Shirley sat on Thora's other side with a lollipop in her mouth. She leaned her head against Thora's shoulder, almost asleep. They were taking a long break this time, saving their strength for the second round. No one knew what was coming next, but it was obvious it would drain their stamina all over again. Ryan sat not far away, his face full of conflict. He wanted to talk to Thora, but he had no idea how to start. For someone who was always decisive and ruthless in battle, this kind of hesitation was new. Pride or idol worship—which mattered more? It was a real struggle. Nearby, Mona Campbell, the daughter of a werewolf Count, had also noticed Thora's group. Those sharp-looking young people were hard to miss. None of them were bulky muscleheads or plain-looking. They all carried a natural edge. Thora stood out the most. Sitting with one knee bent, she looked so cool that Mona couldn't look away. But when she noticed the two women beside Thora, her expression darkened. She motioned one of her bodyguards over and whispered something to him. Meanwhile, Thora and the others finished resting and stood up, ready to head toward the second-round site. They had barely risen when a tall man walked straight toward them. Harvey and Ashton exchanged a look and immediately locked onto him warily. The man ignored them and looked only at Thora, speaking arrogantly, "Number 230, Ms. Campbell says she can get you into the academy." Thora raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue."The condition is that you follow her." The man sneered as he scanned Thora from head to toe. "Ms. Campbell is a Count's descendant from the Celerion Empire. People line up just to serve her, and she doesn't even look at them. This is a huge favor for you." His voice dripped with contempt. Ashton and the others glanced at each other, then burst out laughing. They just couldn't help it. It was the first time anyone had tried to treat their boss like easy prey—offering a military academy spot in exchange for being someone's kept man! The man was completely baffled and snapped, "Hey! Did you hear what I just said?!" Before he could react, he cried out, clutching his stomach and doubling over, instantly losing the ability to fight back. Tristan pulled his fist back and said coldly, "If you don't know manners, I can teach you."One punch was all it took to drop a big man overflowing with wolf power. Tristan's strength was instantly exposed. Some people looked envious, but more were wary. Someone that strong was bound to be a major obstacle on their way into the academy. Ashton snorted. Good thing Tristan had struck. If it had been Harvey with his transformed arms, that guy would already be dead. Thora shot Tristan a look. He cracked his knuckles, then moved back to stand beside her. She ignored the man on the ground and led the group forward. Then Shirley suddenly halted and stepped out of line. "Shirley?" Ashton called out. Thora and the rest stopped as well. Ashley crossed her arms, clearly ready to enjoy the show. Shirley walked straight toward Mona. Mona had seen it all. Her plan to recruit failed, her lackey got beaten, and it all played out in front of everyone. It was humiliating. If it weren't for her status, she would've rushed over and taught that rude punk a lesson herself. Seeing a petite girl walk up, Mona lifted her chin higher, prepared to embarrass her back. Especially since that girl looked sweet and harmless—the kind men liked—which only made Mona angrier. Shirley stopped in front of Mona and looked up. Mona was just about to talk when her vision went fuzzy. Before she could react, Shirley's small hand snapped across her face.