After seeing Angela off, Robert opened the door to the basement. Opal absolutely hated dark places like this. With an annoyed flutter of its small wings, it sent a gust of wind through the basement, sweeping the dust away and leaving the air feeling surprisingly fresh.
Pleased with its handiwork, Opal hopped around eagerly, seeking praise. Robert, surveying the basement, had to admit that the little creature's work wasn't half bad—everything seemed to be in its place, with nothing overturned.
With the end of the month approaching, Robert was getting ready for his trip to Flower Country. He planned to bring his second-year textbooks to get a head start. After packing his mother's books, he hesitated for a moment before opening his father's first-year textbook.
[You defeated Charles Leslie in basic standard spell learning, basic standard spell +1.]
"???!!!" Robert stared in disbelief—this was possible too? His father in Heaven—oh, perhaps he was in Avalon, but either way, Robert promised to honor his legacy by studying magic diligently!
The trip to Maple Leaf Country had been quite fruitful. Robert had accumulated 46 skill points, and after using 10 to level up, he had 36 points left. He was at a loss for what to invest them in—there were just too many skills on the list. For now, he decided to set the points aside.
Of course, if his little floating ball of a creature could somehow develop some terrifying tech or magic, Robert figured he might be able to collect skill points on a massive scale. But for now, slow and steady seemed like the best approach.
The "Perfect Memory" skill, however, seemed incredibly useful. Robert maxed it out, only to discover the limit was 10. He wasn't sure if the skill could only reach that level or if special methods were required to break through that ceiling.
The "Perfect Memory" skill also unlocked related abilities like "Inspiration," "Reading Ten Lines at Once," and "Multitasking," which seemed intriguing, but they were all locked and couldn't be upgraded. Holding 27 skill points, Robert felt optimistic about his upcoming trip to Flower Country and the opportunities it might bring.
As the plane touched down at Pudong Airport, Cliff stretched lazily. "Oh my God, thank goodness I bought a business class ticket, or my legs would've broken. Honestly, they feel like they might break right now."
With his long legs, Cliff continued to complain about the uncomfortable seat space on the flight, while Elsa quietly tried to comfort him. Their affectionate exchange attracted some curious glances from the more reserved locals in the terminal.
Dragging his luggage and cradling the sleeping Opal, Robert scanned the airport exit. A young man in casual attire stood there holding a sign that read "Welcome Robert Leslie Home" in English.
The three of them walked over to him.
The young man immediately noticed them and warmly helped with their luggage, speaking in fairly fluent English, albeit with an American accent.
"Are you doing anything else in Flower Country? If not, you can stay at our house. But Robert has to stay at the main residence since there's some knowledge we need to impart to him. Before the ceremony, he must also cleanse himself with incense and a three-day fasting ritual," the young man, Chen Xiang, rambled as he helped them to the car.
Robert widened his eyes, curiously eyeing the neighborhood. He hadn't expected the so-called "mysterious family" to live in a place like this.
"Uh, you guys are in the wrong place. The entrance is over here," Chen Xiang said, waving as he led them to another direction. They all awkwardly retraced their steps and followed him into a narrow alley.
"Well, I know the entrance looks a bit shabby…" Chen Xiang muttered, speaking in Chinese now, likely a little embarrassed, "But the ancestors wouldn't let us fix it up, and I'm pretty hopeless about it."
Robert nearly burst into laughter at his complaint. It seemed the older generations really did have a thing for tradition.
The alley twisted and turned, and Robert quickly lost his sense of direction. As they passed an intersection, a "pop" sound echoed in the air, like a bubble bursting. When Robert looked again, they found themselves on a bustling street.
The sight before him stunned Robert—it was far larger than Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, more like a massive commercial district!
"This feels like when we went to Diagon Alley…" Cliff mumbled.
"Diagon Alley?" Chen Xiang glanced back at him, confused. "This is the Chen family estate, not a commercial street."
"What?" "What's going on?!" The three of them exclaimed in shock. The street was bustling with people, clearly resembling a thriving shopping district!
"Well… you know, Flower Country has a huge population," Chen Xiang shrugged. "There are many people with special abilities. Unlike in certain countries that embrace pure-blood ideologies in magic, we prefer to encourage large families and procreation. Although we're trending towards more selective breeding… Anyway, the population just keeps growing."
"So, there are a lot of ordinary people here?" Cliff asked, curious.
"Well, that's one way to put it," Chen Xiang scratched his head. "We believe everyone has some kind of special ability, but most people never show it. To put it in terms you can understand, it's like everyone has wizarding potential, but if they can't use magic, they're just considered Muggles."
He paused, nodded in agreement, and continued, "I guess that's about it."
Chen Xiang then led them to a hotel designed for visitors and distant friends.
"Most people who stay here are either visitors or friends without direct family ties," Chen Xiang explained. "Of course, it's also fine to stay at a friend's house, but I've heard that foreigners aren't always comfortable with that?"
Cliff clapped his chest. "Hey, that's a misunderstanding! If a friend invites me to stay with them and doesn't mind, I'd be more than happy!"
Chen Xiang scratched his head. "Uh, okay then? Well, get settled in, and I'll take you out for a stroll later. Tomorrow, Robert, you'll go visit the main residence to meet your grandfather. After that, you can stay here until the ceremony is over."
"Out at night?" Cliff's eyes widened.
"Is something wrong?" Chen Xiang asked, puzzled. "Do you have some sort of taboo, like not going out at night?"
"No, no," Cliff quickly corrected him. "I was just saying, your country is so safe!"
Chen Xiang straightened his back with pride. "Ah, well, welcome to the safest country in the world."
(End of Chapter)