https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-528-Lanchi-Dispels-All-Doubts-About-Loren/12584745/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-530-Lanchi-Doesn-t-Find-This-Amusing/12584754/
Chapter 529: Mr. Meow Thinks Lanchi is Too Kind to Him
Chapter 529: Mr. Meow Thinks Lanchi is Too Kind to Him
On the fifth floor of the Magic Crafters' Institute's main building, clear crystal windows illuminated the entire corridor, and occasionally, faculty members walked by. The carpet laid over the original wooden floor reduced footsteps and noise.
The heavy doors of the Dean's office were pushed open, and Lanchi and Hepburn emerged, bidding farewell once more to Professor Pola before leaving.
They walked along the left corridor, lined with glass walls, and resumed their conversation.
"Unknowingly, we've been chatting with Professor Pola for quite a while," Lanchi remarked, squinting at the glare of the sun.
In addition to filling out forms and registering with Hepburn, he had been engaged in casual conversation with Professor Pola.
"It's probably past eleven by now," Hepburn estimated, unable to see the school's clock tower from her angle but guessing the time nonetheless.
"Let's head home. It's the end of the workday, and we deserve some rest," Lanchi agreed, trusting Hepburn's sense of time.
Professor Pola had informed them that their special approval letter would be ready by tomorrow, and they could pick up their new documents in the morning. With that, they would be all set to venture into the Shadow World.
Lanchi and Hepburn made plans to explore the Shadow World together the following day, deciding that Mr. Meow's company would be sufficient.
Upon returning to the store later, they would bid farewell to Tata and Praline at least.
The higher the rank of the Shadow World, the longer the duration tended to be. The last time they ventured into a fifth-rank Shadow World, the 'Saintly Villain's Dinner' had lasted a full six days. This time, he wondered how long he and Hepburn would be away.
Additionally, long-term academic research has shown that the difficulty of the Shadow World takes into account the magic cards carried by the challengers.
For the primordial beings who first challenged the Shadow World tens of thousands of years ago, the absence of magic cards resulted in a slightly reduced difficulty level. As challengers brought higher-ranked and higher-quality magic cards, the Shadow World correspondingly increased its assessment of their strength.
According to the formula provided by this scholarly theory, if Lanchi were to bring three eighth-rank epic-level summoning magic cards, the challenge might be comparable to directly teaming up with the three Great Demon Races. It would be better not to bring them.
If they inadvertently entered an eighth-rank Shadow World, it could first put Hepburn in grave danger. Secondly, the South Continent Kingdom Joint Parliament and the Shadow World Management Association would undoubtedly grow suspicious of them, and Lanchi wanted to avoid trouble. He especially didn't want to expose the existence of the three Great Demon Races before heading to the Kress Empire.
"Do you remember a year ago when you suddenly wanted to take me to the Shadow World? It startled me so much," Hepburn recalled. It was their first day of classes at the Sage's Institute, and Lanchi had called out to her, rushing off to challenge the Shadow World without a second thought.
In hindsight, it had been the right decision.
But even now, she couldn't understand how the usually rational and cautious her had impulsively followed Lanchi that day.
"That Shadow World adventure was what brought us closer together," Lanchi said with a grin.
Before that particular Shadow World, they had only partnered during the entrance exam and were merely acquaintances.
It was their shared experience in the Inferno Corridor Academy for those 12 hours that transformed them into true friends.
"Yes, ever since then, I've found myself spending every day with you without even realizing it," Hepburn acknowledged, a natural smile spreading across her face.
The two continued walking, passing by numerous offices and classrooms in the Magic Crafters' Institute, making their way down to the foundation level of the main building.
Finally, they stepped out of the glass-walled tower of the Magic Crafters' Institute.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted their conversation.
"Meow meow meow! Lanchi, are you planning to take me to the Shadow World?"
With that, Lanchi felt his clothes grow heavier as a cat climbed up, clinging to his attire.
Mr. Meow had quietly followed Lanchi's shadow, listening in on his conversation with Hepburn for the entire morning.
"Of course! I've also asked Professor Pola to arrange a special challenger's license for you from the Ikelite College. You'll be entering the Shadow World as a logistics-type magic crafter from the Magic Crafters' Institute." Lanchi replied as he picked up the little black cat that was sticking to him.
When filling out the forms, he had listed Mr. Meow's profession as a backpack.
Professor Pola reviewed the form but felt that something was amiss.
Although it was common for magic crafters who specialized in carrying magic cards to join teams, it was usually a seventh-rank expert bringing along a fifth-rank companion. Yet, in Lanchi's case, it seemed like a fifth-rank expert was accompanying a seventh-rank cat.
"Meow meow!"
Mr. Meow rolled over excitedly in Lanchi's hands upon hearing his words.
He had never challenged the Shadow World before and had only reached the seventh rank due to his long years of service.
As a non-combatant, he had never imagined that he would have the opportunity to explore the Shadow World himself!
"Could I possibly advance to the eighth rank and become a Spirit Cat?" he wondered.
He had been stagnant at the seventh rank for a long time and felt that he had reached a racial limit, unsure if he could ever break through to the eighth rank in his lifetime.
Without the external influence of the Shadow World, he saw no path to achieving this goal.
The eighth rank was just too cool.
Even though, in terms of combat power, an eighth-rank Mr. Meow might only be able to match a fifth-rank or sixth-rank powerhouse in terms of basic attributes, but if he equipped eighth-rank magic cards with fixed damage types, defeating fifth- and sixth-rank opponents could be as easy as instant kills.
Then he wouldn't have to bear the shame of being a seventh-rank failure anymore!
Moreover, the Shadow World was a place where magic cards could be produced! Perhaps he could obtain those high-rank magic cards that had always been out of his reach!
"Indeed, at the eighth rank, you'd be worthy of being a guardian beast of a nation," Lanchi nodded in agreement.
Hepburn also fell into deep thought beside them.
Throughout history, many nations' guardians were not humans but eighth-rank beast spirits that had lived in those lands for hundreds of years, revered and beloved by generations of citizens.
"Meow!"
Although Mr. Meow was aware of the potential dangers, hearing Lanchi's words filled his heart with determination. It felt as if a voice was echoing within him, urging him to be brave and take that step forward, assuring him that he couldn't lose because the rewards were too great.
"Lanchi, then you have to make sure we clear the instance," Mr. Meow asserted, his confidence in Lanchi's abilities unwavering.
After all, the two of them, man and cat, had built their empire from scratch and reached the top in Protoss Empire.
"Rest assured, Mr. Meow. You just get ready to reap the rewards," Lanchi said as he gently stroked the cat's back.
"Meow meow meow, Lanchi, you're the best! I knew I could count on you," Mr. Meow purred contentedly.
"If one day I could become a guardian beast of a nation, revered by its citizens... that would be a dream come true," he mused, half-joking.
He knew that even if he reached the eighth rank, he would never become the kind of legendary beast that was revered as a godly creature. But the prospect of reaching the eighth rank still filled him with a sense of accomplishment.
"You can do it, Mr. Meow!" Lanchi encouraged, giving the little black cat a high-five.
"..."
Hepburn looked on at the hopeful exchange between Lanchi and Mr. Meow.
She didn't have the heart to remind Mr. Meow that becoming a guardian beast of a nation was indeed a possibility, but the nation in question might not be the one he had in mind.
(End of Chapter)
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