Raziel Phoenix burst into laughter. "Of course not. Ray's a guy. The big sister is Lily."

Violetta's eyes widened.

That battle… she would never forget it. Lily had crossed ranks and crushed her brother with overwhelming ease. And yet… she wasn't the strongest?

With only three students in class zero, the strongest had to be the captain.

"Does Ray have two rings too?" she asked.

Raziel Phoenix shook his head. "Nope. Same as you. One ring."

"One ring… and he's the captain?"

Her curiosity about Ray surged.

Before she could ask more, Raziel Phoenix only smiled mysteriously and walked away.

*

The next morning, the new semester opening ceremony began.

Class zero stood at the very front of the first-year students.

Three people.

Lily on the left, Raziel Phoenix in the middle, Violetta on the right.

Ray was absent.

Alfred stood among the teachers, expression indifferent, as though Ray's absence meant nothing at all.

Raziel Phoenix leaned closer and whispered, "Ray didn't forget today's ceremony, did he? Why's he so late?"

Lily replied calmly, "Do you think he's you?"

Raziel Phoenix choked. "How biased can you be? When have I ever been late? He was late last time, too!"

"He must have a reason," Lily said quietly.

As the academy president began his speech, a hunched figure slipped in from the back, weaving through the crowd until he reached the front. He nudged Lily lightly.

Her cool expression melted instantly. A bright smile appeared. "Why are you so late?"

Ray could only smile awkwardly.

He couldn't exactly explain that he'd been stuck in deep meditation until dawn. By the time he woke, the ceremony had already started. He hadn't even eaten breakfast.

But the results had been worth it.

This meditation had unified everything he'd gained recently. His insights, his abilities, his strength—no longer scattered, but fused into a single, solid whole.

Ray decided to leave a thorough examination of his deep meditation's effects for later.

For now, one thing was certain: his soul power had stabilized at rank sixteen and was already pressing against the threshold of rank seventeen.

Compared to Volt, Barbara, or even Raziel Phoenix, his cultivation speed wasn't particularly eye-catching. Yet for someone wielding Silverfalls Vine, this progress was nothing short of astonishing.

"I… cultivated a bit too much," Ray said sheepishly.

Even as the words left his mouth, he felt a sharp gaze bore into him from the stage. He looked up just in time to meet Aaron's glare and immediately straightened his back, sealing his lips.

Violetta stole a glance at him from the side.

So it's him.

She had met Ray twice before: once in the spirit ascension platform and once at the barbecue stall with Uriel. Both times, he had left a deep impression.

Among boys her age, Ray was easily the most handsome she had ever seen. Long lashes framed his large eyes, his skin was fair and healthy, his nose straight, his lips soft, and his earlobes round and full. More than that, there was a gentle warmth about him, like sunlight in early spring.

Wearing the academy uniform, he seemed even brighter. Despite arriving late, he looked calm and unbothered.

Isn't he afraid of being scolded at all?

Alfred was also watching Ray, but for an entirely different reason. He could clearly sense a new luster hidden deep within Ray's eyes, a sign of inner breakthrough. Yet his soul power hadn't jumped abnormally.

From experience, Alfred knew this was the best possible outcome.

If it wasn't a breakthrough in soul power, then it was one in comprehension.

And comprehension was the true foundation of a Soul Master's future.

Ray's innate talent was mediocre, but his perception and insight far outweighed even his mutated martial soul.

The ceremony proceeded smoothly after that. Once the usual encouragements ended, the teachers led their students back to their classrooms, offering a few words before dismissing them until classes officially resumed the next day.

Class zero, naturally, was the simplest of all.

Four students. That was all.

"Introduce yourself," Alfred said once they entered the classroom, his gaze landing on Violetta.

She stood up nervously, shoulders slightly hunched. "H-Hello, everyone. My name is Violetta. I'm ten years old. My martial soul is the Starwheel Ice Staff, and my soul power is rank seventeen."

The corner of Ray's mouth twitched.

When he first noticed her during the ceremony, he had assumed she was a transfer student weaker than himself. After all, he had just returned from a major breakthrough.

Instead, her soul power was higher than his.

Alfred nodded. "You have one month. During this time, you must prove your strength and compatibility with class zero. After that, I'll decide whether you stay."

"Yes!" Violetta replied obediently.

Alfred turned to the other three. "You've had a month off. I'm testing your bodies and combat readiness again today. You have half an hour to meditate and prepare."

Then he added to Violetta, "Same for you."

After Ray's near-disaster from absorbing excess spirit energy, Alfred wanted accurate data from all of them. Only then could he properly plan their training and avoid future risks.

But when the results came in, even Alfred's composure cracked.

There was no major change in physical strength. Ray's numbers rose slightly, but nothing dramatic—except to Violetta, who stared at the results in stunned silence.

She wanted to turn to Raziel Phoenix and ask, Is he even human? Are you sure he isn't a soul beast in disguise?

Her own physical strength was pitiful, barely different from that of an ordinary person.

What truly shook Alfred, however, was the spiritual power test.

Raziel Phoenix went first.

His spiritual power had crossed fifty, reaching fifty-nine points. He had officially broken through from the Spirit Origin realm into the Spirit Connection realm, qualifying him to upgrade his spirit soul to the thousand-year level.

Next was Violetta.

Alfred expected something special, given her weak physique. And indeed, her spiritual power measured sixty-one points, also in the Spirit Connection realm. It was her strongest aspect, though only barely higher than Raziel Phoenix's.

Then came Ray.

The displayed number left everyone frozen.

"Two… hundred and twelve?" Raziel Phoenix read aloud, disbelief written all over his face. "Teacher, is the machine broken?"

Ray himself was dumbfounded.

Two hundred and twelve?

My spiritual power jumped straight into the intermediate Spirit Connection realm?

The intermediate threshold was one hundred and fifty points, the advanced level three hundred and fifty. At five hundred, one would enter the Spirit Sea realm, a qualitative leap in power.

At ten years old, two hundred and twelve points were enough to make geniuses tremble.

Violetta finally understood why Ray was the captain.

This is insane. He's only ten!

Spiritual power grew fastest before the age of twenty. Having over two hundred points now meant that even without active cultivation, he was guaranteed to reach the Spirit Sea realm someday.

"Heavens…" Raziel Phoenix stared at Ray. "Boss, what kind of miracle medicine did you eat? Your spiritual power jumped by over a hundred!"

Ray knew the answer.

The Three-Eyed Demon Ape.

Its terrifying spirit energy had pushed him to the brink of disaster, but he survived and emerged transformed.

"Lily," Alfred said calmly, "your turn."

Her result stunned them yet again.

"Two… hundred and seventy-eight?" Raziel Phoenix muttered weakly.

Lily tilted her chin toward Ray, her eyes cool and faintly smug, as if saying, _I'm still ahead._

A trace of a smile finally appeared on Alfred's lips.

These two brats…

They were starting to truly look like monsters.

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