Teacher Kwon’s method of teaching had long been accompanied by criticism and denunciation.
Even so, the reason it continued was because his firm conviction and its effects could not be underestimated.
‘Teach magic? Teach martial arts? What a joke.’
To begin with, most students entered after learning everything from their own guilds and families.
Children with innate talent took flight on their own wings even without that.
‘Do not worry.’
The problem Teacher Kwon saw lay precisely there. Flowers grown in a greenhouse were snapped without fail by cruel reality.
‘It is all right. It is not your fault.’
Countless students had left Teacher Kwon. At times, even students who had merely brushed past him as fleeting connections had left.
Teacher Kwon made a decision. He would abandon everything else and teach only how to survive.
‘Instead, carve everything you experience into your bones.’
That was why Teacher Kwon insisted on a method that made them experience the reality of the battlefield. Then his gaze reached Lee Wonwoo.
‘I do not sense any particular anomaly.’
All of the Academy’s teachers had watched the scene of Lee Wonwoo breaking the barrier.
Some held the opinion that it had been childishness meant to show off his own ability, while several others were wary of Lee Wonwoo himself.
However, Teacher Kwon felt no showing off from either his actions or his bearing.
‘It is not especially important.’
To Teacher Kwon, learning how to survive was more important than that.
Since he possessed outstanding talent, he would be taught by a stronger method.
“Multi-Magic, Iron Chain.”
He overlaid another magic circle behind the first. It was a feat that would look like one to anyone who was not close by.
He would cast two, not only at Lee Wonwoo, but at everyone. If that was not enough, he would fire off dozens.
Moreover, the structure was such that the concentration of mana flowing through the dome would continue to thicken with each passing day.
‘It should certainly be the lightning attribute.’
Teacher Kwon had also estimated Lee Wonwoo’s mana attribute after watching the series of events.
However.
“Reclaim.”
At the unfamiliar chant he heard in that instant, Teacher Kwon’s brow narrowed faintly.
‘Reclaim? To gather it back...... Was he a Word Spirit Caster?’
CLATTER!
Before Teacher Kwon could grasp the exact meaning, the chains created from the magic circle surged like a wave and fell.
Soon, the chains vanished as if scattering into brilliant clusters of light.
‘The magic circle’s......’
It meant the mana that should have empowered the magic circle like blood had disappeared.
‘He absorbed the mana?’
That was something close to impossible. It was the same principle as transfusing incompatible blood types.
‘Incomprehensible. And it is not even Word Spirit.’
Because Teacher Kwon had glimpsed the techniques and abilities of countless families and guilds through his students until now, this was a matter of certainty.
There was a high possibility that he would be viewed with suspicion. However, Teacher Kwon soon put aside the thought.
‘In that case, survive and prove who you are.’
***
In an instant, an ominous feeling that seemed to recall Kubanda wrapped around my entire body.
‘......Should I carry stomach medicine around?’
My stomach twisted, and a nauseating fishiness rose from deep inside me.
Even so, the impulse had disappeared. The sense of accomplishment that came with success still let me endure it.
‘I’m going to get pierced through.’
Leaving everything else aside, the problem was that Teacher Kwon was glaring at me as if he wanted to kill me.
Since he was only doing that, I even found myself wishing he would just throw magic at me instead.
“Lee Wonwoo, prove it.”
“......Pardon?”
Normally, this would have been a point where he praised me or scolded me, but judging by the atmosphere, it was neither.
There seemed to be some deep meaning hidden there. In terms of how unkind he was, he was no different from a Divine Beast.
‘What is he telling me to prove?’
Once again, magic circles that looked as if they had been drawn in ink floated mournfully to Teacher Kwon’s left and right.
Since I had already done it once and had confidence, I responded immediately.
“Reclaim!”
However, I had forgotten yet again that the race called Heroes were all eccentrics.
“Reclaim......?”
CLATTER CLATTER CLATTER!
When I absorbed the mana of the magic circles with Kubanda’s special ability and destroyed them, Teacher Kwon abandoned the magic circles without hesitation and continued generating new ones.
‘What happened yesterday?’
From my perspective, I could only think that he had accumulated a tremendous amount of stress.
Honestly, ending this moment was not especially difficult. I could collapse, or I could absorb Teacher Kwon’s mana.
‘Easy to think, hard to do.’
