Chapter 28: Lanchi's Preparations are Complete
Chapter 28: Lanchi's Preparations are Complete
Examiner Ferret, once confident beyond measure, found himself struggling to concentrate on the battle at hand with Hyperian, even with his limited access to magic cards and spells. The pain racking his body and the anger festering in his heart since Lanchi's silencing hex had taken their toll.
But none of that mattered anymore.
Ferret knew that regardless of the outcome of today's exam, if he didn't kill Lanchi, he wouldn't be able to sleep soundly for the rest of the month!
In the distance, Lanchi, realizing that Ferret's hatred was now entirely focused on him, wasted no time in fleeing while continuing to play error-treated cards that hadn't cooled down yet, inflicting more torment on Ferret.
Even though Ferret couldn't utter a word at that moment, his emotions were so intense that his expressions spoke volumes. Anyone could read his true thoughts at that moment—
"I'll make you pay for this, or I'm no man!"
After a momentary pause, like a comet, Ferret accelerated without hesitation, racing towards Lanchi, kicking up a storm in his wake.
"Don't you dare lay a finger on him!"
Hyperion was agile as a shadow, almost invisible on the grassland, her cold eyes like those of a venomous scorpion, fixed on Ferret.
Lanchi's instructions to her were clear: ensure her own survival while doing her best to hold off Ferret.
With Lanchi's disruptive tactics, Ferret's performance had been greatly hindered, and he no longer posed a significant threat to Hyperion.
The longer they dragged this out, the more they could disrupt Ferret's rhythm.
The scorpion-tail dagger glinted coldly under the gloomy clouds, like a reaper in the cold night.
On the vast plain of Elven, Examiner Ferret and Hyperion engaged in a dramatic chase.
...
In the council chamber of the Sage's Institute:
"But how can he possibly win?" a teacher asked, puzzled by Lanchi's use of magic cards.
While the situation was temporarily stalled, it was clear it wouldn't last much longer.
Hyperion was doing her best to impede Ferret, preventing him from getting close to Lanchi. Meanwhile, Lanchi had begun casting spells while on the move, using his long-range abilities to continue tormenting Ferret.
Ferret could afford to make countless mistakes, but Hyperion and Lanchi could only afford one.
Even without mistakes, the distance between Ferret, who had previously cast a sustained wind spell, and Lanchi was shrinking inexorably.
There was no way they could drag this out for the full 30 minutes.
Once Lanchi was taken care of, and the silencing hex and mental interference were lifted, Hyperion would instantly crumble.
"Lanchi has revealed that he isn't a counter-damage-focused player after casting numerous healing spells."
"Ferret can now attack him without restraint."
The teachers who knew Ferret well understood why he hadn't prioritized attacking Lanchi, whose deck was still unknown, from the start.
Now, based on Lanchi's total card slots, which could hold a combined rank of 20, he had already used healing spells totaling a rank of 16.
That was more than any teacher had anticipated.
Of the remaining four slots, one was known to be a second-rank 'Friendly Exchange,' and the rest weren't enough to form a powerful counter-damage system.
"They can't win; they can't possibly hold off Ferret's advance."
As the teachers in the conference room witnessed Hyperion's desperate attempts to block Ferret's determined advance on the screens, they knew that today's entrance exam, after much struggle, was drawing to a close.
"Unless Lanchi has an ace up his sleeve for his final card slot."
"That's highly unlikely."
"If he had something that could turn the tables, he would have used it by now."
Indeed, Lanchi still had unknown cards up his sleeve.
However, any teacher present knew that even the most potent first or second-tier magic card with the strictest triggering conditions could not possibly defeat a fifth-tier Ferret's attack.
The teachers' discussion was once again interrupted by a metallic clash from the projection, drawing their gazes back to the unfolding climax of the battle.
On the vast plain, Hyperion, who had been pursuing Ferret, had her thrown dagger deflected by a magical shield aimed at Ferret's head. A glint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but it quickly returned to its cold, venomous scorpion-like gaze as she maneuvered nimbly across the grassland.
Just a few more throws, and she would break through the shield.
Ferret's small spells were on cooldown, and he would soon have to face her threats directly again.
However, just as she was about to retrieve her weapon, Ferret suddenly came to a halt.
Without turning around, Hyperion could feel Ferret's magical senses locking onto her, sending a chill down her spine.
In that moment of lock-on, Hyperion felt a sense of dread as if Ferret had long noticed the slight opening she exposed each time she retrieved her weapon.
But at this moment, Ferret wasn't making a rational decision; his battle instincts, fueled by rage, had seized the best opportunity to defeat Hyperion.
Before Hyperion could react, wind magic surged forth from Ferret like a sharp blade, engulfing and blasting her away.
Just a first-tier small wind spell, yet in Ferret's furious state, it unleashed a power that Hyperion couldn't resist!
The next moment, Ferret frantically continued his mad dash towards Lanchi's location!
"Damn it!"
Hyperion, who had been knocked to the ground, clenched her teeth and struggled to her feet, chasing after Ferret.
In the previous entanglement, Ferret had significantly closed the distance between himself and Lanchi.
In this situation, even if she tried her best to catch up, it might be of no avail.
A second-tier nanny beast against a fifth-tier wizard's attack... she would be reduced to ashes in two hits.
Although Hyperion had staked everything on following Lanchi's tactics, she couldn't accept the impending defeat.
The oppressive dark clouds hung low, the air heavy with anticipation. The rolling thunder rumbled like the anger of a god, reverberating across the plain.
Lanchi watched as the unstoppable Ferret drew closer and closer.
He estimated that he was about to enter the range of Ferret's small spell attacks.
Lanchi slowly stopped running.
Firstly, he couldn't outrun him.
Secondly...
All the groundwork had been laid, and this was the last card for today's exam.
Lanchi looked down at the magic card that appeared in his palm.
It was a card he had crafted with Talia's help, using the ancient family heirloom, the [Lamenting Verse].
Talia had performed most of the card-making steps herself, with Lanchi assisting her.
The only step that he had taken the lead in was the one that involved drawing and imparting form to the summoned being.
The final product of this card had exceeded not only Lanchi's expectations but also surprised Talia herself, the master card maker.
(End of Chapter)
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