When Talent Falls Short, Can Gear Make Up the Difference? My Sling Ring Had an Epiphany of Its Own!

"Master Carter, was there something you wanted to see me about in private?"

Raine held his teacup, feeling a little uneasy.

After all, all he had done these past two days was sleep.

His skills had leveled up entirely through their own frantic competition.

Had the old sorcerer realized he was slacking off and called him here for a scolding?

With that thought, Raine ventured, "Master, are you unhappy with my progress?"

Clack.

The teapot in Carter's hand struck the wooden table hard, and the corners of her mouth twitched.

Just listen to him!

What the hell kind of question was that?

She had lived nearly eighty years and had never seen a carbon-based life-form master the Magic Shield to this degree in three days!

Unhappy?

If she was still unhappy, The Ancient One would have to come down from heaven and smack her!

Still.

To preserve her dignity as a teacher, Carter forced back the urge to rant.

"Ahem. Don't worry. I'm very pleased with your progress."

Carter put on an air of calm indifference. "I can tell you've been working very hard on your own."

She had watched the boy sleep and drool in the Mirror Dimension just moments ago.

But Carter firmly believed it.

Raine must have put in an unimaginable amount of effort when no one was watching!

Otherwise, there was no explaining his terrifying rate of improvement.

Raine gave an awkward smile at her words.

"Thank you for the praise, Master. It's all thanks to your teaching."

"But Master, what did you call me here for today?"

Eager to get a new spell for free, Raine went straight to the point.

Carter studied Raine, her expression complicated.

"Tell me honestly. How many times did you secretly practice the Magic Shield you cast just now?"

The Magic Shield had no formal levels.

But an expert could tell the difference.

The shield Raine had conjured two days ago could only be considered beginner level.

The one he had cast on the training ground today, whether judged by the density of its Runes or the stability of its energy,

had reached the standard of a veteran sorcerer of Kamar-Taj!

Carter had nearly lost her composure when she saw it.

"Huh? Well..."

Raine felt even more uneasy.

I can't tell her the system got fed up with watching me sleep and worked its way up there on its own, can I?

He could only bluff his way through. "I just practiced it naturally. I didn't notice anything unusual... Did something go wrong?"

Seeing Raine's nervous expression, Carter took a deep breath.

"Nothing went wrong. You did very well."

Carter forced the words out.

"That's good. That's good."

Raine breathed a sigh of relief and seized the opening.

"Master, since I've got the basics down, could you teach me a new spell?"

Carter's heart sank.

There it was!

What she feared most had happened.

At the boy's terrifying learning speed, her entire repertoire might not last him more than a few days.

Fortunately, she had already discussed it with Grand Mage Wong.

The old sorcerer cleared her throat and adopted a stern expression.

"Since you've completely mastered basic magic, you're qualified to learn a more advanced power."

"Today, I'll teach you the signature spell every sorcerer of Kamar-Taj must master."

"The Portal."

Raine's eyes lit up at once.

Now this was a truly incredible skill!

No incantations. No magic circles.

Draw a circle, and he could go anywhere he wanted on Earth, or even cross the Multiverse.

This was the ability he had dreamed of!

"First, you'll need this."

Carter drew an antique-looking brass double-finger ring from her wide sleeve and handed it over.

"This is a Sling Ring."

"Advanced sorcerers can open Portals without any aid, but we aren't The Ancient One. We don't possess mental power as vast as hers."

"So generations of sorcerers refined the Sling Ring to help us focus and lock onto spatial coordinates."

Raine accepted the Sling Ring solemnly and carefully slipped it onto the index and middle fingers of his left hand.

"Listen closely."

Carter began explaining the steps in detail.

"Once you've put on the Sling Ring, close your eyes."

"Use your mind to picture the place you want to go. Don't leave out a single detail."

"The more clearly you see it in your mind, the more stable the Portal you open will be..."

Raine listened intently.

He was just about to close his eyes and try it

when a rapid string of System Notifications suddenly sounded in his head.

[Ding!]

[Your exclusive equipment, the Sling Ring, listened to an advanced instructor's teaching and experienced a rare epiphany!]

[Your exclusive equipment, the Sling Ring, has dramatically deepened its understanding of spatial magic!]

[Congratulations, host! Your Sling Ring has mastered the spell—Portal!]

Raine froze.

His mind filled with question marks.

What the hell?

I'm the sorcerer here, and I haven't even grasped the basics yet.

But the ring on my hand had an epiphany all by itself?!

And it even unlocked the skill for me?

For the first time, Raine felt this overpowered system was a little insulting.

Wasn't it saying outright that he had less aptitude than a lump of brass?

Still.

Raine quickly adjusted his attitude.

Who cared which of them had the epiphany?

The equipment was his, and so was the skill.

As long as he could win without lifting a finger, who cared how it happened?

Raine happily settled the Sling Ring on his fingers. Before he could celebrate, another string of notifications popped up in his mind.

[Ding!]

[The Magic Shield sensed the Sling Ring's explosive breakthrough. Its competitive spirit soared, and it began working overtime!]

[Magic Weapon Construction felt its position was threatened and desperately absorbed Cosmic Energy!]

[Basic Rune Arrangement fell into self-doubt, convinced the host had found a new favorite. Its cultivation efficiency plummeted...]

Raine's face darkened.

Seriously? Even my skills have their own little rivalry going on?

The others are working themselves to the bone, so why is Basic Rune Arrangement always the one falling behind?

Am I not giving it enough attention?

But no matter what, Basic Runes were the foundation of all advanced magic. He absolutely could not let it give up on itself.

Raine hurriedly cheered it on in his mind. Come on, little buddy. Ever heard that the early bird gets the worm? Hard work might not raise your ceiling, but it can raise your floor! Pull yourself together!

[Ding!]

[Inspired by the host's passionate encouragement, Basic Rune Arrangement threw itself into training. Its cultivation efficiency soared!]

Raine was very pleased.

A skill willing to improve was a good skill. It would surely prove useful someday.

As Raine interacted with the system, his expression shifted from a frown to a smug smile and back again.

Carter, sitting across from him, saw it all.

The old sorcerer's heart sank.

Oh no!

Had the child become so desperate for quick results that it was affecting his mind?

If this genius drove himself mad by obsessing over his training, she could never answer for it!

Carter hurried to reassure him.

"Raine, what's wrong? Are you anxious because you can't grasp the technique?"

"Portal is spatial magic, after all. It's perfectly normal not to learn it right away. Please don't start doubting yourself!"