Chapter 99: Talking & Teaching

“I formally request that you join my academy as a teacher.”

Zayne blinked once, twice… then let out a sharp laugh.

“Me? Teacher? At your Academy??”

His laughter spilled into the night.

“Ahahahahahaha! Oh hell no…!”

Caelum’s pale blue brows furrowed. He hadn’t expected such a reaction. “This is my request,” he pressed, tone firm yet almost pleading. “Please, you don’t have to be a full-time teacher. Even as a part-time instructor, your presence would mean everything.”

Zayne tilted his head, a smile tugging at his lips. “Quite a nice offer. But still—no.”

Caelum exhaled, a trace of resignation in his sigh. “I see… I suppose I must respect your decision. But… may I ask the reason you’re declining?”

Zayne’s eyes glimmered in the firelight as he leaned back lazily. “Because you don’t need me.”

Caelum frowned. “What do you mean? Even if we lack someone, I can always adjust the teachers. You can join without issue.”

Zayne chuckled softly, shaking his head. “No, you don’t understand. I’m saying… you already have someone in your academy as capable as me.”

For the first time, Caelum’s composure cracked into confusion. “Someone? Who?”

Zayne answered smoothly, his voice steady. “Well, my bo—” He paused, eyes narrowing slightly before continuing. “…my brother was already appointed as a professor in your academy some time ago.”

“Your… brother?” Caelum echoed, astonished.

Zayne nodded once. “Exactly. And that’s why I’m not joining.” He rose to his feet, dusting off his coat. “Well, I think that’s my cue to leave. I’m heading toward the nearby Adventure City. If you ever need me, just contact my brother.”

Caelum’s expression hardened. “How will I know which one is your brother?”

Zayne smirked, his tone sly. “You’re strong enough to figure it out yourself. And honestly? Even normal people could guess after looking at me.”

He turned, his back to Caelum. But before taking off, he glanced over his shoulder with a playful grin. “Oh, and one more thing… my brother? He’s much stronger than me.”

With that, his form blurred, wings of shadowy energy propelling him into the sky. “See ya!” he called as he vanished into the horizon.

High above, as the wind rushed past, Zayne’s thoughts turned inward. Well, I told him ’boss’ was my brother… If I told him the truth—that he was my boss instead—Caelum might start wondering why master and servant share such a similar face. That’d make things messy. And in the end, boss would just blame me for it.

He exhaled, lips curling into a grin. Whatever. Let’s head to my next destination… Adventure City.

In a blink, his figure vanished completely, leaving no trace in the sky.

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Back on the ground, Caelum remained before the fire, staring at the fading point where Zayne had disappeared. His pale blue hair shifted in the night breeze.

“Stronger than him…?” Caelum muttered to himself. “His brother…”

A storm of thoughts clouded his sharp eyes. Then, with a deep breath, he too unfurled his aura and took to the skies, leaving the campsite behind.

—

Training Grounds Astralis Arcanum,

The training ground was alive with concentration. Twenty students, paired into ten groups, stood in their circles, sweat dripping as they focused their combined efforts. One after another, boulders half their size lifted shakily into the air.

Rocks hovered at different heights, trembling with unstable mana, but they floated nonetheless—a visible sign of progress. The five who had failed the very first exercise now stood at the edge of the grounds, having finally passed the first test, but still not ready for the second. They watched with clenched fists, silently swearing to catch up.

Zane observed it all, standing with arms folded across his chest, his sharp gaze scanning from pair to pair.

So… they finally got it through their skulls. Not bad.

His eyes stopped at one duo.

Ron and Jax.

The orange-red aura of Ron wrapped unevenly around a massive boulder—the same size as the two of them combined. Inside, Jax’s white mana coursed in chaotic streams, trying desperately to keep pace. The rock wobbled, tilted, then jerked upright again, every second threatening to collapse.

The strain was obvious—Ron’s muscles bulged as sweat poured down his forehead, while Jax, equally drenched, clenched his teeth as he struggled to stabilize his control.

Yet despite their rocky synchronization, the massive boulder was floating.

The other students occasionally glanced over, their expressions a mix of awe and relief that they hadn’t been punished the same way.

Zane smirked faintly. Finally. Took them long enough. Their rock isn’t stable, but it can’t be helped—it’s double the size of the others.

But aside from Ron and Jax, there was someone else drawing the most attention.

A short distance away, Lia and Selene’s boulder floated perfectly still—smooth, steady, and without a single shake.

