Chapter 19: Talent and Genius?
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On the way from the place where Sayru had received his spiritual revelation, he, Inanova, and Mimin began their journey toward the capital.
Along the road, something struck Sayru—something he hadn't considered before, but now realized he sorely needed.
It was levitation—an ability used by eighth-star mages.
Levitation is a trait gained when a mage ascends to the eighth star, a symbol of one's rise from the earth and their first step toward challenging the heavens.
A simple trait, in truth…
It is a skill that allows you to fly or remain airborne without touching the ground, achievable through two primary means.
The first method is through the element of air. With instinctive control over it, one can eventually learn to levitate and fly after some training.
The second, and more difficult method…
Is through the element of darkness or earth, where one creates a thin field of anti-gravity around their body.
Ultimately, the choice depends on innate talent. Most mages, for instance, have at least some natural affinity for the air element.
But if you are more attuned to earth or darkness, then your path lies in the element you resonate with the most.
"Sire, what exactly do you mean by 'Laws'?" Inanova asked.
Sayru looked at her in silence, then replied coolly,
"Tell me, you're not my disciple—so why should I teach you?"
Ananova couldn't find a response.
She understood… no, she knew that Sayru harbored resentment toward her.
Thus, the only way she could earn the right to learn from him was by becoming his disciple through the terms of the contract that bound them.
"…I'm sorry," she murmured with sadness.
"…Regardless," she added, "though I haven't fully mastered the basics, I can still use the Law of Air to fly us toward the capital."
Sayru closed his eyes, taking in the air around him.
"Heh… I haven't lost my touch. That's good."
The wind responded to his guidance, lifting him off the ground until he appeared to be floating.
"Come," he said, extending his hand toward Inanova.
Her face lit up with joy, and she threw herself into his arms.
"Tsk… Let's go."
'Wait! You think you can just leave after lying to me? Stop right there!' Mimin's voice echoed in his mind.
As a spirit, Mimin didn't need levitation—she naturally floated beside them.
'I might just stop cooking your favorite sweets…'
She entered his mental sea and said,
'S-Sorry…'
...
A few hours later…
The two arrived at the Imperial Capital—the City of Magic!
⟦Magic Capital · Year 1166 of the Unification Era⟧
One of the largest cities in the continent of Nevesh—the Magic Capital.
It stood as the heart of the Great Magic Empire.
The city had become famous over the ages for many things, chief among them being the Imperial Palace at its center, home to the Imperial Family.
But that wasn't all.
There existed another entity within the capital, one that held authority equal to the Imperial Family itself…
The Academy of Magic and Martial Arts.
Sayru's true destination in coming to the capital.
"Tsk… Do I have to go through the gate inspection again?
Well, I've got no choice. The capital's defensive arrays aren't something I can mess with in my current state."
Sayru sighed, gently setting Ananova down before they headed toward the designated entry path for cultivators.
He suppressed his overwhelming spiritual pressure, concealing his true power to appear as someone at the Fourth Star level.
As he approached the gate, a guard—his aura openly revealing him to be at the peak of the Third Star—stepped forward and stopped him.
"Name, age, and cultivation?" the guard asked, even though the last was obvious.
"Haaah… Sayru. Twenty-seven years old. Peak Fourth Star."
The guard didn't believe him. "I'll have to verify your age," he said firmly.
"Trust me, you won't be able to tell my age from my bones or even from my spiritual domain," Sayru replied calmly.
The guard, feeling provoked, snapped back.
"You think I'm that weak? At the very least, I can sense when your spiritual core was formed—and from there, I'll know if you're just some old man in disguise!"
Sayru smirked and lowered part of his defenses, allowing the guard to scan him.
"Wha…? Just one year? You formed your spiritual core just a year ago and already reached the Fourth Star?
That's insane training speed!!"
The guard stood frozen in shock.
To leap from the First Star to the Fourth in just a year was unheard of—even in the Magic Empire.
Sayru could now be considered among the most talented prodigies of the current generation.
At least, that's what people would think.
Because Sayru's real age wasn't twenty-seven.
In the world of Nevesh, there was a rule no human could avoid—one couldn't fuse with a spiritual essence before reaching twelve years of age.
Due to how slow a spiritual essence transforms into a spiritual core—combined with the scarce mana of this world—even if your talent defied the heavens, it would still take 5 to 8 years to reach the First Star. That is, if you were a genius with ample resources.
Let's say a rich prodigy fused with an essence at age twelve and managed to reach the First Star six years later—he'd be an eighteen-year-old martial artist with one star.
Even such a prodigy would then need at least 2 to 10 more years to reach the Second Star, and so on…
Meaning, by the time such a genius reached the Fourth Star, he'd be around twenty-five or twenty-six.
But that kind of prodigy had been training for ten years, not one—which was precisely why the guard now stood stunned, trembling.
Who says math isn't useful in life?
"S-Sir… May I see your identification card?"
Sayru pulled out the card he had received from Cloud City.
"I only have a temporary ID. I assume that's acceptable?" he said proudly as he handed it over.
"O-Of course, young master! I wouldn't dare disrespect you!!"
'Sayru, why did you give him that card? They'll know you're from Cloud City.'
'Don't worry. I have a very good reason for that~!'