The Specters had chosen the wrong teacher to mess with...
Grinning, Gray actually changed his lesson style completely! It was time for some otherworldly knowledge instead. The poor specters had no idea what was about to hit them.
"Now, I'll explain in great detail why Doritoes go so well with Mountainous Dew, and why there doesn't exist a single combination in the universe that is superior! First let's…"
What the fuck?! The scholar specters stilled, petrified.
How were they supposed to find flaws in a lesson they couldn't even understand?! This challenger kept throwing terms they didn't know, either.
Internet?
Gamer-Fuel?
Kickstart the Night?
Best way to smoke some noobs?
No, it was no use. Perhaps they had been enslaved for failing the Magister's challenge, but they still had their scholarly integrity. They wouldn't call a lesson they didn't understand false!
Thus, they went with objective 2, encouraging students to leave! Except… Bun! Bun! What?! Were his students... bunnies?! This guy was actually teaching beasts. What the hell?!
Wait, that wasn't even all. In the corner, there was even a sleeping bear?!
With this, the Specters knew perfectly what to do. They approached the teaching Gray as they began their haunting:
"You're nothing…"
"Your students are beasts…"
"Even they've had enough of you…"
"So boring~ That bear is straight-up sleeping…"
Those bastards: they were trying to sabotage him! Chuckling, Gray perfectly responded. Teaching? Why should it be restricted to humans? Then, as for the sleeping bear…
"Let me teach you about hypnopedia. Some believe that even while asleep, one can retain part of the information they hear subconsciously. Can't you see that he's testing that theory?"
"…."
"…."
"…."
Would a bear actually do that?!
It sounded so wrong, and yet… maybe?!
Utterly overwhelmed by Gray, the poor ghosts settled on plain haunting.
— RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! —
The entire classroom shook.
Then, the walls started oozing blood.
Surely that would be enough to stop him, right?!
One had to know that those weren't just special effects but real burning blood conjured by the very System they tried to prevent the youngster from acquiring. It was terrifying and— ?!?
"Bun! Bun! Bun!" (Blood! Blood! So much blood!)
"Bun! Bun! Bun!" (Good bunnies listen to Master! Good bunnies get blood!)
The Ravenous Bunnies hopped with elation. Yet, even in their crazed enthusiasm, they did not once stop listening to the lecture! They wanted more knowledge. They wanted more blood!
THEY WERE GOOD BUNNIES!
That was the straw that broke the poor ghosts. What the hell was this?! What the hell was all this?! But just as their spirits were growing weaker from the shock:
"You guys are clearly new to this. Let me teach you all about haunting…"
Gray followed it up with everything he knew, from horror stories, first-person horror games, and even spooky creepy pastas.
The more he talked, the more terrified the ghosts became until they suddenly froze in realization.
They were supposed to stop him, not give him even more fuel for his lectures! Now, he was even teaching them?! That's not how any of this was supposed to work!
"M-Monster! He's unstoppable!"
"I can't do this, I'm unqualified."
"Let me rest in peace already!"
— Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! —
One after the other, the ghosts' bodies shattered from the shock and shame. But, with every disappearance… time was suddenly shaved off the counter?!
[Ding! 10:01 Left to Mission's End!]
[Ding! 07:01 Left to Mission's End!]
[Ding! 04:01 Left to Mission's End!]
[Ding! 01:01 Left to Mission's End!]
Until finally…
[Ding! Obtained Teacher System!]
At that moment, a certain star trembled mightily high up in the Hellrand sky.
In fact, it trembled so much that countless Astral Mages would have LOVED to make a thesis about this singular event. Hell, it would have been enough to make them famous!
Sadly for them, none had been watching ever since the Astral Tower had powered down.
They were far too busy trying to get Teacher Eagleye to fess up info about that crazy Tower incident. They knew he was aware of the culprit, yet he refused to speak!
Really a shame that no one was watching…
ɪ-ɪᴍᴘᴏꜱꜱɪʙʟᴇ
ʜ-ʜᴏᴡ?! ʜᴇ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ?!
ɪᴍᴘᴏꜱꜱɪʙʟᴇ! ɪᴍᴘᴏꜱꜱɪʙʟᴇ! ɪᴍᴘᴏꜱꜱɪʙʟᴇ!
But all things being balanced, as a certain star despaired, a handsome teacher was instead rejoicing, happily playing with his new power. He could SEE IT!
It hadn't just been a System Message!
As soon as this had happened: [Ding! Obtained Teacher System!] The entire Classroom had suddenly been transformed! Some kind of all-mighty energy had swept over it.
As for what that energy was? How should he bloody know! He had trouble even detecting regular Mana! In any case, it filled the entire place, seemingly strengthening the building?!
[Ding! Establishing THE Supreme Classroom!]
[In Here Your Power Will be Increased!]
Oh?! Amazing! Good thing he had made it so damn big!
This also explained why he had needed to create a classroom from scratch. Maybe the entire thing was akin to a ritual and had been needed for the whole thing to be possible.
"Hehe. How powerful am I now? Let me see!"
— Punch! Punch! Punch! —
As Gray started punching the air, his students instantly went: "Bun-Bun!" in confusion. Still, they soon copied him, their tiny paws outstretched as mightily as they could.
But Gray soon stopped. He couldn't feel any direct change in his capabilities. Was it something else instead? But just as he was wondering…
[Ding! Congratulations on Becoming a Teacher!]
[Ding! Successfully Learned Chalk Throw!]
[Ding! New Passive: Invincible Teacher!]
That's when he received an incredible rush of information. Hell, it was far more powerful and violent than it had been with the Soul Pond Items!
This was…. AMAZING!
As the knowledge burrowed inside his brain, he could even see System notifications appear before him, each summarizing his new powers perfectly…
[F Tier Chalk Throw!]
[The perfect technique to quell all disruptions. The more your students believe in you, the more powerful it is. *PS: Power multiplied by 1000X in your own classroom!]
This was already pretty good, but the real prize was the next passive. One could say it was more than godlike!
[ S-Rank Invincible Teacher!]
[A teacher teaches, no matter what! All damage will be nullified as long as you're teaching your class! *PS: You will suffer it as soon as your teachings end!]
"T-T-This…. Is INCREDIBLE!"
Gray felt such intense joy that he would have run a mile naked in celebration hadn't he been an esteemed teacher! This wasn't just great, it was perfect for him and akin to a second life!
Hehe, good thing he had actually surrounded his classroom with an exterior courtyard, one that engulfed his entire house. Wouldn't he be invincible when at home?!
"This is the best! With this, I can— NO! Gotta calm down."
Just as he was about to go insane with joy, he forcefully brought himself back to reality. Such a power still had countless vulnerabilities.
1. Deal so much damage that recovering was just impossible
2. Legendary Poison that would flare after he was done teaching
3. Destroy the entire classroom… albeit maybe it would be harder with the System?
Handsome? Always!
Complacent? NEVER!
As he mumbled to himself, Gray looked utterly mad. The earlier constant teaching had seriously affected his body and mind, and his eyes were utterly bloodshot.
Actually, it was already morning, an entire night having passed. By now, his students would be at their new training, right? That left him some time to sleep before—
— BZZZZT! BZZZZT! —
It was his badge vibrating, his students needing him.
Sigh, what kind of trouble was it this time…