I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

Dinner was held in the small dining room on the second floor. A rectangular table was covered with a snow-white tablecloth, and the light from the magic chandelier made the whole room warm and bright.

Viscount Pompeii sat in the main seat, the Viscountess sat to his right, Elena sat to his left, and Ji Tian sat next to Elena.

The silver cutlery clinked gently against the porcelain plate, producing a crisp sound.

Viscount Pompeii cut off a small piece of roast beef, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly. His gaze would occasionally sweep from the edge of the plate, landing on Ji Tian's face before shifting away again.

The Viscountess, however, had fewer concerns. While handing the sliced ​​meat to Elena's plate with her knife, she inquired about the details of the journey: "Was that official road bumpy? Did you stop at any post stations?"

Elena answered each question as before, her voice soft, occasionally glancing at Ji Tian to see if he had eaten properly.

Ji Tian sat there with his back straight, his movements natural, neither restrained nor ostentatious. The plate in front of him was already more than half empty—Elena had secretly forked a lot of food for him, and he hadn't refused.

The viscount put down his knife and fork and wiped his mouth with a napkin. He picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and finally turned his gaze directly to Ji Tian.

"Ji Tian, ​​I heard you're also planning to take the entrance exam for the Royal Capital Magic Academy?"

This was mentioned in Elena's letter, and the old butler had also mentioned it in his regular reports. This young man was exceptionally talented, and Elena had lent him many magic books.

The viscount naturally assumed that he also intended to pursue the path of a magician.

Ji Tian put down his fork and nodded slightly: "Yes, Uncle. It's ready."

The viscount raised an eyebrow slightly. He had expected the man to say something modest, or something like "give it a try."

Now it seems, at least he's not a timid person.

He nodded and said, "The entrance exam for the Royal Capital Magic Academy is held once a year, consisting of two rounds: a written exam and a spell test. Those who pass enter the outer academy, and only those who complete two years of study in the outer academy with excellent grades can participate in the inner academy selection. There are only thirty places in the inner academy each year, and you should have heard how fierce the competition is."

As the viscount spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Ji Tian's face, as if observing his reaction.

Ji Tian simply nodded. He had heard Elena mention it on the way. "I know."

The viscount pondered for a moment, then asked, "Has your mage level reached its limit?"

That was a very natural question.

In the continent's magic system, high-level magicians are the pinnacle that ordinary people can reach through their own efforts. Above them are grand magicians, which is a realm that cannot be reached by talent and diligence alone.

"We're almost there." Ji Tian hadn't expected the other party to be able to see his extraordinary abilities, and couldn't help but sigh that experience is indeed the best teacher.

In his view, the limit of a mage's level is demigod, and beyond that, it involves gods with complete authority, so his answer wasn't wrong.

The Viscount glanced at Elena, and seeing her nod, he didn't immediately take out the crystal ball to confirm.

It is extremely difficult for a young man from a tenant farmer family who has never received formal magical education to cultivate to the level of a high-level mage.

As for the Archmage, that's a threshold that requires "anchor runes" to cross.

Thinking of this, the Viscount picked up his wine glass and took another sip. He put down the glass, his fingers gently tracing the rim, as if carefully choosing his words. After a moment, he slowly spoke:

"You've probably heard that the path from high-level mage to grand mage isn't something you can just traverse by accumulating magic power. Our magic power circulation reaches a bottleneck at the high-level mage stage, like a river whose channel is only so wide; no matter how much water there is, it won't flow fast."

He paused, glanced at Ji Tian, ​​and seeing his focused expression, continued:

"To break through this bottleneck, you need to inscribe 'anchor runes' on your magic circuits. These runes can solidify and widen the magic circuits, allowing a mage to truly step into the realm of a grand mage. Once you become a Grand Magister, the 'anchor runes' will be completely consumed. Without them, no matter how much magic you accumulate, you cannot achieve a qualitative leap."

Ji Tian listened quietly. He didn't know this setting, but it was referenced in online novels—using external objects to help cultivators break through bottlenecks and stabilize the magic power circulation.

Isn't it a product of combining the Foundation Building Pill with a castrated and weakened version of the External Alchemy method?

