C24 You Are as Lowly as a Dog

Zhang Xing remained unfazed by his classmates' ridicule. They thought he was poor, and he knew that the poor were mocked both on Earth and here. In a society ruled by an emperor, with its rigid hierarchy, the poor remained poor through the generations, with no status to speak of. They were even less regarded than a noble family's watchdog.

For someone like Zhang Xing, endowed with magical talent, gaining admission to the Magic Academy meant shedding his impoverished identity and ascending to a life far above his former station. Yet this "luxurious" life was luxurious only by the standards of the poor. To the nobility, he was merely a subordinate, albeit one with a slightly higher status than a common servant.

"Zhang Xing, cut the act. Have you even seen what wolf meat looks like? You probably haven't even caught a whiff of it!" Cliff taunted him once more.

A few of the poorer students joined in the mockery, eager to curry favor with Cliff.

Zhang Xing opened his textbook, "Primary Magic: Theoretical Foundations," and began to read, dismissing the petty squabble as beneath him.

The class interpreted his quiet demeanor as cowardice.

Seizing the moment, two of the less affluent students stood up and loudly berated Zhang Xing, hoping to ingratiate themselves with Cliff.

"Zhang Xing, don't be so hardheaded. It's an honor for Master Clive to take notice of you. If you're willing to serve the Young Master, you could have anything you desire!"

"Exactly. You're clueless, Zhang Xing. Master Clive has sought you out three times. Stop turning him away!"

Cliff listened and gave a slight nod of approval to the two students.

These students were desperate to be seen as Cliff's lackeys. However, Cliff was still evaluating them, as their magical talents were unremarkable, and his family had no shortage of such underlings.

"Silence! What do you think you are? So base, aren't you ashamed? You grovel like dogs, and the master you seek is no better."

Instructor Solina arrived at the classroom door just in time to hear Zhang Xing's retort. She nearly let out a laugh.

This kid is hilarious. Solina quietly hid behind the door, refraining from entering the classroom right away.

"Zhang Xing!"

The two ten-year-old students from impoverished backgrounds were at a loss for words.

Their classmates, who had been enjoying the spectacle, erupted into laughter.

Slowly, the laughter subsided until the entire class fell silent. The students ducked their heads, hiding their faces behind books while sneaking glances.

Many students began to grasp the implications of what had been said.

Cliff's face darkened, flushed with anger, his entire body shaking. His fists were clenched tightly; he was seething. The laughter ceased.

Cliff was enraged. A mere kid from the slums had the audacity to insult the son of a Duke!

Was there no law in this place? Outside the Magic Academy, Cliff's bodyguards would have already seized Zhang Xing, delivered a swift beating, and then dragged him off to the Cliff Family for punishment.

It was the first time he'd been called a dog, and the insult cut deep.

He had always taken pleasure in berating servants and the impoverished.

But being cursed by someone poor ignited a fury within him like never before. His noble dignity had been callously trampled upon, and that was something he could not tolerate!

"Great God of Fire! I need your assistance, please bestow upon me your power!"

Cliff murmured the incantation under his breath, preparing to cast a primary Fireball spell.

"Perish!"