What? Not only the three instructors, but even Valen froze for a moment. "Then why did you take this exam?" one of the Command Institute instructors demanded, irritation sharp in his voice. Thora glanced back at the training chamber and answered with complete sincerity, "I was bored." The instructors fell silent. Her expression turned serious as she faced them again. "If there's nothing else, I'll go register with the Combat Institute." She gave a crisp, regulation military salute, then seemed to recall something and added, "This command system is quite interesting. It could be developed into a standalone game for students to use in daily training." With that, Thora turned and walked away without hesitation.The two Command Institute instructors' faces darkened instantly. She just ... left? They had let a genius like this walk away? If the dean found out, he would skin them alive. And she had called the system interesting. Had she really treated this high difficulty entrance exam like a game? The instructor responsible for departmental assignments, on the other hand, looked thoroughly amused. "Since Thora has no intention of transferring, she remains a freshman of the Combat Institute. Gentlemen, Mr. Mercer, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." Suppressing a grin, he strode off. He needed to warn the Combat Institute dean immediately to prepare for the Command Institute's inevitable poaching attempts. In the Command Institute dean's office, Dean Roth Angus' expression changed abruptly. He immediately called the two instructors.After hearing what had happened, he exploded, "What were you two thinking? She was about to leave and you didn't even try to stop her?" Such an exceptional talent, just gone like that. Why would she refuse the Command Institute? Did she look down on the academy's most prestigious program? Infuriating. On the other end of the call, the two instructors dared not lift their heads, silently enduring the dean's fury. Valen's mood was no better. Thora had nearly given him a heart attack. He had gone to great lengths persuading her to challenge the Command Institute exam. She had passed with a perfect score, only to refuse enrollment afterward. Had she taken the exam just to prove her ability? ... After leaving the exam site, Thora followed the academy map from memory and headed toward the Combat Institute. She had originally intended to enter the Command Institute, but once she received the Combat Institute assignment, she changed her mind. When she had skimmed through the academy's departmental information the day before, she vaguely recalled that Combat Institute students generally possessed high overall combat strength but lacked standout specialties. It was notoriously difficult to manage and chaotic, and each year the lowest ranked freshmen were often assigned there. Although its students frequently ranked at the bottom in exams, people from other institutes rarely provoked them. It was somewhat like Class F at Astralis College, yet fundamentally different. Everyone there was far from ordinary. Even as the lowest ranked institute within the academy, its students would be considered formidable anywhere else.Thora chose to stay in the Combat Institute because she wanted to further unlock her body's potential and strengthen her wolf power and abilities. She knew there was still vast untapped potential in this body. Since Valen was aware of the existence of ability users, the academy's upper echelon surely knew as well. There were likely many ability users within the academy, possibly even some whose ability levels surpassed her own. For her, the Combat Institute was currently the best choice. It allowed her to hone her combat strength openly while pushing her limits through real confrontation, drawing out and reinforcing her abilities. Put more plainly, it was the most convenient place for her to fight.