Sunny looked at the three intruders with a skeptical expression. In his heart, he was actually somewhat apprehensive, knowing the significance of the Dual-Core Siege-Stag. The saying 'possessing a treasure invites trouble' could very well be true. Although the Academy encouraged competition, it might not protect him from those who harbored ill intentions—like a Merchant Guild leader who was about to lose millions. If he weren't truly in need of reputation points to unlock more quests, he wouldn't have wanted to stand out this much. However, he had long thought of a way to deal with this, and this skeptical and disdainful look was part of his plan.
"What's so impossible?"
Hearing Sunny's words and seeing the B-Rank student's disdainful look, which seemed to say 'NPCs who haven't seen the world,' Instructor Vex could only force a dry cough before speaking, "Cadet Sunny, did you... fuse this yourself?"
Sunny frowned instantly, put on a bored look as if unwilling to answer, and directly turned to Jett. "Who invited the paparazzi?"
Jett had already sensed the terrifying pressure of the Thermal-Shock Siege-Stag, and at this moment, his doubt was replaced by a cold pit of fear in his stomach. This kid was actually a Genius Tamer! However, it seemed that this Genius Tamer was not in a very good mood at the moment.
Jett frowned and also turned to look at Ren and Vex. These two clowns had fed him false intel and now were gaping like fish. In the end, weren't they just incompetent and envious of the capable? No wonder the A-Class had been stagnant for years, relying on money instead of skill. This bunch of good-for-nothings bore undeniable responsibility! Still, since Vex was his instructor, it wouldn't be good for him to drive them away directly, so he could only glare.
However, having witnessed this scene, both Vex and Ren were completely convinced. Did this young man truly stabilize Fire and Ice by himself?! Geniuses, after all, tend to have a degree of pride and distinct personalities.
The value of a Genius Tamer who understands Fusion Theory is, many times, even more crucial than that of a simple fighter. After all, a fighter might win a tournament, but a Fusion Master could potentially revolutionize the Academy's military power. The importance was clear to all.
For a moment, even Ren, who had been ready to expose a fraud, started looking at Sunny differently. At this moment, there was only one person among those present who still had the same demeanor.
It was none other than Jett. His eyes were still bloodshot as he stared at the huge Siege-Stag, trying to figure out how Sunny had managed it by relying on his own understanding of elements. However, from its external appearance and the lack of any visible machinery, he could not see how. Thus, a thought unconsciously crossed his mind.
In an instant, a flash of green light shone throughout the courtyard. Everyone's gaze suddenly fixed on it.
The reason was simple: that flash of light was the glow of summoning a Pet Beast. And what appeared before their eyes was a huge, armored Tiger. In its eyes, there was nothing but predatory hunger.
[Hostile Summon Detected!]
At once, the atmosphere in the courtyard turned icy cold. However, the one who felt even colder was not Sunny, not Vex, but Jett himself. He felt as if needles were pricking all over his body, causing him to shiver involuntarily. Soon after, he saw Vex and Ren looking at him with rather unkind expressions.
Indeed, Vex took good care of him. After all, Jett was a promising student. But at this moment, Sunny's talent had won her approval or rather, her fear of losing a potential genius asset.
If this truly were a rare Genius, suppressing him could mean losing the next Continental Champion. It was widely known that the Academy allocated resources based on achievements. Therefore, if someone wanted to snuff out a genius over a petty grudge, Vex would be the first to stand up and strike down such an attempt with thunderous fury! This was why, over the years, the Academy had produced legends. This was also why Sunny dared to use his fusion abilities to make money. The official attitude towards geniuses, unless in exceptional circumstances, never involved suppression.
Jett snapped back to reality under the sharp gazes of his "allies" and hurriedly, almost subconsciously, explained, "Instructor, Ren, I just wanted to test if the beast's reaction time was affected by the dual core. This was to prevent Sunny from being killed by an overload in the arena. That would be terrible."
Vex said indifferently, pushing up her glasses, "Cadet Jett, if there were anything wrong, wouldn't my scanner see it? Or are you suggesting your intuition has surpassed Academy technology?"
Jett's body stiffened, and he quickly withdrew his Tiger. Sunny licked his lips subconsciously. He had no interest in or concern for this person who had jumped out. All his attention at this moment was focused on the look in Ren's eyes. Specifically the greed. In this world, only a few individuals could smell profit like Ren! And any of those individuals represented a level of wealth that Sunny found difficult to ignore at his current stage.
Sunny glanced at his Siege-Stag. He regretted it again. Showing off is detrimental! It's too detrimental! Why did I have to show off the purple glow? However, I need to manage my expression! I've recently presented myself to the students as a Skill Rental Service. And in front of these people, I've maintained the proud attitude of a genius. I can't go back to begging for scraps now.
Though he felt surprise and regret internally, Sunny's face remained extremely calm, as if he were indifferent to everything that had just happened. Once the situation calmed down, he said faintly, "Are you finished? My beast needs to rest. If you need anything else, you can say so now. If not, get out."
Looking at the massive beast that could probably vaporize him, Ren nodded and promptly took out a heavy pouch of Credits. The next moment, Sunny received a notification on his datapad:
[Transaction Received: 5,000 Credits.]
[Sender: Student Merchant Guild (Ren).]
[Note: Betting Pool Refund + 'Consultation Fee'.]
Finally, I have money! Sunny was thrilled, but soon he hesitated, playing the role. "Ren, you've overpaid."
Ren was unconcerned about such a minor detail. "Just call it an investment, Sunny. Or 'Hush Money' is fine. Calculating the exact odds requires too much paperwork; this is more convenient. Besides, you have material costs for that Ice Core! Relax~"
Looking at this reasoning, so financially extravagant it left Sunny speechless, what else could he say? Meanwhile, Jett, who was standing to the side, saw Ren finally smile and hurriedly tried to make amends for his earlier actions: "Sunny is truly formidable. However, Ren, although the Fusion is complete, I've observed that the Siege-Stag's firing rate seems somewhat slow. To be frank, my family's Wind Techniques increase attack speed. To strengthen your beast's combat capabilities before the tournament, if Sunny isn't in a hurry, he could come to our dojo..."
Ren was indeed taken aback by these words. True, although Sunny had miraculously fused the elements, the beast looked heavy. Speed was indeed an aspect Ren cared about for the betting odds.
Perceiving Ren's interest, Jett quickly continued, "You can rest assured, Ren. I have absolute confidence in this area. Even if I can't guarantee an improvement in its movement speed within these few days, the attack rate will definitely be much faster! And please don't worry; consider it compensation for last time. This time, it's all free!"
Ren pondered for a moment, then instead of addressing Jett, he turned to Sunny. "Does your 'Rental Service' offer speed enhancements?"
Sunny smiled and then nodded. As Jett's eyes bulged, Sunny spoke slowly, "We do offer them, but it's not free, and it's actually quite expensive!"
At that, Jett, whose complexion had just started to improve slightly, immediately darkened again.
"Expensive?" Ren asked, leaning in. "How expensive?"
Sunny patted the Siege-Stag's cannon. "To make a tank fast... you don't use wind. You use Rocket Propulsion. And for that, I need Volatile Fire Crystals. A lot of them."
Ren grinned, his gold tooth sparkling. "Sunny, my friend... I think we're going to do a lot of business."
[Ding!]
[Quest Updated: The Semi-Finals.]
[Objective: Defeat Lyra.]
[Optional Objective: Make Ren cry tears of joy.]
Sunny looked at the three people leaving his yard. "Business is booming," he whispered.