Inside the spacious tiered lecture hall, amidst the lively seminar atmosphere, Lanqi's question crashed like a meteorite into a calm lake, sending shockwaves through everyone's hearts.
In that instant, silence fell over the room. The air seemed to freeze, and every gaze was drawn toward the back row, fixing upon Lanqi.
The moment Lanqi asked the question, most of them grasped his intent—
He wanted to obtain a slate of his own in the future.
Such arrogance was practically a declaration that he was destined to become one of the supreme powerhouses of the current era.
Had an ordinary student asked this, it would have provoked nothing but a chorus of laughter.
Yet Lanqi was different; he possessed the capital to back up his pride.
In the eyes of his peers at Ikerite, he was already akin to a budding Demon King.
"..."
Teresa seemed slightly taken aback by the specific slates Lanqi had asked about.
Those three types of slates were indeed the best choices Lanqi could consider.
What surprised her was that while Mind and Healing made perfect sense... this fellow knew Sealing magic too?!
Teacher Teresa was not the only one stunned.
The students, having never seen Lanqi cast Sealing magic, felt an even deeper terror toward this creature known as the Lanqi Clan the more they thought about it.
"[Original Slate - Mind] was in the possession of the demon race during the Demon War several decades ago, but it hasn't surfaced in the many years since the war ended. It's likely still in the hands of some secluded great demon."
Teacher Teresa soon began answering Lanqi's question, her tone carrying a touch of regret.
If Lanqi wished to specialize in Mind magic, the chances of tracking down that slate were exceedingly slim.
No matter how powerful humans were, their lifespans were limited to several decades or a century at most; they could never outlast demons, who could casually go into seclusion for hundreds of years at a time.
"As for [Original Slate - Healing], it is held by the Saintess of the Church of the Goddess of Fate. If you wish to observe it, having Dean Loren introduce you would make communication much easier," Teresa said in an even voice.
Although it was far too early for a third-tier like Lanqi to consider Original Slates, there was no harm if he merely wished to observe one. Furthermore, it suited Lanqi well and was relatively accessible to visit.
However,
having said that,
Teresa's voice halted.
Many students in the lecture hall held their breath. Her abrupt change in expression made the freshmen tense up at once.
Seeing the trace of fear and hatred on Teacher Teresa's face, it was clear she knew the answer, yet seemed hesitant to utter what felt like an ominous, forbidden word.
"The final slate... is held by the Cardinal of Extinction, Askesan, on the Northern Continent."
The Cardinal of Extinction, Askesan, was the embodiment of fear, despair, and torment. As one of the supreme Cardinals of the Resurrection Church, every Sealing and Curse spell he commanded had sown seeds of death across the world.
His Sealing spells were silent yet deadlier than any offensive magic. In mere hours, he could reduce a once-thriving major city-state into a silent purgatory, where neither the strong nor the weak could escape his complete confinement. In his eyes, there was neither sympathy nor humanity, only a morbid obsession with death and oblivion.
In the present era, Sealing magic was largely infamous because of Askesan. As its foremost representative, the Cardinal of Extinction was feared by every living being on the Northern Continent, and his dread reputation had even crossed the oceans to reach the Southern Continent.
After speaking with grim gravity, Teresa looked at the students in the lecture hall with deep concern and added:
"As for the Resurrection Church's ten slates, you may simply treat them as though they do not exist in this world. Do not, under any circumstances, involve yourselves with them in the slightest! Otherwise, it will spell utter ruin for you and your families."
The atmosphere in the lecture hall abruptly grew heavy and oppressive. Standing before the podium, Teresa's voice was stern, clear, and resolute.
Every Cardinal was a madman with the power to annihilate nations. Provoking even one would inevitably invite unimaginable calamity.
"I understand, Teacher Teresa. Thank you," Lanqi said with a nod of gratitude.
The classroom fell into silence. Then, breaking the ice, another student quickly raised their hand and asked:
"Teacher, if the Cardinals of the Resurrection Church all possess slates, why doesn't the Pope have one?"
Reason dictated that the Pope of the Resurrection Church ought to be a ninth-tier powerhouse, the strongest of them all, making it unlikely that he had no slate.
At the podium, Teresa let out a soft breath. Although the topic had drifted to the Resurrection Church—an organization she loathed to mention—the seminar's overall progress and educational value remained constructive.
It also allowed the students to gain a clearer understanding of the threat and danger posed by this cult.
