https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-189-Lanchi-Always-Considers-His-Opponents/12584228/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-191-Hiberrian-s-Fourth-Death-Omen/12584230/
Chapter 190: Mr. Loren's Unfortunate Series of Events
Chapter 190: Mr. Loren's Unfortunate Series of Events
In the frigid, bone-chilling prison, a momentary silence fell between Lanchi and Adams, their cells separated by a short distance.
In the dimly lit confines, only the sporadic drip of water freezing and the distant howl of wind through the narrow corridors could be heard.
"Why would I lie to you?" Lanchi's voice carried a hint of disappointment.
He was simply too numb from the cold, his wrists stiff, and his withdrawal from the Shadow World painfully slow.
"..." Adams knew Lanchi was lying, but for a fleeting moment, he questioned if he had misunderstood the other man.
Lanchi's acting was impeccable; he sounded genuinely disappointed by the lack of trust.
Or perhaps it was a genuine emotion fueled by the failure of his plan, enhancing his already impressive talent for delivering lines.
"Lanchi, I know your forte is strategy and psychological warfare, so there's no point in discussing honor. I'm only interested in victory in this duel, and continuing with this charade of surrender only makes you look foolish and laughable." After a moment's thought, Adams replied coldly, his conviction absolute.
He wouldn't chastise Lanchi further; after all, both parties had agreed to the rules of the gambling duel, and deception was a fair tactic. Victory was the only truth.
From now on, regardless of what Lanchi said, he would simply ignore his logic.
That was Lanchi's biggest weakness. His schemes relied on effective communication with his opponent; without it, they fell apart.
As long as he adhered to this principle, he would win, and Lanchi would lose!
In the adjacent cell, Lanchi didn't respond. He slowly walked back to the depths of his cell and began tossing out all his stockpiled supplies through the iron bars.
The crisp clangs of the items hitting the ground caught Adams' attention, and he peered out curiously.
He could see the supplies on the slanted walkway through the bars; it seemed Lanchi truly wanted to end the game, discarding his resources!
"What are you doing?" Adams asked, surprised.
"To prevent you from thinking I'm tricking you, I'm really leaving. Trust is important between people," Lanchi replied. And with that, all sounds from his cell abruptly ceased.
"..." Adams stared through the iron bars at the supplies on the ground, deep in thought.
Could he have truly misunderstood Lanchi?
If Lanchi's intentions were genuinely benevolent and he, Adams, was distrustful and suspected the worst...
Wouldn't that make him, Adams, seem petty and narrow-minded?
...
Meanwhile, at Gera Memorial Square, the rain created ripples on the stone pavement, but it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd. The open-air giant screen even attracted passing students to stop and watch.
People held colorful umbrellas, creating clusters of miniature gardens, as raindrops fell from the tips, landing on the ground with a crisp "patter."
This sound was almost drowned out by the bustling discussions in the square.
"That guy from the other side is at it again, trying to deceive Adams!"
"Don't believe him, Adams!"
For some reason, students from the Ichthys Academy were now cheering for Adams.
Lanchi was clearly playing mind games again.
His current move of discarding his resources was undoubtedly a bold gamble, aimed at accelerating the game's progress and creating utmost confusion.
Firstly, it could make his opponent feel guilty and directly exit the Shadow World.
Secondly, it could also mislead his opponent about the extent of his resources.
Many who were familiar with Lanchi had already guessed—
He would definitely find a way to retrieve those supplies from the corridor!
The scene of Ichthys students cheering for Adams left the watching Aloran students feeling a little bewildered.
Wasn't this Ichthys Academy's home ground?
On the giant outdoor screen, Adams could be seen deep in thought in his cell.
The more he thought about it, the more conflicted he felt. His conscience pricked him, and he worried that he had misunderstood Lanchi.
Not long after, Adams' furrowed brows relaxed, and a cold smile curved his lips.
"Lanchi, there's no need to put on an act. No matter how you try to manipulate my mind or what schemes you have, I won't believe a word you say until this Shadow World duel ends!" Adams projected his voice with unwavering determination toward Lanchi's adjacent cell.
The more Lanchi tried to communicate, the more suspicious he seemed.
By setting emotions aside and thinking rationally, Adams could navigate around Lanchi's traps.
Lanchi would always resort to mind games!
...
However, what happened next was unexpected.
The bustling, noisy Gera Memorial Square, where people had been arguing even in the rain, suddenly fell silent as if muted by some invisible force.
The sounds of raindrops on umbrellas and the ground, the students' laughter—all disappeared, leaving only a profound silence.
No one could easily make a sound, and they stared at the giant screen with incredulous expressions.
Aside from the relentless rain, nothing seemed amiss.
But on the screen, in the viewers' perspective—
Lanchi was truly gone.
This meant he had exited the Shadow World.
He had conceded defeat.
"Has Lanchi gone mad?!"
"How will he explain this to Dean Loren?!"
