Chapter 138: The Inferno Prison Secret Realm Opens! Entering the Land of Flames! [2]

Having completed his registration, Victor prepared to leave.

However, just as they passed through the camp’s temporary trading area, an argument suddenly sounded nearby.

"What? You’re selling this thing for five thousand gold coins?"

A young professional was holding a fist-sized red crystal, looking suspiciously at the merchant behind the stall.

The merchant, however, answered with a broad smile.

"Young man, this is an authentic Inferno Prison Fire Crystal! It’s extremely effective for assisting fire-attribute professionals in cultivation. Five thousand gold coins is already a bargain!"

"Then why does it look almost identical to ordinary flame ore?"

"That’s because you don’t know how to recognize valuable goods!" The merchant patted his chest. "I spent a fortune purchasing this from an adventurer who entered the secret realm last year!"

Victor originally had no interest in the matter whatsoever, but as he passed the stall, his gaze still swept across the crystal.

With a single glance, he could tell that the fire-attribute mana contained within it was quite ordinary. Its purity was actually inferior to that of some higher-quality flame ores.

Five thousand gold coins?

That was far beyond merely being expensive.

But Victor had no intention of stepping forward to expose the merchant.

Such situations were hardly uncommon in places where resources were traded. Both buyers and sellers had their own judgment to rely on, and he had no interest in wasting his time on people who had nothing to do with him.

"Young Master, what are you looking at?" Evelyn followed his gaze.

"An ordinary piece of ore," Victor said with a smile. "Someone is trying to sell it as a treasure."

Evelyn looked toward the stall.

"Do you need me to handle it?"

"Handle what?"

"If someone is deliberately selling counterfeit secret realm materials..."

"That’s the responsibility of the camp’s management personnel," Victor interrupted her. "We didn’t come here to regulate the market."

Evelyn said nothing further.

The two soon left the trading area and headed toward the resting room that had already been arranged for them.

On the way back, Evelyn also contacted the Academy through a communication crystal, officially informing the followers who remained there that the additional accompanying slots could not be obtained.

Soon, Bruno’s somewhat disappointed voice came from the other end of the communication crystal.

"So that means the Young Master has to enter alone this time?"

"Yes," Evelyn replied. "The Young Master instructed you to continue training according to the original schedule. There’s no need to keep waiting for entry slots."

The other end of the communication crystal fell silent for a moment.

Then Bruno’s voice sounded again.

"Understood. Then tell the Young Master that if another opportunity like this comes up, we’ll definitely be better prepared."

There seemed to be other people speaking beside him.

At that moment, Karl took the communication crystal and added seriously, "The arrangements at the Third Training Ground won’t change. We’ll gather at seven tomorrow morning as usual."

Evelyn looked toward Victor, who was sitting beside the window studying a map.

"Young Master, they said they’ll continue training."

Victor did not raise his head. He merely smiled.

"That’s good."

If they could not even accept losing a single opportunity, how could they possibly follow him into truly dangerous situations in the future?

Still, judging from their current response, at least these people had not disappointed him.

...

The following morning.

Deep within the Crimson Rock Mountain Range.

Accompanied by a deep rumbling sound, the dark crimson energy membrane that had originally covered the center of the enormous stone gate suddenly began surging violently!

Rumble!

The ground throughout the entrance area trembled slightly.

At the same time, the temperature throughout the entrance area began rising rapidly, and waves of scorching air spread outward from the stone gate, forcing several professionals standing near the front to retreat a few steps. Even those farther away could clearly feel the intense fire-attribute mana gathering in the surroundings.

Amidst the surging heat, a dazzling crimson light shot into the sky from the center of the stone gate, gradually forming a continuously rotating vortex of flames!

"It’s opening!"

"The Inferno Prison Secret Realm has finally opened!"

Excited shouts erupted throughout the camp as the gathered professionals witnessed the spectacle before them.

Large numbers of professionals who had already completed their registration quickly gathered near the entrance, and the previously relatively quiet area became lively in an instant.

Victor stood behind the crowd, watching the gradually stabilizing vortex of flames.

Although it was merely a small elemental secret realm, the fact that the imperial family had maintained control over it for so long while strictly restricting entry qualifications clearly demonstrated its unique value.

"Young Master."

Evelyn handed him the final set of documents she had prepared.

"After entering, the communication crystal may be affected by the secret realm’s environment and become unable to establish contact with the outside world. If an accident occurs, I’m afraid we might not receive any news until you leave the secret realm again."

"I’m already prepared."

Victor accepted the documents and placed them in his storage ring.

At least exploring alone was not entirely without advantages.

At the very least, he would not need to consider the movement speed or endurance of other members of a team. If he encountered suitable resources, he could make decisions directly according to his own judgment.

As for Evelyn, she needed to remain outside and continue handling matters related to the family and the Academy.

"You don’t have to stay at the camp the entire time," Victor said. "There are still quite a few matters to deal with at the Academy, and the family might send messages at any moment. Once I come out, I’ll naturally contact you."

Evelyn nodded.

"I understand."

She then took out a small metal box from her storage ring and handed it to Victor.

"Also, these are the recovery potions I replenished yesterday."

Victor opened the box.

Inside were three neatly arranged pale-blue potions.

"Didn’t you already prepare quite a few?"

"These are backups."

Evelyn’s expression remained natural.

"During the Academy screening, if you had carried a few more high-quality recovery potions, perhaps your injuries wouldn’t have been quite so severe."

Victor smiled. "Are you sure the problem was a shortage of potions and not that the magical beast was simply too difficult to deal with?"

"Both contributed."

"..."

Victor looked at her before eventually putting the potions away.

"All right, then."

"Hopefully, I won’t need them this time."

Evelyn did not continue joking.

She helped Victor straighten his coat before taking half a step back.

"Young Master, please be careful."

Victor nodded, with a confident look on his face. "Wait for my good news."

The two did not delay any longer.

As order gradually returned to the entrance, a high-level professional responsible for managing the secret realm stepped forward before the stone gate and began announcing the final precautions.

"All entrants must pass through in their registered order!"

"The environment inside the secret realm is unusual. After entering, you are responsible for your own safety!"

"No one is permitted to forcibly bring in professionals who do not meet the entry qualifications!"

"Before the secret realm closes, all explorers must return to the designated exit on their own!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the first group of professionals began walking toward the vortex of flames.

One figure after another disappeared into the center of the stone gate.

Victor flexed his wrist slightly before stepping forward.

When his turn arrived, the dark crimson token in his palm suddenly emitted a faint glow, and the golden griffin crest on its back visibly resonated with the flame runes covering the stone gate.

The next moment, an intense spatial fluctuation surged toward him.

Victor did not resist and stepped directly into it.

Hum!

The scenery before his eyes began to distort.