Chapter 283: A Change of Plans

Early Evening - Mid Winter : Atlas, Bahamut

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"So, Professor Whyte..." Professor Palaiós spoke in a curious tone as he looked at me. "Essentially, what you are saying is that the tiny particles that compose everything are surrounded by even smaller particles, and lightning is made of those?" Halfway through my lecture, he had moved out from behind his desk to occupy a seat among the students for a better view.

He had essentially become a student. "Yes, and the more positive particles, protons, that are present in the nucleus of those particles, the more negative particles, electrons, there need to be."

"Is that why things like metals with larger main particles have better conduction?"

I quickly shook my head. "It's because the metals are initially balanced in charge. This allows electrons to bounce around and take the places of electrons in neighboring atoms, essentially creating a free-flowing pool of them within the metal."

Everyone listened intently as I spoke.

But seeing there weren't any questions, I continued. "With such a pool already present, all you need to do is give the flow a single set direction by adding more electrons with lightning magic, and you can create a flow from the source of the lightning to the positively charged target on the other side of the wire. But keep in mind, if there is no positive charge for the lightning to jump to, nothing will happen."

Professor Palaiós immediately fell into thought before another student stood up. "Is that why it jumps to the ground whenever there isn't a target or a path to close the distance to the target?"

"Haha, yes." -They're really fast learners...- "Lightning will always take the road of least resistance to reach something with a mass of positive charge, so if the path to the ground has less resistance than the path to the target, it will take that path."

Fterá quickly hopped up. "But wouldn't that mean that less resistance would always yield more power?"

-Hm?- Wondering where she was going with that thought, I gave a vague response. "Not necessarily... Do you have a specific situation in mind?"

"The initial test.. with the metal filings in the water." She wore a look of curiosity but also irritation. "How was the reaction still so explosive even when it still had to traverse through water which doesn't conduct it well? Wouldn't a pure metal rod connecting them have been better?"

-Good questions...- "The reason it had such an explosive reaction was because of the water between the filings and in the fruit." I promptly created a small sphere of water in the air next to me. "When water is superheated too quickly, it explodes; hence, the reaction you all saw." *snap-BANG* The ball instantly exploded into a cloud of steam. "As for if a metal rod would be better, technically, yes. However, the explosion from the water would have damage of its own, so while more lightning may make it to the target, you would most likely do less damage overall."

Her expression turned confused. "B..but why?"

I immediately chuckled seeing her expression. "Haha, because the path the lightning would take through the opponent's body may not exactly do what you intend it to do." I quickly pointed at the floor with a smile.

Finally understanding what I was implying, her eyes went wide. "But if that's the case, why do we learn that lightning magic is so strong? If it would just take a path from the target to the ground, how could it kill anything?"

"Well, whether it is weak or strong is something you must determine on your own; however, what I will say is that lightning magic has the potential to make opponents much stronger than you drop dead without knowing what hit them." -All it needs to do is discharge into the brain...- "But we can leave that for another day."

A look of disappointment instantly washed over the students intrigue the moment I stopped.

I wanted to continue just as much as them, but looking over at the clock, the end of the class had arrived. "Alright, are there any more questions before we end class?"

Most of the class remained seated and silent, with only a few standing up to ask some unrelated questions like if I would continue to teach this class in the future or if there was any homework, but before they could even finish, the professor stood up.

He wore a very conflicted expression. "Professor Whyte.. If I may be so rude to ask..."

I gave him an odd look, expecting him to be mad and refuse my 'theories' in place of his own research.

But I was instead met with a pleasant surprise. "Could you please continue to teach me and my class while you are here?" He immediately threw himself into a bow with his hands out in front of him.

The sudden gesture made most of the class tense up right away, with the more arrogant students breaking into a bit of panic.

-I wonder if anyone will still arrogantly refuse my teachings tomorrow...- I smiled as I looked over the class. "I don't see why not."

The professor's aura instantly pierced mine and approached my ear once again. "I will surely repay you for this guidance!"

I immediately smiled. "The more you help me, the more I can help you."

