“Alright, class dismissed.”
Aya Tone wasn’t surprised by Shen Sirong’s choice to surrender. ‘Perfect, an early dismissal. Lucky.’
‘When it comes to battles, at their current stage, a balanced approach truly isn’t as effective as an extreme one. With insufficient strength, they couldn’t possibly achieve team coordination. And judging by Shen Sirong’s cowardly demeanor, he likely wouldn’t dare use his magic artifact again. Feigning chivalry, hmph!’
‘Ultimately, facing her, the “final boss,” was no different from before. It wasn’t even as surprising as the previous class.’
‘All four of them had focused their studies entirely on offensive aspects, possessing only a superficial understanding of defensive magic. Without protection, Li Zixin wouldn’t dare attempt magic fusion again. This, in turn, meant they had lost the only means of truly impacting Aya Tone.’
‘Perhaps a full-offense build had its merits. But when facing an opponent far superior to themselves, this advantage would be infinitely diminished. This was their choice, and Aya Tone respected it.’
‘Should they eventually choose to become adventurers and enter dungeons, his advice would be to acquire more defensive items. Of course, finding a reliable party to protect them while they dealt damage was also a good option, but unfortunately, Aya Tone had no experience in team play; he was a one-man party. The all-powerful Magical Girl!’
Leaving the training grounds, Aya Tone headed straight for the principal’s office. Reporting his intentions was crucial; if he did it now, he might even be able to conduct practical combat training that very afternoon.
****
“Knock, knock!”
The door to the principal’s office was rapped from outside, causing Deng Hongcheng, who was savoring his tea, to glance up slightly.
“Come in.”
“Principal!”
Aya Tone pushed open the door, his gaze falling directly on Deng Hongcheng.
“Ah, Teacher Aya Tone,” Deng Hongcheng said, setting down his teacup. “Have you come to submit your self-criticism report?”
Aya Tone’s hand, which had been closing the door, paused slightly. His eyes darted around, and he finally recalled that such a matter existed. ‘Well… I remembered it, but… I forgot.’
“Hmm, just a moment,” Aya Tone mumbled, pretending to search his person.
He checked all his pockets and collar, deliberately avoiding the four-dimensional pocket behind him. ‘If I found it, I’d have no excuse, after all.’
“Oh dear, where could it have gone?” he exclaimed, his eyes wide with a feigned urgency, as if trying to prove something.
“Alright, alright, I knew you wouldn’t take it to heart,” Deng Hongcheng said with a chuckle. “Here, I’ve already prepared it for you.”
He pulled a piece of composition paper from his drawer. The word count on it was neither too much nor too little, stopping precisely at the eight-hundred-word mark.
The sprawling, crooked handwriting on it… One didn’t even need to read it to know the content had been penned under extreme reluctance. ‘Who knows which poor soul was punished and then coerced into writing it on his behalf.’
“Thank you, Principal! But you have to believe me, I *did* write it!” he insisted with a serious expression.
“Yes, yes, yes, you wrote it, but you accidentally lost it on the way here, didn’t you?” Deng Hongcheng had been in the education sector for so many years; how could he not see through Aya Tone’s little schemes?
“Eh! Principal, you’re practically psychic! How did you know that on the high-speed train, some child inexplicably opened the window, and my self-criticism report just blew out of my bag?”
“Heh heh,” Deng Hongcheng chuckled serenely. ‘Other students claim their homework was torn up by a dog when they turn it in; you’re claiming the window opened on a high-speed train?’
Still, he found it difficult to dwell on the matter, as he was also a beneficiary in this particular situation. Further entanglement might complicate things, potentially leading to more trouble than it was worth.
“We’ll let it slide this time, but be more careful next time. Don’t use S-class power in low-level training grounds, or I’ll dock your pay!” Deng Hongcheng said with a good-natured laugh, making a joke. After all, what S-class individual would fear such a trivial matter as a docked salary? The very idea would make people laugh for a day.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing his words, Aya Tone’s expression instantly froze. His restless hands gripped the corner of his clothes tightly.
“Uh…”
‘Surely, that’s not actually a thing, is it?’
Deng Hongcheng casually touched his smooth forehead. ‘Sweating…’
“Um, Teacher Aya Tone, is there something you needed to see me about?”
Having inadvertently stepped on two landmines, Deng Hongcheng decided it was best to let his guest choose the topic. He feared that if he continued speaking, his principal’s office might become the next vanishing training ground.
“Ah, well, about that…” ‘As long as it’s not about my salary, anything is fine.’ Aya Tone also remembered the purpose of his visit.
“I feel the students’ training isn’t very effective. We’re a combat academy! Combat should be our focus, with culture as a supplement!”
Deng Hongcheng pondered this, then said, “Tell me your thoughts.”
‘Heh heh, finally, to the main point.’ “Are you familiar with the teaching model of the Imperial City’s North Garden University?”
Deng Hongcheng replied, “Yes, I am. We also plan to emulate their credit system… Are you suggesting we conduct the academy’s practical combat classes inside dungeons?”
Deng Hongcheng truly lived up to his reputation as a seasoned veteran; he understood instantly. ‘But… the academy is just starting, and these are children who awakened less than a year ago… Wouldn’t that be a bit too hasty?’ He couldn’t help but furrow his brows.
“Ah, no,” Aya Tone shook his head. “I want to conduct *my* classes inside dungeons.”
He could guarantee his ability to protect his students, but he couldn’t make the same promise for others.
Upon hearing this, Deng Hongcheng finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. Scholars had long proposed that practical combat was the fastest path to strength enhancement. However, situations in dungeons changed in an instant, and if something went wrong, they couldn’t bear the responsibility. At the very least, they needed to wait until the students could protect themselves. But now that Teacher Aya Tone had put forth this educational request, perhaps… The influence of an S-class powerhouse far outweighed that of a mere principal like himself. A glint of wisdom flickered in Deng Hongcheng’s eyes.
“Your idea is very good, but… I still need to discuss it with others before I can give you an answer,” he said, not agreeing outright.
Although he was the principal, he wasn’t solely in charge of all campus matters. When faced with a decision involving a certain degree of risk, it was always better to proceed with caution. In his position, nothing was as simple as it seemed on the surface; there were many intricate interpersonal dynamics at play.
“Understood, that’s fine.”
Aya Tone hadn’t expected immediate approval anyway.
‘Ugh, I should have come yesterday. Lost a day of training opportunity, what a pity.’ ‘Indeed, it was the lost training opportunity that was regrettable, not the money he didn’t earn for a day. Money, and all that, was merely an added bonus; his main goal was to help these children grow quickly. Especially after watching the amateurish sparring session that morning. They lacked experience and were too hesitant when acting.’
‘Perhaps it was because their opponents were human, but they seemed unable to let loose, always holding back their strength. Only Shen Sirong and Huo Ren, those two lads—one playing dirty tricks, the other acting purely without thought—were somewhat interesting to watch. As for the others… it was hard to describe.’
“Oh, right!”
‘Since I’m already here, I might as well mention the teleportation registration. Riding in Uncle Ming’s car every time is nerve-wracking. It’s just too dangerous.
I think the.students.deserve a better teacher