As mentioned earlier, Fairwind was originally approached by the First Academy, but due to some internal politics, they let him go. That opened the door for the Third Academy to recruit him.
Naturally, that history left Fairwind with a deep dislike for anyone associated with the First Academy.
So, when the loudspeaker echoed his sarcastic voice across the square, the smug smiles of the First Academy staff instantly froze.
Especially the mentor who had just received all the praise for nurturing top talent—he was the same one who had failed to retain Fairwind. His face twisted like someone expecting a sweet cookie and biting into wasabi instead.
He couldn't lash out at Fairwind directly in front of everyone, so he turned toward Mr. Carter on the stage, looking for support.
"Mr. Carter," the mentor called out, "Shouldn't a student who disrupts the order and disrespects his elders have his results revoked?"
But Fairwind stood his ground without a shred of guilt.
"I just asked you to hurry up. What's wrong with that?" he said with a shrug. "We've all been waiting here while you put on your little award ceremony. You think I care about your so-called prodigy Charles?"
In Fairwind's heart, no one could compare to Ethan. Just two days ago, Ethan was already level 19, and had shown Fairwind a screenshot of his comprehensive combat power—78 stars! That, combined with his S-grade talent, made him a force beyond the current number one.
So Fairwind wasn't worried about being penalized. He knew the spotlight would soon shift away from everyone once Ethan's name was announced.
Seeing that Mr. Carter didn't respond, the frustrated instructor tried appealing to the other academy heads, "Principals, surely a student like this deserves disciplinary action."
But the other students in the plaza just watched the drama unfold like a theater performance. Fairwind was not someone they could afford to cross.
Before any of the principals could react, Mr. Carter raised his hand and cut in sharply, "Let's not waste time. Continue with the results."
"!?"
The crowd was stunned. Mr. Carter had just defended Fairwind? The man in charge of the Ravenshade Transfer Temple—who everyone expected to be biased toward the First Academy—was acting fair and impartial?
Everyone had assumed Charles from the First Academy would be declared the undisputed top rank, yet here was Mr. Carter refusing to play favorites.
Mentors around the stage stared blankly, caught completely off guard.
But the First Academy's principal, Mr. Li, seemed unfazed. In his eyes, Mr. Carter wouldn't dare disrespect him or his academy. He still assumed this event was under First Academy's control, conveniently forgetting that this entire ceremony was being live-streamed citywide.
"Really?" thought Mr. Carter. "You're cozying up to me in public before the final results are even in? Save the celebration until it's official."
In Mr. Li's mind, his mentor's reputation had just crumbled, perhaps beyond repair.
Seeing the mentor still standing in disbelief, Mr. Li whispered coldly, "Go on. Can't you hear? Continue."
The flustered mentor snapped back to attention. "Oh! Yes, of course. First Academy—final report complete."
Next came the Second Academy.
Among their students, one particular candidate pushed Emily from second place down to third.
With a total score of 84 points, this student boasted S-level talent, but what really stood out were his combat power of 59 stars and level 15—both higher than Charles. The only reason he didn't surpass Charles was due to the 10-point gap in talent scoring.
If the boss of a certain adventuring team had been present, he might've gasped: "Wait—that's my new recruit!"
Despite not clinching the top spot, the Second Academy erupted into applause for him. He, however, stood calm and composed—no hint of arrogance on his face.
Why?
Because he knew there were still two monsters among the recruits.
One was Lily Winter, who had reportedly soloed an elite-level dungeon.
And the other?
An unidentified legend who supposedly defeated the strongest dungeon boss one-on-one.
He didn't know that person's name, but he had a feeling he'd recognize him the moment his name popped up.
Watching the young man's quiet dignity, Mr. Carter gave a rare compliment from the stage. "That young man is a promising one," he said.
But inside, Mr. Carter was sweating. "Thank goodness he's not SS-grade talent. If he were, he might have truly challenged Lily for the top."
Now that the Second Academy was finished, it was time for the Third Academy.
Mr. Carter's tension eased. He had no doubt that once Lily's results were announced, she'd dominate the rankings.
His lips curled into a smug smile.
He'd already rehearsed his plan in his mind. He would act surprised by Lily's results, pretend he didn't know her background, and then express his admiration for her talent. He'd offer to guide her personally, and—most importantly—ask for her contact details. A perfect strategy to build a relationship under the guise of mentorship.
"Third Academy—prepare to begin!" a voice announced.
Unlike earlier, the phrase "temporarily ranked first" hadn't been used since Charles had set the bar high.
At that moment, Ethan noticed something strange.
Why had Fairwind moved forward in line?
Given that student numbers were sorted sequentially, Fairwind should've come after Ethan and Lily.
But Fairwind had anticipated that.
He knew that once Ethan's score appeared, no one would pay attention to his own. So he swapped seats with a classmate ahead of him.
That student didn't mind the exchange at all. It was Fairwind, after all.
When the instructor spotted Fairwind standing there, he sighed.
"Typical," he thought.
With a chuckle, he read out the data:
"Third Academy – Fairwind, S-grade talent, Level 17, 70-star combat power… total score: 97 points?!"
He paused, stunned. Fairwind tugged on his sleeve urgently.
The instructor snapped out of his daze and corrected himself:
"Temporarily… temporarily ranked first?!"
Silence fell across the plaza.
Not a word was spoken.
Everyone was stunned—how could someone from Third Academy suddenly overthrow First Academy's star pupil?
Charles had 86 points. Fairwind just got 97.
The crowd's silence was broken by an explosion of whispers.
"This isn't over," someone muttered.
"There are still two names left," another said, eyes darting toward Ethan and Lily.
The temperature in the square shifted again.
And Mr. Carter's expression changed slightly.
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End of Chapter
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