Aunt Margaret's Probing and the Earth Vein's Anomaly

Leon was awakened by the crisp chirping of birds outside his window. Unusually, he didn't have a hangover headache or the fatigue of overindulgence. Instead, he felt refreshed, his mind as clear as if it had been washed by the morning dew. The spiritual satisfaction from his deep meditation the previous night still lingered. He could even faintly sense that the dark golden nebula of his spiritual power within him had become infinitesimally more condensed.

He instinctively tightened his arms, the warmth in his embrace and the cool fragrance lingering by his nose filling him with contentment. This "humanoid cultivation accelerator" was remarkably effective, making him almost fond of this "cuddle-and-cultivate" method.

Elisa seemed to have also woken up, but she remained with her back to him, her body a little stiff, not getting up immediately as usual. Leon could feel her breathing pattern change.

"Morning, Elisa," Leon greeted her in a low voice, his mood excellent. His voice was husky from just waking up, but devoid of its usual restlessness.

Elisa didn't turn around, merely let out a soft "Mm" in response. She then gently wriggled out of his arm and sat up to get dressed. Her movements were still elegant and composed, but Leon keenly noticed a faint blush on her earlobes.

Leon touched his nose and also got up to dress. The two of them, one after the other, maintained a tacit silence as they left the room, as if last night's shared bed and cultivation secrets were merely an unspoken dream.

The atmosphere in the dining room, however, was somewhat different from the usual.

Aunt Margaret was already seated at the head of the table. Today, however, she wasn't reading the Magic Times. Instead, she held a cup of black tea, her ice-blue eyes calmly watching Leon and Elisa as they entered. Her gaze lingered on Leon for a fraction of a second longer than usual.

Leon's heart skipped a beat, feeling inexplicably guilty. Had Aunt noticed something?

"Good morning, Aunt," he greeted as naturally as he could, sitting down in his usual spot.

"Good morning, Teacher," Elisa said, just as she always did.

The Magic Puppet served breakfast. The table remained quiet, but an invisible pressure subtly permeated the air.

Aunt Margaret gently placed her teacup down, the porcelain clinking crisply against the tabletop, breaking the silence. She looked at Leon and spoke in a calm tone, but posed a question that made Leon's heart stop:

"Leon, you seem to have rested well last night. Your spiritual power... it's become quite active."

Leon froze, his hand holding a piece of bread suspended in mid-air. A cold sweat broke out on his back. She had noticed! Was a Grand Archmage's perception really that keen? Even the subtle changes in his spiritual power couldn't escape her eyes?

He forcefully suppressed the storm raging within him, striving to make his expression appear merely surprised and... a little "eager to learn." "Ah? Really? Perhaps it's because... perhaps it's because Elisa taught me the basic meditation method yesterday afternoon. I tried practicing it at night, and I found it quite interesting, so I practiced a bit longer." He deliberately steered the reason towards "diligent cultivation," half-truth, half-lie, hoping to bluff his way through.

Aunt Margaret responded with a noncommittal "Oh," and turned her gaze to Elisa. "It seems your student is a good teacher. To have condensed spiritual power so... significantly overnight, though still at a low level, is indeed rare speed." Her tone offered no clue as to whether it was praise or suspicion.

Elisa's hand paused as she cut her bread. She raised her eyes and replied calmly, "Leon... is indeed more focused than I anticipated. The basic meditation method is merely a guide; the progress achieved depends entirely on the individual." She neither admitted nor denied Leon's abnormality, lightly shifting the focus back to Leon's "personal talent."

Leon secretly breathed a sigh of relief, giving Elisa a grateful glance. This girl was quite reliable when it mattered.

Aunt Margaret didn't press further and picked up her teacup again. However, Leon could feel that her scrutinizing gaze hadn't completely left him. He knew this was only a temporary calm. Under the watchful eye of a Grand Archmage, hiding secrets completely was almost impossible. He needed to be more careful, and at the same time, he had to improve his strength as quickly as possible, at least to have some means of self-preservation.

