My setting is above yours!

Chapter 108 Heroic Spirit Monthly Exam Reform, and Familiar Relics (4k4)

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

Not only was [Clear Heart] somewhat out of sorts, but the other transfer students also looked at Ron with dazed eyes, their pupils revealing obvious doubt and shock.

"It's...it's actually a [Original Text] level magical reaction..."

"How is that possible?! He only has one magic circuit, he hasn't even mastered the basics, how could he possibly use magic?!"

"Even if he used magic... he doesn't have the authority of a [Grand], so why didn't the [Anti-Mystic Equation] react? It didn't erase his magic..."

Someone muttered to themselves, then suddenly realized something and lowered their voice in surprise:
"Could it be that because of the 'D-sector Great Void,' the [Anti-Mystic Equation] has become more tolerant of magic...?"

But someone immediately refuted him, their tone full of doubt and confusion:

"But how can he use magic?!"

"Even if the Anti-Mystic Equation has a high tolerance for magic, a superpowered individual with only one magic circuit cannot optimize a magic model at the 'Descendant' level and use it in the form of the 'Original Text' magic as soon as they come into contact with it..."

"This is unreasonable!!"

"Unless it is something extremely similar to magic, but not truly 'original' magic constructed from personal ability and knowledge, but rather a product of talent, something that seems similar but is not..."

At this point, the group of well-educated second-generation nobles, who had long been immersed in the world of magic and were intimately familiar with all sorts of legends and myths, fell silent. A legend that perfectly fit the current situation popped into their minds—

No, that's not right.

It shouldn't be taken as mere legend... Given the concrete records and real-world evidence, it should be called a legendary talent and gift!
Thinking of this, the transfer students immediately looked at Ron with awe. Some even bowed to Ron for no apparent reason, placing their hands on their chests and bowing, as if it were some kind of aristocratic etiquette from a previous era.

Seeing their performance, Ron was momentarily stunned and somewhat confused:
'What...what's going on?'

He watched as the transfer students, one after another, bowed to him in a seemingly endless stream, their eyes brimming with the pure filial piety of seeing a distant ancestor. For a moment, he was utterly bewildered.
'Is it really necessary...? Even if I used magic, I'm clearly not a [Grand] rank, right? Why are these people showing me such utmost respect?'

'Is it because the fact that magical power is no longer limited to Grand rank hasn't been clearly discovered and communicated to these magic apprentices, that they're mistaking him for a Grand rank mage?'

'No, that doesn't make sense. A Grand-rank mage sounds incredibly powerful; there are probably only a handful in the Mage's Association. These second-generation mages don't seem to be unaware of his presence… and their expressions don't suggest they're facing a Grand-rank mage of such high status.'

Ron glanced at the expressions on their faces, which were a mixture of awe and a hint of greed, and a strange feeling stirred within him.
'Why does this expression... it's more like she's facing her own grandfather, showing respect while simultaneously wanting to get some pocket money from him... what's going on?'

Ron hesitated, a hint of helplessness creeping into his heart.

He had assumed that once he used magic, his talent would naturally be discovered, and that his special magic circuits would allow him to extract pure magic, which was why he was able to use magic...

After that, you can easily pass the [Junior Child] test and receive preferential treatment from the [Magicians' Association].

Then try to find higher-level magic to learn. If you can't learn it, memorize the model and go back to the "Potion Era" to find Idrila and the Silver Knight. This will allow you to rapidly improve your skills in mysticism and magic.

But to my surprise, simply switching back to the [Potion Sequence] and using the most basic "Necromantic Fire," a skill he could master at Sequence Nine, elicited such an incomprehensible attitude from them...

Ron couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. Just as he was thinking about how to break the strange atmosphere and change the current situation, he suddenly saw [Clear Heart] walking towards him, her eyes filled with obvious respect. After bowing respectfully, she asked:
"May I ask... who were you, a hero in history? Do you have a family lineage that has been passed down to this day, or are you a figure in mythology?"

Hearing this, Ron was even more confused.

He looked at the magic teacher with a bewildered expression, and weakly pointed to himself:
"You mean...me?"

Heroes? Family lineage? Mythical legends?

I don't understand at all... Ron has never heard of anything related to this before.

