Levi stood at the entrance of the academy, his eyes scanning the crowd. It didn't take long for him to spot two familiar figures.
Jessica and Willard!
They were surrounded by a group of students, clearly very popular.
Though everyone here had just awakened their abilities as freshmen, Jessica and Willard quickly garnered a massive following due to their outstanding appearances and exceptional talents.
There were also other popular students, but Levi? He had almost no fame at all.
Although he was quite good-looking, his talent was nothing to write home about. The students flocking around these popular figures were clearly looking to attach themselves to someone influential, hoping to gain some benefits that would help them succeed in the upcoming trials.
Those with affinity for dragons certainly wouldn't bring any practical advantages.
However, Levi was content with the peace and quiet.
After all, the things he was about to do weren't suitable for a large group. At most, he'd take Jessica along to let her have a taste of the rewards.
…
Among the many students at the academy, there were those from wealthy backgrounds. After awakening their talents, they immediately threw themselves into beast training, dedicating themselves entirely to it. After relentless effort, some students successfully tamed their first pet and were excitedly showing it off to everyone.
Willard, who was in the same class as Levi, was one of them. She had spent a large sum of money yesterday to purchase a Stingfire Bee and, under the guidance of an expert, successfully tamed it.
At this moment, Willard was holding the Stingfire Bee in her palm, wearing a smug expression as she started to flaunt it to the surrounding students.
"Look!" she said with pride. "This is my Stingfire Bee! Anyone stung by it will suffer from fire poison!"
"With this Stingfire Bee, I can tame even more pets today! It's far better than any dragon affinity talent!"
Her words were laced with heavy boasting, as if she had done something truly remarkable. She also took the opportunity to indirectly rebuke Levi's previous words.
The students around her nodded eagerly, clearly envious of Willard's pet.
"Willard's right!" one of them said.
"Her affinity for venomous creatures is way stronger than dragon affinity!"
"Let's team up with Willard today, it'll be twice as effective!"
"Willard, take me with you! Willard, you're awesome!"
"By the time Willard tames her hundredth pet, the dragon affinity people will be lucky if they even tame one!"
These students had one goal in mind—getting some benefits by riding on Willard's coattails. They didn't care what consequences their words might bring. Despite being around twenty years old, they were already calculating their futures, willing to sacrifice their friendships with classmates in order to maximize their own gains.
Levi listened to the chatter but didn't respond. He simply made a mental note of their faces. It wasn't hard to remember the few dozen students surrounding Willard.
"It seems the world is even more pragmatic than I imagined," Levi thought. "I can't expect too much from these people."
Just then, Willard spotted Levi, standing alone among the crowd. A plan hatched in her mind, and she immediately pushed her way through the group, stepping right in front of him with an arrogant expression.
"Well, well, are you planning to join us? Maybe we can catch a dragon! We can help you out when we do!" she said haughtily.
Willard wasn't being sincere—she was just trying to draw attention to herself, showing off her power to Levi.
She clearly remembered what Levi had said yesterday, and now she decided it was time to teach him a "lesson."
The students who had already decided to team up with Willard burst out laughing.
"Yeah, what if we really encounter a dragon today?"
"Ha! You can't tame a dragon by yourself!"
"Willard will take care of it, we'll totally nail it!"
They all knew that if they performed well, they'd gain Willard's help. Using a tamed pet to capture a magical beast would be much more effective than trying to do it alone.
But Levi wasn't swayed by their words. He looked at Willard with disdain, as though seeing a fly he wanted to swat away. He coldly shook his head and spoke without hesitation.
"You guys?"
"Forget it," he continued, "You're too weak. Working with you would only hold me back."
The contempt in his voice was so palpable that Willard's face immediately soured. Her teeth ground in frustration. How dare this awakened fool look down on her, someone who had already tamed a pet?
Taking a deep breath, she suppressed her rage and coldly ordered her Stingfire Bee.
"Go!" she commanded.
"Sting him hard! Let him feel the power of the fire poison!"
"But don't kill him, just make sure it hurts!"
No sooner had she spoken than the Stingfire Bee shot toward Levi, its tail end glowing with fiery venom.
However, Levi showed no sign of panic. He smiled calmly, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Perfect. Time to test my power."
He didn't dodge but instead welcomed the approaching venomous creature.
"Dragon's Pressure!"
A mighty, overwhelming force erupted from him, sweeping through the surroundings like an unstoppable tide. The Stingfire Bee froze in midair, its wings ceasing their frantic flapping, and its venomous stinger was immediately retracted, with the poison evaporating into the air.
The creature trembled violently, its eyes wide with fear.
In the next instant, the Stingfire Bee was crushed under an immense force, slamming into the ground and unable to move again.
Willard stood frozen, feeling the fear radiating from her pet. Her face turned ashen.
"What happened? Why is it so afraid?"
"It's just an ordinary creature... How could it be scared of him?"
She stood there, unable to believe what was happening.
Levi gave her a disdainful glance before walking over to the defeated Stingfire Bee. He deliberately put on a mock-apologetic expression and placed his foot on the creature.
"Sorry, didn't mean to step on this bug," he said, smirking.
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, leaving Willard standing there, dumbfounded.