Alfred appeared in class wearing grey-black trousers and a white shirt. The simple attire accentuated his tall, lean frame.

He didn't need to speak. Just standing there, the chill radiating from his body silenced the classroom instantly.

Ray looked unusually relaxed, his stomach filled with rich food. Warmth gently stirred his soul power, confirming one thing clearly: good food truly accelerated cultivation.

"Today marks the official start of your lessons," Alfred said coldly. "Most of your classes will be taught by me. Stand."

The entire class jumped to their feet.

"Follow me."

Alfred walked out with his hands in his pockets. The students followed in a messy cluster, no one daring to speak under his oppressive presence.

He led them to the training field.

"Line up in pairs."

Ray and Miel, the tallest in class, stood together again. Lucius and Raziel Phoenix lined up beside them.

"For today's lesson," Alfred said calmly, "you will show me what you can do. Then, you'll enter actual combat. I will judge. One loss means elimination. Show me your true strength."

A girl raised her hand. "Teacher, I'm a Tool Soul Master. Do I still need to fight?"

Alfred replied coldly, "Would your enemy spare you on the battlefield if you said that? First group, prepare."

He pointed directly at Ray and Miel.

Miel's eyes lit up with excitement. "Good! Let's compare strength! I don't believe you're stronger than me!"

Ray said nothing.

The students formed a circle around them.

"You may begin," Alfred said indifferently. "There are no rules."

Miel roared. A white soul ring rose beneath his feet as light surged up his body. His muscles visibly swelled beneath his uniform.

A small brown monkey appeared on his shoulder. A ten-year spirit soul.

"First soul skill: Power Amplification!"

Miel charged forward, each step thundering against the ground. Reaching Ray, he thrust both hands toward Ray's shoulders.

Ray responded instantly, throwing both fists forward.

Peng!

Miel staggered back three steps before stabilizing himself.

Ray advanced, throwing another punch.

Miel gritted his teeth and poured all his strength into his counterpunch.

Their fists collided head-on.

Peng!

Miel was sent reeling backward. He stumbled again and again before finally losing his balance and dropping heavily onto the ground, landing squarely on his backside.

Ray, on the other hand, remained rooted where he stood. His upper body swayed slightly, but his feet never moved.

Miel sat there in a daze.

How is this possible?

Last time, he could still comfort himself by saying he'd lost due to carelessness. But this time, he had activated his martial soul and even used his first soul skill, Power Amplification.

Yet in a direct clash of strength, he had still been completely overwhelmed.

This wasn't just a loss. It was a crushing defeat.

"Stop." Alfred's voice rang out coldly.

He pointed at Miel. "You. Out."

For a Power System Battle Soul Master, losing in a contest of raw strength meant there was no need to continue.

Alfred then turned his gaze to Ray. "Why didn't you release your martial soul?"

Ray replied honestly, "He wanted to compare strength."

Alfred's eyes turned icy. "If he told you to eat dirt, would you do it? Treat every fight as a battlefield. Victory is the only objective. Even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit. Never leave your opponent a single chance."

"Advance. Prepare for the next match."

The loser was eliminated. The winner was scolded.

The tension in the class rose sharply.

"Next match."

Lucius and Raziel Phoenix stepped forward.

Lucius wore a bitter smile. "Be gentle, please. I'm only a support-type Soul Master. I can't take much."

Raziel Phoenix replied flatly, "That's your problem."

"Begin!"

The moment Alfred spoke, Raziel Phoenix vanished to the side. A yellow soul ring lit up beneath his feet, and his speed exploded. The Light Dragon Dagger flashed gold as he closed the distance in an instant.

At that very moment, a soft white glow burst from Lucius's body, blooming like a flower of light.

Raziel Phoenix's strike cut through empty air.

Ray's eyes sharpened. He saw it clearly. In the instant Raziel Phoenix lunged, Lucius had activated something in his hand. In a blink, their positions had shifted.

But Raziel Phoenix reacted immediately.

His arm twisted at an impossible angle, the dagger sweeping backward in a seamless arc, light and shadow converging to guard his rear.

Lucius's soul skill lasted only a moment. Before he could react again, the Light Dragon Dagger was already upon him.

Just as the blade was about to strike, a massive hand seized Lucius and yanked him aside.

"Stop."

Raziel Phoenix halted with his dagger pressed against his own chest. Calm. Cold. Not a trace of panic. His composed demeanor caused more than a few girls to quietly gasp.

Alfred nodded. "Not bad. You advance."

He turned to Lucius. "Your timing was precise, but your judgment was lacking. After activating your soul skill, you should have widened the distance. An Auxiliary Soul Master caught by an Agility System opponent must prioritize survival."

"Yes, teacher." Lucius nodded respectfully, clutching a round disc etched with intricate patterns.

Even as he listened, a single thought echoed in his mind.

How did Ray manage to beat this monster and leave his face swollen like that?

Reality soon proved that West Ocean Academy's class placement was brutally accurate.

Out of twenty students, eight were Tool Soul Masters with no combat capability. Several Battle Soul Masters possessed martial souls barely better than trash-tier Silverfalls Vine.

Two Tool Soul Masters didn't even have usable soul skills, reduced to awkwardly pushing each other during their matches.

Alfred's expression grew darker with every bout.

The overall quality wasn't just poor. It was abysmal.

If not for compulsory education, most of these students would never reach rank twenty in their lifetime.

At present, only one person had truly caught his eye.

Raziel Phoenix.

"Second round." Alfred pointed sharply. "You, and you."

Ray stepped forward again. Opposite him stood a petite girl with short light-blue hair and bright eyes.

Leiza.

Her appearance stirred something faint in Ray's heart, reminding him of Vivienne.

"Begin!"

Leiza bowed politely, then released her martial soul.

Half her hair turned white. One blue eye shifted to green. A white soul ring rose beneath her feet as a small white cat appeared on her shoulder.

White fur spread over her hands. Sharp claws extended from her fingers.

She crouched—and sprang forward.

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