Breakfast concluded in a subtle atmosphere. Aunt Margaret stood up, preparing to head to the Magic Tower as usual. But before leaving the dining room, she seemed to casually say to Elisa:

"There have been some unusual fluctuations in the elemental currents beneath the Imperial Capital recently, especially in the direction of the old city. When you go to the Magic Tower this afternoon, please help me retrieve the latest report on geodynamic energy monitoring."

"Yes, Teacher," Elisa replied respectfully.

Geodynamic anomalies? Leon's heart stirred, but he didn't dwell on it. His mind was currently occupied with how to deal with Aunt's suspicions and continue his "cuddle-and-cultivate" method.

After Aunt Margaret left, only the two of them remained in the dining room. Leon looked at Elisa, about to say something, when Elisa had already stood up, her tone returning to its usual cool demeanor. "I'm going to the library to consult some materials this morning. You... practice meditation on your own. Don't rush for quick success; solidifying the foundation is most important."

With that, she turned and left, leaving Leon with a graceful retreating figure.

Leon watched her go, stroking his chin. It seemed his "pushing his luck" last night had bothered her somewhat, as she was clearly keeping her distance today. But it was alright; there was plenty of time. The immediate priority was to digest last night's cultivation gains and plan his next steps.

He returned to his room, closed the door, and attempted to meditate alone again. As expected, without Elisa's "Breath of Serenity" to assist him, the process became much more difficult. His spiritual power condensed at a snail's pace, and those elemental light points reverted to their previous aloof and distant state.

"It seems this 'shortcut' really is inseparable from her..." Leon felt a touch of helplessness, but it only strengthened his resolve to "sleep over" again tonight. What was a little thick-skinned compared to strength? Strength was the ultimate principle.

He spent the entire morning repeatedly practicing the basic meditation method and spiritual power guidance techniques from the booklet. Although progress was slow, it was solid. By noon, he felt his spiritual power was significantly depleted, so he decided to go for a walk to get some fresh air and, coincidentally... gather some information. After all, one couldn't just bury their head in the sand; understanding the movements of the Imperial Capital was equally important.

As soon as he stepped out of the Count's mansion, Fili, who had been waiting outside, approached him with a mysterious air.

"Young Master! You're finally out! I have some fresh news!" Fili rubbed his hands together, his small eyes gleaming.

"What is it?" Leon raised an eyebrow.

"I heard something strange happened in the old city district this morning!" Fili lowered his voice. "Several old houses developed cracks for no reason, and the ground even subsided slightly! Some people said they heard muffled thuds coming from underground at night! The City Guard has already sent people to cordon off the area, and the Magic Association has also sent people to investigate!"

The old city district? Ground subsidence? Muffled thuds?

Leon immediately connected it to Aunt Margaret's mention of "unusual geodynamic fluctuations" at breakfast! Could the two be related?

A sense of foreboding arose in his heart. The geodynamic currents were a vital source of magical energy. Once they underwent drastic changes, it was often accompanied by unpredictable risks, possibly even a precursor to... disaster.

"Do you know the specific locations?" Leon pressed.

"It seems... it seems to be around 'Blackwater Alley' and 'Rusty Iron Street,' all poor neighborhoods and abandoned old workshops," Fili replied.

Leon wasn't particularly familiar with the layout of the Imperial Capital, but he had some impression of the name "Blackwater Alley." It seemed to be a place where the original owner used to get into trouble with his cronies—a place that was mixed, dirty, and chaotic.

"Let's go take a look," Leon decided instantly. He needed to understand more about the situation; this might be more than just an accident.

"Young Master, that area is cordoned off now, and it's a mess, not very safe..." Fili hesitated.

"What are you afraid of? We'll just take a look from a distance," Leon waved his hand. He had a hunch that this geodynamic anomaly might not be a mere natural phenomenon. In this world full of magic and intrigue, any unusual event could hide a deeper reason, perhaps even... a connection to him, a transmigrator, and the strange, dark network in his soul.

He had to see it for himself.

