Battle of the Teachers
1637 Words
The courtyard buzzed.
“Teacher Cole and Teacher Jack are going head-to-head!”
“No way… is this real?”
“Battle of the bottom-rung! Let’s see who stinks less!”
The crowd thickened. The spectacle was irresistible.
It was the official registration day, after all freshmen had arrived, and rumors of the infamous zero-scoring teacher had drawn attention. Jack was already infamous… but now, he had to perform.
“To keep it fair,” Cole declared theatrically, “we’ll switch students.”
A public challenge rule, no coaching your own.
It played right into his hands.
“Young lady,” Cole said, gesturing to Emily, “demonstrate your punch. Full power target the stone pillar.”
Emily flushed but looked to Jack. He nodded gently. She squared her shoulders and stepped forward.
Huhuhu!
Her punch cut through the air, a shockwave rustling nearby robes.
Jack blinked. Her foundation was… solid.
Controlled, crisp, efficient. Surprisingly refined.
I can't see a single flaw…
No wonder I scored zero. I’ve got no eye for this.
“Well done,” Cole said, nodding. “Let’s test her power.”
Emily stepped to the measuring pillar and punched.
Peng!
The pillar shook. A number lit up: 53.
“Not bad,” Cole said. “Especially without guidance.”
He slipped into sage mode. “Your form is clean, but the punch arc is short. You’re not rotating your hips fully, probably protecting an old injury. Hip, right?”
Emily’s eyes widened. “Yes…”
Cole smiled. “You’re compensating with your upper body. Try this modified stance.”
He demonstrated an adjustment precise, practical.
Emily nodded and struck again.
Peng!
63. A 10kg increase is nearly 20%.
Gasps echoed.
“I’m done,” Cole said smugly. “Let’s see what your guidance can do, Teacher Jack.”
A tall student stepped forward.
Jack raised a hand. “Wait.”
Cole’s eyes narrowed. “What now? Getting cold feet?”
“Hardly. Just pointing out something obvious.” Jack’s voice was calm, but tight. “That’s your student. What if he holds back after I coach him?”
“I won’t,” the student Liam Drake said through clenched teeth. “I have pride.”
Jack nodded. “Alright. But the stakes aren’t equal. If I lose, I lose everything. You? Nothing.”
He turned to the crowd. “That’s like being told: ‘If I win, I get to live. If I lose, I die.’ You call that fair?”
The audience murmured. Cole twitched.
“Fine,” he said after a pause. “If I lose, Liam becomes your student. And I’ll even give you a second chance. Fail to improve him? Try again with him.”
He pointed to Emmet.
Jack’s eyes narrowed.
He’s trying to bait me into overreaching...
Emmet gave a subtle nod.
Jack returned it. “Deal.”
Liam stepped forward. “Teacher…”
He looked shaken. Being passed to Jack was humiliating.
“Don’t worry,” Cole said, all confidence. “I won’t lose.”
Liam’s form was aggressive, footwork tight, strikes sharp.
Jack said nothing.
I don’t even know the name of this routine. How am I supposed to analyze it?
Beads of sweat formed at his brow.
This is it. If I fail… It’s over.
BOOM.
Something deep within his mind trembled.
The Vault of Eternal Insight rumbled to life.
Words burned across its surface:
Eternal Insight Views Imperfection
Books stopped scrolling.
A single volume floated out of the tablet and down.
Jack caught it.
Its cover read: Liam Drake
His breath caught.
He opened it.
Liam Drake Origin: Drake Family, Culmel City.
Cultivation: Warrior 1, Initiate Realm.
Technique: Ironroot Meridian Pulse
Combat Arts: Stonecleave Fists (Novice), Twin Fang Strike (Expert)
Flaws (12):
Shifts weight too early during forward advance.
Tightens fists prematurely.
Delayed breathing rhythm weakens force output...
Dominant left leg, but stance favors right-hand power, limiting output...
Jack’s eyes widened.
Is this real… The Vault is diagnosing him in real time.
Liam finished his strike.
62.
Cole grinned. “Your turn, Teacher Jack.”
The crowd leaned in.
Jack looked at the book… then at Liam.
His mind raced.
I… I can’t do this.
Then Liam stepped forward, bowing. “Teacher Jack, please correct my flaws.”
Jack’s throat tightened.
Emily blinked, intrigued.
The courtyard fell into tense silence.
Jack remembered the list.
“Twelve flaws,” he said.
Laughter exploded.
“Twelve? That’s Flawless Fist!”
“Even I know it’s perfect!”
Cole sneered. “Twelve? Really? Please enlighten us, Master Insight.”
Jack didn’t flinch.
“I see no point in guiding someone who doesn’t trust me. Emily let’s leave.”
