Headmaster Hanzuo stood up from his seat and clapped once to get everyone’s attention. “At this moment! We will see who the five winners of this competition really are.”The crowd parted.“Let’s not waste time. Begin the first match!”A small bell rang at the side, signaling the start of the first battle.Desmond appeared in the center of the arena. As usual, his eyes showed no emotion as he adjusted his glasses and announced, “From the Black Dragons Guild! Magnus Silver! Facing Dao Daishin from the Gray Phoenix Guild!”The crowd erupted with cheers, though the kings and the headmaster only clapped politely.The two Guild Leaders stepped down from the stage. Both were proud and confident as they faced each other, with Desmond standing between them.“I will defeat you now, Magnus. Watch closely,” Dao said, staring at his opponent with full confidence.Magnus showed no emotion and stepped back a few steps. “I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve said that. Yet not once have you won.”

In the forest,Jin had been waiting, doing nothing but thinking deeply about Emrys. He had no idea what had happened to him. He hadn’t even touched the meat he had cooked the previous night since Emrys left.It was cold and had flies on it, but that didn’t concern Jin at all right now.Suddenly, a tree beside him toppled as if pushed by the wind and exploded. Jin jumped back as pieces of wood scattered everywhere.He immediately drew his blade, but his worry returned when he saw who had appeared from the explosion.Emrys had fallen to the ground. The mask on his face was removed, and blood continuously flowed from his mouth and nose.The boy was dizzy and starting to pale.Jin quickly took care of him, not asking why he had worn a mask shaped like the princess’s mask from Central Vale or why he had the White Temple Institute uniform on.Emrys had slept for two days.Yet Jin continued caring for him, even more diligently than a mother would. Sometimes, he wondered if all this effort wa

“You took so long. I thought you only bought a map?” Emrys asked, his mouth full.Jin sat beside him and signaled the old woman to bring him food as well. He looked at Emrys. “I also bought a bag. Pick whichever you like.”“Really?” Emrys quickly turned around and saw the two bags leaning nearby. He frowned at Jin. “Why aren’t they the same color?”“You really want matching colors for our bags? Are you crazy?”“But I want matching colors!”“Pick one, or I’ll hit you.”“I’ll take the red one.” Emrys pouted.“There’s no red. Are you blind?” Jin said, trying to stay patient.“Then I’ll take the black one.”“Here’s your order.” The old woman placed Jin’s food in front of him.Emrys smiled and thanked her. “Thank you.”They ate until they were full. Several times Emrys burped. “Jin, pay the lady.”The old woman was waiting. Jin looked at his friend, picking food out of his teeth with a toothpick. “Idiot. The money is yours.”“I thought you had money?”“With all the food you ate, do you thi

"He still has the nerve to wear our institute's uniform while attacking us. It's a huge insult! I want him dead right in front of me. Even if I have to pay thousands of gold coins just to make his capture easier, I will do it!" the headmaster shouted, his voice echoing through the closed room.The door opened, revealing an elegant man dressed like the commander of all Castle Knights. The emblem on his cloak showed a red dragon's head, clearly marking him as from the Li Kingdom.It was none other than the kingdom's Knight Commander, Ventri Li, the younger brother of King Xien. He possessed 8th Grade Celestial power, comparable to the High Elder of the institute, the strongest in the school.Noticing him enter, Hanzuo immediately stood and greeted the commander with a respectful bow. "Good evening, Commander Ventri. I'm glad you accepted my invitation."The commander bowed slightly, glanced at the other teachers, and then returned his gaze to Hanzuo. "No problem. I'm here to inform you

“Jin Dui’s job was only to bring Emrys Valestron back to their town. But we heard that afterward, Skull Howler was destroyed, and everyone there died, including the respected Elder Morem. Since then, we haven’t received any news about the two boys.”Lopra took a deep breath and began pacing across the field. “The assumption is that they might have been caught up in the town’s destruction and died as well,” Laugro added as he walked alongside her.“But there’s no solid evidence to confirm that,” Lopra said.“That’s also why it wasn’t informed to Jin Dui’s family,” Laugro continued.They fell silent for a moment before Laugro stopped in front of her. “My point is this: could the two of them be involved in the attack on our institute? If Jin Dui is still alive, it’s strange that he still hasn’t returned. What could be the reason?”“If they are alive, it’s possible they’re together now,” Lopra responded, staring seriously at him. “But how does their survival relate to the person who attac