https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-187-Lanchi-Is-Also-in-Good-Spirits-Today/12584226/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-189-Lanchi-Always-Considers-His-Opponents/12584228/
Chapter 188: How Will Lanchi Win?
Chapter 188: How Will Lanchi Win?
As the surroundings gradually lit up, a bleak scene filled Lanchi's vision.
He found himself in a chilling iron prison, feeling the cold wind seeping through countless unseen cracks, bringing with it a bone-piercing chill.
Each breath felt like swallowing hail, as if his lungs were freezing solid.
"This is way too cold..."
Even Lanchi's words came out in a mist.
In truth, he had never challenged this artificial Shadow World before, as his experience with them was limited.
Including the two entrance exams and the real Shadow World, he had only ventured into these realms a total of four times.
His gaze swept over the rough walls, which were coated in a thick layer of frost. In the corner, an iron chain connected the heavy manacles on his wrists.
The floor, eroded by time, was uneven, with dark ice pooling in the low-lying areas. Every time the wind blew through the bars, the ice and chains clinked and clattered.
Long icicles, formed from the moisture in the cell, hung menacingly from the low ceiling, ready to impale any prisoner who dared move below.
Thick iron bars formed the door, beyond which lay a corridor of endless darkness and howling wind, carrying the mournful cries of the souls that had been imprisoned here for millennia.
At the same time, information about the Shadow World appeared before Lanchi's eyes—
Shadow World: Desperate Bone-Chilling Prison
Level: Tier 2
Number of Challengers: 2
Welcome to the Shadow World, artificially created and supported by Magi Tech Institute.
Note: This assessment involves a practical simulation of a Shadow World, which generally does not pose a risk to life.
Note: This Shadow World is not suitable for challengers with cardiovascular diseases.
In the event of a challenger's death, they will be automatically ejected from the Shadow World. Challengers may also choose to exit voluntarily, but they will experience death and pain, including enduring hunger and extreme cold...
Even in a hopeless prison with no escape in sight, as long as you keep yourself alive, there is a chance to win in the end.
You have been captured and thrown into the seventh layer of an absolute prison with no recorded escapes. The warden employs various methods to break the will of the prisoners. Today, you have been thrown into a freezing punishment cell.
In this Shadow World, all magic cards will be sealed, and your tier will be fixed at Tier 2.
In addition to the initial supplies, random supplies will be provided every half-hour.
Mission Objective (Endless Mode): Survive for as long as possible and gather information about the prison from other inmates.
Lanchi calmly read through the information presented by the Shadow World.
It was mostly in line with what he had hastily studied before the competition began.
In the South Continent Shadow World Management Association's registered challenger exam question bank, there were numerous classic low-tier Shadow Worlds.
Among them was the well-known Tier 2 Shadow World, Desperate Bone-Chilling Prison, often used for practice. The challenge was to survive for two hours in an extremely harsh prison cell with temperatures that continued to drop.
Later, various academies and the South Continent Shadow World Management Association discovered its altered space.
It could be modified into a highly random "Endless Mode," where challengers could employ various methods to survive for as long as possible.
It became a well-known record-breaking artificial Shadow World.
...
A drop of rain fell on the stone steps, soon followed by a dense downpour, quickly turning the surroundings of Gera Memorial Square into a blur of white.
There had been a commotion on the edge of the square, and now another girl had fainted.
However, students from the Ikelite Academy nearby quickly contacted the hospital on the Alchemist side to come and take the girl away.
As they watched the unconscious girl being taken away, a student from the Royal Academy of Yarlon expressed their gratitude.
"Thank you for your help."
The students from Yarlon had not expected the Ikelite students to be so decisive and swift in responding to the emergency. Even the medical staff from the Alchemist side was efficient and well-organized, and the whole process was seamless, not wasting a single second.
It was as if they had just conducted a drill a couple of days ago.
The students from Yarlon Kingdom couldn't help but marvel at the Ikelite students' strong execution and unity when dealing with unexpected events.
"Don't worry, she probably fainted due to anemia. There's no danger to her life," the surrounding students humbly assured them.
Once everything was settled, the students on the square's steps gradually turned their attention back to the screen.
