Quite a few students in the main hall looked toward Ethan in unison.

Some were envious.

Some pitied him.

And some truly felt that the conditions Lionel had just offered weren’t bad at all.

Even if it meant giving up the path of the Awakened, Ethan could still own a house in the central district, receive a steady living allowance every year, and live a wealthy life that most ordinary people couldn’t reach in their entire lives.

For a student who had spent years working part-time at the logistics warehouse just to cover his own tuition, that seemed like a choice not hard to consider.

But before Ethan could speak, Vanessa let out a gentle laugh.

"Lionel."

"You’re too stingy."

She stepped forward half a pace, her pale violet eyes settling on Ethan. The smile on her lips remained very gentle, but every word carried the confidence of someone accustomed to standing above others.

"Join Blood Moon."

"I’ll give you a villa in the central district."

"Ten million federal coins a year."

"Plus a managerial position in name."

Vanessa tilted her head slightly.

"You only need to voluntarily relinquish ownership of the Partner and transfer her to me."

"After that, you won’t have to worry about money for the rest of your life."

She looked at the slightly frayed cuffs of Ethan’s uniform, the corner of her mouth curling up ever so slightly.

"Isn’t that the life you’ve longed for all these years?"

The moment Vanessa’s words ended, old man Rowan slowly pressed his metal staff against the floor.

Clack.

The dry sound rang out across the main hall, immediately quieting the murmurs.

Rowan looked at Ethan with a cold gaze. The blue crystal atop his staff glowed faintly, giving off a vague current of cold air.

"There’s no need to argue."

"The Black Tower Guild will pay double."

"On top of that, we can provide an item to extend your lifespan."

"To help you make up for part of the loss after severing the bond."

He raised his eyelids slightly, his voice not loud but full of an imposing will.

"This is your last chance to gain some benefit from your luck."

"Don’t be greedy."

"A Mythic Partner is not something a person like you can hold on to."

The entire main hall immediately fell into silence.

No one had expected three major guilds to openly fight over Laira right in the middle of Aurora Academy’s coming-of-age ceremony.

Even less did anyone expect them to so bluntly pressure Ethan into voluntarily giving up his Partner, accepting the destruction of nearly his entire future just to trade it for a life free of money worries.

In the area reserved for the Ashford family, Ryan watched the scene before him.

The corner of his mouth slowly curled up.

A poorly concealed delight showed clearly in his eyes.

"Big brother."

Ryan suddenly spoke up.

"I feel the conditions of the three guild masters are very good."

"After all, you’re already two years behind everyone else."

"Even if you luckily open a powerful Partner, it’s not certain you could catch up to the others."

He curled his lip.

"Better to give her up voluntarily."

"At least you won’t have to keep working at the warehouse afterward."

Selene, sitting beside him, also smiled.

Her voice was still as soft as before, but every word carried undisguised malice.

"Ethan."

"You should think carefully."

"Not everyone gets the chance to receive a wealthy life like this."

"Even if you can’t become a powerful Awakened, you can still live comfortably to the end of your days."

"Wouldn’t that suit you quite well?"

Claire, sitting not far away, changed expression slightly.

She looked at Ethan.

Then she looked at Ryan and Selene.

Her gaze turned complicated.

But in the end, she still didn’t speak up.

Ethan quietly listened to all of those words.

He didn’t get angry.

He didn’t argue back.

His expression was so calm that those waiting for him to submit gradually began to feel uncomfortable.

After a few seconds, Ethan finally spoke:

"Are you done talking?"

Lionel frowned slightly.

Vanessa narrowed her eyes too.

Old man Rowan looked at Ethan coldly, as if he hadn’t expected him to still keep a calm attitude in this situation.

Ethan continued:

"I opened the box."

"Laira is my Partner."

"I’m not selling her."

"And I’m not giving her up either."

His voice wasn’t loud.

It didn’t carry any overly obvious emotion.

But there wasn’t the slightest hesitation in it.