In the former case, a strange feeling held me up and would not let me fall. In the latter case, I had no opening.
Taking what might be my last thread of leeway, I spoke.
“Teacher, perhaps you could also give guidance to the other students......”
THUD!
However, the familiar back of a blonde head collapsed. Elena barely turned her head and said,
“I got excited and used it recklessly...... Sorry.”
I had no room left to speak, so I ended it with a nod.
‘Still, I understand.’
This was probably her first time operating mana. It could be called self-destruction.
Still, it was fine. Teacher Kwon was not someone who could not be reasoned with. In fact, he was looking around.
‘There’s still him.’
Fortunately, the male student with the exceptional build was holding his back firmly upright.
Snap!
Since I had no time to speak, I pointed at him with my index finger with all my might. I was not being a water ghost dragging someone down, and it was not cowardice either.
It was simply that I was monopolizing the fair right to education, so I had to cut off the corruption.
However.
“......!”
The male student had already rolled his eyes back, leaving only the whites.
‘This bastard fainted sitting up?’
“Lee Wonwoo, who are you saying is there? Also...... the class is not over.”
CLATTER!
***
At this point, even when I closed my eyes, I could see magic circles stained with Teacher Kwon’s unique color.
It was astonishing that even in a pitch-black world when my eyes were closed, I could see pitch-black magic circles.
“With this, I will end the class.”
Teacher Kwon left the lecture hall with flawless steps.
“Haah......”
Only after confirming that he had left completely did I briefly slump over my desk.
Words praising myself leaked out on their own.
“I actually endured that. I endured it.”
After catching my breath for a moment, I rolled up my sleeve with a secret expectation.
‘It really does increase with mana.’
In truth, from the middle, all sorts of thoughts had come to me, and then I had remembered that the Thunderbird’s mark was filled with mana.
It had filled by only a slight difference, but this was the special ability of the Thunderbird, who was called the Spirit God of Lightning.
Even Kubanda’s special ability, which was of a lower caliber, had resistance, so I could endure the slowness.
‘I don’t know whether it’s gone or I’ve gotten used to it, but it’s gotten much better.’
Some of that unique ominousness and cloying texture had disappeared as well, so perhaps Teacher Kwon’s teaching method suited me quite well.
Only after some time had passed did the few who had barely maintained consciousness open their mouths.
“Can you destroy a magic circle with Word Spirit?”
“How would I know?”
“Why don’t you know? You’re a Word Spirit Caster!”
“I just don’t know. To begin with, moving in this concentration doesn’t make sense.”
However, no one approached me. Rather, the atmosphere had grown more distant.
To students who had become acquainted from Hero kindergarten onward, I must have been an unknown existence, so what could I do?
‘Someday......’
Still, it was fine. For someone who had always been alone, even the sense of belonging that came from being in the same dormitory was enough for now.
But the students were mistaken about the part where I had destroyed the magic circles.
When the mana of the magic circles disappeared, Teacher Kwon had destroyed them himself to deal with the backlash.
‘I can’t explain it.’
Because I had learned it all by looking into everything with the Heavenly Hound’s special ability.
If someone asked, “How did you know?” I would have nothing to say, so I simply stayed still.
“Ah...... My head hurts.”
Elena, who had self-destructed on her own, rose from her seat.
“I’m hungry. Let’s hurry up and eat before the next class!”
Elena did not ask how I had done it.
‘She probably gave up.’
Since we knew each other’s stories and secrets, and since she did not ask, my heart felt much more at ease.
***
There were many foods there that made me wonder how such things could exist, never mind delicacies from mountains and seas.
However, there was no time to savor the taste.
‘To think food really can go in through the nose too.’
Not only did I feel unwell because of the rejection reaction, but the class time had also been moved up.
‘Can they just change things like this however they want?’
I could not complain. Because in the aftermath of Teacher Kwon, most students had gone straight to class as soon as they came to their senses.
‘It’s cruel to the point of brutality.’
So if you wanted to attend class, you had to become strong. If you wanted to eat your meals, you had to become even stronger.
The classroom for [Understanding Physical Arts], which we reached in a rush, was nature-friendly, unlike the previous class.
‘It’s a mountain.’
Classroom was a generous way to put it. It was closer to a small mountain with good terrain.
