Victor opened his eyes and gazed at Alber, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Alber returned the look with a puzzled and innocent expression.
Lionel, noticing this, quickly asked, "Young master Victor, what did you see?"
Still stroking his chin, Victor pointed at Alber's right chest with his fingertip. "Here, I felt something," he said.
Lionel's eyes widened slightly at this. Before he could respond, Victor continued, "I'm not sure what it is, some sort of object... Hmm, I don't know if you would call it an object or not, something dark like... fire."
Lionel's expression shifted to shock. Realizing the sensitivity of the situation, he immediately took Victor's arm, guiding him to a more private area, leaving Alber and Bob in confusion.
Now standing at the back of the platform, Lionel snapped his fingers, creating an invisible, soundproof barrier around them.
"Forgive me for pulling you away so suddenly, young master. But it's for Alber's and my family's good. You see, there are many eyes and ears here. The guests present aren't just allies; they could be enemies as well," Lionel explained.
"I understand that," Victor replied, nodding.
Nodding back, Lionel, with a serious expression, grasped Victor's shoulders and inquired, "Young master Victor, was what you said true? Can you really sense the condition of someone's body just by holding their hand?"
"Yes, but unfortunately, I can't use it too often. There's some kind of inexplicable cooldown. But what I said was true; I felt something in Alber's right chest. I still can't determine exactly what it is because my mastery of this ability is still quite low," Victor elaborated.
Lionel nodded in understanding. "You weren't wrong. My son has been suffering from a strange illness. He often feels pain, from burning sensations to chills to shortness of breath; it's been happening for a year now. Despite seeing many famous healers and doctors, none of them know what the illness is. However, they all said one thing: it originates from Alber's right chest," he explained.
Victor nodded, absorbing Lionel's words. "Well, I also can't determine what it is, so I just hope Alber gets well soon," he remarked, a smile on his face.
Lionel also smiled, saying, "Thank you, young master. I too hope he recovers soon. You know, he's my only son, and I care for him deeply."
Victor nodded, "Alright, Sir Lionel, I think I'll step down from the platform now. And I must apologize as I might have to leave soon due to some business," he mentioned.
"Oh, that's unfortunate. I would have been delighted if you could enjoy yourself here a bit longer, young master. But of course, I won't force you," Lionel responded.
Victor nodded, and with that, he descended from the platform, followed closely by Bob.
The two of them drew only a little attention from the guests, as Victor and Bob had no significant achievements besides their identities.
As they walked, Bob couldn't help but pout, which Victor noticed and quickly tried to cheer him up.
"Come on, it's just a party, and that kid's tastes are just too high," he commented.
Bob, still pouting, replied, "But still, that little sh- cough! He even openly said he'd throw it in the warehouse!"
Victor just shook his head. As they walked, Bob continued to grumble.
---
The party continued, and now more than 30 minutes had passed. The atmosphere remained lively, filled with elegant and comfortable music.
The servants tirelessly replaced empty food and drinks with new ones.
The main character of the event, Alber, was now with children his age, playing during the playtime after the gift-giving session was over.
Seated and enjoying plenty of food at the table, Bob and Victor truly enjoyed what the Sky family had to offer.
Bob looked very excited with the abundance of food he could eat without hesitation. Meanwhile, Victor appeared more relaxed, his gaze fixed on a man in a black robe also sitting in one of the chairs not far from him.
'That bastard should act soon; I also have to meet the protagonist,' he thought to himself while sipping a glass of wine.
Then, with the last sip, he placed the glass on the table and stood up as if to leave.
Bob, noticing this, inquired, "Where are you going?" with a curious tone.
"I'm heading home first. There's something I need to do," Victor replied, a thin smile on his lips.
"Is that so? Well, suit yourself," Bob answered, still chewing the food in his mouth.
Victor shook his head and, without a second thought, walked out of the party area, quickly getting into his car and driving away from the Sky family's residence.
---
Meanwhile, at a different location, about 20 kilometers from the Sky family's residence, a burly man with long black hair dressed entirely in black stood in an empty grassy field, somewhat distant from the main road. The area spanned 2000 square meters, filled with grass and wild plants.
The man, none other than Herakles, was patting the ground with his hands as if searching for something.
He had been at it for over an hour, yet there was no sign of fatigue on his face. He could have resorted to his destructive magic, but Victor had explicitly instructed him to refrain from using any magic and to conduct his search naturally.
With the overgrowth and tall grass obscuring much of the area, there were scarcely any people around in the grassy field.
Tap! Tap!
Herakles sensed a peculiar sensation as he patted a spot on the ground. Puzzled, he tapped it again, noticing that the sound was unlike that of ordinary earth but more akin to a solid object.
"I suppose I've found it," he muttered.
He proceeded to brush aside the earth and revealed a box-like shape. Lifting it, he uncovered a hidden door beneath.
Herakles' expression turned slightly serious as he recalled Victor's specific instructions.
"Just as young master indicated, there's indeed a secret room here," he said earnestly. "I mustn't waste any time; I need to retrieve 'it.'"
Without hesitation, he entered the underground secret room, ensuring to close the top securely behind him.
---
About 15 kilometers away from the grassy field, a young man with black hair, dressed casually, exited a rather grand building bearing the sign "666 Casino."
From his appearance, he seemed familiar—it was Leon Emery.
His face lit up with joy as he gazed at the brown bag he carried, filled with green bills representing the money he had won from gambling.
"Hehehe, I guess I can forget about yesterday. Winning over 10,000 dollars in one night, you're truly my second mother, Goddess Fortuna, hahaha," he chuckled.
As he strolled away and entered a secluded alley, Leon counted the money he had won.
"With this much money, I won't have to worry about anything for a month," he smirked. "Well, even if my master will be mad, haha."
Leon kept muttering as he counted, unaware that he had ventured into a rather deep and dark alley.
After totaling everything, he found he had won 13,500 dollars.
"I guess that's it, I need to-" his voice trailed off, his eyes widening slightly as he sensed an ominous presence behind him.
Reacting swiftly, he attempted to turn around, but a precise strike to the back of his neck caused his vision to blur and his consciousness to fade, sending him collapsing to the ground.
From the shadows emerged a young man with a mysterious aura, seemingly blending into the darkness. His sharp eyes emitted a cold light, enhancing the intimidating aura of his confident smirk. It was none other than Victor.
"I didn't think that would actually work," he grinned.
Initially, Victor had thought knocking someone out with a single strike was only possible in movies, but it turned out he could do it.
As Carlo had taught him, all he needed was to strike the vagus nerve—a vital point on the side of the neck that controls many autonomic functions in the body.
Stimulating this nerve could cause a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure, leading to syncope or fainting. Excessive stimulation could signal the brain to drastically slow the heart rate, reduce blood flow to the brain, and induce temporary loss of consciousness.
Now, Victor's gaze was fixed on the unconscious Leon, his sharp red eyes seemingly piercing through everything.
"Now, what should I do with you, Leon?"