Chapter 248 - 247 : The sexy professor
Only two days remained until the Inter-Academy Competition.
The pressure surrounding Celestias Academy had become impossible to ignore.
Students trained until their muscles screamed.
Professors pushed their disciples beyond their usual limits.
Rankers from every year spent their days discussing formations, studying opposing academies, testing their skills, and preparing for the battles ahead.
No one wanted to fail.
Not with Athena’s threat of expulsion hanging over them.
Not when their futures, reputations, and positions within the academy were at stake.
And within the eastern training grounds, one particular group was being pushed harder than anyone else.
Arthur ran.
He moved around the vast training field at full speed, his black shirt clinging lightly to his body as the wind tore through his dark hair. His crimson eyes remained focused ahead, and his breathing stayed controlled despite the countless laps he had already completed.
One lap.
Then another.
Then another.
His footsteps struck the ground in a relentless rhythm.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
He looked less like a student training and more like a machine that had forgotten what exhaustion was.
On the side of the field, four girls and one boy lay sprawled across the grass and stone path.
They were completely exhausted.
Isabella, Evangline, Julia, and Aaron had been training alongside Arthur since morning, and their bodies had already reached their limits.
Isabella wore a sleeveless white athletic top and fitted black training shorts. The outfit was light enough for fast movement, but after hours of running, sweat clung to her platinum-colored hair and pale skin.
Evangline wore a magenta sports top beneath a loose, cropped training jacket, along with flexible black leggings. Her long magenta hair was tied back, though several loose strands had escaped and stuck to her sweaty cheeks.
Julia wore a dark-blue sleeveless training top and fitted shorts that allowed her to move freely. Her face was flushed from exhaustion, and every breath came out unevenly.
Aaron wore a comfortable dark-gray athletic shirt and black training pants. His clothes fit him well without restricting his movement, but he looked worse than everyone else.
He lay flat on his back, staring blankly at the sky as though he had already accepted his fate.
A few male students had gathered nearby.
They had no reason to be on this part of the training ground.
Yet they stood there with shameless grins, pretending to stretch or discuss combat strategies while openly staring at the exhausted girls.
Isabella noticed them first.
Her brows furrowed.
But she was too tired to chase them away.
The group continued taking deep breaths as though their lives depended on it.
Isabella wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked toward Arthur.
"Seriously, what the hell kind of monster is he?"
Her voice was weak.
"How long has he been running? And how many laps has it been?"
Evangline tucked a strand of magenta hair behind her ear.
"I do not know. Hundreds, maybe."
She stared at Arthur as he completed another lap.
"Or maybe more. Who knows? That guy has become something else entirely."
Aaron, breathing harder than everyone else, slowly raised one finger.
"It has been two hundred and ninety-one laps," he said.
Julia looked at him in disbelief.
"Were you even counting?"
Aaron nodded seriously.
"What if Arthur asks me later?"
Julia sighed.
"You are a lost cause."
Isabella let out a tired laugh.
"Leave him alone. That guy has become a real fanboy."
Aaron’s exhausted face suddenly brightened with pride.
"At least you understand."
Then Evangline added casually, "And a creep too."
Aaron’s mouth twitched.
He looked as though he wanted to defend himself but did not have enough oxygen left to form an argument.
Evangline pointed toward the far side of the training field.
"But forget about him. What about those guys?"
Several meters behind Arthur, three boys were running.
Or at least, they were trying to run.
Victor, Aiden, and Damian were far behind Arthur, barely managing to keep pace.
Their clothes were soaked in sweat.
Their breathing was ragged.
Their legs shook with every step.
Yet none of them stopped.
Aiden had somehow moved ahead of Victor and Damian, his white hair completely drenched. His eyes remained sharp despite his exhaustion, and he kept muttering the same words between breaths.
"I will never lose to him..."
Damian’s expression was twisted with frustration.
"I will never lose to both of you "
Victor gritted his teeth.
"I will never lose to all you bastards.."
The three of them ran like zombies possessed by hatred, pride, and unhealthy obsession.
Arthur suddenly stopped.
He stood near Isabella, Evangline, Julia, and Aaron, barely breathing hard.
Then he looked toward Aaron.
