Christine’s voice rose, her eyes, more beautiful than sapphires, blinking in disbelief. No one would doubt Qian Jin’s practical combat ability, but when it came to brute strength, the "Raging Bull" Rudy ranked third among the first-year students, forcing many second-year warriors to admit defeat before him. Qian Jin, using both hands, might manage to win an arm-wrestling match against Rudy, but in a one-on-one contest, it would undoubtedly be a loss.

Roland watched Christine’s look of disbelief, his smugness growing. His plump body stood ramrod straight, his nostrils pointed slightly skyward, hands planted on his hips as he laughed, “Of course! Who else but Raging Bull Rudy? And he won three times straight—no fluke involved! How about that? Impressive, right?”

A strange light flickered in Christine’s beautiful eyes as they drifted towards the corner near Qian Jin’s dorm. She lifted a hand to cup her chin. “Brute strength surpassing Rudy? Has he been hiding his power all this time? If that’s the case, he probably has no interest in the substitute spot for the Heroes of the Four Seas Assembly. He’s putting on an act, a smokescreen to lull everyone…”

“The hat must be hidden well, it absolutely must be hidden well! If everything strange about my body today stems from this hat, then even if I can’t find the secret treasure combat manual on the treasure map, my future might have a massive opportunity for change.”

Qian Jin lay beneath the bed, using strips torn from old bedsheets to firmly secure the hat beneath the bed slats. He climbed out from under the bed and meticulously tidied his bedding until no trace of the odd activity remained, brushed the dust from his clothes, and quickly left the room.

Most warriors possess fiery and straightforward tempers, and Teacher Rodriguez was the epitome of the warrior personality. Qian Jin didn’t want to keep his teacher waiting too long and incur punishment, delaying the precious time he had to study the hat further.

The crowd in the hallway had not dispersed yet. Qian Jin looked up and spotted Christine, who hadn't left, noticing a deeper layer of confusion etched on the class beauty’s face, underscored by a strong scent of challenge between her brows.

“No way? Challenging again?”

Qian Jin grumbled inwardly, ducking his head so he was only staring at the floor, hurrying past Christine.

“Qian Jin!” Christine suddenly called out loudly to his retreating back. “Are you truly uninterested in the substitute spot for the Heroes of the Four Seas Assembly?”

“Not interested!” Qian Jin swung his arms forcefully, quickening his pace further, muttering to himself, “With my current strength, even if I got the substitute spot and actually got to go up, the result would be a humiliating defeat. What do I need that thing for? A substitute? I can’t afford that embarrassment! If I’m going to do it, I’ll be a primary contender!”

Primary contender? Christine had never prided herself on her hearing, which was already far beyond the ordinary, but at this moment, vaguely catching Qian Jin’s low mumble, she questioned for the first time whether something was wrong with her hearing. Such arrogant talk from a first-year student? To be a primary contender? That was a spot only second and third-year warriors and mages were qualified to contend for. Yet, judging by his tone, he seemed quite knowledgeable about the Heroes of the Four Seas Assembly.

Qian Jin, preoccupied with thoughts of the hat, walked much faster than usual. He navigated a few turns around the school dormitories and arrived at the faculty housing for the Warrior Department.

He quickly located Rodriguez’s nameplate. Qian Jin stepped up and stabilized his emotions. The fact that he was knocked unconscious by a falling hat during the last trial was embarrassing enough for a warrior cadet to have avoided outright.

Qian Jin gently knocked on the door. A slightly rough and hearty echo sounded from within: “Come in.”

Qian Jin recognized the voice as Teacher Rodriguez’s. He pushed the door open, walked past the somewhat messy room filled with masculine furnishings, and approached Teacher Rodriguez, who was seated at his desk.

As a warrior, Rodriguez was somewhat short and lean, but no one at the academy could deny that although the warrior teacher’s personal strength wasn't exceptional, his teaching ability far surpassed many stronger warrior instructors—proving the adage, ‘One who can practice might not necessarily be able to teach, and one who can teach might not necessarily be able to practice.’

Rodriguez looked up at his most promising star student, letting out a sigh tinged with bitter amusement. Qian Jin clearly possessed the strength to contend for the top three spots among the grade-level warriors and was qualified for a substitute position in the Heroes of the Four Seas Assembly, yet he was the one among the ten with the least enthusiasm for the matter.

Hoping to find a way for Qian Jin to at least secure an observer spot, thereby igniting his fighting spirit during the Assembly and preparing him to vie for a primary spot among the second-year warriors, Rodriguez never anticipated that the trial exam would begin only for him to be so unlucky as to be knocked out by a flying hat, thus exiting the examination in such a manner.

Seeing the faint smile in Rodriguez’s eyes, Qian Jin scratched his head, a hint of bitterness on his lips. “Teacher, you called me here. Surely it’s not just to mock me?”

Rodriguez glanced towards a chair not far away. Qian Jin swiftly pulled it closer and sat down without ceremony. “Thank you, Teacher.”

Rodriguez displayed a slight smile, realizing that Qian Jin understood his meaning with just a look. Observational skill was one of this student's greatest assets. It would be too great a loss if he were disqualified from this observation opportunity just because he was knocked out by a hat.

After a few seconds of silence, Rodriguez spoke. “Regarding the last trial assessment, I pleaded with the Dean of Academic Affairs for half a day, but I couldn’t get you a chance for a re-examination.”

“Re-examination?” Qian Jin blinked, instantly grasping Rodriguez’s idea.

The round image of the Dean of Academic Affairs quickly flashed through Qian Jin’s mind, along with the bruised and swollen face of Caisas.

That day, Caisas had been beaten until his face was unrecognizable during a sparring exchange. The Dean of Academic Affairs had erupted in anger over it. This wasn't because the Dean cared for the students’ physical well-being, but because Caisas was his nephew, and it was due to this Dean, Keller, that Caisas dared to form cliques and bully his peers at the academy.

If it weren't for the fact that at the Auckland Academy of Warriors and Mages, only the Principal held the authority to expel or punish students, Qian Jin would have been kicked out of school long ago by Dean Keller after beating Caisas. C