Ron politely nodded:
"Everyone can be driven by impulse during a competition, Lecturer Mueller. Being able to openly admit to one’s mistakes is respectable in its own right."
Mueller took out a dozen Magic Stones from his Spatial Bag and handed them individually to the participants he might have affected:
"This is my small token of apology, hoping to compensate for the inconvenience and risk I’ve caused you all."
This sincere apology and substantial compensation gradually eased the expressions of the surrounding participants.
Mueller’s professional career might be impacted by today’s incident, but at the very least, he hasn’t lost credibility among his peers.
In the subsequent exchanges, Ron exchanged contact tokens with every Modulator present, including Mueller.
Although today’s competition had some twists, it unexpectedly became an excellent opportunity for networking.
A successful Wizard, in addition to personal advancement in power, also cannot do without an extensive network.
Eve had already approached Ron, her amethyst eyes sparkling with unreserved pride:
"Congratulations, Master! Your performance was unrivaled! It seems everyone present today remembered your name."
"Thank you." Ron smiled slightly, his gaze resting on the "Lance’s Experiment Notes" in his hand:
"This notebook will greatly aid my research, perhaps holding more enduring value than fame and applause."
Eve nodded understandingly:
"I believe grandfather would also be proud of you.
He always said, true genius lies not in flamboyant appearance or eloquent words, but in understanding knowledge and perfecting skills.
Your performance today perfectly exemplified this."
The surrounding audience gradually dispersed, but the discussions about Ron continued to brew among the crowd.
"Did you see Teaching Assistant Ralph’s performance? Especially that precise Energy Control, it was simply unbelievable!"
A young Apprentice wearing crystal glasses said excitedly to his companion, his eyes full of admiration.
"Not just that, did you notice his calmness in resolving Mueller’s crisis?"
The companion responded: "An ordinary Morning Star Mage would probably have no time to think when faced with such a critical Energy Hybrid."
Not far away, a group of tourists from afar were also discussing today’s competition.
"This Ralph Teaching Assistant is truly a surprise, I heard he’s from a Marginal School?"
A middle-aged man dressed in Exotic Realm attire asked.
"They say he is, a Wizard from the Black Mist Jungle." The companion replied:
"Achieving this level in such a short time is indeed a rare talent.
I heard he’s already received a ’Treasure Level’ evaluation, which is close to Cassandra Tower Master’s potential rating."
"Judging by today’s performance, this evaluation is clearly well-deserved."
A chubby man dressed in Merchant’s attire interjected:
"It seems there’s now another emerging talent to watch in the Central Lands."
Such evaluations and praises spread like ripples among the crowd.
Gradually forming an initial impression of "Ron Ralph":
A young Wizard from a Marginal School with extraordinary talent, possessing superb skills and calm composure, unfazed by changes.
Within the academic circles of the Central Lands, Ron’s name also began to gain broader recognition.
Previously, his reputation was mainly limited to the high-level circles of the School Alliance, but now, this name officially stepped into a wider sphere.
As the old wizard saying goes: theory is easy, practice is king.
All academic achievements and theoretical innovations ultimately need to be validated by their value in practical application.
And today, Ron proved his strength and insight through a public competition with actual actions.
Eve smiled slightly, whispering to Ron:
"Master, it seems you’ve successfully attracted much attention. This will be a tremendous boost to your future research and development."
Ron nodded slightly:
"Fame is a double-edged sword, it can open doors to opportunities, but also attract unnecessary attention. The key is in how to wield it, rather than be wielded by it."
As he prepared to leave, William and Eliot purposely came over to offer their congratulations.
"Teaching Assistant Ralph, your performance today was impressive."
William said sincerely, a rare gentle smile appearing on his usually stern face:
"Especially your calm response during a crisis, showcasing a maturity and professional competence beyond your years."
Eliot nodded in agreement:
"Just as you demonstrated, true strength doesn’t require extravagant adornments, solid research outcomes will shine on their own."
Ron slightly nodded his head in acceptance of the congratulations, and bid farewell to the two of them as well as Valen, who was waiting silently behind them.
"Speaking of which, I’ve noticed that Ms. Franka hasn’t appeared since the start of the competition."
He asked casually while checking the Energy Fluctuation of the notebook:
"This seems a bit unusual, considering her level of protection for Your Highness."
Eve lifted her head, a gentle look in her amethyst-like eyes:
"I gave her a few days off. During the Lance Festival, her father and brother came to Dawn Harbor, and they haven’t reunited for several years."
Ron raised an eyebrow, keenly detecting a hint of unusual arrangement in this:
"The Crown Clan’s security standards have always been stringent, I thought..."
Eve shook her head lightly, a rare playful smile appearing on her face:
"Master, I’m actually not as fragile as you imagine.
In fact, grandfather has instilled a trace of Void Power in me. Even an average Dark Sun Level Wizard would find it hard to cause me real harm."