Ryan's gaze swept over Charlie and the other two. Using his Grimoire to probe, he quickly assessed their magical ranks.

  That sinister-looking Giles had already reached Fourth-tier Journeyman Mage, making him the strongest among the three.

  "If you want to stay and observe, that's fine…" Ryan rubbed his fingers together, his eyes glinting with a sly light, the meaning unmistakable.

  He had no intention of letting them enjoy this rare opportunity for free, especially since it was clear they came with the purpose of learning.

  Charlie's mouth twitched as he saw Ryan's straightforward approach. He hadn't expected the interaction to be so direct.

  But to observe the rare awakening of light element swordsmanship, he could only grit his teeth and comply. He retrieved a storage pouch from his waist and tossed it toward Ryan:

  "This contains fifty Low-tier Magic Crystals. Including the magical enchantment value of the pouch itself, it totals the equivalent of a hundred Magic Crystals. That should be enough, right?"

  Ryan caught the pouch and infused a trace of magical energy into it to inspect. The number and quality of the Magic Crystals inside matched his expectations. He raised an eyebrow.

  It seemed that these three were really willing to invest heavily just to observe a breakthrough.

  "Barely enough." Ryan casually took five Magic Crystals from the pouch and scattered them on the ground beside Derrick.

  The moment the Magic Crystals hit the ground, he quickly formed hand seals and began chanting a defensive array spell:"Using the core of the earth as foundation, with the Magic Crystals as conduits, condense a protective barrier!"

  Magical light burst from the crystals, rapidly intertwining into a semi-transparent barrier that completely enveloped Derrick.

  Ryan's precaution was deliberate, he needed to prevent Derrick's sword energy from spiraling out of control during the breakthrough and also guard against any sudden interference from Charlie and the others.

  In the magical world, one could never afford to be careless.

  Charlie and the others' expressions changed sharply. Ryan was a master of magical arrays!

  To casually form a defensive barrier imbued with elemental energy, running smoothly without the slightest lag, was far beyond the capability of ordinary mages.

  The three exchanged glances, quickly abandoning any trace of disdain. They bowed to Ryan, their tone now respectful:"Thank you!"

  Ryan ignored their courtesy, but his gaze suddenly sharpened. From all three of them, he sensed energy fluctuations similar to Derrick's.

  What he did not know was that these three were far more prestigious than he imagined.

  Charlie and Giles were personal disciples of the Sword Mage Academy's Headmaster, and the girl in the pink dress was the granddaughter of a senior academy elder.

  The three of them were once-in-a-thousand-years prodigies of the Eryndor Empire.

  They were recognized as the strongest young swordsmanship masters in the Empire.

  At that moment, Derrick inside the barrier suddenly let out a roar. His sword energy erupted again, even more intense than before.

  The scorching sword energy surged like molten lava, striking the barrier with sizzling clashes, yet it could not break through the protective field.

  Even more astonishing, the deep wounds on Derrick's body began to heal rapidly under the nourishment of his sword energy.

  After a moment, the sword energy gradually retracted, merging back into his body. His magical aura stabilized, confirming his breakthrough had succeeded.

  Nearby, the three from Charlie's group stared at the barrier, their breathing growing rapid. They finally realized that Derrick had synchronized the awakening of his light element magic with his rank breakthrough.

  Even more shocking to them was the strong sense of suppression emanating from Derrick's awakened light element magic.

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  "Mentor! I did it!" Derrick shouted excitedly, jumping to his feet and drawing his longsword from his waist.

  He gripped the sword and slashed fiercely at the open ground nearby. Sword energy burst from the blade, carving a scorching arc through the air.

  After Derrick swung his sword, the so-called sword energy only left a faint streak on the open ground. The surrounding grass barely moved, and the aura was so weak it was less than a strong gust of wind.

  Charlie and the others exchanged glances. The girl in the pink dress, Lydia, couldn't help whispering,"That slash is so weak."

  All they saw was a slight breeze of sword energy before it vanished. The suppression they had sensed earlier seemed like an illusion.

  Ryan beckoned to Lydia."Come over here."

  Lydia was startled by the sudden summons. Naturally timid, she instinctively stepped behind Giles, her sparkling eyes full of confusion."Do you need me for something?"

  Giles positioned himself protectively in front of Lydia, his tone cautious."It's getting late. We still need to return to the academy, so we won't linger."

  Charlie quickly echoed,"Yes, we've benefited greatly from observing today. We'll take our leave."

  "Why the rush?" Ryan waved his hand, gesturing toward Derrick, who was still basking in his own sense of accomplishment.

  "I called you over to have a little sparring match. Don't worry, it's just a simple contest, no serious injuries."

  He turned to Lydia."You're the lowest-ranked among the three of you, but still a little above my apprentice. Perfect match."

