Chapter 322: Serie's Clumsy Apprentices
Who wouldn't want to become the disciple of the legendary great elven mage?
Not to mention that the other party also has the legendary god-slayer Kurtz by her side, so it's not impossible to get guidance from him.
Besides, who knows, with a bit of luck, we might discover the secret to how this god-slayer has survived to this day?
So a large group of mages of different races, who considered themselves exceptionally talented, went to the Magic Association in an attempt to gain Serie's approval.
Among them were quite a few veteran mages. Although it was somewhat shameful for them to compete with these young mages for the secret of immortality magic, it was impossible for them not to be tempted.
"Unqualified!"
The elf sat cross-legged on her own large chair, with a mountain of magic books behind her. She rested her chin on one hand and spoke to the mage in front of her, who was retreating in fright.
She revealed only a slight hint of her magic and majesty, yet she frightened these magicians into retreating; it was truly unbearable to watch.
"Unqualified!"
After seeing off another mage, Serie waved for the next mage to enter.
"Unqualified!"
"Unqualified!"
Serie is now starting to wonder if it's because Flamme and Ayla didn't carefully screen her candidates.
Logically speaking, the mages who could walk up to them had all been screened and tested by these two, and their talent and strength should have been guaranteed to a certain extent, but why did they all perform so poorly?
She had only casually revealed a little bit of her magical power and aura, yet it had frightened them so much that they had retreated one after another, and some had even collapsed to the ground. They had truly disgraced the magicians.
What Serie didn't know was that now that she had touched the threshold of demigodhood, the magical aura around her was naturally beginning to change, and she had begun to reveal that unique divine pressure. How could an ordinary mage possibly remain calm under such pressure? Even second-level mages may find it difficult.
Left with no other choice, Serie had to lower her selection criteria one after another, while also toning down her magical inhibitions somewhat.
Ultimately, after several rounds of rigorous selection, five lucky individuals were chosen.
Three of them were humans, one man and two women, and the other two were elves, including the elf girl that Serie had originally planned to meet. Without exception, they were all relatively young.
As for those veteran mages, although they performed admirably under Serie's magical pressure, Serie had no intention of taking them as apprentices. In fact, she even suspected that these people weren't after her teachings.
Among these five mages, a human boy named Evan has a natural affinity for elemental magic and can cast high-level elemental magic at the age of seventeen. The others have also reached the threshold of becoming second-level mages.
To have such strength at such a young age is, in the eyes of ordinary people, a genius that is one in ten thousand.
However, in Serie's eyes, their talent was only considered decent.
She remembered that when Flamme was seventeen, she had already stepped into the threshold of a first-level mage. Although her combat ability was a bit lacking, it was not a big deal.
However, Serie also knew that Flamme was a genius, rare even once in a millennium, and that with the dual guidance of both her and Kurtz, she could not be compared with these people.
Serie didn't treat these apprentices with a perfunctory attitude; instead, she devoted herself to teaching them with all her might.
Therefore, Serie's merciless criticism could be heard from time to time on the training field. Her voice cut through the air like a blade, leaving no room for excuses.
When she was teaching Flamme, her teaching methods were rigorous, almost nitpicky, and she would not let go of any small mistake.
These mages were often exhausted from the ordeal, and running out of magic power was a common occurrence.
Even more tragically, unlike Flamme, they lacked Kurtz's comfort and could only endure it all in silence.
However, it is undeniable that under such high pressure, the five mages progressed at a rate far exceeding their own and everyone else's expectations.
Their control over magic and their understanding of the nature of magic are improving at a visible rate.
Although Serie was strict to the point of harshness, her guidance was unreserved and incisive, revealing bottlenecks and shortcomings they themselves had not even noticed.
Occasionally, Kurtz would come down from his laboratory, which was filled with research materials, and watch Serie instruct her students. He observed in silence, noting the care beneath her severity.
Although Serie appears very strict, her inherent gentleness cannot be concealed; she fulfills her responsibilities as a teacher in her own unique way.
...
As night fell and the day's hustle and bustle subsided, Serie returned to her and Kurtz's small room and sat somewhat sullenly on a small chair.
"Did you make someone cry again today?" Kurtz handed Serie a cup of herbal tea with a calming floral scent, his tone teasing.
Seeing the other person's unhappy expression, Kurtz immediately guessed that it was probably some foolish apprentice who had upset his elf lady again.
Serie took the teacup and snorted softly, "It was that human girl named Luna. Her mental fortitude is too weak. All she had to do was keep the magic circle running while maintaining two auxiliary magic circles, and she panicked and almost lost control of her magic. I just scolded her a few times, and she burst into tears. Hmphf, such a crybaby."
She took a sip of tea, as if remembering something, her golden eyes suddenly brightening in the moonlight. "However, that kid Evan did manage to complete a new high-level spell on his own today, but it's barely passable."
Kurtz listened to her report, which seemed to be a complaint but actually contained a hint of approval, and comforted her with a smile: "They are not very old, so it is best to have a proper balance between work and rest. Don't put too much pressure on them."
"Hmph..."
The elf snorted; it was unclear whether she had taken Kurtz's words to heart. She set down her teacup carefully. "What about your research?" Serie looked directly at Kurtz. "That...project, any progress?"
She didn't directly say the words "born child," because that would be too obvious, and it would make it seem like she really wanted to have children with this man.
She'd feel embarrassed.
Kurtz walked to the edge of the windowsill, looked down at the city lights below, and said, "The fusion of the life formula is more complex than we imagined, involving rejection at the genetic level. However, we have found several possible breakthroughs and are verifying them one by one."
He turned to face her, his expression calm and patient. "It's alright, time is on our side."
Serie walked to his side, stood beside him, and looked at the same starry sky. Softly, she hummed in agreement, her voice barely audible beneath the gentle night breeze.
[End of Chapter]
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