Instead, they had summoned a nightmare.

"Boss… this wasn't part of the plan!" Raziel Phoenix wailed, on the verge of tears.

In their strategy, he had been cannon fodder.

They had told him so directly.

Alfred would never believe Raziel Phoenix was the main threat, yet the Twin Dragon Storm was powerful enough to force Alfred to divert attention. That was Raziel Phoenix's role.

Ray had considered everything.

Challenging Alfred at night would naturally raise suspicion. Knowing the strengths of the three veterans, Alfred's attention would inevitably fall on Violetta.

That was the deception.

Ray had deliberately shaped the battle to make it seem as though his Golden Dragon Claw would deliver the finishing blow. From the opening Bind to Raziel Phoenix's aerial assault to Lily's elemental coordination, everything pointed to that claw.

And it almost worked.

Ray's attack was exposed. His Silverfalls Vine was cut down by Frost Scars.

But that was never its true purpose.

The grass had masked Violetta and Lily.

From the moment Lily released her first elemental wave, she had been quietly preparing the fusion of fire and ice. Only because the thousand-year Bind concealed her could she finish in time.

When Alfred broke free of the Starwheel Shackles and saw Ray breach his defense, he relaxed.

He believed they had exhausted every card.

The decisive blow would be the dragon claw.

Instead, fire and ice detonated at his back.

Alfred had suppressed not only his soul power but also his spiritual perception. That was why he failed to sense the true killing move.

Had he not unleashed his full strength at the final instant, he would have been injured.

The plan had been flawless.

Coordination. Timing. Psychological misdirection.

And at its core, the exploitation of a fundamental flaw in the opponent's judgment.

Alfred needed to know who had conceived it.

That such a strategy came from a ten-year-old boy spoke volumes of Ray's potential.

As he walked away, unseen by the children, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

As a teacher, how could he not be satisfied?

Violetta's Starwheel Shackles had also left a deep impression. Absolute sealing, even for an instant, was terrifying.

It seems they'll give both the academy and me a pleasant surprise at the Skysea Alliance Tournament.

*

The children returned to their dormitory in silence, crawling into bed with dread in their hearts.

Starwheel Shackles would be nearly useless against a three-ringed Alfred.

What could they do?

Nothing, except take things one step at a time.

Their intense routine of cultivation and study resumed.

Violetta quickly found her place.

She was clever, cooperative, bright, and adorable, the complete opposite of Lily. Despite her weakness during the day, she trained relentlessly. What left Ray helpless was her talent.

In just one month, her soul power rose to rank 18.

Ray was still struggling toward rank 17.

Even with the Mysterious Heaven Method, his cultivation speed was painfully slow.

"Tomorrow, we're going to Skysea City," Alfred announced one day. "Ray, stay behind after class."

Skysea City?

The largest city on the western coast?

The four exchanged confused looks.

Raziel Phoenix couldn't hold back. "Teacher Alfred, are we going to watch the Skysea Alliance Tournament?"

Alfred glanced at him. "You're participating."

Participating?

He waved the others away, leaving Raziel Phoenix, Lily, and Violetta stumbling out in a daze.

Ray remained.

"The academy informed me that the Blacksmith's Association wants you to participate in the blacksmith competition," Alfred said. "Is that true?"

"Yes," Ray nodded.

"I checked. It won't conflict with our matches."

"Oh." Ray hesitated. "Teacher Alfred… what event are we entering?"

"The three-man team competition in the juvenile division."

Alfred continued, "The Skysea Alliance Tournament has countless events. Soul Master competitions are divided into individual and team formats. Teams come in groups of three, five, or seven."

He looked straight at Ray. "You, Raziel Phoenix, and Lily will compete in the three-man team event. Violetta will be your substitute."

"As team captain, you are responsible for results. Both in the team competition and your blacksmith contest."

His gaze sharpened.

"Your goal is simple."

"Become champions."

"Champion? But we're only eleven!" Ray blurted out. "Raziel said we'd be competing against people aged ten to fifteen. That's a bit…"

Alfred cut him off coldly. "Age does not determine strength. Just do your best. Results are not the most important thing. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Ray replied without hesitation.

"You may leave. Prepare for tomorrow's trip to Skysea City. All participants from West Ocean City will depart together. You don't need to worry about coordinating with the Blacksmith's Association."

"Yes."

Over the past month, Ray had poured nearly all of his energy into preparing for the blacksmith competition. Although he still couldn't forge first-grade metals, his success rate with second-grade Thousand Refined metals had exceeded eighty percent. Even among fourth-rank blacksmiths, that level of consistency was extremely rare.

As Nigel had explained, the issue wasn't Ray's comprehension, but his lack of soul power.

Soul power was the foundation of a Soul Master and equally vital to a blacksmith. The stronger the soul power, the greater the chance of imbuing spirit into metal. No matter how monstrous Ray's talent was, being a one-ring Soul Master limited him.

Nigel believed that the moment Ray obtained his second soul ring, forging first-grade metals would become natural.

Thus, Ray's training plan remained unchanged: stabilize the foundation and wait for the right moment. He was still young. There was no need to gamble with his future.

What he hadn't expected was being selected as a representative of West Ocean Academy in the junior division team competition.

The shock was real.

But so was the excitement.

For the past month, Ray hadn't stepped into the spirit ascension platform even once. Instead, he had battled Alfred daily. Compared to that, even a ten-thousand-year soul beast seemed kinder. After all, he had personally watched Alfred butcher one as casually as strolling through a garden.

Their victory that night had earned them nothing except harsher training.

Even with all four working together and using every dirty trick imaginable, they still couldn't last long against a three-ring Alfred. As team captain, Ray bore the brunt of the punishment, every session ending with his body bruised and battered.

Yet it was precisely this brutality that sharpened their teamwork and accelerated their growth.

Ray could feel it. Rank 17 was within reach.

The downside was time.

Balancing cultivation and forging meant he couldn't complete as many blacksmith tasks. His income plummeted.

Whenever he thought of the Skysea Alliance Tournament, his heart raced and his eyes burned at the thought of prize money that could solve many of his problems at once.

He had finally paid back Alfred, but his purse was now empty enough to echo.

"Teacher Alfred." Just before leaving, Ray suddenly turned around. "Is there any reward for participating in the tournament?"

Alfred stared at him. "If the team performs well, yes. There's a monetary prize for the top thirty-two teams, but it only becomes worthwhile after reaching the top sixteen. As for academy rewards… you're already bleeding the academy dry. Especially you. Your food expenses alone could feed the entire intermediate division. Tell me, do you still want more?"

Ray immediately shut his mouth, sticking out his tongue like a guilty child.

But he knew Alfred wasn't exaggerating. The academy had spared no expense on nutrient-rich food for them, especially him. That nourishment directly fueled his growth and even made breaking the second seal feel closer than ever.

And honestly?

The food was delicious.

"Teacher Alfred," Ray ventured again, "can I participate in the individual competition as well? Maybe I can make the top thirty."

He couldn't afford to miss a single chance to earn money.

His attitude toward wealth had changed ever since the struggle to obtain his first spirit soul. If he'd had enough money back then, he wouldn't have been forced to accept such a weak spirit soul.

From that day on, Ray swore he would never let money corner him again.

"If you're not afraid of exhaustion, then go ahead," Alfred replied indifferently.

"As long as the schedules don't conflict, I'm confident I can handle it," Ray said earnestly. "I'll have to trouble you to help me sign up."

He wasn't blindly confident. Even with one ring, he possessed a thousand-year soul ring. His evolved Silverfalls Vine was more than enough to give him courage.

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