Riya walked closer to Arin, arms crossed tightly as her piercing gaze fixed on him. "Continue…"
'Oh, crap,' Arin cursed internally. He shut his eyes and massaged his temples, trying to regain his composure.
It wasn't that he didn't know what to say; he had plenty to say. He just wasn't in the right state of mind to start explaining things. But nevertheless, he had no choice. He knew Riya well enough — staying silent would make things worse for him.
"You were talking about Mana Stones and Mana Caves," Arin began, his voice low and uncertain, hoping she would let him off easy.
"Speak up," Riya demanded, her gaze never wavering. "We can't hear you."
Arin let out a sigh, realizing the weight of all the eyes in the room now on him. Every single student was watching him, some with curiosity, others with boredom.
'Great,' he thought bitterly. 'Today's gonna be a long day…'
Reluctantly, he raised his voice. "When a high amount of Mana gathers in a specific area for too long, that area becomes what we call a Mana Zone," Arin explained, his eyes scanning the faces of the students, though avoiding Riya's sharp gaze. "Once it's located, a cave is constructed around it to contain the concentrated Mana."
Riya narrowed her eyes, urging him to continue. "And then?"
Arin glanced down at the table, trying to collect his thoughts, and then added, "Once that cave is built, people can enter it to meditate, increase their Mana, and raise their Rank."
Riya's lips twisted slightly, her expression still unreadable. "Hmm. But you're aware that not just anyone can enter a Mana Cave, right?"
"Yes," Arin responded, barely above a whisper, "only special individuals."
Riya nodded, taking a step back but keeping her eyes on him. "What about the Mana Stones?"
Arin shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, those? They're stones that form inside Mana Caves due to the high concentration of Mana. They're very valuable."
At that, a murmur spread across the room. Tessa, seated near the front, muttered under her breath, "Why is he talking so casually?"
Riya stared at Arin for a moment longer before giving a short nod. She turned and strode back to the front of the room, her presence still commanding the space. "Good," she muttered, just loud enough for him to hear. "You were actually paying attention… once again."
Arin breathed a sigh of relief, his shoulders dropping slightly. 'Like I'm the only one who isn't concentrating...' he thought irritably, clicking his tongue. Now that Riya was finally off his case, he had time to check in with the system.
'System?' he called out in his mind, his eyes drifting to the corner of the room.
Instantly, the familiar blue screen appeared in front of him, showing his items and stats.
'What's wrong with me?' Arin asked. No point in beating around the bush.
But there was no response. The screen remained static, no new information appearing. Arin's brow furrowed as frustration gnawed at him.
'Seriously?' he cursed internally. He tried twisting the question, phrasing it in different ways, but the result was the same — silence. 'The system definitely knows something,' he thought, clenching his fists. 'But it won't tell me.'
His thoughts spiraled, trying to figure out what could be wrong with him. But before he could dwell on it too long, Riya's voice cut through his frustration.
"That's all for today's Magic Theory class," she announced, her tone firm. "You're dismissed. Head to your rooms, get your gear, and be ready for Weapon Training. Understood?"
"Yes, Miss Riya," the students responded in unison.
The classroom filled with the sound of chairs scraping and students gathering their things.
Arin joined them. He moved through the corridors, trying to avoid contact with Lina — a conversation with her now would only delay him, and he wasn't in the mood for it.
Finally, after what felt like a long trek, Arin reached the dorm building. He slipped into his room, shut the door behind him, and collapsed onto the bed. His mind was foggy, his thoughts scrambled as he struggled to piece together what was happening to him.
'I hate this,' he thought, gritting his teeth. Not knowing what was happening to his body, not understanding the source of his confusion and unease — it was infuriating.
After lying there for a few minutes, he forced himself up. He couldn't afford to stay on the bed too long. With a deep breath, he donned his gear for the Weapon Training class and headed back to the Academy's main building.
The training room was at the far end of the building, and as Arin approached the door, he could already hear voices inside.
'I'm late,' he realized. 'Damn it. Guess I spent more time on the bed that I thought.'
He pushed open the door, and sure enough, all the students were already gathered, their eyes briefly flickering to him before focusing back on the instructor at the front — Dan.
Dan's sharp eyes fixed on Arin as he entered. The room was silent, the atmosphere tense.
Dan sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "Come in," he said, his tone clipped.
Arin moved to the back of the room, taking his usual spot. He tried to keep his expression neutral, though his mind raced. 'I've been in the spotlight too much today.'
Dan cleared his throat, keeping his gaze on Arin for a moment longer. "I don't tolerate lateness," he said, his voice cold. "But I'll let it slide this time. Make sure it doesn't happen again."
With that, the Weapon Training class began.
Two students would be called out to spar with wooden weapons, and Dan would decide the winner, and give corrections when needed. Though he always seemed to give corrections even when it wasn't needed.
While all these were happening, Arin was hastily, and impatiently tapping his feet on the floor, waiting for the class to end, so he would meet Tessa in the forest, and tell her what she needed to know, after all....
It was about to go down tonight.....
Two more chapters incoming!!