Chapter 33 Talent Gap

However, what delighted Lide even more was a prompt message from the system after he modified the Mage's Hand.

"Ding ~ Successfully improved Mage's Hand.

Advantages of the improvement: Stable magic model structure, five times power increase, transformation effect obtained.

Disadvantages: Casting consumption of mana increased by 50%.

Evaluation: Excellent, although the mana consumption has significantly increased, the powerful effects and functions brought by the transformation make up for this shortcoming.

Reward character experience —— 500"

This was the first experience point Lide had received in the past ten days... coming from the reward for improving magic.

Lide Kachar

Race: Bloodline (Ancestor)

Level: Mage lv. 10 (603/5000), Warrior lv. 5 (Level is at its limit)

Magic Power: 652/652

Talent Specialization: Blood Clan Ancestor (unique), Bloodline Shackle (limited), Magic Affinity (Extreme)

Racial Skills: Transform into a Bat, Blood Recovery, Super Strong Physique (passive)

Spells: One Circle Magic: Small Fireball Skill, Thunderbolt Skill, Puppetry Technique, Mage's Hand, Magic Shield, Waterfall Skill

Second Circle Magic: Reconnaissance Skill, Big Fireball Skill, Thunderstorm Skill, Big Puppet Skill, Magic Surge, Swift Movement, Enhancement Skill

Three Circle Magic: Instant Teleportation, Walking in the Void, Bursting Fireball

The experience on the attribute panel increased from 103 to 603 points.

The talent specialization Blood Clan Ancestor allowed him to receive a batch of experience points each month, but it would be settled at the end of the month.

Leveling up from 10 to 11 required 5000 experience points. Improving a spell along with the conceptualization beforehand took less than ten days, meaning that by improving ten first-circle spells, he could level up in three months.

Although he was a bit eager, he suppressed this thought.

There were more important things to do right now; he didn't have the luxury of staying in the Mage Tower to research magic.

...

"It's too difficult."

"90 magic nodes? Is this still the Mage's Hand?"

"Can someone teach me? I can't learn it."

"By the Magic Goddess, why does this magic node have to run in reverse?"

On the third floor of the Mage Tower, 22 apprentices listened quietly to Lide's lecture, but their hearts were wailing.

Initially, everyone was excited upon seeing Lide's modified Mage's Hand.

This meant they could possibly learn it too.

Lord Lide was indeed generous and drew out the detailed magic model and guided them to build the model.

But when they started constructing the magic model, they realized how abnormal it was.

Many magic nodes were completely contrary to what they had learned before. The reversed intersecting nodes, retrograde nodes, various whimsical layouts of magic nodes made them suffer headaches.

It was too difficult.

Being able to stabilize a magic model with fifty nodes qualified one to become a formal mage, and now they had to research a magic model with 90 nodes—it was simply despairing.

Sharing his painstakingly researched magic spell brought joy and pride to Lide, but after enthusiastically finishing his lecture, he noticed something off with these apprentices.

"Vina, do you have any questions?"

Vina, who had written down Lide's every word in her notebook, stood up somewhat dejectedly.

"Lord Lide, what you explained is too difficult for us.

Mana is like viscous mercury; manipulating just a bit of it requires immense spiritual power. We can't manage it as effortlessly as you do."

Lide was slightly stunned by this answer.

He had never realized that there were differences between individuals. The bloodline of the Blood Clan Ancestor possessed the magic affinity talent, making it as easy for him to manipulate mana as breathing.

But for ordinary mage apprentices, mana was like a heavy lead ball, and manipulating even a little required great effort.

What seemed simple to him in constructing a magic model was practically impossible for the vast majority of mage apprentices.

Simply put, the difference between a genius and an ordinary person.

A top student would tell a struggling student, "Just pay attention in class, and you'll understand," but no matter how seriously the struggling student listened, they could never catch up to the top student.

The talent gap was often insurmountable.

The Mage Association in Green City registered over 1000 formal mages, but only one extraordinary mage.

That was the difference.

Realizing his idealistic thinking, Lide was silent for a moment.

His talent was the strongest among the Blood Clan, and the Blood Clan was an upper race, natural spellcasters. The natural talent of ordinary humans was hard to compare even with ordinary Blood Clan members, let alone him.

After some thought, he said, "Don't worry, first familiarize yourself with the magic model of the Mage's Hand. Once you're familiar with it, start studying this derivative magic.

This seemingly complex derivative magic isn't difficult; its essence is still the modified Mage's Hand magic model.

I will write my research insights on the board, and you can familiarize yourselves step by step before constructing the model."

