Chapter 76: First Lecture.
Instantly the students begin booing him, protesting that they would not 'waste their time learning from a first year.'
I shake my head at their sheer idiocy.
The very same first year is stronger and more knowledgeable than all of you.
Suddenly one of the students jump down to the floor.
"What do you think you're doing?" Arthur asked.
"I just suddenly feel like I want to be a professor now. All I have to do is the same thing you did- pummel a professor to the ground right?" The obnoxious brat replied.
How dumb can one person get? Can't they sense that he's leagues beyond them?
Or is it because I, a light yellow core mage, lost to Geist that they think yellow cores are pushovers?
"It won't take long, just get ready to call me 'Professor'." He continued.
I'm half tempted to go down there myself.
"You." Arthur began, silencing the entire class.
"Sit." He finished releasing a bunch of pressure, causing the kid to fall on his ass.
"Director Goodsky didn't bother giving me any official documents, but like it or not, I will be teaching this class." He continues.
Come to think of it, why didn't the director give him any documents?
"If anyone has a problem with this, feel free to leave, I won't stop you-In fact...I'll even allow you to be placed into another class of your choice." He says, almost challengingly.
"However, if any of you are even a tiny bit curious as to how this little boy with a limp got to become a professor at the most prestigious academy in Dicathen..."
By losing his cool and throttling the previous professor?
"I encourage you to stay and learn." He ends his speech.
A few moments pass and he sighs.
"Are you gonna stay there? Either leave or go back to your seat."
"Yes Sir! Sorry Sir!" He salutes.
"Whipped," I snicker, whispering under my breath.
"Now then, since this is a practical mana manipulation class, I'll ask you a practical question." pausing for dramatic effect he continued, "What is the best way to utilize mana from the surrounding atmosphere?"
I begin raising my arm but Arthur glances at me and subtly shook his head.
Alright, I'll give them a chance.
A female student raises her hand.
Arthur points at her, "You, ponytail."
Lets see what she says.
"Mana is best used by absorbing the mana naturally formed in the atmosphere into the mana core, where it can be condensed and purified for use when spells or techniques are cast."
"Good." Arthur compliments her before continuing, "Now, as you all know, the difference between augmenters and conjurers lies in the fact augmenters mostly use the mana in their cores via their mana channels. Conjurers on the other hand utilize the mana directly from the surrounding atmosphere via their veins. So why do both mages have to meditate and absorb mana if only augmenters primarily use the mana they absorb into their core?"
This time I do raise my arm.
"Yes, Fayden?"
"While it is true that conjurers don't really utilize mana for physical attacks in the early stages, we still need the mana from our core to manipulate ambient mana to form the spell. Besides it does act as a backup in case of an emergency when one does not have enough atmospheric mana to fuel the spell. Add to those the fact that as we break through into newer core stages the line between conjurers and augmenters blurs, possibly disappearing at reaching the white stage."
"Great, Conjurers essentially code a specific spell in their mana so that the ambient mana knows how to behave. You make an excellent point by saying it can be used in an emergency. Your enemy will not give you the time to absorb and purify atmospheric mana, your core can supplement the mana for long enough that you can absorb the surrounding mana. And Conjurers are able to augment at the higher stages, just like how augmenters can conjure." He replies as I sit down.
"That being said, if conjurers inherently use less mana in their spells than augmenters do, is the color of a mages mana core truly an accurate way of measuring their mana?" He asks.
Nope, that just tells one how pure their mana is, hence how efficiently they can use it, not the level of spells they know nor the amount of experience they have.
Arthur smirks at the confusion that ensues after his question, "While you ponder on that question, I'm going to need six volunteers that have elemental affinities to come down to the stage and line up."
As he says that six students go down, 3 augmenters and three conjurers, two of who were Feyrith and Kathyln.
Might as well.
I get down to the stadium.
The entire class looks at me in confusion as Arthur explicitly said he needs 6 students and not 7.
"Why did you come down Fayden? You know how to do this." He says.
"Please you're gonna need someone to demonstrate the conjurer half of it." I retort.
"Fair enough," He replies before turning to the other six, "For this exercise I want everyone to initiate the most basic spell of your affinity. Conjurers no wand."
And so the students get to work, with Kathyln and Feyrith conjure a water ball and a dwarf conjures roc fragments, while the elf and the ponytailed girl light their fists in fire and the other augmenter encases his hand in earth.
"Now, Augmenters launch your spell and Conjurers absorb it back into your hand."
"HUH!" All six of them blurt out, massively confused.
"Trust me, its possible." I reassure them.
Taking my word for it they try to do as Arthur said.
Not one of the conjurers succeeded, in fact one set his hair on fire.
