Allen paid no attention at all to the mockery and doubts around him, because in the eyes of ordinary people, not a single concentric ring had lit up on the crystal monument beneath his palm, making him look like a complete waste with no magical talent whatsoever.

  But only Allen himself knew that at the very instant his hand touched the crystal monument, a power far beyond his control had already gone out of control.

  A beam of light as thin as a strand of hair instantly pierced through this low level crystal monument and shot straight toward the depths of Radiant Magic Academy.

  Allen hurriedly pulled his hand back. He finally realized that no matter how hard he tried to suppress his magic, he simply could not control it.

  He secretly cursed himself. He had wanted to blend into the academy quietly, yet he had not expected the very nature of his talent to be so difficult to conceal.

  He forced himself to stay calm and swept his gaze around, only to see that everyone's eyes were still fixed on his awkward appearance.

  "What is this guy doing? He cannot even light up a single concentric ring, and he still dares to apply to Radiant Magic Academy?"

  "With that level of magical foundation, he probably stacked it up using some cheap and inferior magic potions, right?"

  "Overestimating yourself! Get lost already and stop holding up the people behind you for their test!"

  The young man standing in front of the crystal monument shot Allen a sideways glance. Seeing that Allen was still standing there without moving, he assumed Allen could not accept the reality of having no talent and was still reeling from the blow.

  He frowned and waved him away impatiently."Do not stand here and get in the way. Go back. You do not need to come again in the future."

  "With your aptitude, being able to step onto the path of magic at all is already pure luck, but joining Radiant Magic Academy is something that will never happen in this lifetime."

  Just as his words fell, a woman's voice suddenly came from the direction of the main gate of Radiant Magic Academy.

  "Wait a moment!"

  Everyone turned to look, only to see a woman in a long dress walking over slowly.

  Seeing who it was, the young man bowed respectfully and said,"Greetings, Elder Eleanor!"

  Eleanor gave a light nod, her gaze falling on Allen as a gentle smile curved at the corner of her lips."You must be Allen, right?"

  Allen's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself that he had not revealed his identity, so how did she know his name?

  Before he could speak, Eleanor continued,"I am Evelyn's mentor. Come with me. I will take you in as my core apprentice."

  The moment those words were spoken, the once quiet testing ground instantly erupted into a wave of incredulous exclamations.

  "My God! This kid is actually being taken in by Elder Eleanor as a core apprentice!"

  "That is a spot only people who light up more than twenty concentric rings can even dream of. He cannot even light up a single one, so why does he deserve it?"

  "He must have used connections! Otherwise, how could something this ridiculous happen? Elder Eleanor actually taking in someone with no talent at all as a core apprentice?"

  Voices of doubt and jealousy rose one after another, and everyone stared at Allen with eyes full of disbelief.

  Allen had originally thought that losing control of his talent would expose him, but he had not expected such a turn of events instead.

  He immediately put on a look of being both flattered and overwhelmed and said quickly,"Thank you, Mentor Eleanor!"

  Eleanor smiled faintly and gave Allen a small nod, signaling him to follow her. Then she turned and walked toward the interior of Radiant Magic Academy.

  As Eleanor and Allen walked into Radiant Magic Academy one after the other, the people in the testing plaza could no longer hold back. Voices of envy and jealousy rose into the air.

  "My God! What kind of luck does this kid have? I have heard that Elder Eleanor never takes apprentices lightly!"

  "Not just never lightly. Over all these years, she has only taken Evelyn as her apprentice, let alone making an exception to accept a male apprentice!"

  "Who exactly is this Allen? Could he have some connection to the academy? Or is he secretly the elder's illegitimate son?"

  Some began to speculate about Allen's identity, trying to find a reasonable explanation for such an outrageous result.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "Why does this kind of luck never come to me? I would give anything just to become an ordinary apprentice!"

  Someone let out a cry of despair, and the noise in the testing plaza took a long time to die down.

  ...

  Inside Radiant Magic Academy.

  Eleanor walked slowly in front while Allen followed closely behind, quietly observing his surroundings and memorizing the layout of the academy, as it was crucial to his future plans.

  "I do not easily take apprentices," Eleanor suddenly said.

  "All these years, I have devoted all my energy to Evelyn and have never accepted any other apprentices, not to mention a male one."

  "You saved Evelyn's life in Umbra Gorge. She is stubborn and deeply loyal by nature. If you were simply turned away from the academy, she would certainly feel that she owed you."

  "That knot in her heart would become an obstacle. I have poured my life's effort into her, so naturally I do not wish for her to be affected by such a matter, nor do I want her to be left with regrets for failing to repay a debt of gratitude."

  Eleanor continued,"However, rest assured. Since you have become my apprentice, I will treat you the same."

  "How I taught Evelyn in the past is how I will teach you in the future. Everything I have learned in my lifetime, I will pass on to you without holding anything back."

  At this point, she let out a soft sigh, and a trace of barely noticeable helplessness flickered in her eyes.

