"You are like a goddess sculpted from ice and snow. There is always a voice deep in my heart, and every time I see you, I cannot help but want to call you…"

  As Ryan spoke the last few words, his voice gradually softened, the trailing sound so faint it seemed it could be blown away by the cold wind. He looked both shy and afraid of being scolded by Evelyn.

  The volume was controlled perfectly not too loud, not too soft just enough for Evelyn walking ahead to hear clearly.

  Whether intentional or accidental was unclear. Perhaps it was a deliberate act of pretending to be careless.

  Evelyn's steps abruptly halted, and she stood still on the snow-covered path, motionless for a long while.

  Seeing this, Ryan quickly stopped as well, standing there wisely without daring to step forward.

  Evelyn still did not speak. The veil above her face continued to conceal her expression.

  Yet Ryan could clearly feel a sharp gaze locked on him, filled with scrutiny and an indescribable complex emotion.

  He feigned panic, hugging his arms, instinctively stepping back two paces, eyes darting and voice timid:"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

  "It's nothing." Evelyn's voice remained cold and detached. She then resumed walking toward the Holy Ice Hall.

  Ryan did not dare lag behind and hurriedly followed.

  The two walked in silence, soon returning to the courtyard of the Holy Ice Hall.

  Evelyn stopped again at the entrance, her back facing Ryan. After a moment of hesitation, she slowly spoke:

  "You can try following the voice in your heart. Perhaps this will awaken some of the memories you have lost."

  As the words fell, her steps carried a barely perceptible trace of unease. She sat down, still with her back to him, closed her eyes quickly, and assumed a meditative posture.

  Ryan's face first showed just the right amount of surprise, as if stunned by Evelyn's permission. Then, a flicker of genuine delight shone in his eyes.

  Evelyn had finally revealed a flaw! It seemed he would need to find the perfect moment to call that name aloud.

  "Mentor, can I really call your name?" His tone was full of incredulous curiosity, probing further.

  Evelyn kept her eyes tightly shut, clearly intending to ignore him.

  Yet only she knew that as she calmed her mind, a faint sense of anticipation inexplicably arose, hoping for the sound of her name to reach her.

  Minutes passed. The snow in the courtyard was swept by the cold wind and then fell slowly again.

  The voice she quietly hoped to hear never came.

  Evelyn forced down the inexplicable frustration in her heart, concentrating on the rhythm of her mana flow.

  Ryan quietly pushed open the side door and slipped out.

  Though Evelyn was meditating, she sensed his movement, yet she did not speak to stop him.

  She could not truly confine him within the Holy Ice Hall, depriving him even of the freedom to walk around.

  Ryan inhaled the crisp air, then a smile appeared on his lips as he strode toward the distance.

  He intended to take this opportunity to explore the current layout of the Glacial Arcana Academy, familiarizing himself with the distribution of its various areas.

  Walking along the snow-covered paths of the academy, the snow creaked under his feet, leaving a clear trail of footprints.

  Ryan wandered aimlessly, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the surrounding buildings.

  The female apprentices he passed could not help but glare at him fiercely, eyes filled with lingering resentment from having been teased earlier.

  Ryan did not back down, returning their glares with one of his own, secretly thinking to himself: Can't they even tell who is stronger now?

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Do they really think sheer numbers can bully me?

  If it were a one-on-one duel, Ryan would not fear these female apprentices at all.

  The lone apprentices clearly understood this. Even though their eyes were filled with resentment, none of them dared to make the first move.

  In fact, Ryan had already, in a way, earned the acknowledgment of some of the female apprentices at Glacial Arcana Academy.

  Having directly defeated the student ranked ninetieth, his strength was enough to make many put aside their disdain.

  "What are you looking at? Keep staring and see if I dig out your eyes!" Ryan glared fiercely at a nearby apprentice, his tone arrogant.

  The apprentice refused to yield, sticking out her neck to meet his gaze head-on, showing no sign of backing down.

  Ryan scoffed, turning away with a look of disdain and continued walking, too lazy to bother with her.

  Seeing Ryan ignore her, the apprentice stomped her foot in frustration, helpless against him.

  She could not defeat him, and seeking help risked punishment from the Headmistress.

  After all, Ryan was now Evelyn's apprentice, a special status. Even senior-level apprentices hesitated, unwilling to act recklessly against him under the Headmistress's prohibition.

  As Ryan walked, he met glare after glare from the female apprentices along the way.

  Every few steps, he could feel hostile eyes on him. If looks could transform into magical attacks, he would have long since been blasted to the ground, twitching.

