Alester’s movements were swift. By the time Lin Luo left the windowless building, showered, changed into fresh clothes—boosting his appeal by a solid fifteen percent—and arrived at Tokiwadai, all the reserve students for the arena competition, even the seeded player Shirai Kuroko, were already waiting on the field.

Twelve participants were taking part. The six Level 5s were automatically seeded, while the remaining six needed to be selected from among the Level 4 Great Ability users and Level 3 Strong Ability users.

This was no simple task. Although Level 5 espers were rare, there were numerous Level 4 Great Ability users and Level 3 Strong Ability users. Across Academy City’s 300,000+ espers, even if these two tiers accounted for just one percent, that would still be over three hundred people—and in reality, the number was far greater.

Naturally, the competition followed the principle of survival of the fittest. It was normal for all Level 4s to be reserve candidates, but not every Level 3 Strong Ability user qualified; only a very select few with specialized abilities or immense potential were chosen, such as the Level 3 Uiharu Kazari.

Uiharu was originally only a Level 1 esper, deemed incapable of further advancement by Academy City, but with the help of Misaka Mirei, she had risen to Level 3 over the past two years—though this was likely her limit.

As for the original Level 3 Saten Ruiko, she had now become a Level 4 Great Ability user, bearing the moniker "Skirt-Flipping Demon." Similarly, she had no chance of progressing further. The jump from Level 3 to Level 4 was a change in quantity, something Misaka Mirei could still assist with, but Level 4 to Level 5 was a fundamental, qualitative shift, where she could offer no aid.

After their abilities improved, both Saten Ruiko and Uiharu Kazari enrolled in the elite girls' academy, Tokiwadai, where they also underwent intensive training as reserve candidates.

"Ah! Wild Monkey! How did you get here? Up to no good again, are we!" As soon as Lin Luo entered Tokiwadai and approached the training grounds where everyone was gathered, he was met with a fiercely aggressive voice.

Shirai Kuroko stood opposite him, radiating energy and glaring at Lin Luo, adopting the demeanor of a bossy older sister.

Indeed, Misaka Mikoto and Misaka Mikoto had left Tokiwadai years ago, and Misaka Mirei and Misaka Meishou had graduated just last year. Currently, Kuroko was the sole Level 5 esper at Tokiwadai, making her the de facto leader.

Although, as a seeded player, Shirai Kuroko wasn't required to attend this training camp, since the location was Tokiwadai, many reserves were her juniors, so she naturally came to offer some spirited guidance. For this, she had even temporarily set aside her duties as a Judgement officer.

Shirai Kuroko’s remark failed to ignite Lin Luo’s temper but successfully drew the attention of the other trainees, their gazes finally settling on him.

"It's Lin Luo-senpai!"

"Onee-san Misaka mentioned him yesterday; I didn't expect to meet him so soon. Hello, Lin Luo-senpai." The two speaking were Saten Ruiko and Uiharu Kazari. They rushed toward Lin Luo while speaking excitedly. Although Lin Luo wasn't a student of Academy City, the students here addressed anyone slightly older than them as senpai, and they were no exception.

"These two..." Shirai Kuroko frowned instantly, mentally cursing their betrayal.

"Well, it’s been a while. You’ve both improved quickly," Lin Luo greeted them with a wave. After exchanging pleasantries, his gaze swept over Shirai Kuroko with a casual glance, then a smile, before finally resting on a few others. "Looks like there are quite a few acquaintances here too, hehe." "The most detestable one has arrived."

"Yesterday Mugiho came out, so of course this guy showed up too."

"It's been a long time indeed." The three speaking were Kinuhata Saiai, Frenda, and Takitsubo Rikou, formerly members of ITEM under Mugino Shizuri's command, now part of an independent mercenary group. Only Takitsubo Rikou maintained her usual dazed expression; the other two felt extremely uncomfortable under Lin Luo’s teasing gaze.

"Tch!" Besides them, one other person endured Lin Luo’s provocative stare: Kiyama Hiroto. However, she said nothing, instinctively dodging his gaze.

The training ground held sixty to seventy girls. Aside from four or five Level 3 Strong Ability users, the rest were Level 4 Great Ability users, plus Shirai Kuroko. About seventy percent of these students were from Tokiwadai Middle School. This was only natural; while Tokiwadai wasn't the top esper school in Academy City, it housed the largest number of espers, given the immense allure of an elite girls' academy to any young woman.

Across the field were various pieces of equipment designed for their training. Many of these facilities struck Lin Luo as extremely high-end; even a single arena boasted numerous functions, likely costing an astronomical sum—proof that Alester had truly invested heavily.

What a pity!

Although Alester was pushing these espers to enhance their combat power, Lin Luo firmly believed he was engaging in futile effort. Against Saints, anyone here would find victory as hard as climbing heaven, including Shirai Kuroko. Even if the twelve magic-side participants weren't all Saints, if they were merely first-rate magicians, all the Level 4s and Level 3s would be thoroughly crushed.

Of course, that was in the past. Now that he was here, things would be different.

