The representatives from various universities immediately understood why Julian was cursing Shu University when they saw that it was him—and noticed Grant from Shu standing beside him. Julian shot a glare at the two Shu University recruiters before stepping up to Jessica. "Hello, I'm Julian from Imperial University. On behalf of Imperial, I'm inviting you to join us." "Whatever conditions Shu University promised you, Imperial University can match them. Additionally, we can also grant you a one-time entry into an Advanced Secret Realm." Shu University’s recruiter quickly interjected, "We can offer the same conditions as well!" At this point, they had already resorted to tricks right in front of Julian—if they still couldn't outbid Imperial University, Shu University’s reputation would be in shambles. The conditions Julian had been authorized to offer were already set by the university. If he wanted to raise the stakes further, he'd need to check with the administration first. Meanwhile, Jessica’s best friend was staring at Julian in awe, muttering under her breath, "King Julian… the living legend." Julian's expression darkened. 'What kind of nonsense is she saying?' Jessica, on the other hand, looked visibly excited. After all, Julian was now recognized as the number one young trainer in the Country. That wasn't just a title—it was backed by real battle records. Shu University’s recruiters sensed trouble. And sure enough, the very next second, Jessica declared, "I choose Imperial University." The teachers from Shu and other universities looked visibly disappointed, but there was nothing they could do. Imperial University had played dirty—sending Julian himself to recruit students. Among the younger generation in Drakoria, nearly everyone idolized Julian. Even the younger members of these recruiters' own families were among his admirers. By sending Julian as a recruiter, Imperial University had essentially deployed a nuclear weapon—as long as the conditions were good enough, who would refuse the chance to attend the same university as their idol? Julian smirked. "Well then, everyone, you may take your leave. The runner-up and third place students are still waiting for you." The recruiters clenched their teeth in frustration, but there was nothing more they could do. Once they had all left, Julian retrieved a contract from his bag and handed it to Jessica. "Just sign your name, and it's done." Jessica didn't even glance at the contract before signing her name in neat, elegant handwriting—just like her appearance. "Senior Julian, you’ll have to take good care of your new junior from now on," she said playfully, handing the contract back with a smile. In a few months, she would officially be a freshman in Imperial University’s special recruitment class. By then, Julian would be a sophomore. "You won’t need me to look after you," Julian replied, shaking his head. Jessica was exceptionally talented, and after today, he doubted their paths would cross much. Jessica was momentarily taken aback. Julian’s blunt rejection was unexpected—was her charm not working on him at all? "The rumors say that King Julian is a total straight-laced guy... looks like it's true," Jessica's best friend whispered, tugging at her sleeve. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺 But her voice wasn’t quite low enough—Julian heard it clearly. He couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. "King Julian, do you think—" "Just call me Julian," he interrupted. "Oh, okay, Julian, I'm Jessica's best friend, Mia. I ranked in the top ten of this tournament… Do you think I have a shot at getting into Imperial University?" Imperial University was the top University in the Country, and now that her best friend had made it in, of course, she wanted to follow. "If you're in the top ten, you’ll get an extra 50 points on your college entrance exam. That should be enough to get you into the general program at Imperial," Julian replied after a moment of thought. The special recruitment class at Imperial University only accepted thirty students per year—ordinary talent wouldn’t make the cut. Most students, even the highly skilled ones like Mia, ended up in the general program. Outside of Imperial University, they'd still be considered top-tier trainers, having already achieved significant success in high school. Just then, a low, eerie chuckle echoed through the air. "Ghehehe!" Gengar suddenly emerged from Julian’s shadow. "A white Gengar? That’s so cool!" As a Ghost-type trainer, Jessica's eyes lit up in excitement. She had heard rumors that Julian had a white Gengar, but seeing it in person was something else entirely. 'Hiding in his shadow... doesn’t he feel cold?' Gengar naturally absorbs heat from its surroundings. When it hides in its trainer’s shadow, the trainer’s body temperature can drop by five or six degrees. "It seems to like you." Seeing Gengar floating around Jessica, Julian was a little surprised. "I’ve always been popular with Ghost-types since I was a child." Jessica explained, reaching out to gently squeeze Gengar’s chubby cheek. "A Ghost-type affinity, huh?" "Yeah, I think so," Jessica nodded. Some trainers, while not possessing any special awakened abilities, had a natural affinity for certain Pokémon types. Fire affinity, Poison affinity, and Ghost affinity were just a few examples. Trainers who specialized in Pokémon that matched their natural affinity often went on to achieve great success—provided they didn’t fall along the way. Julian had never encountered anyone with an affinity before, neither in his own special recruitment class nor in his journey, Jessica was the first. 'No wonder Gengar came out on its own.' Seeing that Gengar's tongue was licking her face, Julian subconsciously reached for his pocket. "Ew, Gengar! Now I’m covered in drool!" Jessica complained, playfully smacking the Ghost Pokémon. Seeing this, Julian silently removed his hand from his pocket but his face darkening slightly. "Geh heh..." Gengar felt that it shouldn't favor one person over another. Seeing its trainer's expression darken, it figured Julian might be jealous. So, naturally, it turned and gave him a lick too. A familiar tingling numbness spread through Julian's entire body. With Jessica and Mia watching, Julian calmly reached into his pocket, pulled out a Cheri Berry, and ate it to cure the paralysis. Then, without hesitation, he stomped Gengar into the ground. 'Damn it, this was definitely on purpose!' It wasn’t just about licking him—Gengar had done it after licking Jessica, making sure to create a comparison, deliberately embarrassing him. "Hahaha! Julian, you really are just like the internet says—so unlucky you even get paralyzed by your own Pokémon!" Mia burst into laughter. The funniest part wasn't even the paralysis itself—it was how practiced Julian’s reaction was. The smooth motion of pulling out a Cheri Berry from his pocket, without even flinching, showed that this wasn’t his first time dealing with it. Who even carries a Cheri Berry in their pocket all the time?! "Mia, stop laughing, that's a little rude," Jessica said, trying to sound serious. But the way she was clearly holding back her own laughter made Julian feel anything but grateful. One was mocking him outright, while the other was mocking him indirectly. "I’m leaving first." Julian felt that he couldn't stay in this place any longer. "Wait, Julian! How about hotpot tonight? Westford City’s hotpot is world-famous!" Jessica quickly offered. Unexpectedly, the moment she finished speaking, Julian's face turned even darker. He had just become an internet joke for eating hotpot and ending up in the proctology department, and now this woman was inviting him to hotpot? "No thanks." After shooting her a glare, Julian left with a cold face. "...Did I say something wrong?" Jessica looked at Mia in confusion. Mia silently handed her phone over, on the screen was today's viral news. ***** Upto 30 chapters ahead on patreon :- /ReduxMagister