Lionel was silent for a moment.

Then he let out a laugh.

"Young man."

"You still don’t understand the current situation."

He looked at Ethan, his gaze lowering from above as if looking at someone who didn’t know his own limits.

"I’m not asking whether you want to or not."

"I’m merely giving you the chance to choose a more pleasant ending."

Vanessa slowly said as well:

"Don’t let a bit of luck make you forget your own status."

"You haven’t opened your Heaven’s Gate."

"You’re not even an Awakened yet."

"While we represent the three largest guilds in Safe Zone No. 7."

She curved the corner of her mouth slightly.

"How do you intend to keep her?"

Rowan pressed his staff against the floor.

His gaze grew even colder.

"Not knowing one’s own limits."

"Luck falling into the hands of the weak is simply a waste."

"It’s even a kind of sin."

The moment those words rang out, the temperature in the main hall suddenly rose.

Not too fast.

But clearly.

A wave of heat slowly spread out from the stage.

Lionel paused.

Vanessa narrowed her eyes slightly.

Rowan raised his head too.

Laira still stood beside Ethan.

From beginning to end, she had never truly paid attention to the three who had just appeared.

She didn’t care about the conditions they offered.

She had no interest in their quarrel.

Nor did she have any intention of joining that meaningless conversation.

But when Rowan said that last line, her amber-red eyes slowly shifted.

Her gaze fell on the old man.

The free smile from before had completely vanished.

"You..."

Laira’s voice was very soft.

But the entire main hall immediately fell quiet.

"want Ethan to give me up?"

No one answered right away.

Laira tilted her head slightly.

Her long red hair fell over her shoulder.

"Why?"

Lionel frowned.

But he still answered in a calm voice:

"Because he’s not qualified to own a Mythic Partner."

Laira looked at him.

"Not qualified?"

Vanessa slowly said:

"You are a Crimson Dragon."

"A creature whose potential far surpasses most Partners in this world."

"But he’s just an ordinary person who hasn’t opened his Heaven’s Gate."

"He hasn’t even reached Black Iron tier 1."

"Following him would only waste your potential."

Laira was silent for a few seconds.

Then she turned to Ethan.

The cold gaze that had just appeared immediately softened a great deal.

She bent down and gently reached out to stroke his somewhat long black hair.

The motion was natural.

Without the slightest reserve.

Like comforting someone who had just been bothered by unpleasant noises.

"Don’t listen to them."

Laira said.

"I don’t need them."

"I only need you."

Ethan looked at her.

The corner of his mouth curled up slightly.

"I know."

Just two words.

But Laira’s expression immediately turned satisfied.

Then she turned toward the three people below the stage.

The gentleness from a moment ago completely vanished.

Her amber-red eyes gradually brightened like two burning flames.

"Ethan opened the box."

"Ethan summoned me to this world."

"I am his Partner."

"Not an item for you to fight over."

An invisible coercion slowly spread out.

The air in the main hall began to tremble.

A few students sitting near the stage unconsciously turned pale.

But Lionel only frowned.

After a few seconds, he let out a cold laugh.

"Her aura isn’t bad."

"But in the end it’s still just aura."

He looked at the measurement screen beside the stage.

Above it clearly displayed Laira’s current level.

[Partner: Crimson Dragon Laira.]

[Current level: Black Iron tier 1.]

Lionel curled his lip.

"So what if she’s Mythic?"

"No matter how high her potential, right now she’s only Black Iron tier 1."

"Even accounting for her bloodline advantage, she still isn’t qualified to threaten us."

Vanessa also curved the corner of her mouth slightly.

"Don’t be too hasty."

"We’re merely helping her choose a more suitable master."

Rowan coldly pressed his staff against the floor.

"A Partner has no right to decide."

"This is none of your concern."

The air suddenly fell silent.

Laira looked at Rowan.

Then she slowly took a step forward.

Clack.

The heel of her shoe touched the stone floor.

