Chapter 226 226: Ariel's Inner Conflict: Between Love And Ambition



Rumors began to surface at the university.

Victor, who had met up with Elijah, challenged him to a duel and won with just one blow. Soon, people from the university, including both students and professors, found a video filmed by one of the students. The video showed the fight between Elijah and Victor… if it could even be called a fight?

Victor simply appeared in front of Elijah when the fight began, and with a single punch to the stomach, made Elijah vomit his lunch (presumably). This video went viral, especially due to the words Victor said upon learning he was being filmed:

"This is the person that Amon Tang, the genius of the first year, took time to defeat? Disappointing~ I thought Amon was someone better, but it seems I was wrong! In the end, I am the strongest Rank 1 Innate on campus!"

The Rumors about the fight between Victor and Elijah began to circulate around the university after the release of the video showing Victor's victory with just one blow. Victor's arrogant words in the video, claiming he was the strongest Rank 1 Innate, only added to the controversy.

Some students and professors were shocked at how easily Victor had defeated Elijah, while others wondered if the fight was fair. The reference to Amon Tang, a genius of the first year, who allegedly took his time to defeat Elijah, also generated a lot of discussions.

Although Victor was seen as arrogant, some people still couldn't hate him because of his charismatic appearance. However, there were many people who already disliked Amon and used this opportunity to spread rumors about how Victor was superior to him.

In summary, the rumors about the fight between Victor and Elijah caused a lot of controversies and fueled even more rivalry among the university students.

Later, Ariel went to the laboratory and met with Amon. Ariel showed Amon the video, but he didn't seem to care much about the matter. While watching the video calmly and with a bit of indifference, he replied,

"This doesn't surprise me. I expected something like this could happen. Some students always try to get attention in some way, and often it involves belittling others."

Amon continued speaking calmly, but Ariel could sense that there was something behind this apparent indifference. That's when she heard him continue speaking.

"Moreover, I don't care about this kind of competition. What matters to me is my own growth and development. If Victor thinks he's the strongest Rank 1 Innate, that's his problem. I know my potential, and I don't need to prove anything to anyone."

Yes, indeed. This suited him better. It didn't matter to Amon if Victor thought he was better or not. Being declared the best didn't make one the best. If it did, Amon wouldn't have ever needed to train,l; he would have just spent all the resources he had to buy public opinion and make himself the "best." 

Amon's attitude towards the rumors and rivalry among university students showed that he was a mature individual focused on his own development. For him, what mattered was his own growth and not the opinions of others about him. Ariel agreed with Amon and praised his attitude.

They continued to talk about other topics related to training and evolution in the Innate Rank, exchanging ideas and experiences. Ariel was impressed with Amon's mature attitude, but she felt strange because they were alone. She still couldn't handle her current feelings well, especially when being alone with him.

"Are the girls going to take much longer?" Ariel murmured. She seemed a bit different, even a little spaced out.

Ariel seemed uncomfortable with the situation of being alone with Amon and asked if the other girls would take longer to arrive. She seemed distracted and a little spaced out, perhaps because of her feelings toward Amon.

At first, everything was fine, since they had plenty to talk about, but when the conversation died down, she realized that she was now alone with him and let her thoughts run wild. But suddenly, she slapped herself in the face with force using both hands, and quickly, her cheeks turned red.

Amon looked at her with surprise, not seeming to have expected her to do something like that.

Ariel was a little embarrassed initially, but soon recovered and asked, "What is the place called where all your dreams come true, but it's also where people go when they're sleeping?"

"In bed?" Amon replied.

Ariel smiled, satisfied with the answer and joked, "You're quick on the draw, Amon! I was thinking of saying 'the mind,' but in bed is also a good answer."

At the same time, the laboratory door opened and Maisa, Julia, and Barbara appeared. Discreetly, Ariel let out a sigh of relief, then returned to her usual playful expression.

POV - Ariel

Sometimes I find myself wondering what it would be like to be in a romantic relationship. It's not like I've never had the opportunity, but something inside me holds me back. It's like I'm constantly struggling between following my heart and my head.

I always knew I wanted to be powerful, not out of greed, but because I wanted to have the power to give my mother a comfortable and dignified life. She has done so much for me and I want to repay her in some way. But at the same time, there is a part of me that longs for love and companionship.

The problem is that I fear a romantic relationship could distract me from my main goal. What if I fell in love and ended up dedicating more time and effort to my partner than to my own rise to power? I can't afford to let that happen.

I know it may seem selfish, but it's the only way I see to honor everything my mother sacrificed for me. I want to be able to give her everything she deserves, and that means I have to be strong and focused on my goals.

Amon is good to me; I understand that. But even though I'm confident in my own appearance, Amon already has four beautiful girlfriends. I don't want to put myself in a situation where I could end up hurting or being a stumbling block for other people. I don't think I'm ready for a relationship yet… at least not now.

I think the best thing I can do now is to continue focusing on my goals and work hard to achieve them. Maybe in the future I'll be ready for a relationship, but for now I need to be patient and trust myself.

I want to be strong, someone who can make a difference in the world. And I won't let anything stop me from achieving that goal, not even my own heart.

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Edited by: Azurtha