Chapter 35: Camp
When Athar woke up the next day, it was with a serene sense of satisfaction. Although he knew the problem had not been completely resolved and there was a good chance more trouble was headed his way, he could not ignore the accomplishment he had achieved the night before.
Taking down Dervin would always remain a significant milestone in his life, no matter how powerful he became in the future. It was the first time Athar had broken through his shell and has accomplished something courageous.
After freshening up, he made his way to the Resource Centre and collected his weekly quota of supplies.
With the 10 beast cores he had picked up yesterday, Athar was now only five cores short of reaching the breakthrough he had projected to achieve in two months.
He was not overly concerned about meeting his goal. He still had the mana pills—and he would be accumulating more in the coming weeks. At worst, he might be delayed by an extra week before reaching E Rank. That was acceptable.
While Athar busied himself calculating the resources he would need for the breakthrough, he remained completely unaware that mysterious and powerful forces had begun to stir in the shadows. Forces that, somehow, were all connected to him.
"Good morning, everyone," Vale greeted the class during the first lecture of the day. "I have often noticed that the morning after a holiday, students are far less receptive to my lectures."
A few students chuckled, some sheepishly. It seemed true after all.
"I suppose the hangover from yesterday’s fun is not so easy to shake off," Vale added with amusement.
He paused for dramatic effect, a sly smile forming on his lips.
"But," he said, voice rising with enthusiasm, "today, I bring news that is sure to perk up every last one of you and jolt you out of that post holiday daze."