From the audience's perspective, the camera showed two adjacent prison cells, with Adams on the left and Lanchi on the right, both behind bars, separated by a wall, with other prisoners in the cells beside them.
If there was a shortage of certain supplies, such as a lack of food but an abundance of Fire Crystones, they could barter with the prisoners in the adjacent cells through the walls and iron bars.
However, this required them to speculate on the other party's needs and abundance to achieve the best trading conditions.
Veterans of this artificial Shadow World knew that when bartering, one must never let the other party see what they lacked. Sometimes, even if their supplies were insufficient, they had to feign abundance, or if they were already abundant, they had to make predictions to improve their supply structure. At the same time, they had to assess the risk of being cheated in the trade, because if the neighboring prisoner was at their last breath, they might attempt a one-time deceitful exchange.
Additionally, if they had surplus supplies, they could also trade for intelligence with other prisoners. Collecting intelligence would earn them extra points in this Shadow World.
"In this Endless Mode, the temperature will gradually drop. Even with abundant supplies, it's impossible to endure indefinitely, especially at Tier 2. The current solo mode record holder managed to last for twenty hours and five minutes."
Among the colorful umbrellas in the square, an upperclassman explained the mechanics of this Shadow World to the bewildered underclassmen.
"Adam's advantage lies in his physically robust body, honed through his training as a warrior. He also has more experience, whereas most of Lanchi's strengths are difficult to utilize in this Shadow World."
"I'm quite certain Lanchi has never challenged this artificial Shadow World before. There are some aspects that require multiple playthroughs to learn, and it's hard to make up for that lack of experience with wisdom alone."
For squishies like Lanchi, surviving the full two hours would require more wisdom, but for combat-oriented students like him and Adams, they could tough it out in the early stages.
The real competition would be who could hoard the most supplies in the beginning and then endure the increasingly frigid temperatures in a final test of willpower.
...
Within the territory of the Sage Academy, there was a small library loft that, despite its compact size, exuded an air of ancient and noble magical academia.
The bookshelves inside were meticulously arranged in elaborate patterns, starting from the floor and climbing the walls to the ceiling, resembling ancient fortifications within a castle.
Ascending to the second floor of the loft, an independent magic screen hung high on the wall, its surface flickering with light and shadow, displaying the same scene as the outdoor jumbo screen in Gera Memorial Square.
And in the most conspicuous spot within this loft...
"Hahaha, Lanchi is really going all out this time!"
A woman in a black dress sat in the main seat, commenting on the scene unfolding on the screen with laughter that made her shoulders shake.
This place belonged to a powerful team from the Sage Academy, and it was their unique activity venue approved by the school.
The current leader of the team was Modan, the marquess' son and a Gold-ranked Challenger, but it was clear that the true authority rested with the woman in the black veil, a fourth-year student at Sage Academy and a Platinum-ranked Challenger.
Standing below and watching the screen, Modan's expression was still uneasy.
Having had a previous conflict with Lanchi, he always believed that if Vice-President Asina of the third-year student council hadn't accepted the challenge, he would have been the strongest candidate.
However, everyone unanimously nominated Lanchi.
But seeing the content of this Shadow World, Modan didn't think Lanchi would win easily.
"Lanchi is really going big this time. Do you think he dares to lose?"
As if sensing Modan's state of mind, the woman in black stood up and leaned over the railing, smiling as she asked.
"..."
Modan was at a loss for words.
He couldn't quite discern the woman's mood or stance at the moment, and she did have some relation to this bet.
After all, she was one of Headmaster Loren's fiancees.
"Senior, do you still think Lanchi will win?"
After a moment of silence, Modan looked up and asked uncertainly.
"I think he'll lose."
The woman in black veils covered her cheeks as if in prayer,
"Lose, Lanchi, lose! Make Headmaster Loren suffer even more!"
Although she loved her teacher, Headmaster Loren, she felt delighted whenever she saw him in distress. She wished she could have the chance to toy with him herself one day.
Just thinking about it made her face turn a joyful shade of red.
And at that moment, on the screen in the wall...
As expected, Lanchi and Adams chose to tough it out, hoarding supplies and waiting for prisoners in the neighboring cells to initiate trades.
It seemed they were about to engage in an extreme test of willpower.
(End of Chapter)
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