Talent Is Everything
Mages are defined by their talent.
Not just any mage, but one who could illuminate a Magic Tower and etch their name into history — those kinds stood apart from the very beginning.
“Uahaha! I’ve truly found myself an outstanding disciple!”
Delcrein, a fervent advocate of talent above all else, had fallen for Lim Dojun at first sight.
The fact that he had only known his new disciple for a few hours was utterly irrelevant.
“I love you, Jun! From now on, you’re no different from my own son!”
“Haha…”
Lim Dojun gave an awkward laugh.
He smiled to stay in the man’s good graces, but receiving passionate declarations from a mage well past middle age and approaching his twilight years felt rather uncomfortable.
“Now then! Shall we try learning this next?”
Delcrein brought over another stack of books and handed them to him.
Blue Magic Tower — Introduction to Basic Magic
Everything About Low-Grade Magic
Comprehensive Theory of Basic Magic by the Buchan School
Now that he had learned Mana Control, it was time to step into actual magic.
I mustn’t get my hopes up. I mustn’t…
Delcrein repeated the words to himself.
It was possible the boy only possessed genius-level talent in Mana Control. Excessive expectations could lead to devastating disappointment.
“I’ll read them.”
Lim Dojun calmly absorbed every book Delcrein had given him.
You have learned the skill Blue Magic Tower — Introduction to Basic Magic.
You have learned the skill Everything About Low-Grade Magic.
You have learned the skill Comprehensive Theory of Mana Control by the Buchan School.
Even if he didn’t understand the content, the moment he finished reading, messages appeared and new knowledge flooded his mind.
Moreover, that knowledge didn’t remain mere information — it was fully comprehended and even integrated with what he already knew.
Highly overlapping skills detected. Merging the skills.
The skill Low-Grade Magic has been created.
Lim Dojun closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the knowledge that now filled his mind.
When he opened them again, he saw Delcrein watching him with nervous, anxious eyes.
Lim Dojun did not disappoint his new master.
—Fwoosh!
A bright light bloomed from the tip of his raised index finger.
He had cast the basic introductory spell Light without any incantation.
Naturally, Delcrein’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
“Y-You mastered Mana Control and now you’re picking up magic this easily?”
Even he, a mage powerful enough to lead an entire branch of the Blue Magic Tower, had never seen or heard of anything like this.
Reading a book once and then immediately casting the spell? And with perfect understanding, no less — enough to cast it silently!
This was the stuff of legends and myths!
“My son!!! Let me hug you just once!”
When Delcrein lunged forward with open arms, Lim Dojun decided this was where he drew the line and quickly dodged aside.
Although he had learned Low-Grade Magic, what Lim Dojun needed most was a higher-grade Mana Control technique.
Low-Grade Magic had given him a broad foundation of magical knowledge, but it couldn’t treat his physical condition.
Only Mana Control could slow the petrification spreading through his body from the Crystal Dragon’s curse.
So he asked Delcrein for a more advanced Mana Control technique, only to watch the man hang his head in shame.
“I’m sorry. In my heart, I want nothing more than to give you those techniques right away, but the rules of the Magic Tower make it difficult…”
The Blue Magic Tower was an institution with over eight hundred years of history. Its long-standing systems and regulations were deeply entrenched.
No matter how outstanding a disciple might be, the Tower did not simply hand over its magic.
In the distant past, things had been different. But after nearly every mage locked themselves away to study in isolation, the Tower had nearly collapsed. That was when the rules changed.
Does money grow on trees? Magic books, reagents, research, every single material costs money! We’re going to go bankrupt at this rate! From now on, anyone who doesn’t earn money will not be taught magic!
Hundreds of years ago, the Tower Master of that era had roared in fury. Ever since, every disciple was required to contribute to the Tower’s development.
Even the Tower Master’s personal disciples could not learn more magic if they failed to fulfill their duties.
And this policy had proven incredibly effective.
Mages were high-value personnel. Even a small amount of work from them could generate enormous profits. Thanks to that, the Magic Towers maintained robust finances and continued to flourish.
It created an endless cycle of manpower and wealth. What began with the Blue Magic Tower had become standard practice across all ten great Towers — dispatching mages to earn money was now a core duty.
“So I need to prove that I’m qualified to learn higher magic,” Lim Dojun said calmly. He wasn’t disappointed.
Anyway, I need to go out and accumulate Achievement Points. This actually works out perfectly.
The most reliable way to heal his body was through Achievement Points, not Mana Control.
Why would he refuse an opportunity like this?
“I’m sorry! Should I just commit an uprising? Storm the main headquarters, fight the Elders, and demand they make an exception just for you?”
