Old White had mediocre talent. When he first formed his magic seed, the elemental ripple he triggered was even weaker than Mason's.
It took him decades just to barely reach Tier 2 as a mage, and even then, he was forever stuck there, limited by his innate talent.
In the end, he accepted reality, took a stable job as the Magic Tower's administrator, earned a decent income, and planned to live out the rest of his life in peace.
That's why, in his eyes, Mason—who had failed four times to advance—was laughable and not worthy of sympathy. His mockery of Mason felt completely justified.
But now, Mason stood before him as a Tier 4 mage.
No matter how hard Old White tried to deny it, that Tier 4 magical aura was impossible to fake.
He didn't particularly like Mason, but he knew the dwarf wouldn't go so far as to buy a potion that mimicked Tier 4 aura just to show off in front of him.
Yet, someone who had failed four times actually succeeded in advancing—such cases were rare even in the long history of the magical world.
So when Mason casually mentioned that the flower in his hands could enhance a mage's meditation efficiency, Old White's mind momentarily blanked. He didn't know whether to believe it or not.
Logically speaking, if such a miraculous plant really existed, word should have already spread across the continent.
Even if it was incredibly rare, it shouldn't have ended up in the hands of someone like Mason the Short.
And it came from a flower shop?
Come on, if you're going to lie, at least make up something a little more believable!
But… Old White's thoughts shifted.
Mason really had advanced to Tier 4.
If there was no external aid, then how could someone who failed four times suddenly succeed?
So maybe Mason was telling the truth?
Could there really be a magical plant out there that boosted meditation efficiency?
No, no, no!
Old White shook his head violently.
Why would that guy be so kind as to tell him something that valuable?
What if Mason had discovered some secret item or method that helped with advancement and didn't want to share the truth, so he made up the flower story to throw him off?
If Old White actually went and bought one of those flowers, and it turned out to be completely useless, wouldn't that dwarf laugh at him for years?
His mind spun with inner drama. Within seconds, countless thoughts flashed through Old White's mind like lightning.
He felt like he'd seen through Mason's grand deception.
So, he said nothing more and sat back in his lounge chair with a look of disdain, determined not to fall for the trap.
Besides, Mason's sudden advancement was sure to catch the attention of the Academy. They'd definitely require him to submit a breakthrough report.
A case like his—advancing after four failures—was so rare that the Academy would want to record it to help other mages stuck at bottlenecks.
Once that report was written, he could pull some strings and find out the details. No need to rush.
Feeling much calmer, Old White just hoped that the annoying dwarf would hurry up and leave.
Mason could tell from the look on his face that he didn't believe a word he'd said.
Tch. You can't even tell the truth these days without getting doubted.
Shaking his head, he carefully carried the Nether Orchid and headed off to Professor Hicks's magic lab. He couldn't wait to share the good news with his colleague and mentor.
—
Southern Experimental District, Magic Academy
Professor Hicks arrived at his lab shortly after lunch.
Unlike those brainless warriors who only trained their muscles, mages were intellectual warriors—fighters who used their minds.
As a standout among mages, Hicks spent time every day in his lab researching new spells.
There was simply too much to explore in the magical world.
From casting techniques and auxiliary materials, to the structural analysis and simplification of magic arrays… From elemental theory to the research and crafting of potions…
The magical world evolved daily, with discoveries constantly reshaping reality.
Even as a Tier 6 mage, Hicks felt there were countless paths left for him to explore.
BOOM!
As soon as he stepped into the experimental zone, a loud explosion rocked one of the labs.
Hicks's eye twitched.
His lab complex was huge, with many individual labs, some of which were assigned to his assistants for minor experiments.
And judging by the smoke now billowing from one of the doors…
Hicks sighed and walked toward it, rubbing his temples.
Opening the door, he was immediately hit by a cloud of thick smoke.
"Cough cough!" Hicks waved the air away, his face equal parts helpless and annoyed. "Harper? OUT!"
There was a loud clattering inside. Moments later, a soot-covered goblin crawled out, still holding a vial of red potion, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Professor!" Harper beamed. "My new prototype: Fireball Boosting Agent - Intermediate Version! It's absolutely insane!"
Hicks dispelled the dust with a flick of his hand and scowled. "What happened this time? That's the thirteenth explosive accident this month!"
The goblin Harper strutted up proudly, trailing dust as he walked, and gave a smug grin. "The path to truth is always filled with hardship! That's the Dean's motto! A little explosion is just a minor hiccup on the road to ultimate magical truth."
Hicks narrowed his eyes. "Any damaged materials or equipment will be deducted from your monthly research budget."
"Of course, of course," Harper nodded quickly—he was clearly used to this routine. Then he leaned in with a sly grin and waved the potion. "Professor! Want to give it a try? Even with your… less-than-stellar fire magic, if you pair it with this, your Fireball spell will level up instantly!"
"Right—so it can explode in my face before I even cast it, huh?" Hicks said dryly. "Why don't you try inventing something that doesn't blow up for once? You're wasting your talent!"
Harper gave a sheepish chuckle but then shook his head firmly, eyes shining with conviction:
"Explosions and beauties—that's all I live for!"
The corner of Hicks's eye twitched. "Just clean up the lab already."
"On it!" Harper saluted and dashed back into the smoky room like it was nothing.
At that moment, Mason finally arrived from the Magic Tower, his face glowing with barely contained joy. Spotting Hicks in the distance, he raised his hand and shouted:
"Professor! Professor!"
Hicks turned and saw Mason approaching. A deep sigh rose in his chest.
Thinking about how his only dependable assistant was planning to resign and leave, he felt a headache coming on.
But as Mason got closer, Hicks suddenly frowned—and then looked surprised.
"Mason… You've advanced to Tier 4?!"