Picking Up Attributes From Today

Panda Novel

The magic carpet flew at high speed. In the twinkling of an eye, it had already reached the North River Pass’ city walls. Everyone looked at the handsome teenage boy on the magic carpet at the same time.

His skin had turned darker, and he had lost some weight. But he had also become stronger and more muscular.

His eyes, in particular, actually shone like the Milky Way and were exceptionally bright. They shone with a dazzling vigor and a breathtaking glow.

“Mr. Dirk, it’s been a while!”

Meng Lei jumped off the magic carpet and gave Dirk Norway a Magician’s salute. He respected the strict and stern head teacher very much.

“Attaboy! Actually running into the Magical Beast Forest without saying even a word, that’s pretty gutsy of you. Aren’t you afraid you’ll be devoured by the ant tide?!”

Dirk Norway looked Meng Lei up and down, a look of gratification coming over his features. Meng Lei fulfilled all the requirements he had of a genius Magician—excellent talent, diligent, strove to do better, a firm and steadfast will, and polite and well-mannered.

He was practically perfect.

“I’ve made you worry.”

Meng Lei gave him a smile. Then, he looked at Fatty Hart and the other two. Without waiting for him to greet them, Fatty Hart had already pounced toward him, his suit of shiny golden armor almost blinding Meng Lei. His clumsy and heavy body pressed right on top of Meng Lei.

Good thing that was Meng Lei. If it had been someone else, wouldn’t they have been crushed to death by Fatty Hart?

“Old bro! I’m so happy to see you!” Fatty Hart looked agitated as he said, “I didn’t expect you to really come when I’d only mentioned it casually. I’m so touched, old bro! You’re such a loyal friend!”

Loyal? Can I say that my purpose in coming here is the ant tide?

Meng Lei rolled his eyes and pushed Fatty Hart aside disdainfully. “Aren’t you supposed to be fighting the ant tide? Why are you dressed like such an eyesore? Showing off?”

“Hehe, you’re not getting it!” Fatty Hart patted the golden scales at his chest and said smugly, “This is top-rate magic armor engraved with 48 magic circles. Not only can it protect the wearer, but it can also automatically gather magic elements and reduce spellcasting time!”

“Alright, what can I say? The rich can do whatever they want!”

Meng Lei couldn’t be bothered to pay any more attention to the fellow. Then, he nodded at Abbe and Tanna in greeting. Abbe was expressionless and only nodded back slightly, still the same poker face as before.

Tanna, on the other hand, was very friendly. A sweet smile blossomed on her face as she said, “Meng Lei, it seems like you’ve become even stronger after not seeing you for over a month.”

“Not too bad, I guess.”

Meng Lei gave her a smile. Then, he couldn’t help but look at the ant tide covering every expanse of the wilderness. He licked his lips, revealing a hint of avarice.

There were so many Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants! If he could kill them all, how big of a spike in his Wealth would there be?

Even at the minimum, it would have to increase by a few billion, right?

“Meng Lei, let’s withdraw together.”

Upon noticing the look in Meng Lei’s eyes, Dirk Norway sighed and said, “It’s just as well that term is about to start in the academy, too. It’s also safer if you return to the academy with us.”

“Withdraw? Why are we withdrawing?” Meng Lei was mildly taken aback. He asked in puzzlement, “The ant tide is invading with a vengeance. If we withdraw, won’t disaster befall the people in the city?”

Dirk Norway’s mouth opened and closed, not quite actually knowing how he should reply for a moment there. For some reason, when facing a student as outstanding as Meng Lei, he actually found it rather hard to tell him the reason why.

Was he supposed to tell Meng Lei that they couldn’t defend the city anymore, so they could only abandon the people in the city and let the ant tide devour them?

“What can we do except to withdraw?”

At that moment, Marchioness Cesia, who had kept quiet the whole time, spoke up. She said coldly, “The ant tide stretches on for 300 miles, causing the line of defense to stretch on too far. Yet reinforcements can’t get here in time. If we don’t withdraw, are we supposed to wait for death here?”

“I get it now.”

Meng Lei nodded slowly to indicate that he’d understood. Then, he said to Dirk Norway, “Mr. Dirk, please forgive me. I can’t return with all of you.”

“You’re not coming back with us?” Dirk Norway was stunned for a moment. “Then what do you intend to do?”

“Exterminate the ant tide!”

Meng Lei jumped up onto the magic carpet and charged toward the ant tide army like a moth darting into the fire after uttering these four words.

