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Chapter 288: The Magical Beast That Lanci Liked
Chapter 288: The Magical Beast That Lanci Liked
In the heart of the Protoss Royal Magic Academy, a cluster of dark stone buildings stood tall. Their steep and imposing walls cast shadows that created silhouettes of ancient art under the daylight.
At the end of the courtyard in front of the tallest building, a grand gate loomed. Beyond this door, through a lengthy and ornate passageway with winding corridors, lay a massive conference hall.
This was a hall that reflected deep power and historical grandeur, converted from the ruins of an old parliamentary site. A giant glass dome overhead was etched with intricate frescoes, allowing natural light to spill in like a galaxy falling into the mortal realm.
At this moment, the conference room belonged to the students of the academy who held the top rankings.
Some had arrived early and were already waiting, while others strolled in nonchalantly to take their seats. A huge round table dominated the center of the chamber, its blackened surface etched with transparent magic arrays. Above it, a projection displayed the ongoing assessment area.
Except for Gloria, who ranked tenth and was absent, the rest of the upperclassmen who held the top positions in their respective grades had gathered here as per the school's routine rules.
For them, it was not only an opportunity to earn monthly credits but also a game of power, a chance to discover promising newcomers or identify potential rivals.
The screens often switched between different angles, focusing on students and exam rooms that drew the most attention.
However, from the beginning, the camera had remained fixed on a particular classroom, as if it had locked onto Lanci and Zestila the moment they chose their first assessment location.
The top-ranked students wore varied expressions, some arrogant and others gleeful, as they watched the screen, occasionally commenting or guessing, their words dripping with the amusement of observing their juniors.
As they witnessed Lanci approaching the fierce magical beasts without any apparent wariness, they could already foresee the bloody scene that was about to unfold.
"Is this guy planning to get himself badly mauled by the beasts and then knocked out of the assessment?" a male voice asked from above, dripping with condescension.
The large barrier in the assessment area had a blood-locking spell that would protect a student's life when they were on the brink of death, but the process could be either swift and merciful or slow and torturous.
"Indeed, it's better to opt-out now than to struggle in a hopeless escape attempt and end up handing over 130,000 points to someone else," another student agreed.
"Hmph, that's typical of this guy, Lochi McCassi. He's going to make everyone else so angry they'll be itching to get their hands on him," a third student sneered.
Thirteen thousand points—and he wasn't even giving others a chance to try and take them before the exam started.
His approach certainly had a touch of the Sword Mausoleum's style.
"But what if he actually survives until the end of the assessment, causing those 130,000 points to soar to an even more unbelievable number, and then he gets the bonus of a share of the profits and a pink sacred item as a reward?" someone else mused.
Now, that would be the ultimate mind game.
Not only would those in the second and third grades who had put a bounty on him be furious, but he'd also trample on the faces of all the lower-grade nobles and their followers.
"Hahaha! Unless he can single-handedly send every other student flying!" a loud, boisterous voice laughed.
The students in the room knew very well that the only person capable of such a ridiculous feat was the one sitting at the very top of the rankings—the absolute emperor among the students of this school, Duchess Morotian's eldest daughter, Lady Duchess Choracris.
If she chose to ignore the rules and the point penalties, she could easily continue eliminating students until none were left.
It was hard to say whether she was stronger than the top student from the previous graduating class, the Holy Son of Extinction.
And the figure seated in that most prestigious seat, eyes closed as if everything around her was too boring to warrant her attention, only added to the air of power in the room.
The scene on the screen continued to play out.
As Lanci slowly walked towards the magical beasts, his presence seemed to infuse the surrounding air with vitality, causing the airflow to sing a song of peace and harmony.
The magical beasts seemed to sense his intentions. Their movements gradually slowed, and the hostility in their eyes began to strangely melt away.
Despite the confusion and bewilderment still evident in the beasts' eyes, it was quickly soothed by the amiable aura that Lanci exuded.
And then, confusion and bewilderment spread to the students watching from the backstage conference room.
Within just a minute or two, a huge fire-breathing beast with red scales approached Lanci from his left. Its long tail, ablaze with fire, swayed through the air, but it carefully controlled its magic, drawing close without burning Lanci.
To his right, a water elemental creature with a translucent blue body hovered lightly in the air as if it had no weight, its body composed entirely of pure water. It gently brushed against Lanci from time to time.
In front of him, a small bird with purple electric lights flashing across its body spread its wings. Its eyes were like lightning bolts cutting through the night sky, yet it perched obediently on Lanci's shoulder.
In the midst of these creatures, Lanci smiled, surrounded and interacting gently with them as if they were not fierce beasts but his subjects.