Seeing Ji Tian deep in thought, the Viscount continued, "These anchoring runes are almost entirely controlled by the Mage Association, a joint venture established by the Kingdom, the Church, the Noble Council, and several top magic academies. The inscription of each rune requires approval and registration by the Association and cannot be disseminated or transferred in an individual's name. If you are not strong enough and your anchoring rune is taken from your body, then your recommender and your family will be severely punished. Of course, the actual regulations are much more complicated than that."

That's it!

Ji Tian suddenly realized why he had never heard of any great magicians in the Eastern and Western territories; they were all spending their time at home or in academies!

Even if a small number of bold individuals refuse to admit it, they would never acknowledge themselves as great magicians.

Those commoner mages without background or wealth, no matter how talented they are, will find it difficult to obtain "anchor runes" if they do not align themselves with a certain power. Lacking talent, they will be stuck at the bottleneck of becoming high-level mages for their entire lives.

He did have some respect for the first human archmage.

The Viscountess sighed softly and interjected, "That's why the inner academy of the Royal Capital Magic Academy is such a coveted place. All the students in the inner academy are grand mages. The academy provides every student entering the inner academy with a free 'anchor rune': you don't need to pledge allegiance to any faction, you don't need to sign any indenture, as long as you pass the assessment and prove your talent and strength."

Elena had learned about these things from her father's letters, but hearing her mother say it aloud still made her realize the prestige of the academy.

The viscount's tone carried a hint of admiration: "So, it's already quite an achievement that you've cultivated to the level of an advanced mage. The entrance exam shouldn't be too difficult for you."

What? A high-level mage?

Ji Tian looked up and saw that the other person was in the middle of a conversation, so he didn't want to offend him. "I understand."

Elena secretly kicked him under the table—meaning, "You haven't said enough."

Ji Tian felt the touch on his ankle, turned his head to look at her, and then added, "Thank you for your guidance, Uncle."

The viscount put down his wine glass, tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice, and looked at Ji Tian with a more serious expression.

"Ji Tian, ​​there's something I want to ask you. How much do you know about 'anchoring runes'?"

"I only learned a little from your explanation, Uncle," Ji Tian replied, neither humble nor arrogant.

The viscount nodded, pondered for a moment, and said, "With your talent and diligence, reaching the level of a high-level mage is already quite an achievement. Without a family background or a renowned teacher, this path must have been very difficult for you, right?"

Ji Tian nodded. Only he knew the effort and sweat he had put in over the past six years to go from an ordinary person to a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Seeing his calm expression, the Viscount nodded inwardly and said, "Although my Pompeii family isn't top-tier, we've operated in the capital for many years and have some influence within the Mage's Association. If you need it, I can vouch for you and apply for an 'Anchoring Rune.' As long as you pass the Association's review, you can legitimately break through to the Great Mage level."

These words were spoken politely, without any hint of charity or explicitly stating the conditions—but everyone present could tell that the Viscount was testing Ji Tian's attitude.

Elena paused, her gaze sweeping back and forth between her father and Ji Tian, ​​but she didn't say anything.

Ji Tian picked up his water glass, took a sip, put it down, looked up at the Viscount, and said calmly but firmly, "Uncle's kindness is appreciated, but I will obtain the 'Anchoring Rune' through the academy's channels, so there's no need for you to trouble yourself."

It's good to be able to take advantage of the college, so why bother using personal connections?

Furthermore, the academy arc is an indispensable part of many online novels! Ji Tian is now of school age.

The viscount wasn't surprised by this; after all, who hasn't been young? He said, "You have ambition! Then so be it. If you change your mind, you can come find me anytime."

Elena nudged Ji Tian's shoe tip under the table again, as if to say, "Why don't you say a few more words?"

Ji Tian glanced at her again and added to the Viscount, "Thank you, Uncle."

The viscount nodded, having put the matter of "guarantee" aside, and turned his attention to another matter—since this person was unwilling to accept the favor, he would probably have to find a different way to bring up the matter of taking a son-in-law.

The Viscountess tactfully changed the subject, mentioning a newly opened dessert shop in the capital, saying that their cream puffs were excellent and that she would have Elena take Ji Tian to try them another day.

The atmosphere at the table relaxed, and the clinking of cutlery became light and cheerful again.

Elena forked a piece of fish into Ji Tian's bowl and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Not bad, keep it up."