"Sylvia, sit down. It's alright," Kim said calmly, then motioned for her to sit. His voice was soft, yet carried a decisive tone that made Sylvia hesitate. She looked at him for a moment, seeing the complete calm in his eyes. She realized Kim didn't want the situation to escalate further. Sylvia sighed and slowly sat back in her seat, but her angry gaze never left Professor John.
Professor John gave a small, malicious smirk of victory.
"It's good that commoners know how to restrain themselves," the professor said with a scathing tone, then completely dismissed the matter.
Professor John returned to the blackboard and began explaining the topic of the day: Mana Flow and Magical Focus.
"As we explained in detail in the previous lecture," Professor John began, discussing the intricate mechanisms for guiding energy.
However, Kim noticed that Professor John was skipping many fundamental points in the explanation, throwing out phrases like, "This point was fully explained yesterday, no need to repeat," or, "I expect you all to be familiar with this advanced technique."
It was clear that the professor was deliberately bypassing the fundamentals covered in the class Kim had missed. Each time he skipped a point, he looked directly at Kim with a deliberate stare, intending to provoke his resentment and sense of inadequacy.
Professor John thought triumphantly to himself, "You won't pass the exam that easily, Kim. We'll see who laughs last.Did you think you would survive after you took my brothers out?"
But Kim's gaze remained completely indifferent. Neither resentment nor annoyance showed on his face; he looked at the professor with vacant eyes, as if watching a bothersome insect.
Kim glanced at Sylvia next to him. She was trying to take notes, but her brow was furrowed in confusion; even she found it difficult to follow the disjointed explanation.
Kim thought: It would be better to ask Sylvia to explain what I missed later. Then he remembered the reality of the class. But I know most of the students in the class, and perhaps Sylvia herself, can't even perfectly create a first-degree Mana Circle.
At this level of the academy, Sylvia was considered gifted because she could barely construct a second-degree circle with effort. So, how could he expect her to explain complex third-degree techniques that Professor John was perhaps merely touching upon?
Kim decided to ignore it. Calmly, he closed his eyes, rested his face on his hands over the desk, and pretended to succumb to sleep.
.......
"Kim! Wake up, young man!"
It wasn't long before Kim suddenly felt a strange sensation of shouting echoing in his ears.
Kim lifted his head slightly to find Professor John standing directly over his desk, his face crimson and practically bursting with anger.
"Since you're sleeping in my class, it's clear you're bored with my explanation," Professor John said in a loud, sharp voice, with a challenging tone before all the students. "So, how about you, Mr. Genius, show us how to create the Magic Circle?"
Absolute silence fell over the classroom. The challenge was clear: to humiliate Kim in front of everyone.
Kim straightened up, still resting his face on his hand. He raised his dark eyes and gave Professor John a sarcastic look, completely devoid of fear.
Confidence and charisma radiated from Kim, with his black hair and crimson-red eyes, as he headed toward the blackboard. But when he glanced at the complex question, his confidence faded, making way for a slight look of perplexity on his face.
"I don't know the answer," Kim said calmly, looking at Professor John with eyes devoid of any emotion.
Silence descended upon the class, but this time it was a silence tinged with surprise. The students had expected an answer, or at least a desperate attempt.
"What?" Professor John yelled, his face flushing with anger. "You say you don't know? After all this arrogance? After you slept in my class as if it meant nothing to you? This is the fate of those who think they're smarter than everyone else! Did you think your mockery of others' appearances would make you special? No, now you're worse than a harlot!"
Professor John was gesturing wildly, expecting to see Kim shrink in embarrassment or show any sign of distress. But Kim remained steady, looking at the professor with vacant eyes, as if watching a boring play. There was no hint of anger, shame, or even interest on his face. His expression was one of complete indifference.
"I expect you to fail the exam, Kim!" Professor John continued, approaching Kim, trying to force a reaction. "You won't get any mark! You'll be expelled from this academy!"
But Kim didn't budge. His crimson eyes stared at the professor without blinking, as if seeing right through him. This complete disregard was more infuriating to Professor John than any other reaction. Kim seemed to view the professor as mere background noise not worth his attention.
After moments of yelling and berating, Professor John suddenly stopped, as if realizing the futility of his efforts. Kim was still standing before him, silent, indifferent.
The professor sighed sharply before looking at Kim.
"Get out of the class," Professor John said curtly, his eyes burning with anger, pointing his hand toward the door.
Kim received the command with utter calm, as if it were expected. He returned to his seat with quick steps, beneath the astonished gaze of the students. He reached for his bag and lifted it from the floor before swiftly exiting the classroom.
Kim saw Sylvia's worried look but smiled at her before leaving the classroom.
As soon as Kim stepped out of the classroom, his smile widened as he looked at the necklace the Headmistress had given him, which was glowing softly.
"My dear egg is about to hatch," Kim headed off quickly, joy filling his eyes.
As for the humiliation he suffered today, he will make sure to return it double.