Chapter 262: Success and Talent Testing

A chant that lasted nearly half a magic hour drained all of ShaoKe's mana, and if not for everything concluding at the last moment, he would have been forced to overdraw power from his Meditation space to complete the Spell. That would not only weaken the effect but also cause his Meditation space to atrophy.

Though he nearly failed due to the interruption of the spell, ShaoKe did not regret using Ancient Magic Script for the incantation, as it enhanced the space's capabilities to a certain extent. This enhancement was three to four times greater than what would have been achieved with Ancient Magic Tongue.

When it was all over, ShaoKe sat down on the ground to begin meditating and recovering. After half a magic hour of restoration, he stood up to continue his work.

To prevent any accidents, he once again took out the scroll recording the procedure and familiarized himself with the specific steps. According to the notes, the next step still required him to chant spells, but this time without needing to use a special language; simple modern magical language would suffice. Thus, he was not worried about failure due to prolonged chanting.

After confirming the procedure again, ShaoKe began his chanting. Before that, however, he wanted to put away the giant cauldron, but unfortunately, he found that it had fused with the floor under the influence of the Ancient Magic Script. He smiled wryly and left it there, as nothing important occupied that spot.

The chant, formed in simple language, flowed from ShaoKe. Dim space, gleaming streaks of silver on the walls, a mysterious mage, and the greenish flames—all seemed eerie and peculiar. As the spell progressed, the entire space began to tremble slightly. With the tremor subsiding, strange items emerged from the floor, walls, and ceiling: a writing desk, a high-back chair, a candelabrum, a wardrobe, a large stone table of yet unknown use, some pools, and various reliefs ShaoKe had seen on Earth.

These stone furnishings, predetermined when he drew the magic array, appeared exquisite under the magic's influence. Even the tiny candelabrum on the walls was decorated with countless patterns and beasts.

The chanting lasted nearly half a magic hour before the transformation stopped. By then, ShaoKe had consumed only a small amount of his mana and mental energy. With this done, the three-layer laboratory was only half complete. He hesitated about whether to proceed with the remaining work, as it was prone to failure. If he failed even once, he would no longer have enough materials for another attempt.

After much deliberation, ShaoKe decided to pause his work. He planned to spend another three to five years familiarizing himself with the later steps. For now, his most urgent task was to comprehend the magical fluctuations generated during his Spellcasting and other insights, recording them in text for permanent preservation.

This process of recording insights took over ten days. Since many insights could not be expressed in words, he tried to simulate the original fluctuations with his mental energy and mana, sealing them within those magic scripts. Although such simulation could be flawed, it was the best way to describe them.

Life returned to tranquility. ShaoKe spent nearly half a year in busy but fulfilling days. When his stored food ran out, he packed up and headed to the town to buy supplies to take back to his wooden cabin at the foot of the mountain. As previously mentioned, with the arrival of the blizzard, the female mage Roman would come to the town for a brief and sweet reunion with ShaoKe.

Whether the mage's reappearance in the town was a good thing for the residents was uncertain. After purchasing enough food, ShaoKe went to the military camp to seek assistance from the highest-ranking officer. The officer was happy to oblige, as it benefited him.

Upon learning of ShaoKe's visit, the officer quickly welcomed him. ShaoKe, however, only spoke with him inside the camp. After explaining his purpose, the officer ordered some soldiers to help the mage, while he himself remained nervously and excitedly by the mage's side, awaiting further instructions.

It didn't take long for the soldiers to return excitedly, followed by dozens of adult town residents. The residents respectfully gave the mage a crude, untrained salute, then stood aside nervously, holding children in their arms, waiting for the mage's next steps.

Scanning the children before him, ShaoKe began by calling forward those who were five or six years old, testing their talent. Although these children had already been tested, ShaoKe tested them again each year, as some talents might manifest later.

The transparent crystal ball emitted white light, showing little change in most children. ShaoKe then patiently touched each child with his hands, checking for talent in training Aura. The earlier test was for magical talent.

This time, ShaoKe was fortunate: a six-year-old girl was found to have talent for training Aura. Delighted, he informed the officer and the child's parents, asking them to decide whether to allow the girl to train in Aura and learn basic literacy under the officer.

The parents agreed without hesitation. Although they couldn't study the mysterious spells, training in Aura was still good. If she joined the army later, she wouldn't have to start from the lowest rank, as a warrior was far more powerful than an ordinary soldier, with better life security—though all this was speculation, as they didn't truly understand the warrior's harsher fate.

As the tests continued, no more children from the previous year's tests displayed new talents. Disappointed, ShaoKe turned his hopes to the infants born that year. Among them, he might find some promise, though based on past experience, he knew the chances were slim.

The last infant, a month-old infant, was carefully held by her mother. When ShaoKe's crystal ball touched the baby, the soft white light suddenly turned silver, then deep purple—a change that excited ShaoKe. After over a decade in the town, he had finally found an infant with the potential to become a Spellcaster.

The crystal ball's unprecedented change caused a stir among the residents. Fortunately, seeing no other changes in the mage, the commotion subsided. The mother, however, looked terrified of ShaoKe, leaning weakly against her husband.

ShaoKe did not conduct a more detailed test. Instead, he comforted the mother briefly and continued his work. But no further discoveries were made. Helplessly, he sighed, then said to the mother, "Your child has the potential to become a mage. Under these circumstances, are you willing to entrust her to me for upbringing?" He looked at the seemingly young mother with some nervousness, hoping she would agree.

"Respected... sir," the father said nervously, lowering his head. "If the child is given to you, will she definitely become a great mage like you?" He hugged his wife tightly and bowed his head deeper, as if to avoid embarrassment.

"She will become a spellcaster. She might become someone like me, or she might not," ShaoKe explained calmly. "But she will definitely become a well-educated person." He added, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A girl. But... must we take her away now?" The mother blushed, asking ShaoKe, momentarily forgetting her fear of the mage for the sake of her child. Then she quickly lowered her head, looking nervously at the infant in her arms.

"Yes. If you are unwilling, I will leave a letter for you. When the child is five, you can have the officer send her to an academy, where she will receive a good education without paying a single silver coin." ShaoKe explained patiently, then added, "You may consider for a few days." After that, he instructed the officer to negotiate with the parents of the girl with Aura talent.

The outcome was good. Since the girl's education would still be in the town, her parents quickly agreed. As for the mother of the child with magical talent, after discussing with her husband and considering the child's future, she also agreed to ShaoKe's request. However, she hoped to be able to see her child occasionally in the future. ShaoKe firmly refused, as he could not guarantee that he would have time to bring the infant to visit her parents regularly.