"Happy birthday, Dad."
Andrew Smith heard his son, Tim, calling him. He opened his eyes helplessly and ended his meditation.
Lowering his head, he saw that the red gemstone in his hand was full of cracks.
"Did I fail again?"
Andrew's expression was a little gloomy as he pondered. Then he looked at the fire jade crystal in his hand with a painful look on his face.
This day was his 100th birthday, but he was not happy at all.
"Happy birthday, Dad!"
Beside him, his daughter Mary, dressed in an emerald green robe, came over happily with a piece of cake in her hand.
Looking at the happy looks on his children's faces, Andrew didn't want to disappoint them, so he forced a smile on his wrinkled face.
"Thank you! I'm very happy that you guys are so sweet."
Though he said so, he was still frowning.
Tim and Mary looked at each other and saw the worries in each other's eyes.
After thinking for a while, Mary came forward with an innocent look and helped Andrew stand up from the shining hexagram spell array that had been outlined in the living room earlier. At the same time, she comforted him.
"Dad, don't worry too much about Mom."
"The army has already promised to help us look for her."
"Mom has already...You can't give in!"
Tim also hurriedly followed suit.
"Mary's right, Dad."
"You don't need to worry about the money issue for the time being."
"I've just passed the examination for a beginner mage and I'll get an allowance."
"Our family is rich now."
"You guys..."
Andrew shook his head and his serious expression softened. He felt relieved because his kids had grown up and could even be on their own.
When he thought of this, he was more relaxed than before and walked straight to the balcony.
Andrew raised his head to look at the starry sky, and was surprised to find that the stars that dotted the Sagittarius and Ursa Major were no longer pure as before.
Instead, the stars looked like something burning, turning almost a third area of the sky red.
"This celestial phenomenon is...the blazing tide?"
"It seems that quite a number of fire element mages will make a breakthrough tonight."
At the same time, some information popped up in Andrew's mind like a conditioned reflex.
The next moment, he smiled helplessly.
"What does this have to do with me, a half-dead old man?"
He said with a bitter smile. Andrew was not from this world, but from a blue planet that was almost the same as this planet but with no magical power.
He did not know if he was lucky or unlucky. One day, he got drunk at night. When he woke up the next morning, he became a crying baby in this world.
When he first learned that this was a world full of magical power, he was very excited.
Even though Andrew did not have the legendary golden fingers of a transmigrator, he still entered Magic Academy with his precocious intelligence when he was young.
However, this was the beginning of the nightmare.
Andrew's talent in magic was too poor!
In this world, those that were talented could become beginner mages before ten years old, and many of them could be promoted to advanced mages before eighteen years old.
However, Andrew was still a magic apprentice when he graduated.
This world was different from the blue planet he came from. Here, there were endless wars. Powerful mages might be able to profit from the war, but the weak ones like Andrew could only suffer.
When he graduated, he was recruited into the army according to law, and he narrowly escaped death countless times on the battlefield.
At forty years old, Andrew was promoted to a beginner mage and met his wife, Annie Brown, who was also a beginner mage. They got married and started their careers, living happy life.
However, in a national war about 15 years ago, Andrew's team was attacked by a great mage.
In an instant, almost the whole army was wiped out!
Annie was missing and no one knew if she was still alive! Andrew was seriously wounded.
To raise his children who were still in their infancy, he retired, disabled. Relying on the monthly allowance of a regular mage, he barely brought up Tim and Mary.
However, as the saying went, it never rained but it poured. If Andrew's injuries were properly treated, he might still have a chance to recuperate. But his allowance was all used to the upbringing and education of his children. He didn't have the money to buy medicines for himself at all!
Last month, his injuries flared up again. He even could not stabilize his spiritual structure. Then he was relegated from a beginner mage to a magic apprentice!
Actually, Andrew didn't care about it. After all, he rarely fought at this age. But without the allowance of a regular mage, he wouldn't be able to afford the tuition fees for his children to continue their training in Magic Academy!
In this world, if one wanted to live with dignity, he or she must become a mage! Therefore, Andrew wouldn't let his children drop out of school!
If Tim hadn't told Andrew that he had become a beginner mage and could get the allowance, Andrew would be desperate!
"Alas..."
Andrew looked at the stars in the sky and felt a little dejected.
He was already one hundred years old, but his life was so miserable.
While he was thinking, Tim came to the balcony. On his shoulder lay a small white rabbit-like creature.
"Dad, Topa is also very worried about you."
Tim walked forward and said.
The cute little creature called Topa nodded in agreement.
"I'm fine. He doesn't need to worry about me."
"I've endured it for so many years."
Andrew looked at Tim and shook his head.
Was he unreconciled? No. That was the privilege of the young, He was very old.
After thinking for a while, Tim took out a badge made of jade from his pocket.
"Dad, you don't have to worry about the expenses at home. I'm a beginner mage now."
"I can afford Mary's tuition fees. Our savings are enough for our daily expenses."
"Don't worry."
Tim said sincerely.
"It's my incompetence that makes you bother."
Andrew nodded his head with a gratified look and then said.
Seeing his guilty look, Tim felt a lump in his throat. He glanced at Topa who was floating beside him and expressed his dissatisfaction.
"See? You asked me to slow down my cultivation, but now my father can't even maintain his realm as a beginner mage anymore!"
"If I could make a breakthrough earlier and help reduce the burden of our family, perhaps he would..."
Tim complained in the spiritual domain.
Meanwhile, Topa, who looked cute, spoke in a rather calm tone, "I did that to help you form a special spiritual structure. Otherwise, with your talent, you can only become a great mage at most."
Hearing Topa's words, Tim fell silent for a moment. He knew that the spiritual structure formed during one's magical apprentice time could affect his whole life. He could not be anxious for success.
At this moment, the clock in the room suddenly rang twelve times. It was midnight.
Mary came to the balcony with the cake.
"Dad, congratulations..."
[Congratulations, you've been living a hundred years]
[Energy storage completed! Billion times of talent activated!]
Andrew did not notice the second half of Mary's words. Instead, he was attracted to the voice in his mind.