The square erupted into chaos.
The rain poured harder, pounding the ground and forming countless splashes, replacing the previous silence with a cacophony of noises.
They had never imagined Lanchi would play such a daring hand and then simply surrender!
Even those who predicted Lanchi wouldn't win against Adams hadn't expected him to lose this way.
“That's not right...”
After a long stretch of noise and commotion, a student hesitantly spoke up, "Don't you see, Adams is so determined now that he firmly believes Lanchi is playing mind games with him all the way to the end..."
Many students looked up, and on the screen, they saw Adams still enduring in the dim, frigid prison.
From time to time, he mocked the empty cell next to him:
"Lanchi, no need to hide your voice; your acting is terrible!"
"If you keep this up, you just look stupid."
"Your psychological warfare might work on the Saintess of Destruction, but it won't work on me, someone who stands by his convictions."
"..."
Once again, the students in the square fell silent.
Lanchi had lost effortlessly, but Adams' victory was hard-fought and glorious.
He had been thoroughly deceived by Lanchi.
Adams probably wouldn't have come out unless he reached his limit; now, he trusted nothing and no one.
This [Bone-Chilling Despairing Prison] artificial shadow world was a challenge beyond human limits of willpower.
Anyone who endured it long enough to break records would need to spend days recovering in the hospital afterward.
It was unimaginable what Adams' mental state would be like when he finally emerged, only to discover that Lanchi had conceded early on and that he had been arguing with thin air all along...
"Something's not right here..."
Immediately, a student who knew Lanchi well spoke up.
"Adams is on the second level, and we saw the third level, but Lanchi's scheme isn't that simple."
...
In the atrium of the seventh floor of the Learning and Education Building, a special space surrounded by tall glass walls, the area remained bright and illuminated despite the pouring rain outside, which blurred the outside world, washing the glass with a constant rhythm of clarity and obscurity.
The upperclassmen of the Sage's Court sat quietly, their eyes fixed on the giant magic screen on the wall.
When Lanchi disappeared from the prison on the screen, they couldn't believe that Lanchi, the one they had such high hopes for, had simply conceded to Adams!
It was only when Lanchi walked out of the virtual gate of the Shadow World terminal in the void, looking ashamed and embarrassed, as if he had failed to live up to everyone's expectations due to his lack of skill, that they began to understand.
This guy had definitely done it on purpose!
Teacher Theresa, astonished, hurried over to Lanchi's side.
"Why did you give up? What are we going to do now?! Dean Loren will be back tomorrow!" she asked anxiously, blocking Lanchi's path.
She never expected Lanchi to lose so decisively!
But Lanchi remained calm and stopped in his tracks.
"Do you think Dean Loren should apologize to Knight Commander Juliana?" he asked, smiling gently as he turned to look at the screen where Adams was still suffering in his cell.
That dark and hopeless icy prison seemed like a world away from the warm and bright seventh-floor atrium, as if they were separated by heaven and hell, with Adams in one realm and Lanchi in the other.
"..."
Theresa stared at the screen, feeling a lump in her throat.
Now, regardless of the outcome, it was a mess.
Even if Lanchi didn't bring up the bet, the fact that he had pushed Adams to such extremes...
Meant that Dean Loren would have to apologize to Knight Commander Juliana in person.
Wait a minute.
Theresa lowered her head and started counting on her fingers.
First, Adams got his wish and defeated Lanchi.
Then, if Dean Loren apologized for "Juliana's student being treated too harshly"...
Knight Commander Juliana would receive a sincere apology from Dean Loren.
Thus, the first condition of Lanchi's promise to Adams would be fulfilled.
Next.
According to the prior agreement between Lanchi and Juliana—the third condition was [If you can forgive him, he hopes that you will accompany him on a tour of the royal capital and listen to what he has to say from his heart.]
If Juliana accidentally forgave the sincere Loren...
Then the condition of "forgiving Loren" would be met.
Lanchi would then bring up this condition and ask Juliana to fulfill her promise to go on a date with Loren.
As a result, Dean Loren would be forced to complete a series of linked conditions and then go on a date directly!
The straightforward Knight Commander Juliana would never renege on her word.
However, what she would think during this coerced date was another matter.
Theresa had to admit that Lanchi was a genius. He could indeed provide solutions that satisfied everyone's demands, but each time, he also made people feel as if they had swallowed a fly.
The only reason this guy was still alive was his exceptional skill and talent.
"Oh dear... I have to take a leave of absence today. My cat at home is sick, and I need to take it to the vet."
Theresa continued muttering to herself as she left with her hands in her pockets and her head down.
She was out of here.
She was leaving early today, and it wasn't her problem anymore.
She hoped that Dean Loren would be alright when he returned tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the cat boss on the ground seemed to be gradually understanding the situation, falling into a cat-like daze.
"???"
Its cat brain was a little overloaded.
(End of Chapter)
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