Chapter 228
Chapter 228: This Chapter Won't Have a Title
Ever since Viktor's public lecture had concluded, the concept of the "Dungeon" had become a massive wave, quickly being pushed into wider circulation.
Across the entire Empire, countless noble households and wealthy families were paying close attention to this matter.
The children of nobles were extraordinarily precious.
Students admitted into the Royal Magic Academy were essentially the most carefully cultivated future heirs of their respective families.
And so, to nobles, it did not particularly matter whether their children were geniuses.
What mattered was that they absolutely had to be safe.
So when the Academy introduced the concept of the "Dungeon," it immediately captured the attention of countless nobles.
Precisely because it was proclaimed to be the "safest form of practical combat training."
Not only could it guarantee the students' safety, it could also simultaneously serve the purpose of training the students' practical combat abilities.
At present, the "Dungeon" was still in an experimental stage—and yet, even at this stage, countless people were already seeking to collaborate with Viktor.
After all, once the Dungeon project was formally established, it could be applied across any field whatsoever.
A Mage capable of creating Dungeons would naturally draw an enormous wave of attention.
Viktor could understand what the Academy had in mind.
After all, using the Dungeon as a promotional tool would not only amplify the Academy's own visibility, it would also help filter for students with superior aptitude.
And besides, this was something he himself had already intended.
So Viktor gave a nod and said to Heni:
"Agreed."
"You can notify the Academy that I've accepted. I'll begin making preparations."
Hearing the instructions, Heni nodded, making a small sound of acknowledgment.
But after that, she did not leave.
She simply stared at Viktor with her eyes. After a long moment, Heni's expression became a little coy.
As though she was showing just a trace of anticipation:
"Professor, you... haven't given me a hug yet today."
"......"
Viktor let out a sigh, then spread his arms open.
Seeing this, Heni couldn't help but feel very pleased, and threw herself into Viktor's embrace in a single motion, holding on tightly.
Feeling the firmness and warmth of the Professor's chest, her face flushed a deep red, and a plume of steam shot rapidly from the top of her head.
Heni could not endure it any further. She hurriedly broke free from Viktor's arms, her voice stuttering noticeably.
"Th-th-th-th-thank you for the hospitality!"
Heni cried out, pressed both hands over her face, shut her eyes, and ran off down the hall.
Hard to say whether she'd end up running into something.
Viktor was a little worried.
After all, the old Manor's furniture was quite expensive.
But in any case, his own mood right now was also a little unsettled.
Weija stood steadily on Viktor's shoulder, her hehehe laugh drifting into his ear:
"What's wrong? If you really can't hold back, just find someone to take care of it."
"There are so many Servants in the house—surely there's 1 to your taste."
Hearing the Crow's teasing voice, Viktor shot it a cold sideways glance.
But Weija showed not the slightest fear, and even let out a sharp, mocking laugh:
"Why are you looking at me? I'm just a Crow."
"Viktor, a man cannot—or at least, should not."
Having witnessed Viktor in a rare moment of embarrassment, Weija felt thoroughly delighted.
Her bird's head rose of its own accord.
Viktor took several deep breaths before finally steadying his mood once more.
His rational mind recovered a little as well.
The physical contact with Heni was for the purpose of letting her level up and grow stronger through this method—from the very beginning, that had been the aim Viktor held to.
But as this little Succubus's level grew higher and higher, this act of physical contact with her was becoming more and more dangerous.
And yet he could not stop doing it.
Because Heni had no talent for learning Magic, and could not gain Experience Points or levels through any natural means.
So Viktor could only, in his day-to-day life, let her grow stronger by satisfying the greed within her.
As for the method of harvesting large amounts of Wrath-emotion all at once to level up—that was harder to come by.
Those kinds of conditions had to be created.
Should I go find another Primordial Demon?
Feeding on emotions to level up was the only means Heni currently had.
In that regard, Wrath alone was proving a little one-dimensional.
But now was not the time to be thinking about this.
Viktor straightened his black Coat and said evenly:
"Let's go."
"There are other things to deal with."
A white pattern spread across the entire surface of the Coat. The surrounding air began to grow turbulent under the invisible manipulation.
Soon, a violent gust converged from all around toward the center. A white cloud of dust and wind wrapped around Viktor's body, then detonated outward all at once.
After the dust settled, Viktor had already vanished from where he stood.
All that remained were several lingering gusts of wind, still howling chaotically through the room.
***
Leah stood beneath the great tree with a crowd of Servants and a few Demi-human guards.
She had waited for a very long time, and still Viktor had not shown up.
Leah raised her left hand and fixed her gaze on the elegant watch on the inside of her wrist.
"He's 10 minutes late—what on earth is he doing?!"
Surely, in just these 10 short minutes, this insufferable Mage hadn't gone off to flirt with someone?
Having been seen through in her pajamas by Viktor without getting a chance to change, Leah had precious little goodwill to spare toward her insufferable brother at the moment.
Leah had barely finished complaining when a gust of wind began gathering beside her without warning.
A vortex of air rose up, sending the hems of everyone's skirts and their hair billowing in all directions, dancing ceaselessly beneath the green shade.
Leah's hair was blown loose. She swept the strands aside and looked up, catching a glimpse of a white figure taking shape within the swirling dust and storm.
A black Coat flapped continuously in the air, the patterns on it glinting faintly.
The wind gradually stilled. Viktor's form materialized from within.
The Servants had never witnessed a spectacle like this. The moment they recognized that the newcomer was Viktor, their expressions immediately became far more reverential.
Leah looked at the Viktor who had rushed over, and clicked her tongue:
"Tch... always showing off."
She walked up to Viktor and said:
"I've brought everyone you asked for. You handle it yourself—I need to get going."
"I've got several contracts to deal with today, and there's something going on at our mining operations. Apparently they dug up something, and I need to go check it in person."
Viktor looked at her and replied, unhurried:
"Stay safe."
Leah planted one hand on her hip, and raised the other in a helpless wave, the Fingerless Glove on her hand shifting with the motion.
Those 6 jewels of varying colors glinted with strange hues in the sunlight—like 6 differently colored streams flowing slowly within them.
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
With that, she gave a yawn and turned to leave.
As she turned her head away, an almost imperceptible flush had crept onto her face.
Leah left in a hurry.
Watching Leah go, Viktor finally turned around and brought his gaze to rest on the Servants and guards.
The guards and Servants looked at Viktor, bowing respectfully.
They lowered their heads, focusing their attention, and listened to what Viktor said next:
"Now, I need each of you to step forward and touch this tree."
They exchanged glances, every face carrying a trace of puzzlement.
But it was nonetheless the Lady of the Clavena Family who had spoken, and so they chose to comply.
One by one they stepped forward and placed their hands gently against the thick trunk. A surge of energy flowed through their palms and spread throughout their bodies.
The Divine Tree began to sway faintly. A jade-green glow began to seep from the center of their palms.
The branches trembled together with the trunk, as though possessed of a soul, gradually sprinkling silver stardust down from high above in a slow, steady fall.
The gentle sun shone in the sky overhead. The silver dust glittered in its light, but did not sting the eyes.
The Servants and guards felt an extraordinary force at once—as though their entire bodies had been given a massage—and each of them unconsciously let out a long, relaxed breath.
Their bodies felt as though they had become considerably lighter.
Watching their expressions of contentment, Viktor's voice sounded:
"That's enough."
The Servants withdrew their hands, and listened as Viktor continued:
"When you return, each of you is to collect 500 Geo, in my name."
The moment they heard there was a reward, a smile broke out on every face, full of excitement.
After seeing Viktor nod in acknowledgment, they all suppressed their delight and hurried away.
Once they had left, Viktor turned back to face the Divine Tree.
His body, standing before the Divine Tree, grew faintly translucent.
When he opened his eyes again, he had already arrived at the interior of the Divine Tree.
It resembled the former Divine Tree Yadh greatly, but the space seemed to have grown larger, and the branches far denser.
Jade-green filled everything around him.
At that moment, a trace of green pattern swept across the Coat on Viktor's back.
From his body, an immensely surging Natural Energy burst forth—like a great wave crashing upward.
Pure Natural Energy gathered toward the continuously beating heart at the center of the Divine Tree.
Light flowed through the veins of the heart, expanding it until it swelled full and round, its beating growing stronger and more powerful with each pulse.
Under the heart's ceaseless beating, the flourishing branches began to slowly squeeze out a row of green fruits.
At the center of each translucent fruit, a green energy—like a soul—flowed slowly within.
Soon, flesh and meridians within the fruits gradually merged together, forming a curled infant that grew at a visible pace.
Humans—and Demi-humans bearing animal ears and tails.
They were wrapped within the translucent fruits, hanging from the branches in a long row.
By the time the fruits had fully finished growing, their bodies had become sufficiently mature. They burst from the fruits and rolled to the ground.
The moment they landed, jade-green leaves fell over their mature bodies, covering the vital areas.
Watching this scene before him, Weija felt increasingly unsettled:
"You used the Divine Tree to create a whole bunch of people?!"
But Viktor only watched them with composure, his tone unhurried:
"They have no consciousness. They can be controlled freely."
He extended one hand, making a slight lifting motion in the air.
As though countless transparent Magic Power threads connected to those bodies, manipulating their forms, they began to move fully.
Their eyes were utterly blank, and their movements extremely rigid.
Weija could see at a glance that these people's movements were dependent entirely on Viktor.
At that moment, Viktor manipulated several Demi-human Cat-girls, causing them to march mechanically to stand before him.
Weija flapped her wings. A bad premonition suddenly welled up within her, and she couldn't help but ask:
"Viktor, what do you mean by this?"
In the midst of her bewildered gaze, Viktor's voice sounded evenly, his tone carrying what seemed like a trace of mockery:
"Don't you always say you're just a Crow? Take your pick."
"With this many people, surely there's 1 to your taste."