I became a god through archaeology in the Wizarding World.

The morning sunlight streamed through the cafeteria's tall floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the long oak dining tables.

The air was filled with the aroma of oatmeal and grilled sausages, mixed with the hushed murmurs of the apprentices talking.

Rod, carrying his tray, chose a corner seat and sat down.

After being in seclusion for half a month, he appeared in public for the first time.

Although he tried his best to conceal his aura, the overflowing spiritual power brought about by his recent breakthrough to the intermediate apprentice level still made him look somewhat different.

His skin was firmer than before, and his eyes no longer held that timid, evasive look, but instead exuded a deep, calm quality.

"Is that Rhodes? That useless history teaching assistant?"

"I heard he disappeared for half a month. I thought he had died in some sewer."

A few passing apprentices whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with their usual disdain.

Rod ignored him, picked up his spoon, and quietly ate his oatmeal.

Now, his senses are incredibly sharp. Within fifty meters, he can hear clearly who is talking about potion recipes, who is complaining about their mentor, and even who is secretly rubbing their foot against the female apprentice's calf under the table.

Suddenly, a burst of noisy footsteps broke the tranquility.

The previously noisy cafeteria instantly quieted down.

Kane swaggered in, wearing a brand-new dark blue mage's robe and the badge of authority pinned to his chest, surrounded by a group of followers.

His gaze swept across the cafeteria like a vulture's, finally settling precisely on Rhodes in the corner.

Kane's eyes narrowed slightly.

After not seeing him for half a month, this teaching assistant, who should have been trembling with fear, now gave him a strange...sense of unease.

He was too calm, so calm that it disgusted him.

"Hey, isn't this our archaeology expert?"

Kane raised his voice dramatically and led a group of people straight toward Rhodes.

Rod paused for a moment with his spoon, but without looking up, he continued to put a mouthful of oatmeal into his mouth.

"What? You can't even bow to the steward?"

Kane walked to the table and looked down at Rhodes.

He keenly noticed the faint sheen on the back of Rhodes's hand.

This kid...did he break through?

Impossible! Even if an unqualified mortal soaks in a spring of magic, he cannot break through!

Kane gave a wink to one of his burly henchmen.

The henchman understood immediately. He pretended to walk past Rhodes, slipped, and crashed heavily into Rhodes's dining table.

"Ouch!"

"Clang!"

The plate was overturned, and thick oatmeal and greasy sausage spilled out, splashing all over Rod.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry."

The lackey shrugged insincerely, a mocking smile on his face: "This ground is too slippery, just like some people's fates, they can't stand up straight."

A burst of laughter came from the surrounding area.

Kane crossed his arms and stared coldly at Rhodes, waiting for him to either explode or beg for mercy.

He was testing him, trying to find out what trump card Rhodes was hiding.

Rod slowly put down his spoon.

He looked at the large stain on his robe, but his face did not show the anger Kane had expected.

He raised his head, his dark eyes calmly fixed on Kane, as if watching a monkey performing acrobatics.

"It's okay."

Rhodes stood up, took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands, and said in a tone as flat as still water, "The floor is indeed very slippery. Be careful when you walk in the future, or you might break your leg."

After saying that, he picked up the messy plate and turned to walk towards the recycling area.

Kane was stunned.

This disregard for him was more humiliating than any direct insults.

All the challenging lines he had prepared were now stuck in his throat.

"stop!"

Kane, enraged, growled, "Did I say you could leave?"

Rhodes didn't stop walking, nor did he even turn his head.

Just as he was about to walk out of the cafeteria, he passed a huge load-bearing stone pillar.

At that very instant, a cold smile curled at the corner of Rhodes's mouth as he turned his back to the crowd.

Patience is for the greater good, but that doesn't mean he won't collect some interest.

His left hand twitched slightly inside his sleeve, his fingertips gripping a hard fruit pit that he had just removed from the fruit during his meal.

[Moonlight Mimicry], activate instantly!

