"Have you heard?"
"Of course! Teacher Lycoris actually competed with Teacher Zeus—the one ranked last in the academy!"
"Zeus ?Then isn't the outcome obvious?"
"That's the shocking part. Zeus won!"
"What?"
"He casually guided a student and increased his strength by an entire fold!"
"Increased by one fold? In a single guidance? Even Syra Mor couldn't pull that off. Stop joking."
"I'm serious. There were dozens of witnesses in the canteen. You think all of them are lying?"
The moment those words spread, the canteen erupted into discussion. Voices overlapped, disbelief mixed with excitement, and Zeus name—once synonymous with Failure and ridicule —was suddenly being spoken everywhere.
At a nearby table, a young woman let out a cold scoff.
"A single fold increase? That's definitely just luck."
Athena crossed her arms, her expression filled with disdain.
She was no ordinary student. As the daughter of the City Lord of Sky City—the third-largest city in the Swellville Kingdom—she had been nurtured with the best cultivation resources since childhood. Her goal for entering Starforge Academy had always been clear: to become Syra Mor's student.
Yet before she had even met Syra Mor, she was hearing rumors that some zero-scoring teacher had outperformed him.
How laughable.
"Luck?" a student nearby frowned. "I don't think luck alone can explain a one-fold increase. That's too exaggerated."
Athena turned sharply. "You think it isn't luck? Don't tell me you don't know who Teacher Zeus is. He's the one who scored zero in the Teacher Bar Examination and nearly got expelled! What ability could someone like that possibly have?"
Her voice rose with each word.
"If you don't believe me, I'll expose his true face right now."
The moment she said that, two students at the table stood up immediately.
"Fine! We also want to see whether he's all talk."
The three of them left the canteen together. After asking around, they quickly found Teacher Zeus classroom. Pushing the door open, they stepped inside.
Inside the room, a young man sat leisurely at the teacher's seat, smiling foolishly to himself as though lost in thought. No powerful aura. No imposing presence. The sight alone made them feel uncomfortable.
"This… is him?"
"You're Teacher Zeus?" Athena asked.
Zeus lifted his head, snapping out of his analysis of the Omniscient System, and glanced at them. "That's me."
Athena didn't waste time. "We heard you won a competition against Teacher Lycoris, and that the student you guided experienced a one-fold increase in strength."
Her eyes narrowed. "Good. I want you to guide me as well. Let's see whether you can increase my strength by one fold too."
"I'm not free."
Zeus waved his hand dismissively.
Teachers had their dignity. He wasn't some street performer to be summoned at will. More importantly, he disliked her tone—it was as though she were interrogating a fraud.
"Not free?" Athena's face darkened. "You're clearly sitting around doing nothing!"
"I'm recruiting students," Zeus replied calmly. "I don't have the energy to entertain an arrogant little girl."
"You—!"
Athena nearly exploded. Since childhood, people had looked at her with admiration wherever she went. Yet here she was, being dismissed like trash—and even called arrogant.
Unforgivable.
Grinding her teeth, she asked, "Then what must we do for you to guide us?"
"Acknowledge me as your teacher," Zeus said casually, studying her as though she were an oddity.
The two friends behind her nearly fainted.
"Athena, you can't!"
"If you acknowledge him, you won't be able to become Syra Mor's student!"
Athena hesitated.
She knew the rules well. Once a student acknowledged a teacher, switching teachers would be extremely difficult—especially to someone as popular as Syra Mor. Most teachers wouldn't accept a student who had already withdrawn from another's tutelage.
But before she could decide, Zeus waved his hand again.
"If you don't have the guts, then leave. Don't delay my business—recruiting students."
"Who says I don't have the guts?!"
Her hesitation vanished instantly.
Eyes blazing, Athena snapped, "Fine! I'll acknowledge you as my teacher right now. Let's verify the relationship!"
"Your attitude is terrible," Zeus replied flatly. "Even if you want me as your teacher, I don't want to accept you."
"What?!"
Athena felt as though her chest was about to explode.
She had already lowered herself to acknowledge him—and he still refused?
If she left now, she would look like a complete fool. Worse, it would only confirm that this man was hiding behind tricks and intimidation.
He's doing this on purpose, she thought. He wants to chase me away so I can't expose him.
She refused to let him succeed.
Suppressing her rage, she forced a smile onto her face. "Teacher, I was disrespectful just now. I sincerely wish to become your student. Please accept me."
"This is more like it," Zeus nodded in satisfaction.
Then he added calmly, "Before I accept you, clean this classroom. I don't want to see a single speck of dust. After that, tidy the washroom outside—scrub the toilet bowls clean. I'll inspect them personally. If I'm satisfied, I'll take you as my student."
"Don't go too far!"
Athena nearly erupted on the spot.
She was the daughter of a city lord—raised with servants attending to her every need. And now she was being told to scrub toilets?
Was he insane?!
"If you can't even do such simple tasks," Zeus said indifferently, "then leave. I don't need lazy and useless students."
He leaned back in his chair, lips curling into a faint smile.
Hehe… little lass.
You want to play games with me? You're still far too inexperienced.