The morning at Notting Academy was alive with an energy that the students themselves didn't fully understand. The air was crisp, carrying a faint scent of pine and dew, but it held an undercurrent of tension. He walked through the courtyard slowly, Mandala Snake coiling lightly around his ankle, its dark purple scales glinting under the sun. Its aura radiated subtle danger — a silent warning to anyone who dared approach. Yet no one could see it clearly, only sense a faint weight, a pressure that seemed to press down on the chest in a strange, inexplicable way.
The three copy holders moved independently, unaware of how tightly their fates were intertwined. Xiao Wu stretched by the fountain, her pink hair bouncing lightly with each movement. Her eyes flicked to him occasionally, curiosity laced with a faint uncertainty, as though she instinctively sensed the invisible threads linking them. Ning Rongrong, sitting under the academy's grand oak tree, fidgeted with her sleeves, the weight of her decision to leave the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan simmering just beneath her calm exterior. Zhu Zhuqing, meanwhile, practiced in the far courtyard, every movement precise, analytical, but subtly tempered by awareness he had already begun to plant in her subconscious.
He activated the diary, letting it glow in his hands as the system expanded its calculations for the first large-scale multi-copy emotional event.
[Multi-Copy Emotional Network Status Check]
Xiao Wu: Curiosity → Trust Emerging
Ning Rongrong: Independence Rising → Anticipation Strengthening
Zhu Zhuqing: Respect Emerging → Attachment Increasing[Reward: Spirit Power +2 Levels][Current Rank: 45][Hidden Condition: Multi-Copy Interaction Optimization +20%]
The diary pulsed with power, and golden threads shimmered faintly in the air around him. It was difficult to explain the sensation — a warmth, a pulse, almost like the heartbeat of the continent itself responding to his influence.
Training began shortly after breakfast, and he allowed the three girls to interact freely, letting their personalities clash in subtle ways. Xiao Wu's playful energy ignited Zhu Zhuqing's disciplined caution into an almost imperceptible tension. Each feint and dodge between them carried weight beyond physical movement — the diary recorded their emotional micro-reactions and amplified the subtle competition. Ning Rongrong's impatience and internal struggle manifested in her decision-making during exercises, allowing her to influence both Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing unintentionally. Every reaction was feeding the diary, reinforcing the system's predictive algorithms.
He joined the sparring session midway, moving deliberately. He did not aim to dominate but to nudge the flow, creating situations where each girl's instinctive reaction would interact with the others in complex ways. Xiao Wu adjusted her defenses unconsciously, Zhu Zhuqing recalculated her attacks with deeper caution, and Ning Rongrong observed, torn between her own impulses and what she perceived in the others. Tang San, standing quietly at the sidelines, watched intently, suspicion flickering in his eyes. Something about the flow of events felt unnatural to him.
[Multi-Copy Network Feedback][Emotional Resonance: 82%][Reward: Spirit Power Compression +3 Levels — Current Rank: 47][Hidden Condition: Predictive Emotional Influence Progress +15%]
Every movement, every hesitation, every glance was calculated, amplified, and recorded. The girls were beginning to act in ways that even they did not understand, their choices subtly influenced by the system.
After training, he retreated to the academy gardens, the diary glowing softly in his lap. He wrote carefully:
"First full multi-copy convergence completed. Emotional resonance levels are near peak efficiency. Tang San is beginning to notice deviations in natural patterns. Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing are all responding to influence without realizing it. System recommends maintaining subtlety while gradually increasing network intensity."
The diary pulsed violently.
[System Expansion Progress: 75%][Predictive Emotional Mapping Efficiency: 95%][Reward: Spirit Power +2 Levels — Current Rank: 49][Hidden Feature Unlocked: Multi-Copy Strategic Influence]
He leaned back, watching the shadows stretch across the academy grounds. Golden threads connected the girls like a living web of energy, shimmering faintly in the sunlight. Every emotional fluctuation, every micro-movement was being recorded, amplified, and fed back into the system. Even Ning Rongrong's thoughts, fragile as they were, contributed to the network's growing power.
Later that evening, the continental ripple became apparent. Minor anomalies were detected across the continent — fluctuations in spiritual currents, slight deviations in expected aura patterns, and shifts in young talents' emotional responses. Spirit Hall's monitoring stations noted these disturbances, but none could yet determine the source. Bibi Dong furrowed her brow as she sensed the invisible threads spreading like a network across the continent.
"This is more than a single disturbance," she murmured, eyes narrowing. "Someone is manipulating multiple key figures simultaneously. I must intervene before the situation escalates further."
Back at the academy, he observed the girls again. Xiao Wu's playful glances became slightly more attentive, Zhu Zhuqing's analytical expressions softened in subtle ways, and Ning Rongrong's usual composure fractured just enough to allow small impulsive actions. Each reaction fed the diary's predictive mapping, reinforcing the system's ability to anticipate and manipulate outcomes with increasing accuracy.
[Multi-Copy Emotional Convergence: 92%][Reward Multiplier x3.5 Applied][Spirit Power +4 Levels — Current Rank: 53][Hidden Condition: Continental Influence Seed Activated]
He closed the diary slowly, exhaling. The system was no longer merely a tool — it had become a network, an instrument capable of subtly shaping the continent itself. Every action now had consequences not just for the academy, but for all the threads he had influenced.
He smiled faintly, Mandala Snake coiling around him, its dark aura shimmering in the fading light.
The game had evolved. The multi-copy network was fully operational. Tang San was beginning to question anomalies in his environment. Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing were interacting emotionally under subtle influence, unknowingly reinforcing his power. And far away, Bibi Dong's senses were sharpening, preparing to act.
The first continental ripple had not only formed — it had grown into a wave. And he was standing at its epicenter, ready to manipulate the currents of fate.
The threads were tightening, alliances and rivalries were simmering, and the continent — unaware of the storm gathering above it — would soon be forced to react.