Seeing that Ron didn't seem to understand, it was [Clear Heart] who was taken aback, and her expression became serious:

"This... uh, this gentleman, you possessed this student's body and passed on your original magic to him. Didn't you realize that you are a heroic spirit who fell from the spirit world?"

"Times have changed. This is now the era of giant corporations and Moen Ideal City..."

"If you cannot recall whether you have a family lineage or are unsure whether you have been recorded in any myths, you can simply tell me when you were active and provide some introductory information about yourself. The association will help you find any possible family lineages and your sacred relics..."

Watching the magic teacher speak earnestly and with surprising fluency, clearly having a well-thought-out plan for the current situation, Ron suddenly understood why they were behaving this way:
'So... when I used magic, I wasn't even considered for the [Grand] rank, but instead treated as some kind of [Heroic Spirit]?'

'No wonder they looked at me like I was some kind of ancestor from the spirit world…'

Ron's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately recalled the update announcement of the Dimensional Update Manual—

[Due to the partial rifts in the spirit realm, the spawn range of departed spirits from the spirit realm has increased, and they now have a chance to appear throughout the entire Ideal City.]

'The departed spirits… are these the heroic spirits these magicians are talking about, the so-called "departed spirits"?'

'Since the announcement says the refresh range has increased, it proves that these departed spirits used to refresh on a small scale and were likely very rare. Maybe there will be more in the future... Do I need this identity?'

Ron thought about it for a moment, but ultimately gave up on the idea.

'A concept I've never heard of before... No, this disguise isn't for me.'

After all, for Ron, pretending to be a Heroic Spirit was entirely detrimental—why would he bother to impersonate someone he clearly didn't know, who was incredibly powerful, and who wasn't even himself?

It's hard to fake, and there's no benefit to it... It's better to attribute it all to so-called "talent," so that magicians will think he's exceptionally gifted and invest more in nurturing him.

Ron scratched his head, looking confused, to show that he had absolutely no connection with any so-called Heroic Spirit.

Upon hearing Ron's words, [Clear Heart] initially disagreed, suspecting that Ron was some kind of evil heroic spirit attempting to possess the person he was trying to control, and that was why he was disguising his existence...

But soon, after she used some special soul-detecting magic, the hidden hostility in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression:
"There really is no spiritual reaction from the Heroic Spirits, but it possesses a similar spirituality..." As she spoke, seeing that Ron clearly didn't understand her words at all, and many other students were also completely confused, the magic teacher sighed, somewhat reluctant to reveal this secret that should only be known to the magician community—

"Legend has it that in the [Void of History], sometimes not only do monstrous monsters fall, but also heroic souls who still retain consciousness and memories, and bear [extraordinary characteristics]—"

"They awaken anew in a new era, carrying with them the power and magic left over from the previous one, possessing the bodies of gifted psychics and bestowing upon them powerful magic from their [extraordinary characteristics], imprinted upon their very being..."

"We call this state 'possession by a heroic spirit'."

At this moment, a hint of longing and awe appeared on [Clear Heart]'s face:

"It is said that the once-famous Grand Magician of the Astrological School carries the spirit of a hero from the previous era."

"She thus gained unparalleled vast knowledge and powerful primal magic, as well as sometimes powerful 'relics' that carried the heroic spirits themselves..."

"That candidate for the Grand rank of the [Astrological Society] has also been possessed by a Heroic Spirit. He has now been reserved for the [Grand rank] of the [Astrological School]. He has inherited his teacher's former title and become the [Hidden Purple] below the [Grand rank]."

As she spoke, she looked at Ron, a hint of emotion in her eyes, and sighed, saying:
"You should have been like them, but unfortunately..."

She hesitated for a moment, then said:

"Unfortunately, you were unable to fully bear the spirit of a hero. You did not gain knowledge or relics, but only the spiritual gift of that hero, through which you obtained the primordial magic of 'necromantic fire'..."

"You do not have the spiritual reaction of a Heroic Spirit, but you have spiritual fluctuations similar to [Transcendent Characteristics], which is irrefutable proof."

The inability to contain that heroic spirit, resulting in its annihilation, is likely due to the fact that it only had one magic circuit, which was simply insufficient to support it...

Such poor talent, what a waste of opportunity...

