Chapter 3: Elina Sivern

"A breakthrough!"

A faint smile curled Sila's lips.

"Young Master, you've truly made a breakthrough!!"

"If the old lady knew, she would surely... she would definitely..."

Sila merely offered a calm and composed smile, while the elderly man beside him, who had shown no mercy during the earlier slaughter, was now overjoyed and shouting excitedly.

However…

The elder had wisely set up magical devices to block detection and sound long before, so speaking a little louder wouldn't be a problem.

"Indeed, I've made a breakthrough."

Sila nodded slightly, feeling the surge of energy within him like roaring waves, his heart filled with excitement.

The Leviathan family, though wealthy, found themselves in a world where the rarity of most cultivation resources drove their prices to astonishing heights.

As the ostensible heir, Sila, due to his lackluster talent, could only receive a monthly allowance of 120,000 gold coins, and even this allowance was only granted to him after he turned sixteen.

With no other choice, he had to resort to purchasing low-grade magic crystals to aid his cultivation, resulting in him being stuck at the apprentice mage level for three whole years without any sign of breakthrough.

Until today, he leaped to elite status, and the heavy burden that had weighed on his heart for years finally lifted.

Regardless, with the strength of elite status and a B-level magical talent, Sila could at least remain in the family and continue to enjoy a monthly allowance of 120,000 gold coins.

Staying within the family might also spare him the misfortune of being dispatched as a boss in the beginner's stage by the protagonists of "Journey of Radiance". As long as he stayed alive, he could continue to receive money, and with money, he could acquire more cultivation resources through the Endless Wealth system.

"My path in life is finally open!"

Sila thought.

Who would willingly spend hundreds of thousands of gold coins each month indulging in debauchery, gambling, orgies, and being fawned over by a crowd, if they could become strong?

He had long grown tired of such a life.

"Now, those in the family who oppose you will no longer have a reason to expel you." the old man said, his emotions growing more intense. He couldn't help but use his black robe to wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes, his usual cold and stern demeanor vanishing without a trace.

Sila spoke with the old man without any reservations.

His sudden breakthrough in strength was highly suspicious.

But there was no need to hide it from this old man.

The old man was the guardian knight left behind by Sila·Leviathan's birth mother, a fact mentioned in "Journey of Radiance".

In the game, if players defeated Sila·Leviathan and then left the map to allow it to reset, upon returning to the boss's death location, they would learn that...

After Sila·Leviathan was killed, the enraged crowd, who hated him with a passion, attempted to tear his body apart.

Just then, an old man in a black robe stepped forward and stood firmly in front of the frenzied mob. The old man had prepared a flask of blazing oil and performed the oldest death ritual of the Leviathan family for Sila·Leviathan – the Heavenly Cremation Ceremony.

In the game's cutscene CG animation, Sila·Leviathan's soul ascended into the void during the Heavenly Cremation Ceremony, ultimately returning to the embrace of the Leviathan family's tomb.

The protective knight was torn apart by the enraged crowd, reducing him to a blood-soaked skeleton. Sila knew that there was fierce competition within the family, and everyone could potentially be a spy planted by his "siblings".

However, this old knight was an exception.

Regarding the female slave who had just been auctioned off.

Sila didn't bother to hide his interest. When he looked towards the cage, he found that the female slave was staring at him with a strange expression, but he didn't give it much thought.

The Leviathan family had contracts to control their subordinates, so Sila wasn't worried about the female slave leaking any secrets.

He comforted the old knight, "Grandpa Kent, don't worry. I'll definitely return to the family and prove who the true inheritor of Leviathan is."

At the same time, he checked the changes in the system.

After distributing the beginner's rewards, the Endless Wealth system was officially unlocked. Currently, it didn't offer much content, only prompting that—

For every hundred gold coins spent, the host would receive one point, which could be used to exchange items in the system's store.

"Open the store." Sila murmured in his heart.

In an instant, an empty page appeared.