“Hold it!”
Cole panicked. He’s trying to walk away and save face!
“No we believe you,” Cole said, raising his voice.
Jack exhaled, flipping to the final flaw.
“Your routine favors right-handed strikes,” he said. “But you’re left-dominant. Try switching.”
More laughter.
“Who advises using the weaker hand?!”
Cole was gleeful. “Go ahead, Liam.”
He nodded, reluctantly shifting stance.
He punched.
BOOM!
The pillar shuddered.
The number lit up:
123kg.
“WHAT?!”
Gasps. Then stunned silence.
Liam stared at the display.
Jack’s heart thundered.
It worked. The Vault works.
“So, Teacher Cole,” Jack said coolly. “20% improvement versus 100%. Still want to argue?”
Cole's face paled.
Jack smirked.
“Want to try again? With my other student?”
“I don’t think he’s qualified,” Emmet said sharply.
Cole bristled. “You execute the routine.”
Emmet stepped forward, calm.
Whoosh!
50kg.
Cole cleared his throat and stepped in to guide Emmet, now forced to take this seriously. After analyzing Emmet’s form, he offered a single pointer, adjusting the angle of his step.
Emmet punched again.
56kg.
6 points. Barely a difference. Cole bit his tongue.
Jack laughed softly. Then he strolled forward, looking at Coles’ other student. “I'll choose to guide her.” Jack said But if I improve her punch, she'll be transferring to me as well.“ Jack turned to look at Cole, who nodded his approval. The girl with long, dark hair that seemed to shimmer between blue and black stepped up to the pillar. Putting all her weight behind the punch, she measured at level 28kg. Jack stepped up to her and made a few minor corrections and tweaks based on the flaws listed in the Vault.
The girl took a breath. Moved. Punched.
Boom!
60kg.
Silence.
Cole stood frozen.
His mouth opened but no words came.
Then, from his group, a student quietly stepped toward Jack, eyes wide with admiration.
Jack said nothing.
The Vault had changed everything.
He wasn’t the same man who scored zero.
Not anymore.
Cole Xander retrieved a jade token from his robe, biting his finger and letting a drop of blood drip onto it.
“Liam. Jennifer.” His voice was cold. “I hereby revoke your statuses as my students. You're now free to acknowledge Teacher Jack.”
Without another word, he flicked the token toward them and turned to Jack, eyes sharp.
“Don’t get smug. This time, you got lucky. Next time, I’ll make sure your name is buried.”
Then he turned and strode away.
This wasn’t just a lost challenge; it was a public disgrace. Cole had been beaten not by a rival but by the lowest-ranked teacher in the academy. The shame burned.
“Teacher…” Liam muttered, face dark with frustration. He still believed the result was a fluke. A statistical outlier.
Jennifer, however, was more thoughtful. Once might be luck. Twice meant something deeper.
Jack didn’t care what they thought. He tossed them jade tokens with casual indifference.
“You’re mine now. Let’s formalize it. ID tokens.”
Liam hesitated. But refusal now would leave him untouchable; no teacher would risk taking on someone rejected publicly. With a grimace, he pricked his finger and sealed the bond.
Jennifer followed, a spark of curiosity in her eyes.
Jack nodded. “Training starts tomorrow. Same place. Don’t be late.”
He turned to Emmett. “That doesn’t include you since you have family matters to attend.” Jack waved away the other students and, without fanfare, they left the canteen.
Back at the lecture hall, Jack and Emmet sat together.
“How long do you think I’ll stay here?” Emmet asked.
Jack shrugged. “No idea. You came through the button in my consciousness. Let me check.”
Without hesitation, he dived into his mind, and Emmet was pulled in again alongside him.
They stood once more before the Vault of Eternal Insight, the colossal glass tablet glowing with power.
“There it is,” Jack said, pointing to the purple button. “Last time, it was fully pressed in. Now it’s almost reset.”
Emmet looked down. His body was beginning to fade, his feet dissolving into mist.
“Oh, it seems you don’t have much time left,” Jack said quietly.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Jack’s gaze returned to the Vault.
A realization struck him.
Anyone who demonstrated a technique in front of him… the Vault could instantly analyze and document their flaws.
And the button didn’t just summon Emmet. It summoned the third one, too. That boy from the Rift. Powerful. Unfinished. A mystery.
Jack wasn’t about to push it again. Not yet.
He smiled to himself.
“Haha… I really hit the jackpot this time,” he murmured. “With this, I can see through anyone’s technique. No way I’m scoring zero in the next exam.”
For the first time since arriving in this world, Jack felt more than just survival.
He felt momentum.
Hope. Fire. Purpose.
He was going to rise.
- Writer