The conjurers weren't faring much better, Feyrith managed to douse his entire face in water, the dwarf introduced his conjured rock to his face, while Kathyln was actually close to doing it.
Impressive, its nigh impossible to do it at the first try.
"This is stupid!" The elf who burned his hair shouted, "What's the point of absorbing back a spell we already prepared and conjured?"
"Yeah! And we all know only high level augmenters can cast long distance spells!" The earth augmenter chimed in.
Wordlessly I form an icicle over my palm, before breaking it down and absorbing it.
That resulted in the skin of my arm becoming extremely pale before patches of ice appear on it, which soon covered my entire hand, forming a clawed overskin.
I move my hand around displaying its flexibility.
"And? You are a light yellow core mage. Of course you can augment your body," He scoffs at me.
"I first augmented my body when I was light red." I say, shutting them up instantly.
"Arthur, if you will." I gesture at the wall.
He nods before coating his fist in wind and launching it towards said wall.
The spell dissipated right before hitting the wall.
He then does it again, but this time he infuses a lot more mana in it resulting in the spell hitting and breaking part of the wall.
"I doubt you have seen any mage in the dark or solid yellow stage who can do that." He says before sitting down.
"Now," He continues, "Those who want to try, come down."
________________________________________________________________________________
"You did good." I comment as we leave the class.
"Thanks," Arthur replied.
"Although it was hilarious to watch them try and fail at it."
"There's the you I know."
"Heh,"
"I guess the good thing about being the professor is that I can end class as early as I want." Arthur comments as he sits down on a bench.
"And I can skip em as much as I want."
"Oh? You're not worried I'll report you? Or that you'll fall behind?"
I deadpan at him, "I know you're not gonna snitch on me. Also you and I have the same knowledge of this world, so what will you teach me? How to be a better augmenter?"
He chuckles at my retort, "Yeah, I guess the classes will be pretty boring for you."
"Don't be surprised if you find me sleeping in your class once in a while."
"I won't."
Meanwhile Sylvie falls down from the bench as she tries to catch a butterfly.
'I want to play too...'
'Huh? Aren't you a bit too- Oh yeah, I forget you're only eight sometimes. But a huge wolf like you running around would be troublesome.'
He whines at this.
'Tell you what, you can Void Step to a nearby forest if you want to, just stay within our communication range.'
'Thanks Dad!'
Moments later I feel him teleporting to the forest below Xyrus.
"Is this seat taken?" I hear Kathyln ask.
I shrug, "Not really, no."
She spreads a handkerchief on the surface before sitting down.
"It was a good lesson." She says.
"Thanks."
We fall into uncomfortable silence after that.
"Well this is awkward." I whisper, quietly enough that only Arthur understands what I said.
Kathyln suddenly bowed down.
"What the-"
"Please accept my deepest apology on behalf of my family! For what occurred with Sebastian at the auction house, for how my father behaved afterwards, and for my brothers blunder both in the alleyway and now. My family has wronged you-"
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa, wait up." I interrupt her, "That happened what 4 years ago now? You shouldn't worry about that. Besides you had nothing to do with it, so why apologize?"
"I felt like it was necessary since we are friends..." She says.
"Are we?"
She nodded shyly, before changing the topic, "Anyways, the lesson today was very interesting. How did the two ice bullets have such different outcomes, how did you absorb the ice?"
"It'd be unfair if I gave my brightest student such an advantage wouldn't it?" Arthur said before getting up.
"Oi what am I?" I pointed to myself.
"An annoying mutt."
"Why you-!" I halted midway as I heard Kathyln of all people laugh.
Looking at her with a spooked face I tug at Arthurs sleeve, "D-Did you hear that Arthur?"
"Yeah...How is it possible..."
Kathyln tilted her head in confusion, "What?"
"Did you just laugh?" I ask.
She quickly turns away from us, steaming in embarrassment.
"Relax, we were only joking," I say, trying to reassure her.
"Yeah, don't take it soo seriously." Arthur continued.
"Anyways I need to go and change some bandages before the next class." Arthur said as he flashes me a knowing smirk.
That sly bastard.
"So, is the offer for having tea together still valid?"
________________________________________________________________________________
Authors Note :
Aaaaaand cliffhanger strikes again!
Man I'm getting better at the art of cliffhangers. (Even though I say that, I intentionally extended this chapter for that particular cliffhanger.)
And I'm trying to bloom romance between them okay?
It will seem forced sometimes, it will be cringy as well, so no promises on a good romance.
But I'll try my best.
Also they are 11/12 now so it won't be anything crazy.
Hell it will never be anything crazy.
So yeah don't expect lemons, ever.
Use your imagination ya pervs.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone