Ryan's mouth twitched involuntarily. He had just faked sleep in the arena to escape unscathed, and now Evelyn had caught him red-handed, leaving him no chance to run.

  Evelyn held Ryan by the back of his collar like a disobedient kitten and walked straight toward a secluded corner of the plaza.

  The noisy chatter around them gradually subsided, but many curious eyes still followed them. After all, the sight of a beautiful woman carrying the champion away was far too unusual.

  "You are going to eat this!" Evelyn stopped under a massive oak tree. A pearly white pill appeared in the palm of her hand.

  Without a word, she tilted Ryan's chin upward and shoved the pill into his mouth.

  Ryan jumped in surprise, instinctively trying to lower his head to spit it out. Could this be poison?

  Evelyn had just been angry, so why would she suddenly be so kind as to heal him?

  "Do not spit it out. This pill is specially made to repair internal injuries," Evelyn said, her voice carrying an unquestionable command.

  Ryan noticed the serious look that flashed in her eyes. After a few seconds of hesitation, he swallowed it with suspicion.

  He reasoned that even if it were poison, it would not matter. His Grimoire stored plenty of Magic Origin Value, enough to neutralize toxins. At worst, it would only consume some of his Origin Value.

  But once the pill entered his body, Ryan realized he had overthought it. A gentle wave of healing energy immediately spread throughout him. The dull pain in his chest from hitting the protective barrier quickly eased.

  Even the internal bruises left by Evelyn's palm strike gradually faded under the nourishing energy.

  To his surprise, the pill not only healed him but also slowly strengthened his meridians and blood circulation. His entire body felt warm and comfortable, like soaking in a hot spring.

  "Why did you deceive me?" Evelyn's voice rang out again.

  She did not release her grip on Ryan's arm; instead, she held on tighter.

  Ryan looked at the arm tightly grasped and frowned helplessly. Evelyn hated men touching her, so why was she holding him so firmly this time? Could it be because she was afraid he might run?

  "Because…" Ryan stammered for a long time, unable to form a complete sentence.

  "Because you could not think of a reason to deceive me, right?" Evelyn interrupted coldly.

  She knew Ryan too well. Every time his lies were exposed, he would try to escape the problem by acting pitiful.

  This trickster had deceived her the entire way. From his identity at their first meeting, to his disguises, and even his hidden true power in this match, nothing was real.

  She was indeed angry, but more than that, she felt a complicated mixture of emotions she could not describe.

  Luckily, Ryan had not taken advantage of her vulnerability during her recovery. Otherwise, with her temper, he would probably have been frozen solid by now.

  If Ryan had really done something outrageous, even with his current level being higher than hers, he would not have stood a chance.

  Aside from his mysterious Grimoire, he did not even possess decent magical equipment.

  Every time he resurrected, his previous treasures converted into Magic Origin Value, leaving nothing behind.

  Evelyn stared at Ryan, and the anger in her eyes gradually faded.

  Earlier in the arena, she had lost control due to his silence. She had not adjusted her force properly and felt a twinge of guilt.

  Ryan was held by the collar, like a child caught stealing fruit, frozen in place.

  "I am sorry," Ryan said softly, his voice tinged with grievance.

  He did not know how to explain and decided to admit fault to calm her anger first.

  At that moment, a voice suddenly rang in their ears, carried by magical transmission:"Please come quickly to receive the Sword Intention Crystal. The reward is ready."

  It was the Headmaster's voice. Ryan's heart leapt with joy. Without a doubt, it gave him the perfect excuse to escape this awkward situation.

  "Let's go claim the Sword Intention Crystal first. Look, the Headmaster is already urging us," Ryan said as a wave of relief washed over him at hearing the Headmaster's magical transmission.

  But when he saw Evelyn's next move, his smile froze instantly, and he even missed a beat of breath.

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  He could hardly believe his eyes. Evelyn had taken out a rope right in front of him!

  The surface of the rope was etched with intricate magical runes. It was a binding rope specifically designed to restrain mages.

  "What are you doing?" Ryan instinctively took a step back, his eyes full of caution.

  He had heard of the binding rope before. Once restrained, a mage's magical energy would be temporarily sealed. Unless the rope was untied or the caster actively released it, there was no way to break free.

  But even so, his reaction was too slow. Evelyn flicked her wrist, and the rope seemed alive, wrapping around his right wrist with lightning speed. The runes glowed, temporarily suppressing his magic.

  Ryan could clearly feel the flow of his magical energy, which had been smooth moments ago, now slowed to a sluggish crawl as if a river had been dammed.

  Evelyn held the other end of the rope and looked down, seemingly realizing that holding Ryan this way, like walking a pet, was somewhat improper.

  After hesitating for a few seconds, she simply wrapped the other end of the rope around her own left wrist and softly recited an unlocking incantation.

  Now the rope would only restrain Ryan's magical energy, affecting her in no way and preventing any harm to his pride.

  She had to admit, she had been surprisingly thoughtful.

  "Evelyn, isn't this a bit too intimate?" Ryan stared in disbelief at the rope connecting their wrists and then glanced at Evelyn.

  This rope was a magical tool specifically for Adept Mages and useless against Journeyman Mages.

