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Seeing that the man was on the verge of suffocation, Dean Bruce casually waved his right hand, causing the stones to loosen just enough to allow him to gasp for breath, but not enough to free him.

Dean Bruce asked calmly, "Who sent you to assassinate me? Tell me the truth, and I\'ll make your end quick."

The man\'s eyelids twitched several times as he stammered in terror, "If I tell you, will you spare my life?"

Dean Bruce\'s eyes grew cold, and he replied softly, "Are you trying to negotiate with me?"

"No, no, no!" Feeling the icy killing intent and recalling the near-death agony he had just experienced, the man was terrified out of his wits. He quickly said, "I\'ll talk, I\'ll talk! It was Barnis George! He paid me fifty thousand gold coins and ten crystal cores to take you out!"

Hearing this, Dean Bruce couldn\'t help but show a look of surprise.

He never would have guessed that the mastermind was Barnis George!

His eyes narrowed in thought: [Something\'s not right. Barnis George worked with me for a year without any issues. He\'s probably not the mastermind and isn\'t connected to the Nine Provinces Alliance. Could it be that he\'s holding a grudge over what happened a few days ago?]

[Interesting. Very interesting! If that\'s the case, then he shouldn\'t blame me for what\'s coming!]

As his eyes turned cold, Dean Bruce didn\'t hesitate. With a flick of his right hand, the stones tightened once more, sealing the man in place, cutting off his air, and leaving him to gasp futilely.

Dean Bruce wasn\'t one to show mercy. Anyone who tried to kill him, regardless of their reasons, would find no leniency.

As for Barnis George, Dean Bruce wouldn\'t let him off either. He would bide his time, choosing the perfect moment to teach him the true meaning of despair.

It took less than a minute before the man\'s head slumped to the side, his breath completely gone.

After waiting another minute or two, Dean Bruce stepped forward and removed the man\'s mask, revealing the face of a middle-aged man with wide, lifeless eyes, his complexion pale as death, drained of all color.

Confirming that the man was truly dead, Dean Bruce dispelled his magic, letting the body slump onto the bridge as he calmly walked away.

Not long after, Alita Miller emerged from the shadows. She examined the corpse closely, her expression growing serious. "A grand mage who mastered at least two advanced spells, killed so easily… Dean\'s power is indeed unfathomable! To possess such strength and yet disguise it so well that I couldn\'t sense anything unusual…"

"Dean… is truly terrifying! Even working with him, one must tread with extreme caution!"

Clenching her fists, Alita Miller watched Dean Bruce\'s departing figure with a mixture of awe and apprehension.

The night passed without further incident.

The next day, Dean Bruce went to the teaching building with a calm demeanor, greeting his fellow mentors with friendly smiles.

"Did you hear? A prospective elder of the Magic Guild, Smock, was found dead yesterday! They say he was crushed to death by earth magic, his internal organs ruptured!"

"To use magic to crush someone\'s internal organs, and to overpower a prospective elder… could it have been a Magus-level mage?"

"Strange. Aren\'t mages of that caliber usually active in more prominent cities? In all of Notting City, even the City Lord might not possess such power!"

"Well, who knows? As long as we stay in the academy, we\'re under the Alliance\'s protection. Unless it\'s a deranged outlaw, no one would dare invade the academy."

The mentors discussed the death of the mage with curiosity, while Dean Bruce casually observed their reactions.

As expected, only Barnis George looked guilty, his eyelids twitching nervously. He avoided joining the conversation, swallowing hard and appearing extremely tense.

Noticing this, Dean Bruce walked over to Barnis George and suddenly slapped his shoulder. The unexpected force nearly caused Barnis to collapse, his legs buckling beneath him.

"Hey, Mentor Barnis, I just gave you a light tap, and you almost fell over? No need to bow so deeply to me," Dean Bruce said with a mocking tone. "I heard that mage died from suffocation after his organs were crushed. It must have been excruciating. I wonder who he could have crossed?"

Inside the academy, Dean Bruce couldn\'t openly confront Barnis George, so he opted to mock him instead, sowing fear and weakening his resolve.

By keeping Barnis George in a state of terror, Dean Bruce aimed to provoke him into making a mistake, creating the perfect opportunity to take him down.

"I...," Barnis George stammered, his body trembling as he struggled to suppress his fear. He quickly waved his hands and said, "I don\'t know! I\'m not interested in matters outside the academy!"