A ring of dark red halo appeared beneath her feet.

The measurement device beside the stage immediately let out a piercing alarm.

[Abnormal energy fluctuation detected.]

[Current level: Black Iron tier 1.]

[Recalibrating.]

[Current level: Black Iron tier 7.]

Cries of shock immediately rang out.

But the information on the screen still hadn’t stopped.

[Recalibrating.]

[Current level: Bronze tier 3.]

[Current level: Bronze tier 9.]

Lionel changed color.

Vanessa immediately took half a step back.

Rowan gripped the metal staff in his hand tightly.

[Recalibrating.]

[Current level: Silver tier 5.]

[Current level: Silver tier 10.]

Boom!

Red flames blazed up around Laira.

The colossal dragon wings spread open behind her back.

The wave of heat swept across the stage, making the third-tier barrier shake violently.

Crack.

Crack.

Thin cracks immediately spread across the surface of the curtain of light.

A student screamed in panic:

"It’s still rising!"

"Her level still hasn’t stopped!"

The measurement screen kept flickering on and off.

[Recalibrating.]

[Current level: Gold tier 1.]

The entire main hall froze.

No one could say a word.

No one dared to breathe hard.

In the span of just a few short seconds, Laira had gone from Black Iron tier 1, surpassing Bronze and Silver, and stepped straight into Gold.

Without absorbing energy crystals.

Without using items.

Without going through cultivation.

She had simply released a portion of her sealed aura.

On the top floor, the man in the military uniform immediately shot to his feet.

"No way..."

The gray-haired woman stared at the screen.

"It’s not a level-up."

"She already possessed that power."

"It was just concealed by the seal a moment ago."

Headmaster Cole gripped his black wooden cane tightly.

His gaze turned extremely serious.

"Step back."

He said coldly.

"Do not continue to provoke her."

Below the stage, Lionel’s expression had completely changed.

No more composure.

No more contempt.

Only shock and wariness.

Vanessa placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.

But she didn’t dare draw it.

Rowan unconsciously stepped back.

The hand holding his staff trembled slightly.

All three of them were heads of major guilds.

Naturally they couldn’t be frightened by an ordinary Gold Awakened.

But Laira was no ordinary Gold.

The coercion radiating from her body carried an entirely different feeling.

Not like a creature that had just stepped into Gold.

But like a terrifying being reluctantly forcing its power down to the Gold level to avoid crushing the entire surrounding space.

The black chains coiling around Laira’s wrists shook violently.

Clang.

Clang.

Clang.

Each dry sound rang out across the main hall.

Every clink of the chains made everyone’s heart pound harder.

Laira walked up before Ethan.

Then she stood completely shielding him from the front.

A body over two meters tall.

Dragon wings spread wide.

Red flames coiling around her hair.

Like a wall that could not be crossed.

She looked at the three people below the stage.

No more innocence.

No more free smile.

Only the coldness of a creature standing at the top of the food chain.

"You just said..."

Her voice was very soft.

But the entire main hall heard it.

"that Ethan isn’t qualified to own me?"

No one answered.

Laira narrowed her eyes slightly.

The flames around her body burned even more fiercely.

"You even want him to sacrifice half his lifespan."

"To destroy his path of cultivation."

"Just to trade it for a bit of useless money."

Lionel’s face stiffened slightly.

Vanessa said nothing.

Rowan still gripped his metal staff tightly.

Laira raised one hand.

A dark red flame appeared at her fingertip.

Only the size of a bean.

But the very instant it appeared, the entire third-tier barrier immediately shook violently.

The temperature shot up.

The energy crystals around the stage all let out warning sounds at once.

A few students sitting near the stage immediately turned pale and unconsciously backed away.

Laira looked at the small flame at her fingertip.

Then she looked at the three people below.

Her cold voice rang out across the main hall.

"Whoever dares to insult my man..."

"Dies."

Boom!

The flame exploded.

The air in the main hall trembled.