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Chapter 236: Lanchi's Racial Compatibility
Chapter 236: Lanchi's Racial Compatibility
In the chilly December afternoon, the clock struck three at Icerite Academy.
Fred's dormitory exuded a distinct detective office vibe.
The deep brown walls displayed newspaper clippings of his past cases and old maps. His desk was cluttered with piles of documents and notes, alongside a microscope, a few alchemy vials, and an open geography magazine.
On one side of the desk, a short floor-standing shelf held newspapers, manuscripts, magnifying glasses, fingerprint powder, and magical tools of unknown purpose.
Two leather sofas sat quietly by the fireplace, ready to welcome visitors or for Fred's personal use.
As the ancient clock tower chimed, both Lanchi and Fred gazed out the window.
Thanks to the reputation Fred had built up within the student council over the past few months, his once little-known detective agency now occasionally received requests.
However, Fred's approach to cases often differed greatly from that of a typical detective, and hiring him could lead to outcomes contrary to the client's wishes. Moreover, his fees were proportional to his abilities, so most students only sought his help as a last resort.
Now that the holidays had arrived, the detective agency was effectively closed.
On the short legged table in front of Fred lay newspapers and two cups of tea.
But this meeting wasn't about a case; it was a temporary farewell between Fred and Lanchi.
Ever since Huberian moved into the Cat Boss Restaurant, the two of them had been spending a lot of time together. Lanchi wasn't just Fred's legal advisor; he was often an invaluable assistant in Fred's investigations.
"So, Lanchi, your level is forty-six."
Fred held up a dark gray crystal, its radiant light shining on Lanchi as he spoke.
"Is that so?"
Lanchi felt this assessment was reasonable. After his last trip to the Shadow World, he had advanced from the third stage to the fourth, and he had felt that he wasn't far off from reaching the fifth stage.
"What about you, Fred? What's your level?"
"Fifty-four," Fred replied.
Over the past few months, the Icerite Academy's Alchemy and Magic Engineering Faculties had jointly developed the "Level Appraisal Technique," inspired by Lanchi's offhand mention of a leveling theory during a casual conversation. Now, this appraisal technique was rapidly spreading across the Southern Continent.
Its magic was relatively simple, and it was more of a theoretical framework. The real work went into measurement, definition, and the calculation of conversion values, which made it very convenient to spread. There were already spell versions, magic card versions, and magic tool versions of the Level Appraisal Technique, and it had even reached the Northern Continent through the social connections of Shadow World challengers.
It might experience an explosive surge in popularity over the next few months.
The research team's paper credited Lanchi Wilford as the originator of this theory. Even if Lanchi didn't participate any further, he could still gain significant academic acclaim if the research achieved notable success in the next year or two.
Despite this, the appraisal technique was ineffective against powerful beings who concealed their true strength.
Take Loren, the dean, for example; he appeared to be a first-stage or even a zero-stage, but in reality, he was an eighth-stage powerhouse.
"However, I heard from the Alchemy Faculty that during the development process, Dean Loren's level was appraised to be eighty-seven."
"No wonder he's so ridiculously strong."
At Lanchi and Fred's current levels, they might be able to overcome a gap of a few stages due to factors like innate talent, unique abilities, or advantageous matchups. But from the final level of the sixth stage, level sixty-nine onwards, each level represented a significant increase in power, and the attribute gap became increasingly difficult to bridge through other means.
There were only a handful of ninth-stage powerhouses on both the Northern and Southern Continents combined. Loren's reputation as the strongest guardian of the Herton Kingdom was well-deserved.
The two friends chatted leisurely.
Now that the holidays had begun, the campus was much quieter, and without the student council duties, they found themselves with a sense of retirement and a lack of things to do.
"It's a shame I won't be able to join you on your trip to the Northern Continent this time."
Fred sighed, leaning back into the sofa.
He had heard that the underground casinos in the Protoss Empire were quite something.
With Dean Spentos keeping a close eye on him for the next three months, there was no way he could escape the kingdom's capital, Icerite.
Or, to be more precise, if he could manage to slip away from under the dean's watchful eye, his training would have truly paid off.
"Fred, we might be coming back later than expected this time. If you get the chance to enter the Shadow World alone during the break, don't wait for us. We might not be back until the next semester."
Lanchi glanced at the calendar and said to Fred with certainty.
It was already mid-December, and they might not return until April or May of next year.
Fred had also reached Silver rank, which allowed him to participate in the True Shadow World challenges solo without needing a team.
For numerical freaks like Fred, personal level was of utmost importance, as each stage of advancement brought about a qualitative change in his combat strength.
In the first Blood Moon Calamity node, a Blood Baron had appeared, and in the second node, there were even Blood Viscounts and Blood Counts. It was highly likely that the next Shadow World during the Blood Moon Calamity would feature a Blood Marquis.
Even with their cooldowns reset, the three of them might not be able to challenge it together. Each of them needed to become stronger first.
Sometimes, a vast strength gap could render even the best strategies useless, and they would be wiped out regardless of how well they navigated the mechanics.
"No problem. But if you and Huberian are heading north in these few days, be extra cautious of the battle between the bishops of the Resurrection Church. I heard that Dimension Bishop is being pursued by the Destruction Bishop, and their route is gradually shifting northward."
Fred glanced at the international column on the front page of the newspaper on the table and reminded them with a sidelong glance.
Those were two moving disasters, a wrath that mortal bodies could not withstand.
"Don't worry. Huberian and I will first head south to create the illusion that we're going to the Southern Continent. Then, along the way, we'll change into completely new identities and head north. By then, no one will be able to recognize us."
Lanchi's 'Transformation Art: Demon' was the crystallization of ancient Honing Empire experimental techniques, refined over time, and written in human magic script. On the other hand, 'Transformation Art: Human' was researched by demons of that era based on 'Transformation Art: Demon'. Both of these arts could bypass most disguise-piercing spells in the current era.
With Talia's help, Lanchi and Huberian now had tailored transformation cards that could directly disguise them as similar humans without the risk of being exposed.
"But this spell is even more useful on the Northern Continent."
In the Protoss Empire, where they would first land, humans were the least likely to be entangled in racial disputes.
"Mhm."
Fred nodded, recalling Lanchi's account of Dean Loren's description of the Northern Continent's culture.
"But I can be fairly certain of one thing..."
"What's that?"
"If there are people on the Northern Continent who, like me, have experienced a retroactive awakening of their wolven bloodline, they probably won't pose a threat to you."
"Why?"
Even Lanchi couldn't quite understand the conclusion Fred had arrived at.
"It's hard to explain. Just like how the blood race is inherently supposed to fear you, the wolven race will probably feel an innate kinship with you."
Fred hugged his arms, looking slightly confused as he described his intuition.
"Alright, if I do come across any wolves in distress, I'll try to befriend them and help as much as I can."
Lanchi looked at the clock, stood up, and put on his coat. He waved goodbye as he said, "Time to go. I'll see you later."
It was time to meet up with Huberian at the Cat Boss Restaurant and set off on their journey.
(End of Chapter)
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