Provocation? Knocked out on the spot!

"This is Mr. Skuton, your future tutor, assuming you manage to get into Tingen University."

The lady, having finally concluded the previous topic, gestured toward the man who had just entered and smiled.

Lynch immediately turned his head to look.

He was a male tutor with a handlebar mustache; he looked good-tempered, his tone was sufficiently gentle, and he possessed a certain worldly sophistication. It was clear that the principal had not let prejudice influence her choice in finding a tutor for Lynch.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Skuton. I hope we will have a pleasant rapport moving forward."

Lynch quickly took the initiative to shake the man's hand.

Glancing at the principal, who still seemed eager to continue their discussion, he immediately took Mr. Skuton and bid the principal farewell.

He would discuss things with that lady again once he had thought of better arguments; for now, he just wanted to study in peace.

"When I arrived, I heard Stephanie actually joking with you. That's incredible! Our faculty has always assumed she didn't know how to smile! You aren't a junior of hers, are you?"

Tutor Skuton looked at Lynch with curiosity.

Lynch immediately waved his hands.

He had no relationship with that lady whatsoever; in fact, he only knew her name was Stephanie because he had heard it from Tutor Skuton.

"She was just discussing a problem with me."

Lynch offered an explanation, but Tutor Skuton just winked at him.

"Right, no relationship at all, just discussing a problem. She's the one who told you not to let it slip, right? Don't worry, I'll definitely keep it a secret!"

Lynch stared at him, dumbfounded.

"I really have no relationship with her!"

"I believe you!"

Tutor Skuton told Lynch with absolute certainty that he believed him, then turned to ask for Lynch's address. He explained that there were quite a few things Lynch would need, and since there wasn't enough time today, he would go back to organize them and mail them to Lynch once he was done.

The tutor also enthusiastically told Lynch that he had a few friends who gathered regularly. If Lynch had time, he could come to the university on Friday evenings to find him, and he would take Lynch to meet those faculty members.

Skuton hinted to Lynch that these faculty members were currently discussing the content for this year's Tingen University entrance exam.

Lynch's expression was one of shock.

Wait, does a university like this actually have shortcuts?

And is he that kind of person?

Is he the type to take shortcuts?

Well, he is!

Lynch immediately stopped explaining his relationship with Ms. Stephanie. He began to hint to Tutor Skuton that he would put in a good word for him with the principal. He wasn't sure how effective it would be, but he would certainly mention it the next time he saw Stephanie!

Tutor Skuton's jaw dropped at these words, and he even took Lynch to the university cafeteria for a meal, under the guise of helping him get familiar with the environment.

By the time Lynch finally returned to Daffodil Street, feeling quite satisfied, it was already one-thirty in the afternoon.

Upon returning to his room, he first greeted Klein, making sure to show his face clearly to the other man and explaining his current situation. Klein listened with a face full of envy.

The original Klein had graduated from Hoi University, located across from Tingen University, and yet here was Lynch, only one step away from entering Tingen University itself!

However, Klein quickly let go of his jealousy.

He still had his golden finger.

He still had his Tarot Club above the gray fog!

That was something Lynch certainly couldn't compare to.

Feeling satisfied, Klein was very generous when Lynch asked for his lunch money for the day.

Klein paid for Lynch's meals at a rate of one pound per week, which included lunch.

Since Lynch hadn't eaten his lunch, he naturally had to be reimbursed.

Holding one Sule and five pence, Lynch returned to his room in high spirits.

It must be said, ever since moving to Daffodil Street, he felt he had more energy when eating; perhaps this was the boost the environment provided him.

Lynch lay down in his room and took out two books.

These were the two books Tutor Skuton had recommended he read first over the next two days.

Tingen University, like other universities, followed a policy of easy entry and strict graduation.

But this "easy" entry was still quite difficult compared to other students; for instance, the textbooks for the exams changed every year, the question types were frequently overhauled, and the focus of the assessments shifted.

As for this year, Tutor Skuton told him these two books were of the utmost importance.

As for the other study materials, he would lend them to Lynch once he had mastered these two.

Lynch opened the book and noticed that some parts had been highlighted with emphasis. Clearly, this was the effort Tutor Skuton was putting into his own promotion.

Lynch shook his head with a wry smile and began to read carefully from the first page.

The more he read, the more his head ached.

Ever since he graduated, he had rarely read physical books; he could barely bring himself to do it.

However, he still tried his best to keep his eyes on the books; as long as he didn't let his mind wander, he would surely be able to understand them eventually.

Moreover, this era had no mobile phones to disturb his thoughts, and he had no other entertainment besides reading. He didn't even smoke, so he didn't even know what else he could do.

He didn't know if it was because Instructor Skuton was being considerate of his educational background, but Lynch discovered that one of the books here was very basic, while the other increased in difficulty based on those foundations.

This was truly thoughtful.

However, there were still some things he didn't understand, so he took out his notebook and began to write down what he didn't grasp, preparing to go find Instructor Skuton on Friday evening to ask. Of course, he could also write a letter, but things written on paper were clearly not as clear as asking in person.

As Lynch read and took notes, he didn't know how much time had passed when suddenly, the Stone of Myriad Phenomena began to twitch.

He checked the time; it was exactly three o'clock in the afternoon.

The Tarot Club had already begun.

With his permission, the Stone of Myriad Phenomena began to absorb energy frantically.

This time was different from the first.

The first time, the Stone of Myriad Phenomena had only absorbed for a minute or two before Sefirah Castle noticed.

But this time, it actually allowed him to absorb for a full five minutes before Sefirah Castle reacted.

A force struck out toward the Stone of Myriad Phenomena, and just as Lynch began to worry, he felt that force vanish.

Good grief, this Stone of Myriad Phenomena could even devour the power of an attack!

Sefirah Castle seemed not to have realized it yet, as it continuously sent power to attack the Stone of Myriad Phenomena, all of which the stone absorbed completely.

Only then did Lynch realize that the Stone of Myriad Phenomena seemed to understand a bit of The Art of War.

Every time Sefirah Castle attacked, the Stone of Myriad Phenomena would stop actively absorbing energy, pretending to be repelled, and then when it absorbed energy from Sefirah Castle again, it would weaken slightly, waiting for Sefirah Castle to serve it another meal.

Lynch was almost amused to the point of laughing.

This little thing was truly impressive in this regard; it had his style.

However, this method didn't keep Sefirah Castle going for long. About thirteen minutes later, Lynch heard the sound of Klein in pain, and then the Stone of Myriad Phenomena stopped moving.

Clearly, Sefirah Castle had closed the entrance and kicked Klein off from above.

"Next time, be slower and more careful. Slow and steady wins the race; don't act like you've never seen energy before, it's embarrassing!"

Lynch grinned and lectured the Stone of Myriad Phenomena with his thoughts, then widened his eyes and beamed at the energy that had been absorbed.