The Stone-Faced Master Wong!

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

Carter might never have risen beyond the ranks of senior sorcerers.

But she had spent her life teaching, and her understanding of basic magic had long since reached the point where simplicity became mastery.

When it came to laying foundations, many lofty Masters could not hold a candle to her.

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

In just half an hour,

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

Raine looked at Carter differently now.

His gaze burned as though he were looking at a walking, human-shaped cheat-code battery pack.

The old sorcerer talked until her mouth went dry. She picked up the teacup beside her, took a long drink, and finally stopped.

"Raine, I went a little deep there. How much did you understand?"

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

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

Raine cut her off with a smile.

Carter froze, then smiled with relief.

"Good, good. I'm glad you understood."

"Don't slack off when you get back. The basics matter most."

"I believe you'll become a remarkable sorcerer one day."

The old woman still made a point of offering a few words of encouragement with an air of authority.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master."

Raine bowed respectfully, then turned to leave.

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

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

"Extraordinary talent, yet he's neither arrogant nor impatient. He even accepts instruction humbly..."

"That boy's future has no limits!"

After that sigh of admiration, Carter looked down at the two white whiskers clenched in her palm.

The loss made the corner of her 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 even be bothered to walk.

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

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

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

He was chiefly responsible for security throughout Kamar-Taj.

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

Wong had a classic poker face. With his rugged features, he looked downright fearsome.

But the old hands knew that beneath his cold exterior, the stout man had a warm heart.

Carter did not bother knocking. She pushed the door open and rushed inside.

In the room,

Wong reacted instantly, summoning a magic blade as he spun around warily.

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

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

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

"How will you deal with Dimensional Entities if you react 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 her tea, took a deep breath, and said, "There's a promising student among the new apprentices."

The cup in Wong's hand remained perfectly steady.

"Carter, you've taught for years. Why are you still so easily startled?"

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

"Is a gifted student really that surprising?"

Wong blew across his tea and took a small sip.

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

Crack.

A fissure appeared in Wong's ceramic teacup.

"What did you say?"

"The new apprentice named Raine mastered the Magic Shield in just three days. His shield already shows signs of responding on its own."

Carter repeated it without a hint of doubt.

Smash.

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

He shot to his feet, his loose sorcerer's robes whipping up a gust.

"Let's go!"

Carter jumped. "Where?"

"To see the boy."

Wong turned and strode toward the door.

Except,

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 could hardly keep from laughing.

He was just lecturing me about staying calm. Now the news has rattled him too!

Wong steadied himself, putting on an air of composure, and swept both hands out.

Space folded and shattered like glass.

A hidden Mirror Dimension overlaid reality.

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

Carter saw through Wong's plan at once.

The Mirror Dimension would not affect the real world, making it perfect for secretly assessing an apprentice.

As long as Raine's mental strength was below Wong's, he would never detect them.

The two walked side by side through the dazzling, distorted Mirror Dimension, heading straight for the apprentices' quarters.

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

"Master Wong, Raine really is a fine student."

"He's not just extraordinarily gifted. He's especially hardworking and grasps things the moment they're explained."

"Best of all, he respects his teachers. He's practically the perfect sorcerer."

Wong listened to Carter's enthusiastic endorsement. His face remained impassive, but in his mind, he had already given Raine high marks.

Talent was all well and good.

But someone with a restless nature would eventually go astray.

If even the strict Carter called the boy "especially hardworking," he must be a relentless worker.

As they spoke, they passed through the wall of the Mirror Dimension and entered Raine's bedroom.

Then

both of them froze.

Inside the room,

on an unmade bed,

Raine lay sprawled on his back, snoring loud enough to shake the roof.

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.

His eyes seemed to say, This is your "especially hardworking" student?

A deathly silence filled the room.

Carter's face flushed scarlet. She had made such confident promises to Wong only moments ago.

The instant she finished speaking, reality had slapped her in the face.

"Master Wong... This is just an exception."

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

"I'll drag the boy out of bed and give him a good scolding!"

Gritting her teeth, Carter raised a hand, ready to pass through the Mirror Dimension and knock on his door.

Wong raised a hand and stopped her.

"No need."

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

"No matter how gifted he is, if he refuses to work hard, that talent will come to nothing."

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

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

Kamar-Taj had never lacked geniuses.

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

Carter sighed and lowered her hand.

Through the transparent barrier of the Mirror Dimension, she watched Raine sleep on and seethed at his failure to live up to his promise:

You little brat! Of all the times to let me down, you chose now. You've made me look like a fool!

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

Yet

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