Chapter 3 (1/2)

Chapter 3: Talent

Translator: Yukidaruma Translations  Editor: Yukidaruma Translations

At the very end, the Old Granny clapped her hands. Seeing that she was the focus of everyone’s looks, her face broke into a proud smile.

Those who knew the Old Granny well would be able to tell that she probably had an announcement to make, and one which pleased her at that.

The Old Granny tried to hold in her smile as she said, “Xingchen’s test results are out.”

The jobs that humans could choose were divided into two big categories. One of them was the most common Warrior job, which was available to everyone.

The other one, Mage, was only for those with psychokinesis abilities. Generally, only one in ten thousand would meet the requirements for becoming a Mage.

If one was to state the difference between the Mage and the Warrior, it would be as vast as the difference between a Warrior who had already undergone the second job transition and one who had undergone the first job transition; or a Warrior who had gone through the third job transition and one who had only gone through the second job transition. The Mage was akin to a killing machine, born to be above all living creatures.

Fang Xingjian, naturally, had gone through the same test long ago, when he had been young. It was too bad that he did not have the necessary talent to become a Mage.

Hearing that Fang Xingchen’s test results were out, and looking at the Old Granny’s expression, everyone was feeling circumspect.

The Mage proficiency examination ran a detailed test on the subject’s mental status, physical status, aptitude in psychokinesis and many other factors. The results of the test would obviously decide whether the subject had the potential to become a Mage or not.

Following everyone’s gaze, the Old Granny smiled as she looked at Fang Xingchen and said, “Seems that there’s going to be a Mage in our Fang Clan. The results of the test state that Xingchen has the aptitude to become a Red Robed Mage.”

“How… How is that possible?” Seeing this, second aunt’s face turned extremely pale. She knew that there was no way she would have the same standing as third aunt anymore.

Third aunt cried out, “Hahahaha, Red Robed! The talent to become a Red Robed Mage! My son is a Red Robed Mage!”

“Mage?” After being stunned for a while, third uncle said in a daze, “My son has the talent to become a Mage? My son is going to be a Mage! I am going to be the father of a Mage! Hahahahaha!”

The Old Granny looked at the dazed Fang Xingchen, who did not know what to do, then she smiled and said, “Xingchen, Granny has already registered you with the Mage Association. You’ll have to work hard to pick up Mage skills in the future.”

The whole scene was a mess, with gazes ranging from envy and jealousy to excitement, all directed towards Fang Xingchen. All of it made him the absolute star of the moment.

A look of yearning hung on Fang Xingjian’s face, but it eventually faded away, as he headed out of the hall.

“Young Master has the talent to become a Mage!”

“Did you hear? The tests showed that Young Master has the aptitude to become a Mage!”

“Is that the truth? Seems like our Fang Clan will finally have the chance to shine again, amongst the Five Great Clans.”

Walking along the long corridor, Fang Xingjian kept hearing the servants’ chattering. In but a moment, the news of Fang Xingchen having the talent to be a Mage had spread throughout the whole mansion.

There were also those who smirked when seeing Fang Xingjian.

The Old Granny had always doted on Fang Xingchen. Now that his aptitude to become a Mage had been revealed, Fang Xingjian, to whom the Old Granny had not taken a liking, would now lead a life even worse than usual.

Fang Xingjian was feeling a very complicated swirl of contrary emotions. Although he felt happy that his younger brother had the talent to become a Mage, and happy for the prosperity that the Fang Clan would gain with this, he also felt a mixture of bitterness, jealousy, and envy.

‘Why… Why was I not the one with the talent?

‘If I were the talented one, then grandmother would like me too, right?’

Fang Xingjian, in a stupor, unknowingly walked into a bamboo forest courtyard. He could no longer see any servants in the vicinity as if he had entered another world altogether.

Soon after, he heard a lament.

“Ten~~years, ~~dead~~and~~living~~dim~~and~~draw~~apart~~”[1]

Hearing the lament, Fang Xingjian felt a surging feeling of loneliness and chilliness in his heart, as if all of his blood was going to freeze, and his life would forever turn dim and gloomy.

However, he was someone who had attained full experience for level 9 after all, and he was going to undertake the first job transition any time now. Given his developed physical attribute, he reacted right away and turned his head towards the direction of the strange lament. He saw a man in black standing ten meters away from him.

The man in black seemed very blurry, and the spot where he was standing seemed to be shrouded in a layer of black mist as if he was an envoy from hell.

“Who are you? How dare you break into the Fang Residence?”

Fang Xingjian immediately realized that the other party was not a character who a low-level Warrior not even past his first job transition could deal with. This was why he had hollered, in a bid to alert the other people in the mansion.

Who would have thought that right after he said that, the man in black would turn and point towards him? In the next moment, purple flames started leaping towards Fang Xingjian. Then he only felt the flaring purple flames engulfing him, as he cried out in agony.

“Argh!!”

“Young Master, Young Master?”

Fang Xingjian opened his eyes and noticed a servant standing in front of him and calling him.

The bamboo forest was still in front of his eyes, but there was no man in black in the courtyard. It was as if everything that happened had been an illusion.

He looked at the servant in front of him and asked, “Did you see that man in black? Did you see purple flames?”

“What man in black and purple flames? Young Master, you’ve only been standing here all along.” The servant was stunned for a moment as he looked at him in astonishment, then said, “Old Ancestress has asked me to summon you to the ancestral hall.”

‘Illusion?’ Fang Xingjian shook his head, still unable to figure out what had just happened. He could only put it aside for now.

He replied, “Grandmother asked me to go to the ancestral hall? Got it, I’ll go right now.”