Axel frowned slightly. Vale seemed to have anticipated this moment. She quickly stepped between Axel and Ryder, wearing a smile.

  "Axel, you know Master Ryder isn’t short on money," she said, her voice smooth. "This is a win-win situation. He’s not very talkative, but he won’t treat you unfairly."

  It was a lie about him being "quiet"—Ryder was deliberately distant, pretending to ignore Axel. Ryder was a rich, second-generation student at Dune High. His father was an awakener, and his family ran a well-known boxing gym in the city.

  Having an awakened father was far more powerful than simply being a rich second-generation kid in this era.

  In addition to his family wealth, Ryder was also a well-known vendor on campus. He frequently sold Force-enhancing items to other rich students, so he made a decent profit.

  However, Axel had no intention of selling. Not only was he low on raw stones himself, but was a gift from Skye and the others.

  "No sale." Axel’s voice was calm as he turned and began to walk away.

  His response surprised both Vale and Ryder. Then he quickly set down his phone.

  "Axel, don’t rush off. It was my follower who was out of line. He should apologize," Ryder said with a smile. It was all an act. As a second-generation awakener and vendor, Ryder had his follower intimidate Axel in hopes of bargaining.

  "The price is negotiable," Ryder continued. "If you’re low on raw stones, I can offer you an exchange. One raw stone for three of yours. You know my reputation."

  Axel didn’t really care about the exchange rate. In addition to raw stones, he had life crystals—much more efficient for cultivation than raw stones.

  Vale noticed Axel’s silence and hurriedly leaned in, whispering, "Axel, it’s rare for you to be friends with someone like Master Ryder. Don’t miss this chance."

  She sounded so anxious, as if she genuinely cared about him.

  "Sorry, I’m planning to use them myself," Axel said, shaking his head. "I really don’t want to sell."

  His refusal made both Vale and Ryder frown in frustration.

  At first, Ryder thought Axel was just playing hard to get, trying to raise the price. But seeing his serious face now, Ryder wondered if Axel really wasn’t going to sell.

  "Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?" Ryder pressed. "These stones are useless to you. If my follower’s attitude was bad, I’ll apologize on his behalf."

  Ryder was genuinely puzzled. Did Axel really believe he could awaken with these raw stones?

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  "I’m not reconsidering," Axel replied firmly, not wanting to waste any more time. Even though he was poor, he never intended to build any kind of relationship with Ryder.

  "Axel!" Vale’s face flushed with frustration. She had promised Ryder she would make this deal happen. In her eyes, it was a done deal.

  "Why are you holding on to these? Do you really think you can awaken just by relying on some lucky stones?"

  "That’s enough," Axel said, his tone final. He was done with this conversation. Even if their attitude hadn’t been outwardly bad, the condescending superiority and the thinly veiled mockery they couldn’t hide was enough for him to walk away.

  "Are you really not going to do me this favor?" Ryder’s voice darkened. He hadn’t expected dealing with a garbage from the slums to be this difficult. But so many people wanted these fine raw stones, and the thought of missing out made his face waver between irritation and calculation.

  Seeing Ryder’s expression, several of his followers immediately understood the signal and quickly surrounded Axel, blocking his way from all sides.

  Axel’s gaze narrowed slightly. So, was Ryder planning to rob him openly now that the deal had fallen through?

  Even though Axel had no powerful background, there were still rules on campus. How dare they be so bold?

  The followers surrounding him all exuded Force energy, their auras becoming aggressive. Ryder, however, remained silent, as if he was mulling over something.

  But despite the tense situation, Axel couldn’t help but smile. He felt a spark of excitement. He’d never had the chance to properly test the extent of his Force, but from the way these lackeys carried themselves, their Force levels seemed weak.

  "Huh?" Ryder noticed Axel’s expression and continued to apply pressure.

  Axel’s earlier thoughts had been spot on. Even if Ryder came from an awakened family, there were still rules in place. It wasn’t like Ryder could just take someone else’s resources without consequences. If Axel showed fear, this situation could be settled without bloodshed.

  But then Ryder noticed Axel’s eyes, and something shifted inside him.

  Axel was completely calm, but his body had subtly shifted into an almost imperceptible combat stance, his eyes sharp as knives. He looked like a predator ready to strike at any moment.

  Even though Axel wasn’t directly facing Ryder, the older boy—whose Force was over 90—felt an instinctive sense of danger.

  “Is he really only at 70 Force points?” Ryder thought, genuinely surprised.

  "What's this? Bullying people?" A lazy voice interrupted the standoff. A girl with short hair, a tall figure, and confident posture stepped into the scene.

  “Cassia?” Ryder blinked in surprise.

  "Ryder, you’ve got guts, trying to mess with *my* friend?" The girl, Cassia, stood next to Axel, a boy with glasses and a medium build following her closely.

  "It’s just a business transaction. Since Axel doesn’t want to sell, I won’t bother you anymore," Ryder said quickly, his tone turning friendly again.

  Cassia, like Ryder, was among the top ten students in terms of Force value. She’d even ranked slightly higher than him in the last test. While she might not awaken on the upcoming awakening day, she was practically guaranteed to awaken once she entered the War Academy.

  Axel knowing someone like her was unexpected. Ryder realized that his chances of making a deal with Axel had just evaporated.

  Although he was frustrated, Ryder remained calm, managing to maintain a faint smile. "Since you insist on keeping it, Axel, I’ll wait and see."

  Ryder was referring to the awakening ceremony. After the ceremony, if Axel failed, his fine raw stones would be nearly impossible to sell for a while.

  At that point, Ryder believed, Axel would regret turning down such an easy deal.

  "Ah, Axel…" Vale sighed, looking disappointed. "You had the opportunity, but you missed it."

  With that, Vale followed Ryder, leaving Axel standing there.

  After everyone had left, Axel felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find Cassia standing there.

  "Thanks," Axel said simply.