Handling Bullies

Jake crouched on the ground while hugging his head as two golems fired two spells at him. The first golem cast a mana-shaped whip to lash his back, leaving a red mark. The attack dealt less damage, but it was more painful. As for the second golem, it scraped him with a mana arrow. Even though it didn't aim his vitals, the scar it made kept oozing out blood.

Jake had been enduring these two attacks for a while. As a result, his back was full of bleeding wounds and whipping wounds. Even so, he hadn't uttered a single noice yet. He had been biting his lower lip as hard as he could to endure the pain, making blood drip down his mouth.

Luckily, no one would be able to see his training process. Before the training began, Mr. Graham had set up a curtain around him so that people wouldn't be bothered by his hardcore training. Even Jake didn't like to bother people with unsightly scenes. In the end, he could train peacefully without bothering anyone.

[Congratulations! Your Pain Resistance has reached rank E!]

[Congratulations! You have gained Greater Mana Whip Resistance!]

[Congratulations! You have gained Greater Mana Arrow Resistance!]

Jake wrapped his body with bandages after the class was over. It was a hardcore training, but the result was satisfying. "I didn't gain [Meditation] and [Mental Fortitude, but the rewards were okay. As expected, getting an ability naturally is hard."

Even though he was happy with his training, Mr. Graham put on a troubled face. "Are you going to continue this training in the future, Butler?"

Jake looked at him from the corner of his eyes. "Yes, I hope you can assist me as well in the future."

Graham scratched his head. "To be frank, isn't your training a waste of time? For example, even if you gained [Greater Mana Bullet Resistance], the opponent can still attack you with another attack."

Jake laughed. "True, but there is something I forgot to tell you about this ability. If I have ten resistance abilities of the same type, they will evolve into one greater major type resistance ability. For example, If I have ten resistance abilities against mana-based attack, those ten ability will evolve into a [Greater Arcane Resistance], giving me 75% resistance against all mana-based attacks."

"But still... People can attack you with another ability."

"I know. I will just train my resistance against another ability. This talent is a late bloomer. My effort will be paid off in the future."

"Very well. This old man can't win with you. Here take it." Graham tossed a legacy potion at him.

"Thank you, teacher. But for what occasion did you give me this?" Jake asked as he received the potion.

"You have gotten that as a reward for helping your friends to get stronger. I can witness that your training method is really effective, so you deserve that reward."

"Hahaha, I am glad to hear that. With this, I can reach level 3." 

After receiving the legacy potion, Jake immediately excused himself. With that, he had two potions. He immediately consumed all, raising his level to 3.

[Name: Jake Butler

Species: Human

Level: 3

Talent: Center Shift (F), Akashic Eyes (S), Overcome (F)

Strength: 23 (C) || Endurance: 29 (A)

Agility: 26 (B) || Perception: 25 (A)

Intelligent: 35 (S) || Wisdom: 35 (S)]

[Ability: Center Shift (F), Akashic Eyes (S), Overcome (F), Butler Style (C), Pain Resistance (E).]

"This is good. I was planning to go to the infirmary if I didn't get the legacy potion. But now, I can take the next course."

If the next class wasn't important, he would have skipped it with the excuse of injuring himself. However, the next course was the magic class, a very important subject. In this class, the students could learn magic. As a person with S grade intelligence, he had great interest in this course. Today, the class would be held for the first time, so he didn't want to miss it.

As Jake was walking around the corridor, he saw Marilyn looking at the backyard down there from the window. She seemed to focus on something that she didn't notice his presence.

Jake suddenly had a mischievous thought. He approached her back slowly and tapped her left shoulder. As Marilyn looked over her left shoulder, he immediately sneaked to her right side.

Marilyn turned her body to the left side, leaving her back open to Jake. Jake immediately blew air onto her nape, making her jump in fear. She immediately turned around and put on a surprised face. "J-Jake! Don't scare me like that!"

Jake chuckled at her reaction and immediately patted her head to sooth her. "I was joking. What were you looking at?" He didn't wait for her answer and immediately looked through the window. In the backyard below the building, three class B's boys were gathering around a female student from class B. One of the boys, Henry Brightson, was pulling the girl's hair while laughing wickedly as his friend punched her belly.

"Huh, are they bullying her?" Jake asked in surprise.

Marilyn gripped her fist in anger as she stared at them. "The girl's name is Viola, the only commoner in the Elite class. She is bullied because she is a commoner."

"Why aren't you stopping her?" Jake asked in a scolding tone.

Marilyn sighed. "I was about to do that if you didn't surprise me. This is the first time I found the evidence," she replied, her index finger was ready to pull her blindfold. "I guess if I don't establish my dominance in the class, people will step out of the boundary. I was wrong for setting my character as a klutz, innocent girl."

"True," Jake agreed with her. "What are you going to do with them?"

"Good question. First, I will curse her with my [Magic Eyes]," Marilyn said as she started to pull her blindfold.

As she took off her blindfold, Jake immediately closed her eyes before she could show her [Magic Eyes]. "You don't have to dirty your hands. Let me handle this."

