Strongest Existence Becomes Teacher-Chapter 242: Back To The Present

The room was quiet, filled only with the faint scratching of a pen moving across paper.

Seris Velmira sat behind the desk, shoulders straight out of habit, though her condition betrayed how exhausted she truly was. Dark circles rested beneath her eyes, and a constant heaviness lingered in her expression. Even the way she turned pages felt slower than before, as if every small action required effort.

It had been two months since the attack on Astralis Arcanum.

Two months since the academy was turned into a battlefield.

The aftermath still hadn’t settled.

Many students and teachers had been injured during the attack, and although most had recovered, the losses could not be ignored. Two elite professors had died protecting the students, and even then, some of the students hadn’t survived. For an institution like Astralis Arcanum—one of the greatest academies—this kind of damage was unprecedented.

And the consequences didn’t stop there.

Seris paused for a moment, rubbing her temple before continuing to write.

Stack after stack of documents covered her desk. Complaints from noble families, formal inquiries about safety, demands for accountability—each one questioning whether the academy could still protect its students. Some nobles had already withdrawn their children, while others were waiting for answers before making their decision.

Apology letters.

Official statements.

Damage reports.

Endless paperwork.

A quiet sigh escaped her lips as she signed another document, her hand slowing slightly from fatigue. For a brief moment, she allowed herself to stop, her gaze drifting across the cluttered desk as the weight of everything pressed down on her.

Then—

The door opened abruptly.

Seris looked up.

Caelum Lysander entered the room, his steps direct and purposeful. There was no hesitation in his movement, but something in his expression immediately told her this wasn’t routine.

"Seris," he said.

"We found it."

Her tired eyes sharpened instantly.

"...Found what?"

Caelum stepped closer, his voice steady but carrying a clear sense of urgency.

"A potential cure for Lucen."

For the first time in days, the fatigue in Seris’s expression cracked, replaced by something much brighter.

"...Really?"

Caelum nodded. "My contacts just delivered the information. There’s an artifact—one capable of absorbing dark mana."

Seris straightened slightly, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "Then... it can remove the dark mana inside him?"

"Yes," Caelum replied. "At least, it has the potential to."

Hope rose—but only briefly.

Seris’s brows slowly furrowed again as reality set in.

"...Where is it?"

Caelum exhaled lightly, as if he had expected that question.

"That’s the problem."

He paused before continuing.

"It’s in the Malgrith Kingdom."

The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere shifted.

Seris’s expression stiffened.

"The demon kingdom...?"

Caelum nodded. "And from what I’ve gathered, the artifact is either in the possession of their royal family... or their academy."

The small spark of hope in Seris’s eyes faded just as quickly as it had appeared.

"...Then it’s impossible."

Her voice wasn’t dramatic—just tired, grounded in reality.

But Caelum didn’t agree.

"Even so, I have to try."

Seris looked at him immediately. "Chairman... if you leave now, you’ll be putting the academy at risk again."

Her tone carried concern, not just for the academy, but for everything they had barely managed to stabilize after the attack.

Caelum didn’t argue.

"I know."

He turned his gaze toward the window, where parts of the academy were still under repair.

"I know."

A brief silence followed before he continued.

"But I still have to go."

His voice remained firm, leaving no room for doubt.

"I don’t think they’ll attack again so soon.

Seris lowered her gaze slightly, her grip tightening around the pen in her hand.

Because they both understood.

The room remained heavy with silence after Caelum’s words.

Seris sat there, still holding her pen, her tired eyes fixed on him. The weight of responsibility, of everything that had happened in the past two months, lingered between them.

Caelum finally spoke again, his tone calm but firm.

"They won’t attack again so soon."

Seris looked up.

Caelum continued, his gaze steady.

"Two months ago, they made a massive debut by attacking our academy... the one that is supposed to be the strongest." His voice carried a quiet edge. "They showed the world that they can strike even here."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"Because of that, most kingdoms have already labeled them as a terrorist organization. They’re being hunted from all sides now."

Seris listened silently.

"In this kind of high-alert situation," Caelum went on, "I don’t think they’ll take the risk of attacking the academy again anytime soon."

The logic was sound.

Still, the uneasiness didn’t completely leave her.

Caelum then shifted slightly.

"Anyway... I’ll go to the Malgrith Kingdom during this time."

His eyes hardened just a little.

"And I’ll try to obtain that artifact."

There was no hesitation in his voice.

Seris looked at him for a moment... then slowly nodded.

"...Alright."

There wasn’t much else to say.

They both knew the risks.

They both knew what was at stake.

Caelum didn’t linger any longer.

The next moment—

He vanished.

The room fell silent again.

Only the scattered papers and the faint scratching of Seris’s pen remained, as she slowly lowered her gaze and returned to her work.

--

Present,

Seris leaned back slightly in her chair, the weight of the story finally settling after recounting everything.

Across from her sat Zane and Eirenyssa.

Her voice had grown quieter by the end.

"After that... I never heard from him again."

There was a pause.

"The Chairman never returned."

Her fingers tightened slightly over the table as she continued.

