Clayton Reed

"Sigh..."

Clayton sat in the dimly lit lounge room of his dormitory, trying his best to focus on the movie playing on the screen. The film's dramatic scenes and loud noises should have been enough to distract him, but his mind kept wandering back to earlier.

He clenched his jaw as the memory played in the back of his head.

It all started as a typical power play. Clayton had approached Amelia with the intention of pressuring her to step down as student council president. It was supposed to be an easy task, a mere display of power. He had done it countless times before, to many others.

Everything had been going according to plan when, out of nowhere, a boy he'd never seen rushed in and started fighting his crew. Interestingly enough, the bastard somehow managed to defeat a few of his lackeys, making a mockery of their strength.

Just when Clayon was about to step in to teach the brat a lesson, a second boy appeared and blocked his attack with effortless grace.

In all his years, he had never encountered such defiance, especially from someone so young and seemingly insignificant.

Impudent brat...

Clayton clenched his fists as his eyes drifted to the steel bat he had swung during the confrontation. There was a large dent on one side of the stick, a flaw that seemed out of place on the otherwise pristine surface. He turned the bat over in his hands, his mind struggling to recall when and how it had been damaged. He had owned the bat for years. It had withstood countless swings and impacts, never once showing such damage.

What in the world could have caused such a dent?

...

Wait... Was it the boy?!

Clayton felt his shoulders tense as he considered the possibility that the dent had happened during the clash. It was ridiculous. It would imply the boy's bones were sturdier than enchanted steel.

After a few seconds of contemplation, Clayton shook his head, dismissing the absurd notion. It was impossible. There was no way the boy's arms could have caused such a dent. The only way something like that could have happened was if the boy had used magic to block the attack. Which was impossible. If the boy had used magic, Clayton would have sensed it.

What a strange kid...

Even though the two grunts were clearly out of their mind, there was something off about the second boy. Clayton recalled looking into the boy's eyes for a brief second. They were unlike anything he'd ever seen. Even after having faced the threat of his bat, there was no trace of fear or pain in his gaze. They were just cold and calculated. It made him feel uneasy, almost vulnerable.

Clayton clenched his teeth in disgust. He needed to find out who they were and fast. The thought that not one but two insects had dared to challenge him made his blood boil. He couldn't allow such insolence to go unpunished. It would undermine his authority.

Fortunately, thanks to his brilliant mind, he already had a clue as to who they were. Since he didn't recognize their faces, he had deduced they were first years.

"It's been over an hour... Have you discovered who they are yet?" Clayton asked as he turned his head.

"I... I think so, boss. I think I've identified the two boys."

Luke, one of his most useful lackeys, had been standing in the corner of the room for about an hour. Clayton had ordered him to scour through the Rank Portal app.

"It's about bloody time! Pause the movie and project their profiles on the TV. I want to take a look at who these bastards are."

"Yes... Right away, sir," Luke responded, quickly scrambling to connect his phone to the television.

Clayton's anger simmered as he watched the poor boy fumble with his phone. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the TV lit up and displayed two different faces. Clayton's lips curled into a grin as he recognized them.

"That's them, alright! You've done well, Luke. I knew I could count on you."

Luke shook his head modestly. "Oh... Um, no worries, boss..."

As Clayton examined the profile of the brown-haired boy, he couldn't help but feel a grudging respect. The boy's name was Robert Stan, and his stats were impressive for a first-year. Academic score A, physical ability A+, 2nd Circle Mage. It was no wonder he had been able to defeat his third-year lackeys.

Let's take a look at the other kid...

The moment Clayton's eyes fell on the second boy's profile, he felt his blood run cold. There was nothing impressive about him. Nothing stood out. His overall score was a mere C+, and he was just a 1st Circle Mage.

That's impossible!

"I-Is something wrong, boss?" Luke asked, noticing his reaction.

"I think the information about the second boy is wrong. The school must have made a mistake."

"That's odd... Why do you think that?"

"There's no way a 1st Circle Mage could move as fast as he did," Clayton replied, recalling how quickly the boy had moved to block his attack.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, I am... A first-Circle Mage wouldn't be able to move that fast, let alone block my attack. By my estimates, only someone with at least three circles could pull off what he did."

"Well... If you think about it, it's theoretically possible for a 1st Circle Augmenting type mage to move very quickly," Luke said. "However, it would require a great deal of physical prowess to make up for the lack of mana. They'd have to be a genetic freak..."

"I doubt it," Clayton said, shaking his head. "I'm also an Augmenter, and even I can't move that fast using just first circle magic."

"Maybe he hid his true strength during the entrance exam," Luke suggested.

Clayton nodded slowly. "Yes... That does make more sense. It wouldn't be the first time someone tries something like that..."

"How strong do you think this 'James' kid is?" Luke asked as he glanced at the screen.

"If I had to guess, he's a 3rd Circle Mage at best, which is pretty incredible for a fifteen-year-old. He must be a prodigy."

"Pfft... Not even a prodigy would stand a chance against you, boss. You're a 5th Circle Mage, after all."

Clayton let out a chuckle. "Regardless of the facts, I need to teach those two a lesson. One they won't forget. Maybe I should make them my lackeys while I'm at it... What do you think?"

"Well... There's a chance we might have to lay low for a while. Especially if they report what we did to the school," Luke warned.

"That won't happen. Amelia will keep their mouths shut."

"How can you be so sure?"

Clayton's smile widened. "Because I know she's terrified of me. She of all people knows what I'm capable of."

"I see..." Luke pushed up his glasses. "Should I start making preparations for your revenge?"

Clayton's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Yes. The sooner, the better."

After Luke left the room, Clayton leaned back on the couch and started the movie again.

As the movie continued to play in the background, he couldn't help but fantasize about the various ways he'd torture those first years. Especially that "James" kid. He was going to beat his face to a pulp and expose him for lying about his strength. Just the thought filled him with a twisted sense of satisfaction.