Chapter 44: The Night of the Stars (4)
Despite the director’s cold reaction, all the VIPs present talked about it, even the elders.
"Elder Jacob, you’ve seen more than me. Do you have any thoughts on this?" Shawn asked.
"Well..." Jacob ran a hand through his white beard. "If I had to say one good thing about this boy, it’s that he can use magic of all attributes."
Shawn laughed. He understood that.
"And the bad?"
Jacob shrugged. "Everything. There’s nothing good besides that."
"Yes." Enzo sighed. "I heard that his summoned beasts are four caterpillars. The worst level. If he has no magical potential and his magic group is undefined, it will be really difficult for him to improve."
"It’s not ’really difficult,’ Elder Enzo," Jacob said mockingly. "It’s impossible."
.
The reaction of the Student Council members was even worse. They simply labeled him: Trash Lux, as expected.
But among them there was someone curious.
"I don’t understand the sustained contempt for this boy," said Gideon from one of the VIP rooms in the coliseum.
He was not alone.
Elder Owen was with him.
"It’s because everyone looks at power above all else, Gideon," Owen replied. "Robert Morris has extraordinary power, capable of subordinating his little summoning. So everyone looks at him."
Gideon shook his head. "But they don’t know how to see this boy’s potential."
Owen smiled. "Can you see it?" he asked.
Gideon looked more closely at Edward’s steady steps. "Magic, even though it has clear limits on its power defined by its rank, is useful at all times," he replied and continued.
"What does it mean that he doesn’t have a defined Magic Group? It means he has the potential to explore them all."
"He may never learn Higher-Rank Magic, but is rank E rubbish? Potentially, yes. But a cunning jack-of-all-trades and master of none is better than a master of something without intelligence."
Owen nodded. "Your analysis is correct, Gideon. I am proud to be your teacher," he said, looking more closely at Edward himself. "Look at his steps. He is the swordsman who completed the Three Wights mission in a short time."
Gideon frowned. "Was it him?" he asked.
"Indeed." Owen nodded. "It’s a bit unfortunate that he won’t be able to advance on his magical path, but his sword has charted an unpopular but precise course for him."
Gideon nodded in response. "He has potential."
Owen laughed. "As long as he stays alive. The Lux are not well-liked in this world, and people are already beginning to notice his existence."
"Well, he’ll be a valuable Secondary Recruit," said Gideon.
"Perhaps the most sought-after," replied Owen.
They both laughed at their conclusions and continued watching.
.
Edward returned to his place.
Muffled laughter reached his ears and his gaze fell upon people whispering about him.
At the end of the line, someone standing next to him moved several steps away.
No one bothered to look at him a second time.
Despite this, he kept smiling as he looked at the system before his eyes.
[Talent: Fractured Core
.]
| Rank: Currently fractured, rank is "Undetermined."
| Each summoned beast represents an independent magic node. Together they form a Fractured Magic Network.
| Fractured Magic Network: Four Independent Cores with Multiple Magics for each Specialization Group.
| You have the ability to learn magic from multiple magic nodes without collapsing.
| But be careful: Failure is common.
[Warning:
You cannot use two spells of different affinities at the same time.
Changing Magic Nodes costs additional energy and specific concentration.
Failures can cause physical and spiritual injuries.]
’This isn’t as bad as everyone thinks.’
Various magic nodes, an entire Magic Network at his disposal. Constantly evolving beasts and a powerful system for his use...
A smile spread across his lips and he clenched his fists.
Were there problems? Of course. The magical path for someone starting from the bottom will be full of problems.
’But it looks great.’
He already wanted to start learning magic. His path would not be as easy as Robert’s, but he was going to chart it himself from the bottom to the top.
At the end of the road, his talent would allow him to get to where Robert could... or surpass him.
Although the looks they gave him were completely pessimistic, he was optimistic about his future, so he faced them head-on.
The last students finished with Elizabeth, whose talent belonged to the Reinforcement Group.
Then, the principal returned to the stage and put away his notebook.
"Congratulations are unnecessary at this moment, you have all seen your potential," he began.
Strangely, his words struck too close to home for those unfortunate souls. Some couldn’t help but cry out of helplessness.
Yes... they all saw their potential.
An unfortunate potential, forgotten and ignored by the world.
Who cares about untalented Beast Masters?
They consume a lot of resources. Who is going to invest in them if they have no talent?
No one.
The director did not pity them. He turned a blind eye and continued.
"But Star Night isn’t over yet. Next comes Practical Training, which will determine your starting point in the academy."
As he finished speaking, he approached the Mother Stone and gestured with his hand to inject it with spiritual energy.
The Mother Stone shook, and a powerful energy burst forth from it and spread across the floor, creating furrows throughout the coliseum. This energy connected with the walls of the coliseum.
RUMBLE!
The tremor shook them, as several hundred humanoid puppets made of sturdy metal, red eyes, and lion-clawed hands emerged from each of the grooves.
Each one was so imposing that it struck fear into the hearts of many students, and there were hundreds of them!
Perhaps a thousand!
"You must fight them." The principal smiled, no longer standing in the center. He was flying above the coliseum. "Kill as many as you can, fight with all your strength."
"If you have magic, use it. If you don’t, use your weapons. If you don’t even know how to wield a sword, show your cunning."
"Get to know the cruel world you will face out there... firsthand, and show us the strength you are capable of reaching."