Thank the gods for the Mana Shield.

  Without even looking back, Zhong Lingyun unleashed an Ice Burst Shell. The condensed sphere of frost exploded, sending a hail of jagged ice shards whistling behind her.

  CRACK!

  A sharp snap echoed as an ice blade shattered under the impact. Zhong Lingyun whipped her head around, but there was no one there.

  Suddenly, several wind blades erupted from the lingering spatial ripples, perfectly triggering all the trap spells she had laid around herself. Before she could reset her defenses, a stray magic missile—one she had previously ignored—slammed into her Mana Shield.

  In that heartbeat of vulnerability, a figure materialized directly in front of her.

  His longsword shimmered with a fierce orange glow. Just as the magic missile caused her shield to flicker and dissipate, the flaming blade pierced through her chest.

  The entire sequence had unfolded in the blink of an eye.

  Not a single movement was wasted. From the spell chaining to the psychological manipulation of the decoy, the Battle Mage had executed everything with terrifying precision. He had used a follow-up spell to strip her shield, lured her into attacking a decoy ice blade, and finished her off—all within seconds of the Ice Storm’s manifestation.

  The Battle Mage’s combat instinct was nothing short of nightmarish.

  "I lost... I actually lost."

  Zhong Lingyun’s eyes were wide with disbelief. Ying Feng stood nearby with a matching expression. He realized his attempt to flatter his instructor had backfired spectacularly; he had essentially cheered for her right before she got stomped.

  Though the battle had been a rollercoaster of maneuvers, the real-world time elapsed was less than ten seconds.

  Kael, as usual, remained expressionless. This was the expected outcome.

  "You can try the other opponents. The Battle Mage is admittedly a bit overtuned," Kael remarked flatly before leisurely strolling out of the Simulation Room.

  He had seen enough. Given Zhong Lingyun’s skill and awareness, she shouldn't have much trouble with the other classes on Half-Stats, provided she stayed away from the Battle Mage. This proved the arena was challenging but not impossible—exactly the balance Kael wanted to maintain to keep customers motivated.

  However, Kael’s parting words stung Zhong Lingyun’s pride.

  "What? 'Too strong'? I don't believe it!"

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Re-entering the arena, she swallowed her pride and selected the Half-Stats Battle Mage to practice.

  And then...

  "Ying Feng, tell me the truth. Has anyone ever defeated these things?" Zhong Lingyun asked, her voice solemn as she pointed at the crystal ball. The sheer power and efficiency of the Battle Mage were making her question her entire worldview.

  "Well... there is one person," Ying Feng answered hesitantly.

  "Who? Speak!" she demanded through gritted teeth.

  "It’s... it’s the Boss."

  "What?!"

  Zhong Lingyun stared at Ying Feng for a long time, searching for a sign of a lie. She found none.

  "I suppose that makes sense. Given his level of power, his combat techniques would naturally be peerless," she sighed. She had truly underestimated the world. A secluded master wouldn't just display such precious alchemical artifacts for public use unless he had the strength to back it up.

  "It’s just a shame there are so few seats here."

  Zhong Lingyun began surveying the layout of the room. Twenty booths with two spacious aisles—it was aesthetic and well-utilized, but the capacity was lacking. Considering the rarity of the crystal balls, she figured twenty was likely all the Boss could manage to acquire.

  Seeing the shifting expressions on her face, Ying Feng couldn't help but ask, "Instructor Zhong, why are you looking at the seating? What are you planning?"

  "I intend to petition the Academy for Off-campus Curriculum hours. But with so few seats, I’m afraid I can only bring the elite students here."

  Zhong Lingyun didn't bother hiding her intent. Once she returned to the Academy to file the paperwork, word would spread anyway. Resources were limited, and a training ground that offered such profound combat insights would naturally be reserved for the "Elite Class" first.

  "..."

  Ying Feng stood in stunned silence for a moment, then suddenly bolted toward the general store next door.

  "Where are you going?" Zhong Lingyun called out.

  "To talk to the Boss! I need to see if he can set aside some reserved seating!" Ying Feng yelled back without stopping.

  Zhong Lingyun might not know, but Ying Feng was well aware of the competition. The Blood Wolf squad alone had nearly fifty men. Even if they rotated ten at a time, it would take twenty hours to cycle them all through. And Kael didn't run a 24-hour shop; he was notoriously punctual about closing time—he wouldn't stay open a minute late for anyone.

  If the Brilliant Academy was going to hold classes here, they had to settle the logistics now. It would be incredibly embarrassing to bring a group of elite students only to find every booth occupied by rowdy mercenaries.

  "What? Brilliant Academy wants to hold an off-campus course in my shop?" Kael looked at the panting Ying Feng, his mind quickly calculating.

  Zhong Lingyun was truly an academic at heart. While Blood Wolf only thought about leveling up his squad, she was thinking about bringing an entire institution.

  If an entire academy starts coming here, my Popularity Points should easily hit the requirement for the next upgrade mission.

  Kael didn't care about the prestige; he only cared about the Store Manager Level. He needed Level 4 to unlock the expansion quests.

  Ying Feng waited for an answer, staring at Kael’s face. As usual, it was a blank slate. If there were an award for the world's most stoic "poker face," the Boss would win by a landslide.

  "Is there a problem, Boss? Is it inconvenient?" Ying Feng asked nervously.

  "Not at all. As long as you follow the rules," Kael replied. He wanted the upgrade, but he wasn't going to give special treatment. "I won't reserve seats. If you want to play, come and wait like everyone else. Twenty seats, four hours per person. First come, first served."

  Ying Feng didn't argue. He knew the Boss’s personality. Kael’s word was law; once a rule was set, it was carved in stone.

  Ying Feng hurried back to report the result to Zhong Lingyun. A few hours later, after Zhong Lingyun had exhausted her daily four-hour limit, she and Ying Feng finally departed from the shop.