"Mr. Angus, I'd like to apply to transfer to the Command Institute." Roth was stunned, then overjoyed, almost thinking he'd heard wrong. "Really?!" Thora nodded. "I'll be reporting to the Command Institute as a freshman tomorrow." With her current ranking, she had the right to switch institutes freely. She was only informing Roth out of courtesy. After speaking, she saluted both men again and turned to leave, leaving behind two very different reactions. William stood there in a daze for a long moment. His student had just walked off like that. Roth, on the other hand, was clearly thrilled. He slapped William's chest and laughed loudly. "Mr. Lambert, you're still one step too slow! Hahaha!" Then he walked off in high spirits.William's expression darkened. He needed to ask Thora why she was transferring. The Combat Institute had finally scored a big win, and he couldn't just let her go. Even if he couldn't stop her, he wouldn't let Roth enjoy it that easily. As Thora passed a low building, she suddenly stopped and looked up—just in time to see someone sitting on the roof. Lance sat with one knee raised, more than half his body hanging over the edge. From that height, falling would mean instant death. He spotted Thora as well and waved at her with a smile from afar, holding up something in his hand. It flashed briefly in the sunlight. Thora frowned. It was a student ID. More precisely, it was the special access pass reserved for the academy's top ten students. It was also the key to the 66th floor of the Data Building. "Boss!""Thora!" Tristan, Shirley, and the others hurried over, gathering behind her. Thora turned to them, a gentle smile spreading across her face. Then she led them off in another direction. As they walked, Shirley talked nonstop about small things from the test, complaining about unfair evaluation items and teasing a certain teacher's looks. Tristan and Ryan were buzzing with excitement. The best part was that Thora was transferring to the Command Institute. They'd be classmates with her soon. Watching them disappear into the distance, Lance's smile slowly faded. He rubbed the special student ID, a brief trace of hesitation flashing in his eyes, though he didn't notice it himself. With the comprehensive ranking test concluded, Thora, now in second place, instantly became the academy's hottest rising star. From the conflicts when she first enrolled to her undefeated streak in Nine Tower, her stories spread quickly among students during training breaks. She was also the only freshman in the past two years to enter the top ten rankings in her very first month, even outshining Roxen back then. Meanwhile, in the Astralis Empire. Darius walked out of the royal estate, with Carl following respectfully. "Alpha." Darius's expression was cold. "Carl, set up the partnership between Skybound Group and Blue Star Military Academy." Carl nodded. "Yes, Alpha." As he spoke, he opened the car door for Darius. After getting in, Darius suddenly remembered something. "Any activity from the Hawthornes lately?" Carl started the engine, and the car pulled away from the royal estate. Keeping his driving steady, he reported, "Per your orders, since the Hawthornes kidnapped you last time, their most profitable core industries in Golden Triad were heavily damaged by local resistance. Their eastern chain has also been completely wiped out. They're recovering now and likely won't make moves anytime soon. Also, their recent focus doesn't seem to be on Skybound Group." Darius's expression grew colder. After losses like that, the Hawthornes would never let it slide. Elliott was the kind of man who always struck back. If he was quiet now, it meant he was tied up with something else. "Keep our people watching the Hawthornes. No mistakes." "Yes." Darius looked out the car window. After hearing his grand-uncle and Marlon, his desire to see Thora had only grown stronger. He wished he could appear in front of her right away. His eyes sharpened as he said firmly, "Carl, arrange a private jet for me. Now."Carl's hands tightened on the steering wheel. He nearly veered off course before steadying himself. Putting on a calm front, he replied, "Got it."