"You\'re not interested in outside matters?" another mentor suddenly interjected with a laugh. "I remember you were always the one bringing us the latest news from outside. What changed? But seriously, I\'m really curious—what level of mage could cause such a gruesome death for a prospective elder?"

"It definitely wasn\'t someone from Notting City. In my opinion, we should all be extra cautious in the coming days."

With the conversation shifting, Dean Bruce decided not to continue tormenting Barnis George for the moment and instead turned to chat energetically with the other mentors.

Dean Bruce wasn\'t interested in being merciful; rather, he wanted to prolong Barnis George\'s suffering.

As expected, Barnis George didn\'t relax just because Dean Bruce wasn\'t focusing on him anymore. On the contrary, his anxiety grew even worse as he kept wondering if Dean Bruce knew the truth about everything.

He even began to fantasize that Smock might not have died during the attempt on Dean Bruce\'s life but was instead killed by some passing powerhouse.

Barnis George\'s mind became entirely preoccupied with Dean Bruce. Even when Dean Bruce casually scratched his head, Barnis would panic, worrying that an attack might suddenly come his way. Sweat poured down his face, which the other mentors noticed. They assumed he was ill and urged him to go rest.

But Barnis George didn\'t dare leave. He could only force a smile and remain seated, still fully focused on observing Dean Bruce.

Fortunately for Barnis, Dean Bruce was preoccupied with other matters and only intended to frighten him for now, so he didn\'t openly display any murderous intent.

The death of a prospective elder had caused such a stir that all of Notting City was on high alert. Even Nicholas William rarely came to the academy, which left Dean Bruce somewhat disappointed.

He had been waiting for Nicholas William to master new spells and increase his own strength!

However, as the Young Lord, Nicholas William found it difficult to find time for magic training under the city\'s heightened security. So Dean Bruce spent his days visiting Joan Michelle\'s home, reading books, and personally teaching the two sisters magic.

Fortunately, Joan Michelle did not disappoint. Before she left to take her final assessment, she successfully mastered the "Blood for Blood" spell.

On the other hand, Lucy Michelle still hadn\'t grasped the spell. Dean Bruce understood, though; the script from the East was indeed more obscure and profound, making it harder to comprehend.

In any case, with the rewards Joan Michelle had promised him and the spells and scrolls he had already mastered, Dean Bruce felt well-prepared to handle any unexpected situations.

Unless a top-tier mage were to visit this remote town, which is highly unlikely!

This was also Dean Bruce\'s impression during his time in Notting City—he could practically do as he pleased. Even Principal André or City Lord Billis might not be able to break through his "Compassion of Heaven and Earth" spell!

Ding!

"System Notification: Congratulations, Host, for successfully teaching Joan Michelle to comprehend the high-level spell \'Blood for Blood!\' The Host has been rewarded with tenfold comprehension and power of \'Blood for Blood!\' You have also earned 60 Supreme Mage points!"

"System Notification: \'Blood for Blood\' has been classified as a Tier 6 spell. The Host has earned an additional 60 Supreme Mage points!"

After absorbing and digesting the tenfold comprehension and power of "Blood for Blood," Dean Bruce couldn\'t help but smile.

Joan Michelle\'s understanding was impressive; she didn\'t just master the skill for simple reflection and retaliation. She also incorporated the ability to weaken her opponent\'s attacks and even to immunize and reflect special effects!

Unfortunately, despite these enhancements, the skill was still classified as a standard Tier 6 spell, and there were no extra rewards, leaving Dean Bruce slightly disappointed.

It was clear that there was a difference in talent between Joan Michelle and Nicholas William.

The only pleasant surprise was that his Supreme Mage points had reached the threshold for unlocking a new feature.

Ding!

"System Notification: Congratulations, Host! Your Supreme Mage points have reached 560. You may choose to permanently consume 500 Supreme Mage points to unlock a new feature: Lottery. Would you like to proceed?"

"Yes!"

Dean Bruce was already familiar with the concept of a lottery system—after all, he had played too many similar games in his previous life, many of which involved gacha mechanics. These systems often required not just money but also a great deal of luck to obtain the desired items.

Though the system might seem like a gamble, the potential benefits were substantial. Anything drawn from the prize pool would have significant effects.

Ding!

"System Notification: Congratulations, Host, on successfully unlocking the Lottery feature. You are eligible for a 90% discount on your first draw. Would you like to proceed?"

"???"