Laira noticed Ethan’s gaze

She turned to look at him, said nothing, and only curved the corner of her mouth slightly.

A smile so free and natural it was as if the murmurs around them didn’t exist at all. No tension. No fear. Not the slightest hesitation either.

Ethan was silent for a few seconds.

Even though everyone still hadn’t fully shaken off the shock Laira had brought, the coming-of-age ceremony still had to go on. Only by passing the Heaven’s Gate trial could Ethan officially become an Awakened. Only by opening his Heaven’s Gate could he absorb energy from energy crystals, step onto the path of cultivation, and truly possess the standing to keep the Mythic Partner that had just appeared before the entire academy.

The ceremony’s host stood beside the altar, his gaze unconsciously settling on the faint, hazy black chains coiling around Laira’s wrists. Even though her aura had withdrawn for the most part, the lingering sense of oppression still kept him from being fully at ease.

He drew a deep breath, then looked at Ethan.

"Ethan Ashford."

"The choice belongs to you."

"There’s no need to care about the murmurs around you."

Ethan nodded slightly.

He knew Headmaster Cole’s advice was relatively reasonable. For a student who had just opened his first Blind Box, choosing the Trial difficulty was already risky enough.

But he was no ordinary student.

And Laira was even less of an ordinary Partner.

Just as Ethan was about to make his choice, a low, deep laugh suddenly rang out from the direction of the hall’s entrance.

"Trial?"

"Headmaster Cole, you’re underestimating the Mythic Partner that has just appeared at Aurora Academy."

The voice wasn’t loud, but every word was amplified by energy, carrying clearly to everyone’s ears.

The murmurs immediately died down.

Hundreds of students turned their heads in unison.

The large metal doors at the far end of the main hall had opened at some point. Three groups of people slowly walked in, each carrying an entirely different presence.

Leading them was a middle-aged man with dark blond hair, draped in a silver-white long robe. Embroidered on the back was the image of a lion raising its head in a roar. His steps weren’t fast, but each time his leather shoes touched the floor, the air around him trembled slightly.

To the left was a woman somewhere past thirty. Her black hair was tied up high, her eyes a pale violet, her body clad in a black-and-red combat dress that hugged her curves. A slender longsword hung at her hip. On the chest of her outfit was the symbol of a crescent moon pierced by a sword blade.

The last was a white-haired old man. His frame was gaunt, his skin somewhat pallid, his right hand leaning on a metal staff set with a blue crystal at its tip. An ash-gray cloak covered nearly his entire body. Each step made no sound, yet the temperature in the main hall dropped noticeably when he appeared.

In the area for students, a few immediately recognized their identities.

"No way..."

"That’s Lionel Hart?"

"Guild Master of the White Lion Guild?"

"The woman beside him is Vanessa Crowe, Guild Master of the Blood Moon Guild."

"And that old man..."

"Elder Rowan of the Black Tower Guild."

A student swallowed dryly without thinking.

"White Lion, Blood Moon, and Black Tower."

"Three of the strongest guilds in Safe Zone No. 7."

"They’ve all come because of the Crimson Dragon."

No further explanation was needed.

Everyone understood.

News of a Mythic Partner appearing at a coming-of-age ceremony had clearly spread to the outside faster than expected.

On the top floor, the man in the military uniform frowned slightly. The gray-haired woman also placed her hand on the control panel, her expression less than pleasant.

Headmaster Cole pressed his black wooden cane against the floor.

His gaze turned colder.

"Lionel."

"Vanessa."

"Rowan."

"This is Aurora Academy’s coming-of-age ceremony."

"Not a place for you to barge into as you please."

The blond man named Lionel let out a laugh.

"Headmaster Cole, we have no intention of disrupting the ceremony."

"It’s just that upon learning a Mythic Partner had appeared, I couldn’t keep sitting still in my office."

His gaze swept over Ethan for a brief moment, then settled fully on Laira.

Undisguised.

Without restraint.

Like observing a rare treasure that had just appeared before his eyes.

Vanessa Crowe also looked toward Laira. Her violet eyes narrowed slightly, quickly assessing every detail of her body.

"A humanoid Crimson Dragon."

"A complete bloodline aura."

