Chapter 295 – Talent

The interviews proceeded quickly. Soon, a fair-faced young apprentice girl walked out of the laboratory door with sorrow—undoubtedly, she had failed to gain the favor of the Master-Level powerhouse inside.

The next candidate to be interviewed was Anya.

The young girl pursed her lips, let out a soft sigh, and then stepped through the brightly lit door as calmly as possible.

——————Break——————

“Your name is… Anya, correct?”

Punk gently waved his hand to close the stone door, then looked directly into Anya’s eyes as he asked calmly.

“Yes, my lord.”

Anya slightly lowered her head to show humility while simultaneously avoiding Punk’s gaze.

“Born into a commoner family in Rice Valley Town, with no relatives?”

“Yes, my lord.”Have you had any prior exposure to the world of professionals, or any enlightenment related to professionals?””

“No, my lord.”

Punk and Anya continued their calm question-and-answer exchange, though Punk was genuinely composed, while what lay beneath Anya’s calm surface remained unknown.

This formal Q&A soon concluded. For a moment, the laboratory fell into profound silence.

Punk carefully sensed Anya’s mental fluctuations. This time, he had ample opportunity—unlike his rushed probe at the branch entrance. Seizing the moment, Punk intended to thoroughly examine deeper aspects of this “candidate host,” such as… thoughts and soul.

With Punk’s level of mental power, probing the mind of an ordinary person who wasn’t even a professional required no spell. He simply directly perceived Anya’s brain, and all of the girl’s thoughts lay bare before him.

However, the results of the probe made Punk frown slightly.

In his view, the emotions surfacing in the girl’s mind should have been excitement or pleasant surprise, or at least expectation and nervousness.

But all Punk detected in her thoughts were thick layers of worry and fear. This situation left Punk quite perplexed:

“This is truly strange. After all, I did save her life, and now I’m offering to take her on as an apprentice. Forget gratitude—shouldn’t there at least be some excitement or anticipation? What’s with this urge to turn and run?”

Punk knew he was terrible at acting, so he hadn’t shown any expression other than “expressionless” in front of this girl. Even the killing intent he’d displayed when dealing with the Iron-Toothed Raven hadn’t been particularly intense. Yet, Anya seemed to sense something, growing nearly instinctively uneasy.

“Could it really be just a premonition? To have a vague perception of danger at the level of an ordinary person… Hiss! Could this girl be one of those legendary geniuses?”

At this thought, Punk’s expression grew increasingly solemn.

He slowly extended a finger and directly cast a spell:

“Master-Level divination spell—Soul Scrying!”

Punk couldn’t instant-cast this spell yet, but given his speed in constructing the spell model, it appeared instantaneous to ordinary people.

A ethereal light blue thread swiftly condensed at the tip of Punk’s finger, quivering slightly like a living entity. The delicate filament stood out starkly against the shadows.

“My lord… what is this…”Anya only saw Punk suddenly cast a spell after two seconds of silence. She was about to ask what he was doing, but before she could finish her sentence, a thin thread of energy shot into her forehead with lightning speed.

In the next instant, Anya felt her consciousness begin to blur.

Her perception of time and space grew increasingly hazy. Her mind became too foggy to think clearly, and memories stored deep in her mind—even those she had forgotten herself—began flowing out like water through a “small hole.” Not even her most private and embarrassing memories could be blocked.

Simultaneously, she felt as though her head had detached from her body and was spinning mid-air. Intense dizziness accompanied by fragmented whispers echoed in her ears, and the buzzing grew louder until it transformed into chaotic, irritating noise.

Bang!

It was as if a thunderclap had exploded in her mind. The illusory feeling vanished instantly, and her consciousness returned to the laboratory.

At the same time, accompanied by a headache so severe it felt like her skull had been split open, Anya retched and collapsed to the floor.

“Ugh…”

Though she bit her lip until it bled, Anya couldn’t suppress a pained moan.

“Here, drink this. It’ll help.”

Sensing that Anya’s heartbeat had nearly stopped, Punk frowned and tossed a bottle of Apprentice-Level “Mind-Calming Potion” to the girl curled up on the floor, clutching her head.

Unsurprisingly, he had successfully probed Anya’s soul and incidentally examined her memories as well.

However…

“As expected, I’m still not skilled at such delicate soul work. I’ll need to practice seriously when I have time.”

Puck canceled the “Soul Scrying” with some frustration.

In truth, he wasn’t entirely satisfied with his recent spellcasting. His technique had been slightly rough, and the residual magical energy from peering into her memories had left Anya with some side effects. He suspected the girl might develop forgetfulness in the future.

“Ah well, forgetting quickly isn’t a bad thing. Not remembering troubles makes for a happier life!”

Punk quickly dismissed what he considered “insignificant” side effects. After using “Soul Scrying,” he had discovered a more troubling issue—regarding Anya’s talent!

It wasn’t that her talent was poor, but rather that it was too exceptional.

At the very least, Anya’s soul talent would have placed her squarely among the prodigies even during the Netheril era. The mentor who recruited her, Peter, with his limited perception and insight, had merely categorized her as an “outstanding apprentice.” But with Punk’s probing methods, it was easy to see the formidable talent hidden beneath Anya’s surface.

“But the crucial point is, exceptional talent doesn’t serve my interests either—especially when it’s divination talent.”

Punk expressionlessly watched Anya, who had just shakily risen to her feet, his gaze gradually turning icy.

“Divination talent? Utterly unnecessary for a host who won’t live more than a few years. And what if she deduces some clues and tells others… That would be disastrous. News of the law fragment must never reach a second person… This talent cannot remain.”With that thought, Punk had already made a decision in secret.

He discreetly cast a restoration spell on Anya, who was somewhat unsteady on her feet, and only after the girl’s complexion had regained some of its rosy hue did he speak slowly in a commanding tone:

“Very good. You possess remarkable talent in evocation magic. From this moment on, you may address me as Mentor. Starting tomorrow, I will provide you with private lessons. You must arrive here by seven in the morning. Understood?”

“Understood, but…”

“There are no ‘buts.’ Or perhaps… you’re unwilling?”

Punk stared coldly at Anya as he spoke in a low voice.

“…No, Mentor.”

Anya didn’t dare meet Punk’s gaze. She lowered her head as humbly as possible, then slowly backed out of the laboratory.

(End of Chapter)