Early the next morning, after the Battle Mage Team officially went to the administrative building to inform Barnes of their withdrawal from the contest and swiftly announced their allegiance to Angel...

The situation entered a certain degree of stalemate.

Would the powerful Silent Spellcasting Group withdraw? Impossible.

Would Angel, who had already unified a large number of factions, withdraw? Equally impossible.

Would the Old Vascular Council, with their "dead pigs unafraid of boiling water" attitude, withdraw? Certainly not.

Would the High Sect, who valued face above all else, withdraw? Absolutely not.

This was a deadlock, an absolute deadlock.

At noon, Barnes summoned all four student leaders for a second meeting—a crucial, pivotal second meeting.

...

At 1:20 PM, Qili from the Silent Spellcasting Group arrived.

Her face was somewhat haggard, her eyes sunken. Strands of her hair stuck up slightly, making her appear rather disheveled.

At 1:23 PM, Aurora from the High Sect arrived.

She still looked elegant, except for some dirt staining the edges of her clothes. Her face, however, was filled with anger.

At 1:24 PM, Alvis, the president of the Old Vascular Council, arrived.

His demeanor was calm, his movements understated.

Finally, at 1:29 PM, Angel arrived.

His face was also calm, but unlike the others, he held his head slightly high as he walked past everyone. His steps were clean and crisp, radiating a composed confidence, his eyes seeming to penetrate everything.

At this very moment, he appeared to have become the focus of everyone's attention.

Just 24 hours ago, when Angel first appeared before them, he was far from being considered a strong contender—if not the weakest among the nine competitors, then certainly nowhere near the top.

The others represented institutions with long-standing histories, but him? He held nothing more than a hastily assembled group.

Yet reality is always full of surprises, life always full of twists and turns. This is a truth shared by both Blood Elves and humans alike.

In 24 hours, nothing might happen, or so much could happen that it defies counting—a world-shifting transformation. This is what is called the thickness of time.

Within these 24 hours, Angel acted relentlessly, one move following another… He was the only one among them treating this contest as a full-scale war. Yes, the only one. Thoroughly serious, as though failure would cost him his life. His tactics were pervasive, cunning, and he remained brimming with energy.

Thus, laid before everyone now was Angel's exceedingly eventful 24 hours.

Twenty-four hours ago, nearly every competitor ignored him, looked down on him—but now, not a single one could afford to underestimate him. Or perhaps... "fear" would be a more fitting term.

Qili's gaze at Angel was filled with astonishment.

Aurora's gaze at Angel was filled with disgust.

Alvis's gaze at Angel was filled with wariness and hesitation.

All eyes gathered on Angel, yet he simply stood there quietly, facing the closed wooden door of the meeting room.

His stance was so upright that the others felt as though they had been entirely overlooked.

"Aren't you curious about what they're thinking?" the demon whispered.

"Not curious, but I do enjoy this feeling. For the first time, I find being feared and hated... so enjoyable," Angel replied softly.

"Hahahaha, it truly is a delightful feeling. Especially when they hate you, yet can't do anything about you—watching you advance bit by bit until you trample them underfoot. Actually, if you're interested, I can introduce you to some new realms. For example, crying. Did you know? Fear, crying, sorrow, despair—they're all wonderful emotions. Of course, I mean when they appear in others. Want me to open a new world for you?"

"For now… no need."

"Fine, let me know when you're ready."

The four of them stood silently, waiting.

Around 1:40 PM, the meeting room door opened, and out came a staff member from the Teaching Affairs Bureau.

"Aurora, please come inside," they said.

"Me?" Aurora paused in confusion.

"Yes." The staff member flashed a sweet smile.

After casting a quick glance at the others, Aurora gripped her wand and walked inside.

The meeting room door shut behind her.

"Why is she going in first? Does she think she's better than the rest of us?" Qili glanced at Angel, attempting to strike up a conversation.

Yet Angel ignored her, continuing to stand silently. Alvis remained equally uncommunicative.

Ten minutes later, the meeting room door opened again. Aurora emerged, shot a glare at Angel, and stormed off—yes, directly left.

The three who waited outside the room quietly exchanged sideways glances, watching her departure.

It was still the same staff member. This time, they held the door wide open, stepped aside, and smiled warmly, saying: "Please, all of you, come inside."

"Heh, looks like Aurora's out." Qili stifled a laugh and strode into the room.

Alvis glanced at Angel, then followed her in.

Only after the other two had entered did Angel finally exhale slowly and step into the meeting room.

...

"You're all exceptional. Truly, I don't even know who I should choose. Based on your performance, we now have a much clearer understanding of your abilities."

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