Jake opened the window and jumped out. As his body was falling, he activated the attraction force on his feet, sticking them on the wall. After that, Jake calmly walked down the wall.

The bullies immediately jumped in fear when they saw the strongest student in the elite class approaching them. One of them was about to run away, but Jake greeted them in a kind manner, putting their guards down.

"Hello, guys. It seems you are doing something fun. Can you let me in?"

Henry Brightson stepped forward. He had greeted Jake in the entrance ceremony, so he felt he was close to him. "Butler, do you want to join us? This filthy commoner was acting cocky in the class, so we were just straightening her as good nobles."

"Wow! How admirable of you!" Jake exclaimed in sarcasm, but they mistook his tone as an excited tone. "So what did she do?"

"Our teacher was holding a test where the winner could receive a legacy potion. This commoner refused to back down when I asked her to. She actually dares to disobey nobles!"

Jake rubbed his chin, pretending to take interest. "So she was doing better in the class, but due to your incompetence, you threatened her?"

"Ugh, more importantly, she disobeyed a noble...."

"Henry, summon your status window," Jake suddenly demanded.

"Why?" Henry Brightson asked warily.

Jake slapped his face, making him surprised. He pulled his collar and glared at him. "You misunderstand your position. According to your logic, I am higher rank than you. I am the strongest person in the class, moreover I am the cousin of the princess. Shouldn't you obey my command, you piece of crap?"

"I—I am the son of—"

Before Henry could finish his words, Jake slapped him again. "My father is the strongest person in this world. My aunt is the empress. If I feel like it, I can erase your noble house with a mere word. Summon your status window!"

Henry's body trembled as he stared into Jake's demon-like eyes. He reluctantly summoned his status window and let Jake see it.

Jake obviously could peek into people's status windows with his [Akashic Eyes]. He just ordered Henry to do it to make an example. As he looked into Henry's status window, he put on a disgusted expression.

Jake's [Overcome] was copied from Henry's [Resistance]. Even though the latter's talent was inferior, the speed of getting the abilities was the same as his [Overcome]. And yet, Henry hadn't gained any resistance abilities, while he had a few.

"I am disappointed in you, Henry. You. Could. Have. Gotten. At least. One resistance ability. But. You didn't," Jake scolded him while slapping him over and over.

"B–Butler, please stop. This is so wrong. You can't abuse your status in the academy!" One of the bullies said.

Jake dropped Henry and looked at him in surprise. "Oh, no. You are right. Exactly. You can't abuse your status in the academy. You are... So right!" He charged at him and pushed his head against the wall.

"You are so right. Then, why are you using your status to bully a girl? You piece of trash. All of you! Kneel if you don't want to be beaten into pulps!"

Seeing their friends' poor conditions, the other two bullies knelt in front of Jake while shaking in fear. "Please spare us. We won't do this again," one of them begged.

Jake gripped their shoulders and whispered, "Hear me out first. You take these fools to the infirmary and state these fools are fighting against each other. If I catch you snitching on me, I will make sure to destroy your families. Are we clear?" They nodded. "Good. From now on, you four are my shuttles. If you understand... Scram from here."

The remaining bullies took their injured friends and scurried away. After they left, the bullied girl started crying and thanked Jake.

"Hiks, thank you for helping me, Lord Butler," Viola said while wiping her tears.

"If you are thankful, stop crying," Jake replied. The girl wiped her tears harder, but she couldn't stop herself from crying. She had endured the bullying, but when someone had saved her, she couldn't contain the sadness in her heart.

Jake considered himself to be competent in many things, but he didn't know how to comfort someone. He pondered about what to say, but in the end, he patted her head. This was the thing his father liked to do each time he tried to cheer him up, and it worked for him, so patting someone's head was one of a few things he knew to show his affection.

Even though Jake didn't utter a comforting word, his feelings reached her. She stopped crying and looked at him. When she saw Jake's sincere face, she held her breath.

"Finally stopped crying." Jake smiled. "I hate to tell this, but the bullying won't stop. They will stop because I order them to, you have my words. However, they are not the only people who will bully you. Other people will keep coming if you don't fight back."

Viola averted her eyes. "How am I supposed to fight back? If I do that, they will harm my family."

"You have unnecessary thoughts. They won't dare to do something to your family as long as they are in the academy. In fact, as long as you are a student in the academy, this is your only chance to trample on those nobles."

"Then what will happen when I graduate?"

"Be strong! Be strong enough to the point they will fear to mess with you. Listen, I don't know the situation in your family, but I bet they want you to pursue your goal. If you don't change, you are only wasting their money. So, fight back, Viola."

"Y-you know my name?"

Jake tilted his head, thinking it was an obvious question. "Of course. You are from a different class, but we are fellow elite class students."

"I see." Viola tightened her hand on her chest and looked at him with a determined expression. "Do you think I can become strong?"

"Haha, aren't you admitted into the elite class with the nobles and royalty? Stand proud, you are standing on the same ground as them."

"Then I will become stronger. I will become stronger to the point no one will dare to mess with me!"

Jake laughed heartily and patted her head harder. "That's the spirit."