https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-790-Lanchi-s-Eternal-Punishment-Part-2-/12585521/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-792-Lanchi-s-Resolve-in-the-Face-of-Adversity-Part-1-/12585523/
Chapter 791: Lanchi's Growing Addiction
Chapter 791: Lanchi's Growing Addiction
"Welcome back."
Tamisha released Lanchi and looked at him, her voice devoid of emotion as always, making her statements sound more like questions.
Seeing the state of the phantasm every time he emerged from the six-sided cubic magic mirror worried her. The last time, he had nearly died, and this time, he seemed dazed, as if returning from a distant place. She was growing concerned for this enigmatic being.
"Tamisha, I apologize for making you wait so long. I didn't expect this session with the mirror to take as much time as it did."
Lanchi, still leaning against the Tebiri'us Mirror, looked directly at the diminutive Tamisha.
"Would you like something to eat? There's another box left."
Tamisha pointed to the four-tiered lunch box that sat nearby, offering it to the phantasm.
Following his instructions from earlier in the day, she had already eaten one box as her lunch, and now there was only one more left—a treat that Lanchi had prepared.
"No, thank you. I'll take you straight to the Demon King's Royal Restaurant at the school for a proper meal. But if you're hungry now, go ahead and finish that box of pre-meal sweets."
Lanchi smiled at Tamisha.
"..."
Tamisha paused, taken aback.
Lately, she hadn't eaten such luxurious meals in Necallis, the Demon King's City. Most of the time, Kaliella had been busy, sending court officials to deliver her meals. Ever since Kaliella's disappearance and Merogass's takeover of the Demon King's Palace, her meals had been irregular, sometimes going hungry.
She didn't really mind.
As long as she didn't expect to eat well the next day, she wouldn't feel the pangs of hunger so keenly.
It was her way of protecting herself.
But now, following this phantasm, she found herself looking forward to what delights the restaurant he spoke of might offer that evening.
"If I eat well, you have to eat well, too," Tamisha insisted, fixing her gaze on Lanchi.
"Of course," Lanchi laughed. "I won't hold back just for you. We're not so poor that we can't afford to eat, are we?"
"Mm-hmm."
Tamisha nodded reassuringly.
"Tamisha, let me tell you, the Inferno Corridor Academy is the best school there is. I guarantee you it's more fun than any playground you've been to in Necallis..."
Lanchi needed a short rest in the energy room, and he chatted with Tamisha to pass the time.
This time, Talia didn't make an appearance.
She felt embarrassed after Tamisha had seen through her disguise as Kaliella, and she didn't know how to face the young girl now.
Being looked down upon by a child was too humiliating for a demon.
The pain of death had faded, and after lingering in the void for so long, regaining a physical form brought only a sense of rebirth.
Even though it was just a simulation in the spiritual world, Lanchi and Talia felt as if they had relived the latter half of Lanculos's life.
"It seems the Tebiri'us Mirror truly allows you to push your mental power to its limits," Talia remarked as she checked Lanchi's body with her thoughts. She noticed that his mental fortitude had grown stronger, and she offered him a word of caution.
After all, the Tebiri'us Mirror was an ominous magical artifact that one used at the risk of their life, so it was no surprise that it offered some minor training benefits.
However, the future visions that a typical user might see wouldn't be as harsh and painful as the path that Lanculos had walked.
"I believe the weighted training you put me through daily is still more effective," Lanchi replied, continuing his conversation with Tamisha while responding to Talia's thoughts.
Recalling how he had first acquired the Mad Love Demon King, and comparing it to his current state, he could feel the immense growth in his mental fortitude.
Although everyone is born with different base attributes that grow at varying rates and receive significant fixed improvements upon advancement, one's attributes can also be enhanced to a certain degree through diligent effort.
And Lanchi owed it all to Talia's relentless 24-hour supervision.
"I... I'm your teacher. It's only right that I train you," Talia replied, a little embarrassed and trying to sound nonchalant.
Lanchi's magical powers were incredibly useful, allowing her to feel neither fatigue nor any ailments, like a panacea. But she had to admit that she had been relying on them a little too much.
At that moment, they returned to the Shadow World.
After confirming that Lanchi's body was in good condition, Talia checked the Shadow World's information.
【Mission Objective 1: Read the letter from old friend Kaliella; Go to the Demon World's Inferno City, Pascual, & protect the little spark that Kaliella left behind; Understand the Tebiri'us Mirror. (Complete)】
【Mission Objective 2: Understand the Heart of Black Sun Lanculos: 39.02%. (Complete)】
【Mission Objective 3: Ensure the survival of all challengers until the 21-day time limit ends. Time remaining: 5 days, 04 hours, 35 minutes.】
The mission objectives remained unchanged, still lingering on the understanding of the Tebiri'us Mirror.
Talia was not surprised by Lanchi's increased understanding of Black Sun Lanculos's heart.