[The host needs to accumulate 100 points to open the store.]

"So I need to spend 10,000 gold coins?"

Sila was too exhausted to comment on the system's "poverty" and turned to speak to the old woman beside him. "Grandma, now that I've broken through to elite status, could you help me purchase some magic crystals and magic books? Also, get me plenty of magic stone shards and mana awakening potions for training. I've just advanced, and my strength hasn't caught up yet."

"Of course, young master. I'll go immediately." the old knight replied decisively, stepping out of the VIP room's door.

Sila, at this moment, carelessly clapped his hands, and immediately, over a dozen maids streamed in one after another, lining up and bowing respectfully. "Come, let's take my little darling home." Upon hearing the words "little darling." the many maids standing by all exchanged subtle glances.

They still remembered the last "little darling" Sila had referred to, whom he tired of after just two days of play and sent away with a sum of money.

This female slave he had bought would likely not enjoy his exclusive favor for long.

Of course, if Sila knew the thoughts of these maids, he would surely explain to them with some confusion, "No, no, no. Every time, I am sincere towards beautiful girls."

"It's just that my sincerity only lasts for a short while."

Yet, amidst such a strange atmosphere, the blonde-haired, silver-eyed girl heard the somewhat intimate and teasing term "little darling." and for some reason, a glimmer of hope flickered in her eyes.

Half an hour later, in the southwestern district of the royal capital of Victoria Kingdom, within an extremely luxurious villa...

Sila casually picked up a dark purple berry from the table and chewed it thoughtfully.

Before him stood a blonde girl, freshly groomed and dressed in a silken gown that still exposed much of her skin.

She stood somewhat timidly, her eyes reflecting a hint of unease, fear, and a touch of anticipation. Despite finding herself in a situation where her life was not her own, the girl instinctively held herself upright, scanning her surroundings.

Seeing this, Sila's heart skipped a beat.

Previously, his focus had been entirely on the system and enhancing his strength, he hadn't noticed how stunningly beautiful this young slave girl was, or the eerie sense of familiarity she gave him. Sila took a few steps forward, wiped his mouth with a tissue, and put on a pair of pure white silk gloves. He approached the girl gently, placed his hands on her shoulders, and guided her to sit in the softly cushioned chair that had been prepared.

He deliberately put on a kind expression and asked, "What's your name?"

Sila smiled.

"My... name?" The girl hesitated for a moment, seeming somewhat intimidated.

Then she closed her eyes in thought, reopening them with her silver pupils gleaming brightly, as if they could reflect the entire world.

This sight gave Sila another fleeting sense of déjà vu. "My name is... Elina Sivern."

"So, it's Elina..."

"Wait, what did you say your name was? Holy shit!"

Sila's heart pounded fiercely!

The aristocratic etiquette training prevented Sila from voicing the latter part of his sentence. It suddenly struck him why the blonde-haired, silver-eyed girl before him felt so familiar. She was none other than Elina Sivern, one of the several main female characters that could be pursued in "Journey of Radiance".

The game's CG art was in a distinct anime style, quite different from reality.

But the moment he heard Elina's name, Sila immediately recognized her.

He remembered that this female protagonist was truly extraordinary.

According to the game's lore, Elina possessed the bloodline of the Ancient Crystal Dragon. While other male and female protagonists in the game required three portions of ultimate Spiritual Essence to break through to S-rank talent, she needed only one, making her the most magically talented person in the entire game.

The game's backstory indeed included such a plot: Before the main narrative began, Elina Sivern had enjoyed a happy childhood with loving family members.

However, due to an internal rebellion in Victoria, she was captured by her enemies and later seized by members of the Desire Pavilion on the battlefield. After undergoing a period of training, she was auctioned off as a female slave.

In the original timeline of the story, Sila Leviathan did not participate in this auction, as he never considered attempting to train at the Victoria Magic Academy due to his insufficient talent.

Elina was purchased by a nobleman for 200,000 gold coins.

And then...