Thinking this to herself, but being a gifted psychic who had received spiritual gifts, even if she was far inferior to a true heroic spirit, [Clear Heart] swallowed these hurtful words.

The Heroic Spirit is indeed a lord. He was an old nobleman who was active even before Ideal City was built. How could they compare to him?
Even if he only received a little spiritual gift, Ron's bloodline purity was much higher than that of these magicians!
Given Ron's current situation, it's enough to make a magician of the [Rank] like [Clear Heart] look at him with new respect and treat him with utmost care.

After hearing the explanation of "Clear Heart," Ron couldn't help but seem thoughtful:
'So, one can inherit a portion of extraordinary characteristics through the possession of a Heroic Spirit… then these so-called Heroic Spirits are just extraordinary individuals from the previous era who didn't quite die?'

'So, does that mean I have a chance to find certain potion recipes in Ideal City, as well as secrets of the past… and even their relics!'

Thinking of this, Ron's expression suddenly became somewhat strange:
'However, if we consider the remnants of those extraordinary beings after their deaths as heroic spirits, then wouldn't I, being an extraordinary being myself, be seen as a born saint by magicians...?'

Of course, having said that, Ron never intended to reveal his identity as a superhuman. This was something that absolutely couldn't be exposed in Ideal City, comparable to his biggest secret outside of the Dimensional Update Manual...

At the same time, the eyes of the transfer students who were looking at Ron changed slightly.

'It wasn't a true possession by a Heroic Spirit, but merely a gifted psychic who couldn't bear the burden of a Heroic Spirit...'

After hearing the teacher's explanation, the magic apprentices who had been trying to curry favor with the Heroic Spirit and get some gifts from him immediately lost interest and stopped looking at Ron with those adoring eyes.

However, despite this, their gazes toward Ron were tinged with clear admiration and recognition, and even their gestures were imbued with goodwill. Their attitude toward Ron was clearly different from that of other superpowered individuals.

Seeing the immense respect these people showed to Ron, Yu'an's face twitched slightly.

He paused for a moment, then looked at the transfer student beside him, a smile on his face—

But just as he was about to strike up a conversation with the person opposite him, he saw the man glance at him with a look of utter contempt, then turn his head away, give Ron a smile, and whisper to him that he wanted to get to know him.

At that moment, Yu'an's face darkened.

Even though he had passed the test for the "youngest son," he still hadn't earned any respect whatsoever...

These old nobles of Ideal City still treated Yu'an like air, but showed great respect to Ron. The contrast was stark!

However, at this moment, Ron did not notice Euan's charcoal-black face; his attention was entirely on the transfer students.

'It seems that with my [Necromantic Fire] technique, I've gained a certain standing among these magicians. Perhaps I can take this opportunity to gain some advantage over them…'

With that thought in mind, Ron put on a warm smile and started chatting with the group of magicians...

But class still had to go on. After a lukewarm reminder from the magic teacher, and with his noble friends by his side, Ron shut his mouth, satisfied. He had achieved his goal and quietly watched the other students continue their "last child" assessment...

The assessment ended not long afterward.

The transfer students all passed the test with ease, and while most of the superpowered individuals failed to use magic at the [Deadmost] rank, it wasn't a complete failure; aside from Ron and Euan, quite a few still passed the test…

Having successfully recorded the last student's assessment score, the magic teacher checked the time and said:
"Well... that's about enough for this lesson..."

As she spoke, she suddenly slapped her forehead, as if she had just thought of something, and said abruptly:

"Oh right, I almost forgot the important thing... Principal 404 asked me to pass on a notice that due to the [D District Great Void], starting from the next monthly exam, there will be a reform that will begin to assess combat index in addition to academic ability."

"This monthly exam will be held in the [Hollow Battlefield]. There are no restrictions on the methods used. Whether it's superpowers or magic, as long as you can defeat others, your ranking will be promoted accordingly..."

As she spoke, a hint of envy appeared on her face:
"In recognition of this reform, 404 has prepared a new reward..."

As she spoke, she activated the holographic projector, projecting a dull, sharp, dark silver spearhead that looked extremely familiar to Ron—

"A document left behind by the heroic spirits of a previous era, brimming with their abilities and knowledge, and inhabited by their souls..."

"A sacred relic!"

(End of this chapter)