Leon and Fili deliberately chose the quieter streets, heading towards the old city district, rather than swaggering through the main thoroughfares as they usually did. The closer they got to the old city, the more the atmosphere changed. The prosperity and cleanliness of the central Imperial Capital gradually gave way to decay and overcrowding. The streets were narrow, the houses low, and the air was filled with the smell of cheap coal smoke, rotting garbage, and an... indescribable sense of oppression.

Along the way, they saw many civilians hurrying past, their faces etched with worry and fear, gathering in small groups to whisper amongst themselves. The center of their discussion was undoubtedly the ground subsidence that had occurred that morning.

"Did you hear? Old Jack's house collapsed by half! Luckily, he ran fast enough!"

"It sounded like something was roaring underground! Scared me to death!"

"The gentlemen from the Magic Association are all here. Is something big going to happen?"

As the various discussions reached his ears, Leon's mood grew heavier. This was by no means a trivial matter.

Soon, they arrived at the edge of the area where the incident occurred. The street ahead had already been cordoned off by City Guard soldiers in uniform, preventing unauthorized personnel from entering. Some members of the Mage Association, clad in robes of various colors, moved within the cordon, holding peculiar instruments and scanning the ground and air. In the distance, several clear signs of collapse could be vaguely seen, with broken walls and ruins exposed, like ugly scars on the city's skin.

Leon didn't attempt to force his way through. His identity was sensitive, and his strength was low; barging in would only cause trouble. He and Fili mingled with the onlookers, observing carefully.

His gaze swept over the collapsed houses, and he noticed a detail: the collapses didn't seem entirely random but were distributed along a subtle, twisted line. He then looked at the mages; their expressions were mostly serious and solemn. As they communicated, they kept pointing at the ground, clearly indicating that the situation underground was more complex than what was visible on the surface.

"Young Master, look over there!" Fili suddenly lowered his voice, pointing to a relatively open area within the cordon.

Leon followed his gaze and saw that Elisa had also appeared there at some point! She was still wearing that dark blue Magic Apprentice Robe, her expression focused, standing beside a middle-aged female mage with a dignified aura, dressed in a silver-trimmed mage robe. Leon vaguely recognized the female mage; she was a high-ranking council member of the Mage Association and an acquaintance of Aunt Margaret. Elisa held a crystal recording slate, seemingly assisting with data recording.

Why is she here? Ah, right, Aunt mentioned this morning that she needed to pick up the ley line monitoring report. She must have come to the site for an investigation with the association members.

At this moment, Elisa was a completely different person from the aloof and taciturn girl at the Count's mansion. Her expression was focused, her eyes sharp, and she occasionally exchanged quiet words with the female mage beside her, her fingers swiftly moving across the crystal slate. She exuded an air of professionalism and competence. In this state, she was even more dazzling, making Leon realize that she was not just his "fiancée" and "sleeping pill," but also a promising new star in the mage world.

Just as Leon was lost in thought, a sudden change occurred!

An old stone house not far from their location, which appeared intact, suddenly emitted a grating "creak." Spiderweb-like cracks spread across its walls at a visible speed! The ground also trembled slightly!

"This is bad! It's going to collapse again!"

"Quick, retreat!"

The crowd immediately stirred, screams erupting as onlookers panicked and surged backward. City Guard soldiers shouted orders to maintain order, while mages from the Mage Association tensed up, erecting magic shields of various colors and vigilantly watching the crumbling stone house.

Fili pulled Leon back a few steps, but his eyes were fixed on the stone house, and at the same time, an extremely strange feeling surged through him!

Not through his eyes, nor his ears, but through his newly awakened and still very weak Spiritual Power! He clearly "felt" a cold, chaotic, and corrosive wave of energy erupting from the depths of the ground beneath the stone house! This energy was completely different from any elemental energy he had sensed before—violent, disordered, and full of destructive intent! Moreover, this energy fluctuation gave him a sense of... a familiar dread!

