Normally, when you graduate from a magic high school, you get a Magician Apprentice diploma. Graduate from a magic university, and you receive a Junior Magician diploma. Someone like Collins, who technically isn’t even high school age yet but skipped grades straight into magic university and, within a year, already holds a Mid-tier Magician license—that’s extremely rare.
Moyue passed a file over from her own desk, and Collins took it, glancing through.
“Not bad. It only has some basic beginner spell-calculation formulas. As long as you’ve studied math, you can probably work them out.”
Moyue gave a little snort.
“Formulas alone are obviously easy. But how you actually apply them—that’s what really matters.”
Collins shut the exercise sheet.
“Then let’s go simple. As far as I remember, most magic high schools only require three or more cantrips to get in. If you can cast a single first-tier spell, you can go straight into the elite class.”
“Starting now, I’ll teach you a first-tier spell.”
Moyue’s expression turned odd, like she wanted to say something, but in the end she didn’t say a word.
“I know what you’re thinking. But listen, your big brother here is a Mid-tier Magician. Even if your basics kinda suck, it’s still nothing for me to teach you a first-tier spell.”
His fingertips touched, and magical light bloomed at Collins’s fingertips. Just like many advanced spells needed lower-tier magic as a foundation, lots of first-tier spells needed zero-tier cantrips as their base.
Right now, the spell in Collins’s hand was built on the zero-tier cantrip Light—First-tier Holy Light.
“Here. Hold it. I’ll teach you how to control it.”
The glowing orb at his fingertip hovered in midair. Collins felt her soft fingertips brush his hand. Moyue instantly jerked her hand back, puffing her cheeks as she glared at him.
“I mean, what exactly are you scared of? Acting like I’m about to do something to you.”
She was unwilling, but her hand still came to rest on Collins’s. As their fingertips met, a flood of information poured into Moyue’s senses. In her arcane sight, simple runes slowly assembled into a unique structure.
=========
“Big bro, big bro, you awake yet?”
Collins felt like he couldn’t breathe. He snapped his eyes open and saw a blob of golden liquid wobbling right in front of his face. He hurriedly lifted his second sister off his face.
Cangmo tumbled off the bed, muttering in annoyance, “Big bro bullied me, big bro bullied me. I even used my whole body to wake you up.”
“Sounds super suggestive when you say it like that, but you don’t even look human right now.”
He got out of bed, scooped up his oval-shaped little sister, and walked step by step into the living room, where Maevel was wearing an apologetic look.
“I told Cangmo not to bother you.”
“It’s fine. It doesn’t really count as bothering me. I’m not the type to sleep in anyway.”
His father waved a hand over the dining table.
“Alright, forget that brat. Come, come, time to eat. We’ll talk about everything else after breakfast.”
Maevel gave Collins a graceful smile.
“I’ve prepared breakfast. I hope it suits your taste.”
“What taste, my foot? This brat can eat it or leave it.”
“Old man, if you nag one more time, I’m tossing a Fireball over there.”
“So you think you’re hot stuff just ’cause you advanced to Mid-tier, huh? Get over here, your dad’ll teach you a lesson. Let you see the gap between Mid-tier and High-tier.”
Collins grumbled under his breath, but in the end he gave up on the idiotic idea of going head‑to‑head with his father. He obediently sat down at the table and started eating the breakfast his stepmother had made.
Maevel sat beside his father, watching Collins eat slowly, and asked happily, “Little Col, what do you like to eat? I’ll make it for you at lunch.”
“No need. I’m going out at noon. I’ll only be back at night. Mm… might not come back tonight, either.”
His father froze for a moment, then quickly recovered.
“Need me to give you some money?”
Collins lifted his face from his bowl of century egg congee with pork.
“What do I need money for?”
“You can’t take a girl out with empty pockets, that’s just wrong. And at night, you gotta be careful. Don’t get all grabby and rough and hurt the girl, or she’ll be done with you. Also, make sure your protection is—”
Collins held up a hand.
“Stop, stop, stop. I’m going out to meet a senior from school.”
His tone weakened a little. He was indeed meeting an upperclassman. But that senior was a woman, and she hated getting special treatment just because of her gender. That’s why she didn’t like being called “senior sister,” and preferred “senior” instead.
His father slammed the table at once.
“Pathetic. What’s so great about meeting a guy? Can a guy satisfy your damn dick? Can a guy give you photos to show off in your friend circle? Do you have any idea how many colleagues of mine have already bragged to my face about their sons bagging tons of schoolgirls? And you? A perfectly good Mid-tier Magician, and you don’t even make use of it. You’re going to meet a man.”
Collins was furious.
“You think I’m like you, unable to move my legs whenever you see a woman?”
“What’s wrong with that? That’s called appreciating beauty, it’s human nature. You, on the other hand, don’t even react when you see a woman. I think that thing of yours is broken. Son, be honest with me. Your old man knows some Magicians who are really good at treating, y’know, physical problems…”
“Enough, enough. I’m heading out. I’m not chatting with you, you old bastard turtle.”
“If I’m an old bastard turtle, then you’re a little bastard turtle, got it?”
Collins slunk away in defeat.
