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Chapter 38: Lanchi's Fire Safety Awareness
Chapter 38: Lanchi's Fire Safety Awareness
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a warm glow on the stone steps of the ancient library tower within the Sage Academy. On the road nearby, a handful of early risers hurried by in the dawn light.
"I wonder what kind of challenges the Shadow World holds for team players?" Lanchi asked, showing no urgency to commit to joining any team as he continued his casual conversation with Vivian.
As first-year students were not permitted to challenge the Shadow World alone, Lanchi couldn't participate in the matching process by himself. Upon entering the Void Gate, the Shadow World would automatically adjust its difficulty based on the comprehensive situation of the challengers' tiers.
With an incomplete team, they would often be matched with other challengers entering through Void Gates from all over the world.
"You'll have silver-tier second or third-year students leading you in the Shadow World challenges. I'm sure with your quick wit, you'll soon become familiar and adapt to the real combat situations there," Vivian replied to Lanchi's question.
As they caught sight of the library, a prominent landmark of the Sage Academy, they knew they had entered the academy's grounds.
Gold-tier registered challengers were almost exclusively third-year students and never below the fifth tier.
Setting aside the issue of reasonability, such challengers were not allowed to team up with second-tier challengers like Lanchi according to the regulations.
The Shadow World Management Association of the Southern Continent had a rule prohibiting teams with a tier difference of more than two to prevent a significant increase in difficulty and ensure the safety of all challengers.
Therefore, even if Lanchi joined a team, he would only be led and guided by a senior silver-tier upperclassman at the fourth tier at most.
"So, I just need to follow orders and provide good support?" Lanchi asked.
"Affirmative," Vivian replied.
"Can I have some time to consider it?" Lanchi's response was polite, but Vivian understood it as a refusal.
The rewards for completing the Shadow World were often related to the achievements gained throughout the challenge and the individual's final evaluation.
If one merely coasted through the Shadow World, the rewards wouldn't be substantial, and the Challenge Points awarded by the Shadow World Management Association after the review wouldn't be high either.
Usually, it was already a blessing for newcomers to clear the Shadow World without any issues.
Not to mention achieving a high personal evaluation during the clearance assessment, unless one was a born emperor, wreaking havoc in the Shadow World.
Vivian paused for a moment, deep in thought.
"Do you want to take command yourself?" she asked, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
Surely Lanchi wasn't that arrogant? Even in teams where the commander role was taken by a support player, they would never let a newcomer take charge.
After all, the Shadow World was a challenge that risked the entire team's lives!
"No, I'm not good at commanding large groups," Lanchi quickly denied.
"Challenging the Shadow World requires utmost caution. It's far more dangerous than you imagine, especially for newcomers like yourself. Don't be overconfident; instead, observe and learn as much as you can," Vivian advised with a serious expression. She felt that Lanchi didn't seem to grasp the dangers of the Shadow World at all.
"If, after careful consideration, you find our team acceptable, you can look for me directly. There are also teams with strong capabilities but terrible reputations; you should be careful around them," Vivian added, not pushing Lanchi to join their team immediately.
After all, there would be many other teams for Lanchi to compare and choose from, and she didn't want him to settle for theirs.
Unbeknownst to them, they had already arrived at a towering red-brick building that resembled a manor hotel.
"Alright, thank you, Lady Vivian," Lanchi said with a smile as he walked through the automatically rotating glass doors of the Sage Academy dormitory.
It seemed that he had already attracted some attention within the school, and whether he joined a team or not, his Shadow World challenge would be closely watched.
According to the rules, registered challengers participating in the real Shadow World had to carry the official Shadow World Recording Program magic card issued by the Shadow World Management Association of the Southern Continent.
This card would record all the circumstances and information of the challenger's journey through the Shadow World and was the most crucial tool for various research societies to analyze and review Shadow World intelligence.
Additionally, only by carrying this card could the Shadow World Management Association calculate and award Challenge Points to registered challengers after the Shadow World challenge was complete.
However, the most critical function of the Shadow World Recording Program was its ability to live-stream, similar to the function available in the Artificial Shadow World Initiation Terminal!
For example, as an official partner of the Shadow World Management Association, the Mage Engineering Institute's publicity department could broadcast some educational or highly anticipated student challenges throughout the school's magic screens.