“Now, now! Nice to meet you. I’m Wagner. Please call me instructor instead of professor or teacher!”
“Hello......!”
“Hello, Instructor Wagner.”
The hungry and exhausted students barely squeezed out their strength.
We should have noticed from the moment he changed the class time without warning. This person was not ordinary.
‘Why does that look cool?’
Wagner, who introduced himself as an instructor, was wearing a tattered robe that did not suit the modern era.
The gaps visible here and there were densely covered with bandages. Looking at him like this, it would be normal for him to look ridiculous.
‘Was it intentional?’
However, his light tone, strange clothing, and alien atmosphere intertwined, and somehow, it suited him quite well. It was fascinating.
“Heh heh heh......!”
Instructor Wagner grinned while looking at the hungry kids. The students’ atmosphere changed subtly.
‘He doesn’t make a sound?’
I had been feeling it for a while. That kind of thing must be what they called footwork.
“He looks dangerous.”
It was arrogant for a student to say, but that was my overall assessment of Instructor Wagner.
Even in his small movements, I felt an unsettling danger, so the words came out on their own.
“Does he appear that way to your eyes as well?”
“......?”
At the end of the voice that suddenly reached me was the male student with the excellent build.
‘When did he come beside me?’
Only now did I see his face properly. He was a proper old-before-his-time type who was impossible to see as my age.
His angular face and deeply cleft chin, together with his robust build, carried an imposing pressure.
“Just as my biceps are dangerous, so too is your grit.”
It was never easy to answer nonsense like this right away.
“......”
How was I supposed to hear that as anything other than a compliment to his own forearms?
Just then, Instructor Wagner spoke, so I did not have to respond.
“Now, since it’s the first day. Assistants!”
Rustle!
At his call, even though there had been nowhere to hide, the assistants suddenly appeared and then vanished again.
‘So this is Physical Arts...... no, this probably doesn’t match the name either.’
In the places where the assistants had vanished, dozens of kinds of arms had been placed.
Instructor Wagner gave a broad grin. Though he looked to be in his thirties, there was a mischievous side to him.
“Each of you, choose a weapon and attack me as if it were your self-introduction. If you so much as touch a hair on my body, I’ll let you eat.”
At some point, the instructor’s tone had changed. Overall, it had a raw atmosphere.
‘Is this how self-introductions work?’
To think there would be a self-introduction like this in the world. Moreover, the kids in Dormitory A had all been raised gently, so tempting them with mere food......
“Instructor or teacher, it’s all the same thing.”
“I’m trying to see him as Kwon Oseong right now.”
Putting aside the great power that food held for now.
‘So they do things like this too.’
It seemed the method of introducing oneself through a sparring match was familiar among Heroes.
“In that case, I shall step forward first.”
The old-before-his-time boy stepped forward confidently. Judging by the fact that no one stopped him, he seemed rather famous.
I asked Elena, who was beside me.
“Do you know him?”
“He’s probably the heir to the Muscleman Guild. His name is Choi Jio, and I don’t know the rest.”
A chill ran down my spine in that instant.
The Muscleman Guild. To think such a powerful guild existed in this world. After learning his background, I nodded.
‘Now I understand.’
His old-man way of speaking. This was because he was the heir to an organization that followed not the brain, but muscle.
‘Anyway, what is he going to choose with that build?’
In any case, it was a moment worth looking forward to. After all, there was a pair of tremendous iron gauntlets over there.
“Watch closely!”
At Choi Jio’s sudden shout, the thin branches trembled. The dust that followed his footsteps vanished as if evaporating.
Everyone held their breath and waited for the words that would follow.
“Lee Wonwoo!”
Ah, why me?!
“You two know each other?”
A strange sense of shame arose. It felt like I was climbing a tree naked.
‘I should’ve noticed when he said things about my grit being dangerous.’
Apparently, the old-before-his-time boy had developed a sense of rivalry toward me. After roaring once, Choi Jio stopped where the arms had been laid out.
“I will take up the bow. Instructor!”
Was this what they called half-polite speech?
‘But what did he say? A bow?’
I had never dreamed he would choose a bow with that build. It was so unexpected that a hollow laugh escaped me.
“When you think of the Muscleman Guild, it’s definitely the bow.”
“Heh heh. They say speed comes from muscle, and agility also comes from muscle.”
I had a hard time keeping up with this flow.