C27 He Was Killed by a Magic Instructor

Zhang Xing stepped out of the office just as Cliff returned from applying his medicine. Upon seeing Zhang Xing, Cliff's anger erupted.

"You lowly peasant, brace yourself for the Linde family's relentless vengeance!"

"Better not let me catch you alone!"

Cliff's threat was cut short when he noticed Zhang Xing's raised middle finger, above which hovered a fireball the size of a head. Cliff fell silent.

"Cliff, what are you doing? Get in here now!" Instructor Solina's icy voice pierced the air.

"Just you wait!"

With that, Cliff shoved the office door open and scurried inside in a panic.

Back in the classroom, Zhang Xing ignored the whispers of his classmates, lost in thought. A quarter of an hour later, his eyes settled into a serene gaze. His secret remained safe; Instructor Solina was merely probing him.

Whether out of curiosity or other reasons, he knew he had to stay alert around everyone.

Cliff's threats didn't faze him; he wasn't yet capable of keeping tabs on Zhang Xing.

It was quite a while before Cliff re-entered the classroom, resuming his haughty noble demeanor with a dismissive glance at Zhang Xing before taking his seat.

"Master Clive, are you alright?" whispered the student behind him.

"What could possibly be wrong with me? No one can touch me. Spread the word: anyone who beats up Zhang Xing gets a hundred gold coins. Break one of his arms, five hundred. A leg, a thousand."

"And if both legs are broken?"

"Are you an idiot? Can't you do the math?"

Unaware he was being marked, Zhang Xing feigned interest in his magic fundamentals book. His classmate, eyeing Zhang Xing's pristine new book and then his own tattered one, seethed inwardly, "Why don't you just throw your book away?"

After class, Zhang Xing savored his complimentary dinner before retreating to his dormitory to meditate in solitude.

He had met his roommates just once before, and hadn't seen them since.

In the wee hours, Zhang Xing's eyes snapped open, and he slipped into a fresh set of black clothes. Silently scaling a five-meter wall, he vanished into the night.

No sooner had he left than two more shadows trailed closely behind.

Three silhouettes raced through the darkness, one leading and two tailing.

Half an hour later, Zhang Xing reached the desolate posterior mountain to the north of the academy. Scattered with abandoned mines, the area was now sealed off, the resources exhausted and the miners gone.

In the past, Zhang Xing had summoned Hei Bao here before venturing deeper into the forest to hunt Demonic Beasts.

This occasion was no different. As he prepared to summon Hei Bao, a chilling sensation warned him of danger.

Without a moment's hesitation, he conjured a Protection Stone Skin and a Protection Divine Shield around himself.

Then, casting Expedite Attack, he darted to one side with enhanced speed.

But he wasn't quite fast enough.

A tremendous force flung him over five meters, shattering a half-meter-high rock.

Zhang Xing tumbled twice before swiftly getting to his feet.

"He's unharmed?"

A deep, taunting voice reached Zhang Xing's ears.

"Second Brother, you're an Intermediate Magic Scholar with mastery over the ice system, and yet you can't even take down a kid. Forty years of practice down the drain!"

"Big Brother, did you miss the two primary defensive spells he layered on himself? His spellcasting is impressively quick!"

"Second Brother, he also cast a primary acceleration spell! I didn't catch that! The boy's a rare talent indeed. It'd be a real shame to kill him!"