Kaen stood still for two seconds, staring at Professor Aeryn like he was trying to figure out what was going on.
"I already did this last week. Is it really necessary for me to do it again?"
Aeryn kept smiling.
It was that kind of smile...
Not just provocative.
It was the smile of someone who had set up an entire act just to see the main character walk on stage. Like every step up to this moment had been planned by her, and now everything was exactly where she wanted it.
Kaen actually hadn't been called up to demonstrate a defense like the other students in this class. But he had already done it last week, so he didn't see any reason to repeat the whole thing.
But to Aeryn, that didn't matter at all.
'Look at this boy... is he questioning me?'
She brought a finger to her lips, as if thoughtfully considering her answer.
"Hmmm... you're right."
"Okay, then I won't—"
"But it's my duty as a teacher to give every student the same opportunity."
Aeryn gave him the cutest smile, as if what she said was the fairest thing in the world.
'Damn... did she really use that as an argument?'
Opportunity?
Last week, Kaen had only gotten out of it because class ended before she got to him. And now, with the entire day reserved for magical combat... who knew what Aeryn had planned?
Seeing there was no use arguing — or rather, no way out — Kaen let out a defeated sigh and started walking toward the center of the field with the posture of someone who had already accepted the next public attempt at humiliation.
"Good luck..."
Marco whispered with a thumbs-up, like he knew Kaen was really going to need it.
'Should I just let her blow me up and head to the infirmary?'
'Maybe I could even score a few days of medical leave if it works.'
On the students' side, whispers spread like sparks.
"He barely escaped last time. I hope he actually dies now."
"Seriously. And he still had the guts to talk back to the professor... so arrogant."
"That guy's suicidal."
Kaen stopped in the center, completely ignoring the comments, and stared at Aeryn.
"Yaaawn... alright. If it's my turn, I'm ready."
Kaen let out a loud yawn, taking his time, like he already knew that caring at this point was pointless.
"Pfff...! He's got guts."
Darian, sitting next to Rayden, chuckled quietly.
Rayden was watching Kaen closely. His laid-back attitude might fool others, but Rayden knew something was off. At first, he thought Kaen was just another lucky idiot. But then... he looked into it.
Not something he was proud of.
He used his own family's name to dig up information. And found nothing.
No noble background, no records. Not even a real family. Just a street-level commoner accepted by recommendation into the kingdom's most prestigious academy.
To many, that might sound like privilege. But Rayden knew better. No influence, no connections, no nothing — if the academy accepted him, it meant he had something rare. Something that justified his presence there.
And there he was, standing in the middle of the field like he owned the place.
Aeryn took a light step back to create distance, just as she had done with the others.
"You use magic in a pretty unusual way, Kaen."
"Unusual how? Mana isn't magic?"
"Well... partially, yes. Mana is the foundation of magic, but real magic involves chanting, elemental control, rune structures..."
Aeryn twirled her hand, making rings of mana appear around her feet. A slow conjuration spell was forming as they talked.
"But last class, I didn't see you cast a single spell. Not even basic elements. That's not common."
'Crap... she's really not going easy on me?'
He stood still for a second, searching his memory, trying to figure out what had triggered this.
'Ah, right... it was that comment about her height.'
He looked ahead.
A Class 7 mage at her peak, casting advanced magic like it was nothing... and for some reason, still didn't reach 1.60 meters tall. The scene looked like something out of a comedic nightmare.
'...Maybe I should've listened to that idiot Marco.'
The whispers around him seemed to grow louder...
"He's just standing there... not casting anything?"
"Not even a defense spell? Not even a basic shield?"
"Told you... that guy's insane."
To everyone watching, it looked like madness.
Aeryn had given all students time to prepare, but the only one getting ready now was her — while Kaen remained motionless.
Elena, who had been lying on the grass, was now sitting up, watching.
She was listening to everything.
Reinforcement spell? Defense?
If Kaen could use something like that, he would've already done it.
She knew. The only thing he seemed to be able to do... was make mana flow through his body.
So even if it looked like he was just being lazy by not preparing, the truth was something else: he simply had no choice. It was that, or nothing.
Around Aeryn, the light began to fade.
Shadows started to appear.
Thin and twisting, like the space around her was being warped.
"What is that...?"
"Looks like black mage magic..."
"Those are the Abyssal Tentacles of Rurvath, you idiot!"
Five black tentacles of condensed mana rose around Aeryn, swaying like snakes ready to strike. They were dense and ominous, vibrating with a dark energy.
"Last time, I noticed that simple magical attacks don't work on you... so let's try a different approach."
Kaen took his hands out of his pockets.
'So she's going to try and pressure me with continuous attacks until she finds an opening?'
"Ready?"
"Can I forfeit?"
"...I'll take that as a yes."
She moved forward.
The tentacles spun around her like hungry predators, following her every movement with frightening precision.
Kaen took a deep breath.
'What do I do?'
He really didn't want to waste mana or energy on Aeryn. The alchemy lesson arc was coming up, and he needed to be well-rested for that... preferably with all his limbs still intact.
Aeryn stopped halfway, and with a smooth wave of her hand, the black tentacles shot toward him.
....FSSHHHH....
They stretched like living spears, whistling through the air.
Kaen, without moving his feet, activated a repulsion vector barrier.
WHUMM!
The impact caused a muffled boom, like something dense hitting an invisible wall.
Kaen stood his ground, not budging an inch.
Aeryn narrowed her eyes. She spun her hand again, and three of the four tentacles launched straight at him.
Kaen calmly raised his arm and released a short burst of repulsion.
THOOM!
The tentacles ricocheted in the air as if they'd hit a wall of wind.
'That kind of attack won't work, professor.'
"I figured you'd defend like that."
With another gesture, the fourth tentacle came sneaking in from the side, aiming at Kaen's flank.
'Damn...'
He clenched his teeth. There wasn't time to calculate a precise response.
In a quick reaction, he released repulsion vectors in every direction.
BOOOOM!
A short, sharp explosion of energy spread around him, pushing all four tentacles away. Dust shot up and leaves were swept aside by the force of the repulsion.
The students around them stood up in shock, whispering loudly.
"What was that?!"
"He... he didn't use magic. He used...?"
"How are those tentacles being pushed back like that?!"
"What kind of magic is that...?"
Kaen let out a slow breath, and for the first time, the way the class looked at him changed.
Everyone had already started to notice that there was something unusual about the magic he used.