[Note: Read up to Chapter - 27 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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As the gift pack opened, the three beams of light merged into Aris's sea of consciousness. A warm sensation, like a divine blessing, rose from deep within his heart. He could clearly feel his mind being transformed by some mysterious force.
In his previous life, Aris had been considered a top student; after all, he had graduated from university with outstanding grades.
Despite that, he wasn't that good, but now? Now, the change was undeniable. His thoughts had become sharper, more agile, and his mental clarity far surpassed that of any ordinary person. Each time an idea formed, a web of countless related thoughts instantly followed, like an explosion of insight.
Even the brightest academic geniuses University likely couldn't match this level of thinking.
It was no exaggeration, the system's power was truly incredible!
And that wasn't all. The rewards from the gift pack weren't over yet.
After the three talents were successfully integrated, the golden light of the gift pack began to morph, transforming into a spinning roulette wheel, elegant in design and glowing with radiant light.
Then, the mysterious voice echoed again in his mind:
[Extracting magical talent for the host… Exceptional magical aptitude is the foundation for surviving and thriving in the wizarding world. I wish you good luck…]
The golden roulette wheel floated silently before Aris's eyes, pulsing with an unfathomable power.
He took a deep breath and examined it carefully.
The wheel was massive, divided into five distinct color-coded sections: white, green, blue, purple, and gold.
The white area was the largest, occupying nearly one-third of the entire wheel. It was followed by green, then blue, and purple.
The smallest section, gold, was barely one percent of the wheel's total size.
A sinking feeling crept into Aris's chest.
In an age dominated by gacha games and loot boxes, he didn't need to be told how this system worked.
White obviously meant the worst talent. Gold was undoubtedly the best.
And quite obviously, the golden area was laughably small.
Just one percent?!
Even someone with incredible luck would struggle to land that. As for someone like him, who once got hit by a car just walking down the street, his chances were practically zero.
Don't tell me I've been handed the "loser" protagonist template right from the start…
Before Aris could spiral further into despair, the elegant roulette wheel began to spin.
Slowly at first… then faster and faster… until it became a blur of color.
All he could see now were streaks of white, green, blue, purple, and a bit of gold flashing in a whirlwind of magic, forming a vortex of spinning light.
"One percent chance? Unless the sun starts rising from the west..."
Aris smiled wryly, not holding out much hope.
Still, having some magical talent, no matter how poor, was better than having none at all.
Even if he ended up with the weakest talent, he was confident that he could rise above it. He had always been a top student, and now, with the three incredible learning abilities granted by the system, his confidence was unshakable.
Besides, he had a strong feeling that this Academic Master System wasn't just some simple cheat, it was something far more powerful.
Aris remained calm and clear-headed, waiting patiently.
This moment, this talent extraction, would shape his entire future. Anyone else might have been anxious or panicked, and though Aris understood the weight of the situation, he tried his best to keep his composure, albeit with some difficulty.
From everything he knew about the magical world, talent was everything. All the legends, those who had made names for themselves in the annals of wizarding history spanning thousands of years, had done so on the foundation of overwhelming magical aptitude and natural brilliance.
People with mediocre talent rarely rose to greatness, even if they were born into the most prestigious of pure-blood families. The slow decline of many ancient wizarding houses with time was proof of that.
Whether it was the first-generation Dark Lord Grindelwald, the second-generation Dark Lord Voldemort, or even Albus Dumbledore, all of them shaped eras and shook the wizarding world not because of their lineage, but because of their unmatched power.
In the magical world, the law of the jungle is even more ruthless and apparent than in ordinary society
Aris understood this all too well.
As his thoughts churned, the roulette wheel before him began to slow. The pointer moved gradually, from the white zone to green, then to blue, clearly showing signs of coming to a stop.
One rotation… two rotations…
By the third rotation, the wheel had slowed to a crawl.
Even Aris, who had tried to stay calm, now watched with intense focus.
Finally, the pointer edged toward the purple section. It looked like it might stop there.
Aris mentally calculated the pointer's angle, eyes locked onto it.
"As expected… not happening."
He let out a soft sigh.
Though the pointer crept forward at a painfully slow pace, it still passed right over the golden section, without even the slightest hesitation, and finally came to rest… squarely in the white zone.
No surprises.
Yet, strangely, Aris felt calm.
In truth, he had already come to terms with such a possibility.
As long as the Academic Master System remained with him, he had the tools to rewrite his fate.
What more could he do?
If being unlucky is my default setting, then so be it; I'll just have to work harder.
Even something as absurd as a system whose existence makes no logical sense cannot fate.
Just as Aris resigned himself to his fate, the system's voice suddenly echoed in his mind:
[Since this is the host's first roulette draw, it can be repeated indefinitely until a satisfactory talent template is acquired. In the world of academic masters, there are no "unlucky" people, only destined probabilities. Wishing you an enjoyable experience!]
The sudden twist stunned Aris for a moment.
Then, he almost burst out laughing.
So that's how it is!
Perhaps I was too quick to judge.
Perhaps something as absurd as System can indeed overpower the mysterious force of fate!
This system was amazing!
Probability decides everything.
And this twist, this strange sense of control, felt unbelievably reassuring.
It was a kind of generosity tailor-made for people who weren't born lucky.
Now then… how many times would it take to land that golden talent?
Aris quickly calculated the odds in his mind, then calmly spun the roulette again.
The magical vortex returned.
Second try... blue talent. Pass.
Third try... another white talent. Pass.
Fourth try... a lucky purple roll—but still not enough. Pass.
Are you havin' a laugh?
If it can be repeated endlessly, then why not go for the golden talent?
And so, the spins continue, dozens of 'em, yet not a single speck of gold showed up.
The power of metaphysical bad luck? Still goin' strong, clearly.
Thankfully, the system's first draw could be reset without limit.
Again and again...
Yet through it all, Aris stayed cool as a cucumber—completely unfazed, not even a flicker of frustration.
Then—finally, after more than ten minutes—a glimmer of gold burst from the roulette wheel.
Golden Draw!
A brilliant beam of light reflected in Aris's eyes as the pointer came to a stop—dead centre on that tiny golden slice. The moment of truth had arrived
Finally. Nailed it.
A flicker of happiness crossed Aris's face.
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Golden Talent Template.]
As the system's voice rang out, the reward materialised in front of Aris
[Talent Template: Merlin…]
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[Note: Read up to Chapter - 27 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]