“Ah yes indeed, a new student, hello new student, and allow me to introduce you to the old students,” the…professor said, words shooting almost machinegun fast at Greg. Short, thin, with graying hair, and yet somehow the man appeared to be in his thirties. The white lab coat gave him the scientist look. “Oh wait wait wait wait, I’m supposed to introduce myself first. Eh, this is the problem with socializing. It can be bad for the mind, I tell ya.”

The short man actually vanished out of thin air and reappeared at the podium in front of the class. Greg nearly fell backward. Hell, he couldn’t believe it—his mind had to have…no. The professor performed a real teleport.

The girl who took the pie in the face stormed out of the classroom furiously. A new complaint would certainly be filed. Some students snickered at her misfortune. Others, probably those who suffered under the professor’s torment, seemed to sympathize with her.

“Call me Professor Vinnie Doughnut,” the teacher said. “Or just Vinn. With two D’s. I mean N’s. Now, now, now, have a seat behind that fine gentleman in the back. Third row.”

He pointed at the spot. “And Mr. Greggory, there are consequences for being rude or failing my class, soooooooooooooooo don’t. Welcome to Basics with Magic annnnnnddd good luck! You’ll need it, lad.” He saluted.

“Goddammit doughnut,” some random student said.

Nodding to the professor, Greg made his way to the assigned seat. Along the way, there were sneers from a few rich students, curious stares, and even a brief glance from the glasses-wearing young man that would be sitting in front of him.

“BEFORE, we get started with the main lesson of the day, let’s do a quick refresher for our new student,” Professor Vinn said. Some students groaned. “Oh don’t give me that. Your magic tools haven’t even come in yet.” His glance shot to Greg. “Take notes, lad. You’ll need them. HA.”

Greg pulled out a notebook and pen from his bookbag provided to him by the academy.

“Magic is a term we use for transitioning elements into shapes,” the professor began. “Common sense, stuff, am I right or am I right? Praise me—anywayyyy, yah yah. These shapes are defined by the spell. And with your mind…” he placed a finger on his head. “You select a target and channel the source of power, magic that is, through the tool. You cast that spell. Of course not all spells are of the targeting sort, but that’s something you, the scholar, must find out on your own.”

Professor Vinn twirled into the air and actually hovered there, which only baffled Greg. This was real. Someone…floating. Disappearing and reappearing in what could only be assumed teleportation, like on TV. If the young man could take this knowledge home…What if he could dress up and become the world’s first superhero. Nah, that’d bite him in the ass. He’d probably never get the chance to relax. But it’d be a hell of a show for the guys. Then again, his friends would probably be too drunk to believe it was actually real.

“Now for demonstration’s sake and of course your turn to be laughed at, I want you to open your palm and concentrate,” Professor Vinn said. “Imagine water streaming from every direction into your hand.” He clapped once. “No one here has an affinity yet. Well, aside from the lad in front of you.” Some of the rich students glared daggers at the glasses boy. “Hiroshi’s our genius, so don’t mind him.”

All eyes, most mocking, turned to Greg as he held out his hand as instructed.

“Concentrate,” Professor Vinn said. “And get laughed at like the rest.” He grinned.

“You’re…” Greg didn’t finish his sentence as he concentrated. What did the professor say about affinities? The young man remembered his stat sheet listing…three. Was that…not normal? Why didn’t the others have affinities?

Nothing seemed to be happening, so as one would expect, students began to snicker and laugh.

“How long will the professor make the new guy sit there like an idiot?” some girl said.

“Probably half an hour,” a boy replied. “Poor guy. Prof, don’t do this to him. We’re trying to get—”

His words were cut off by the professor throwing the markerboard’s eraser at him. The shot seemed too perfect, nailing the student in the face. What a dick.

“Did he seriously make you guys sit like this for half an hour?” Greg said.

“Sure did,” the dark-skinned boy with white hair from across him said. “Right until the very last second.”

Greg frowned. “I guess we’ll have to get this over with.”

As he concentrated, sure he looked like an idiot, a thought came to the young man. Shouldn’t the system help him out with this.

It did.

[Classroom EXP gained. You have followed the professor’s instructions properly. Pulling in the ambient magic, You learned Electric Ball.]

[Electric ball. Type: electric and lightning.. Class: common. Fire an electric ball at your foe. Does meh shock and electric damage. Chance to stun at 1-5%.]

Suddenly, electricity sparked into Greg’s hand just as the other students turned away. The professor seemed to have missed a step as he rushed over to the young man, baffled. He examined his hand, awed, before looking up to nod at the smug spellcaster.

“To do this on your first attempt,” the professor said and then grimaced. “You’re no fun. I wanted to see your hand cramp. Now I have to teach.”

He returned to the podium. “So friends, scallywags, itty bitty scrubby magicians destined to reach the deities sitting at graduations. Your seniors. Guess what the first test will be. Hiroshi and Greg exempt of course. Next week, be ready. Keep practicing. And for the love of the horse’s rear end of your aunt’s cooking, don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

The professor explained more on the basics of magic and magic formation, but Greg was just too excited to fully pay attention. He could shoot electricity out of his hands. Holy shit!

That cheerfulness vanished the moment the professor mentioned something to the class as they were filing out.

“The newbie introductory week starts in a few minutes,” Professor Vinn said, then shuddered. “Oh oh oof. Advice, run. We professors can’t be everywhere at once and we’ll punish any senior caught in the act. But the tradition’s a haze that’s lasted every year for a century.”

“Newbie introductory week?” Greg asked. He seemed confused at his terrified classmates, when the words of the professor hit him. Seniors, newbie, punishments, caught in the act… Oh god, this magic school had freshmen hell week and the teaching staff were allowing it to happen.

“Ah, you thought this was a normal, peaceful, non-competitive academy,” the professor said in a chipper tone. “Tsk, tsk, you’ve got much to learn, newbies. See you on Wednesday!” He vanished.

“You’ve…got to be shitting me,” Greg said softly.

Hiroshi confidently walked out the door, his low words being, “idiots.”

Greg knew he couldn’t be late for his second class, so he took the brave step outside. He heard yelling and screaming from afar. Also…gun shots? Things being thrown?

He hoped the meter countdown and arrow led him away from the action. Some of his classmates from the Basics of Magic were running, hoping to get ahead of the senior students. Greg knew better. If you looked like a target, you became a target.

“Fuck,” he said. “I’m twenty-one years old. I don’t have time for this shit.”