"The energy fluctuation upon her appearance alone forced the academy’s protective barrier up to the third tier."

She curved the corner of her mouth slightly.

"Truly a Partner worth any guild paying a price for."

Old man Rowan didn’t speak right away.

His slightly clouded eyes rested on the black chains coiling around Laira’s wrists and ankles. The blue crystal atop his metal staff glowed faintly.

It was a long while before he spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Sealed."

"And still weakened."

"Yet still made the analysis device stop at Mythic rank."

Rowan raised his head, his eyes showing a hint of interest for the first time.

"Her actual value is perhaps even higher than what we’re seeing."

The main hall fell completely silent.

Quite a few students unconsciously looked toward Ethan. Their gazes were both envious and complicated.

Ethan still stood beside Laira.

His expression unchanged.

But he had already grasped the purpose of the three who had just appeared.

Lionel slowly walked toward the stage.

Only when he was a few meters from the protective barrier did he stop. Then, his gaze fell on Ethan for the first time in earnest.

No more interest.

Only cold appraisal, looking down from above.

"Ethan Ashford."

"I’ve heard your name before."

"Top of the year in theory."

"Tactical analysis ability isn’t bad."

"But you only qualified to join the coming-of-age ceremony at the age of twenty."

"Two years behind everyone else."

Lionel curled his lip slightly.

"To be honest, you’re not the right person to own a Mythic Partner."

Those words echoed across the main hall.

Quite a few students changed expression slightly.

But Lionel didn’t care in the least. His gaze swept over Ethan’s slightly worn uniform and the shoes with a few scratches.

"The stronger the Partner, the greater the amount of resources required."

"You’re just a student who hasn’t opened his Heaven’s Gate."

"No resources."

"No foundation."

"No faction behind you."

"Even the uniform on your body is so worn it’s not worth mentioning."

Lionel looked at the slightly frayed cuffs of Ethan’s sleeve, his voice carrying clear mockery.

"What do you have to nurture her with?"

"By working part-time at the logistics warehouse?"

A few soft laughs immediately rang out.

Unlike the careless mocking laughter from the beginning. This time, most students didn’t dare laugh too loudly.

But the way they looked at Ethan had begun to change.

An ordinary Awakened who owned a low-tier Partner still needed to consume a great deal of resources.

So what about a Mythic rank Crimson Dragon?

The amount of resources required could be so terrifying that even an ordinary family wouldn’t have the capacity to bear it.

Vanessa Crowe slowly walked over beside Lionel.

She looked at Ethan, her voice calmer, but the meaning within it wasn’t friendly at all.

"Young man."

"Obtaining a treasure that doesn’t belong to you isn’t necessarily a blessing."

"Sometimes, it’s simply a disaster."

"You should understand this principle."

Ethan calmly asked:

"So what is it you want?"

Vanessa curved the corner of her mouth slightly.

"Very simple."

"Give up the Partner."

The main hall immediately erupted into a stir.

A student unconsciously asked:

"Give up the Partner?"

"Is that even possible?"

The one sitting beside him lowered his voice.

"It’s possible."

"But the consequences are extremely severe."

"After the bond has formed, voluntarily giving up a Partner will cause the soul to suffer backlash."

"Losing half of one’s lifespan."

"Energy absorption ability dropping sharply."

"To the point of almost being unable to continue on the path of the Awakened."

Another swallowed dryly.

"Even if he forces open a Heaven’s Gate..."

"He could only stop at a low tier."

"Almost no chance of going far."

The murmurs quickly spread.

Ethan still said nothing.

Lionel didn’t hide his intentions in the least either.

He looked straight at Ethan.

"That’s right."

"You will have to pay a price."

"But it’s a reasonable price."

"After all, even if you keep this Crimson Dragon, you have no ability to nurture her."

"Not enough resources."

"Not enough strength."

"Not enough standing."

Lionel slowly said:

"If you voluntarily give up the Partner, the White Lion Guild can guarantee the rest of your life."

"A house in the central district."

"An annual living allowance enough that you’d never need to work again."

"I could even arrange an honorary position for you within the guild."

"No need to fight."

"No need to take risks."

"No need to go back to the warehouse."

Lionel wore a smile as if bestowing a favor.

"For someone like you, that’s already the best choice."