“What are you doing?! Come back! Hurry and come back!”

Dirk Norway’s countenance changed dramatically at the sight of this, and he shouted anxiously at him to stop him. However, it was too late. Meng Lei had already gone charging out.

“Hmph! Pretty brave, but he’s too foolish!” Marchioness Cesia snorted and said, “Having delusions of exterminating the ant tide army when he’s just a mere Fifth-Grade Magician? How arrogant, conceited, and ignorant!”

“Old bro!”

“That fellow!”

“Meng Lei!”

Hart, Abbe, and Tanna looked at Meng Lei from the back, all three of them rather anxious and worried. Abbe even abandoned his usual cool and aloof expression and berated him anxiously, “That idiot! Who do you think you are?! Even if you have a death wish, that isn’t what you should be doing!”

“Hart, that’s the genius from your class?”

A puzzled fourth-year senior asked, “Isn’t that too rash of him? What’s the difference between charging so recklessly into the ant tide army and having a death wish?”

“That’s just an ant trying to topple a giant tree, how ludicrously overconfident. No matter how his magic talent is, his IQ is really rather moving.”

“That’s the top student of the first-years? He’s nothing impressive…”

“Shut the hell up!”

Hart’s expression darkened, and he erupted completely. “A bunch of fools! All of you only became Fourth-Grade Magicians after so many difficulties, yet you still have the cheek to mock others?!”

“Ha! Our magic talent certainly isn’t as good as his!”

A senior fired straight back at Hart. “But at least we’re not like him. Charging right in there and throwing his life away despite knowing full well that he’s not their match. Do you know what that is? Foolish! An idiot!”

“Exactly! Do you know how hard it is for the academy to groom a Magician?”

Another senior also spoke with an air full of justice and righteousness. “The best environment, the best facilities, the best educators… They’ve spent a vast amount of resources and paid a huge price to groom a Magician only after so much trouble. Is he supposed to trample on all that like that?”

“Let me tell you! Your lives don’t just belong to yourselves! They belong to the academy, the kingdom, and even more so the Great Dragon Blood W—”

“Shut up!”

“Be quiet!”

At that moment, a couple of bellows suddenly rang out and interrupted the seniors rambling on and on. The few of them looked over in stunned surprise, only to see Mr. Dirk and Marchioness Cesia watching Meng Lei with horror all over their faces.

Horror?

What was there to be horrified about?

The seniors, Hart, Abbe, and others, also looked toward where they were looking. Then, they saw something incredible.

Meng Lei stood proudly on the magic carpet, his long hair fluttering and his magic robes flapping. There was a strong heroic air around him, and he showed the beginnings of a handsome, dashing young man, clearly already possessing the potential to attract girls now.

This wasn’t the point, however!

The point was that there were 10 several hundred meters wide gigantic fireballs floating above his head! Incredibly huge, scorching hot, and blinding, they gave off astonishing heat, causing even the sun hanging high above in the sky to look dim and dull in comparison!

“This, this…”

Fatty Hart and the others’ jaws dropped. All of them were stunned.

Dirk Norway and Marchioness Cesia were even more horrified and astounded than the others.

This was because… They had recognized the spell he was using.

Ninth-Grade Spell, Heavenly Fire Meteor!

“Mr. Dirk, isn’t he a Fifth-Grade Magician?” Marchioness Cesia’s eyes were glassy and glazed over. “But this…”

“I… I don’t know, either!”

Dirk Norway pinched himself hard, wondering if he was hallucinating.

Meng Lei, a teenage boy under 16 years old!

Someone who was still a Fifth-Grade Magician a month ago!

He was actually casting a Ninth-Grade spell now!?

Oh my dragon god, are you kidding me?

“O… Old bro… He… He…”

Fatty Hart’s mouth was gaping so big that one could stuff a duck egg inside. Abbe and Tanna weren’t faring any better than him, either. Both of them were flabbergasted and dumbfounded.

As for the other few seniors, all of them looked even more as if they had just seen a ghost, and they couldn’t take their eyes off the sight. They had never seen such a huge fireball in their entire lives!

“Heavenly Fire Meteor… Fall!”

As everyone watched, Meng Lei let out a loud shout. Ten blazing suns plummeted as though meteors and crashed viciously onto the ground.

Boom!

Amid a vast, apocalyptic explosion, the bright sky suddenly dimmed. Ten mushroom clouds as huge as mountains soared into the sky and blocked out the sunlight, tainting the sky!

1