Power is Granted by the People, and Granting is Supreme

As Steampunk completed his certification, this rune competition, which should have been full of suspense, came to an end in an absurd yet indisputable way.

Although Steampunk announced that second and third place would also receive consolation prizes like mana potions, at this moment, whether it was the contestants inside the arena or the spectators outside, no one had any interest left.

Human memory mechanisms are cruel and snobbish.

People only remember the champion standing at the top; as for who came in second?

That's just the first line on the list of losers.

At this moment, the shinbone gripped in Tylen's hand was still tirelessly looping the demonic melody of "Two Tigers."

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Dudu dudu... Dudu dudu...

This comical background sound, paired with the dejected expressions of the Blazing Sun Wizard Tower crowd, created a farcical feeling.

After a brief silence, thunderous applause and heated discussion erupted from the onlooking crowd.

This kind of reversal was exactly the spectacle the spectators loved most.

"I told you! The Cain Wizard Tower, after all, is an old power passed down for centuries, with deep foundations. How could it really have declined as completely as the rumors said?"

"Indeed, it seems the teaching quality inside this wizard tower hasn't slipped; they're just usually too low-key."

Among the crowd, some naturally suspicious people raised objections:

"Hey, are you so sure this guy is really a bottom-tier corpse-collecting apprentice? What if some senior apprentice disguised himself as a newbie to crush the competition?"

As soon as these words were spoken, they were immediately refuted by those around:

"Fake my ass! Are you blind?"

"This kid has been pushing that broken cart out to collect corpses almost every day for the past six months, rain or shine."

"I've seen him get bullied a few times. That shabby aura and the stench of corpses on him—can that be faked?"

"Exactly, what senior apprentice would be idle enough to do such dirty work, like dredging a sewer?"

Listening to the fierce discussions around him, the shadow of decline that had hung over the Cain Wizard Tower began to show a glimmer of light.

Locke, standing beside Tylen, keenly caught the shift in the atmosphere.

He seized the opportunity, stepped forward, and warmly draped his arm around Tylen's shoulder, as if they were old friends who had known each other for years.

"Well done, Magnus!"

Locke praised loudly, then lifted his chin and looked down at the ashen-faced Joyce and Virgil across from him with a condescending gaze:

"By the way, you guys aren't so great either, are you?"

"Is this what the Blazing Sun Wizard Tower calls 'first-year elites'? Is this your vaunted 'genius'?"

Locke sneered, lightly tapping the bone in Tylen's hand:

"Even the lowest corpse-collecting apprentice in our tower outperforms you. If I were you, I'd crawl into a sewer by now, too ashamed to breathe the same air."

These words were devastatingly effective and deeply insulting.

Joyce's face, already flushed with anger, now turned red like a congested pig's liver, clearly on the verge of breaking down.

However, Virgil beside her was calmer and more sinister.

He grabbed Joyce, who was about to rush forward to argue, stepped ahead, and fixed his gaze on Locke like a venomous snake, sneering:

"Sara, you still have the nerve to talk about us?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you yourself were just scared stiff by this so-called 'bottom-tier apprentice,' weren't you?"

Virgil pointed at the half-carved skull in Locke's hand, taunting:

"Aren't you also outdone by him?"

"The reason we slipped up today is that we weren't prepared and didn't know you had such a figure hidden away."

"But you? As classmates in the same year, you didn't even know your own side's true strength, and you still dare to mock us?"

This counterattack was extremely sharp, hitting Locke right in his weak spot.

Locke's mind went blank.

In his excitement and eagerness to taunt his opponents, he had indeed forgotten this point.

This ignorance precisely proved that there was no deep bond between him and Tylen.

Just as Locke was momentarily speechless and the atmosphere grew awkward, Tylen's calm voice rang out.

"Virgil, you don't know the nature of our private relationship, so why speak such malicious words to sow discord?"

Tylen turned slightly, tucking the still-playing bone into his chest, composed and serene.

He looked at Virgil and said in a sincere tone:

"An apprentice corpse-handler like me, usually can't even afford a full meal—where would I get the money to buy expensive rune textbooks? Where would I have the chance to access profound rune knowledge?"

"The reason I was able to learn Runic Studies, even reaching today's level, is all thanks to the private support and guidance from classmate Sara and classmate Hoffman."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall erupted in uproar.