Hearing Lide's words, the mage apprentices nearly jumped for joy.

It was truly fortunate to have such a broad-minded mentor as Lord Lide.

After writing the relevant information on the magic blackboard, Lide left the room with a bit of contemplation.

It seemed it was time to recruit a batch of new apprentices.

There were too few talented students among them, and Lide could sense that half of these mage apprentices were quite ordinary in talent—even achieving the status of a formal mage would be a great challenge for them.

When recruiting apprentices, the Blood Clan Ancestor hadn't intended to teach them seriously, so many just barely meeting the standards were accepted, resulting in a lower quality of apprentices.

He needed a large number of talents, especially human mage talents; the Crimson Mage Tower couldn't rely solely on him in the future.

As for the bloodline aspect, there was no need for much worry—as long as the farming plan succeeded, the castle could be developed, and the upper race advantage would be fully revealed.

"Lord Lide, Laurent is waiting for you on the first floor."

Vina followed closely behind Lide as they exited the room, with her slightly curled golden hair looking extremely beautiful.

Those blue eyes glittered like the most beautiful sapphires.

"Has the Golden Wheat Commerce gathered all the grain?"

"Lord Lide, Laurent has been wanting to report this issue since his last visit.

The warehouse of the Golden Wheat Commerce in Green City is not large, and the grain accumulated during this period has filled it to capacity, urgently requiring handling."

Lide nodded.

The Golden Wheat Commerce wasn't a large chamber of commerce originally; its warehouse was small. Feeding a hundred thousand people for a month was no trivial amount.

"Alright, come with me to see him. From now on, you will handle matters related to the Golden Wheat Commerce in my absence."

Vina showed a bit of joy on her face, but immediately followed by some apprehension.

"Lord Lide, are you kicking me out of the Mage Tower? I swear to the Magic Goddess, I will strive to become a formal mage..."

Lide shook his head at the girl who looked flustered like a little rabbit.

"Not at all. Studying magic and managing a commerce are not conflicting. If you're unwilling, I'll find another suitable candidate."

Seeing Vina's potential, both as a mage and as a commerce manager, made Lide optimistic about her.

"If it is your request, I am willing to accept it. However, I won't fall behind in my magical studies."

Seeing her slightly stubborn face, Lide smiled faintly and turned to go downstairs.

Watching Lide's back, Vina clenched her small fists.

Lord Lide, Vina won't be kicked out of the Mage Tower. I will become a formal mage.

These past few days, Lide had asked about the process of recruiting mage apprentices, and the perceptive Vina sensed a change in the atmosphere, making her a bit sensitive.

Upon descending to the first floor, Laurent, who had been waiting, hurried forward to greet.

In recent days, the warehouse of the Golden Wheat Commerce had been packed to the brim.

The heaps of grain had grayed his hair noticeably. This was a fortune of over a thousand Gold Pucks in grain.

Especially with the Beastman invasion now, with so many refugees, any disorder could lead to looting—his mere thirty to fifty people at Golden Wheat Commerce wouldn't stand a chance.

Such incidents had occurred before. Each winter, desperate civilians began storming merchant estates. Recently, he'd noticed more people around the Golden Wheat Commerce area.

There were not just civilian beggars but also numerous underground forces lurking in the shadows.

If not for Lide being the formidable presence holding the line, his Golden Wheat Commerce might have already been looted.

At this moment, grain symbolized significant value.

"Lord Lide, we have collected half of the grain, but the Golden Wheat Commerce's warehouse is completely filled.

The Alex Chamber of Commerce is also urging us to promptly move the purchased grain... what do you think..."

Lide reassured the anxious Laurent.

"Don't worry, I will send several mage apprentices to the Golden Wheat Commerce to help guard it.

The grain will be transported out of the city tomorrow morning, and I will have someone to receive it."

Transport out of the city?

Laurent was slightly stunned, wasn't the plan to store it and sell it a couple of months into winter?

"Lord Lide, with you protecting us, those filthy rats and beggars wouldn't dare touch Golden Wheat Commerce. There's no need to go through such effort to transport it out of the city. When we sell it later, the time cost would be much higher.

Also, outside the city isn't as safe as inside... renting two large warehouses near the Mage Tower could solve the problem."

Lide waved his hand.

"This batch of grain is not to be sold within the city; I already have a buyer outside. You need not worry."

A joke; this was the key to the farming plan. Once transported back to the castle, he could begin population expansion.

Selling it for mere Gold Pucks? The value of human resources was far beyond that of Gold Pucks.