Evelyn lightly pressed her lips together, her eyes still glistening with tears that had yet to dry.

  She said nothing, only slightly lowered her head, concealing the fluttering of her heart.

  Allen looked at her shy expression and could not help but smile. He raised his hand and pointed toward the bustling streets of Aetherlan City not far away.

  On both sides of the street, shops stood in dense rows. Passersby wore various kinds of clothing, and the scene was lively and vibrant.

  "Evelyn, you rarely come to Aetherlan City. Let me take you around a bit," he said.

  Evelyn gently shook her head and replied,"No, I need to return to Radiant Magic Academy as soon as possible."

  "This time I just came to check on you. As long as I know you are safe here, that is enough."

  Allen did not press her. He knew Evelyn always had her own plans. He nodded and said,"Then I will take you back."

  Worried that Evelyn might encounter danger along the way, Allen accompanied her, carefully walking beside her the entire journey.

  Only when they reached the gates of Radiant Magic Academy did he stop, bidding her farewell.

  Before parting, Evelyn grabbed Allen's sleeve and repeatedly reminded him,"Allen, you must be careful.

  Those people today have powerful backing. We cannot afford to offend them. Avoid them as much as possible in the future.

  Do not get into any conflicts with them. Even if you suffer a little, it is fine. Safety is the most important. Do you understand?"

  Allen looked at her worried expression and quickly nodded, saying,"I understand. Do not worry. I will not get into any conflicts with them."

  Yet deep in his heart, he secretly laughed. Not get into conflicts? Fat chance.

  Kaelor and his group had trampled on Evelyn's feelings and humiliated her efforts. That debt would be repaid sooner or later, and there was no way he would let it slide.

  After sending Evelyn off, Allen turned back toward Luminara Magic Academy without any delay, heading straight for the headmaster's study.

  He wanted to speak to Headmaster Berton and announce his decision.

  Inside the study, Headmaster Berton was sitting behind his desk, leafing through an ancient tome.

  Seeing Allen push the door open, he looked up and smiled, setting the book aside. He said warmly,"Allen, you are here. Sit down.

  I was just about to look for you. First, tell me why your magical power has been stuck at Fifth-tier Senior Mage. Let me clarify it for you."

  Berton felt very gratified. He had mentioned only this morning that he would personally guide Allen in magic.

  The boy had been so eager that he came proactively, showing he was truly devoted to learning.

  Allen said to Headmaster Berton,"Thank you for your concern, Mentor. I came this time for something else."

  A trace of curiosity flashed across Berton's eyes. He gestured for Allen to continue,"What is it? Feel free to speak. If it is something I can help with, I will not refuse."

  Allen slowly raised his head, his gaze firm, and said clearly,"Mentor, I have decided to participate in the resource battle."

  Hearing this, Berton was completely stunned. He stared at Allen blankly.

  After a long moment, he gradually regained his composure and said,"You want to participate in the resource battle?"

  At this moment, Berton felt deeply moved. He knew this child had a strong spirit and would not want to be called Max-Level Trash forever.

  He must not want to embarrass his mentor, which is why he volunteered to enter the resource battle, despite its fierce competition and constant dangers.

  But emotion aside, reason compelled Berton to shake his head and speak with a serious tone of caution,"I understand your intentions and why you do not want to be looked down upon. But I still have to advise you. You cannot go."

  His face full of worry, Berton continued,"You have no idea how dangerous the resource battle is.

  The lowest-ranked participants have magical power at Ninth-tier Senior Mage level.

  With your current Fifth-tier Senior Mage power, entering recklessly would leave you defenseless. You would be gravely injured."

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  With Allen's current magical power at Fifth-tier Senior Mage, recklessly entering the resource battle was almost no different from walking to his death.

  Especially as the headmaster's only core apprentice, he would be extremely conspicuous on the battlefield. Everyone's eyes would inevitably fall on him.

  Who would not want an opportunity to beat up the Luminara Magic Academy Headmaster's sole core apprentice?

  Even after leaving the battlefield, they could boast to others that they had beaten Berton Headmaster's core apprentice.

  But Allen's reputation did not match his true abilities. If he truly had power equal to his status, no one would dare easily cause him trouble.

  Yet Berton had already heard about this apprentice of his having a very notorious nickname in the academy: Max-Level Trash.

  If anything went wrong, it would not just be a matter of losing face. The real worry was that Allen might not even make it out of the resource battlefield alive, and could even suffer fatal consequences.

  Seeing Berton's worried face and strong opposition, Allen still spoke with determination,"Please rest assured. This time, I will not embarrass you. Even if I do not get first place in the resource battle, I will certainly not be second."

  Berton listened in disbelief. Helplessly, he buried his face in his hands. He did not believe a word Allen said.

  A person called Max-Level Trash, whose magical power remained at Fifth-tier Senior Mage, actually dared to make such bold claims. It was simply unbelievable.

