The Stone-Faced Master Wong

In the courtyard, the old sorcerer Carter was still talking away.

Carter might have remained a senior sorcerer all these years.

But he had taught for a lifetime, and his understanding of basic magic had long since reached a state of elegant simplicity.

When it came to laying a foundation, even many lofty Masters might not measure up to him.

Now, as the system analyzed his lecture automatically, every word Carter spoke turned into a pure insight into magic.

In just half an hour,

the proficiency bars for [Basic Rune Arrangement] and [Magic Weapon Architecture] shot upward, closing in on level 2!

Ren looked at Carter differently now.

His gaze burned as though he were looking at a walking, human-shaped power bank for his cheat ability.

The old sorcerer talked until his mouth went dry. He picked up the tea beside him and took a long drink before finally stopping.

"Ren, I went rather deep there. How much did you understand?"

"It's fine if you didn't follow it all. Magic is a profound subject. I can break it down for you bit by bit..."

"Don't worry, Master. I understood all of it."

Ren interrupted him with a smile.

Carter paused, then smiled with relief.

"Good. That's good."

"Don't slack off when you go back. The fundamentals matter most."

"I believe you'll become an outstanding sorcerer one day."

The old man still made a point of offering a few lofty words of encouragement.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master."

Ren bowed respectfully, then turned to leave.

Only when Ren's figure had vanished at the far end of the corridor

did Carter's tense shoulders slump. He drew in a sharp breath.

"Extraordinary talent, yet he's neither arrogant nor impatient. He's willing to learn..."

"That boy's future is limitless!"

After marveling at him, Carter looked down at the two white whiskers clenched in his palm.

The loss made the corner of his mouth twitch.

"No, this is too big for me to handle alone. I need to report it to a Master at once!"

Carter could not be bothered to walk.

He raised a hand and drew a circle in the air. Golden sparks formed a Portal.

He stepped through and arrived directly outside Master Wong's room.

At the time, Wong had not yet taken over as librarian.

He was mainly responsible for security throughout Kamar-Taj.

He usually stayed in his room studying advanced spells and rarely showed his face.

Wong had a classic stone face and a rugged, intimidating appearance.

But the old hands knew the burly man was warmhearted beneath his cold exterior.

Carter did not bother knocking. He pushed the door open and rushed in.

Inside the room,

Wong reacted instantly. He summoned a magic saber and turned around on guard.

Once he saw it was Carter, he dismissed the weapon and frowned slightly.

"Sorcerer Carter? Why are you in such a panic?"

"As sorcerers, we should remain perfectly rational and calm no matter what happens."

"How will you face a Dimensional Entity one day if you act like this?"

Wong launched into a solemn lecture.

"My apologies, Master Wong. I lost my composure," Carter said quickly.

Wong's expression softened a little.

He went to the table, poured two cups of hot tea, and handed one to Carter.

"Sit down and tell me what happened."

Carter gulped down half his tea, took a deep breath, and said, "There's a promising student among this batch of new apprentices."

Wong's hand remained steady around his teacup.

"Carter, you've been teaching for years, yet you still get worked up so easily."

"Everyone admitted to Kamar-Taj was carefully chosen by The Ancient One."

"Is it so surprising that one of them is a genius?"

Wong blew on his tea and took a small sip.

"But..." Carter paused. "He learned Magic Shield in just three days."

Crack.

A fissure appeared in Wong's ceramic teacup.

"What did you say?"

"The new apprentice named Ren mastered Magic Shield in just three days. His shield already shows a responsive spark of its own."

Carter repeated it with absolute certainty.

Crash.

Wong's teacup broke into pieces and fell onto the table.

He shot to his feet, his loose sorcerer's robes stirring a gust of wind.

"Let's go!"

Carter jumped. "Where?"

"To see the boy."

Wong turned and strode for the door.

But

he had risen so abruptly that he tripped over his own feet and nearly fell flat on his face at the doorway.

Watching from behind, Carter had to suppress a laugh.

You were just lecturing me about staying calm. That news rattled you too, didn't it?

Wong steadied himself and forced an air of composure. He swept both hands outward.

Space folded and shattered like glass.

A concealed Mirror Dimension overlaid reality.

"You're going to observe him secretly through the Mirror Dimension?"

Carter saw through Wong's intentions at once.

The Mirror Dimension would not affect reality, making it ideal for quietly assessing an apprentice.

As long as Ren's mental strength was weaker than Wong's, he would never notice them.

They walked side by side through the strange, shifting Mirror Dimension toward the apprentice dormitories.

Along the way, Carter kept singing Ren's praises.

"Master Wong, Ren really is a fine young man."

"He's incredibly gifted, but more importantly, he works hard and grasps things at once."

"And best of all, he respects his teachers. He's practically the model sorcerer."

Wong listened to Carter's enthusiastic praise. His face remained impassive, but inwardly he had already given Ren high marks.

Great talent was one thing.

But an impatient temperament would lead him astray sooner or later.

For the strict Carter to call someone "hardworking," the boy must truly be dedicated.

As they spoke, the two passed through a wall in the Mirror Dimension and entered Ren's bedroom.

Then

both men froze.

Inside the room,

on an unmade bed,

Ren lay sprawled on his back, snoring loud enough to shake the room.

A glistening thread of drool hung from the corner of his mouth. He was clearly having a wonderful dream.

Wong turned his expressionless face toward Carter and stared hard at him.

His eyes seemed to say: This is what you call "hardworking"?

A deathly silence fell over the room.

Carter's face flushed scarlet. He had given Wong his solemn assurance only moments ago.

The words had barely left his mouth before reality slapped him in the face.

"Master Wong... this is an exception."

"He must have worn himself out practicing yesterday and decided to take a little rest today."

"I'll haul him out of bed and give him a good scolding!"

Carter raised his hand through gritted teeth, ready to leave the Mirror Dimension and knock on the door.

Wong lifted a hand and stopped him, his face unreadable.

"No need."

"Someone without even basic self-discipline is no true genius."

"No matter how talented he is, it will all come to nothing if he refuses to work hard."

"Even The Ancient One never neglected her training when she was young."

Wong's tone was mild, but disappointment flickered deep in his eyes.

Kamar-Taj had no shortage of geniuses.

What it lacked were dedicated practitioners who could turn potential into strength.

Carter sighed and lowered his hand.

Through the transparent barrier of the Mirror Dimension, he watched Ren sleep soundly, frustrated that the boy had failed to live up to his promise.

You little brat! Why did you have to let me down at the worst possible moment? You've made an old fool of me!

And so two senior figures of Kamar-Taj stood unseen, staring at each other as they watched an apprentice sleep.

Yet

inside the room, as Ren enjoyed his dream, a cheerful series of System Notifications suddenly rang out in his mind!