Chapter 721 - 450: Protagonist 2

Chapter 721: Chapter 450: Protagonist 2

Michelle hurried over and stood at the end of the line.

"Another one? Where are your parents? Go fill out a form first," the young Mage said.

Michelle’s mother frantically rushed to the registration desk to fill out the form, but the village chief had already filled it out for her. She just needed to sign it.

"This is the last one, right?" the Mage asked, looking at the village chief. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

"Yes, he’s the last one."

"Then let’s begin."

The young Mage sat up straight, picked up the Magic Staff beside him, and gave it a gentle wave. The crystal-clear Crystal Ball lit up with a burst of light, drawing gasps of amazement from the crowd. Even in Rose Village, which was very close to the city, Magic was not something one saw every day.

"First one. Come on, place your hand on the Test Ball, close your eyes, and concentrate."

The first child tremblingly placed his small hand on the Crystal Ball and closed his eyes.

The Crystal Ball’s light remained unchanged. After a few seconds, the young Mage shook his head. "No talent. Next."

The first child burst into tears on the spot and was carried away by his parents from the crowd.

The young Mage was already used to such scenes and called the second child forward for the test.

"No talent. Next..."

"No talent. Next one..."

"Next..."

Michelle was drenched in sweat, feeling like he was about to suffocate.

Six children in a row had been tested with no talent found. This was actually quite normal; talent was an incredibly rare thing. Only about one in a hundred people possessed even a Low-Level Magic Talent.

Of course, this didn’t mean one couldn’t become a Mage without talent. It was possible to master Magic through diligent study, but having talent made the process far more efficient. Some genius Mages were even born with special gifts, like an Elemental Affinity Constitution, which automatically doubled the power of their Elemental Magic. Any one of their Skills could crush a Mage who relied on hard work alone.

Everyone knew that for a Mage, talent was everything. To be declared as having no magic talent was essentially the end of any hope of becoming a Mage.

When the seventh child was also declared to have no talent, Michelle was completely soaked in sweat. It was his turn next.

He took a deep breath, placed his hand on the Crystal, and felt his heart pound wildly. His stomach clenched, and a wave of intense nausea washed over him—all symptoms of extreme nervousness. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to concentrate.

"Hm?" The young Mage suddenly let out a sound of surprise.

At the same time, a gasp like a tidal wave came from all around him.

Michelle’s heart skipped a beat. He opened his eyes to see the Crystal Ball glowing with a brilliant light, as dazzling and spectacular as a sparkling jewel.

"Magic talent... Lev-Level 10!" The young Mage shot to his feet, his eyes wide as he announced the result in disbelief.

That was the highest-grade Magic Talent!!!

Michelle was in a daze, feeling as if he were dreaming.

’Level 10 Talent?’

·

Soon, Michelle received an acceptance letter from the Magic Academy.

He said goodbye to his parents and his friends, and followed the young Mage to the Magic Academy he had so long yearned to attend.

As a country boy, he was targeted by many students as soon as he enrolled. He didn’t reveal his Level 10 Talent, choosing instead to endure it while dedicating himself wholeheartedly to studying Magic and improving his abilities.

Before long, Michelle discovered his own innate gift—a photographic memory!

He had a peculiar memory for magical knowledge. After a period of training, he achieved a truly photographic memory. While other new students were still learning the fundamentals, he had already begun to construct magic. By the time they started learning to construct magic, he could already skillfully cast Basic Magic, reaching a level many upperclassmen had yet to achieve.

It was around this time that he ran into bullies again. The students who looked down on him for his country background came looking for trouble.

Having lost all their money on a bet, they decided to extort Michelle and steal his living expenses.

This time, Michelle didn’t hold back. He used Magic to teach them a lesson, beating them until they howled in pain. He thoroughly vented his frustration and, in doing so, became the center of attention in front of everyone.

Who would have thought a kid from the countryside could actually cast Magic?

The injured students were indignant. One of them got his older brother, an upperclassman, to teach Michelle a lesson. However, the supposedly gifted brother ended up being schooled by Michelle instead, becoming a laughingstock. Not only did their little scheme backfire and cause them to lose face, but it also boosted Michelle’s reputation, allowing him to show off in a big way.

A new student, enrolled for less than half a year, could cast Magic and had even defeated an upperclassman. When the news spread, it immediately caught the attention of the faculty, and several senior professors fought tooth and nail to become Michelle’s mentor.

In the end, Michelle chose a young, sexy female teacher—not because he was a pervert, but because he felt she was a better fit for him and could guide him further down the path of Magic.

A period of peace followed his choice of mentor, but undercurrents stirred beneath the calm surface.

New students versus upperclassmen. City dwellers versus country folk. Even in a Magic Academy renowned for its scholarship and culture, such divisions were inevitable. Friction often flared up between these groups, creating a tense atmosphere. As a rising star, Michelle naturally became the leader of the new students from the countryside, and soon even upperclassmen from similar backgrounds began to rally around him.

Later, in the mid-year Magic assessment, Michelle took first place among the new students. In the subsequent Magic competition, he overwhelmingly defeated the upperclassmen, earning the title of the best new student in recent years.

Time flew by, and another half a year passed. At the year-end assembly, the dean of the Magic Academy gave a speech, making sure to single out Michelle for praise.

"Michelle, your performance this semester has been flawless. You are a future star of Magic. I hope you will always remember the spirit of a Mage."

With a serious expression, the dean told him gravely:

"—Inquiry and sacrifice."

Michelle nodded, not fully understanding.

’I know what inquiry means, but sacrifice...’

·

「Three years later.」

At fourteen, Michelle was already an Intermediate Mage, just one step away from becoming an Advanced Mage.

He was now one of the most famous Mages of the new generation at the Magic Academy. Not only was he exceptionally talented and powerful, but he also stumbled into one fortuitous encounter after another:

Whenever he went traveling, he would always find priceless natural treasures. A random stone he kicked would turn out to be hidden ancient Divine Gold. A stray dog he picked up would have the bloodline of an Ancient Beast. At an auction, a piece of junk no one else wanted turned out to be an ancient Magic Relic. In the Library, he could pull out any book and discover a lost spell tucked between its pages...

And his romantic encounters were endless:

His talent drew attention, and after saving a beauty in distress, he won the heart of a fiery, mature woman. His gentle and considerate nature, displayed while saving another beauty in distress, won him the heart of a tsundere girl. He kindly rescued a beggar girl on the roadside, only to discover she was the heir to a great clan; after helping her get her revenge, he won the heart of the fallen noble lady. His mysterious and sexy teacher turned out to be a once-famous Magic Master who had regressed in power after being seriously injured in battle. To escape her enemies, she had to change her name and appearance. He helped his teacher recover her strength, gradually earning her affection, and was well on his way to winning her heart as well...

With several girls flocking around him—the fiery, mature woman; the tsundere girl; the energetic girl; the sexy teacher; the fallen noble lady—he had a whole harem, making everyone around him burn with envy.

"It’s just like being the protagonist of a Long Aotian novel..."

That night, unable to sleep, Michelle lay in bed reflecting on his experiences and let out a sigh.

But he soon sensed something was wrong, his brow furrowing slightly.

’What is a Long Aotian novel? What am I even snarking about? And why am I snarking?’

However, he quickly pushed the confusion to the back of his mind, and it dissipated like a puff of smoke.

Everything was normal again.