Chapter 56: Evelyn Is In Danger

This time, even Victor was genuinely stunned.

Astral mana? Impossible!

According to everything they currently knew, the complete Astral Spirit Envoy profession had vanished several centuries ago. Leah had only succeeded in awakening because of the incomplete formation her mother had left behind and because Victor had assembled enough purified astral energy for her.

And now there was another one beneath the trial ground?

Fortunately for Victor, the System provided a reply as if reading his mind.

[Unknown astral life fluctuations detected.]

[Analyzing...]

[Analysis obstructed by contamination.]

[Unable to determine life status.]

[Unable to determine profession.]

[However, a special bloodline resonance has been detected between the target and investment target Leah Vane.]

Seeing the final notification, Victor immediately remembered the letter they had found in Elena’s archive.

[The ancestors of the Vane family were the final generation of Astral Spirit Envoys.]

If the person below possessed a bloodline similar to Leah’s, then they might not be a stranger.

Leah seemed to have reached the same conclusion, and her heartbeat quickened.

"That’s impossible..."

"What is it?"

"This feeling..." She stared toward the underground area in the north, her voice gradually growing quieter. "It feels very similar to when I was young... when Mother used her mana to comfort me."

Everyone fell silent. Even Leah understood how absurd that answer sounded. She had personally confirmed her mother’s body and attended the funeral herself, yet now, someone using Elena’s identity clearance had entered this place, and astral mana carrying a bloodline resonance with Leah had suddenly appeared beneath the trial ground.

It was too much of a coincidence, so much so that it could no longer be considered one.

Victor didn’t tell her that her mother might still be alive. There was nowhere near enough evidence for that, and saying it now would only impair Leah’s judgment. Instead, he looked toward the barrier entrance, which was already halfway open.

"Where is the vice dean?"

"He’s already been notified. Ten minutes at the earliest," the middle aged instructor answered.

Under normal circumstances, ten minutes would have been fast. Now, after an energy eruption inside the trial ground and Evelyn’s discovery of the researchers’ bodies, it was far too long. If someone truly was underground, every additional moment gave them more time to complete whatever they were doing.

"I’m going inside," Cecilia declared.

The middle aged instructor quickly spoke up. "Your Highness!"

"I’m Level 27. The strongest magical beasts originally present here were only Level 18," Cecilia replied calmly. "If something truly has gone wrong, I’m more qualified to enter than most of you."

"I’m coming too," Leah chimed in.

"No."

This time, Victor and Cecilia spoke almost simultaneously, causing Leah to freeze.

Cecilia glanced at Victor before continuing, "Whatever is inside is clearly targeting your Astral Core. Entering would mean placing yourself right beside the source of the contamination."

"But I can sense its location." Leah refused to back down. "Even if you enter, you might not be able to find it."

That was also true. The Seventh Trial Ground covered an enormous area, and its underground cavern structure was even more complex. Without Leah, they would not even know the source’s exact location.

After a brief consideration, Victor made his decision. "You can enter."

"Victor." Cecilia frowned, a hint of dissatisfaction on her face.

"But she has to remain beside me at all times." He looked directly at Leah. "You are not allowed to move more than five meters away. If your Astral Core shows the slightest sign of instability, you withdraw immediately."

"Fine," Leah agreed.

"One more thing." Victor’s voice turned cold. "Don’t run off on your own just because whatever is down there may be connected to your mother."

The girl fell silent for a moment before finally nodding. "I won’t."

Victor couldn’t completely trust her promise not to act recklessly once they entered. The main reason he allowed her to come was that he was confident he could intervene if something went wrong.

"I’ll lead." Cecilia drew her sword half an inch from its sheath.

"Sure."

"Since when did you become so agreeable?"

"Since you have the highest level."

Cecilia was speechless. The explanation was perfectly reasonable, so reasonable that she could not even be angry.

But just as the three of them prepared to enter the barrier, Victor’s identity card vibrated again.

[Something happened.]

[The people unloading the bodies discovered me.]

Victor stopped midstep.

[How many?]

[There were originally three.]

[Now there are four.]

[The fourth person just came out of the transport carriage.]

[I’ve seen his face before.]

A hastily captured magical image followed, showing a thin young man in a grayish white research uniform standing beside the transport carriage. With metal framed glasses, he looked identical to the man who had entered the trial ground that morning.

But the real Ron was supposedly still inside his dormitory.

This was already the second "Ron."

Victor was about to order Evelyn to retreat when her next message appeared first.

[He just called me by my name.]

His pupils contracted. Evelyn had not publicly appeared anywhere near the Seventh Trial Ground today. How could the enemy possibly know her?

[Withdraw. Withdraw immediately.]

There was no response.

[Evelyn???]

Still no response.

Victor’s expression darkened. For the first time in several days, the composure he had maintained finally cracked.

"What happened?" Cecilia asked.

"I’ve lost contact with Evelyn."

At almost the exact same moment, a crimson System notification appeared.

[Warning!]

[A rank investment target Evelyn Moore has entered a high risk combat state!]

[Target life status: Normal.]

[Current distance: 4.3 kilometers.]

[Unknown special units detected.]

[Number of targets: 4.]

[Fate information belonging to one unit is anomalous.]

Realizing how severe the situation was, Victor quickly turned around.

"You’re not going inside?" Cecilia asked.

"I’m saving her first."

There was no hesitation whatsoever. The underground secret was important, and the astral contamination was also important, but Evelyn was one of his people, and she had fallen into danger because she was following his orders. There was no need to consider which took priority.

Cecilia looked at him for only a second before saying, "I’m coming with you."

"What about this place?"

"We wait for Albert." She turned directly toward the middle aged instructor. "No one is allowed to enter. The people inside are not allowed to leave either. Once the vice dean arrives, tell him everything."

"Yes!"

Victor was already walking toward the carriage. However, after only two steps, the System displayed another notification.

[Detected: Host’s investment target has encountered grave danger.]