Chapter 31: Cultivating My Own Team

Inside the academy’s central testing ground, the commotion caused by Leah awakening a lost profession had yet to completely die down, but Victor’s attention had already shifted away from the shocked, envious, and even jealous gazes around him.

He slowly raised his head and looked toward Ryan not far away. The black haired young man was also standing among the crowd, his expression as calm as ever. There was nothing unusual about him, and from beginning to end, he had not even done anything.

Yet the moment he appeared, the original plot had changed so quickly.

Victor’s lips twitched slightly.

The so called protagonists of the world. It seemed they were not merely people with extraordinary potential and incredible luck. When the original trajectory of this world was drastically altered, some invisible force would genuinely attempt to pull it back onto its original course.

The question was, why the freshman practical screening?

Leah?

Or was there something else?

[Current Information Insufficient.]

[Fate Correction Does Not Necessarily Occur Directly Around the World Protagonist.]

[Any Person, Event, or Opportunity Connected to a Core Plot Node May Become a Medium for Fate Correction.]

Victor narrowed his eyes.

In other words, the assessment three days from now might contain an important plot event that was originally supposed to occur nine days later. And now, because he had continuously changed the fates of Bruno, Noah, Cecilia, and Leah, that event had been brought forward.

If that was the case, he simply had to prepare in advance.

Victor had never considered his knowledge of the plot to be his greatest trump card, because the plot could change.

What he could truly rely on forever was strength.

"Victor."

Cecilia’s voice came from beside him.

"What are you thinking about?"

"The assessment."

"That’s a freshman assessment. Then what does it have to do with you?"

Victor looked at her, then glanced at Leah standing behind him. The answer was already obvious.

Cecilia quickly understood as well, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You’re planning to interfere?"

"She’s one of mine now," Victor said calmly. "Someone suddenly moved an assessment that was supposed to happen nine days from now to three days from now. I should at least know what they’re planning to test."

"You think there’s something wrong with the schedule change?" Cecilia asked immediately.

Victor did not answer. There was no need to explain certain things. Besides, even he currently had nothing except the system notification. He had no actual evidence.

Cecilia looked at him for several seconds before explaining.

"The freshman practical screening is jointly managed by the Combat Academy and the Magical Beast Research Institute. Normally, the specific contents aren’t announced until the day before. But..."

She paused. "I can investigate."

Victor raised an eyebrow. "Why are you being this helpful?"

"You just helped delay my curse," Cecilia replied indifferently. "Information at this level is nothing."

"Then I’ll have to trouble Your Highness." Victor smiled shamelessly.

Cecilia said nothing more and turned to leave. However, after taking several steps, she suddenly stopped.

"One more thing."

"What?"

"I’ll have someone deliver the Inferno Prison Secret Realm token to you tonight."

"Alright."

"And..." Cecilia turned her head slightly. "The matter concerning the Second Prince. I won’t investigate it for now."

Victor nodded. That was the correct choice. The enemy was hidden in the shadows, and they could not even confirm who had placed the curse. Acting rashly would only alert the enemy.

After Cecilia left, Victor looked at Leah again.

The silver starlight surrounding the young woman had gradually faded, yet compared to several hours ago, the feeling she gave off had clearly changed. The old Leah had been too quiet. She had even deliberately tried to minimize her presence.

Now that she had awakened as an Astral Spirit Envoy, faint silver lights constantly flickered deep within her black pupils. Even when she simply stood there, it was difficult to completely ignore her.

"Young Master."

Karl and the others had already come down from the spectator stands, with Evelyn walking at the front. She first glanced at Leah, then naturally walked half a circle around her.

Leah was clearly uncomfortable with being examined like this.

"What is it?"

"I wanted to see what an SSS... cough."

Evelyn nearly blurted out something she was not supposed to know. Fortunately, she corrected herself in time.

"I wanted to see what someone with a lost profession looks like."

Leah: "..."

"I’m just like a normal person." Leah frowned.

"That’s good." Evelyn nodded seriously. "I thought you might grow another pair of arms."

For a moment, Leah genuinely did not know how to respond.

Victor looked at Evelyn, massaging his temple with one hand, clearly used to her personality.

"Have you learned Shadow Assault Step?" he asked.

The smile on the young woman’s face instantly stiffened.

"I’m working on it."

"You have less than a day left."

"I know."

"Don’t you want the Epic dagger anymore?"

"..."

Evelyn immediately turned around.

"I’m going to train right now."

Karl and the others could not help laughing, seeing how their master had gotten rid of Evelyn so smoothly.

Victor, however, suddenly realized something. He seemed to enjoy this feeling of cultivating people. Not because of control, nor because he enjoyed watching others lower their heads before him, but because someone who had originally been ordinary, or even destined for failure, could gradually reveal their true value after receiving the right resources.

At first, it was because of the outrageous rewards. Yeah, the rewards still played a 70 percent role, but now he was genuinely beginning to enjoy the process itself.

"Karl," he suddenly spoke.

"Yes."

"Where’s Bruno?"

"He went back to the treatment area," Karl replied. "He said he can already swing a sword normally, so the healer forcibly sent him back to bed."

Victor’s lips twitched slightly. That guy really was impatient.

"Make sure he stays there. Also, notify everyone. Starting tomorrow, gather at the Third Training Ground every morning at seven."

"Every day?" Karl paused.

"Is there a problem?"

"No."

Victor looked at everyone.

"The resources have already been distributed. Now I want to see the results. The Inferno Prison Secret Realm opens twelve days from now. Although I currently only have one official entry token, I’ll find a way to obtain several accompanying slots before then."

He swept his gaze across them.

"When the time comes, who enters and who stays behind will depend on strength."