Chapter 50: Truth
The entire day following his conversation with Vale was a complete waste for Athar.
He could not concentrate, neither on practicing mana sense nor on his cultivation technique. Every effort proved to be a waste.
Frustration gnawed at him, coiling tight in his chest. He had clearly underestimated the scale and reach of the blackmailing network. If it had only involved a few students, he might have found a way out. But a teacher? That changed everything.
Worse still, he had no idea how many instructors or officials might be part of the web. The more he thought about it, the more helpless it made him feel.
For now, Athar had decided not to involve Angelica, not immediately.
At least not in the two days he had before the next holiday. He would try to find a solution on his own. If things went further south, only then would he consider asking for her help.
But with his mind in such disarray, everything else suffered. He sat through his mana sense exercises without focus, his cultivation stagnated, and when combat class came around in the evening, he was practically sleepwalking.
He drifted through the lesson, lost in his thoughts, unaware of how clumsy and distracted he appeared. He did not even register the instructor’s commands half the time.
Ryler, who had been watching from the sidelines, noticed the change.
He walked over to him and tried to strike up a conversation, concern in his eyes. "You okay, Athar? You seem... off today."
But Athar barely responded. His replies short, unfocused, distant. Seeing that Athar was in no mood to talk, Ryler let it go for the moment. He did not press the issue, but the worry on his face lingered as he returned to his spot.