  When he first saw Evelyn preparing to bind him like walking a dog, he had already planned to unleash his Journeyman Mage energy to break the rope. Then he could use a Swift Magic scroll from his Grimoire to instantly teleport. Who does she think she is, treating him like a pet? Ridiculous.

  But now, seeing her wrap the other end around her own wrist, all of Ryan's resistance vanished instantly.

  He muttered silently: Smart, at least you are considerate of my pride.

  "This time you are not going to run," Evelyn said, her voice still cold but slightly less angry.

  With that, she moved, lightly pulling the rope and leading Ryan toward the Academy hall.

  The sight of their wrists connected sparked whispers among passing students and spectators:

  "They were fighting to the death in the arena just now. Why are they tied together like this now?"

  "Isn't that binding rope meant for catching fugitives? Look at them, they almost seem like a couple playing around."

  At that moment, the Headmaster's voice rang out again:"Those not selected, please leave the Academy plaza immediately. The enrollment ceremony will begin shortly and is not open to the public. Thank you for your understanding."

  The crowd, long used to the Headmaster's orders, quickly packed up and left.

  The once crowded plaza soon had only about two thousand students who had passed the trials, making it feel much emptier.

  "Mentor!" A hurried voice called out. Ryan looked up to see Derrick running toward him.

  Darlene followed closely behind, her complexion rosy once again, showing that her previous injuries had healed.

  "Greetings, Master's Lady!" Derrick stopped in front of Ryan, immediately noticing Evelyn. He paused respectfully and saluted properly.

  This time, Evelyn did not ignore them or put on a cold face. She did not say anything at all.

  Ryan wondered silently: Did she accept the title Master's Lady, or was she simply too lazy to argue? Judging by her expression, the latter seemed more likely.

  "Old Witch, hurry and release the bed. Give me back my Mentor!" Darlene rolled her eyes at Derrick and said irritably.

  She had heard Derrick calling for Mentor's bed the whole way and did not know whether to laugh or cry. Those who did not know might have thought he was trying to steal Ryan's bed. It was truly embarrassing.

  Darlene thought for a moment, and her spatial storage ring suddenly emitted a faint glow. Instantly, a large bed appeared in front of them.

  Derrick quickly took out a folding wooden table from his storage pouch.

  His storage space was limited, only enough for the table and some scattered magical materials, and it could not fit the large bed.

  "Derrick, I will be leaving in a few days. While you are in the Academy, find a capable Mentor to learn from, and rely on someone trustworthy," Ryan said casually as he observed the situation.

  He had already planned to use the cross-region teleportation array in Sword Mage Academy to reach the Central Continent.

  Derrick was stunned, his eyes wide."Mentor, you are leaving? What do you mean by finding a reliable Mentor to rely on? You are not coming back?"

  He had been following Ryan since he first started learning magic and had long relied on him as his only support. Suddenly hearing they would be separated, his voice trembled with panic.

  "You Mentor does not want you anymore!" Darlene teased from the side, enjoying the sight of Derrick looking on the verge of tears.

  This boy always bickered with her, and now she finally had the chance to make fun of him.

  "Mentor, where are you going? When will you return?" Derrick ignored Darlene's teasing and asked anxiously, his eyes already slightly red.

  "I am going to the Central Continent to retrieve something important, but I will not leave for a few days, so there is no need to worry," Ryan said, patting his shoulder to calm him down.

  He habitually leaned toward Derrick to whisper something, but the binding rope on his wrist suddenly tightened.

  The rope was too short, and he instinctively tugged on it, not realizing that Evelyn on the other end had been pulled off balance.

  Evelyn regained her footing, giving Ryan a cold glare, but she did not say anything. She quietly adjusted the length of the rope on her wrist to prevent being pulled again.

  Ryan lowered his voice and whispered into Derrick's ear with a teasing tone."Get along well with Darlene. One of you has a Light Element affinity and the other a Moon Element affinity. If you try to be together, it will greatly benefit both of your magical advancements and significantly improve elemental affinity."

  Derrick's face immediately turned red, his ears burning.

  He had never expected his Mentor to speak so bluntly about such a personal topic.

  "I am not going to be with this Old Witch…" he instinctively started to protest, but stopped mid-sentence when he caught Darlene's sharp gaze. Terrified, he quickly closed his mouth and shifted his eyes elsewhere.

  "Do as you like. I do not care about the affairs of young people," Ryan shrugged casually, muttering to himself.

  He clearly had feelings for Darlene but acted like a clueless fool, never taking initiative. He would regret missing such a perfect match later.

  "Are you two secretly talking bad about me?" Darlene scanned Ryan and Derrick with suspicion. She had vaguely heard Old Witch earlier.

  It was obvious Derrick had been complaining about her behind her back."If you have something to say, say it to my face. Do not sneak around!"

  "We were not talking bad about you, just discussing the enrollment ceremony," Derrick hurriedly explained, afraid Darlene would start arguing with him.

  At that moment, the Headmaster of Sword Mage Academy's voice suddenly echoed over the plaza.

  "Top three of this year's trial, please come forward to claim your Sword Intention Crystals!"

  As soon as the Headmaster finished speaking, his eyes swept across the plaza. Then he leapt into the air and flew down.