Shameless!

Li Qi and Ivanko had just left Zhaoguang Academy and were preparing to take a hovercar back to the Royce Family residence in Zhaoguang City.

Beep—!

A piercing sound rang out, accompanied by a slight vibration.

It was the communicator Li Qi had acquired after arriving in Zhaoguang City.

Raising his left hand to activate it, Li Qi looked relaxed. "Important news. Looks like the notification about my special admission to Zhaoguang Academy has arrived."

Ivanko stood beside the hovercar, watching the communicator on Li Qi's wrist.

A light screen popped up, displaying a large amount of Universal language text, with Zhaoguang Academy's seal at the end.

"Candidate Li Qi Royce, Third Chief Examiner Ian Tuert's application for your special admission to Zhaoguang Academy has been rejected by First Chief Examiner Marcel Holke. Please complete the Trial Tower assessment within Zhaoguang Academy today so your results may be recorded..."

After reading the new message, Li Qi froze. His application for special admission to Zhaoguang Academy had been rejected.

Mentor Ian didn't lie. He really did give me a spot for special admission to Zhaoguang Academy.

Li Qi felt grateful toward Ian. Unfortunately, it was rejected by someone from the Holk Family in the name of the First Chief Examiner!

"So it really was someone from the Holk Family."

Having read the message as well, Ivanko's expression changed only slightly. This outcome was actually within his expectations.

"Eleven, it's only your special admission to Zhaoguang Academy that was rejected. With your talent, as long as your Trial Tower assessment result isn't particularly poor, you'll definitely enter Zhaoguang Academy."

He consoled Li Qi briefly. "Come on. Let's go back and take the Trial Tower assessment."

Li Qi said nothing. He nodded and returned with him to the enrollment testing site they had visited earlier.

Marcel sent Li Qi a message, telling him to return to the academy for the Trial Tower assessment.

Then, he opened Li Qi's file, intending to see what was so special about this little brat from the Royce Family that Ian had been willing to fall out with him over it.

"An apprentice-level candidate killed a planetary-level monster? They actually dared to put such an absurd achievement in his records?"

As a member of a stellar family in Zhaoguang City, Marcel was all too familiar with the falsification of achievements. Quite a few families had done such things.

But no family had ever been this outrageous, daring to list an apprentice killing a planetary-level monster as an achievement. Wasn't that practically announcing to everyone, I faked my records!?

Skipping over the résumé, he continued downward and found Li Qi's test results.

It would have been fine if he had not looked, but the instant he did, he jumped to his feet and cried out, "Fourteen years old! A 23-fold psychic amplitude! How is that possible?!"

"How is that possible? Results like these make him a key observation target. Why didn't anyone notify me?"

Marcel slumped into his chair, staring at Li Qi's half-length photo on the light screen, panic creeping into his heart.

"I have to shift the responsibility elsewhere. The problem absolutely cannot fall on me. I'll contact the testing site right now and ask."

As a stellar-level powerhouse who had lived for over a century, Marcel quickly adjusted his mindset and prepared to find someone to take the blame.

Connecting to the testing site through his communicator, he sternly demanded, "Candidate Li Qi Royce is fourteen years old with a 23-fold psychic amplitude. He qualifies as a key observation target, so why didn't you notify me?"

The female examiner at the testing site panicked. She did not remember testing any candidate with such a high psychic amplitude.

After thinking carefully, she suddenly realized. Wasn't this a candidate tested by Chief Examiner Ian?

Seeing that it was not her responsibility, the female examiner relaxed considerably. "Chief Examiner Marcel, this candidate was personally tested by Chief Examiner Ian. He never passed through my hands."

"What? Ian personally tested him!"

Hearing that answer, Marcel was helpless. He had no way to shift the blame, because he was the one who had rejected Ian's application.

He shut off the communicator distractedly, then sank into thought for a while before considering how to deal with the situation.

At this point, I can no longer shift the blame elsewhere.

Marcel pondered carefully. With a 23-fold psychic amplitude, unless his movement technique is exceptionally poor, his Trial Tower results can't possibly be bad.

If his Trial Tower results are average, then even if the academy holds me accountable, I can brush it off by saying I misjudged him.

But if his Trial Tower results are excellent, then given the conflict between the Holk Family and the Royce Family, they'll definitely see it as me using public office for private revenge!

There isn't enough information in his file to determine the level of his movement technique. I can only find a way to disrupt his state of mind.

Whoosh!

Marcel stood up. For the sake of his future, he had to act personally!

What?

A stellar-level powerhouse targeting an apprentice-level brat? He had no shame at all!

What was shame?

Could it preserve his position as a mentor at Zhaoguang Academy?

No?

If it could not preserve his position as a mentor at Zhaoguang Academy, then what was the point of having any shame!

After that internal struggle, Marcel decided to cast shame aside!

When Li Qi and Ivanko returned to the waiting area of the testing grounds, some people who had not yet left saw them return and began whispering among themselves.

"Why have people from the Royce Family come back?"

"Didn't that little brat already pass the assessment?"

"They..."

Similar conversations continued one after another. Clearly, everyone was puzzled and curious about the two men's return.

At that moment, a well-dressed middle-aged man entered the waiting area. He was Marcel, who had rushed over after seeing Li Qi and Ivanko return through the surveillance footage.

"That is...?"

Seeing someone walk toward them, Ivanko frowned slightly after recognizing him.

Arriving before the two of them, Marcel ignored Ivanko and merely looked at Li Qi with a smile. "You're Candidate Li Qi Royce, correct?"

"That's me."

Seeing the man ask with a smile on his face, Li Qi answered politely.

Meanwhile, Ivanko asked coldly, "Chief Examiner Marcel Holke, when will the Trial Tower assessment begin?"

Hearing Third Dad Ivanko's question, Li Qi's expression chilled. So he's Marcel Holke of the Holk Family! The Chief Examiner who rejected my application for special admission to Zhaoguang Academy.

Now that the Royce Family and the Holk Family had torn off all pretense and entered into open hostility, Li Qi naturally had no reason to show a friendly face to an enemy.

"When will the assessment begin? I'll have to take a careful look."

Still smiling, Marcel opened his communicator and pretended to glance through it. Then he apologized without the slightest sincerity. "My apologies. Since you left midway through, you have been placed at the very end of the queue."

As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Li Qi, not even glancing at Ivanko beside him.

"This feeling..."

Under Marcel's gaze, Li Qi gradually felt an immense pressure, as though he had been targeted by an incomparably huge, starving beast!

Moreover, this beast had bared its fangs and was ready to attack. The slightest lapse in concentration on his part, and it would pounce on him and tear him apart!

The sensation made him extremely uncomfortable, placing enormous pressure on his mind!

"Since you've said so, Chief Examiner, then we'll wait."

Ivanko stepped forward and stood in front of Li Qi, blocking Marcel's gaze.

Once that dangerously oppressive gaze vanished, Li Qi immediately felt much more at ease, as though a heavy burden had been lifted from him.

"Since I was the one who asked you to return to the academy for the Trial Tower assessment, and now you have to wait until the very end, how about I wait with you?"

As he spoke, Marcel looked like a responsible mentor.

"As Chief Examiner, Mentor Marcel, you surely have important matters to attend to. There's no need to waste your time on us."

Ivanko refused directly, then turned to Li Qi. "Come on. Let's rest somewhere else."

With that, Ivanko prepared to leave with Li Qi.