"I did everything I could to hold things together. The academy, the students, the aftermath... everything." A faint breath escaped her. "And I was starting to lose hope..."

Her eyes lifted toward Zane.

"...then one evening you appeared."

She exhaled slowly.

"Once again... thank you."

Zane waved it off casually.

"Well, I told you—I didn’t really do anything."

He tilted his head slightly toward Eirenyssa.

"If you want to thank someone, thank her."

At the same time, inside his mind—

Sheesh... that was quite a big flashback.

Seris gave a small nod, then straightened slightly, returning to her usual composed demeanor.

"You both must be tired," she said. "I’ll have someone arrange rooms for you. You can return to your teacher residence tomorrow."

Zane nodded.

But before leaving, his gaze lingered on her face.

The dark circles under her eyes.

The lingering exhaustion.

The kind of fatigue that sleep alone couldn’t fix.

Without saying anything, he raised his hand slightly.

A faint green magic circle formed in the air.

Soft light flowed out from it and gently enveloped Seris.

For a moment, she froze.

Then—

The heaviness in her mind lifted.

The constant strain, the exhaustion, the mental fatigue—all of it faded like mist under sunlight. Her breathing steadied, her thoughts cleared, and even the dark circles beneath her eyes disappeared.

Seris blinked in surprise.

"This...?"

Zane lowered his hand casually.

"Now you can say thank you."

Seris looked at him for a second, then gave a small, genuine nod.

"...Thank you."

Zane nodded once in return, then turned and walked out of the Vice-Chairman’s office, Eirenyssa following behind him. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

The corridor outside was quiet.

After a few moments of silence, Eirenyssa spoke hesitantly.

"Um... my lord, I have a question."

Zane didn’t stop walking. He simply gave a small nod, signaling her to continue.

"When Seris was telling us everything... suddenly I started seeing... things," she said carefully. "Like moving images. Memories. The entire story, but even more detailed than what she said."

She paused, still slightly confused.

Zane replied casually, as if it were nothing unusual.

"Oh, those."

"Seris could only tell what she personally knew," he continued. "So I filled in the rest."

Eirenyssa blinked.

"...Filled in?"

Zane smiled faintly.

"I manipulated the memories of the world and tweaked them to appear in our minds."

He added lightly,

"I don’t usually bother doing that, but it makes flashbacks clearer."

Eirenyssa stopped for a fraction of a second.

"Memories... of the world?"

Zane nodded.

"Yes. The world itself remembers everything—every battle, every conversation, every event." His tone remained completely casual. "Even when people forget."

He glanced slightly ahead.

"So I just used that."

"...It’s one of the basic powers."

Eirenyssa walked beside him again.

A small bead of sweat formed near her temple.

There’s absolutely nothing basic about that...

.

.

.

The corridor was quiet as Zane and Eirenyssa walked side by side.

The academy, though repaired in parts, still carried a strange silence—as if the echoes of that day hadn’t fully faded yet.

Zane’s expression remained calm, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Aside from the flashback... my students did quite well.

A faint smirk tugged at his lips.

Ron and Lia really pushed past their limits... and Selene... even with so little training, she grasped the basics of parallel thinking and managed dual casting.

He let out a quiet breath.

Not bad at all.

Then another thought crossed his mind.

Speaking of which... I didn’t even bother sensing the academy after coming back.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

What are they doing right now?

A pause.

Will they be happy to see me?

For a brief moment, something unfamiliar surfaced in his thoughts.

Am I... expecting something?

He frowned faintly.

This is new.

Then, just as quickly, he brushed it aside.

Hmm... whatever.

His gaze shifted forward.

Let’s just find them.

Zane stopped walking.

"Eirenyssa, wait here. I’ll be back in some time."

Eirenyssa immediately nodded.

"Yes, my lord."

The next moment—

Zane vanished.

---

Evening had settled over the academy.

One of the suns had already disappeared beyond the horizon, while the remaining red sun slowly descended, casting long shadows across the land. The sky was tinted in deep orange and crimson, signaling the approach of night.

Near the boundary of the academy—

Three figures stood quietly.

Maera Stormheart.

Beside her, Drevin Solveil.

And in front of them, holding her staff with both hands—

Selene Raynhart.

Her eyes were closed, her expression focused as faint mana fluctuations gathered around her.

A few seconds passed.

Then she opened her eyes.

"This is the place," she said quietly. "The barrier hasn’t fully recovered here. It’s weaker... I think I can bypass it."

She looked at the two behind her.

"We have to leave quickly. After the attack, students are strictly prohibited from roaming after evening..."

Her voice lowered slightly.

"...but we still have to go and save them."

Maera and Drevin exchanged a glance.

Then both nodded.

Just as Selene raised her staff again—

A voice came from behind them.

"Save who?"

The three of them froze.

That voice—

It was familiar.

Too familiar.

Slowly—

They turned around.

And there he stood.

Black hair.

Deep purple eyes.

That same usual smirk.

But now... carrying a completely different presence.

Their teacher.

The one they believed dead.

Zane Creed.

Their eyes widened instantly.

For a second, none of them spoke.

Then—

"PROFESSOR ZANE...!!!"