Chapter Sixty-Three: Guidance

Lando strolled leisurely through the research division. Now that he had access to the Odo Laboratory, all its public facilities were open to him, and he no longer had to worry about being chased out as he wandered.

He unfolded the report on his talent assessment. Overall, it didn't differ much from the system's evaluation; in fact, the system was even more straightforward.

Suddenly, a particular line caught Lando's attention.

"Elemental affinity: provides significant boosts in the second stage and benefits the elemental school well. Overall potential: average."

"Average development potential?"

He considered that this was merely a blue-level talent and didn't quite mesh with the Silver Tower school. It seemed a reasonable judgment.

Then came the evaluation of another talent.

"Sparks of Wisdom: one of the talents coveted by arcanists, compatible with any school. Worthy of extensive mastery and development by its bearer. If upgraded to the Flame of Wisdom category, achievements may be limitless. Overall potential: exceptional."

"Mastery and development? Upgrade?!"

For a moment, Lando felt as if struck by lightning. Perhaps because he had acquired his talents so easily, he had never considered delving deeper into their mastery and development. He recalled that he had received many duplicate talents in the past, but the soul essence required to condense them varied—a clear indication he had somehow overlooked.

"Indeed, although most talents are innate, diligent effort is just as crucial. It seems I have underestimated this world."

Since the evaluation stated, "If upgraded to the Flame of Wisdom category, achievements may be limitless," it meant someone had managed such a feat before. If he could elevate his purple-level extreme talent, 'Prodigy (Purple),' to a higher tier, could he break the limits of his soul talents? Or, if he couldn't find a talent like 'Prodigy (Purple)' but of higher grade in the future, could he achieve the same effect by developing and upgrading lower-level talents?

Suddenly, Lando felt the road ahead had grown much wider.

……

The next day, Lando rose early and followed the map to Odo's laboratory. Upon entering, he found Odo casually flipping through a book.

Seeing Lando arrive, Odo made the book disappear and greeted him with a smile, "You're here early!"

Lando stepped forward respectfully. "Good morning, Mentor!"

"Mm!"

Normally, he should have waited for Odo to speak first, but Lando couldn't suppress his curiosity. He cautiously asked, "Mentor, may I ask a question?"

"Don't be nervous. There aren't many rules here—ask whatever you wish, so long as it's not a personal matter," Odo laughed.

The gentle humor eased Lando's tension. He asked, "Yesterday's talent assessment mentioned that talents can be upgraded. I want to know, how can my talent—my Sparks of Wisdom—be upgraded?"

"I thought you'd ask that. Unfortunately, I can't answer it. For talents like elemental affinity, many schools have researched them, and there are effective training methods. But Sparks of Wisdom is different. This talent is exceedingly rare, and wisdom itself is elusive. The Empire once invested heavily in researching it, but the results were disappointing. So, if you want to upgrade Sparks of Wisdom, you'll have to rely on yourself."

"Ah, I see. If the Empire couldn't find a way, what hope do I have?" Lando replied, somewhat discouraged. Must he rely on the system after all?

"Although there are no specialized paths for improvement, there are general methods. For everyone, their talent is their most prominent strength. So, through continuous use and training, you can enhance it."

"Use and training?" Lando murmured to himself.

"Enough about talents; that's up to you. Now, learn how to become an outstanding arcanist." Odo interrupted Lando's contemplation. "Before I teach you, answer me one question."

Lando snapped to attention, ready to listen.

Odo nodded with satisfaction and asked seriously, "In your opinion, what is most important for an arcanist?"

Lando pondered for a moment and answered, "Knowledge."

Odo's expression froze for a barely perceptible moment, then said, "Excellent. It seems you have a deep understanding of arcanists. With this insight, your achievements will not be small."

"There are many schools of arcanists, but they are divided into ancient and modern schools. Our Silver Tower is one of the representatives of the modern school."

"Compared to the ancient school, the new schools have significant advantages. For example, at Silver Tower, we don't need to learn and record numerous arcane templates. With mastery of a limited number of arcanes—even just manipulation skills—we can accomplish things previous arcanists couldn't."

As he spoke, a cluster of elements appeared in Odo's hand. With careful decomposition and construction, the elements formed individual components, then combined into a palm-sized cannon barrel. To ensure Lando could see clearly, the process was deliberately slow.

In the distance, dozens of targets appeared. A burst of elemental energy shot from the barrel, striking and shattering one target.

"So, in what aspect does knowledge show its importance?"

Without waiting for Lando's answer, Odo disassembled the barrel into countless parts. The pieces changed in midair, then reassembled into a barrel that looked identical to the previous one.

A beam of elemental energy fired from it, splitting all the targets neatly in two.

"And is that all?"

Once again, the process of disassembly, transformation, and reassembly repeated. The barrel looked exactly the same, but this time, an invisible wave emanated from it. In an instant, all distant targets dissolved into minuscule particles invisible to the naked eye.

"For all three attacks, I used equal amounts of elemental energy."

Lando had suspected as much, yet the demonstration was deeply astonishing.

"Our arcane furnace seems to offer endless energy, but as its users, we are ultimately limited. Don't be deceived by appearances: only knowledge is the lever that moves everything, making you omnipotent!"

At that moment, those words branded themselves deeply in Lando's mind.

"Alright, that's enough exploration of knowledge for today. Let's return to the concrete advancement as an arcanist. You should have already forged a standard arcane furnace, correct?"

"Yes, Mentor."

"Good. Your progress is impressive. Next, you must forge your Elemental Body. I have three options for you, each of which will shape your future. Take this seriously."

"Yes!"

PS: Someone called my writing short?! I can't let that slide. I'm shutting off my phone, canceling all afternoon plans, and focusing solely on writing. Wait for it—there's more coming today!