  "You child! Have you taken the wrong potion or something?"

  Berton's tone became even more severe."I will say it again. You are not allowed to go."

  Allen had long expected this reaction. He had always been low-key, even deliberately showing mediocre abilities. Over time, Berton had lost all confidence in him.

  Even if Allen now revealed his true strength, Berton probably would not believe him at all.

  But that was fine. The truth would speak for itself. This time, he was determined to enter the resource battle. He wanted to get justice for Evelyn and teach Kaelor and his group a lesson.

  Allen did not hesitate and said,"I am not lying. I am serious. I came to you to borrow some resources needed to participate in the resource battle."

  Berton trembled with anger and waved his hand sharply."Get out! Stay in the academy and meditate properly. Refine your magical power. Stop daydreaming about these unrealistic fantasies."

  After leaving the headmaster's study, Allen already knew it was impossible to borrow anything from Berton. But he did not worry too much.

  Keller and the others were still in Aetherlan City. If he could not borrow from the headmaster, he could borrow from them instead.

  After all, his reputation as a wealthy young man would spread throughout the academy soon enough.

  Allen turned and left Luminara Magic Academy, returning to the small tavern where he had met Keller before.

  Keller was still there, but the other two had already left and were not present.

  Allen usually deliberately avoided Keller and the others to stay low-key. But when trouble arose, they were the first people he thought of.

  Perhaps this was what people meant by seeking help when needed and avoiding attention when not.

  He often found them too flashy, but when help was truly needed, only they could get things done for him.

  Allen sat down opposite Keller and said,"Keller, there is something I need your help with. I am going to participate in the resource battle and I need some support."

  "You know that to enter the resource battle, you must provide some rare resources as an entry credential. After all, if you are going to seize others' resources, you have to be prepared for others trying to seize yours."

  Allen normally had very little interest in these resources. With his true strength, these items were of little practical use to him.

  Keller gave a slight nod and did not ask any further questions. Then he raised his hand, and in an instant, a dazzling array of treasures from the academy spread across the table.

  Each item radiated a strong magical aura, all of them rare and precious.

  "Choose whatever you like. Take anything you want."

  Allen did not hesitate. His eyes scanned the treasures on the table, and he immediately picked a few that seemed inconspicuous, with relatively gentle magical fluctuations.

  Then he looked at Keller and said,"Keller, give me a storage ring as well. I will put these things away."

  Keller immediately took out a simple storage ring and handed it over. Allen accepted it and placed all the selected treasures into the ring. He then looked up at Keller and said,"There is one more thing I need your help with."

  "This time, when I participate in the resource battle, I plan to teach a few people a lesson in front of everyone. One of them has a rather troublesome background."

  "It is the Kaelor you met before. He is the son of the Governor of Aetherlan City, and the power behind him is not weak."

  "That Governor of Aetherlan City is quite formidable. I am worried that when I discipline Kaelor, he will step in to stop me.

  At the moment, it is not convenient for me to reveal my true identity, so I want you to step in and handle it for me."

  A look of understanding flashed in Keller's eyes. He immediately grasped Allen's meaning.

  Allen wanted to teach Kaelor a lesson openly, using his identity as an apprentice of Luminara Magic Academy.

  But if Kaelor's father personally intervened, Allen would be constrained by his status and unable to reveal his true strength, which was when Keller would need to step in.

  "Do not worry. Leave this matter to me. There will be no problem at all."

  "Go ahead and teach Kaelor a lesson. No matter what happens, as long as I am here, you will not be implicated in the slightest."

  Allen felt greatly reassured. Keller was always meticulous and efficient, never disappointing him. With such a capable subordinate, he could feel even more at ease.

  To be honest, after spending so much time together, he was starting to feel reluctant to keep Keller hidden in the shadows, silently handling these trivial matters for him.

  Keller asked respectfully,"As for that Governor, do you want to spare his life or should I deal with him directly?"

  Allen was momentarily stunned. He had not really considered this question.

  After a brief pause, he said,"Handle it as you see fit. Just do not expose my identity. Anything is fine."

  Keller nodded slightly, but for the moment, he still could not fully grasp Allen's true intentions.

  Based on Allen's past habits, when facing someone who might hinder or offend him, he would usually have them eliminated completely to leave no loose ends.

  But recently, Allen had become much gentler. His actions were no longer as decisive and ruthless as before, and he now showed more hesitation and concern.

  This left Keller uncertain for a moment, unsure how to deal with the Governor appropriately.

  Even as he watched Allen turn and leave, Keller did not ask any further questions.

  After all, his duty was to infer Allen's intentions and do his best to carry out every task. How could he easily admit he did not know?

  Since Allen had not made himself clear or given explicit instructions, Keller decided to leave the Governor in a state that was neither fully alive nor completely eliminated for the time being.

  He would neither kill him outright nor let him go easily. Whether the Governor should be fully dealt with in the end would depend on Allen's signals at that time.