A week passed, but the echoes of the Jungle Arena did not fade. Instead, they rippled outward like a tidal wave. News traveled fast within the West Wing Academy, and even faster to the noble estates beyond its walls. The name Ryan Ragnor was no longer just a ghost of a fallen house; it was a warning. A Middle-Phase Silver who could systematically dismantle a decade-seasoned Peak Silver was a variable no Great House could ignore.
Inside the Academy, the atmosphere shifted. The predatory glares from the seniors were replaced by a cautious, heavy silence whenever Ryan walked by. He had become a "high-voltage" entity—not to be provoked.
But Ryan wasn't interested in just being feared; he was interested in being integrated.
Following the duel, Ryan requested a private meeting with Amy. They met in a secluded corner of the library, the air still smelling of old parchment and cooling mana.
"You're a monster, Ragnor," Amy said, her voice weary but respectful. "Gideon is still in the infirmary having ice shards extracted from his meridians."
"He was a necessary sacrifice," Ryan replied smoothly. "I'm here to talk about the future. Your Mage Club needs fresh blood with high foundations. Lucas is a Silver Early Mage with a 3rd-Grade foundation. I want him in."
Amy looked at him for a long moment, then nodded. "Consider it done. His performance against the Silver-Middle senior proved he belongs. But what about your shadow?"
"David has his own path," Ryan said.
That path led straight to the Law Enforcement Pavilion. Unlike the student clubs, the Law Enforcement Department was a separate, iron-fisted entity. It was comprised of failed aspirants who missed the Gold Stage ascension but remained as elite "Helpers," as well as specialized students. Competition was cut-throat because the authority came with massive resource stipends and immunity from many Academy rules.
With his Rank 3 standing and his ability to contend with a Silver Peak like Amy, David's application wasn't just accepted—it was accelerated.
The bombshell dropped two days later. By order of Professor Valerius, the Head of Law Enforcement, the structure of the prestigious Squad 1—the strongest of the twelve squads, comprised entirely of twelve Silver Peak experts—was restructured.
Jonah, the long-standing Vice-Captain of Squad 1, was abruptly demoted and reassigned as the Captain of Squad 3. In his place, a freshman—David—was appointed as the new Vice-Captain of the elite first squad.
The Academy erupted in whispers.
"A freshman? Vice-Captain of the First Squad?" a senior from the Martial Arts club hissed in the canteen. "Jonah has been a Silver Peak for six years! This is a slap in the face to every veteran in the department."
"It's the Ragnor boy," another whispered. "He's pulling strings. I heard Valerius and Olivia had a private meeting. They say Ryan offered a 'trade'—Ragnor family refinement secrets for a seat at the table."
In the Law Enforcement barracks, the air was toxic with dissatisfaction. Jonah, a scarred man with a temper like a dormant volcano, slammed his fist into a stone pillar. "Replaced by a brat who hasn't even grown his first beard? Valerius has lost his mind. I don't care who his backer is; a squad of lions won't follow a cub."
The rumors weren't entirely wrong. The restructuring was the result of a cold, calculated proposal Ryan had made to Professor Olivia days prior.
"Valerius wants the 'Spirit-Vein Stabilizing' method from the Ragnor archives," Ryan had told her during a private session in the Refinement Hall. "It's a technique that allows Silver Peaks to compress their mana without the risk of meridian rupture—a 15% increase in the chance of Gold Stage evolution."
Olivia had raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. "That is a high-tier secret, Ryan. Why give it to him?"
"Because I don't need a 15% chance; I have a 100% plan," Ryan replied. "But I do need David to have the authority to move freely. Make Valerius an offer. The technique in exchange for David's position in Squad 1. Valerius gets a higher chance at producing Gold Stage subordinates for the Academy, and I get a hand on the throat of the Law Enforcement."
Olivia had laughed, a sound of pure delight. "You truly are a businessman in a cultivator's robes. Very well. I shall play the messenger."
Now, as Ryan sat in his Phoenix Wing suite, David stood before him, wearing the dark, silver-trimmed uniform of a Law Enforcement Vice-Captain.
"The men hate me, sir," David said, his expression neutral. "Jonah is already planning a 'mishap' during the next perimeter patrol."
"Good," Ryan said, sipping a cup of medicinal tea Jasmine had left for him. "If they liked you, it would mean you're weak. Let them hate you. Use the Ragnor techniques I gave you to break whoever challenges you. In ten years, Jonah will be a helper cleaning floors, and you will be the one holding the keys to this Academy."
Ryan looked out the window at the distant central spire where the Principal resided. "Lucas is in the Mages, you are in Law Enforcement, and Jasmine is my bridge to the Alchemists. The board is set, David. Now, we just wait for the first senior to realize they aren't the hunters anymore."