Chapter 74: The Beloved Daphne
Staring at the vaguely visible figure in the crowd, Erika wasn’t entirely sure, but that silhouette really looked like Jocelyn!
Although she had only seen Jocelyn once, the woman had stolen her Dragon Core Crystal.
Erika had already memorized her face and figured it out in detail.
She immediately turned and dashed toward the direction of the figure without a moment’s hesitation.
It was right before class, and many students were heading into their classrooms. The corridors on both floors were nearly jam-packed.
Erika’s petite frame wove rapidly through the crowd, and along the way, she accidentally bumped into a particularly brawny student.
“Damn! Who the hell walks without looking and steps on my foot?!”
The man cursed loudly, but when he looked down and saw a girl as beautiful as a fairy, his anger slightly faded.
“Sorry, please move aside.”
He had just intended to use this chance to strike up a conversation, but Erika didn’t even glance at him and shoved him aside.
She had no time to deal with anyone now—her gaze was locked onto the figure that resembled Jocelyn.
Was that really Jocelyn?
If it was… why had she come to Wode Academy?
Though Jocelyn appeared young—and the academy did have students of her apparent age—based on her abilities, she was on par with Gladys.
She had no reason to study here. Could she be a new teacher?
Then what was her real purpose in coming here?
Did she still have the Dragon Core Crystal?
With a heart full of questions, Erika was eager to catch the woman who had stolen her Dragon Core Crystal.
“Hey! Girl, I’m talking to you! You think you can just walk off after stepping on me?”
Just then, the student she had bumped into grabbed Erika by the shoulder.
“Let go!”
Erika struggled a bit.
But the guy’s grip was so strong that Erika couldn’t break free right away.
“Let go? Not unless you tell me your name and address. Otherwise, I won’t let go.”
“Get lost!”
Angered, Erika furrowed her brows. Without another word, she turned and kicked him right between the legs.
Maybe he hadn’t expected her to suddenly attack. He failed to react in time and took the hit directly.
Unfortunately, even then, the guy didn’t release her. His face twisted in pain, and he started swearing loudly.
“Damn! You really went for it, huh?!”
Still refusing to let go, Erika grew anxious. She raised her foot again and kicked hard.
“I said let go!”
But just as her foot swung toward him, his large hand caught it precisely. Off balance, Erika fell to the ground with a thud.
“Ow!”
A burning pain shot through her backside. Erika rubbed it gently.
Now wasn’t the time to deal with this guy. She quickly got up and ran toward where the figure had been.
Her eyes darted left and right—but Erika had to admit with frustration that the Jocelyn-like figure had already disappeared into the sea of people.
She’d lost her!
Damn it! All because of that interfering bastard!
Rubbing her sore behind, Erika turned and glared at the guy who had caused her fall.
The man was quite muscular, his body shaped like a fitness coach. After accidentally making Erika fall, he had followed behind her.
Seeing Erika’s furious glare, he looked a bit embarrassed.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to. My name’s Rory Dawn. I just wanted to make friends.”
“Heh.”
Erika let out a cold laugh, her anger flaring. Just seeing him made her want to punch him square in the face.
“Um… beautiful lady, if you don’t mind, could you tell me your name?” Rory asked cautiously.
Taking a deep breath, Erika closed her eyes.
This is the academy… This is the academy…
She chanted silently to herself, doing her best to suppress the fury inside.
This was the first time she had ever felt the urge to hit someone.
“Hmm? Did you hear me? I asked your name.”
“I’m calling your mother!!!”
“???”
After cursing him out, Erika turned and marched toward her classroom.
In the corridor, Rory was left standing there dumbfounded.
He stared blankly at Erika’s back and muttered to himself,
“What… what a fiery girl… I like her…”
…
Back in the classroom, Erika sat down, utterly gloomy.
She had been so close to catching up with that figure, but then that idiot popped up like some kind of comic foil and messed everything up.
If she had known, she would’ve just used her magic and shaken him off!
Crossing her legs, Erika rested her elbow on the desk, propping her face with her palm. Her beautiful face was full of frustration, like she was ready to bite someone.
She remained the center of attention for most in the classroom.
But seeing the "stay away from me" expression on her face, no one dared approach.
The classroom was packed, and the students all held notebooks and pens. Everyone knew the compulsory class was taught by Teacher Daphne, so they came well prepared—only Erika came empty-handed.
The boys were especially eager, waiting with excitement for Daphne’s arrival.
Footsteps echoed at the door, and Daphne gracefully entered the classroom.
The moment she stepped in, cheers erupted from the boys.
“Yes! Finally, Daphne’s class!”
“Teacher Daphne, I love you!”
…
Some inappropriate comments rang out—it was clear how popular Daphne was among the students.
“All right, everyone, please quiet down.”
Spreading her hands, Daphne wore her signature smile. “In today’s class, I will teach you a method for advancing your magic power. This is one of the most important courses for mages, so I hope everyone listens quietly. Understood?”
“Yes, teacher!”
“Don’t worry, teacher! If anyone dares to interrupt you, I’ll teach them a lesson myself!”
“Me too!”
The boys hooted in agreement, and the girls respectfully nodded.
Seeing this, Daphne chuckled softly.
“All right, thank you for your cooperation. Just stay quiet. Before we begin the lesson, I want to tell you a story.”
“Yay! I love stories the most!”
“Me too—and it’s from Teacher Daphne! Awesome!”
“Shhh.”
Pressing her jade-like finger to her lips, Daphne blinked playfully and said, “Keep quiet~”
At once, everyone obeyed her, and the classroom fell completely silent.
Smiling, Daphne began her lecture.
“You all must have read the Chronicles of the Origin Era, right? Even if some of you haven’t, you should at least know some history.
That’s right—the Aarlan Empire’s history only spans a few hundred years. Before that, humanity was in a chaotic era of warlords and division.
And before the chaotic era—do you know what came then?”
The students shook their heads.
“It was the ancient age of the Gods.
The extraordinary powers of this world came from that era.
Magic is one such extraordinary power. It was originally a force hidden in nature, and it was only through human discovery, step by step, that it was eventually passed down through generations.
So the history of extraordinary powers is even older and more mysterious than human history…”