Thinking back to that day's situation, Velsaria would almost grind her teeth in anger.
"I need more power."
Such thoughts flashed through her mind, and soon, ideas like this began to spring up like bamboo shoots after rain, ultimately occupying all of Velsaria's thoughts.
Elsewhere.
Roa, having entrusted the matter entirely to Ellis, believed that this issue had come to a close. He began his daily training while also waiting for the Spirit Blade Dance Festival to arrive.
Usually, aside from the few girls in the training team, nothing particularly special happened.
Life was like this, calm and uneventful, yet filled with small surprises.
Velsaria's situation quickly came to light; she indeed had a cursed seal implanted, and its location was right in her heart.
The organization related to this was also uncovered by Greyworth, who followed the clues. According to intelligence reports, Velsaria even wanted to implant a second cursed seal, and it was precisely during her meeting for this transaction that Greyworth caught her red-handed, preventing this tragedy from occurring.
Ordinary spirit users would try to avoid implanting cursed seals in vital organs, but Velsaria, on the other hand, boldly implanted one directly in her heart. This would lead to overall damage to her body, further deterioration, and ultimately death, even if she could gain immense power for a short time.
Of course, not all bodies are the same. Although Velsaria did not possess a physique as outrageous as Roa's, she was still a prodigy in this world. Even with a cursed seal implanted in her heart, she did not suddenly drop dead.
In fact, if it weren't for Velsaria's reckless decision to implant the cursed seal in her heart, she could have directly endured the side effects and reaped the benefits of the cursed seal.
However, the current situation was that Velsaria's blind pursuit of power had gone too far; not only did she implant a cursed seal in her heart, but she also wanted a second one.
This was almost a life-or-death situation. Even if the second implantation succeeded, Velsaria's lifespan would be significantly shortened.
Fortunately, all of this was timely stopped by Greyworth.
According to protocol, as the headmaster, Greyworth would not manage such trivial matters. However, since Ellis was almost always lurking in the academy office, and Velsaria indeed had a certain influence within the academy, Greyworth decided to pay special attention to her.
Who would have thought that while people woke up in the morning, the events would unfold at night?
After this incident, Velsaria could no longer represent the academy at the Spirit Blade Dance Festival.
The matter of the cursed seal could be seen as significant or trivial.
Considering her past as a student of the academy, Greyworth decided to keep this matter under wraps.
However, as a necessary price, Greyworth sent Velsaria back to Ellis's family, hoping that her family could properly discipline the girl.
Thus, Velsaria's incident was considered concluded.
Aside from this matter, nothing else occurred. Roa's team achieved victory after victory, quickly rising to the top.
Participating in the so-called Spirit Blade Dance Festival had become a certainty.
Through Roa's training, everyone's strength steadily improved.
However, as the Spirit Blade Dancer's arrival approached, there was a palpable sense of excitement in the academy, a tension that constantly stirred the nerves of the spirit users.
There were also a few minor disturbances.
To avoid trouble, Roa showcased part of his strength, swiftly extinguishing the signs of trouble while sending a message to the unseen instigators.
The academy was not merely home to someone like Greyworth.
Roa's intervention was undoubtedly wise, as it helped him avoid a lot of trouble.
As the time to set off approached, the members of Roa's team gathered in front of the meeting point, the "Stone Circle."
The "Stone Circle" is the name of the teleportation array, the "gate" from the Areishia Spirit Academy to the Astral Zero.
The representatives would be teleported from here to the Astral Zero and board the ships prepared by the organizing body of the Spirit Blade Dance Festival, the "Divine Ritual Institute."
The other two teams selected by the academy were already fully prepared in front of the "gate."
The first place was naturally Roa's team, as he had completely subdued the entire academy with his own strength.
The second place was a team called the "Wyvern Team," composed entirely of upperclassmen.
In theory, as competitors, everyone would somewhat look down on each other.
However, after being completely crushed in a direct confrontation, all members of the "Wyvern Team" fell silent.
The all-encompassing defeat came with a fierce attack from the opposing side at first glance, ending in a disastrous loss.
Yet, despite the silence, their expressions were far from pleasant.
The reason was simple: Claire had previously been bullied by this group of upperclassmen. Although they couldn't be called enemies, it was natural that there would be no friendly faces when they met. Because of this incident, Claire was a bit harsher when dealing with them.
The girl had changed drastically compared to her previous self. When the "Wyvern Team" faced Claire, they thought she was the same crybaby from before, but they suffered a hidden loss at first sight, leading to a rapid defeat thereafter.
Of course, not all teams harbored deep grudges like the "Wyvern Team."
A blonde girl from the third team, holding a wooden wand, approached Roa to chat.
"Hey, wild girl, long time no see."
Upon hearing Roa's slightly teasing words, the cute petite girl puffed up her cheeks in anger.
"Hum—I'm not a wild girl!"
Her team ranked third and she was one of the members of the "Canine Team," with whom they had previously clashed.
The girl belonged to the Oak Sage clan, which called the Spirit Forest home, and could command powerful "Beast Spirits."
Her race was Druid, possessing a high affinity for beasts and spirits. Just like in the game, she could summon and control beasts to attack enemies.
"Hmph, all three teams are finally here."
Freya Grandol, the manager of the "Stone Gate," walked over with a calm expression.
After glancing at the clock, she activated the formation.
The familiar sensation returned, and when everyone opened their eyes again, they were greeted by the familiar terrain.
However, compared to before, a massive vehicle was parked in front of them.
This was the transport that had come to take them to their destination.