Lin Luo ignored Shirai Kuroko’s look of intense resentment and fixed his gaze on the group of girls opposite him, finally speaking, "I won't waste time with pleasantries. My name is Lin Luo, and I have been entrusted by the Chairman to provide guidance to you all." "Huh! Guidance?"

"No way, so young?" "He’s handsome, sure, but can he actually do it?"

"Yeah, he doesn't look strong, and he’s not an esper..."

"........."

Lin Luo’s statement immediately sparked a flurry of discussion among the girls. If he had been an esper, it would have been one thing, but they could all sense that Lin Luo was not one, nor did he appear to be a researcher, leading to profound doubt.

Of course, such discussions only came from those who didn't know Lin Luo. Those like Saten Ruiko and Kinuhata Saiai, who had some understanding of him, weren't particularly surprised.

Hmm, I am being underestimated. Looks like I need to establish some authority first. Lin Luo’s thoughts shifted, and he turned his gaze toward Shirai Kuroko, moving his lips but emitting no sound.

In the field, only Shirai Kuroko heard what Lin Luo said. Her face instantly changed, her eyes wide with fury as she lunged toward Lin Luo. "You detestable Wild Monkey! Give Sister-sama back to me!"

With this lunge, Shirai Kuroko unleashed her Level 5 spatial ability without reservation. In an instant, she appeared behind Lin Luo, hands reaching to grab his body.

But before her attack could land, Lin Luo, without turning his head, swiftly caught her wrists in a reverse grip and flung her upward, suspending her motionless in mid-air.

"You!" Shirai Kuroko stared, but the moment she uttered a word, her voice was sealed. She couldn't move, nor could she speak.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. The girls opposite hadn't even reacted before Lin Luo had completely subdued Shirai Kuroko. When they snapped back to reality, their eyes widened in disbelief.

"How is that possible?!" "Shirai-senpai is a Level 5 esper!"

"And a spatial ability user, in just an instant..." "This is an illusion! It must be an illusion!"

With the exception of a few, most couldn't believe what they were seeing. Although Shirai Kuroko was the last of the current Level 5s to awaken, she ranked fourth among them, and this was without her exerting her full strength. If she fought all out, she could even put up a decent battle against the third-ranked Accelerator.

Anyone caught by Shirai Kuroko, or even anyone who touched her body, would instantly be teleported to the other side of the world or sealed in a pocket dimension. Yet, against Lin Luo, she hadn't been given even a sliver of room to resist. This directness was like a dream!

Lin Luo turned to face everyone, his expression serious. "I am now your instructor. This person disrespected her instructor and even attacked; therefore, I administered a small punishment. However, if anyone else shows disrespect to the instructor going forward, it won't be this simple. I will subject them to various, this and that kind of punishment. Do you understand?" Hearing this, everyone sobered up immediately, falling silent and nodding repeatedly.

As for Shirai Kuroko, she remained locked in place in mid-air, fuming silently.

Lin Luo ignored her, leaving her suspended for the moment to prevent her from causing further trouble later.

Seeing that everyone had yielded, Lin Luo nodded, sweeping his gaze over them one by one. This time, not only did he intend to cultivate them, but he also needed to select the six strongest individuals. For others, this might be a difficult task, but for Lin Luo, it was effortless.

With just a simple scan, Lin Luo had taken in the abilities of everyone, instantly grasping the characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of their powers.

However, Lin Luo didn't plan to coach all the girls. Ultimately, only six would truly compete, and he only needed to focus his training on those six. Otherwise, it would waste time and be overly complicated.

Moreover, the power of a Level 4 was utterly incapable of confronting a Saint; they needed to reach Level 5 at minimum. Therefore, he would elevate six of them to Level 5. Once someone became a Level 5 esper, their destiny would change drastically, so Lin Luo did not wish to alter the fate of irrelevant people.

He had already decided which six would be chosen, but simply sending the others away felt a bit harsh. Thus, he opted for the most straightforward method.

Lin Luo pointed to the six arenas on the field and addressed the crowd. "Your first task is to battle on these six rings. There are 72 of you, which divides perfectly into six groups. The winner from each ring will receive my guidance; everyone else can simply go home... Of course, I know you receive compensation for participating in this training. You will still receive this compensation even if you fail, and you can apply for it immediately. I guarantee not a single yen will be missing. Furthermore, as compensation for being unable to continue training, I will personally give the losers a gift." Some participants felt dissatisfied upon hearing the first half of the sentence, but Lin Luo's latter remarks dispelled all their complaints. Many had participated mainly for reasons other than the competition itself—some to join the excitement, some because they were forced, and others for the generous rewards.

Since they could now receive their compensation without participating in the training, the rest didn't matter. Those who were forced to join were even happier; they certainly wouldn't strive to win.

Seeing that no one had objections, Lin Luo smiled faintly. "Good. Everyone take an hour break—go wherever you like. Return in an hour to begin the competition. Also, Uiharu Kazari and Saten Ruiko, you two come here and give me a roster of all the students." The two immediately ran over, simultaneously pointing cautiously at Shirai Kuroko, who was still suspended in mid-air, and asked Lin Luo, "Um, Shirai-san..." Snap! Lin Luo snapped his fingers, and Shirai Kuroko immediately dropped from the air, landing flat on her face in a heap of dirt.