  Back at the testing plaza, she had clearly seen Allen's test. The sight of him failing to light up even a single concentric ring showed that he obviously had no magical talent.

  Taking in such an apprentice was undoubtedly a challenge for her, but for Evelyn's sake, she was willing to shoulder this responsibility.

  Allen understood and quickly said respectfully,"Thank you, Mentor Eleanor. It is just that my aptitude is dull, and I fear I may not live up to your kindness."

  "As for learning magic, there is no need for Mentor to worry too much. I can first go to the academy's Arcane Library to borrow some basic spell tomes and study on my own. If I encounter anything I do not understand, I can then ask Mentor for guidance."

  He was perfectly clear in his own mind that he did not actually want to learn any magic. He simply wanted to stay safely in the academy and quietly clean up his identity.

  Hearing this, Eleanor could not help but smile. Although the boy in front of her lacked talent, he at least had self awareness, which was rare.

  "That is fine. Steady progress is the way to build a solid foundation. But remember, on the path of magic, the greatest taboo is trying to learn too much at once. Start with the basic tomes and solidify your magical foundation. That is the key."

  "In a few days, when Evelyn has recovered from her injuries, have her take you to the academy's Arcane Library to choose some books.

  If you have any questions during your studies, you can also ask her. Her magical foundation is extremely solid and more than enough to help you resolve your doubts."

  Hearing Evelyn's name, Allen naturally showed a look of concern and asked,"Mentor, are Evelyn's injuries serious? She will be fine, right?"

  "I have already given her healing potions. In a few days, she will recover."

  ...

  In the deepest palace of Radiant Magic Academy.

  A high grade Crystal Obelisk standing within the hall suddenly flashed with a blinding light, followed by a sharp crack.

  The high grade Crystal Obelisk began to split apart inch by inch from the top, countless fractures spreading across it, until it finally collapsed into a floor full of glittering fragments.

  "A genius! A peerless genius that appears only once in ten thousand years!"

  Silas's eyes burst with blazing light as he stared fixedly at the collapsed Crystal Obelisk.

  "From ancient times to the present, no one has ever been able to cause even the slightest crack in this Crystal Obelisk.

  Yet now it has shattered outright. This means the tester's talent has already surpassed the limits of a high grade Crystal Obelisk!"

  "Elias! The new student talent testing is taking place in the front courtyard plaza!"

  Silas urged anxiously,"Hurry and have someone check! Find out who is being tested right now!"

  "No, I will go myself!" Silas had already stepped forward, his voice filled with an irresistible fervor.

  "Only I am qualified to teach such talent!"

  He hurried a few steps forward, only to find that Elias behind him was still sitting calmly in his seat.

  Silas could not help but stop, his face full of surprise."Why are you not competing with me for this one? That is not like your style. Back when we discovered Evelyn, you argued with me until we were red in the face."

  A disdainful cold smile curled at the corner of Elias's mouth."Silas, have you gone senile?"

  He pointed at the fragments of the Crystal Obelisk on the ground and said,"Who in this world could possibly have such talent? Even when the Holy Light Progenitor was alive, he could not make a high grade Crystal Obelisk shatter!"

  "I told you long ago that this Crystal Obelisk has existed for far too long. Its energy has already begun to decay."

  "I asked you to apply to the academy to replace it with a new Crystal Obelisk, but you stubbornly refused to listen."

  Elias's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Silas's head.

  Silas froze for a moment, then in annoyance he slapped the back of his own head. The fervor on his face faded instantly, replaced by deep disappointment.

  "So that is why there could be such heaven defying talent. I was too impatient. The Holy Light Progenitor was the most gifted existence our people have seen in ten thousand years."

  "Even he could only make a high grade Crystal Obelisk fully light up. It was impossible for him to shatter it."

  At the mention of the Holy Light Progenitor, both elders' expressions turned solemn and sorrowful.

  Silas slowly walked back to his chair. After sitting down, he let out a heavy sigh.

  "What a pity. Since the Holy Light Progenitor died in the great war a thousand years ago, we have never produced another figure of such astonishing brilliance."

  "If not for that brutal war a thousand years ago, our human race would surely still be continuing its former prosperity, and magical civilization would not have stagnated."

  Elias's voice carried grief and anger."That damned Demon King! For the Demon Tribe to give birth to such a terrifying existence."

  "He personally slew the Holy Light Progenitor!"

  "Sadly, even if we exhaust our entire lives, we will never reach the level of the Holy Light Progenitor or that Demon King."

  After a long moment of reflection, Silas suddenly frowned and asked with a hint of confusion,"But after the Demon King killed the Holy Light Progenitor a thousand years ago, what exactly did those few words he left behind mean?"

  "I personally witnessed that final battle back then, and I clearly heard the Demon King say that the Holy Light Progenitor was not human, but the source of calamity that would overturn the balance of this world!"

  Elias curled his lips in disdain."How many times have I told you, back then you were just an apprentice.

  Witnessing such a brutal scene, it is perfectly normal for your mind to be shaken and for you to have hallucinations. How can you still take it seriously?"