My health recovery is incredibly fast.

The houses in Rosac are small bungalows, while the one in the fortress is a small house with a backyard.

Xia Zuo glanced at Wilson's expectant look and knew that the house in the fortress was added by this uncle.

He hadn't forgotten what Wilson had said during their first meeting: the other man was eager to recruit Shazor into the army of Piek Fortress.

That won't do. I'm going to become a mage at Starry Night Academy. Even after I get to the capital, I might not come to such a remote place as Piek Fortress.

Xia Zuo silently apologized to himself, pretending not to know Wilson's intentions, and directly took the deed to Rosac City.

Wilson remained calm and laughed self-deprecatingly:

"Houses with backyards are not as good as bungalows in Rosac City. It seems that Piek City Fortress is not very popular with you."

Audrey walked up and patted Shazzo on the shoulder:

"Hehe. This little guy already knows about the changes at Starry Night Academy. If you still want to keep him in the army, this alone won't be enough."

Wilson seemed to know where he had gone wrong, and laughed heartily:

"The news spreads really fast. It's definitely a good thing that people with acquired affinity can also enter Starry Night Academy. The admission requirements used to be high, and there were far too few mages. Maybe in the future, even the city fortress's army will be equipped with accompanying mages."

Wilson glanced at Xia Zuo with a cunning look in his eyes, "How about I ask the commander to issue a bounty on the academy, little guy?"

I won't take the job if the pay isn't high. Hehe.

After exchanging a few polite words with a smile, Xia Zuo, accompanied by Wilson, left the castle with Audrey.

The following morning, the month-long performance officially began.

When Xia Zuo stepped onto the stage, he had a belt full of medicine bottles wrapped around his waist.

Different colored flamethrower agents flowed inside the transparent glass. The color of the agent corresponded to the color of the flame.

Xia Zuo walked to the front of the audience, randomly selected a cute little child, and breathed white flames at the child.

"Oh my god! White flames! Fluttering like butterflies, so cute."

The child excitedly hugged the adult's arm.

The flames, a color never seen before, possessed an innate and immense allure, and the noisy audience fell into an eerie silence.

Above the pointed tent is a ring of skylights for ventilation, through which bright sunlight streams in, casting several bright beams of light onto the performance area.

Xia Zuo walked to the center of the pillar of light and took a large mouthful of more potent flamethrower.

"call"

White flames shot out diagonally upwards from the pillar of light.

The fire-breathing performance seems to have become a meditation ritual for seeking solace.

A sense of purity and peace spread from the leaping white flames into the hearts of the audience.

After Xia Zuo finished spewing flames that lasted for more than ten seconds, he was surprised to find that many viewers were lost in memories.

He turned to look backstage, where several pairs of eyes behind the curtain held a complex expression of anticipation and reluctance.

Xia Zuo put the medicine in his mouth again.

The white flames and sunlight merged into one, reflecting each other's brilliance, like inseparable dance partners embracing each other in the air.

Xia Zuo's departure was inevitable, although there were still a few months to allow for a buffer period.

The members witnessed his transformation from a country boy into a fire-breathing man.

Snake still felt as if the image of Shazo lying on the roadside had happened just yesterday.

Poppy still remembers carrying Shazo from the muddy grass into the carriage.

That thin, light boy seemed to have become capable of standing on his own in the blink of an eye.

The clown siblings' eyes were red, and tears streamed silently down their cheeks.

Audrey crossed her arms and tried to remain calm, occasionally wiping away tears with her fingers.

The more time she spent with Xia Zuo, the more she understood that his potential should not be limited by Rosac, who was confined to a corner of the world, nor should he waste his years in the circus.

Starry Night Academy is really going to lower its admission requirements; new testing will begin within three months at most.

The news spread to every corner of the fortress earlier today.

Joining the Warriors Guild will no longer be the only option for teenagers after they come of age.

Anyone who has not practiced breathing techniques can go to the testing stations in each city in June or July each year to retest their elemental affinity.

Those who have already practiced breathing techniques are no longer suitable to switch to meditation due to hidden injuries in their bodies.

