https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-86-Lanchi-s-Return-to-the-Mortal-Realm/12583973/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-88-Lanchi-s-Aftereffects-from-the-Shadow-World/12583977/
Chapter 87: A Brand New Day for Lanchi
Chapter 87: A Brand New Day for Lanchi
On the Southern Continent, within the Kreise Empire, lay a city hidden deep underground—a symbol of absolute power veiled in darkness.
This ancient subterranean metropolis, shrouded in perpetual night, was illuminated by arcane artifacts that mimicked the eerie glow of a blood moon. The wide and spacious streets were flanked by structures built from dark stone, their towering forms casting long shadows that spoke of ancient arts. Here, in this city of shadows, the dust of endless ages had settled.
At the heart of this underground realm loomed a castle, emanating an eerie and formidable aura. Its outer walls were crafted from natural obsidian, inlaid with icy silver trim and translucent crimson crystal decorations in a medieval style.
A figure, cloaked in a long robe, approached the castle's entrance and ventured deeper within. Passing through ornate corridors and vestibules, they pushed open a set of heavy black iron doors. Beyond lay a magnificent hall, a throne room of sorts, exuding an aura of profound power and a sense of weighty history.
Under a ceiling adorned with immortal crystal rose windows, cold iron chains suspended lavish chandeliers that radiated a decadent glow. Crimson carpets flowed like rivers toward the distant vanishing point, and light refracted through the crystals, casting a starlike sparkle that lent the entire space a subtle, shadowy beauty.
In the center of this vast hall, beneath its high ceiling, stood a lengthy banquet table, dozens of meters in length. Forged from black iron as dark as ink, the table was inscribed with intricate blood magic runes, a symbol of the aesthetic style of the vampire world. Flanking the table were high-backed chairs, each resembling a throne. At the apex of each chair back was engraved a totem corresponding to the gemstone of its owner.
Yet, at this moment, the throne room seemed unusually quiet. Of the thirteen high-backed chairs, only one was occupied.
The figure who had entered the castle stood gracefully at the far end of the table, choosing not to take a seat.
"Marquise Heritier, the followers of the Resurrection Church encountered the half-demon, but they failed to eliminate her." The figure, a man, spoke with deference.
Far away, in the seventh high-backed chair, a figure sat with eyes closed, slowly raising her head as if to gaze through the ceiling at the totem woven from stars in the depths of the night sky, shining brilliantly.
"It shouldn't be," she murmured. "The death omen of that half-blooded demon has appeared twice, yet both times it was averted."
"... "
The man remained silent, for he knew exactly which two incidents the Marquise was referring to.
The first was when Hyberrian was supposed to have perished during her failed enrollment in Horton Royal Capital.
The second was when Hyberrian should have been killed by the followers of the Resurrection in the shadow world.
But neither of these expected outcomes had come to pass; instead, the tides had turned.
And at the heart of it all was a single human newcomer to the Ekrite Academy.
"The remnants of the demon tribe must be eradicated, no matter what," the vampire Marquise said, her voice distant and cold, tinged with a hint of lament and resignation, and perhaps, a trace of regret that even time could not erase. "History has taught us that only when the powers of humans and demons converge can a force emerge that threatens us."
Finally, the Marquise opened her eyes, revealing deep crimson irises that held untold memories spanning centuries.
In the present age, the demon tribe had already been annihilated by human hands.
Driven by infinite desires, heretical sects ran rampant, and the northern and southern continents were on the brink of collapse, with humans still waging civil wars for power.
These foolish acts could only mean one thing—
"The glory of the Blood Moon shall rise again, and mankind will need to remember their servitude."
The Marquise's already cold and beautiful face was calm, carrying an ancient and untouchable dignity.
Each word rang out like the crisp, clear sound of melting ice in the palace, echoing long after it was spoken.
...
In the Kingdom of Horton, within the royal capital of Ikelite, the rising sun cast a gentle golden glow on the ancient campus of Ikelite Academy, bathing the brick and stone structures in a warm, yellow hue that spoke of its rich history.
The dormitory of the Sage's Residence also seemed to awaken, with students coming and going through its doors from time to time.
It was the third morning since the start of the new term.
Leaning against the doorframe of his balcony, Lanchi held a cup of coffee, listening to the birds chirping in the trees and watching his classmates make their way to school.
After returning from the Shadow World early yesterday morning, he had slept for a long time, only waking up in the early hours of the morning.
After a late-night or early morning meal—he wasn't quite sure which—he returned to his desk to study card crafting, with the South Continent Card Maker Association Registration Guidelines still open on the table.
Now that he had reached the third tier, he had the basic qualifications to refer to it.
Only by becoming a registered card maker with the South Continent Card Maker Association could one obtain official patent protection and be exempt from going through the tedious identification and guarantee steps while enjoying reduced fees.
The benefits one received were also dependent on their tier.
If he wanted to open a store that sold exclusive magic cards in the future, he would need to obtain a registered card maker identity in addition to the license that Hyberrian was handling. The higher the tier, the better, as it would directly impact their startup speed.
The next exam to become a registered card maker, with Horton Royal Capital as the test site, would be held in a little over a month.
While it might seem like a long time, Lanchi wasn't confident that even with an extra month, he would be able to pass.
He still needed to seek Talia's guidance on crafting third-tier magic cards.
His card crafting technique was not yet stable, and if he couldn't improve significantly, it would be down to luck whether he could craft a complete card during the exam.
However, there was still hope.
Lanchi recalled Talia telling him that if he wanted to pursue the highest card crafting success rate, he should choose the type of magic with the best affinity for him during the exam.
This would directly impact the card maker's success rate.
That was why card makers in the later stages chose their own specialized directions.
For example, Talia's three best types were Curse, Spirit, and Poison magic cards, and they were also her best affinities.
Among them, Curse was excellent, and Spirit and Poison were both great, which led to Talia's specialization in Curse-type magic card crafting.
As for other types of magic, such as elemental magic and some special categories, her affinity was not as good.
Based on Talia's estimation, Lanchi's affinity for Spirit magic was above average, Poison was poor, and Curse was terrible—she didn't bother checking the rest.
If he, like Talia, had a type of magic with an excellent or great affinity...
Then he could just make that type of card for the exam! And this type of magic might become one of his specialized directions in his card crafting career.
(End of Chapter)
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