Even Locke was stunned, staring wide-eyed at Tylen.

I supported you? Since when?

But Tylen gave him no time to think, continuing in a tone dripping with gratitude:

"The reason they didn't perform well today is simply because they hadn't done the relevant bone practice."

"And I—I was just lucky."

"Because I deal with corpses every day, and when I have nothing to do, I practice on dead bones, that's how I picked up this little skill."

With that, Tylen turned, his gaze passing over Locke and landing on Kathy, who had been hiding in the back, wishing she could shrink into a crack in the floor.

"Classmate Hoffman, don't be shy."

Tylen's voice became exceptionally gentle, as if encouraging a child too afraid to step up and accept an award:

"If it weren't for the notebook you lent me before, if it weren't for your demonstration of magical resonance, I wouldn't have thought of using bone cavities to produce sound today."

Kathy jerked her head up, her large glasses framing eyes full of shock, confusion, and hesitation.

She opened her mouth, about to deny it.

Notebook? What notebook? When did I lend you a notebook?

But Tylen gave her no chance to speak, stepping forward with a smile:

"Teacher, don't be shy."

"This lucky victory of mine today isn't just my victory."

"It's the victory of the three of us—the victory of the entire Cain Wizard Tower's mutual-aid education system!"

"Right?"

Tylen's deep black eyes locked tightly onto Kathy.

There was no coercion in that gaze, only a reassuring calmness and... a hint.

Kathy's fingers nervously twisted the hem of her clothes.

She looked at the gazes around her—no longer the usual contempt and mockery, but filled with admiration, curiosity, and approval.

This feeling of being recognized, for someone long subjected to denial and bullying, was like a traveler in the desert spotting a clear spring.

As if possessed, she timidly shuffled forward a small step, stammering:

"Yes... that's... right."

Given Kathy's awkward, shy demeanor at that moment, no one present doubted it; instead, they believed it even more firmly.

Because in the common stereotype, true technical geniuses were often introverted, poor at speaking, and reluctant to show off.

Her reluctance to be in the spotlight and her instinct to deflect credit perfectly masked her inner shock and confusion.

While everyone's attention was fixed on Kathy, Locke finally snapped back to reality.

He gave Tylen a deep look, a flicker of something unusual in his eyes.

This kid... he really knows how to handle things, Locke thought to himself.

In the understanding of their noble circles, if someone had a chance to shine in the spotlight and make a name for themselves, they'd grab all the credit and shove their teammates aside to enjoy the glory alone.

But this Magnus had voluntarily shared the credit and glory with himself and Hoffman.

Since the other party had already laid down the steps, even rolled out the red carpet, it would be foolish not to walk on them.

So Locke let out a loud laugh, slapped Tylen hard on the back, and boomed:

"Haha! Magnus is right!"

"This isn't just the victory of the three of us—it's the victory of the entire Cain Wizard Tower!"

"Virgil, what do you have to say now? This is the unity of Cain Tower!"

Watching the three of them stand in "unison," Virgil and Joyce gritted their teeth but couldn't find words.

The surrounding crowd burst into another round of enthusiastic applause.

Amid the clamor of praise, Tylen quietly stepped back half a pace, hiding half his body in the shadow behind Locke and Kathy.

"The Classic of Power says: 'Assess first, act second.'"

"'Power is granted by others; granting is the greater matter.'"

Tylen silently recited the creed he had followed in his past life.

Before doing anything, understand: credit is secondary; first, know what your superior wants.

Power and resources are granted by people, so you must always be accountable to those who grant you power.

Even if one rendered great merits, if they did not meet their superior's expectations, they would not receive their superior's approval or trust.

And if your superior is dissatisfied with you, you naturally won't obtain the power they grant.

Tylen understood his core objective clearly: to fulfill Makley's expectations and demands.

Makley's most central demand was to prove that he could steadily cultivate outstanding students and bring glory to the Wizard Tower.

At the same time, he hoped to use this opportunity to befriend these talents from the noble circles, making it easier to secure his own promotion in the future.

And both Kathy and Locke were Makley's students—the more people shone, the more honor it brought to Makley, and the more it showed that the Cain Wizard Tower had not declined.

Listening to the passersby's positive remarks about the Cain Wizard Tower, watching Kathy and Locke basking in the crowd's praise and acclaim...

Tylen wore a smile. He had already accomplished everything.