Xia Zuo's departure from the circus is a testament to the birth of a new generation of monks.

"White is the light of the sun."

Xia Zuo spewed out a long white flame.

"Green represents vibrant life."

"Purple represents unavoidable suffering."

"The fiery flames represent our will to overcome setbacks."

He took out an indigo potion made of green and white, saying, "This is the color of wind and rain; it calms our anger and soothes our pain."

"After the rain, we will see the eternally shining sun once again!"

A massive, white fireball brought the performance to a perfect close.

The applause at the scene lasted for a long time.

Audrey pulled Snake and the others onto the stage, took Shazo's hand, and bowed to the audience in thanks.

"A unique performance, little guy, you need to give it a name."

Audrey gazed at Xia Zuo with expectant eyes.

"Let's call it 'Life is Like a Flame'."

Xia Zuo put aside the information about the cheat system that had surfaced in his mind, and gently hugged Audrey. "Thank you, Big Sister, thank you for helping me become a fire-breathing person."

Chapter 20 Get on the bus first, buy the ticket later - Part 1

Three months later, in Rosac.

..

Level 8 LV.9

Experience 1201000

I added 1 point to Vitality out of my 546 free attribute points, and gained 2 free attribute points upon leveling up.

..

With the bandits gone, the circus traveled freely throughout Rosac province, performing in all the southern towns they hadn't visited in a long time.

During his free time, Xia Zuo optimized the color fire-breathing performance and added scenes featuring Snake and his friends.

The fire-breathing creature, who was once all alone, can now perform on stage with everyone else.

All you have to do is add one free attribute point to Vitality to handle the significantly extended multi-person fire-breathing performance.

Snake beats the drums, and the green snake dances on the ground. Hercules Popeye throws the clown siblings over the flames, and Audrey catches them on the other side.

An eerie purple flame grazed past beneath the clown sister, eliciting gasps from the audience.

The clown siblings and their colorful flames became the focus of the entire event, while Xia Zuo, the one who spewed flames, became a supporting character.

But it doesn't matter, Xia Zuo doesn't mind.

He only hoped to leave something for his companions before parting ways.

A generous amount of copper coins, widespread fame, or vivid memories—at least one of these should be given to each member, so that their care for him will not be in vain.

Xia Zuo will have no regrets when he leaves.

The sun rises, and a refreshing morning breeze blows.

Since the testing of genetic affinity began, the mornings in Rosac have been exceptionally lively. Before dawn, faint sounds of commotion can be heard on the streets.

"Xia Zuo, let's go."

Audrey pulled the rapidly growing Shazo along with her, and together they left the hotel and headed towards the most crowded part of the city.

A little over a year ago, Xia Zuo was only about 1.4 meters tall, much shorter than his peers in the city. Since joining the circus, he has been eating, drinking, and sleeping well every day, and his height has quickly caught up.

Standing at 1.7 meters tall with a sturdy physique, he looks like a capable and energetic young man. His high nose bridge and ever-present optimistic smile make his handsome face even more approachable.

"Boss, is it my turn yet?"

Xia Zuo naturally took Audrey's hand, and the two maintained a close relationship like siblings.

He no longer has the naive look he once had.

Audrey also realized the differences between men and women, and rarely hugged him anymore. She would only occasionally pinch his cheek.

"It's almost your turn."

Audrey took a piece of wood out of her leather bag and compared the numbers on it with the notice board in front of the testing station.

"Go in, little one. You've been waiting for this day for a long time. Do your best."

Audrey shoved the wooden piece into Xia Zuo's hand, pushed through the crowd, and ushered him inside.

Starry Night Academy Entrance Examination Station.

This place is much more spacious than when I first came here.

What was originally a two-room space on one floor has been expanded into a three-story stone building with intersecting corridors.

Following instructions from a staff member dressed in a starry night robe, Xia Zuo stood at the end of the inspection line.

Today is the third day since the open testing program began.

The testing station distributes wooden slips engraved with the entry time in order of age from youngest to oldest.

Every evening before the end of the day, the test results are posted on the bulletin board at the entrance of the testing station.