Since the founding of the Auckland Academy of Magic and Warriors, no student had ever been expelled. Almost everyone believed this woman would set a new precedent for the academy. If, by the advancement exams, she still couldn't find a magical companion to partner with, she wouldn't even qualify to take the test, and lacking exam results meant she certainly couldn't remain at the academy.

"No one will partner with her?" Qian Jin peered toward Biluo, who was timidly backing away not far off. "Because of the scholarship?"

"Could it be for any other reason?" Luolin shrugged. "The magic students are even more arrogant than us. Why would they deign to associate with such a terrible underachiever?"

Qian Jin frowned, circling the training ground again and again, yet his eyes never strayed from Biluo's position. Mages were different from Warriors.

A magic apprentice could not cast any spell independently. They required several, sometimes a dozen, people to draw a magic circle on the ground and stand within it, joining forces to push the magic through.

The magic students at the school were even less capable of independent casting; exams required numerous magic students to combine their power just to activate a spell. Those whose spiritual power and magic reserves barely met the standard for a lower-tier academy naturally couldn't manage magic alone. Without the coordination and assistance of others...

"Damn spiritual power..."

Luolin noticed Qian Jin utter the curse while his fists clenched, emitting a faint crackle from his knuckles. He inwardly surmised it was spiritual power again. Qian Jin seemed overly fixated on spiritual power.

The morning drills eventually concluded. All students of the Auckland Academy of Magic and Warriors assembled neatly into the formations they were accustomed to, standing before the now vacant Meditation Platform, awaiting the Headmaster's customary morning address.

The morning sun spilled across the Meditation Platform, bathing the gaunt figure of Headmaster Fick as he stepped onto it and found his footing.

Having endured the morning drills, the assembled students listlessly awaited the Headmaster’s monotonous speech—the same tired refrain of, 'Effort! Effort! The future belongs to you!'—prepared to rush to the mess hall the instant the dull talk ended to grab a hot, fragrant breakfast.

"Everyone, effort! The future belongs to you!"

The training ground echoed with the Headmaster Fick's address, unchanged for years. The students were already preparing to wait for the next words, "Dismissed," and then applaud their departure.

"Today, I..."

Applause erupted, and only then did the students realize something was amiss! The Headmaster hadn't said "Dismissed"; he intended to say something more?

The training ground quieted once more. Headmaster Fick coughed and stated, "Today, I am here to announce something to you all. It concerns the badge points system! I have made a new decision!"

Badges? Students from all grades cast their gazes upon the top ten performers of their respective years. Qian Jin, by fortune, garnered a share of that attention.

Luolin peered suspiciously through the crowd toward Headmaster Fick. The influence of his merchant family made him notice that the Headmaster, since stepping onto the platform, had his eyes fixed directly toward their side—or rather, fixed squarely on Qian Jin! Could the matter the Headmaster was about to announce concern Qian Jin?

Qian Jin frowned. Why is the Headmaster staring at me? Did the Dean of Academic Affairs report me again for fighting yesterday?

"What I announce today concerns Qian Jin," Headmaster Fick said, his thin arm pointing directly at Qian Jin. The students standing in front of and around Qian Jin instinctively parted to the sides, creating an unusually large, conspicuous space around him.

Students who previously didn't know who Qian Jin was now knew exactly who he was.

"Any first-year Warrior student who can defeat Qian Jin and take a badge from him will receive double points for that badge. One badge counts as two points."

Headmaster Fick’s slightly raspy voice still echoed across the field. A wave of gasps and low murmuring rose from the neat formations of students. Everyone’s gaze swung back to Qian Jin, trying to discern what was different about this student? The Headmaster, who rarely spoke, was talking excessively today, and furthermore, elevating his badge points to double?

The same badge, but double the value! What did that signify? The faces of the top-ten ranked students shifted, but threads of palpable anger shone in their eyes.

Qian Jin stared up at the smiling Headmaster Fick, feeling the eight hostile, angry stares surrounding him. He secretly guessed: Is this a scheme orchestrated by the Dean of Academic Affairs? If the top-ten ranked students of the same year have their badges' points doubled upon being taken, what does that imply? It implies that the holder of the badge possesses formidable strength! The difficulty in snatching badges from the others must be too high, hence the bonus points! This was clearly stating to the other top-ten classmates that none of them were as strong as Qian Jin.

"On what grounds!"

A dissatisfied roar erupted from the crowd. Qian Jin gently rubbed his forehead. As expected! Discontent arose the moment the announcement was made. The Dean of Academic Affairs’ tactic was truly shameless! Since he couldn't act himself, he was using students to exact revenge!

"On what grounds?" Headmaster Fick’s face bloomed into a smile; the wrinkles crowded on his face spread out like blossoming chrysanthemums. "Zelda, Fabkalas, you are not convinced? Do you feel my announcement insults you? Very well! If, in the coming days, you can seize a badge from Qian Jin, I will announce that any badge taken from you by someone who defeats you will also be worth double points. That is all. Dismissed now."

In days past, everyone would have scattered immediately upon the dismissal. Today, the students did not move. Everyone clearly understood one thing: two individuals had publicly voiced their dissent, which meant very likely...

"Qian Jin, I, Zelda, challenge you to a duel."

"Qian Jin, I, Fabkalas, challenge you to a duel!"

Crisp, resounding voices echoed above the training field...

The challenge of a duel reverberated across the campus of the Auckland Academy of Magic and Warriors. It instantly ignited the excitement in every student's nerves, transforming what should have been an ordinary morning into something extraordinary.

Zelda, ranked sixth among the first-year Warriors, and Fabkalas, ranked seventh, simultaneously issuing challenges to Qian Jin attracted the attention of everyone present.

A battle involving any of the top-ten ranked students was rarely witnessed. The sudden appearance of two such challenges today made it impossible for the crowd not to be thrilled.

Whether they were Magic or Warrior students, seniors or juniors, streams of gazes shot toward Qian Jin, eager to see the reaction of this student, currently the most scrutinized eighth-ranked individual among the first-year Warriors.