"Professor, it was him—he took the maglev technology, the spatial backpack tech, and the tenth-generation solar energy tech from the city!"
A voice filled with anger and resentment suddenly rang out from within the exploration team.
The previously relaxed atmosphere instantly froze because of that sentence.
The members of the exploration team inwardly cursed the speaker for not using his brain.
The moment they saw Julian, they already knew he was the one who had entered this Ruin ahead of them—so it was obvious that the three most crucial technologies in the city had fallen into his hands.
Not only that, but Julian had also copied and then completely destroyed the original data.
With his Metagross, such a feat was effortless.
Everyone knew it was Julian's doing—Professor Oliver knew, Norman knew—yet none of them said a word.
'Did this guy really think he was the only smart one here? That the rest of us were fools who hadn't figured it out?'
If this person had been anyone other than Julian—even a National-level Gym Leader—Professor Oliver would have spoken up about it.
But this was Julian.
Never mind who his grandfather was—even Julian himself was someone beyond his right to criticize.
Even Professor Oliver did not dare to lecture Julian, yet now his own student had spoken out of turn, which made the old scholar's expression turn dark.
The speaker was the fourth disciple—the same one who had feelings for Nicole and had been trying to steal her away from Julian.
Finn, having spoken, felt a surge of smug satisfaction, convinced that the rest of the exploration team would stand with him. After all, in his mind, he was speaking for the benefit of the entire team.
For an exploration team, braving danger to enter the Ruins wasn't just about gathering firsthand research materials—and for trainers, it wasn't merely about resources.
Discovering advanced technology meant that, once successfully developed, the entire team would receive shares or dividends.
So far, the technologies they'd found in the city were all minor—the profits would be limited.
But the three most important technologies were all in Julian's hands, and all three were groundbreaking.
Even if they had gotten just one of them, their names would have gone down in history.
The chance to be remembered forever was right in front of them—yet Julian had destroyed it.
Julian turned his gaze toward the one who had spoken. From the start, this man's Aura had radiated hostility toward him. Of course, he wasn't the only one—many in the team harbored some resentment—but his was the strongest.
As the heir of the Walker family, raised under the highest standards of training—and now a Pseudo-Champion—Julian's presence alone was crushing when he chose to exert it.
A single glance was all it took.
Finn felt as though a mountain was pressing down on him. His face flushed, his breath grew labored—he couldn't even stand straight under that overwhelming pressure.
Just as he felt he was about to collapse, Professor Oliver suddenly stepped in front of him.
"Julian, please let this matter rest."
Finn was still his student, after all, and Professor Oliver naturally couldn't just stand by and watch him be crushed like this.
"Fine, out of respect for you, Professor, I'll let it go," Julian said with a faint smile, withdrawing his oppressive aura.
The man was Nicole's mentor—if not for his sake, then for hers.
"Hah— hah—"
Finn collapsed to his knees, gasping for air, his face deathly pale. For a moment, he had truly believed he was going to die.
Professor Oliver's third disciple walked over to help him up—usually, the two had a decent relationship.
"You alright?" the man asked with concern.
But Finn shoved him aside and roared at Julian: "Why should he be allowed to monopolize those three technologies?! Just because his grandfather is a Champion?!"
"Drakoria will be destroyed sooner or later by aristocratic families like yours!"
His expression twisted with hysteria and rage.
He had suffered under the oppression of noble families himself. If not for his own talent and Professor Oliver's protection, he would have long been crushed by the scions of those powerful clans.
That was why his hatred for the noble houses ran so deep.
"Professor I gave you face. But he refuses to learn."
Julian ignored Finn, his tone calm as he addressed Professor Oliver.
Professor Oliver sighed and shook his head. "The boy just acted on impulse."
But Julian wasn't interested in excuses. He walked over to Finn and kicked him hard, sending him sprawling—then yanked him back with telekinesis, slamming his face into the ground.
Many people already knew that Julian was a dual-ability user, but they didn't know that both his abilities had reached the pinnacle.
"Advanced-level psychic powers?…"
Norman's pupils contracted slightly. Finn weighed over a hundred kilos, and yet Julian could control him so effortlessly—that could only mean Advanced-level psychic powers.
As for the Master-level? Sorry, but as far as the world knew, no one's Psychic ability had ever reached that level.
So Norman instinctively assumed that Julian's psychic powers were merely Advanced-level.
With his foot pressing down on Finn's head, Julian said flatly:
"You're right. It is because my grandfather is a Champion. Because my father is the strongest Elite. Because my uncle is the richest man in Drakoria. Because my aunt is an Arceus Award winner. Because my maternal grandfather is a Top-tier Pokémon breeder…"
"That even if I were a useless good-for-nothing living off my family, I'd still be someone most people wouldn't even dare to provoke."
"But the thing is—I'm not."
"Some people are born in Rome; others are born in the fields."
"Sorry, but I'm the former."
"Life isn't fair. Your job isn't to whine at me—it's to get stronger."
"Even if I killed you right now, no one here would dare say a word," Julian said coldly.
"Drakoria and the noble families are inseparable. And there isn't a single clan capable of destroying the nation."
With that, he kicked Finn away again, this time without using psychic to pull him back.
"Professor, you'd better discipline this student of yours after we leave. Someone this foolish will die at another's hands sooner or later."
The "foolishness" he referred to wasn't about intelligence—anyone who could become Professor Oliver's student had to be brilliant.
No, this was about emotional intelligence.
Did he not know his own worth? Even without Julian in the picture, Nicole would never have chosen him.
To publicly accuse Julian—did he really think everyone present would side with him?
The only one here blind to the situation was this idiot.
If it wasn't for Nicole, Julian would have left this Ruin long ago and no one would have even known about his involvement.
"Finn, he… sigh…"
Professor Oliver shook his head. He understood his student's thoughts well enough. This wasn't some noble stand for justice—it was pure jealousy disguised as righteousness.
If there had truly been no personal motives involved, Professor Oliver would have stood by Finn to the end.
But jealousy disguised as righteous indignation—that was what disappointed him most.
And he had warned Finn long ago not to set his sights on Nicole.
She was the granddaughter of Champion Duke—a fact known only to a select few at Imperial University.
And Finn certainly wasn't among them.
*****
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