Chapter 160: Lecture

Flavia lingered, torn. She wanted the sapphire but felt profoundly humiliated at the thought of accepting it from the Abyssal Sovereign. Yet, the idea of discarding it was unthinkable.

Several female nobles on Wyverns flew over, spotting her. "Lady Flavia, what are you doing here... Wait! Is that an Abyssal Sapphire Core?"

"Is it yours, My Lady?"

"My lifelong dream is to own one..."

The women gaped, some unconsciously reaching out in longing. Flavia, no longer hesitating, snatched the glowing gemstone from the saddle, declaring, "This is mine!"

Her heart raced. The others were not surprised by her possessiveness, merely curious. "My Lady, that core is worth nearly half a million high-grade Aether-crystals! Where did you get it?"

"Do not forget us when you ascend! With your skills and this sapphire, your power will soar!"

"After breaking through to the Supreme tier, you will be the top female operative in the Capital, second only to Princess Aurelia!"

"Speaking of the Princess," one noble sneered, "I heard the Abyssal Sovereign has not left her Pavilion since they arrived. I wonder what they are doing."

"With his reputation as a Syndicate crime lord? What else?"

"Exactly. They were locked in a lingering embrace in the sky when they arrived."

"The Sovereign is scum. The Senate should deploy the Praetorian Guard to execute him and avenge Prince Aurelius!"

Their chatter dripped with disdain for Theo. Flavia, clutching the sapphire tightly to her chest, stayed uncharacteristically silent, her expression complex.

Noticing her silence, one of the nobles asked, "Lady Flavia, why so quiet? Do you not hate the Sovereign the most?"

Flavia glanced down at the priceless stone—an artifact she would never have obtained through normal Imperial channels. The insults she had once spat so effortlessly against Theo now stuck in her throat. He did not seem like the ruthless butcher the rumors claimed...

***

Back in Aurelia’s Imperial Pavilion, Theo’s system chimed.

[Syndicate Investment Protocol successful...]

[Gift: Abyssal Sapphire Core! Calculating return multiplier...]

[Critical emotional impact triggered...]

Theo smirked. She had refused verbally with all her Imperial pride, but her physical reaction had eagerly accepted the investment, triggering a critical hit. Were all the noblewomen of the Capital this hypocritical?

Glancing at Aurelia, who was still deeply immersed in refining the *Primeval Resonance Fragment*, he closed his eyes and began to cultivate, testing the enhanced speed of his newly acquired Chaos-Forged Matrix. He would make another investment when the protocol’s cooldown reset.

***

A week later, the system signaled the cooldown’s end. Theo opened his eyes, grinning. His cultivation speed, already reality-breaking due to his Parasite class, had multiplied several times over with the Chaos-Forged Matrix. It was absurdly fast. By the time Aurelia finished her refinement, he might naturally advance to the mid-Vanguard tier without even spending Merit Points.

Elated, his Shadow-Clone flew from the Imperial Pavilion, seeking another talented female cultivator to sponsor.

Soon, atop an ornate sparring peak, he spotted a familiar, graceful figure.

Flavia.

She was guiding several junior female operatives in their Aetheric practice. Theo scanned the group. One of the juniors triggered a 1,000x multiplier prompt, but Flavia’s allure to the system was stronger—she had already proven capable of triggering a max critical hit. Theo saw no need to seek out others and descended directly onto the sparring peak.

His arrival drew every eye. Recognizing the bespectacled Sovereign, the women froze. Unlike Flavia’s earlier boldness, the juniors lacked her courage. Though they cursed him in private, standing face-to-face with the man who had eradicated House Rullus and executed Prince Aurelius sparked sheer panic.

Had someone snitched? Was the Sovereign here to silence them?

Others, however, blushed, captivated against their will. Theo’s prodigious combat power, his striking confidence, and his rumored Syndicate wealth made their hearts flutter despite their political allegiances.

Flavia’s expression was a turbulent mix of anticipation and unease. Was the Sovereign here to gift her again? Did he truly favor her? But the other nobles were watching!

She bit her lip lightly. "What brings the Sovereign here?"

Theo smiled smoothly. "You are nearing the Supreme tier. The Abyssal Sapphire Core alone is not enough for a flawless breakthrough. Therefore, I am giving you a vial of Astral Lotus Nectar. It will perfect your cognitive Aether-sea, ensuring you maintain a richer psychic defense post-breakthrough, vastly boosting your combat strength."

The surrounding women, already curious as to why Theo was wandering the Capital alone, gaped in shock. Astral Lotus Nectar was a priceless elixir. The last vial at the Capital auction house had sold for a million high-grade crystals twenty years ago. The Sovereign was just giving it away?

And this wasn’t his first gift? He had given her the Sapphire Core too?

They stared at Flavia, stunned. Was their beautiful, proud leader a traitor to Prince Aurelius’s memory?

Blushing fiercely under their scrutiny, Flavia lowered her head. "Sovereign, this is far too precious..."

As he had done before, Theo tossed the glowing vial through the air. "Do not refuse. I never take back my investments. If you do not want it, give it to one of your juniors."

The eyes of the other women lit up with sudden greed, but Flavia’s hand shot out, swiftly snatching the vial out of the air.

Theo’s system chimed, signaling another max critical return. His mood soared.

However, the Imperial Capital was vast. Surely there were operatives with even higher multipliers hidden in the various noble estates. Instead of wasting time flying around searching for them, why not draw them directly to him? Let them line up for his choosing. It would be infinitely more efficient.

He didn’t rush back to the Pavilion. Under the expectant, wide-eyed gazes of the noblewomen, Theo offered a few offhand pointers on their combat forms. Given his unfathomable realm and insight, even his most nonchalant advice was invaluable.

Moments later, he made his announcement. "I have some free time recently, and I plan to hold a weekly seminar on Aetheric Principles to guide your practice. Next week, bring any female operatives interested in advancing their cultivation to the Imperial Pavilion for my lecture."