hard since childhood and had always been stronger than other children his age. When he was just over ten, his peers had only just reached the first rank of warrior, while he was already close to the second. Even without cultivating battle qi, he'd always managed to stay a level ahead of the average person.

Then he joined the army. After earning military merit, some people received Battle Qi Secret Manuals. They quickly cultivated to higher levels, but despite his own repeated achievements and his attempts to practice different manuals, he'd never managed to cultivate successfully with any of them.

Now in his twenties, he was a Level 5 Warrior. Ordinary people in a small town might consider him highly talented, but he knew that many people who'd been less gifted than him had surpassed him after cultivating battle qi.

The magic tests went fairly quickly. They tested dozens of people in less than an hour, and only one child remained ahead of Garen.

"Gret."

At the magic examiner's call, the little boy in front of Garen excitedly stepped onto the testing platform.

"Water-style magical affinity: low grade. Mental strength: twice that of an ordinary person. He cannot become a mage."

The little boy climbed down from the platform, crestfallen.

"Garen."

When Garen heard his name, he calmly stepped onto the testing platform.

He was genuinely calm. With the system, he could level up just by killing monsters. Besides, he'd already used the Wind-Style Super Talent Card. As long as his mental strength was sufficient, he could cultivate wind magic.

And as someone who'd crossed over from another world, with the souls of two lives combined, there was no reason for his mental strength to be weak.

"Put your hand on the crystal ball."

Garen walked over to the testing platform and gently placed one hand on the transparent crystal ball before him.

In an instant, the crystal ball blazed with light. Blue and fiery red radiance mingled, shining so brightly that everyone at the testing center closed their eyes. A chorus of gasps went up around them.

"Magical affinity: Wind and Fire, both super grade."

The white-bearded magic examiner on the platform looked at the paper in his hand. "Garen, six years old," he read, his voice trembling slightly.

"Please stand in the middle of the testing platform."

Garen could clearly hear the change in the examiner's tone, which had grown noticeably warmer and more courteous.

He was delighted, too. He hadn't expected to have super-grade talent in both elements. His Fire-style talent was super grade as well—an unexpected bonus.

He walked a few steps to the middle of the platform and stood there.

"Garen, we're going to test your mental strength now. Try to last as long as you can on the platform. Understand?"

Garen nodded.

Wave after wave of pressure descended from above, as if it could pass through his body and weigh down on his soul, trying to crush him. But Garen could endure it.

As time passed, whispers began to spread through the crowd again.

"Whose child is that? This is incredible. He's lasted so long. His mental strength must be high grade at the very least."

"Look at his clothes. He's probably from the countryside. Some family's struck it lucky. With talent like that, he'll surely become a great mage."

After a quarter of an hour, the Magic Array increased the pressure once more. Garen dropped to one knee and braced himself against the ground with both hands.

It wasn't that he couldn't hold out at all, but it was uncomfortable, so he chose not to continue.

"Mental strength is forty times that of children his age: super grade."

At the examiner's announcement, the crowd erupted into discussion. Garen had become the brightest star in the room.

As soon as Garen stepped off the platform, several people rushed over at once.

"Hello, Garen. My name is Tony, and I'm a teacher at Blazing Sun Magic Academy. I sincerely invite you to join us. Not only will we waive your registration fee, but we'll also give you a full scholarship every semester and provide you with a private student dormitory."

"Hello, Garen. I'm..."

"Hello, Garen..."

Just then—

"Garen, I'm a teacher from Ernst Magic Academy. I sincerely invite you to join our academy."

The moment he spoke, the crowd fell silent.

After all, Ernst Institute was the greatest magic academy on the continent, and it admitted only one hundred students from across the continent each year. Fifty came from the Light Alliance, while all the other great empires and kingdoms combined received the remaining fifty. Its requirements were much stricter, and it had been many years since anyone from Blazing Sun City had been admitted.

A middle-aged man in a white robe approached from not far away.

"Your elemental affinity is super grade in both Wind and Fire, and your mental strength is forty times that of your peers. Garen, our academy would be delighted to welcome you. Would you like to join Ernst Institute?"

Garen was stunned. He hadn't expected to find a teacher recruiting for Ernst Magic Academy at the magic testing center in Blazing Sun City.

Ding. Side Quest: Join Ernst Institute and share in Linley's protagonist's luck. (Reward unknown.)

Garen had been somewhat hesitant, but then he saw his father in the distance nodding vigorously at him. At the same time, the Side Quest notification sounded in his mind, so he nodded.

"I'm willing to join Ernst Institute."

Garen replied respectfully.

"Good. Here's your letter of admission to Ernst Institute. You can register on February 9 each year before you turn twelve."

As he spoke, the white-robed man took a red letter from his robes.

He hadn't asked Garen to leave that year because Blazing Sun City in the Rhine Empire was extremely far from Fenlai City in the Light Alliance. They were practically at opposite ends of the continent, and it would take an ordinary traveler nearly two years to get there.