Time passed swiftly, and Zhou Xin had officially advanced to a C-class magician. Over the past few months, he not only honed his magic but also absorbed a massive amount of knowledge delivered directly into his mind by his golden finger.
The knowledge in his golden finger was well-categorized. Whenever Zhou Xin needed information, the system would inject the appropriate knowledge into his mind. If the data volume was too large, it would be divided into segments. Zhou Xin had to digest each one before receiving the next.
Now that his magic was refined and the foundational knowledge digested, Zhou Xin was itching to test his current capabilities.
When he entered the guild, he found the usual lively scene. Adults chatted over drinks, while among the younger members, only Elfman, Levy, and Cana were present. At the moment, Levy and Cana were locked in a game of magic chess, with Elfman crouched nearby, watching intently.
Elfman was no longer the timid boy Zhou Xin first met. Though still a little shy, he had become far more confident and social. According to Mira and Lisanna, this was his true personality—suppressed in the past due to trauma from villagers who had violently tried to drive their family away.
Thanks to the stability of guild life and Zhou Xin's steady encouragement, Elfman had not only returned to normal but had also developed a dream of becoming the kind of "mighty man" from the stories Zhou Xin told.
Zhou Xin strolled over to them and greeted, "Hey, Elfman, Levy, Cana."
The three turned toward him. Cana looked up and raised an eyebrow. "You're looking lively today. No more of that dazed zombie walk?"
"I wasn't dazed. I was deep in thought," Zhou Xin replied with a hint of pride.
"What were you thinking about? If it's tough, ask Levy. She reads everything," Elfman chimed in helpfully.
"True. If I need her help, I'll ask," Zhou Xin said, patting Elfman's shoulder. "But this time, it was just something that took a while to process."
Levy's eyes sparkled with interest. "Ooh, now I'm curious! What were you thinking about that made you so spaced out?"
"Nothing secret. Just the composition of weapons—like swords," Zhou Xin said casually.
Cana blinked. "That's it? They're just metal, aren't they? Why'd you take so long for something that simple?"
"Yeah, Zhou Xin..." Elfman looked concerned. There was even a faint pity in his eyes.
Zhou Xin rolled his eyes. "Stop looking at me like that. I'm not hopeless."
Levy came to his defense. "Wait, I bet it's more complicated than just 'what metal is it.' Right?"
"Exactly. It's a long story," Zhou Xin replied, then added with a grin, "Anyway, I've been promoted to C-rank. I was about to pick a task. Elfman, want to come along?"
"Sure!" Elfman agreed enthusiastically.
Zhou Xin walked over to the task board, scanning the commissions.
"Defeat bandits… slay monsters… retrieve artifacts…"
"Huh? Here's one…" Zhou Xin leaned closer to inspect it. "'Looking for a lost ring. Need a mage with good item-locating skills.' Perfect." He pulled the task from the board and returned to the others.
Meanwhile, back at the chessboard, Levy narrowed her eyes. "Cana, did you just use magic?"
"No way! I've always played like this!" Cana said quickly, cutting off her spell.
"Really?" Levy frowned. "Strange… your skill suddenly skyrocketed."
"It's just inspiration! You know, one of those moments," Cana said with a nervous laugh.
Levy was skeptical but let it slide, focusing on the game again. Elfman also took Cana at her word and even complimented her.
With the momentum from her earlier magical assistance, Cana dominated the rest of the match. It wasn't long before Levy had to concede.
At that moment, Zhou Xin walked back. "I've picked the mission. Let's go." He and Elfman headed to the front counter to report.
At Fairy Tail, all missions for younger members (under 15) had to be personally approved by Guild Master Makarov. It was a safety measure to protect the guild's children.
Zhou Xin handed the mission slip to Makarov, who reviewed it carefully. "Close by, simple item retrieval… alright, sounds good. But remember—just in case something unexpected happens…"
He then went on at length about what to do if problems arose, making sure both Zhou Xin and Elfman were fully briefed. Only then did he hand the task slip back to Zhou Xin.