Chapter 220: A Teacher's Vendetta

The two of them were finally in the courtyard, after all this time of being kicked out in the Basic Combat Spell Class and not having any clue of what the Professor was actually teaching—Han might end begrudgingly admitting that this class was where spectacles actually happened.

A jolt of lightning shot out to the Mana Shield held up by one of the Students in defense—and then another flood of earth darts rained on the second shield that had been put up in a second. The poor young man holding onto his wooden staff for dear life to maintain the two and then a third.

The stream jet of fire nearly burned the grass on his feet if he hadn't made a move to jump back.

It might be cruel to say that Han would have liked to eat popcorn as he watched, but it was fun to watch when it wasn't yourself who was being hit by such awfully powerful projectiles. A bit weird the name might have been, the [ Tri-Elemental Orb ] really did speak of having three elements.

Although it was more complicated than it seemed for an evocation spell?

Han glanced at Timothy who was consulting his notes, "It should be a mix of transmutation and evocation—switching the element every time he needs to do it is probably too exhausting compared to having the prerequisite formation or rune inlaid in the orb."

"Okay…?" He kind of understood what Timothy was saying, if only because of all his experience in watching similar things to this. Although that wasn't really something to brag about compared to how studious Timothy was and learning everything for the first time.

The man rolled his eyes, "You didn't understand a thing did you? Why don't you just go back to the village. I lend you books and you don't even read them."

A wave of guilt flooded into his chest at this moment.

It wasn't like Timothy was seven or eight years old—but this guy still lost his mother because of him. Whether indirectly or not, the Demon Lord had come for him and the Rockfall Village suffered. He scratched the back of his head, "I get it, it's just weird that there's six houses of magic in your notes, I thought there were eight?"

He was speaking nonsense of course, he had only gotten that from that tabletop—

"There were originally eight houses, but then it was reclassified to six as the spells in the house of abjuration and enchantment were both divided into other houses. Enchantment falling more into the house of illusion so one doesn't confuse it with the actual enhancement of objects and other things." Timothy gave him a look, "Maybe you are reading, at least when I'm not looking."

"I highly doubt that, but alright." He managed a short laugh amidst the mayhem happening in the background. Han usually didn't question things because the Creators did it—but there was something about this world that felt like it had been sprung up from his world.

Or perhaps earth was influenced by this world instead?

He wasn't actually so sure.

"Han and Timothy—the two of you are next." Professor Carnus called. His voice booming inside the entire courtyard was surely some kind of voice-amplifying spell. The man rubbed his mustache, a little bit of frost on its tips. "It seems like the two of you are carefreely conversing in spite of the exercise. Perhaps your [ Light ] spell can also make the two of you light-footed, perhaps?"

Han glanced behind him and saw that the vast majority of them hadn't exactly been called yet—like maybe five were made to dance around and protect themselves from the Professor. He thought it was merely an example in class to help them understand how the orb worked. "Uhh, this isn't a Ranking Test is it?"

He didn't exactly have to check his screen to gauge where he stood. He was still in the rank 999+ no doubt about it.

Professor Howard Carnus shook his head, "Not at all, a Ranking Test usually occurs weekly. This is supposed to be a demonstration with our capable students—"

In the background, one could see the boy with the wooden staff use his staff to limp back into the group. His pants looked like it had been eaten up by flames, an empty potion bottle in his hand.

"—but since the two of you have been absent for so long, now is a good chance to get the two of you up to speed with the competencies of your classmates." A smile curled on his face for once as he addressed the two of them.

It was far from friendly.

Han tried not to gulp, because it was easy to see where this conversation was going.

"We've recently been learning the Mana Shield spell and its use for battles is quite evident. As you can see from your dear classmate, John, he has been able to pull up three shields now and has given himself a good defense against my [ Tri-Elemental Orb ]."

"Yes, Professor." That was what he and Timothy said in unison.

He couldn't even check what was Timothy's reaction—surely the man wasn't peeing himself in the pants or something was he? This was just a tri-elemental orb, nothing big as a Colossal Dragon or even scary as Gargoyles that Han had faced… well, he hadn't exactly faced anything with such deep-rooted vendetta against him.

"I doubt that the two of you have learned it, but surely since the two of you have been wondrously able to survive the obstacle course on your arrival—something like this is easy, isn't it?"

That was a trick question! Han couldn't just say yes, the man would make it harder, but if he said no then the man would surely shame them or something worse. Definitely worse.

"I don't think so, Professor."

"Hmm… why is that?" The Battle Mage shifted his attention to the younger man beside him. "You say that my class is harder than the test?"