"You damned, cursed Wild Monkey! I won't let you get away with this, ahhhhh!" The moment Shirai Kuroko regained her freedom, she immediately started cursing Lin Luo, though this time she dared not attack again.

A moment later, Lin Luo led the two girls to an office. This room had been designated for previous instructors, but now that Lin Luo was here, those people were obviously redundant and had been dismissed by Alester; naturally, this room now belonged to Lin Luo.

The data for all 72 girls was in this room. The three quickly found it in a drawer. Lin Luo then told the two girls, "In the upcoming matches, both of you must win. Understand?"

"Yes!" The two were surprised that Lin Luo brought up this topic right away and hurriedly waved their hands. "That's impossible! We have absolutely no hope of winning."

There was already an established ranking among the 72 girls. The strongest was Kiyama Hiroto. Since having her psychological trauma removed, she was the strongest among all Level 4s in Academy City, second only to the espers. Even without fighting, everyone knew this.

Next was Takitsubo Rikou, hailed as the esper closest to Level 5. Her unique ability, combined with years of combat experience and Misaka Mirei's assistance, meant reaching Level 5 was only a matter of time. The reason she ranked second behind Kiyama was a limited offensive repertoire and her naturally air-headed personality.

Following her was Kinuhata Saiai. When she was still part of ITEM, she was the second primary attacker, having killed and fought countless battles, possessing immense combat experience. Coupled with the fact that she had been accompanying Misaka Mirei and Accelerator on various missions for the past two years, her strength had increased exponentially. Only Kiyama Hiroto could solidly suppress her; below Level 5, she was virtually unrivaled, ranking third.

Then there was Frenda, whose cunning personality was arguably her greatest weapon on the battlefield, once pushing Mikoto into a desperate struggle. Her combat power needed no further explanation, firmly placing her fifth.

Other strong contenders included the original 'Psychic Ruler' who served under Accelerator, and 'Nitrogen Burst Cannon' who shared a connection with Kinuhata Saiai, ranking sixth and fourth respectively, both within the top ten.

As for Saten Ruiko and Uiharu Kazari, although the former had gained considerable fame recently, her operational experience was lacking, preventing her from breaking into the top ten. As for the latter, being only Level 3, she was far weaker—dead last.

Therefore, for the two of them to win seemed as difficult as reaching for the heavens.

However, Lin Luo was completely unconcerned and smiled. "It's fine. I will make you win." "Huh?" The two blinked, then immediately understood—Lin Luo planned to cheat, to give them backdoor access.

"Is that... is that really okay?" Uiharu Kazari asked timidly.

"Yes, that feels a bit unfair," Saten Ruiko agreed.

"This has nothing to do with fairness," Lin Luo shook his head but didn't wish to elaborate. Instead, he said, "In truth, neither of you are weak; you could even be called quite strong. The reason you can't progress is this: Saten, you lack combat experience. Uiharu, your will to fight is insufficient." In Lin Luo's view, both Saten Ruiko's wind manipulation and Uiharu Kazari's temperature control were excellent abilities. Saten was a genuine Level 4, and Uiharu was infinitely close to Level 4. One possessed formidable offensive power, controlling all wind to shatter anything; the other had specialized offense, controlling temperature, capable of crippling almost anyone by slightly altering their body temperature.

The reason they didn't appear dominant was that Saten lacked real combat experience. If she had spent two years under Mirei's wing, she wouldn't just be aiming for the top ten; she could challenge the top five.

As for Uiharu, while she also lacked combat experience, her fighting style didn't require much of it. The main issue was that her disposition was too gentle; she never fought to win, and a person lacking the will to fight could never secure victory in a battle.

"So, right now, I am not raising your combat power to help you pass. I am merely granting you what you lack." As he spoke, Lin Luo summoned the Killing Sword of Destruction in his left hand and the Sword of Creation in his right.

He swept the Killing Sword of Destruction across Uiharu Kazari’s brow, slicing away timidity!

He swung the Sword of Creation across Saten Ruiko’s brow, granting her experience!

Because the speed was too immense, the two didn't even see the motion. But in the next instant, they vaguely sensed something different. Saten Ruiko discovered that her mind was suddenly filled with strange knowledge—the experiences of various people fighting. How to evade an enemy’s attack, how to strike when the enemy defends—everything presented itself clearly in her mind.

Uiharu Kazari felt a surge of hot blood rushing upward, as if she possessed endless energy, desperate to vent. Fight, fight, I crave battle!

An hour later, Lin Luo led the two girls back out. Everyone else had already assembled on the field, awaiting his announcement of the match-ups before the official selection contest could begin.

"Ring One: Saten Ruiko..." "Ring Two: Uiharu Kazari... ......" "Ring Three: Kinuhata Saiai..." "Ring Four: Takitsubo Rikou... ......" "Ring Five: Kiyama Hiroto... ......" "Ring Six: Frenda, Seivelun..."

"That is all. Twelve people per ring. Begin the matches!"