Abigail Nightwind

"Enough Donovan! Your noble background doesn't make you superior to us. We're all here in the academy to become mages, you have no right to look down on us or undermine our efforts!" Ren said with determination in his eyes, retorting Donovan.

Having returned to the past, he is determined not to tolerate injustice in his presence. 

If he let bullying occur once more, then what was the point of his regression? How could he confidently believe that he could stop the apocalypse if he could not even prevent some spoiled brats from tormenting him and the others?

Furthermore, there was another reason he stood out and defied Donovan's reign of terror on the class. 

Despite his current inferior mana core, armed with extensive knowledge from his previous life, he believed that it is possible to evolve his core to its full potential!

And in order to achieve this, he required a vast amount of resources.

Thus, he intends to apply for admission to the Empire's Royal Academy, where geniuses and the best resources from various regions of the Empire come together! Only by attending the best academy in the continent could his full potential be unlocked. 

There was another personal reason as well. He would most likely meet her at the Royal Academy.

"Huh? Have you gone insane, weed boy? Are you even aware that you are talking back to a noble? Tsk, I should have known better that lowborns like you are incapable of critical thinking. But, don't you worry, I will teach you an unforgettable lesson after the class ends!"

Donovan Acker was fuming. He hadn't anticipated that the typically timid and frail-seeming Ren would challenge his authority. 

In his view, a noble's dignity should be upheld and respected. 

Ren smiled faintly as he observed the juvenile threats coming from Donovan. He shook his head, finding it hard to believe that he had once been so fearful of Donovan in the past.

"Oh my! I'm quaking in my boots! Are you not going to do anything Miss Nightwing? I'm being threatened right now." Ren remarked sarcastically, facing Donovan while casting a sidelong glance at the tall, slender figure positioned at the front of the class with an ulterior agenda.

If he recalled correctly, the teacher's name was Abigail Nightwing from the notorious Nightwing family.

If he wanted to enter the Royal Academy, getting recommendation from Abigail Nightwing would be his key to admission. 

As a noble from that household, it would be a piece of cake for her. However, getting her to recommend him was the difficult part.

"Enough. Cease your bickering in my class. I won't tolerate any more disruptions." The silver-haired woman in her twenties finally spoke, immediately captivating the class with her otherworldly beauty. 

Frankly, she did not want to get herself involved in a squabble between a noble and a lowborn. Watching kids squabble was a futile use of her time.

The class of thirty instantly turned quiet under her orders as if under a spell. Miss Nightwing faintly smiled as her violet eyes reverted to their usual state. 

Just as she thought that class could finally resume, a voice resounded in the classroom, surprising her.

"You casted enchanting gaze, right? Unless I'm mistaken, your magic core should be above Rank A, since it allows you to cast demonic magic which is a subset of Dark magic, am I correct?"

Abigail Nightwing knitted her eyebrows as she scrutinized Ren with intensity. She hadn't anticipated a student to correctly identify the magic she casted, and to add to that, it appeared that her spell had no sway over him.

In an instant, her interest peaked. 

Amidst the students' watchful eyes, she approached Ren with graceful strides, her high heels producing a series of metallic clicks with each step. 

Then, as she approached Ren and came just a few steps away, Abigail came to an abrupt stop. 

Her eyes widened at the sight of blood seeping from Ren's left palm with a pencil lodged within. 

It was inconceivable to her that the seemingly unremarkable orphan in her class would resort to self-harm just to negate the effects of her spell.

"What are you aiming for?"

Abigail Nightwing lifted her pretty eyebrows. 

The feeble-looking orphan in her class was behaving weirdly. 

Not only did he accurately identify her magic core by recognizing the enchanting gaze she cast, but he even possessed the knowledge on how to neutralize the spell's effects as well.

Yet, there was no justification for him to go to such lengths as impaling a pen into his own palm. 

Unless… He wanted to impress her. 

'All men are the same.' She thought. Then, just as she predicted, Ren revealed his intention.

"Miss Nightwing, can you accept me as your disciple?" Ren asked with a smile. Unfortunately, his request was flatly refused, leaving his smile frozen midway.

"No."

There was no hesitation in Abigail Nightwing's answer. However, Ren had already expected that.

"Miss Nightwing, do you think it's possible for magic cores to undergo evolution and be improved?"

"..."

"No, it's not possible. History dictates that one's magic is set at the moment of awakening. No matter how much effort you exert, the evolution of your magic core into another type is impossible. Regarding your request to become my disciple, you can dismiss that idea. Reality can be harsh, and you should know it is the end of the road for you the moment you awaken a Rank G magic core." 

Abigail Nightwind shook her head and scoffed at Ren's ridiculous idea. The journey of a mage is arduous, and she saw herself as performing a good deed by quashing Ren's aspirations.

"Oh is that so? What proof do you have on this statement? May I ask why Miss Nightwind is so certain? Just because you cannot achieve it doesn't necessarily mean it's impossible." Ren said in a nonchalant tone.

As the person who discovered and pioneered the evolution paths for magic cores, Ren possessed the authority to make such a statement.