Bet & Mindgames?!

Gray was the exact opposite of the quiet pond… 

At this moment, his entire being trembled with cold rage.

Teddy had been taken, its captor another torture freak. As for who it was? Who else but that bastard who had murdered the bear's mother and created this very prison. 

Gray turned toward the bunnies… 

"Hide. The asshole's Hella strong. I'll call you afterward." 

"Bun! Bun! Bun!" Their eyes glowed with valor. They would fight! 

"Hehe. If you stay, you'll merely be a weakness for him to exploit. I need you all to do something. Tell my students if anything happens to me, okay? But even then, that's just plan Z!" 

Plan Z? The bunnies weren't too familiar with letters but somehow sensed that something was wrong. Weren't there lots of letters coming before? What kind of plans were there?! 

"Plan A to Y? Hehe. I'm Teacher Gale! Now hide, class's in session!" 

That's when he turned toward the horizon. 

— WOOSH! WOOSH! — 

He felt it. This THING coming over. 

That crazy being rushing over was POWERFUL! 

With the man came the dread. Had there been a fear meter next to his ass… it would have long exploded! And yet, he knew. Here, only the fearless Teacher Gale would stand a chance!

The pond? He had to become as calm as it. 

Actually, he grabbed a nearby stick, added a tiny ectoplasm-based line, and started… fishing?! At this moment, he pictured himself as invincible as the old fisherman from his riddle. 

Then, he spoke to empty air as if he had practiced it a thousand times…

"Nice day for fishing, ain't it?" 

"Oh? You didn't flee? Brave or idiotic?" 

Gray didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. It was the same voice as back then, back when he, or rather Teddy, had seen its mother slaughtered before its eyes. 

'Relax, Gray. You felt it, but it wasn't even your life! You're Teacher Gale—the handsome teacher, the greatest teacher, the one who's absolutely in control of the situation!'

He very casually threw his line as he—

There was no afterward. That's when he died… or it felt like it! The pond? Gone! The forest itself? Gone! All that remained was a fist engulfing his world! It carried the force of the universe! 

And yet Gray simply clenched his grasp. A makeshift fishing rod. A flimsy stick and an even flimsier fishing line. But so fucking what?! At this moment, he hung on to it for dear life! 

Fight? He couldn't. But he wasn't out of options just yet! 

"Snort— Shouldn't you be looking for Candidates?" 

P-Pause… The Earth-Shattering fist? It suddenly stopped right before Gray's face, even its momentum somehow receding. What kind of control over one's Mana was that?! 

Only now could he observe the man. Graying hair that seemed somewhat full of vitality, hands wrapped in bandages as if a martial artist, and gray eyes that seemed full of unlife. 

The man suspiciously eyed him, Gray sighing in relief: he had taken the bait! 

"Y-You… talk! Who the hell are you?!" 

Answer? Gray didn't even bother! Cursed Dice in his clothes to fake his aura, "Candidate" keyword as utter bait, now all that he was missing was the aloofness of an expert! 

"Good day for fishing, ain't it?"

"What do you know about Candidates? Who are you? What—"

Gray sighed, stared the man straight in the eyes, and then went: "Good day for fishing, ain't it?" Then he shut up completely, leaving a murdering bastard at a complete loss. 

Only after a few seconds did the guy finally react. 

"I-Indeed, It's a good day for fishing…"

"Hehe, was that so hard?" 

That's when Gray happily handed the man… a stick?! The mage couldn't help but gaze speechlessly at the item. Yet, even now, he still had that murderous aura of his! 

'This fucker might strike down any time. I need to catch his interest!' 

"Say, who do you think amongst the New Teachers has the most potential to become a Candidate? Ah, this isn't some trick question, just answer as you feel…"

"Y-You, what are you playing at?! That answers incredibly obvious, Ald—"

"Ding! Ding! You guessed right, Teacher Gale!" 

"…."

"…."

"…." 

"Hehe, he's just like that pond we're fishing in…" 

By now, Gray could see the man's temper reaching the limit. He'd attack him any second now, no matter how mysterious Gray's identity was! Sighing, he kept going: 

"At first, you only see the shitty pond. Then, it becomes a Rampaging Bear's pond. Look even deeper, and you have a prison. Then, and only then, can you see the irony!" 

"Irony? What are you even talking about?" The man seemed curious. 

Gray rose, his hand pointed between the pond and the man. "Isn't it really ironic? Such a quiet, peaceful, and tiny pond, and yet you're the one in charge!" 

"Oh? What is that supposed to mean? Go on if you dare…" 

"Perfect scenery to pick up chicks? Yet, you kidnapped a damn bear instead!" 

"Calm and quiet atmosphere? A sarcastic master with a propensity for violence!" 

"Gorgeous scenery?! A captor who embodies the color gray itself. Isn't that ridiculous?!" 

Was Gray trying to insult him?! Almost! He wanted him just a tad angry. But just as the man seemed about to rip his throat open, Gray mysteriously coughed twice as he went: 

"Thirteen days and night. That's the time it took you to erect this prison. Say, how confident are you in it? Do you believe I can burst it wide open using a First Year's worth of mana?"

"P-Preposterous! Coming here to insult me? Are you—"

"Insult? Challenge rather. How about a wager?" 

"Oh? Let me guess, you want that Bear?" 

"Hehe, indeed! As for my own bet…" 

Gray quickly made it clear. He was here to get a pet for his new protégé, aka Teacher Gale! As for what he'd give if he actually lost the challenge, it would be equally amazing!

"—SKREEEEEEE!" The bone fishing rod screamed in ecstasy as it felt the air of this new world! Seeing this, the mage's eyes almost exploded out of his head! 

"A-A sentient tool?!" What kind of fishing rod was that?! At this moment, greed overcame the man. He WANTED IT! 

But even then, he didn't lose his sanity one bit…

13 days → This guy clearly had insider knowledge

The prison? → It was a work of art, even using a "Soul Prism" from the Duke.

Breaking it open? → It was impossible, at least not with that little Mana… for sure! 

But what the hell was up with that wager, then? The sentient bone fishing rod meant he knew a bit about necromancy. Why would he risk so much for an unwinnable bet?!

NO! THIS WAS A TRAP!

Wait, what if looking like a trap WAS the trap instead?! All the gray man knew was that it was a bet he couldn't lose. Who would say no to free stuff? 

"Hehe, fine! As long as you're ready for failure!" 

Even now, the man could be heard chuckling in the back. That's when Gray approached a certain despairing bear. The poor thing was lamenting the trap they had fallen into.

"Roaaaarrrr!" It roared with great concern, its large paws trembling.

"Hehe, don't worry, we got this. I just need to kill you a little." 

C-Come again?! K-Kill?! The Bear froze…