Chinese professors at the Wizarding Academy

The cold wooden cabin was filled with the smell of mildew and a faint odor of decay. In the corner were piles of dusty utensils and several copies of "Outline of Basic Meditation Methods" with faded covers.

The only source of light was a moss-covered stone embedded in the wall, emitting a pale green glow.

Jim huddled in the farthest corner of the stone chamber, his back against the cold wall, his body still trembling uncontrollably.

He stared intently at Gu Chen with bloodshot eyes, like a frightened young animal.

With each sway of the ominous blood-drop badge around his neck, Jim would sweat a few drops of fear, until his simple apprentice's linen clothes were soaked through.

Gu Chen sat on a creaking wooden stool, expressionless. The face that had shown a moment of gentleness earlier was now only as still as a deep pool.

He looked at Jim, the azure runes subtly shifting in his vision, his discerning eye gleaming with a light that pierced the truth:

[Student: Jim (Already Bound)]

[Mental Strength Aptitude: Sixth Rank (Very Poor)]

【Mental Power: 2】

[Hidden Talent: "Unwavering Will" (Unawakened): Under extreme pressure, mental strength will experience explosive growth.]

Further scanning requires you to upgrade your Eye of the Beholder level.

"Explosive growth?"

Gu Chen stared at Jim, who was huddled in the corner, and fell into deep thought.

This talent is quite remarkable; the only drawback might be that it could negatively impact the teacher-student relationship.

"...Heh, do you want me to be the bad guy?"

As a former Chinese teacher, Gu Chen realized what he needed to do the moment he saw the talent of perseverance.

Gu Chen looked at Jim, a self-deprecating smile appearing on his lips.

As the saying goes, "A strict teacher produces outstanding students..."

"So be a bad guy. As long as you can improve and awaken your hidden talents, that's good enough."

"I'm sorry, I can't teach through entertainment; I can only rely on your talent..."

"Teaching according to aptitude."

To Jim, that smile was a completely different sight, no less horrible than seeing the ogre's teeth, stained with blood and flesh.

Jim's voice was hoarse and broken, tinged with tears:

"My lord...please...let me go...I can't do anything...let me return to the furnace...please..."

He would rather face instant annihilation than suffer in this fear and become material on the blood wizard's experimental table.

Gu Chen stood up, his movements slow yet carrying an invisible pressure.

Ignoring Jim's pleas, he walked to the corner, bent down, and picked up a rusty bone dagger, its blade still gleaming with a chilling light.

Jim's pupils instantly contracted to the size of pinpoints!

A terrified scream got stuck in his throat, leaving only hoarse gasps.

Gu Chen squatted down in front of Jim, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He didn't point the dagger at the boy, but simply placed it casually on the ground at his feet, making a soft "click." The sound was like a thunderclap in the deathly silent stone chamber.

"Jim."

Gu Chen's voice was not loud, his face was smiling, but his tone was cold.

"Look at me."

Jim trembled, but his gaze remained fixed on the bone dagger on the ground.

"The Grey Tower has no mercy."

Gu Chen's voice was like a dull knife cutting flesh.

"The Soul Forge is a dead end. If it falls into my hands, it might also be a dead end, or even... worse."

He paused, looking at the despair churning in Jim's eyes.

"But there is another way—become a novice apprentice."

"impossible……"

Jim shook his head in despair.

"I can't do it... I can't feel anything... I can't even understand basic meditation techniques!"

"You can do it!"

Gu Chen's voice suddenly rose, his smile vanished, and his expression turned stern and undeniably authoritative!

"Because you have no choice! One month! Only one month! If you fail the assessment, the academy will take you back!"

Then he pointed to himself.

"I'll be lying on Alyssa's dissection table! You and I only have one month left!"

"I'm giving you a chance! Do you understand!?"

"I'm a teacher, but my teaching you isn't an act of charity!"

"Once you become my apprentice, I can use your blood to try and break free from the shackles of talent!"

"With this talent... I can now use meditation to enhance my mental strength and meet the requirements for advancement!"

Gu Chen had been here for a month now, and he understood the advancement methods of the Blood Wizard school. Even if one's talent was lacking, it could be forcibly improved through special rituals and materials.

It can be said to be very simple... yet very difficult.

It's just bloodsucking!

Low talent?

no problem!

As long as the blood wizard can get blood, everything will be fine!

Even with the lowest level of sixth-rank talent, you can forcibly improve your talent by absorbing the blood of an apprentice and performing the relevant rituals!

This was exactly what Gu Chen planned...

Therefore, at this moment he must force Jim to improve and put the greatest pressure on him to bring out Jim's talent - "tenacious will"!

