Ryan was stunned by Grimoire's question and the unusual tone in its voice, his mind instantly thrown into chaos with countless thoughts intertwining.

  Evelyn had personally ended his life in eight previous incarnations. In this ninth reincarnation, his heart and mind were solely focused on surviving.

  He had never dared to deeply consider the elusive question of whether he liked her.

  At first, when Grimoire issued the task to"conquer Evelyn," he agreed without hesitation, simply to secure a chance to survive.

  Evelyn, as the Headmistress of Glacial Arcana Academy, was not only a Grand Magus but also unparalleled in beauty across the magic continent. Successfully winning her over would be a huge gain both emotionally and practically.

  But did he actually like Evelyn?

  Ryan traced back through the eight previous lives. In the first and second lives, he was purely coveting her extraordinary beauty but was killed by her before he could act.

  In the fourth, fifth, and sixth lives, he carried the grudges of previous lives, seeking revenge while still coveting her. In the end, he could not escape death.

  In the eighth life, all that remained in his heart was overwhelming hatred. Beauty no longer mattered, and his sole goal was to severely injure her, even if it meant mutual destruction. Yet he was ultimately defeated by her again.

  Only in this ninth life did he truly glimpse another side beneath Evelyn's cold exterior.

  It was no longer the previous eight lives where every meeting led to swords drawn and magic clashing. There was now subtle care and barely perceptible gentleness.

  She was clearly someone with a hard mouth but a soft heart. As their relationship grew, he often teased her deliberately, watching for the faint signs of fluster on her otherwise composed face.

  To say she was completely emotionless would be hard to believe, even for himself.

  Having been on this magic continent for tens of thousands of years, spending all that time alone, Evelyn was the only person who had come into his line of sight through nine lifetimes of effort. How could he not feel something for her?

  So, did he actually like Evelyn?

  "I don't know," Ryan replied silently to Grimoire, his tone full of bewilderment.

  He had been a lifelong bachelor for tens of thousands of years. Understanding or even defining such a vague, intangible emotion was impossible for him. He could not articulate it and had never truly experienced it.

  A steady set of footsteps approached, pulling Ryan back from the chaos of his thoughts.

  He lifted his eyes and saw Evelyn walking toward him step by step.

  Ryan raised his head, his gaze fixed on Evelyn, unblinking.

  There was none of the previous playfulness or teasing in his eyes. Instead, there was calmness, a stillness as if he were scrutinizing a stranger, or perhaps looking through her into some distant past.

  Evelyn stopped in front of him, her cold gaze meeting his.

  Being stared at so plainly and calmly, she inexplicably felt a hint of discomfort. But thinking quickly, she knew she could not lose her composure in front of him.

  She forcibly suppressed the urge to look away and maintained her icy expression.

  "Sleep."

  Unexpectedly, Evelyn only said a single word after approaching.

  Ryan simply nodded lightly, obediently complying.

  Evelyn watched as he lay down obediently and closed his eyes, a faint hint of curiosity appearing in her brows.

  Why was he acting so strange all of a sudden? Gone was his usual mischievous and cunning demeanor, replaced by an almost unnatural obedience.

  She waved her hand casually, channeling a bit of magic. The nearby rug lifted into the air and gently covered Ryan.

  Ryan flinched slightly at the movement, then relaxed and obediently fell asleep.

  He did not use any meditation techniques, nor did he channel a single trace of magic. This was a truly peaceful and natural sleep.

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  Three months passed in the blink of an eye. The wind and snow of Glacial Arcana Academy remained relentless, yet they could not halt the flow of time.

  Ryan's finger wore a storage ring, the very one Evelyn had given him before. The magical crystals and other resources inside the ring had even increased slightly, clearly supplemented by Evelyn in secret.

  Under Evelyn's personal guidance, Ryan systematically mastered the academy's basic meditation techniques.

  With ample resources as a safety net and his own innate talent, his magical progress was rapid, and he quickly advanced to Third-tier Senior Mage.

  During this time, he remained in the deepest courtyard of the academy, never stepping outside even once. This drove the female apprentices in the academy insane.

  They had been waiting for months, yet had never caught a glimpse of Ryan, speculating that he might have snuck away long ago.

  Only one person knew the truth: Sally. She clearly remembered the day she sneaked into the Headmistress's room and saw Ryan in his dazed, lost state.

  She wondered whether he had awakened after so much time. Sitting in her room, Sally was full of questions.

  Today was the day Evelyn had promised to provide the antidote.

  Ryan sat upright at the edge of the bed, secretly curious to see what kind of antidote the hard-mouthed, soft-hearted woman would prepare for him.

  "Mentor, today is the day you promised to give me the antidote," Ryan said, lifting his head. His eyes carried the perfect touch of timidity, his expression watery and pitiful.