"How many does that make, Aaron?"
Aaron immediately sat upright.
A smug smile appeared on his face as he looked toward the three girls.
"Exactly three hundred."
Arthur nodded.
"Is that so?"
He stretched his arms.
"Well, it looks like that is enough running for today."
Isabella immediately dropped backward onto the grass.
"Finally. I thought I was going to collapse from dehydration."
She looked down at herself.
"I am sweating everywhere too."
Evangline suddenly narrowed her eyes.
"Wait."
Arthur looked toward her.
"You ran the most laps, but I do not see even a single drop of sweat on you."
The others looked at Arthur.
It was true.
Arthur had run three hundred laps at an absurd pace.
Yet his clothes were clean.
His breathing was steady.
And his body did not look overheated at all.
Arthur smiled.
Then a faint wave of mana spread from his body.
The temperature around Isabella, Evangline, Julia, and Aaron changed.
The uncomfortable heat within their bodies began to disappear.
The sweat covering their skin evaporated gently, not through intense heat, but through a precise adjustment of the surrounding thermal energy.
Their body temperatures stabilized.
The burning sensation in their muscles weakened.
Their breathing became easier.
A cool, refreshing feeling spread through them.
Isabella’s eyes widened.
Evangline looked down at her dry hands.
Julia touched her forehead in surprise.
Even Aaron, who had looked ready to die a moment ago, suddenly sat upright.
"What was that?" Aaron asked.
Arthur smiled.
"Nothing. It is just a new ability I gained."
He raised one hand.
"I can control thermal energy."
Everyone listened.
"Simply put, I can decide how hot or cold something becomes. I am still training it, so there are many things I need to understand."
Julia’s mouth hung open.
"Correct me if I am wrong, but is that not completely overpowered?"
Arthur looked toward her.
"You could make someone explode from the inside," Julia continued. "Or freeze them to death without even doing anything."
Arthur shrugged.
"As I said before, I am still learning how to use it. And it is not as easy as it sounds."
He looked at his hand.
"To directly manipulate someone’s internal temperature at full power, I usually need physical contact."
Arthur pointed toward the group.
"What I did just now was different. I simply removed the excess heat from the area around you and controlled the temperature there, which helped stabilize your body temperatures."
Evangline nodded slowly.
Then she gave him a mischievous smile.
"So you are basically a walking air conditioner."
Arthur’s mouth twitched.
"A what?"
Before Evangline could answer, another wave of mana burst from Arthur.
The air around Evangline suddenly became scorching hot.
Her face turned red.
Heat wrapped around her body.
Her skin felt as though it might melt.
"Hey! Hey, hey, hey!"
Evangline flailed her arms.
"You bastard! Turn it down before you deep-fry me!"
Arthur laughed and immediately returned the temperature to normal.
Cool air swept around Evangline.
She stood there for a moment, breathing heavily.
Then she walked toward Arthur and smacked him on the head.
"I thought I was going to have a heart attack!"
Arthur rubbed his head.
"But you are alive, right?"
Evangline raised her fist again.
Arthur quickly stepped away.
Before she could continue arguing, a voice came from behind them.
"It looks like you have completed your laps."
Everyone turned.
A woman entered the training grounds.
She wore a striking violet combat suit designed to be as alluring as it was functional. The fitted material hugged her athletic figure closely, leaving little to the imagination while allowing complete freedom of movement. The sides of the suit were cut higher around her waist and hips, exposing glimpses of skin, while the upper section featured a deep, open neckline that revealed more of her chest and shoulders. The sleek fabric accentuated her narrow waist and curved hips, while the high boots drew attention to her long legs. Reinforced gloves and subtle armor panels preserved its combat-ready appearance, but the daring cuts and revealing design gave the outfit a provocative confidence that made her look more dangerous look.
Her long violet hair flowed behind her.
Her eyes, the same deep violet color, shone with a dangerous charm.
The moment she stepped onto the training ground, nearly every boy nearby stared at her.
Some forgot to breathe.
Some forgot why they were there.
Others openly gawked at her without shame.
Arthur had managed to convince Athena to appoint Astarte as a temporary instructor.
Athena had been suspicious and wary from the beginning.
