[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-strongest-existence-becomes-teacher":3,"chapter-strongest-existence-becomes-teacher-strongest-existence-becomes-teacher-chapter-178":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Strongest Existence Becomes Teacher",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1723440,2200,"Chapter 178: Dren The Dwarf","strongest-existence-becomes-teacher-chapter-178",178,"\u003Cp>The griffin Yula descended in a wide spiral, her wings beating against the metallic winds that rolled off the great city. She touched down on a gravel clearing outside the academy walls, talons digging in with a sharp thunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grom slid off first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good girl, Yula. Go run around or scare some merchants—I’ll bring you a treat later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SCREEEEH!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yula’s feathers puffed, delighted, and she launched herself skyward again, vanishing into the steel-gray horizon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mira hopped down next and immediately spun in place, inhaling deeply with sparkling eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aaah... that nostalgic metal smell...! The burnt mana, oil, heated steel—gods, I missed this place!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane landed lightly beside them, coat fluttering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes narrowed for a moment as he silently scanned the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Infiltrated. Everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Parasite traces... faint dark mana threads... hiding in the buildings, under the floors, inside the mana-tubes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This whole city is crawling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kept the thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grom clapped his hands once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright! Let’s head in. You both haven’t seen the academy in years—well, Mira hasn’t. You—\" he pointed at Zane, \"—this is your first time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They walked forward, gravel crunching under boots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then the academy came into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A towering fortress of metal and mana-tuned machinery rose like a living beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gantry platforms shifted constantly, lifted by gear tracks powered by bright blue mana-crystals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Massive piston columns pumped like the academy itself was breathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brass pipes crisscrossed between thick iron plates, steaming softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stained-glass viewports glowed with etched runes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arc reactors and tesla coils sparked with controlled lightning, illuminating—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A colossal gate shaped like a rotating cogwheel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above it gleamed the academy’s sigil:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a hammer crossed with a beast’s claw, framed by steel wings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mira’s mouth hung open, her voice full of awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s even bigger than I remember...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grom puffed his chest proudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course it is! We keep upgrading every year. Welcome—\" he spread his arms wide—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"—to Stonefang Combat Forge Academy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane stared up at the mechanical titan of a building, gears shifting with deep metallic roars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind his calm expression, a single amused thought passed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a lovely place to expose a traitor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, the three of them stepped forward toward the massive cogwheel gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They walked toward the massive cogwheel gate—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>when a voice cut through the metallic hum of the academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You finally returned.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane’s smile thinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here comes the little bastard...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three of them turned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dwarf stood at the entrance, slim for his kind, almost frail-looking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skin pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hair a muddy pinkish-brown tied loosely behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eyes the same color—soft on the outside, but quietly calculating underneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bowed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Welcome back, Master.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his gaze shifted—and brightened artificially.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, well... if it isn’t Mira Sorenhal! You’ve grown a lot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mira gasped, eyes lighting up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dren!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She ran forward with an excited smile—pure, genuine happiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grom, however...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mana leaked out of him like a rising tide—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>rage, betrayal, heartbreak all mixing into a violent storm he could barely contain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before even a single ripple could escape—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hand landed on his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane didn’t look at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply touched Grom with his fingertips, and a faint blue glow sank into the dwarf’s skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In one instant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grom’s rage vanished, snuffed out like a candle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He blinked, stunned, staring at Zane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane just shook his head with a lazy smirk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not yet, old man. Play your part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dren, completely unaware, now let his attention fall on Zane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled with politeness and warmth yet\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Zane eyes it was completely fake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane could practically feel him analyzing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>measuring aura, posture, mana, threat level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s trying to measure me already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you are...?\" Dren asked, voice smooth, almost friendly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane opened his mouth—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Mira jumped between them like an excited squirrel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s Zane! He joined Astralis Arcanum recently—he’s a professor there now! Just like me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dren’s smile twitched for half a second—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but he quickly recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh. Right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He extended a hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nice to meet you, Professor Zane.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane took the hand lightly, smiling back with perfect politeness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nice to meet you too, Dren.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, zane thinking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m going to tear him apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Dren walked away from the gate, his smile slowly faded—melting into something far colder, far uglier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems the parasite inside the old fool is functioning properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He touched his chest lightly, feeling the faint, familiar pulse of the link.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few hours ago—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he had felt it snap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a thread being cut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart had frozen for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did someone remove it...? Did someone discover it...?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, just as suddenly, the connection had returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if the parasite had been restored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dren smirked to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So it was just a fluctuation... good. If someone really removed it, I would have sensed it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was a whisper only the air could hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled slowly, relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was worried for nothing. Everything is fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then his expression darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts lingered on Zane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That calm face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That relaxed aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That unreadable smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane himself felt... wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could be dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll keep an eye on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His boots clicked against the metallic walkway of the academy, echoing faintly as his mind drifted further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression twisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To pure venom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mira.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That name alone soured his mood more than anything else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That bitch...\" he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing to slits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why is she here again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The calm mask on his face vanished entirely now that no one was watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After all these years, I finally succeeded in removing her from this academy... finally opened the path for myself...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fists clenched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And now she shows up again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That woman always seizes any opportunity to ruin things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gritted his teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time... I won’t let her stand in my way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression shifted back into a gentle, harmless smile as he approached the classroom doors—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—as if no dark thought had ever passed through his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane paused mid-step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes narrowed—not at Dren’s retreating back, but at something far larger, far deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pulse of mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Leave Dren for now,\" Zane murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mira blinked. \"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane tilted his head slightly, sensing again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me,\" he said slowly, \"what is this mana I’m feeling? It’s huge... but it doesn’t belong to any living being. Not human. Not beast. Not even magical.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grom stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You can sense that...?\" His voice trembled with disbelief. \"Just how strong are your senses, brat?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mira looked at Zane with confusion—and growing awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane didn’t answer. He simply waited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grom exhaled heavily. \"Fine. Let’s get to my office first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They walked through brass corridors and rune-lit elevators until they reached a large chamber lined with blueprints, gears, half-built artifacts, and walls glowing with faint runic circuitry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grom took his seat, rubbing his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That mana you sensed...\" he began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zane raised an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Mira leaned forward unconsciously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grom’s expression turned solemn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is one of my greatest creations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or my greatest failure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A beat of silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The thing I named—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers tapped the desk once, reverently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heart of the Deep Forge.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Zane’s eyes finally sharpened with genuine interest.\u003C\u002Fp>",1212,"2026-06-06T15:36:01.016Z",1,"novelbin.me","0ab49b3c25efcbed55b6cbba715042f10c4339f792fbef3ca7a8f119bb2f2246","strongest-existence-becomes-teacher-chapter-179","strongest-existence-becomes-teacher-chapter-177",275,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstrongest-existence-becomes-teacher-cover.jpg"]