Before Lin Luo stood two striking beauties with long black hair; one appeared to be fifteen or sixteen, the other thirteen or fourteen, sharing a resemblance of about sixty or seventy percent. The elder of the two wore a black formal dress, maintaining a serious expression, seemingly detached from everything around her. The younger girl, however, was dressed in a school uniform, her face etched with apology, looking somewhat clumsy—a clear impression of an innocent, natural ditz.

It was this seemingly clumsy, naturally clueless girl who was profusely apologizing to Lin Luo.

Judging purely by appearances, these two young women could be anyone you’d pass on the street. Yet, Lin Luo, privy to their identities, understood the terrifying depth of power these two possessed.

Gazing upon the sisters before him, even Lin Luo’s composure faltered for a moment. It wasn’t fear, exactly... perhaps it was a sense of powerlessness over the sudden situation, an instinctive repulsion.

Those who hold power inherently feel a primal resistance towards those possessing greater strength. This rejection is divorced from conscious thought, devoid of morality, unconcerned with friendship or enmity; it is simply the collision of might.

He is stronger than me, I cannot defeat him, engaging him means death, I must stay far away... This underlying thought surfaces in one's subconscious during the first encounter with someone overwhelmingly superior, until the moment it is confirmed whether they are friend or foe. The only difference lies in one's personal fortitude to suppress the outward manifestation of this instinct.

“I’m sorry, truly… I am so sorry. Um, are you hurt at all?” The naturally airheaded girl looked utterly distressed, seemingly at a loss for how to handle Lin Luo as she desperately repeated her apologies.

“...Don’t worry, I’m fine. So you don’t need to apologize. That was just an accident,” Lin Luo managed, feeling a touch of helplessness as he spoke. Logically, he was the victim here, yet seeing the girl’s worried, frightened expression, he somehow felt as if he were the one who had done something wrong… Ah, perhaps this is the lethal charm of a natural ditz?

“I’ve told you repeatedly not to play with dangerous things like this. Have you forgotten the last lesson?” The older, cold-faced girl scolded without a change in expression—though it was less a reprimand and more like stating an insignificant fact, as there was no hint of blame in her eyes.

Then, she knelt down and, with a swift whoosh, yanked the dagger completely embedded in the soft earth free. “I’ll hold onto this for now,” she said, sliding the blade into a leather sheath affixed outside her formal dress.

“Mmmph…” A flicker of reluctance crossed the ditz girl’s eyes, but she offered no protest.

That sheath wasn't part of the original dress; it must have been added later... This peculiar attire gave Lin Luo a slight jolt of surprise, but recalling the girl's identity, nothing about it should have been unexpected.

His gaze drifted involuntarily to the ground where he’d been lying. Now, a deep indentation marked the spot where his heart would have been... Though he knew it was the blundering mistake of the absentminded girl, seeing the mark sent a fresh wave of lingering fear through him, coupled with a spark of relief: Thank goodness this was ten years ago, before she had fully ascended to the pinnacle of this world, or he likely wouldn't have escaped that strike.

But then again, displaying such lethal potential at this age—had her destructive talent already manifested? Was that why she inherited the family’s Magecraft Crest, surpassing her older sister who was hailed as a prodigy, the epitome of a Magus? You, the "Human Rocket Launcher"—Aozaki Aoko.

Mihara City? Three-Color City? Sandwich City? ...To hell with all of it. Lin Luo finally recalled the name of the city he was in... Damn it, this was Misaki City.

It was the hometown of the formidable Aozaki sisters: Touko and Aoko.

Aozaki Touko, in summation, was a multi-talented genius encompassing sorcery, creation, and design. While Lin Luo had encountered countless individuals dubbed "geniuses" from A Certain Magical Index to the Nasuverse, the title seemed as common as cheap cabbage on the market. However, if one were to name the single most representative figure, it could only be Aozaki Touko.

From design to creation to combat, she was virtually omnipotent.

Consider just the creation of dolls: the ability to craft duplicates indistinguishable from living beings. Should her current self perish, as long as a spare body existed, she could awaken again. One might even call her immortal; it bordered on the miraculous. This ability alone shattered the absolute law left over from the peak of medieval thaumaturgy: that no matter how human-like a doll was made, it could never be identical to a human.

In the Nasuverse, she was the ultimate representation of a Magus. Though a sorceress, her power had already crept infinitely close to that of a True Magician. While she hadn't reached the Root, her understanding of the Vortex of the Root was likely among the deepest.