After all, Lanchi was not Lanculos, even if they were two similar flowers blooming millennia apart, or even if one believed in the concept of reincarnation. They were inherently different, and it was only natural that Lanchi couldn't fully comprehend every aspect of Lanculos's life. The level of understanding he had achieved thus far was already impressive.
What comforted Talia was that Lanculos's heart had never wavered—he had always remained steadfast in his kindness and conviction.
"And this future illusion took another seven hours, with Lanchi and I trapped inside the Tebiri'us Mirror."
In the underground energy hub room, where the sky was invisible, it was speculated that it was around six or seven in the evening in Pascual.
Now that she had a physical form, Talia could even feel hunger.
"Lanchi, let's take a break and then go get something to eat." Talia suggested to Lanchi.
After spending so much time in the void of consciousness, just thinking about the demonic menu at the Demon King's restaurant made her stomach grumble.
Tamisha was right; it was time to eat.
Lanchi, as if hearing Talia's words, turned his gaze towards Tamisha.
"Tamisha, I need to use the Tebiri'us Mirror one more time. Can you wait for me a little longer?" he asked.
"Lanchi, you're going back in?" Talia's mind raced with surprise.
She had thought that after Lanchi's harrowing rescue, he would have had an aversion to the dangerous magical artifact that was the Tebiri'us Mirror.
Yet instead of rushing off to eat, he was contemplating using it again.
This guy was even more frightening than she had imagined.
She had endured that void alongside him, and even she couldn't take it anymore!
"The three chances that Kaliella won for me by gambling with her life and her mark... how could I waste them?" Lanchi asked, as if it were obvious.
"Well... that's true," Talia stammered.
While the outcome of the Tebiri'us Mirror's second simulation was better than the first, it was still a bad ending.
Lanchi couldn't even refer to the second simulation's path to recreate it in the Shadow World and bring an end to the Blood Moon Calamity.
"There's one more thing I need to trouble you with. This time, if you find that I've been inside the Tebiri'us Mirror for more than two hours, please cut off the energy supply," Lanchi continued, addressing the tiny figure of Tamisha in the energy room.
"No problem," Tamisha replied, a little surprised.
She hadn't expected to do so well.
Perhaps she was still useful after all, and her parents had only abandoned her because they hadn't discovered her true worth.
After Lanchi finished giving Tamisha her instructions, Talia appeared. Her magic condensed into a silvery-white figure, standing on the steps before Lanchi.
"Wait, hear me out," Talia said, holding out her hands as if to block Lanchi's path to the Tebiri'us Mirror, or perhaps to give him a moment to reconsider.
Either way, she would be going with him.
"In the last simulation, it seemed like we successfully sealed away the four progenitors, but in reality, the Sevilia continent was plunged into a desperate struggle for survival, and the Southern Continent was filled with relentless demons. If the Northern Continent falters in the long defensive war ahead, the outcome of this era will still likely be annihilation," Talia explained worriedly, placing her hands on Lanchi's shoulders.
The second simulation offered a glimpse of hope, but it was truly despair.
The demons in half of the continent were far more than Saint Soul Rant Pope alone could kill, even if he tried to eliminate as many as possible before his transformation into an undead being. At the point of his exhaustion, he could only manage to eradicate a mere fraction.
And the demons, in their frenzied state, having lost their sanity, would be far stronger than ordinary humans. The seventh and eighth tiers of the Honing Empire, mutated, would each be a catastrophic disaster for the Northern Saint Soul Rant religion.
This was Third Progenitor Lashiel's strategy—if they lost to Lashiel, the blood race would control the entire world, and if Lashiel was defeated, she would take the world down with her.
This stalemate was futile—a third simulation, or even a hundred more attempts, might not make a difference.
Five days were too few for the Pope.
For the Pope, some things about the demons were already too convoluted to explain.
In the eyes of the common people, survivors, and witnesses, he was the most powerful demon the moment he took action. There was no way his involvement in the Honing Empire's catastrophe could be coincidental.
The entire Saint Soul Rant religion would begin to crumble, and even many originally devout believers might become extreme in their beliefs, feeling betrayed by their faith.
There was no time for Lanculos to clear his name regarding the blood race, as his life was already nearing its end.
Lashiel anticipated that before his death, Lanculos would rather spend his remaining time killing as many demons as only he could, instead of wasting his efforts on futile attempts to restore his reputation.
"Lanchi, this is a stalemate. Even if you simulate it again, it will be the same. This is the ending of the Blood Moon Calamity," Talia concluded, not wanting to see Lanchi suffer needlessly.
Just traveling to the southernmost capital of Honing, Saint Tric, to seal away the four progenitors, would take three days.
This task could only be accomplished by Lanculos, and he would undoubtedly strive to fulfill his final mission.
