Chapter 350: Chapter 348: Apology-2

She nodded again.

“And don’t ever assume you can handle a ten-thousand-year-old ghost,” he continued.

“You can’t. The only reason you survived was that I channeled my forbidden energy into you. That gave you enough strength to fight it.”

Lana looked down at him, realization dawning.

His condition… Had been because of her.

Guilt rose sharply in her chest. “I’m sorry.”

For the first time since she woke up, Axel’s expression softened. “Why are you apologizing?”

“Because of me,” she replied quietly. “You lost your cultivation… and you used forbidden art.”

Axel stared at her, looking as though he was once again resisting the urge to question her sanity.

“You shouldn’t feel sorry for me,” he replied, exasperated. “You should feel sorry for yourself for pushing your body that far.”

Lana nodded seriously. “I understand. I’ll take care of myself from now on.”

Axel finally smiled. It was faint, but it was real.

The moment she saw it, Lana knew she had been forgiven.

She turned toward Mr. Crow, who was still watching her with a helpless expression.

He wasn’t angry. He was simply… helpless when it came to her.

At the same time, shame crept into Lana’s heart like a slow, suffocating mist.

The room was quiet, faint sunlight filtering through the curtains, carrying the soft scent of medicinal herbs that still lingered from the healer’s visit. Yet inside her chest, there was nothing peaceful.

Rather than feeling heroic, she felt… foolish.

It would be wrong to call what she had done brave.

It would be more accurate to say she had caused trouble.

Trouble for the people she loved. Axel had lost an entire rank of cultivation.

Mr. Crow had warned her repeatedly, and she had ignored him every single time.

She lowered her head, her fingers twisting the edge of the blanket. “I’m sorry, Mr. Crow.”

Mr. Crow fluffed his feathers slightly before replying in a calm voice.

“If you truly wish to make me happy, then take better care of yourself. That would bring me far more joy than any apology.”

Lana nodded quietly. Soon, a full day passed.

When she finally felt well enough to sit up and eat properly, she realized something was wrong.

The moment food entered her mouth and she swallowed… A burning pain erupted through her entire body.

It felt as though fire had been poured directly into her veins, spreading from her stomach outward, licking at her organs, her meridians, her bones.

Her fingers trembled. She forced herself not to cry out.

Only then did she truly understand the consequences of what she had done. She let out a long, helpless sigh.

Meanwhile, Axel’s cultivation continued to linger in her thoughts like an unresolved wound.

The next afternoon, as he sat by the window reading, she finally gathered the courage to speak.

“What are you going to do about your cultivation? You dropped four levels… won’t that affect your position as an instructor?”

Mr. Crow had told her about the side effect and Lana felt even more heartbroken.

Before she could finish, Axel interrupted her.

“Stop worrying about me being kicked out of Shadowridge University,” he said evenly. “As for my cultivation, I was already preparing for a breakthrough. Losing a rank won’t prevent me from reaching it again.”

He paused briefly before adding, “The only issue is that I’ll need to cultivate for ten years or more to recover fully.”

Ten years. The words struck her harder than she expected.

A heavy sense of resignation filled her chest.

“If only…” she murmured softly, staring at her hands. “If only there were a way to help you regain it faster.”

Axel did not respond.

Later that day, while they were spending a rare, quiet afternoon together, there was a knock at the door.

Axel stood and opened it. Shelley entered first, followed by Principal Wayne.

Behind them were several spiritual cultivators and a few mystic cultivators.

The moment they stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted. Axel did not greet them.

He simply stepped aside and let them enter.

Though he remained silent, his cold demeanor was enough to make Wayne understand how displeased he was.

After all, it had been Wayne’s insistence that all exchange students attend the university, which had led to so much chaos.

Axel had no reason to be cordial.

Principal Wayne, however, pretended not to notice. He plastered a polite smile on his face, though there was tension behind his eyes.

Lana, who had been resting against the headboard, recognized every single one of them the moment they entered.

The mystic cultivators standing behind Shelley were the same ones who had mocked her before.

Yet this time, their expressions were different. There was no arrogance. No bitterness. Only exhaustion. And something else. Regret.

It was not because they had helped her.

It was because she had learned something while lying in bed these past days.

Axel had told her how many people had died at Spineridge University.

The number was staggering for this world.

Compared to what she had seen in her previous life, it was small.

But loss was not measured by numbers. Each person lost had been someone’s family.

Someone’s friend. Someone’s entire world. Her gaze shifted to Shelley.

Shelley’s eyes were red and swollen. It was clear she had not moved on from the deaths.

The moment Shelley saw Lana looking at her, she forced a small smile.

Then, unexpectedly, she bowed. The other mystic cultivators followed.

Lana stiffened in shock. One by one, they straightened and spoke.

“We’re sorry.”

Their voices were steady but heavy.

“We understand now that the attitude we showed you before… and toward the students of Shadowridge University… was disgraceful.”

Another added quietly, “Even though we had our differences, you didn’t abandon us. You played a key role in helping all of us survive.”

Lana waved her hand dismissively. “Empty praise has no value.”

Her words sounded blunt, almost crude. But no one misunderstood her.

She had paid a price. Her body was damaged. Axel had lost cultivation.

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