A smile came to his face as well as he straightened up. "If you ever need anything from me or my family, don't hesitate to reach out. I promise we will fulfill any request as long as it is within our power!" *glow* A glowing ring appeared in front of his head almost immediately.

It was an oath rune. -To use an oath to guarantee a simple promise...-

Almost anyone would call him a madman at that moment, but even if I ignored my biases, I couldn't call him crazy. -His family has tried to advance magic for thousands of years, yet they could only take baby steps down the wrong path.-

But now, he had the key to a new, far stronger foundation right in front of him; the key to a new era that his family could stand at the forefront of.

His decisiveness toward grabbing at it made me smile right away. "Alright. I will keep that in mind." -I guess it can't hurt to go ahead and start warming up Bahamut for what's to come anyway...-

Finally turning back to the class, I took a few more questions and finally wrapped up before the clock over the door rang and dismissed everyone.

Almost immediately, the professor came up and asked me if I could stay after class to talk more about science, but I was quick to decline.

It was finally time for me to shift gears. "Hooh..." -Let's see just who this witch is.. shall we?-

But when we finally got to the next class, I was a bit taken aback by how different she was.

"You must be Professor Whyte." Her name was Professor Píso, Krystallo's history professor. "I have heard about you a lot today, but I can't say I expected to see you here." She was certainly on the older side, looking like a human in their 40s, but she was totally calm even around me.

-She's a good actor...- "I was told to sit in on classes today to see what I wanted to teach, but I also heard from the students that there is a test today." She gave me an odd look before I continued. "Could I see it?"

She quickly grabbed a paper off a stack on her desk with her aura before handing it to me.

Thinking she handed it over a little too easily, I read through it but found that the questions were actually quite good. "Could I see the key as well?"

Once again, she immediately grabbed it off her desk and handed it to me. "If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. If not, you can spend your time in this class however you wish."

Her carefree smile only pushed the wrong buttons on me, but I kept my irritation hidden. "Alright, thank you."

Finding a place to sit, I thoroughly read through the entire test and key, but there was nothing wrong with either of them. It was almost as if she knew what the original plan was.

Had it still been in motion, I would have been in a tight spot.

But now I had the freedom to move on my own.

Once the test eventually started, I used my aura to check everyones' answers, and, as expected, I found all but 4 people putting the same incorrect answer on several questions throughout the test.

It was so evident that I was a bit offended. -Did she really think I wouldn't check anything?-

Finally getting up, I walked over to her desk and surrounded us in silencing magic.

She quickly gave me a curious look. "What is it you need to ask?"

-The audacity...- "Currently, there are only 4 students with passing grades." I set down the papers on her desk and looked her in the eyes. "I was hoping you could clarify why that is."

Her forced smile momentarily faded before quickly returning. "There were quite a few questions I failed to properly cover in my lectures. I plan to adjust their grades accordingly, don't worry."

Standing over her desk, I quickly used my aura to search through it, but I didn't even make it through the first drawer before finding a letter. One specifically from the deputy.

It made my anxiousness of questioning how to go forward instantly go up in flames. -It seems I need to change my plans...-

Holding back the urge to rip her spine out, I spoke calmly. "Unfortunately, I don't think that is quite enough... Would you mind coming with me to the deputy's office? I believe this issue needs to be addressed more formally."

Her eyes went wide for a moment before she smiled at me. "If that is what you wish."

Finally standing up, she told the class she was going to step out for a moment and called in a universal teaching assistant to watch over the class while we were gone.

Once things were finally situated, we left and hastily navigated our way through the halls until eventually stopping in front of a massive dragon-sized door halfway up the central spire of the campus. -So this is the deputy's office, huh...-

*knock-knock* Finally knocking after a moment, the door opened and revealed a massive room with a nearly 90-meter-tall ancient lying in it.

His scales were bright silver, similar to Professor Palaiós, but his aura and demeanor couldn't have been more different.

As he opened his eyes, Miss Píso quickly went to kneel, but she didn't quite make it that far.

*SNAP* The crack of bones filled the air as her head spun backward, and her body fell limply to the ground. *thump*

The deputy could only stare at me with wide eyes.

-You fuckers have really crossed the line this time...-