Arthur could tell that Athena knew Astarte was a demon.
But she likely did not know the full truth.
She did not know that Astarte was a Demon Lord Catastrophe.
A being capable of destroying an entire country if she ever stopped holding back.
Arthur smiled as Astarte approached.
"Professor Astarte. I completed all the laps."
It was Astarte.
She had taken the temporary instructor position at Celestia Academy, but it was obvious that she had another reason for accepting the job.
Aiden.
She used her new authority as an excuse to put her brother through terrifying training, constantly claiming that he was weak as hell.
As if summoned by that thought, Aiden came running toward them.
He looked like he was dying.
His legs gave out the moment he reached Astarte.
He collapsed in front of her.
"Sis," Aiden gasped. "I completed it."
He raised one trembling hand.
"Three hundred laps. Just like that bastard."
Astarte’s cold expression softened immediately.
She crouched down and hugged him.
"That is my baby. Good job."
Aiden’s face was pressed against Astarte’s chest.
Despite being completely exhausted, he gave Arthur a smug smile.
It was clearly meant to provoke him.
Arthur’s eyebrow twitched.
’Is that pervert trying to make me jealous just because he got a little praise?’
Astarte looked around.
"Where are the others?"
Arthur pointed toward the academy buildings.
"Most of them have academy instructors who accepted them as disciples. They are training with their masters."
He gestured toward the students gathered with him.
"The ones without personal instructors are here."
Astarte nodded.
"Good. I do not like noisy crowds anyway."
Just then, Damian and Victor finally arrived.
They collapsed near Aiden.
"Professor," Damian said between ragged breaths. "We have finished too."
Victor only raised a hand weakly.
Astarte clicked her tongue.
Aiden immediately straightened himself.
Astarte looked toward all of them.
"You have good stamina," she said. "But in a prolonged battlefield, good stamina will not be enough."
The students listened carefully.
"You will be pushed to your limits. Sometimes, you may have to fight for hours. Sometimes, days."
Her gaze became serious.
"You may have no food. No water. No rest."
The training ground fell silent.
"In those conditions, what keeps you alive is the raw mana in the atmosphere."
Astarte raised one hand.
"You need to learn how to absorb it continuously, refine it, and convert it into usable energy for your body."
As she finished speaking, Astarte inhaled.
The atmosphere trembled.
Mana began gathering around her.
At first, it was only a faint movement.
Then it became a vortex.
An enormous amount of raw mana rushed toward Astarte from every direction. It poured into her body like a raging whirlpool, drawn toward her by an invisible force.
The pressure in the air increased.
The ground beneath her feet cracked slightly.
Then, in an instant, the mana disappeared.
It had been absorbed.
Refined.
Converted into pure energy.
Astarte stood there calmly as though she had done nothing unusual.
The students stared at her in awe.
"Like that."
Her voice was calm.
"You should not only absorb mana when you are running low. You need to be able to take in vast amounts instantly, refine it, and continue fighting at the same time."
She looked at them one by one.
"Master this, and even when your body has exhausted its physical reserves, you will still have enough energy to keep moving."
For a few seconds, no one spoke.
Then the students began clapping.
Even Arthur watched Astarte with surprise.
’Wow. She is really getting into this teacher thing.’
Arthur smiled faintly.
’No one would believe she is a Demon Lord who could destroy an entire country in the blink of an eye.’
Aiden looked toward Astarte with pride.
His older sister was powerful.
Terrifyingly powerful.
And for once, he was glad to see her teaching rather than forcing him into another impossible battle.
Astarte looked at the group.
"That is enough for today."
The students seemed relieved.
"Go rest. Practice what I taught you, and come find me if you have any questions."
Everyone bowed.
"Thank you, Professor."
They began to leave.
Arthur watched them for a moment.
Then he looked toward Astarte.
"Professor, how about a spar?"
Astarte paused.
Arthur smiled.
"I got some new toys to test, and you are perfect for it."
The footsteps of the departing students stopped.
Everyone turned around.
Their eyes widened.
Astarte smiled widely.
She looked toward Aiden and the others.
"Watch carefully."
Her violet eyes gleamed with excitement.
"You might learn a thing or two."