Jarek observed the instructor who had just entered the class.
[
Name: Konrad
Age: 137
Race: Human
Cultivation: Master (Peak)
Talent: Low Grade (Rank 1)
Physique: None
]
The man had the lowest level of talent Jarek had ever seen since he came into this world.
His aura also felt a bit too ordinary compared to what he sensed earlier from the rest of the class.
'So, there are four groups.' He noted.
This instructor would be the one to guide them through the first topic, Introduction to Qi, which they are expected to cover in a single week.
That duration of time coincides with the minimum amount of time each student is given to advance to the Advanced stage, where they would move on to the next topic.
After the gloomy-faced Konrad introduced himself, he was finally ready to start today's lesson.
"What do you know about qi?" He asked as he randomly pointed at a student who was surprised by the sudden question and added, "Just give a brief explanation."
The vampire recovered his composure in a second and offered his personal opinion on this subject.
"Qi is the energy that flows all around us, the energy of nature. We absorb that energy, which is already condensed into spirit stones, to increase our cultivation."
Konrad nodded, his gaze moving across the room as he pointed at a female beast-kin. "Qi is ..."
Her answer was similar to that of the vampire's, adding little to what was already mentioned.
When she finished speaking, Konrad's eyes moved in my direction, pointing straight at me. "What about you?"
As Konrad said this, Jarek frowned slightly as he didn't fail to notice the slight and subtle change in tone.
But he pretended to notice Konrad's intent as he began to speak a second later.
"Qi is the energy that flows through all things, and all things are made of qi, which is also known as the energy of heaven and earth."
He paused for a second before continuing. "The more we cultivate this energy within our bodies, the stronger we become, and the more connected we are with this energy. And the more we are connected with this energy, the easier it is to perceive its composition and deepen our understanding of the various forms of qi."
As he stopped talking, he couldn't help but notice the surprised expressions of his classmates and Konrad as well.
He couldn't help but wonder why they were looking at him with those eyes. 'Is it that surprising?'
'Yes, it is' would be the unanimous answer from his classmates if they heard his thoughts.
That was not the type of answer that was expected from someone of his status.
And they would be right in assuming this.
If Jarek didn't have the system, then he would have just combined the first and second explanations to give out his answer.
And he could have done that, but he had a feeling that Konrad wanted exactly that.
He didn't know why this instructor held ill intent towards him, and he wasn't willing to allow him to use anything against him.
And he was right. Konrad wanted to use this as a chance to humiliate him.
And why would he do that? The man was quite salty seeing one of his kind get to enjoy privileges he could only dream of.
Yes, the man was envious of Jarek, a fellow commoner. He who is old enough to be Jarek's grandfather is stuck at the Master stage.
Jarek, who is of a much higher talent, would probably reach his level and surpass him very soon.
And Jarek would do something that took him more than a century to achieve in a very short time.
It was honestly very depressing to think about.
He could only blame the heavens for this unfairness.
Well, it wasn't all that bad for him. He has a job that others would kill for.
He just had to teach a few noble children and do other tasks, and the academy would compensate him for his efforts.
His life was already better than that of an average cultivator of common origins.
Unlike other commoners, he doesn't have to go through life and death situations just to get resources, which is quite common in the cultivation world.
And he was grateful for this chance.
But that doesn't mean he wouldn't be a little salty, seeing students come and go, leaving him in the dust, every single year, while he makes little progress.
But Jarek was a bit too much. He has the talent and the opportunity to receive resources in just a day before he even knew what cultivation was.
He was just a regular commoner a day ago.
It was like he won the lottery on his first ever try.
Almost every commoner would be a little, if not extremely, envious of Jarek.
That's just how some people are.
So, what does he who has been struggling for decades have over Jarek, who just got lucky?
Experience.
Sure, Jarek is absurdly talented, but also currently weak and not knowledgeable about the world of cultivation in Konrad's eyes.
And he was right about that.
There are a lot of things Jarek doesn't know about the cultivation world—things he would learn over time.
Konrad just wanted to play a little prank on Jarek to humiliate him a bit—nothing serious.
But Konrad would be mistaken to think that Jarek was completely clueless on the topic of cultivation, as evident from earlier.
"Where did you learn that?" Konrad asked curiously.
"From the library," Jarek replied, and his answer was quite reasonable.
Because where else would he learn that if not there?
And indeed, Jarek had gone into the library a day ago, so it was completely reasonable to believe that that was where he got this information from.
Konrad, now seeing that his planned attack had failed, was even more irritated.
But what could he do other than nod and accept Jarek's answer?
"Just like Jarek has put it, qi is the energy flowing through all things, and all things are made of qi. But there are also many forms of qi." Hearing the last statement, Jarek listened intently.