Kim remained seated beneath the tree. Placid. As though he were merely a spectator with absolutely no connection to the unfolding events.
Meanwhile, on the opposite bank… the chaos was compounding.
> "You absolute idiot!"
> "You destroyed the bridge!"
> "How are we supposed to return now?!"
>
The nobles were bickering amongst themselves, each frantically attempting to cast the blame onto the other. As for the commoners… they stood in silence. Waiting for orders. As always.
Kim observed them quietly, then let out a faint smile. In his old world, he had learned an invaluable lesson:
> *If you desire to know who truly leads a group…*
> *Do not look at the one screaming the loudest.*
> *Look at the one who makes the decisions when everyone else unravels.*
>
And after a few short minutes, the answer materialized.
A slender youth. Brown hair. Wearing simple, yet noble attire. He did not scream. He did not rage. He made no attempt to prove himself. Instead, he was merely observing.
Exactly like Kim.
Kim noticed this instantly.
> *Interesting.*
>
The blond noble, however, was still bellowing.
> "Construct a new bridge!"
>
One of the commoners looked at him in sheer bewilderment.
> "With what?"
>
> "That is not my concern!"
>
The blond then glared at the rest of them.
> "You are the commoners. Do something."
>
Everyone lowered their heads. But the slender youth suddenly let out a heavy sigh.
> "Shut up."
>
An abrupt silence fell. Even the blond froze, turning a furious glare toward him.
> "What did you say?"
>
The slender youth replied calmly:
> "I said, shut up."
>
He then gestured toward the river.
> "The current isn't strong. We can cross easily. So why are you bickering?"
>
Silence ensued. Kim smiled internally.
> *People always exaggerate the magnitude of their problems.*
> *And sometimes… the true problem is nothing more than their own panic.*
>
But before anyone could move, a guttural roar reverberated through the trees.
Everyone froze. Then, the earth convulsed. Once. Twice. Thrice.
Slowly, an entity emerged from the thicket—a colossal black bear. But this was far from a natural beast. Its hide was riddled with deep scars, its eyes were entirely crimson, and strangest of all… it bore dark, pulsing magical residue etched into its fur.
The students' eyes widened in sheer horror.
> "A Silver-rank beast!"
> "Impossible!"
> "How did it appear here?!"
>
The blond noble retreated instantly.
> "Run!"
>
But the dilemma was absolute. The bear had manifested behind them, and the river lay directly before them. They were completely cornered.
The panic ignited. Screams. Confusion. Anarchy.
Kim, however, was merely watching. He closed his eyes for a single second. When he opened them, his calculations were complete.
The distance. The velocity. Everyone's reaction time. The beast. The students. The river. Everything.
If he were to intervene personally? The matter would be concluded swiftly. But that would attract unwanted attention—the absolute last thing he desired. Therefore, the solution had to succeed without him ever entering the frame.
He smiled. Then, he scooped up a small stone from the earth. A mere stone. Nothing more.
And he flicked it.
*Crack.*
It struck something deep within the distant trees. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then suddenly—a massive rock formation resting precariously atop the ridge collapsed.
*BOOM!!*
The boulders cascaded directly toward the giant bear. A dense cloud of dust surged into the air, and the beast vanished beneath the landslide.
Everyone's eyes widened.
> "What happened?!"
> "Was that a natural rockslide?!"
> "How incredibly lucky we are!"
>
Kim merely let out a lazy yawn, appearing utterly unconcerned.
The slender youth, however… did not seem convinced.
He stared toward the fallen rocks, then analyzed the trajectory of the collapse, and finally… turned his gaze toward Kim.
For the very first time, their eyes intersected. And for a fleeting, microscopic fraction of a second, Kim sensed something familiar. Not power. Not magic.
But a mind. A mind that was calculating. Analyzing. Suspecting.
The slender youth suddenly flashed a tiny, subtle smile—as if he had deduced something.
Kim smiled internally. For this was the first person in this world who had not been deceived by his "luck."
High atop the proctor's tower inside the academy, Elder Eldar was staring at the magical screen in absolute silence.
Then, he spoke abruptly:
> "Replay the sequence."
>
A tense quiet enveloped the hall. The magical recording was rewound. Once. Twice. Thrice. Until a minute detail materialized upon the projection.
A stone. A stone flying from the exact perimeter where Kim was seated, striking a precise structural weak point with impossible accuracy.
The entire hall fell into a dead hush.
As for Eldar, his eyes narrowed into razor-thin slits. Then, he whispered:
> "This boy…"
> "Is far more dangerous than he appears."
>
> *"Geniuses notice what everyone else sees… then they comprehend what everyone else failed to understand."*
>