"While the Pope of the Resurrection Church definitely exists, he has always remained shrouded in mystery. Neither the Southern Continent Kingdom Alliance Council nor the Creti Empire has managed to obtain substantial intelligence on him, and information from the Northern Continent is even more blocked..."
"As for whether the Pope possesses a slate, it could be that he holds one but has never needed to reveal it, or that his abilities are so comprehensive and intricate that he doesn't need to expend a fifth-tier card slot on a slate. It could also simply be that he has never obtained the slate best suited to him..."
Teacher Teresa explained patiently to the students, her voice gentle yet assured, occasionally showing touches of humor that drew soft chuckles throughout the room.
Most students watched the podium attentively, completely absorbed in the concluding moments of this seminar course.
...
At Ikerite Academy, the sun-dappled wooded path was quiet and serene.
Beside the path, the School of Alchemy's botanical gardens bloomed in vibrant profusion, brimming with life. Birds flitted between the treetops, offering melodic chirps that soothed the two students who had just finished a two-hour lecture.
There were no other required courses that morning, but it was still over an hour until lunchtime.
Lanqi and Hyperion strolled leisurely along the path toward the student council room in the Old Liberal Arts Building.
Walking at an easy, unhurried pace, they paused at a bustling drink shop and queued up to buy three cups.
It was a cold-pressed juice shop that had recently become a favorite among the freshmen; many students were often seen holding one of their signature drinks after class.
Only upon reaching the shop did they discover there were over thirty varieties of pure fruit juices, blended juices, and fruit-and-vegetable juices, along with pre-packaged weekly wellness sets.
Finding novel little pleasures everywhere made them sigh in appreciation—how wonderful it would be to enjoy a slow, idyllic life in Ikerite without worries or pressure.
Sure enough, the chilled sweetness felt like a gentle breeze in midsummer.
Hyperion took small sips of her juice, glancing at Lanqi from time to time. She had a distinct feeling that he had been preoccupied ever since class ended, his knitted brow never quite relaxing.
He seemed to be pondering something important.
"Lanqi, do you have another plan?" Hyperion finally asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
Hearing this, Lanqi turned his head toward Hyperion.
With a solemn expression, he nodded.
"Hyperion, you know that before graduating, we have to choose a graduation project, right?" Lanqi said unhurriedly.
At Ikerite Academy, students could usually select and begin their graduation project in their second year.
It could be done individually or in groups. Many students took advantage of the vacations to work on it, and depending on the project's difficulty, the academy might even grant an extended leave of absence for a semester to give students ample time.
"Yeah. Do you already have an idea?" Hyperion nodded, then asked.
Some ambitious students decided on their project topics as early as their first year, using vacations to complete them in advance. Doing so not only gave them greater flexibility in arranging their coursework for their second and third years, but completing a high-quality graduation project could also be converted into additional credits for required courses.
Since Lanqi already had an idea and apparently wanted to continue teaming up with her, they could consider getting started on the project during the upcoming winter break at the end of the semester.
"In our School of Sages, we have the required course *General Magic Genealogy* and the elective *Introduction to Magic Genealogy* later on. Building upon those, we also have the option to choose the graduation project *Visiting Slate Bearers*, just like the School of Magic Engineering," Lanqi explained.
For the sake of his retirement dream, Lanqi was willing to exert himself over these next two years.
After finishing the next Shadow World, there would likely be another long gap before the third challenge, and he wanted to make good use of that time.
"Do you want to visit the Saintess of the Church of the Goddess of Fate? Or perhaps a slate bearer from a non-allied nation?"
Hyperion roughly understood.
Lanqi had indeed mentioned knowing some magic item crafting; no wonder he had been so energized listening to a lecture shared with the School of Magic Engineering.
Beyond medium-difficulty graduation projects like visiting the Saintess, successfully visiting a distant, elusive powerhouse—such as a slate bearer in a non-allied nation—would yield an exceptionally high-quality project.
Not only would it earn a stellar evaluation and permission for an extended academic leave, but it might even be showcased across the entire Southern Continent Academy Alliance as an exemplary project, bringing glory to Ikerite Academy and the Hutton Kingdom!
"No."
Lanqi smiled and shook his head, seemingly entirely uninterested in the Saintess's slate.
"Then who do you want to visit?" Hyperion asked, puzzled.
"The Cardinal of Extinction, Askesan," Lanqi said.
Upon hearing that, Hyperion nearly spat out her drink.
Chapter 105