Chapter 243: Instructor Prosecution - 2

---In Aurelius Academy Headquarters---

"Hm? Someone filed a complaint against an instructor..." An old man with pale green hair and a yellow badge muttered as he skimmed through the AAA application, his brows knitting slightly.

"Must be some fresher whining about unfair treatment... tsk. Still, let’s take a look anyway."

Beside him stood a much younger man with a purple badge pinned neatly to his chest—clearly an assistant professor—while the pale-green-haired man was a full professor.

As the recorded footage began to play, the assistant’s lazy posture straightened, his interest clearly piqued.

"Oh?" His eyes narrowed as he leaned closer to the screen. "This time... this instructor really got caught badly. I think we need to take action." He paused, then glanced at the name of the complainant.

"Leo? Why does that sound familiar..."

"Leo?" Brant, who was sitting across the room and lazily flipping through a stack of documents, raised his head.

The old man with pale green hair also froze for a moment, a flicker of recognition passing through his eyes.

"Wait—Leo? That boy with the soul-related talent?" He turned his head slightly. "Ford, check his details."

Ford quickly pulled up the profile, his fingers moving swiftly.

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "It’s him. The first—no, now second-ranked fresher!"

---

Back in Leo’s territory, Shub was pinned helplessly to the ground, his limbs spread awkwardly as thick vines coiled around him like iron shackles. Not far away, a huge, bulky humanoid beast made of perpetually melting sand was crushed beneath Singham’s feet. Singham had unleashed his full 10-meter form, his massive frame completely dwarfing the sand construct.

Sandune Hermit (Mid 3-star) – Mortal Bloodline

Shub stared in disbelief, his face twisted in sheer agony and confusion at how everything had gone so wrong. First, his sand powers had refused to respond. Then, in the very next moment, that same sand had turned against him. When he summoned his beast, it behaved erratically—almost stupidly—and was defeated by Singham with humiliating ease. To make matters worse, the fall from 100 meters had left his body riddled with broken bones.

And now, the man he despised stood over him, a dagger pressed lightly against his chin, its cold edge sending shivers through his spine as Leo stared down at him with an emotionless, menacing gaze.

That’s right—his sand power had failed because of Howl. Sand was a sub-element of Earth, and Howl’s manipulation skill over Earth made suppressing Shub effortless.

Shub’s phone rang continuously, a sharp alarm blaring again and again, ordering him to return to the academy immediately. But it was pointless—Leo had him completely restrained, the vines tightening whenever he struggled.

Leo was just about to speak when a sudden sense of danger prickled across his skin. He felt a presence closing in at tremendous speed. Leon’s expression hardened instantly; he pulled Miho closer and layered an aura barrier around them, reinforcing it in anticipation of an attack.

But—

"Don’t worry," Leo said calmly, squinting into the distance. "They won’t attack... probably."

Skyrend Eagle (Intermediate 5-star) – Noble Bloodline [Storm Variant]

It was Brant’s beast. Leo watched as 3 figures stood atop its back, the massive wings beating once before the eagle descended.

The moment they landed, the younger-looking man stepped forward without hesitation and went straight for Shub.

"Ugly rascal."

He tore Shub free from Leo’s vines as if they were nothing more than fragile spider threads. Grabbing him by the collar, he lifted Shub effortlessly until their faces were level. Then—

Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. S. S. S.

Within 1 second, both of Shub’s cheeks were swollen red, tears instantly forming in his eyes. The slaps were so fast that no one was even able to see Ford’s hand

"You get a 3 million fine and a permanent demotion to trainer," Ford said coldly. "Not only that, but your territory and assets will be confiscated, and your members will be disbanded." His lips curled into an unsettling grin.

"I sincerely hope your territory treated people fairly. Because if even a single person is found in poor condition... you already know what will happen. You are aware of punishers, right?"

At the mention of punishers, Shub’s crying expression froze, morphing instantly into pure horror.

"N—!" He didn’t even get the chance to finish before his body was suddenly launched away, hurtling toward a nearby boulder. Its launch was so fast, it felt like a blink movement.

The students’ eyes widened in shock—even Leo’s.

W-what the hell is this speed?! I didn’t even see him move!

Leo thought.

Ford had moved as if his body itself blinked through space.

Once again, Leo was reminded just how vast the world truly was. His gaze drifted to the badge on Ford’s chest.

An assistant professor? Shouldn’t he be a 4-star being? Then why can’t I read his movements at all?

His thoughts were interrupted as the remaining figures descended from the black eagle’s back.

"Ford, stop showing off in front of the kids." An aged but steady voice rang out.

Leo turned and saw an old man with pale green hair step forward, his dignified presence radiating authority and respect.

"Haha, brat, so this is where you’ve formed your territory?" Brant said, glancing around curiously. His gaze lingered on the mound beneath his feet, and a flicker of understanding crossed his face as his grin widened. The other old man seemed to sense something as well, but before he could speak, Brant placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Brat, meet him. Professor Gunther. A soul specialist—more like someone who married the subject."

Gunther sneered.

"Geezer, I’m perfectly capable of introducing myself."

Brant raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Oh? I thought you lost your communication skills after being holed up for so long."

Gunther scowled, clearly annoyed, but before he could retort, the students hurriedly greeted them and paid their respects.

The old men nodded, then turned their attention toward the culprits—Shub and the sophomores’ siblings as Leo explained the matter. But Ford suddenly burst out laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" He pointed openly at Karen’s distorted figure and Vorin’s and Shub’s pitiful states.

"So stupid. So fucking stupid. AHAHAHA!"

"Starting fights out of sheer idiocy, getting beaten up for it—and to cherry it off, getting crushed by freshers who haven’t even been in the academy for a month. HAHAHAHA. Fucking deserved."

Karen continued sobbing quietly, while Vorin and Shub hung their heads in shame.

After explanations and brief discussions, Gunther finally approached Leo.

"So, kid," he said, studying him closely, "interested in helping me with my research?"

Leo blinked, caught off guard.

"What research?"

"Nothing complicated. I’ll just study your talent and how it works." Gunther paused, then added, "As repayment, I’ll teach you some soul techniques."

Brant immediately seized the opportunity.

"Might as well teach him telekinesis and close combat, too. Better yet—take him as your personal student."