The next morning, sunlight streamed through the arched windows, once again illuminating Classroom A101.
Sefina appeared punctually at the classroom door.
Today, she wore a different outfit—a light blue, sheer silk dress layered over a lining. The hem swayed gently with her steps.
She still wore pristine white calf socks and a pair of polished black leather shoes.
This attire, combined with her petite figure and delicate features, should have made her look even sweeter and more charming.
However, the moment she pushed open the classroom door, an eerie silence greeted her.
Unlike the bustling, market-like chaos before class yesterday, the room was so quiet today that one could hear a pin drop.
Almost every student sat upright in their seat, their gazes either anxious or expectant, all fixed on the doorway.
Even those few unruly troublemakers from yesterday had quieted down considerably—at least on the surface.
Good.
Sefina nodded slightly in her heart. It seemed yesterday’s “kill the chicken to warn the monkey” demonstration of absolute power had worked effectively.
This group of formerly arrogant students had finally learned a preliminary lesson about classroom discipline.
The students looked at Teacher Sefina with complicated feelings.
Her outfit, appearance, and height all radiated a certain “cute” element that naturally invited closeness.
Yet, at the thought of how, without expression, she had thrown someone out of a window yesterday, pinpointed names from the roster with deadly precision, and presented that mind-shattering Source Code Theory, all superficial impressions were immediately replaced by awe.
Many students were a bit afraid of her, but more than that, they were excited.
After all, encountering such a powerful teacher with such a unique teaching style was a rare opportunity even in Oserenka.
Sefina’s black leather shoes tapped crisply and rhythmically as she walked under countless gazes, step by step ascending the podium.
She set down the handouts in her hand, lifted her wine-red eyes to scan the room, and spoke in her characteristic cold and authoritative voice: “Class begins.”
Sefina nodded slightly and cut straight to the point.
“Today, no theory. I’m here to test your current mastery and basic skills with Elemental Magic.”
She concisely assigned the task:
“Everyone, use the elemental attribute you’re most proficient in. Using the most basic condensation formation, release a stable Elemental Sphere in your palm. Begin now—I will check each one individually.”
The order was clear and the requirements explicit.
The students did not dare slack off and immediately began channeling their mana.
Soon, multicolored, varying-sized magical glows appeared beneath the podium.
Dancing crimson Fireballs, floating and flowing clear Water Orbs, crackling miniature lightning, solidly condensed Earth Blocks, and glowing vibrant Wood Magic spheres…
All the basic elements manifested.
Sefina stepped down from the podium, like a strict quality inspector, starting her inspection.
She first approached a nervous-looking male student.
In his palm rested a soil-colored Elemental Sphere, but its shape was extremely unstable; its edges were twisted and misshapen like poor-quality clay, with mana fluctuations varying wildly.
Sefina glanced once and coldly remarked, “Your mana output is unstable, control is poor, and your concentration is scattered.”
“Your basic mana mastery is a complete mess. I can hardly believe you are a mage who passed the Second-Tier Mage Certification.”
The boy’s face flushed instantly, visibly crestfallen, lowering his head to avoid her gaze.
But Sefina’s cutting critique had only just begun.
She moved to a female student, whose palm held a faint flickering flame.
“You—did you light that spark with a match? Your energy is dissipating severely, core temperature is too low; you’d struggle to boil a cup of water with this.”
The girl’s expression immediately darkened, biting her lip tightly.
Then Sefina pointed at another student’s summoned black-green vines and said, “Your vines are weak and loosely structured.”
“Are you summoning vines or gathering fallen autumn leaves? The essence of Wood Magic lies in communicating with and activating life energy—you have no grasp of this at all.”
“And you—your water sphere is decent in size, but the internal structure is loose and the impact is weak. This water droplet’s power probably isn’t even as strong as if I just splashed a bucket of water.”
The student being addressed was so ashamed she nearly wanted to bury her head under the desk.
Under Sefina’s ruthless, piercing remarks, most students’ faces grew increasingly gloomy, and the classroom filled with an oppressive atmosphere of self-doubt.
But this was exactly Sefina’s intention.
She understood clearly that while these students were gifted, many were impatient, overly ambitious, and fixated on mastering higher-level, flashier magic.
They neglected the most fundamental foundation—the precise control of mana and extreme proficiency in the magic they already possessed.
In Oserenka, simply “being able to cast Second-Tier Magic” was far from enough; one had to achieve “exquisite mastery.”
She continued her inspection and suddenly, a relatively stable and energy-rich Fireball caught her attention.
The Fireball was medium-sized, its flames lively yet steady, mana concentration quite good—obviously reaching the peak level of a Second-Tier Mage with a solid foundation.
Sefina stopped and looked at the slightly nervous but expectant Mia, nodding as she gave a flat but affirming comment:
“Mia, your Fire Magic is proficient and your mana control stable. You’re close to the Third-Tier threshold. Well done.”
Mia froze for a moment before a joyous smile blossomed across her face, as if she had received a great reward, quickly nodding: “Thank you, teacher!”
Heh, Teacher Sefina is actually quite gentle after all! Mia cheered inwardly.
Sefina nodded slightly and continued walking backward.
Her gaze swept to the back row of the classroom.
There, in Alarya’s palm, was an Elemental Sphere noticeably larger and more condensed than anyone else’s, containing pure and powerful mana, demonstrating control far surpassing her peers.
Clearly, she was already a very qualified Third-Tier Mage. Not only had she mastered higher-level magic than her classmates, but she had also not rushed the process; her magical foundation was extremely solid.
However, Sefina’s glance merely passed over without stopping, not offering even a word of praise like she had for Mia—as if it were an insignificant, ordinary display.
Alarya’s chin, which had been slightly raised with a hint of anticipation for praise, froze instantly when Sefina walked away without a reaction.
A flicker of surprise flashed in her emerald eyes, then a slight furrow appeared between her delicate brows.
Watching Sefina’s critical gaze move on to other students, Alarya’s heart welled with an indescribable… discomfort and faint resentment.
Thanks for the chapter!