  The three finally realized what Ryan intended: he wanted Derrick to spar with Lydia.

  "You spar with her!" Ryan kicked Derrick in the rear to snap him out of his self-satisfaction."She's only a Ninth-tier Adept Mage."

  Derrick rubbed his backside, startled as the words sank in. Ninth-tier Adept Mage? That was eight sub-levels above him! Wasn't this an invitation to get beaten up?

  But the inflated confidence from his recent breakthrough clouded his judgment, much like the occasional arrogance Ryan displayed in previous lives. He nodded eagerly."Alright! I'll spar with her!"

  He patted his chest, brimming with confidence, completely unaware of the massive rank gap between them.

  Ryan then took out the Soulweaver's Pendant and hung it around Derrick's neck. The icy touch made Derrick frown in confusion."Mentor, what is this?"

  "Don't ask so many questions. Just wear it!" Ryan said, pushing the still-dazed Derrick toward Lydia.

  "Don't hold back!" Ryan instructed Lydia."Just don't attack the head. Slash however you like!"

  Lydia hesitated, staying behind Giles, too timid to step forward.

  Charlie encouraged her,"Just try. This is a good chance to test whether your recently learned sword techniques have improved."

  Ryan watched the three of them and muttered to himself,"Charlie treats Lydia with such care, yet Lydia only has eyes for Giles. Could this be a love triangle?"

  He shook his head, refocusing on the sparring match. Right now, it was more important for Derrick to shed his arrogance and unlock his potential.

  At that moment, Lydia finally made up her mind and drew the sword she wore at her waist.

  Ryan immediately noticed it was a rare-grade sword. The fact that Lydia could wield such a weapon spoke volumes about her noble status.

  "Watch out!" Derrick assumed a stance and was about to charge, but Lydia's words made him slam on the brakes, nearly twisting his ankle.

  "You're not dressed yet!" Lydia's cheeks flushed red, and her gaze wavered.

  Since his breakthrough, Derrick's body had grown more muscular and toned. His bare chest was eye-catching, leaving Lydia feeling embarrassed.

  Derrick quickly grabbed a piece of clothing and fumbled to put it on, muttering to himself,"Got so caught up in the sparring, I forgot this…"

  "Here I am! I am Mentor's apprentice, Derrick!" Fully dressed, Derrick bowed with his fists clenched, a serious demeanor that left Charlie and the others dumbfounded.

  In the magical world, introductions usually included one's academy or family. Derrick stating only his name was highly unusual.

  "Do you have no academy to mention?" Charlie asked, curiosity in his tone.

  "Exactly!" Derrick nodded confidently. He still had no idea about Ryan's true background, only that Mentor seemed to operate independently of any academy.

  "Enough talk, let's start!" Derrick decided not to dwell on titles. Raising his sword, he charged at Lydia, eager to showcase his newly awakened Light Element swordsmanship.

  Lydia was equally determined. She leapt into the air with a light push off the ground, her sword brimming with sharp energy, colliding forcefully with Derrick's.

  The metallic clash echoed through the air. Derrick felt a tremendous force surge through his sword, his arm instantly going numb, and his weapon almost flew out of his hand.

  He barely managed to block the strike, but the impact pushed him back repeatedly, finally sending him crashing heavily onto the ground, chest tight with discomfort.

  "I give up!" After just one round, Derrick struggled to his feet and waved in surrender, his face full of defeat. He hadn't expected that he couldn't even withstand a single move from Lydia.

  Ryan's face darkened immediately. Surrender after only one round?

  He shouted at Lydia,"Don't stop! Hit him as hard as you can! Don't hold back!"

  Lydia gripped her sword, hesitating as she glanced at Derrick. The last strike had already caught him off guard. If she went all out, would she hurt him?

  "Don't hesitate! Listen to me!" Ryan shouted again."Give him ninety percent! Just don't hit his head. Everywhere else, go all out! Oh, and don't break his sword, you'll need it for the next rounds!"

  Hearing this, Lydia finally stopped hesitating. She knew Ryan was a high-level mage. If he said it was safe, then she could trust it.

  Taking a deep breath, she unleashed her energy completely. Her sword carved a slash of sword energy toward Derrick!

  Derrick scrambled, rolling to dodge, but the sword energy still grazed his chest. A streak of blood appeared instantly, the sting making him grit his teeth.

  "Mentor, you're setting me up!" he shouted at Ryan as he ran, his voice full of grievance.

  Lydia's attacks grew faster. Derrick could only dodge clumsily, sometimes trying to block, but each strike sent his arms tingling, and his wounds kept multiplying.

  Some injuries were from sword energy slashes, others from scraping the ground when he fell. Derrick looked down at his body, covered in cuts and bruises.