He touched them lightly, his every movement akin to a mother guarding her children, listening intently to their voices and soothing their inner turmoil with love.
The tension and hostility in the room dissipated, replaced by a serene and harmonious force.
More and more magical beasts relaxed their guard, drawing closer and gathering around this warm presence.
"How is this possible?"
"Why aren't these beasts attacking him?"
"Is he a Druid? Even Druids can't communicate with magical beasts like this, can they?"
Common sense dictated that no matter how high one's affinity was, it would only naturally attract animals and elemental beasts. Unless, of course, one possessed the rare Dominator talent unique to demons and magical beasts.
"Check his records."
"He's definitely human; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to register as a follower."
Even followers underwent strict checks during registration and school entry.
"Setting aside his bizarre talent for now..."
"Do you think he's trying to befriend these beasts and seek their protection?"
Soon, someone caught on.
"Perhaps he plans to survive the initial wave of attacks and then find a way to break through to the rest area during the first break, seeking safer and stronger rule-based protection."
"...Let me be the one to shatter his dream."
Along with a cold snort and an arrogant male voice, a student lightly touched the magical array on the desk in front of him. As he exercised his right to interfere, 300 points were deducted from his account. Instantly, the school's bulletin board map lit up, flashing a conspicuous red light on a specific coordinate.
A notification publicly revealed Zestila's current location to all students in the assessment area.
Since he hadn't bet on Zestila winning, he naturally didn't want to see her and Lochi McCassi with any chance of survival.
With the official start of the exam drawing near, it wouldn't be long before an overwhelming number of crazed students surged forward, a force no group of magical beasts could withstand.
"You're despicable."
"Blame it on his weakness and overly idealistic thinking."
The youth with a slicked-back hairstyle spoke coldly, his arms crossed.
...
In the southern assessment area of the Protoss Royal Magic Academy, within a pitch-black building, was a room for rearing magical beasts.
An elderly teacher's eyes widened in surprise, a gleam of astonishment appearing in their depths.
He stood in the corner of the room, his gaze piercing through the distance of space and time, fixed upon the harmonious interaction between Lanci and the magical beasts. It was as if he were witnessing a scene from his own memories.
In his long life, he had rarely seen such natural and affectionate communication.
A wave of warmth, long absent, filled the old teacher's heart.
"So there are still young people with hearts as clear as glass in this era," he murmured.
This was the true essence of coexisting with magical beasts.
It wasn't about taming them with power and skill but about earning their trust and friendship through understanding and love.
As time flowed, Lanci turned his head and gave Zestila an encouraging and trusting look.
He extended his hand, making an inviting gesture.
In that instant, the anxiety and fear in Zestila's eyes gradually faded.
Although she wanted to ask, "Can I really get close to them?"
Zestila felt that perhaps, just as her teacher had said, "You have no ill intentions towards them; they are just unfamiliar with you," she need not be too afraid or doubt herself.
She slowly walked towards Lanci and the magical beasts.
At first, her steps were hesitant and uncertain.
Seeing that the magical beasts no longer displayed the same rejection as they had initially, her heart gradually calmed, and her stride steadied.
The magical beasts seemed to accept her approach, their eyes softening.
Zestila approached a furry magical beast with eyes as deep as the night sky.
This was the black fox that had caught her attention the moment she entered the classroom—a creature that intrigued her but also frightened her the most.
It seemed to be around a fourth-level, or even close to a fifth-level magical beast, making it one of the strongest in the room.
"This Shadowfox of the Demon World was thought to be long extinct. I didn't expect the Protoss Royal Magic Academy to be protecting its young."
Lanci had only read about them in the books of the Inferno Corridor Academy.
This fox, standing over a meter tall, was born in the frigid lands of the north, where it kept company with blizzards and stars. Its fur was thick and soft, like a layer of black snow covering its slender and agile body. Its pointed ears had a hint of gold, like a spark of light illuminating its darkness. Its eyes were deep and mysterious, shimmering with an amber flame that seemed to be the fire of its soul, capable of seeing through everything, whether the thoughts of an enemy or the emotions of a companion. Its long, fluffy tail danced in the air.
While it wasn't particularly strong in combat, it was incredibly beautiful and favored by ancient demon world noble families. It was also exceptionally fast when used as a mount.
It was inevitable that Zestila would be drawn to it.
Even a centenarian demoness would find it hard to resist such a fox.
Unfortunately, Lanci also quite liked this fox. Even if he could get his hands on it and take it away, he would never let that old lady touch it, for fear that her laziness would be contagious.
However, Zestila was a good girl, so petting this fox wouldn't be a problem.
(End of Chapter)
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