“So, Zuo Luntianren really can’t beat Qian Jing…” Colette lightly toyed with the tips of her waterfall-like golden hair, a faint smile playing on her lips. “This time, Qian Jing, you’ve stepped into the Academy’s ‘Game of the Strong.’ Let’s see how you escape this whirlpool now.”

“Qian Jing defeated Zuo Luntianren?” Almost simultaneously, the top ten first-year warrior students residing in various campus quarters all broke into smiles.

This fellow who had always refused to participate in the Academy’s ‘Game of the Strong’ had finally been dragged into the muck. It meant one more token for their collection.

“Tokens... the person who designed these tokens is truly malicious.”

Qian Jing casually tossed the four tokens he carried onto the bedside table, grabbed his toiletries, and headed to the nearby shower room. He washed away the sweat coating his body and returned to his room.

It was already getting late. Rolin waited excitedly in the room and said, “Qian Jing, let’s go out and have a proper meal! My treat! You beat Zuo Luntianren today, that’s definitely worth celebrating!”

Qian Jing looked at the sun that had already set, then at the excited Rolin, and regarded him very seriously. “Tell me, why do you like Zhu Lisi so much? What’s so great about that woman?”

“Well…” Rolin looked exceedingly earnest. “She’s beautiful, and very sexy!”

“Is that all?” Qian Jing couldn't comprehend it. While beautiful women might not be scattered everywhere, they certainly weren't rare in this world.

“And…” Rolin clapped his hands. “She’s also incredibly arrogant. Look how she always holds her head high when she walks, with that icy expression. Such a cold beauty…”

Qian Jing yawned. Pride born from mere beauty counted as a virtue? Compared to Hai Qingyue, someone like her…

Rolin noticed Qian Jing yawning, his initial look of disdain shifting into a faraway memory, quickly replaced by a sense of loss. He had never seen Qian Jing’s eyes hold such profound disappointment before.

“Qian Jing… Qian Jing…” Rolin whispered softly, “Say, are you alright?”

“Huh?” Qian Jing stretched lazily, leaning against the wall—cool now, though still retaining a faint warmth from the afternoon sun. His eyes cleared, regaining their usual sharpness. “What’s wrong? I’m fine.”

“So?” Rolin proposed again, “Let’s go out and eat well. Celebrate?”

Qian Jing rubbed his stomach, which was rumbling audibly, and laughed. “Fine! I fought for you today; I definitely deserve to eat my fill, don’t I?”

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Rolin jumped up and tugged at Qian Jing. “You beat Zuo Luntianren today; that truly deserves celebration. How about I call my sister too? Speaking of which, I told you about my sister, and you don't have a girlfriend. Why don’t I introduce my sister to you? She’s very pretty! I mentioned you to her, and she seems quite interested in you.”

Qian Jing locked eyes with Rolin for a long moment, a trace of pity in his gaze. He gently patted Rolin’s shoulder. “Classmate, I know you mean well. But you don’t have to lie just to hawk your sister. Seeing your face, I can truly imagine what your sister must look like.”

“Damn it!” Rolin launched a kick toward Qian Jing, who had just defeated Zuo Luntianren. “Just because I’m not handsome doesn’t mean I lack substance! Besides, my sister is nothing like me; she’s genuinely beautiful.”

“Alright, I get it,” Qian Jing dodged the flying kick and pushed Rolin’s plump frame forward. “I know, your sister is very pretty, isn’t that enough? But I’m poor right now; I can’t afford to keep a woman.”

“That’s fine, my sister has money…”

“The issue is, I don’t want to be a kept man.”

“Classmate, though we are friends, I must tell you the truth: your looks are, at best, manly, but absolutely not qualified to be a kept man. Dark, the number one ranked warrior in our grade, has the qualifications to be a kept man.”

“Classmate, you’ve crushed my dream of being a kept man. Tonight, I must eat you into poverty to vent my frustration.”

“Classmate, I’m serious. When you finish all your warrior studies in the future, come to the Fackell family. We might not be a major trading clan, but we are merchants with a decent amount of gold. You can be our family’s First Guardian, and then marry my sister. We’ll be one big family then.”

“Classmate, I can consider being the Guardian. But considering your appearance, and the status of being your brother-in-law, I have no enthusiasm for it.”

“Classmate, you need to understand! My sister is the campus belle of Oakland Business Academy…”

“Is that so? Classmate, I truly feel sorrow for the male students of Oakland Business Academy. What kind of environment must they live in?”

“Damn it!”

“Counter-damn it…”

Outside the campus gates as the sun vanished, the two walked into a familiar restaurant, joking all the way, and indulged in a massive feast.

The sky was full of stars. The Oakland Academy of Magic and Warriors fell into silence, broken only by the chirping of insects in the grass. Qian Jing smiled watching the sleeping Rolin. He truly had to thank this friend, not just for past financial aid. If not for his presence and existence, Qian Jing might still be a very withdrawn person.

Leaning against the window, Qian Jing gazed at the stars. Those who have experienced profound hardships often become despondent. That he could be this cheerful now—Rolin, this friend, deserved immense credit.

Looking at the constellations, Qian Jing’s vision blurred slightly. The twinkling stars seemed to shift, forming a face that wasn't quite clear—a girl’s face, with delicate, refined features and a faint smile, as if beckoning to him.

Qian Jing instinctively raised a hand. His blurred vision returned to normal. He sighed toward the sky.

“I will become the richest merchant in the world! Classmate, remember… Family Guardian…”

Rolin mumbled in his sleep, smacking his lips, yet still clinging to the notion of the Family Guardian. A warm smile touched the corner of Qian Jing’s lips. “Family Guardian? If I truly had the capability, no matter how powerful the force in the world invited me, I wouldn't be tempted. I will be the guardian of your Fackell family. As for becoming your brother-in-law… Classmate, seeing your face… I am quite worried.”

Meditation. This was something Qian Jing religiously did before sleeping.

In the quiet room, Qian Jing closed his eyes, diligently meditating for the duration of two meals, then opened them with a sigh and a shake of his head. Still no sign of the presence of magical elements today. It seemed this deficiency in mental power really was…

Qian Jing let out a long breath and stretched forcefully, retrieving the hat from under the bed—a design strongly resembling a mage’s hat. “Endless World, Endless World… No matter what, I hope you can truly make me a little stronger. That way, I can enter the mountains alone to search for the [Peerless Wind and Cloud Battle Qi]—which I don't even know truly exists. That might be my last chance to turn my life around.” :I am quite satisfied with this chapter. Writing it reminded me of my university days, drinking with roommates until late, singing loudly under the night sky, and speaking of our youthful dreams. Well, for this chapter, give me all your clicks and recommendation votes. And don’t forget to add it to your collection! E