Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls-Chapter 113: Studying

"Aren't those the Sword members we saw yesterday?!" one of the seated girls murmured as she noticed Riven, Kael, and Clarissa entering the classroom.

She wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Yeah... that one over there is the Witch Queen's grandson. I think his name is Kael. He must be the leader of Sword," the girl beside her responded, her eyes shining with a mix of curiosity and caution.

"You should be careful!" another girl warned in an urgent whisper. "I heard he almost killed three guys yesterday!"

"Hmph! I'm sure he just did what was necessary!" the first one retorted, crossing her arms.

The murmurs spread quickly, filling the room. It was a common thing in a competitive environment like Azalith. The more you stood out, the faster your reputation spread.

And right now, Kael was probably the most talked-about person in the academy. After all, he had caused absolute chaos, and instead of being punished, he was rewarded.

"Look at you, so popular." Riven commented with an amused smile as he took a seat to Kael's right.

"The great leader of Sword," Clarissa teased, sitting to his left.

Kael sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't think I'd get this much attention... and for free."

"Well..." Riven shrugged. "Three of the only ten students in the entire academy wearing this black uniform. That certainly doesn't help keep a low profile."

Just as the murmurs began to die down, the classroom door creaked open.

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A tall and slender man walked in with firm steps, his presence immediately silencing any remaining conversations. His sharp eyes scanned the room before he slammed a thick book onto the desk, the sound echoing through the space.

"Good morning, students." His voice was firm yet emotionless, carrying an air of strict discipline. "My name is Cedric Althaus, and I will be your instructor for Fundamentals of Mana."

He swept his gaze across the room before continuing.

"Before anything else, let me make one thing clear: I am not here to entertain anyone. If you wish to learn, then pay attention. If not, be aware that my patience is limited, and my discipline, rigid."

The atmosphere in the room grew tense. There was no doubt that this professor was not the tolerant type.

Cedric clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing through the classroom.

"Mana is the essence that sustains our entire magical system. It flows within every living being, connecting us to the very structure of the world. However, understanding and controlling this energy is not simple. Many are content with merely dumping mana out in a crude manner... but true masters of magic know that subtlety and precision are the real keys to greatness."

He stopped, casting an evaluating glance at the students as if measuring who among them truly had the potential to understand his words.

"Now, before we proceed..." Cedric pointed at a student in the front row. "You. Explain to me the difference between internal mana and ambient mana."

The student swallowed hard, clearly caught off guard. Everyone in the room paid close attention—it was evident that this professor did not go easy on anyone.

Kael, watching everything with indifference, simply rested his chin on his hand. The class had barely started, but it was already clear that it would be uninteresting.

After all... nothing here would be new to him... again.

As the explanation on the basics of mana began, Kael suppressed a yawn—but he wasn't fast enough.

Cedric, who had been keeping a sharp eye on the class, immediately turned his attention to him. His cold eyes narrowed.

"It seems my explanation is boring someone." His voice carried a slight edge of challenge. "Since you think this isn't worth your attention, why don't you come up here and enlighten us with your knowledge?"

The atmosphere grew tense. Some students swallowed nervously, while others exchanged glances, eager to see how Kael would respond.

He sighed, standing up at a leisurely pace before walking to the board. Picking up a piece of chalk, he twirled it between his fingers and looked at the professor with a lazy smile.

"Sure, professor. Let's make it simple for everyone here." Kael drew two human silhouettes on the board.

"Internal mana," he began, pointing at the first silhouette, "is the energy an individual accumulates within themselves. It's limited, and unless you have absurd talent or a special recovery system, it will eventually run out."

He then drew circles around the second silhouette.

"Meanwhile, ambient mana is the energy present in the air, the ground, objects, and of course, other people. It's practically infinite, but the real question is..." He turned to face Cedric. "How many people can actually use it efficiently?"

The professor crossed his arms, keeping a neutral expression.

Kael smirked and pointed directly at Cedric.

"Let's take you as an example, professor. You're an experienced mage, probably with decades of practice. Your internal mana control must be excellent, but... what about ambient mana? I bet your specialization is absorption and refinement, isn't it?"

The silence that followed was almost tangible. Even Cedric narrowed his eyes, now regarding Kael with more seriousness.

Kael wasn't done.

"The problem with mages like you is that you treat ambient mana as a secondary resource. You rely too much on your own reserves, wasting energy when you could simply convert the mana around you. That's why, if someone drained your internal mana, you'd be vulnerable—unable to cast spells efficiently."

Some students held their breath. Kael shrugged and added:

"But of course, this is just a theory based on observation." The provocative smile on his face made it clear he knew exactly what he was doing.

Cedric remained silent for a few moments. Then, he narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low but intense voice:

"Interesting..." No one could tell whether that was approval or if Kael had just made an enemy among the faculty.

"Go back to your seat," Cedric ordered.

Kael simply shrugged and walked back to his chair. As soon as he sat down, the murmurs in the room grew louder. Some were still trying to process what had just happened, while others exchanged impressed looks.

"Planning to become a professor now?" Riven asked, barely holding back a grin.

"I'd prefer a younger professor over these old geezers," Clarissa muttered, crossing her arms.

"Shut up," Kael replied, closing his eyes for a moment as if trying to regain his patience.

Time passed, and finally, it was time for the next class...

"Our next class is this way, but we'll see you at lunch?" Riven said while Clarissa waited for her.

"Save me a seat, I hate standing in line," Kael said with a smile as he turned to head to his next class.

Umbra was lying on his head, her tiny paws practically sinking into his hair. She looked exhausted, recovering energy as she often did throughout the day.

"How are you?" Kael asked in a low tone.

"Maintaining this form has been draining a lot of mana... and my physical body is still recovering internally. I think another month, and I'll be able to stop leeching off your mana like this." Her response came without her usual teasing, sounding more serious than normal.

Kael frowned. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head slightly. "I'm just tired."

"Then undo the transformation and rest for a bit," he suggested. "I won't feel lonely, I promise."

Umbra let out a soft sound, almost a chuckle, before her body dissolved into essence and returned inside Kael.

He continued walking through the corridors until he reached his next class. As soon as he stepped inside, he realized he was the first to arrive.

This time, the room was different. The space before him didn't resemble a typical classroom but rather an arena. Surrounding it were numerous tiered seats, like stadium bleachers, indicating that this class wouldn't be purely theoretical.

"Looks like this class will be more interesting..." Kael thought, analyzing the environment before choosing a place to sit. He hated staying still for long periods.

A few minutes passed, and students started to enter.

"May I sit here?" A refined, feminine voice caught his attention. He turned his head and found Princess Elizabeth looking at him.

"Of course, go ahead," he replied.

"Thank you," she said, settling beside him.

Before Kael could say anything else, another voice interrupted.

"Well, look at this... my sister and you."

Kael sighed internally before even looking. He already knew who it was.

Prince Arthur sat down on his other side, wearing that irritating air of superiority that Kael was starting to associate with his presence automatically.

"What a pain... From the first meeting, this guy has been annoying," Kael thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

Then, a voice echoed through the arena.

"I knew my class would be popular... but who would've thought this much?"

Kael's brow furrowed as he recognized that voice. When he looked up at the professor who had just entered, his mood soured instantly.

It was the same man he had beaten up on the first day of class.