It was the feeling of those dark veins! Although more violent and immense, the fundamental coldness, stillness, and devouring nature were identical!

Could this ley line anomaly be related to the abnormality in my soul?! The thought sent a chill down Leon's spine.

Just then, the stone house could no longer withstand the strain and collapsed with a roar amidst gasps of shock! Dust billowed, and debris flew everywhere!

However, the collapse didn't stop there! Centered on the stone house, the ground began to sink over a wider area, rapidly forming a collapse pit tens of meters in diameter. Soil and rocks from the edge of the pit continuously slid down into the seemingly bottomless chasm! Even more terrifying was a thick, blackish-gray gas with a smell of sulfur and decay surging out of the pit!

"It's miasma! Evacuate the crowd quickly!" the female council member from the Mage Association shouted sternly, waving her hand to emit a soft white light, attempting to disperse the toxic gas, but the effect seemed limited.

The scene instantly spiraled out of control! The toxic gas spread rapidly, causing people nearby to cough, feel dizzy, and some even collapse! City Guards and mages, while rescuing people, desperately tried to prevent the gas from spreading.

Leon coughed repeatedly, his eyes stinging from the pungent smell. He saw Elisa quickly retreating under the protection of the female mage, who had erected a powerful purification barrier, shielding both of them.

Amidst the chaos, Leon's peripheral vision caught sight of something reflecting light in the chaotic ruins at the edge of the collapse pit! The object was half-buried in the soil, irregularly shaped and dull in color, but its surface shimmered with an extremely faint, ominous dark purple luster!

What is that?

Leon's heart skipped a beat. The strange energy fluctuation seemed to be emanating most strongly from the vicinity of that object! It was like the energy source of the entire ground collapse anomaly!

He instinctively wanted to rush over and investigate! A strong intuition told him that the object was crucial!

But the moment he took a step, Fili grabbed him tightly: "Young Master! It's dangerous! You can't go!"

At the same time, several City Guard soldiers shouted angrily, waving their weapons to prevent anyone from approaching the collapsed area.

Leon looked at the increasingly dense toxic gas and the widening collapse pit, then at the heavily protected Elisa and the mages who seemed to be facing a formidable enemy. Reason finally overcame impulse. If he rushed over now, let alone examining the reflective object, he'd likely be overcome by the toxic gas or fall into the pit first.

He forcefully suppressed his curiosity and unease, retreating further with the panicked crowd.

The chaos continued for nearly half an hour before gradually subsiding due to the joint efforts of the City Guard and the mages. The toxic gas was dispersed, the injured were taken for treatment, and the collapsed area was sealed off even more strictly.

Leon stood at a distance, looking at the ruins that seemed to have been gnawed by a giant beast, his mind in turmoil. He tried to sense with his Spiritual Power again, but the strange energy fluctuation had weakened considerably, becoming faint and almost imperceptible. The dark purple reflective object was long buried completely by the collapsed debris.

After completing the initial survey, Elisa and the female mage left in a Mage Association carriage. Before leaving, Elisa's gaze seemed to sweep unintentionally in Leon's direction, but she quickly looked away without lingering.

"Young Master, are we... still watching?" Fili asked, still shaken.

"No more watching, let's go back," Leon shook his head and said in a deep voice.

This "spectacle" had yielded far more information than he had anticipated, and it was much heavier. The ley line anomaly, the strange energy, the dark purple reflective object... All of it pointed to one conclusion: this incident was far from a simple natural disaster. There was likely a hidden conspiracy or danger behind it.

What made him even more uneasy was that the strange energy seemed to be faintly related to his own mysterious "dark veins." Was this a coincidence, or... some kind of omen?

He looked up at the towering Royal Magic Tower in the direction of the Imperial Capital's center, his heart filled with a sense of urgency. Strength! He needed to improve his strength faster! Otherwise, next time, he might not even have the qualification to stand far away and "watch the show."

The waters of this world were deeper and murkier than he had imagined. And he, the "prodigal son" who had just begun learning to swim, had to quickly learn to survive in the undercurrents.