Lia’s aura coated the outside of the stone like a protective shell, forming a steady barrier of force. At the same time, Selene’s mana glowed faintly from within, wrapping the inside with invisible threads that lifted the weight evenly.

The two energies resonated in harmony—like an egg, with Selene’s mana forming the yolk and Lia’s aura the shell.

Their boulder didn’t tremble. It didn’t even shift. It hovered at chest height, solid and stable, as if the rock itself had chosen to defy gravity.

The students whispered among themselves.

“T-they’re making it look easy…”

“Are they even struggling?”

“No way, their sync is perfect—”

Zane let their chatter go on for a moment before speaking. His voice cut clean across the field.

“This is what I meant by synergy. The warrior provides the outer support, the mage stabilizes from within. One without the other? The rock crumbles. Together? It becomes unshakable.”

The pairs redoubled their focus, trying to replicate Lia and Selene’s flawless teamwork.

Zane’s eyes shifted back to Ron and Jax. The huge boulder continued to wobble dangerously, but it hadn’t fallen yet. His smirk returned.

“Hm. All of them are barely hanging on. But… better than before.”

He tapped his finger against his arm, a thought flickering across his face.

Still… I don’t think they’re ready yet for that dungeon expedition Lucen was talking about.

Zane’s sharp gaze stayed on his students, but a small ping sounded from his Technowatch.

“Boss,” Eira’s voice came, calm yet carrying a hint of amusement, “there’s a video message from Zayne. It’s regarding the situation with that injured man and the dead Abyssal.”

Zane raised an eyebrow. “Oh… that.”

“Yes, boss,” Eira continued, a soft chuckle threading through her tone. “Quite a lot happened after Zayne explained the initial situation. There’s a moment… you really should see what he did.”

Zane’s eyes flicked back to the floating boulders his students were struggling with. He tapped a finger on his chin, thoughtful but curious.

“Hm… really,” he murmured. “I’ll watch it after I’m done with them.” He gestured toward the students, signaling that training still came first.

Eira’s voice hummed lightly in response. “Understood, boss. Shall I queue it for you?”

Zane smirked faintly, already refocusing on the students. “Do that. I’m looking forward to seeing it in my room… after I teach them something new.”

The students, oblivious to the conversation, continued struggling to stabilize their boulders, while Zane’s mind kept one eye on them and the other on the promised antics of Zayne.

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Zane clapped his hands once. “Alright, that’s enough. Stop.”

One by one, the boulders lowered to the ground with heavy thumps, the sound echoing across the training field. Thump. Thump. The students exhaled in relief, sweat dripping down their foreheads. The strain of the exercise had clearly worn them out.

Zane’s eyes swept across the field, landing on the five students who had been waiting for their turn. “Now then,” he said evenly, “the five of you will begin the second exercise.”

His gaze shifted back to the twenty who had just finished. “But before that… all twenty-five of you are going to learn something new. A technique. To be precise—two techniques.”

The students straightened slightly despite their exhaustion, eyes widening in anticipation.

Zane smirked faintly at their reactions. “Each of you will only learn one of the two. No exceptions.”

A low murmur spread among the group, curiosity and excitement sparking in their tired faces.

One of the students, eyes gleaming with excitement, suddenly asked, “Professor, is it some super strong technique?”

Zane let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “No.”

The students’ shoulders slumped a little, disappointment flickering across their faces, but they still listened carefully—knowing he never spoke without purpose.

Zane clasped his hands behind his back as he continued. “On the battlefield, whether against an opponent or any kind of threat, strength alone isn’t enough. To bring out your maximum power and efficiency in a fight, you must learn control. Control over yourself. Control over your state of mind. Only then can you act without hesitation.”

A hand went up hesitantly. Maera Stormheart stood with a questioning look. “But Professor Zane… everyone feels fear. How can you say to not be afraid?”

Zane gave a small approving nod. “Hmm… true. Everyone feels fear.” His gaze swept across the students, firm but patient. “But I am talking about not being afraid.”

Maera frowned slightly. “Isn’t it the same…?”

Zane smiled faintly. “Similar, yes. But not the same. Feeling fear means you sense danger—it is natural, unavoidable. But being afraid means you’ve allowed that fear to take hold of you, to control your actions. That is weakness.”

Maera’s eyes widened a little in realization, and she gave a slow nod.

Zane’s tone shifted, carrying a sharper edge of command. “That is why I will now teach you the Calming and Focusing Technique. A discipline meant to anchor your mind in battle, to clear fear and sharpen concentration.

Murmurs rippled through the group, students exchanging excited yet nervous glances.

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