"Let's go again, I want to chop up the blood race some more," Lanchi said, his eyes burning with enthusiasm as he looked at the Tebiri'us Mirror, eager to try again.
"No, my friend, are you serious about this?" Talia felt she had underestimated Lanchi's mental state. She placed the back of her hand on his forehead to check if his brain had been scorched.
"Can one get addicted to the Tebiri'us Mirror?"
She admitted that Lanclos' ninth-level spell was incredibly satisfying to use.
But what about after the thrill of the kill? The mirror's hyper-realistic simulations only made her more averse to it!
"You were right," she said.
Lanchi grasped Talia's hand, removing it from his forehead as he looked at her firmly. "If I lose everything and suffer a crushing defeat, I will not shy away."
To live is to have the courage to face death.
He refused to do nothing and accept total defeat.
In his eyes, the Shadow World and the Blood Moon Calamity were far from over.
"..."
Talia stared at him, her eyes wide with astonishment, unable to look away from this man before her.
She had witnessed Lanchi's changes over time.
Yet with each transformation, she could always reaffirm that there was something about him that remained constant.
And that was what attracted her the most—his unwavering heart.
Talia snapped back to reality, reacting with a start as she hastily withdrew her hand.
No matter what path she chose, she couldn't help but seek out his face.
"Then let's go. I'll accompany you," Talia mumbled, turning her head slightly.
She had been with Lanchi for so long that she didn't mind accompanying him one last time as he used the dangerous legendary magical artifact, the Tebiri'us Mirror.
Besides, Lanchi was her one and only disciple.
For that reason alone, she would always convey her consent to him.
"After this, I'll treat you to a grand meal at the Demon King's Royal Restaurant. Thank you for accompanying me today," Lanchi said sincerely to Talia.
"You do have a filial heart, Lanchi," Talia replied, a slight curve forming at the corners of her mouth. She then vanished into silver-white light dots and returned into Lanchi's body.
After a brief moment, Lanchi walked back up the steps to stand before the Tebiri'us Mirror.
In the energy hub room at night, the chill emanating from the edges of the mirror caused slight ripples in the void energy, and magic began to dance on its surface.
Lanchi raised his hand and placed it on the mirror, stepping forward to merge with the surface surrounded by deep purple light.
Instantly, he felt himself plummeting from the starry sky once more.
The light and colors swirled around him.
As his descent slowed, gravity pressed heavily upon him, and a dazzling white light rushed towards him.
All of this transformed into comprehensible textual information that poured into his mind.
[Downhanging Future Illusion]
[Activation Successful]
[Remaining Number of Uses: None]
[Name: Lanculos St. Anastasius]
[Current State: Ninth Tier]
[Attributes: Seal/Light]
[...]
[Character Attributes Recorded]
[Divination Result: Death Approaches]
[Departure Location: Demon World, Inferno City Pascual, Outskirts, Inferno Corridor Academy]
[Remaining Lifespan: 5 Days, 04 Hours, 31 Minutes]
After this text scrolled through his mind,
Lanchi felt no dizziness or discomfort and immediately entered the simulation.
In the blink of an eye, he found himself sitting in the principal's office of the Inferno Corridor Academy.
Not far away, the window glass reflected the face hidden behind a silver-white mask, vibrant emerald green eyes visible through the eyeholes.
"I'm back," he said, pushing himself up from the desk and stretching his body, now in the form of the Pope.
Outside the window, the icy wind continued to blow, carrying scattered snowflakes, turning the night in Inferno City Pascual into a dark blur, reminiscent of the Land of Eternal Night.
Glancing at the clock, it was almost seven in the evening.
Just like the previous two times, after entering the [Tebiri'us Mirror], his starting point was always the principal's office.
Semi-transparent Demon script appeared in his vision—
[Saint Soul Rant Religion, Year 614, December 25th, Night.]
[...]
[In the Inferno Corridor Academy, you sense that your life is coming to an end, and you awaken.]
[In just a few days, your life will likely come to its finale.]
[Through a prophetic dream, you discover that the current peace is but an illusion. The Blood Race remains unrepentant, plotting a grand scheme in the Honing Empire, biding their time until your death to launch their counterattack.]
[It seems they have also divined this future, for they are aware of the approximate timing of your death and when you will begin to weaken.]
[Additionally, they have been conducting secret experiments on the people of Honing over the years, combining the blood of the Second Progenitor to create a terrifying toxin, infecting most of the northern residents and all of the southern residents of the Honing Empire.]
[Once you seal away or push Third Progenitor Lashiel to the brink of defeat, the cataclysm of this era will commence, and Honing will be transformed into a demonic wasteland, destroying all hope for the future...]
[Knowing it is a losing battle, you still step forward with determination, entering this prophetic dream.]
[Heaven or Hell, which will it be?]
[The answer lies in your hands.]
[Dispel all doubts.]
[Who will be the last one laughing? It is you who will tell fate.]
(End of Chapter)
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