Let him improve, and then you can improve yourself!

"But if you don't live up to expectations, then I'll be a cold-blooded wizard just like Elisa!"

"You're such a disappointment! I'll tear you apart alive!"

Gu Chen's face was as cold as ice. He stepped on the wall that Jim was leaning against, and his leather boots almost stomped on Jim's face.

Then she grabbed Jim's collar tightly.

Bending over to look at each other,

He roared out in anger!

"Now, do as I say!"

"The teacher is doing this for your own good!"

Gu Chen picked up the tattered "Outline of Basic Meditation Methods" and turned to the section on basic meditation.

"There are two types of meditation: one is excellent talent combined with a quiet environment..."

"Second, huh..."

"It's a threat of death!"

"When death approaches, when you are under the greatest pressure, that is also when you can best concentrate your mind, focus everything, and condense your will runes!"

Jim trembled from Gu Chen's stern shout.

Gu Chen moved closer to Jim's body again, grabbing Jim's collar with his left hand and holding the bone dagger in his right, slowly sliding it toward Jim's neck!

Jim closed his eyes, and tears silently streamed down his face...

The blood sorcerer had a terrible reputation, and he dared not disobey.

He felt that the so-called "teacher" in front of him really wanted to kill him!

Jim could only desperately try to focus his scattered thoughts by following the instructions in the book.

Darkness…coldness…only endless darkness and bone-chilling fear…nothing at all…

Time passed slowly. The silence in the stone chamber was almost suffocating.

Jim's meditation made no progress; all he could do was breathe increasingly heavily and sob uncontrollably.

"Stop messing around... hurry up and finish your meditation..."

"I've already moved the dagger very slowly. If I get any closer, and Jim makes a sudden move, I'll really slit his throat."

Gu Chen's heart sank, and his brows furrowed deeper and deeper...

He didn't mean to actually apply it to Jim.

This is his only student!

Just to activate a resilient will, I must put the greatest pressure on myself!

Did we really make the wrong bet?

How much pressure is needed to trigger "Resilient Will"?

Just when Gu Chen was about to give up—

Jim's body suddenly convulsed violently!

It wasn't a trembling of fear, but a throbbing from the depths of his soul; beneath his tightly closed eyelids, his eyeballs were rolling wildly!

"cold……"

Jim forced out broken syllables through clenched teeth, his voice filled with incredulous astonishment.

"...So cold...like...like shadows crawling across my skin..."

"I...I felt it..."

[WARNING: Student Jim is experiencing abnormal mental fluctuations! He is on the verge of a breakdown!]

[Special talent "Unwavering Will" triggered!]

[A sudden surge in student Jim's mental strength has been detected!]

[Current mental strength increased by 6 points!]

[“Teaching and Learning Go Hand in Hand” triggered! Gained 1 “Analysis Points”!]

Become!

Gu Chen's eyes flashed with a sharp light! Without the slightest hesitation, his mind instantly locked onto the only spell he was somewhat proficient in—[Blood Absorption (Beginner)]!

[Consumed 1 Analysis Point, Analysis of "Blood Extraction" (Beginner)... Completed]

[Mastery of "Blood Extraction" has been increased to (Proficient)!]

Countless subtle details about blood manipulation, intricate paths of energy flow, and optimized structures of spells flooded into Gu Chen's consciousness like a sudden enlightenment!

He felt his understanding of the spell had instantly reached a whole new level! It was as if he had practiced it hundreds of times! He could precisely control the speed, direction, and even the composition of the target's blood! The mana consumption was also greatly reduced!

"call……"

Gu Chen exhaled a long breath, his fingertips unconsciously tracing a line of extremely faint blood flashing across his fingertip before disappearing instantly.

Mastery level! This is a qualitative leap!

On the ground, after shouting "Cold," Jim seemed to have exhausted all his strength, his head lolled to the side, and he passed out.

But the deep-seated fear on his pale face seemed to have dissipated somewhat, replaced by an incredulous astonishment.

Is it the shock of realizing that I'm not a complete failure after all?

Gu Chen looked at the unconscious Jim, then at the faint magical fluctuations remaining on his fingertips. Jim's spirit was almost crushed.

But the benefits are enormous...

His mental strength increased rapidly, by a full 6 points!

"As long as your mental strength reaches 10 points, you will be able to become a beginner apprentice."

"Now, I need to go to the academy to get you some medicine to quickly restore your mental state, as well as other materials for your studies."

"You can do it, Jim. Your teacher will try her best to teach you well, for your sake and for my own."

At this moment, Gu Chen looked at Jim, and as he conceived his next plan, he revealed a smile that could be described as gratified.