Although it only lasted for a mere 0.5 seconds, on everyone's retinas, Rhodes' figure seemed to be slightly distorted due to the refraction of light.

It's now!

Rod's finger snapped.

The fruit pit, imbued with the mental power of an intermediate apprentice and the enhanced finger strength of [Stone Skin], shot towards Kane silently like a bullet.

The target was the popliteal nerve in the right knee fossa.

Kane was about to chase after Rhodes to teach him a lesson when he suddenly felt as if his right knee had been hit hard by a red-hot iron hammer.

"what!"

The excruciating pain instantly severed the nerve control in my leg.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Kane, who had been so aggressive, suddenly collapsed to his knees with a thud.

Moreover, he faced the cafeteria entrance, the direction Rod had left in, and performed a standard kneeling bow.

"Thump!"

The sound of the knee hitting the floor was crisp and loud.

The entire cafeteria fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared wide-eyed as the usually arrogant steward knelt on the ground in an extremely devout manner, his face turning a deep purplish-red.

"What... what is Steward Kane doing?"

"Your legs are weak?"

"Are they still bowing?"

Whispers buzzed like flies.

Kane was in so much pain that tears were welling up in his eyes. He struggled to stand up, but his right leg was completely numb and he couldn't muster any strength.

"Who?! Who did this?!"

Kane roared hysterically, then suddenly turned around and looked around.

However, no one approached him.

The henchman who was closest to him was also terrified and quickly reached out to help him: "Boss, what... what's wrong with you?"

"Get out of here!"

Kane shoved his henchman aside and stared intently at the cafeteria door.

There, Rod's figure had long since disappeared.

Just a moment ago, he did sense a faint fluctuation of magical energy, but it was too fast, so fast that even he, a senior apprentice, couldn't detect its source.

Moreover, Rod had already reached the doorway, with a pillar in between, so how could he possibly be attacked?

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

Kane struggled to his feet with the help of his henchmen, and he felt that the fearful gazes around him had now turned into mockery.

He has completely lost face today.

"Rhodes...it must be you..."

Kane gritted his teeth, his nails digging deep into his palms.

Although there was no evidence, his intuition told him that this was the good-for-nothing's revenge!

"Since you want to play dirty tricks, then we'll play it to the end."

Kane's sinister gaze shifted to his henchman, and he said in a low voice, "Go, inform those brothers in the enforcement team. Add Rhodes' name to tomorrow's field collection roster."

The henchman hesitated for a moment: "But boss, he's a history major, he doesn't need to participate in this kind of..."

"I said add it, so add it! Don't worry about the rest. If the higher-ups reject the request, I'll find someone to handle it."

Kane slapped his lackey on the back of the head, his eyes flashing with murderous intent: "Assign him to the most dangerous Dark Swamp region. Several apprentices go missing there every year; no one will care if one more teaching assistant dies."

"Yes...yes!" The henchman nodded hurriedly.

Kane stared in the direction Rhodes had disappeared, a cruel grin spreading across his face.

"I have reservations in the academy, but in the swamp... I'll make you kneel before me, and I'll smash every bone in your body to see what secrets you're hiding!"

Outside the cafeteria.

Rod didn't go far. He stood in the shade of a large tree, listening to the commotion coming from the cafeteria, and lightly flicked non-existent dust off his fingers.

"A field gathering mission?"

Thanks to the enhanced hearing of the Ironbeak Raven, Kane's whispered plot was heard without missing a single word.

Rhodes looked up at the sky. The sunlight was a bit dazzling, but the coldness in his eyes was colder than an ice cellar.

"That suits me perfectly."

He was worried that he couldn't find an opportunity to completely resolve this problem within the academy, and at the same time, he needed a suitable reason to leave the academy to test the power of the new spell.

Since Kane deliberately chose to fight in a lawless land...

In a place like the Dark Swamp, the death of a manager would be a perfectly reasonable accident, wouldn't it?

"Let's see who's hunting whom."

Rod pulled up his hood, turned and headed toward the history building; he still had to hurry up and finish the work he hadn't completed that day.