Hostility: 20%

Magicians accept apprentices, should they be considered apprentices?

"This is..." Looking at the ring in his hand, Samir was a little confused.

"[The Ring of Premonition] can enhance your sixth sense, allowing you to foresee danger in advance," Ryuji waved his hand dismissively. "It's just a small magical trinket I made casually. A minor toy. Take it."

It really wasn't much—a simple item costing just 10 talent points.

As a person with traditional values, Ryuji believed it necessary to give some sort of "gift" to acknowledge the occasion.

"Thank you, boss."

"Don't call me 'boss' with that tone. Just say it naturally."

"Yes, boss... but... how do I wear this?" Samir looked a little embarrassed. The ring was far too small to fit any of his fingers.

"Drip your blood on it—any finger will work."

The ring was sized for Ryuji, and Samir's fingers were noticeably thicker.

"Oh."

Samir bit his fingertip hard, letting a drop of blood fall onto the ring. The blood was immediately absorbed into the metal, disappearing without a trace. Samir's eyes widened in shock. When he tried to put the ring on again, it magically resized itself to fit his finger perfectly.

The moment he wore it, Samir shuddered as if an electric current passed through his entire body.

Charlie, ever curious, tossed a small stone at him, and Samir instinctively ducked 0.5 seconds before the stone would have hit him. It whizzed past his nose.

"This is... amazing!"

Samir was awestruck. He couldn't explain how he knew danger was coming, but his body had moved on its own.

---

Everyone watching was stunned, especially Charlie, who had deliberately thrown the stone. From his angle, there was no way Samir could have seen him.

Diana, however, remained composed. Paradise Island had plenty of magical items that enhanced perception, so this wasn't unheard of. She was more curious about how the ring had suddenly appeared in Ryuji's hand earlier.

Charlie darted over, pointing at himself with a hopeful grin. "Boss, what about me? Can I follow you too?"

Ryuji smirked. "Your aptitude is terrible."

"Huh?" Charlie's face fell, and he slumped back to his seat. He wanted to argue, but he had seen Ryuji's power firsthand. Picking a fight was a death sentence.

Ryuji's Eye of Truth revealed the hard truth.

"Magic Aptitude: E. Loyalty: 10%."

An "E" rank meant Charlie's magical potential was abysmal—barely scraping the bottom.

By contrast, Samir's stats were much more promising.

"Magic Aptitude: B. Loyalty: 65%."

The five-point increase in loyalty from receiving the ring was a pleasant surprise. A B-ranked aptitude was decent; with some luck, Samir might even reach the threshold of Legend. Without it, he'd likely remain stuck at the Hero Peak rank.

Ryuji thought for a moment. The system's earlier explanation came to mind: while followers could never surpass him in rank, they could achieve one rank lower with sufficient effort.

---

Ryuji scanned the rest of the group. The chief, always curious, asked, "What about me?"

Ryuji smiled faintly and shook his head.

"Magic Aptitude: F. Loyalty: 20%."

Even worse than Charlie. The chief had no potential whatsoever.

Turning to Steve, Ryuji noticed something intriguing.

"I'm not very interested in magic," Steve said nonchalantly.

A blatant lie. Steve's expression betrayed his interest, but he knew Ryuji wouldn't choose him, so he feigned disinterest.

"Too bad," Ryuji said with a smirk. "Your aptitude is actually quite good—Magic Aptitude: B. But... you're carrying around 20% hostility toward me?"

---

The team immediately turned their attention to Steve, their curiosity piqued.

Logan, who had been chewing on a leg of lamb, narrowed his eyes at the revelation.

Ryuji could guess the reason behind the hostility—it stemmed from jealousy. Steve clearly resented Ryuji's growing bond with Diana. While nothing had happened yet, the tension was unmistakable.

Steve stammered, "What? Hostility? 20%? Where are you even getting these numbers from?"

Ryuji tapped his temple, and a faint purple glow emerged from his right eye. "This is the magic Eye of Truth. It sees through all illusions, including emotions."

Steve flushed with embarrassment. He avoided eye contact, his posture stiff.

Diana frowned slightly, sensing the awkwardness in the air.

"Relax," Ryuji said with a chuckle. "20% hostility is just mild jealousy. But be warned—if it reaches 50%, that's a real problem. At that point, I'd have no choice but to deal with you... permanently."

---

Steve swallowed hard and waved his hands defensively. "It's not like that! I—uh—I'm going to bed!" He spun around clumsily and nearly tripped over himself as he fled.

Diana watched him go, her expression unreadable.

Logan muttered, "Idiot," before turning back to his meal.

Doutzen Carlos, however, was visibly disappointed. Her fingers had hovered over her sword hilt, clearly ready to strike if Steve had given her an excuse.

---

Samir approached Ryuji hesitantly. "Boss, what about my aptitude?"

"The same as Steve's," Ryuji replied casually.

"B?!" Samir's face lit up, though he quickly grew confused. "Wait... what does that mean, exactly?"

"S is the highest, F is the lowest. B is third place."

"Wow! That's not bad at all!" Samir grinned from ear to ear.

After a moment, his expression grew serious. "Boss... don't take Steve's attitude to heart. He's not a bad guy. I'll talk to him, okay?"

"Go ahead."

---

As Samir hurried off, Ryuji turned to Logan.

"Where's Victor?"

Logan shrugged. "Probably off brooding somewhere. You know how he is."

"Figures."

###

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