"You became stronger after treating someone," Cecilia slowly said. "Is that your talent?"
Victor glanced at her, his gaze turning cold. "Don’t ask things you shouldn’t, and don’t make false assumptions."
Cecilia: "..."
If this had been in the past, there probably would not have been more than a handful of people in the entire academy who dared speak to her in that tone. And yet now, she truly had no way to get angry. In the end, she merely gave Victor a cold look.
"The Moonlight Sacred Spring slot. I’ll inform my father," Victor spoke again, quickly changing the topic. "But I need a reasonable explanation."
"The slot already belongs to you," Cecilia reminded him.
"True." Victor nodded. "But if I suddenly give my own slot to the Empire’s Third Princess, even an idiot would know something is wrong. Especially since I used to pursue you."
Cecilia’s expression changed slightly, a hint of a smirk appearing on her face. "So you admit it?"
"That was before."
"..."
For some reason, the words "that was before" somehow sounded even more irritating.
Cecilia took a breath. "We can tell outsiders it was a trade."
"What trade?"
"I have an entry token for the Inferno Prison Secret Realm."
Victor’s movements stopped.
Inferno Prison Secret Realm?
The original body’s memories rapidly turned, and soon, he found the relevant information. It was a small elemental secret realm controlled by the imperial family. Only professionals below Tier Three could enter, and inside were large numbers of fire attributed magical beasts, elemental crystals, and special fire element resources. It opened only once per year.
For a fire element professional, its value was extremely high.
And Victor currently possessed High Level Fire Element Affinity, the King Rank [Heaven Burning Sword Art], the Epic Rank [Crimson Flame Fang], and [Mana Devour].
The Inferno Prison Secret Realm could hardly suit him better.
"When does it open?"
"Twelve days from now."
Victor narrowed his eyes. "We have a deal."
A Moonlight Sacred Spring slot in exchange for an Inferno Prison Secret Realm entry token. To outsiders, it would be completely reasonable. Strictly speaking, Victor might not even be losing out, but at the very least, no one would immediately connect it to Cecilia’s curse.
"One more thing," Cecilia suddenly said.
"What?"
"You said we’d talk about compensation after I’m cured." She looked at him. "What do you want?"
Victor fell silent for a moment. Truthfully, earlier he had only said it to keep her guessing. But if he really had to choose now...
Gold?
He did not lack it.
Equipment?
With the system’s increasingly absurd investment returns, he probably would not lack that in the future either.
Power?
He had no immediate need for it. And a nineteen year old princess could only provide limited political benefit at this stage anyway.
Victor looked at Cecilia.
"Owe me a favor."
Cecilia tilted her head slightly. "That’s all?"
"Keep it owed," Victor said. "I’ll decide what I want later."
"As long as it doesn’t involve harming the interests of the Empire. Fine," Cecilia agreed quickly.
[Special favor contract established with SS Rank target.]
[Target’s destiny connection with Host increased.]
[Cecilia has officially entered the Sustainable Investment Target List.]
[Hint: Continuously increasing the target’s strength, status, favorability, and Destiny Rank may trigger new investment opportunities.]
Victor’s eyes flickered slightly.
’Sustainable investment target?’
So truly important characters were indeed different from one time investment targets. He could continue investing in her later.
And... SS Rank.
If every investment could produce several hundred times the returns, this woman was basically a walking gold mine.
Victor’s gaze toward Cecilia became noticeably gentler.
Cecilia sharply noticed it. A very strange feeling suddenly rose inside her. The way this man was looking at her just now... Why did it look a little like a merchant who had discovered a gold mine?
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing." Victor withdrew his gaze. "I was thinking about how to raise your value."
"What?"
"I said, how to make your life more valuable."
"..."
Cecilia’s temple twitched slightly.
"Victor."
"Hm?"
"If you weren’t still able to cure me, I would’ve thrown you out already."
"Should I feel honored?"
Cecilia stopped responding and put her glove back on. But just as they were about to leave the treatment room, Victor suddenly remembered the hidden hint the system had given him earlier.
"Cecilia."
This was the first time Victor had directly called her by name. The girl turned around, seeming to notice the change in address as well.
"What?"
"That Abyss mission eleven months ago. Besides you, who else was there?"
Cecilia’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Why are you asking?"
Victor naturally did not mention the system. He merely looked toward her right hand.
"Because I discovered something during the devouring process."
The atmosphere in the treatment room instantly changed.
"What?"
"The structure of this curse is too complete." Victor gave an answer that was half truth and half fabrication. "It doesn’t feel like random pollution left behind by a dying Abyssal creature. It feels more like... something designed in advance."
Every trace of expression disappeared from Cecilia’s face. She did not deny it. Instead, she stood there silently for several seconds.
"There were seven people. Me, two royal guards, one royal mage, one scholar responsible for recording Abyssal ecology, and..." Her voice suddenly stopped.
Victor looked at her. "And who?"
Cecilia’s violet eyes slowly turned cold.
"My second brother."
The Second Prince.
Victor’s eyes flashed.
That was wrong.
In the original storyline, during the war for the throne three years later, the person Cecilia supported was precisely the Second Prince.
Which meant if this matter was truly connected to the Second Prince, then many things in the original storyline had been different from what Victor assumed from the very beginning.
"Does he know about your curse now?"
"Yes," Cecilia answered. "He was also the first person who sent me back to the Imperial Capital after the attack. All these months..."
"No." She suddenly stopped herself.
More accurately, throughout these eleven months, the Second Prince had been one of the people most actively helping her search for treatment.
If even he was suspicious...
Cecilia ended her train of thought there. She raised her head and looked the dark haired youth in the eyes, her expression serious.
"Victor. Do not tell a third person anything you said today."
"Fine." Victor nodded. "But you’d better not investigate yet either."
Cecilia frowned. "Why?"
"If the other side can create a curse that even a high tier priest can’t remove, and if they can act around members of the imperial family..." Victor’s gaze remained calm. "If you suddenly start investigating the people who were there eleven months ago, wouldn’t that be the same as telling them you’ve noticed something?"
Cecilia fell silent, and the way she looked at Victor softened slightly. Has he always been like this? Thinking ahead of time?
Shaking the thoughts from her head, she nodded.
"I understand."
Victor did not continue. There was not enough information, and trying to guess the culprit now would be pointless.
Compared to a war for the throne three years later, there were much closer matters he needed to deal with.
The Inferno Prison Secret Realm in twelve days.
The Moonlight Sacred Spring in twenty three days.
The academy secret realm three months from now.
The academy grand competition half a year from now.
And then...
Victor’s gaze suddenly froze.
A dark red marker appeared at the edge of his system vision without warning.
[Warning.]
[Special Destiny Target has reentered observable range.]
[Distance: 413 meters.]
[Target’s destiny turning point is about to occur.]
[Time Remaining: 27 minutes.]
...
AN: I know the power system might be a bit confusing, but an aux Chapter will be posted soon explaining this. Thanks for reading!
More Chapters coming up! Don’t forget to vote!