  Apprentices at Glacial Arcana Academy, having studied ice magic for years, naturally carried a cold and distant aura. Combined with their grim, piercing stares, Ryan felt unusually uneasy.

  So he simply stopped, raising his voice toward the surrounding apprentices:

  "Are you all trying to beat me just to claim rare-grade weapons from the Headmistress? But then you realize you can't beat me, so you chicken out, right?"

  Ryan exposed everyone's thoughts with a single sentence. The more prideful apprentices blushed deeply, not even daring to meet his gaze.

  "So, don't bother making yourselves look foolish. At the Journeyman Mage level, I am invincible!"

  His tone grew even more arrogant. Then, feigning coyness, he added:"You all should mind your own business. I know I'm handsome, but don't keep staring at me. I'll get embarrassed."

  He even covered his face with both hands, shoulders trembling slightly, which made the apprentices around him feel disgusted.

  "Look at you. Who would want to see that?"

  At that moment, a cold voice, carrying a hint of deadly authority, sounded.

  A woman with the bearing of a general walked forward, breaking the stalemate with her words.

  Ryan looked up, sensing her mana Ninth-tier Senior Mage, only one step away from Master Mage.

  He understood immediately and restrained his arrogance, falling silent.

  After this woman spoke, the apprentices withdrew their gazes, dispersing to their own tasks.

  It was clear that this woman held immense prestige within Glacial Arcana Academy. Her words carried weight.

  "Don't be too arrogant. When you sleep at night, it's best to keep your eyes open." The woman turned around, her tone fierce.

  She made a vicious gesture across her neck toward Ryan while releasing a trace of Senior Mage pressure, attempting to intimidate him.

  "Thanks for the warning." Ryan replied earnestly, his tone calm and even.

  The woman was left speechless by this illogical gratitude, her face full of shock.

  Shouldn't he be afraid? Shouldn't he back down? Why did he instead look like he had taken her advice to heart?

  Seeing this, Ryan grinned and chuckled a few times. With his handsome face, he appeared utterly innocent.

  But anyone who had dealt with him knew that this guy was inherently mischievous. He always found ways to irritate people, making them wish they could punch him in frustration.

  The woman knew that continuing to engage him would only make her look foolish. Suppressing any risk of a heart attack from anger, she snorted coldly and turned, walking away with measured steps.

  "Why is this woman so fierce?" Ryan frowned as he watched her retreating figure, muttering to himself.

  Evelyn, on the other hand, was tough on the outside but soft inside. Not only was she extremely powerful, but her appearance also ranked among the best on the Magic Continent, with a uniquely cool and elegant aura.

  He compared the two quietly in his mind and immediately decided the first woman could not hold a candle to Evelyn. He then pushed the thought aside and continued wandering through the academy.

  Although Ryan seemed to be casually familiarizing himself with the Glacial Arcana Academy, he was in fact carefully memorizing the layout.

  The positions of the training grounds, library, alchemy garden, and elder hall were all firmly imprinted in his mind.

  More importantly, he was waiting for someone.

  The other female traveler, knowing he had awakened, would surely come looking for him.

  Just as he expected, Ryan had not walked far before he saw a figure slowly approaching.

  She was a woman with an icy, refined aura, yet carried a subtle, alluring charm. She walked straight up to him.

  Ryan raised his eyes to examine her, frowning lightly.

  Her beauty was remarkable, her aura and looks only slightly below Evelyn's. Yet for some reason, Ryan felt she lacked something that Evelyn possessed, giving off an inexplicable strangeness.

  In simple terms, he felt no interest in this woman.

  Ryan realized that ever since seeing Evelyn, every other woman seemed, more or less, inferior to her.

  On the Magic Continent, female magic users were generally exceptionally beautiful, each in their own way, making it hard to rank them solely by appearance.

  The real difference lay in their unique aura and the feeling they evoked in others.

  Ryan, clearly, was completely powerless against Evelyn's combination of outer coldness and inner warmth, her pure and distant aura.

  No other woman, no matter how beautiful, could stir his emotions or spark much interest.

  Evelyn, on the other hand, could easily affect him emotionally. Even being hunted by her left a deep impression.

  Otherwise, in a past life, he would not have risked a close encounter with her, only to be discovered and have his legs broken.

  He had even wondered if something was manipulating him in the shadows, causing this unusual obsession with Evelyn.

  But after repeated checks, he found no anomalies. That was simply the situation, inexplicable even to himself.

  "You are new here. I suppose you are not yet familiar with the layout of the academy. Do you want me to show you around so you can get acquainted?"

  Her gaze fell on Ryan, carrying a hint of curiosity.