The term "genius" was perfectly apt when applied to Aozaki Touko.

And her sister, Aozaki Aoko, though lacking her elder sister's innate genius in magecraft—her aptitude considered downright mediocre, and bizarrely, she couldn't even perform basic spells—possessed an unparalleled, almost supreme talent for "Destruction," earning her the bombastic moniker, the "Human Rocket Launcher."

Having surpassed her genius older sister, Aoko led in both the inheritance of the family's Magecraft Crest and the contest for titles within the Mage's Association. The word "genius" seemed utterly worthless in her presence.

She possessed the strength of one of the Nasuverse's only five True Magicians, ranking as the Fourth Magician, wielding the Fifth Magic, Ao... This was Aozaki Aoko's capability. Describing her as "the strongest" might be slightly hyperbolic, but one thing was certain: in the Nasuverse, few would dare claim to be stronger than her.

If one were to map the power levels of the Nasuverse, regardless of objective critique, these two sisters stood at the absolute zenith of the hierarchy.

Lin Luo never could have imagined that a simple mountain trek would lead him to encounter this infamous B-rank pair. Truly, surprises abound every year, and this year was particularly fruitful… Fate, or destiny, remains an elusive thing.

What surprised Lin Luo even more was the imagery of the sisters in their youth: one a pseudo-Nolife, the other a natural ditz. Well, humanity was indeed the most peculiar creature in existence.

“Ah ha, your name is Lin Luo, not bad, ha ha ha.” The misunderstanding cleared, the trio had gotten acquainted after a brief introduction. It was as if the incident where Aoko nearly killed Lin Luo had never occurred. Aozaki Aoko laughed heartlessly, nodding in self-satisfaction as she spoke.

Lin Luo felt utterly speechless; the girl's absentmindedness was truly…

Meanwhile, Aozaki Touko appeared far more grounded. She looked at Lin Luo and stated flatly, “Dangerous things often happen on this mountain. If you have nothing urgent, you should head down as soon as possible.”

It sounded like an eviction notice. Lin Luo wasn't surprised. Since this was Misaki City and Aozaki Touko was present, it stood to reason that their family's magic workshop—a hallmark of a Magus—was located somewhere deep in these mountains, a place ordinary humans must never see. After all, for Magicians, discretion was paramount.

That said, it was only now that he realized, subconsciously, he had wandered deep into the mountains.

“You’re a Magus, aren’t you?” Lin Luo asked directly, pointing at Aozaki Touko.

“You…” Aozaki Touko’s expression shifted, a flash of shock crossing her eyes. She seemed caught off guard by Lin Luo’s abrupt statement.

“Don't be nervous, I am one too. A Magus,” Lin Luo explained with a smile and a gentle tone.

Aozaki Touko, the genius Magus possessing a confluence of talents, was practically a crystallization of innate ability. Though only fifteen and still maturing, the aura she exuded already held the bearing of a powerhouse. As for Aozaki Aoko, at thirteen she was currently an ordinary loli, but her destructive talent was already emerging. As a future True Magician... these two were not people one could afford to ignore. Establishing some form of rapport with them should, to some extent, aid his own process of delving into the world's essence.

Failing that, even if they couldn't assist him in penetrating the world's core right now, cultivating a friendly relationship with them was undoubtedly beneficial.

Of course, neither of these women were ordinary. Contacting them as a mere mundane would yield no meaningful response. Therefore, initiating friendly magical exchange as fellow Magicians was essential.

Instantly entering Rin’s Equivalent Status, Lin Luo transformed from an ordinary person into a genuine Magus.

While Rin’s overall caliber might lag significantly behind Aozaki Touko’s, in terms of Magic Circuits and total output, she was not far behind. Possessing forty primary circuits and thirty auxiliary ones, capable of storing nearly a thousand units of Prana, Rin’s talent ranked among the superior Magicians. Now, having borrowed Rin’s Level 5 ability, Lin Luo, though far from excellent, was certainly not inferior to an average Magus.

Magicians generate a certain affinity for one another, especially powerful ones. Now that Lin Luo intentionally released a surge of magical fluctuation, Aozaki Touko immediately sensed it—confirming that there was substance behind his claim of being a Magus.

“Wow, you’re a Magician too?” Aozaki Aoko exclaimed dramatically, feigning extreme surprise at the turn of events.

“Just a common wandering Magus, learned a little from my family. Nothing impressive,” Lin Luo said humbly. “If possible, I would hope to discuss magical insights with you, esteemed Magician ladies.”