  Over these days, his relationship with Evelyn had been fairly harmonious. Except for the first few days when he deliberately acted trembling and timid, he gradually revealed his true personality, layered with the pretense of amnesia. Evelyn had slowly grown accustomed to this version of him.

  Even with his amnesia, his naturally mischievous nature remained, which eased some of the doubts in her heart and allowed her to feel a little more at ease.

  When he called her"Mentor," a fleeting, barely perceptible trace of disappointment flashed across Evelyn's eyes. She lowered her eyelids, concealing the emotion in her gaze, and responded lightly,"Mm."

  As her words fell, she flipped her palm, and a pill appeared in her hand. Its surface glowed with a soft magical aura, the color alternating between gold and black.

  "Mentor, are you sure this is the antidote?" Ryan asked, feigning doubt, though a trace of amusement hid in his eyes.

  It was clearly a high-tier healing potion, a top-grade medicinal magic that could be maximally tolerated at the Senior Mage stage, priceless in value.

  Ryan chuckled inwardly. Evelyn truly was one of those whose words and actions never fully matched.

  She spoke of poison and antidotes but acted to protect him in every way. He rather liked this contrast, her mouth saying one thing while her heart did another.

  "Mm?" Evelyn's lips parted slightly, a trace of barely noticeable displeasure in her tone. She clearly did not like Ryan doubting her.

  "Seeing as your performance these past days has been acceptable, this pill serves both as an antidote and as a nourishment for your magical energy." Evelyn stood, walking slowly toward Ryan, and handed him the pill.

  "Thank you, Mentor." Ryan accepted the pill with both hands, bowing slightly in respect. His reverent tone made Evelyn pause slightly, an inexplicable discomfort stirring within her.

  "From now on…" Evelyn's lips parted, but her words faltered. A flicker of hesitation crossed her eyes, as if she wanted to say something but could not bring herself to do so.

  "What is it?" Ryan raised his head, eyes narrowing slightly, his gaze filled with just the right amount of curiosity, as if he did not understand her reluctance to speak.

  "Nothing." Evelyn withdrew her gaze, her tone returning to its usual coldness."Focus on your studies. I am going out for a while."

  Without waiting for Ryan to respond, she walked directly to the door. Pushing it open, her figure quickly disappeared into the swirling snow outside.

  After Evelyn's silhouette vanished completely, Ryan could not help but let out two quiet laughs. Evelyn's earlier hesitation and forced composure had been somewhat endearing.

  Suppressing his amusement, Ryan began considering his next plan. His first priority was to deal with the grievances of the female apprentices in the academy.

  After all, he had been far too arrogant that day, offending them all at once. If left unchecked, they might cause trouble in the future.

  Then there was Sally, another traveler in the academy. Perhaps he could find a chance to exchange a secret signal with her.

  If he could win her over, she would be a significant ally. But if she proved untrustworthy, he could quietly deal with her later without anyone noticing.

  After some thought, Ryan decided to wait until he reached Fourth-tier Senior Mage before addressing other matters.

  He no longer hesitated and swallowed the pill. It dissolved instantly in his mouth, and a rich, gentle magical energy swept through his body, nourishing every limb and joint.

  Accumulating magical energy never ceased, but the higher the level, the more difficult the progress became.

  What he had thought would take a day and night ended up taking a full month before Ryan successfully broke through the bottleneck and advanced to Fourth-tier Senior Mage.

  It was worth noting that Evelyn's magical level had also now reached Second-tier Senior Mage, her aura gradually becoming richer, subtly hinting at a trend of catching up to, or even surpassing, him.

  Seeing this, Ryan quietly suppressed his own magical level by a full tier. To outsiders, he appeared merely a Journeyman Mage, while no one knew his true power far exceeded appearances.

  In this perilous magical continent, maintaining a low profile was always wise. One must keep a few surprises up their sleeve to deliver a fatal blow to enemies at the critical moment, striking without warning.

  Ryan stood, stretching his limbs. His bones cracked, and all the accumulated stagnant energy within him was expelled.

  He pushed open the door and strode outside. Fresh air mixed with a crisp chill filled his lungs, and he could not help but let out a low exhale.

  Having spent an entire month confined indoors, he was restless and frustrated. Now, having leveled up and finally able to breathe the fresh air outside, his whole body felt lighter.

  He had already had Grimoire unseal his corporeal magical energy. Fully prepared, this was the perfect moment to address the conflict with the academy's female apprentices.

  Ryan retrieved pastries and dried fruits from his storage space. Slowly eating as he walked, he made his way toward the outer door, in no rush, preferring to eat first.

  Snowflakes fell heavily from the sky, yet when they approached within a meter of Ryan's body, they were silently repelled by an invisible magical barrier. Not a single flake touched him.

  Stepping on the snow, his figure gradually moved toward the outer door, leaving a clear path behind him.