Chapter 48: Lanchi's Grand Scheme
Chapter 48: Lanchi's Grand Scheme
In the spacious and classical examination hall, the Dragon Demon extracted a handkerchief and elegantly wiped his hands, a satisfied smile spreading across his face as if this slaughter was his greatest pleasure. He then resumed his proctoring duties with eager anticipation.
"Excellent," the Dragon Demon remarked as he returned to his normal proctoring route, passing by Lanchi.
"Maintaining order in the examination hall is our duty," Lanchi nodded, exuding a sense of class monitor-like responsibility.
What followed left Hiberlian baffled and bewildered.
Not only did Lanchi not stop, but he also entered a frenzy of reporting his peers.
It was as if he was intimately familiar with, and could even predict, various cheating methods, as he accurately identified and reported every cheating demon student in the hall!
Although the two invigilators had blind spots in their field of view, Lanchi's presence in the back row significantly reduced these gaps.
Thus, within the entire classroom,
Three proctors kept a vigilant eye.
Lanchi abandoned his own exam paper, setting aside all other tasks to focus solely on invigilating.
The other demon students glared at him with resentful eyes, their gazes conveying a thousand unspoken words, yet unable to fathom his true intentions.
...
As the clock in the tower of the Ikelite Academy struck five, the giant outdoor screen in the Gera Memorial Square, surrounded by numerous teaching buildings, displayed the campus news and the ongoing Shadow World challenge of the day.
Looming in the center of the square, the magical screen usually attracted students only after dusk, creating a cozy ambiance for an open-air movie night. Students would bring their drinks and snacks, sitting on the steps opposite the screen, watching and chatting leisurely.
At this moment, however, the square was sparsely populated.
Most passersby on the surrounding roads were either strolling casually or on their way to dinner. Some glanced at the outdoor screen and continued on their way.
The setting sun reflected off the windows of the surrounding buildings, casting a dazzling glow that illuminated the square, the open-air screen, and the steps, bathing them in a radiant light.
However, unlike usual, the students gathered in the square were noticeably more agitated, their voices carrying a distinct contrast to the relaxed atmosphere of the afternoon.
"What is this guy doing!"
"If others don't let him copy, is he going to make it difficult for everyone else too?"
"Has he gone mad?"
Students witnessing Lanchi's perplexing actions began to shout.
While he might be seeking a swift and just revenge, he was also depriving himself of the chance to copy answers!
"Newbies are like this, they don't understand the system at all," many upperclassmen shook their heads in pained expressions.
Too arrogant, too foolish, and too unlucky.
The severity of the situation went beyond two first-year newcomers venturing into a Shadow World on their first day of school.
The key question was how they ended up in a fourth-tier Shadow World.
Fourth-tier Shadow Worlds were never meant for newcomers; even silver-tier challengers might feel overwhelmed by the challenges they presented.
Moreover, the images on the screen depicted an exceptionally perilous Shadow World.
The initial location was fraught with deadly dangers, leaving no room for adaptation or strategizing; survival required immediate action.
"An accident has occurred, and the teachers at the Sage's Court are probably convening an emergency meeting by now," a student remarked as the crowd in front of the giant outdoor screen in Gera Memorial Square continued to grow.
Murmurs filled the air.
"Isn't that Lanchi Wilfort?" a passing student asked, furrowing his brows as he fixed his gaze on the screen.
"Who? Is he famous?" came the curious reply.
"He's the dark horse who suddenly grabbed first place in this year's Sage's Court entrance exam, but his actual strength is unclear. The information from the third round of the exam was sealed by the Dean himself, Loren."
"All we know is that his magical power as a combat occupation is abnormally weak."
"Many teams are still unsure whether to recruit him, but now, if he can make it back alive, that would be a blessing."
"He's asking for it!"
"If he manages to come back alive, who knows, he might just shoot to fame immediately."
Once it started, the crowd gathered like fermenting dough, rapidly expanding.
In just a few short minutes, the steps directly facing the giant outdoor screen in Gera Memorial Square were almost filled with students from Ikelite Academy, now finished with their classes for the day.
"Those two jinxed stars have come together again."
"So that's the Duke's daughter's true form, a wicked and filthy demon... Hehe, I wonder what that naive boy will think when he finds out the truth."
Some passing nobles sneered and laughed, then left the scene, seemingly unconcerned about the fate of the two students.
...
Shadow World, Inferno Passage Academy.
A thick, pungent scent of blood permeated the lavish classroom, shattering the once elegant and immersive atmosphere. In its place was a frenzied aura of slaughter.
Dark crimson stains now marred the desks and chairs, stark against the deep hues of the wooden surfaces. The entire classroom was enveloped in an eerie silence, disturbed only by the sound of dripping blood on the floor and the slow, deliberate footsteps of the proctors.
The two demon teachers patrolling the exam hall had bloodstains on their clothes, leaving menacing, bloody footprints with every step.
The Dragon Demon's suit was splattered with red, his eyes gleaming with cruelty and satisfaction. Meanwhile, the Owl Demon quietly wiped his bloody hands, his gaze unreadable, revealing no hint of his emotions.
In just a few short minutes.
The classroom had transformed from an examination hall into a gruesome feast of bloodshed, filled with an indescribable sense of absurdity.
However, even if Lanchi didn't want to be a demon or a human, becoming the third proctor.
There were still demon students willing to take the risk and cheat!
Because for those who couldn't solve the problems, cheating was their only chance of survival.
Success in cheating offered a glimmer of hope.
Sometimes, Lanchi would deliberately turn a blind eye.
Even if he saw it, he wouldn't report the cheating demon student.
In a sense, he gave these students a shred of hope.
And the two demon proctors seemed to tacitly approve of Lanchi's behavior, reacting with eager anticipation, their ears pricked for Lanchi's next report.
At the back of the exam hall.
Hiberlian had buried her face in her hands, her elbows resting on the desk.
Already overwhelmed and anxious, she now found herself completely unable to comprehend Lanchi's actions.
Moreover, she felt that compared to Lanchi, she was the one who seemed more human.
But regardless.
Even if they left the exam hall together today, their records as students would likely be erased.
...
However.
Whether it was the demon students in the exam hall.
Or Hiberlian.
Or even the students of Ikelite Academy observing the Shadow World from outside.
None of them noticed a subtle change within the classroom.
Although Lanchi appeared to be indiscriminately hunting down demon students who violated exam rules, a pattern began to emerge—
Whether by luck, intention, or design, Lanchi's reports always seemed to occur at a particular moment, allowing the Dragon Demon proctor to get closer to the cheating student.
As a result, most of the time, it was the Dragon Demon who caught the cheaters.
And each time, the Owl Demon could only look on in frustration.
Thus.
A seed of jealousy and resentment began to grow in the Owl Demon's eyes, directed at the Dragon Demon!
"... "
Lanchi rested his left hand on the desk, his chin cupped in his palm.
A slight, imperceptible tremor played at the corners of his mouth.
As if he were struggling to contain his laughter.
Lanchi's illustrated portrait will be available next month, created by my longtime partner, Teacher Cui! You can get a sense of her style from the portrait of Thalia on the book's first page, which is also her work~
(End of Chapter)
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