If Lanchi's popularity rose high enough, he would likely be noticed by the faculty of the Mage Engineering Institute!
He really didn't want to be publicly executed like that.
Lanchi was conflicted. The feedback from the previous second-round assessment, 'Hidden Flames in Winter,' didn't seem very positive.
As he was lost in thought, a gust of fresh air brushed past him, carrying with it a cheerful melody.
Upon entering the lobby of the Sage Academy dormitory, they were greeted by luxurious platinum chandeliers that hung like bright stars, illuminating the entire space.
The lobby on the first floor had sofas and coffee tables, providing a space for students to relax at any time. Even in the morning, there were already students lounging on the sofas, chatting over tea, looking relaxed and cheerful.
They barely noticed Lanchi and Vivian, for it had become a common sight these days to see new students moving in.
Lanchi and Vivian walked across the antique carpet that adorned the floor, making their way to the reception desk in the lobby.
The administrator, wearing an Ikelite College work badge, looked up at them.
"Are you checking into the dormitory starting today?" he asked with a smile.
"Yes," they replied.
"The boys' dormitory is in the left building, and the girls' dormitory is in the right one. The building at the back is the dining hall. Rooms are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. As you are the first students to register for the boys' and girls' dormitories, you can choose your preferred rooms. There are vacant rooms on every floor at the moment." The administrator provided an introduction with a smile, as the rooms previously occupied by the graduating seniors were now vacant.
"Then I'll take the second floor. See you later," Vivian decided promptly.
She took the keys from the administrator and turned to leave.
"Goodbye," Lanchi waved.
He felt that Princess Vivian, despite her haughty and stern demeanor, was not difficult to talk to. She seemed sincere in her interactions.
Lanchi hesitated for a moment, then agreed that the second floor of the boys' dormitory was a good choice.
It was convenient for moving up and down, and unlike the first floor, it didn't have the problem of dampness and noise from the constant flow of people.
"By the way, there are also a few rooms on the first floor, in addition to the lobby. But due to the lack of popularity of the first floor, the school combined and renovated the long-vacant rooms, so the rooms on this floor are twice as spacious as those on the other floors." The administrator added with a hint of helplessness.
The princess had made her decision so swiftly that she didn't even give him a chance to recommend the first floor. He didn't dare to press the issue with her.
He wondered what kind of person this black-haired, green-eyed boy was to be so calm and composed in front of the princess.
"In that case, I'll take the first floor," Lanchi replied amicably.
He sensed that the dormitory manager seemed to be hoping that someone would choose the first floor.
"Alright, here's the key to Room 101." The administrator smiled as he handed Lanchi a silver key engraved with a rune.
Even though he made it a point to recommend the first-floor rooms every year, it didn't always work out that way.
He was delighted that the first student he encountered had chosen the first floor.
"Thank you. May I ask where the fire safety equipment is located?" Lanchi inquired politely after receiving the key.
"!?!"
Although the administrator knew that Lanchi's question was a very reasonable one, it was the first time he had encountered a student whose first question upon moving into the dormitory was about fire safety.
It made him feel a little uneasy for some reason!
For a moment, the lobby of the first floor of the Sage Academy dormitory fell into a brief silence.
The administrator sized up Lanchi.
Lanchi, tilting his head, looked back at him with an innocent and puzzled expression.
"Ahem."
Soon, the administrator cleared his throat.
This student before him seemed to embody all the virtues of being gentle and respectful, and he certainly didn't seem like a dangerous person.
"Of course, we take the safety of our students very seriously, and fire safety is one of our top priorities. Rest assured that this dormitory building fully complies with and implements all fire safety regulations and building standards of the Kingdom of Horton..." Guided by his professional ethics, the administrator began explaining the safety exits and the locations of the fire safety equipment in the dormitory building to Lanchi.
Lanchi listened attentively, nodding from time to time.
This made the administrator even more nervous...
"I hope you don't mind my asking, but are you carrying any dangerous items?" The administrator inquired further, after providing a detailed explanation to Lanchi's initial question.
"No, rest assured, I'm not," Lanchi assured him confidently.
Hearing this, the administrator felt relieved. He knew that the dormitory was equipped with the Mage Engineering Institute's latest automatic security inspection equipment, making it impossible for flammable or explosive items to be brought into the building.
After bidding farewell to the administrator, Lanchi happily set off with his key to find his room.
