John hadn't wanted to argue with Brian.
But Brian's words crossed the line.
"Watch your mouth," John warned coldly.
"My words?" Brian scoffed, smirking. "What's wrong? Did I hurt your feelings?"
"I'll give you one chance to apologize."
Brian stared at him, dumbfounded.
He genuinely believed he was right.
In his eyes, John was nothing but a coward—a man who only knew how to dodge and defend.
"A coward is always a coward!" Brian growled, his tone filled with contempt. "Screw off!"
Slap!
Before he could even finish, John's hand whipped across his face.
The sound echoed.
John stood firm, his tone calm and indifferent. "Why didn't you take the chance I gave you?"
Slap!
Another one landed—just as quick, just as hard.
Brian staggered, dazed.
His mind buzzed.
What the hell just happened?
At first, he thought maybe John had caught him off guard.
But the second slap? He had seen that one coming.
And he still couldn't dodge it.
He was a Robust Master, damn it!
There was no excuse.
His defensive technique, his forceful shield—it should've worked.
But John had broken through it like paper.
Slap!
Another brutal hit. His face jerked to the side, swelling visibly.
Brian stood there, stunned.
"He's not a Robust Master…"
"He can't be…"
"No one at that level could've broken through my defenses like that."
What the hell was John?
John smirked. "If you can't even stop me from slapping you, what does that make you?"
Brian felt his face burn—not just from the blows, but from shame.
And now a crowd had gathered.
Students from nearby classes were drawn by the commotion. They watched in disbelief.
Brian, their supposed expert, was getting humiliated—slapped like a rag doll.
"I won't accept this!" Brian shouted in defiance. "No way!"
"Don't push me, John—"
Slap!
John casually slapped him again.
"So what?"
"…"
Slap!
"That's five now. What are you going to do about it?"
"…"
Slap!
"Six. I'm honestly impressed."
"F-Fuck—!"
Slap!
Brian exploded with rage, ready to fight back.
But just as he raised his hand—
Slap!
Another one landed clean across his face.
And this time, he staggered backward, struggling to stay on his feet.
The crowd gasped.
He couldn't dodge it. Not even one.
Students stared in disbelief.
They had all assumed John was just a Robust Master. That had been the conclusion during his match with Bruce.
But now?
That assumption was crumbling.
No Robust Master could do this.
Unless…
Unless John was a monster.
Brian stood there, breathing heavily.
He couldn't believe it.
He hadn't been able to avoid a single slap.
What did it mean?
It meant John was far beyond his level.
And remembering what Lucien had said to him before, Brian suddenly felt like a fool.
No one could've predicted this outcome.
Certainly not Brian.
He sank to the floor, silent and humiliated, while whispers filled the air.
Then, as if clinging to the last shreds of his pride, he looked at John and shouted bitterly:
"Since you're so damn powerful, why don't you teach Sophia? I'm clearly not qualified!"
Sophia's expression changed at those words.
His logic was flawed.
Power didn't equal teaching ability. Theory and technique required more than brute strength. A powerful fighter wasn't automatically a good instructor.
For example—Aron, one of the strongest men around, had a training method that wouldn't suit her at all.
This school was different.
Here, teachers tailored their approach to each individual student.
So even if John was incredibly gifted, that didn't necessarily mean he could teach Sophia effectively.
Sophia looked uncertain.
But John remained calm as always. He glanced at her and said casually, "What? This isn't my fault."
Biting her lower lip, Sophia hesitated, then said quietly, "I came to this school because of you. If I end up having to leave… maybe that's just fate."
John chuckled.
He looked her straight in the eyes and said, "You're jumping to conclusions too soon."
"Those so-called powerful men?"
"Maybe they'll be nobodies in the future—if I decide to help you."