Delcrein’s eyes burned with the willingness to charge out at any moment.
He desperately wanted to pass on every spell to this extraordinary talent, but the rules were blocking him. How frustrating!
“It’s fine. I’ll take it step by step.”
“Oh, my son! Not only is your talent outstanding, but your character is flawless too!”
Overcome with emotion, Delcrein covered his mouth with both hands.
It was practically a rule that mages with exceptional talent were arrogant. Yet his new son excelled in every possible way.
Then a sudden suspicion struck him.
“You’re not actually a dragon, are you? How can someone be this perfect?”
Legends said dragons could even polymorph into human form.
Otherwise, there was simply no explanation.
Training Room of the Blue Magic Tower branch.
Ordinary apprentice mages were given access to the communal training room, but as the branch leader’s disciple, Lim Dojun was allowed to use Delcrein’s personal training room.
Since Delcrein had many responsibilities as branch leader and couldn’t stay by his side constantly, this was the extent of the convenience he could offer.
Standing alone inside the training room, Lim Dojun coldly assessed himself.
I’m not a genius.
He had learned Mana Control and magic in a single day.
But that was no reason to misunderstand.
A genius? Among naturally awakened hunters, he had indeed been called one. But that was within a very narrow scope.
When Returnees were taken into account, Lim Dojun was merely a fairly competent hunter.
Even the Mana Control technique Delcrein had given him — he hadn’t understood a single word while reading it. He had only learned it thanks to the System.
I mustn’t delude myself. Meta-cognition is essential.
It didn’t matter what others said. At the very least, he needed to understand his own abilities accurately.
That had been the secret to surviving countless dangerous missions over the years.
—Fwoosh!
—Crackle!
He cast the spells belonging to Low-Grade Magic one after another.
Spells that created light, summoned small flames, or called forth lightning — basic elemental magic.
Refining those elements to attack or defend was what Low-Grade Magic was all about.
With all the related knowledge now fully integrated in his head, Lim Dojun accurately gauged his own level.
“Right in the middle.”
The power of the elemental techniques was average at best.
Talented mages could produce far greater power with the same spells, but Lim Dojun showed no such advantage.
Because he had learned them through skills, he was simply an average mage.
If things continued like this, he would be no different from other mages as time passed.
He would be the type who started fast but ended up mediocre.
That’s a bit disappointing.
Maybe he should go find Delcrein right now and clear up the misunderstanding about him being a genius.
It was right as that thought crossed his mind.
—Clang!
The moment he tried his hand at ice magic from the knowledge he had gained, he was stunned.
According to the information, it should have created a tiny ice crystal in the air. Instead, the entire surrounding space froze solid the instant he cast it.
“Huh…?”
Lim Dojun immediately understood what had happened.
The ice magic, which should have manifested at an ordinary level, had been massively amplified by the Crystal Dragon’s Curse.
The beast had been a dragon that ruled over ice.
That nature had dramatically strengthened his ice magic.
—Clang!
—Crack!
When he summoned an ice arrow, what appeared was more like a spear meant for throwing. When he tried to make the ground slippery, the entire floor froze solid.
In any field, doing what one was good at was enjoyable.
Magic was no exception.
Seeing such dramatic results from simple spells, Lim Dojun cast ice magic again and again.
He was so focused that he didn’t even notice someone entering.
“As expected. My eyes were not mistaken.”
A voice came from behind him.
At some point, Delcrein had opened the door to the training room and stepped inside. After watching the magic Lim Dojun had cast, his conviction had only grown deeper.
That level of power.
How could a mage who had only been introduced to magic today possibly produce such results?
It was enough to make one think the term “genius of the century” was an understatement.
Lim Dojun quickly waved his hands.
“It’s not like that.”
Ice magic might give that impression, but his other spells were strictly average.
He tried to demonstrate the other spells to prevent any misunderstanding, but Delcrein raised a hand to stop him.
“Ah, I’d love to see more, but unfortunately I don’t have time. For now, please look at these first.”
What Delcrein brought were three sheets of paper.
Lim Dojun wanted to learn higher-grade Mana Control and magic.
To do that, he needed to accumulate sufficient contributions to the Blue Magic Tower. Mages without contributions were treated as parasites, so there was no way around it.
Here, Delcrein had done his best.
Using his authority as branch leader, he had pre-selected several decent missions!
“I’ve brought missions that offer good contribution points relative to difficulty. Take your pick.”
The titles and brief descriptions were written on the papers. Lim Dojun’s gaze locked onto the very last mission.
Research related to dragons?