He had intentionally brought only a small amount of luggage from the South Montina border, planning to purchase the rest after moving into the dormitory in the royal capital.
Including card-making tools and the like.
Therefore, if his dormitory could be as spacious as possible, carving out a space for a studio and a card-making workshop would be ideal.
This was one of the reasons why he preferred the first floor.
Additionally, failure is an ever-present companion in card-making. That is card-making.
By now, Talia had already started teasing Lanchi as a "card-blowing master."
So if he practiced card-making in his dormitory, the first floor should be the safest option.
Lanchi thought.
After walking a few steps, he found Room 101 in the corridor overlooking the lobby.
Inserting the key into the lock, he turned it, and the solid wood door opened with a crisp sound, revealing an entryway furnished with a European-style classical coat rack and shoe cabinet, perfect for storing coats and shoes.
The entire entryway was concise, practical, and elegant. Lanchi walked through the entryway and entered the spacious living room, the main area of the dormitory.
The living room had a comfortable sofa, a matching coffee table, and a magic screen mounted on the wall.
The cushions and blankets on the sofa were all in warm colors, and next to it stood a vintage floor lamp. The sunlight illuminated the various brown wooden furniture, creating a soft and warm ambiance in the room.
It didn't take long for Lanchi to familiarize himself with the layout of his new home. The living room connected to four other spaces: a bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, a balcony, a study, and a nearly empty room that resembled a giant storage room, which could presumably be freely remodeled and decorated according to the student's needs.
Although the room was a bit overly spacious, a room that was too narrow would likely invite complaints from the students.
As Lanchi pondered this, there was a knock on his dormitory door.
He opened the door to find a staff member from the Student Service Center who had come to deliver Lanchi's luggage that was previously stored with them.
Next.
The unpacking and organizing process went smoothly, and before noon, everything was mostly settled.
The fully furnished room and ample storage space were the most satisfying aspects.
Lanchi sat on the sofa, leisurely flipping through the "Constitution of the Southern Continent Card-making Association," awaiting lunchtime.
This was the first step toward his dream of becoming a world-renowned card-making master.
The minimum requirement to apply for the registered card-maker exam was the third tier, with the ability to craft three types of magic cards: [Summon Card], [Spell Card], and [Equipment Card].
Lanchi still needed to hone his card-making skills and work on advancing to the third tier as soon as possible.
Once he reached that level, he could attempt the card-maker exam at the Southern Continent Card-making Association's branch in Ikelite, the royal capital.
Only by becoming a registered card-maker and obtaining certification could one gain patent protection.
It would also exempt them from tedious appraisal guarantees and some handling fees, and they could sell their creations efficiently under their name on the official trading platform of the Card-making Association.
"I was able to obtain the Iron-level registered challenger status for the Shadow World without taking any exams. I wonder if I can start at a higher level for the card-maker assessment..."
Lanchi mused aloud as he flipped through the pages of the book.
The registered card-making exam, also known as the ranking exam, used the same seven tiers as the Shadow World Management Association: Iron, Copper, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Crystal, and Master.
The initial ranking for the exam was determined by the card-maker's potential.
Generally, being ranked as Iron was already considered a great achievement. Of course, there were also extremely talented card-makers who, due to their outstanding performance, were directly ranked as Copper or Silver.
Silver-ranked card-makers were already considered powerful.
It was even said that Gold-ranked card-makers were rare in this school, and Gold-ranked card-makers across the Southern Continent were far fewer in number than Gold-ranked challengers.
"Sigh, my craftsmanship is still too unstable."
Lanchi sighed and closed the book.
Although he had independently crafted the purple rare-quality magic cards [Basic Etiquette] and [Friendly Exchange], in the past few months, he had only managed to create those two cards and a few blue precious-quality first-tier cards.
The rest of the erroneous treatment series magic cards were purchased from the association. Fortunately, these cards were sold at the lowest price and were not expensive.
"Anyway, let's venture into the real Shadow World first! I can't even take the card-maker exam until I reach the third tier."
Lanchi was always optimistic and didn't worry about the future.
As the saying goes, "Seize the day, and leave tomorrow for another day!"
Card-making mastery couldn't be achieved overnight.
For now, all he needed to know was—
His brand-new life in Ikelite was about to begin!
(End of Chapter)
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