"Character, oh character! Harvey, didn’t I tell you before that a practitioner’s temperament is crucial? Liu Tiesheng must endure trials of character, and yet you, not even at the bottleneck, are already this anxious. Your temperament is clearly lacking. If you can’t bravely face the second-rank bottleneck, what are you even practicing for? Go home and enjoy yourself instead."

Dick was mercilessly criticizing Harvey, revealing the frailty of the wealthy young man's temperament. While it’s common for people to show weakness in personal crises, the true test for practitioners lies in overcoming such trials with resilience.

"But why can’t I?" An eleven-year-old, despite his youth, felt the sting of being underestimated, especially by friends. "I will definitely become a powerful mage!"

"Harvey, that’s the spirit. As a merchant, if you don’t want to spend your life bowing to nobles, the only way is to become an exceptional mage. Success doesn’t come easily—noble mages are out there battling beasts in the forest. What reason do we have not to strive hard?"

Merchants may be wealthy, but they lack social standing. The world is still ruled by nobility; merchants must bow to nobles and often have to ingratiate themselves, lacking dignity. Many commercial profits end up benefiting the nobility.

It seemed Harvey was genuinely spurred by Dick's words. After all, children often need a bit of prodding to grow.

Dick’s harsh words to Harvey also reflected his own uncertainties about the future. After all, Dick had never faced a bottleneck himself. However, he firmly believed that with enough effort, success was always within reach.

Among second-year first-rank mages, Dick had become highly sought after. Both peers and third-year mages preferred to spar with him.

The example of the third-year mage who had recently broken through to the second rank after battling Dick was quite enticing. If others could achieve it, why not himself?

Though not a god of war, Dick had lost twice to the formidable third-year mages. Defeats were just part of the process; Dick could afford the costs, as the trial arena fees, though higher than regular training, were manageable.

Dick, being a second-year mage, had fought more battles than anyone else, making him exceptionally experienced and fervent. Even second-year mages with superior cultivation could no longer match him.

With each battle, Dick's practical experience grew, and his use of magic became increasingly proficient.

Despite the tremendous energy cost of the "Fire Cloud Step" technique, which made it impractical for his current combat needs, Dick continued to train the basic steps diligently. Mastery comes with practice, and Dick, not considering himself a genius, believed in the merit of perseverance.

The space in the jade pendant provided a tremendous boost to Dick’s training. It seemed to sharpen his mind. Experimenting with a magic sword combining water and fire elements, primarily based on fire magic, resulted in a technique that broke through the earth-element magic shield of a third-year mage, astonishing even the trial arena instructors.

The water and fire magic sword, blending the elements into a single powerful attack, did not merely penetrate the earth magic shield but caused an explosion. The sheer power of the explosion achieved its purpose, which was sufficient for Dick.

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The instructor praised Dick’s ingenuity.

Dick was unsure why the combined water and fire magic sword was so effective, given his still limited understanding of magic’s essence due to his brief training period.

Nevertheless, this new spell significantly enhanced Dick’s combat effectiveness. Crucially, the magic consumed less of his energy compared to the "Fire Cloud Step," making it suitable for current practical use.

Dick knew he needed to delve deeper into this spell. It wasn’t necessarily due to his exceptional research ability but likely a result of the stimulation from the jade pendant space.

As Dick immersed himself in the jade pendant space, he endeavored to maintain clarity despite the stimulation and discomfort, focusing on refining the water and fire magic sword technique. Only by emerging from the jade pendant space with the clearest mind could he achieve a profound understanding of the spell.

Water and fire, inherently opposing elements, could theoretically fuse to create explosive effects. Dick’s practical use confirmed this possibility.

The attack speed of the water and fire magic sword was still too slow, and he could only manage to condense one. While it had advantages, it also had significant drawbacks. Dick needed to continue researching and practicing to improve it.

Of course, as a first-rank mage, Dick’s limited magical power constrained the sword's potency. As his cultivation advanced, the sword’s power would grow.

Among the fastest magic attacks was wind magic. Compared to a wind mage like Alina, whose wind blades were incredibly swift, Dick’s slower water and fire magic sword spell was practically ineffective.

"Dick, your second brother is here to visit. He’s waiting for you at the gate."

Second brother? Dick had fallen out with Thomas Sharp and had not visited his second brother, who followed Thomas Sharp to the capital. The lack of affection between Dick and his elder brother was apparent.

When Dick was born, his elder brother, already ten, had gone to serve at the baron’s house. Dick remembered that his elder brother had returned home once, showing sternness towards their father and indifference to young Dick.

By the time Dick was two, his second brother, aged ten, had also gone to serve at the baron’s house. The age gap made the relationship between Dick and his brothers somewhat distant. Dick had arrived in this world at age three, meaning his brothers were no longer at home when he arrived.

Though they were brothers, Dick had only limited encounters with them after he turned three. Despite being young, Dick felt a clear sense of his brothers' coldness towards both their father and himself.

Dick even suspected that the significant age difference meant they might not share the same mother.

The rare visits of his two brothers made them almost like strangers to Dick, leaving little room for emotional connection.

"Second brother!" At the academy gate, Dick saw his 'strange' second brother, who had grown considerably taller than Dick remembered.

"Dick, the York region is our homeland. The second young master is the lord’s son, and our family has served the Sharp family for two generations…" This was the first time Dick heard his second brother speak so eloquently; previously, he had been reticent, "This world is ultimately ruled by the nobility. Dick, come with me, apologize, and make amends with the second young master!"

"Oh, I’m too busy with my training." Dick, growing impatient, thought, Why should I regard you as my second brother? Who do you think you are?

"Dick! You’ve insulted a noble. As a servant of Thomas Sharp, I have a duty to uphold the dignity of the Sharp family." Dick’s indifferent response provoked his second brother.

"Draw your sword? Ha! This is the entrance to the Royal Magic Academy." Dick's expression remained unfazed.

"You…" His second brother’s hand trembled on the sword hilt, revealing an innate fear of the academy.

"Go back and serve your master properly. This is the capital; even your master doesn’t dare to be arrogant here. Don’t act impulsively or you’ll cause trouble for your master." Dick turned and entered the academy.

Since they were essentially strangers, there was no need for further emotional connection. He regarded the encounter as merely a fleeting moment in his life.

With a sense of relief, Dick no longer dwelled on the issue.