"Aiden." The calm voice rang out slowly.
Aiden wasn't particularly concerned about these geniuses from the Sovereign City.
Now that he had the Thousandfold Critical Hit System, it wouldn't be long before he became a Third Class, or even a stronger profession, before the College Testing.
"Aiden, I hope you don't mind me asking—what's your class and level? Those skills you used earlier were just too strong," John suddenly asked.
He looked about the same age as Aiden, yet Aiden was so much stronger. It was one of those "there's always someone stronger" moments, which John understood well. But he was really curious now—Aiden's class had to be at least level 20, maybe even 30, right?
Vespera and Vivi were also intrigued.
Aiden replied indifferently, "Just a regular Magic Apprentice."
Magic Apprentice?
John glanced at Vespera, puzzled, and whispered, "What level is a Magic Apprentice? Legendary?"
Vespera's eyes widened in shock, staring at Aiden in disbelief. She didn't even catch John's question until he coughed, and that was when she snapped out of her stunned silence.
"The most basic, weakest Iron Rank."
John froze. Someone who could unleash the freezing skill of a level 40 Abyss demon boss was an Iron Rank? Impossible! That powerful Demon's Domain and the thunderous final strike that killed the Flame Demon Oslu couldn't possibly be the work of an Iron Rank class!
Aiden must be joking!
It wasn't just John who thought this—Vespera and Vivi shared the same disbelief.
Seeing the surprise and disbelief on their faces, Aiden felt a bit helpless. He really was just a basic Iron Rank Magic Apprentice. Of course, with a thousand Epic Demon's Hearts, he'd be able to level up his Magic Apprentice class later on—but that was a matter for the future.
"I have other things to do. If fate allows, we'll meet again," Aiden said, not staying too long. He was eager to return to The White City and submit his Class Change task.
But before that, he definitely had to use the Epic Demon's Heart.
Before Vespera and the others could react, Aiden focused his mind and chose to leave the Abyss.
Vivi, who had been watching Aiden closely, suddenly had a spark in her eyes.
"Wait! I..." But before she could finish, Aiden's figure quickly vanished from sight.
Vespera suddenly spoke up with a light tap on her head, regretting, "I forgot to ask him about Oslu's heart... Epic Demon's Hearts, they're hard to come by."
Vespera suddenly closed her mouth. She noticed that Vivi was acting strange, as if she had seen something she couldn't accept, frozen in place, staring ahead.
"What's wrong?" Vespera asked.
Vivi continued to stand there for a moment, her red lips slowly parting as she spoke, "Aiden wasn't joking. The Demon God's Messenger class can track precise information. He really is a Magic Apprentice, and only level 10!"
Immediately, both Vespera and John were stunned.
He really is a Magic Apprentice, and only level 10?
After a long pause, Vespera took a deep breath and said, "A level 10 Magic Apprentice could never have the power to kill a level 40 Abyss boss. He must be a once-in-a-lifetime genius from some hidden family!"
"The Abyss Pass... we can use it to find more information on Aiden."
Vespera decided it was necessary to track down Aiden in the real world. It wasn't just for the Epic Demon's Heart—she also wanted to express her gratitude.
She glanced down at her own well-shaped chest, and a faint blush flashed across her face.
...
The White City, Starlight Store.
Lunara, lost in thought, stared blankly at the video on her phone, occasionally glancing up at a spot in the store, her expression changing.
"Sigh, he probably hasn't returned yet. After all, he used an Epic Realm Pass."
"Even high-level Reclassers hesitate to challenge Epic realms. I hope he didn't run into any danger."
Lunara thought the genius from the top family, widely discussed on Douyin, might very well be Aiden.
She had watched the video countless times, and that blurry figure really looked like Aiden.
Just as Lunara was lost in thought, Aiden's figure slowly appeared.
Her eyes widened instantly. She took him in from head to toe and saw no signs of injury—he looked like he'd just been out for a stroll.
Wasn't he using an Epic Realm Pass?
Could she have seen it wrong?
"Mr. Aiden..." Lunara started to speak, but before she could finish, she saw Aiden turn without a word and leave the store, heading toward the Reclasser Association.
Her brows furrowed, and a wave of indescribable disappointment washed over her.
After a moment's thought, Lunara clenched her teeth and called out to a colleague nearby, "I've got something to do. I need to step out."
With that, she immediately followed toward the Reclasser Association.
Aiden's mind was focused entirely on submitting his Class Change task, eager to level up quickly with the vast experience he had accumulated.
However, as soon as Aiden entered the Reclasser Association's main hall, he stopped in his tracks.
Not far ahead of him, two familiar figures appeared.
Kael was speaking with unwavering confidence to Elyra: "Don't worry, there won't be any accidents!"
"This time, I had my father send a level 30 expert to accompany us. There's no danger at all!"
"In just a week, we'll be at level 10 and ready to take the Class Change quest."
Kael's face was full of self-assurance. To win Elyra's favor, he was fully prepared.
Even though the higher the class rank, the more experience was needed to level up, it wasn't a big deal for him.
The Dragonlight Guild was one of the two strongest guilds in The White City. He knew where his advantages lay, and besides, Elyra definitely wanted to level up too.
After all, the higher the level, the better the chances of getting a high score in the College Testing.
Elyra hesitated, about to speak when she noticed Aiden standing nearby.
She suddenly felt a bit flustered, her gaze quickly avoiding his.
"Hey, isn't that Magic Apprentice Aiden? What are you doing here at the Reclasser Association?" Kael, following Elyra's line of sight, saw the one person he truly disliked.
"Don't tell me you still haven't given up? With your Iron Rank class, any random monster out in the wild could kill you!"
"Here's an idea: I'm about to take honey here to level up. If you beg me, I might show some mercy and let you tag along behind us."
Kael grinned smugly. To see his former rival reduced to this—he couldn't help but feel satisfied.
As for if Aiden begged him, he had no intention of sharing any experience. The most he'd do was let Aiden watch him and Elyra's relationship grow.
In the face of Kael's provocation, Aiden merely smiled faintly before speaking:
"Thanks for your concern. I'm just curious, though—will something happen to your Dragonlight Guild in the near future that causes it to fall apart?"
Kael burst into laughter. "Fall apart? Hahaha, you're ridiculous, Aiden. Let me tell you the truth: Dragonlight Guild has come across a huge development opportunity. We've already paid enough deposits and prepayments."
"Soon enough, the name of Dragonlight Guild will spread throughout all of Ironvale!"
After Kael finished speaking, he expected Aiden to be disheartened, maybe even fearful.
But instead, he saw a faint trace of mockery on Aiden's face, as if Aiden were laughing at him for dreaming too big.
At that moment, Elyra took a deep breath and walked up to Aiden.
"I've already given you plenty of chances, but you didn't appreciate them. Aiden, in this world, strength is the only thing that truly matters."
"Did you suddenly show up at the Reclasser Association because you want to win me back?"
"It's too late. I've made up my mind. I'm going to accept Kael's invitation and level up with him in the wild."
Elyra stared intently at Aiden's face, looking for any sign of regret or reluctance.
But no matter how she looked, Aiden's expression remained unusually calm.
"Your decision has nothing to do with me."
"Don't be so full of yourself. I'm here to submit my Class Change quest," Aiden replied flatly.
Kael and Elyra froze for a moment. Submit the Class Change quest?
Only after reaching level 10 could one take the first Class Change quest. Was Aiden already level 10?
How could that be? A Magic Apprentice with Iron Rank—wasn't it supposed to be hard to level up?
Under Kael and Elyra's gaze, Aiden turned and walked toward the beautiful staff member at the Reclasser Association.