At midday, within the library of Lichtenstein Castle, eleven figures gathered around a large writing desk, silent and intent.
The faint rustles in the room seemed swallowed by the bookshelves and the dense volumes lining the walls. From the solemn expressions on the challengers' faces, this matter was of paramount importance.
Their gazes were focused, each deep in thought.
After a prolonged silence—
"Does anyone know Demon Magic Script?"
Seeing that the noble mage girl from the Creti Empire had already closed the book, the merchant scion from the Canberra Kingdom could only look around and ask.
The three clergy from the Northern Continent were the first to shake their heads. Clerics were forbidden from privately studying foreign racial magic scripts, let alone something as taboo for humanity as Demon Magic Script.
The merchant scion knew his bodyguard siblings, while sharp and formidable, did not understand Demon Magic Script at all.
And if the noble girl—the most magically adept among the Creti Empire trio—couldn't read it, the female knight and timid acolyte certainly wouldn't be able to either.
That left only the black-haired, green-eyed Lawyer and the silver-haired girl who remained constantly by his side as a glimmer of hope.
As for the vanished Detective... even if he knew it, he wouldn't be back for the next two days.
In the worst-case scenario, they would have to cross-reference other reference books in the library to decipher the meaning of the Demon Magic Script and speculate on the contents of this sealing grimoire.
Yet how long that would take, how much crucial information could actually be extracted, and whether the traitors would snatch it away during the night over the course of that lengthy process were entirely unknown.
"I only know a little bit of Demon Magic Script," Hyperion whispered, looking up at Lanqi, sounding a little guilty for being of little help.
Ordinarily, the person who should be able to read both scripts at this juncture was her, possessing half-demon blood. But for as long as she could remember, her mother had already left the Hutton Kingdom, so no one had ever taught her demon magic.
If a crucial step in obtaining intelligence stalled here because of her inadequacy, she would feel as though she were holding everyone back once again.
However, Hyperion remembered Lanqi mentioning he had studied Demon Magic Script before, so there was still a sliver of hope to place in him.
"Don't worry, I know a thing or two."
Sure enough, Lanqi nodded with a smile, calm and steady as ever—just as he had been back in the Difficulty 3 art classroom of the Demon Academy.
That familiar sense of reassurance made her feel that this Shadow World was once again well in hand.
He really was all-capable.
"Okay."
Hyperion promptly nodded, stepped briskly forward to take the book from the Creti Empire's mage girl, and handed it to Lanqi.
She knew Lanqi wasn't suited to approaching anyone else at close range; tasks that carried risk were better handled by her, with her myriad life-saving abilities.
Lanqi took the book from Hyperion, thanked her just as he always did when they attended classes together, and then began leafing through it in silence.
Unlike the merchant scion and the imperial noble mage girl before him, Lanqi's brow remained completely relaxed, as though he were casually perusing a light storybook on a lazy afternoon.
Normally, an arcane, obscure magic book could never be read in such a manner.
More likely, someone unable to understand a single word would flip through the pages so quickly and casually.
The psychological pressure on the others began to mount once more, as if the dawn they were on the verge of witnessing had been blocked solid by a stone slab.
Even if the Detective could uncover the identities of the two traitors upon his return and complete [Quest Objective 1: Identify the Traitors 0/2], the truly difficult core mission of any Shadow World had always been Quest Objective 2.
Large-scale Shadow Worlds always operated with a primary storyline running parallel to multiple hidden storylines.
While all challengers advanced the primary quest, the unknown hidden plots would quietly progress over time, undergoing developments unbeknownst to them.
Quest Objective 2 was almost always tied to these hidden storylines.
If they failed to perceive the contents and latest developments of the hidden plots in time to seize the initiative, then by the time they completed Quest Objective 1 and solved the riddle, the Shadow World might already be spiraling into an irreversible rampage mode.
"What the power of the sun refers to isn't explained even in this ancient text, but it likely means the sealing must be performed during the day when the sun is out."
Just as everyone felt at a complete loss, the words Lanqi casually uttered while keeping his head down flipping through the pages made everyone stare at him in astonishment.
He can actually read it?
He couldn't just be making this up to soothe everyone's nerves, could he?
That was everyone's first reaction.
"The power of the moon refers to werewolves, but the already scarce wolf folk had already been pushed to near-extinction in this era,"
Lanqi continued at an unhurried pace.
"Werewolves are not weakened during the day, but they are empowered under moonlight. Combined with their formidable regenerative abilities, they wouldn't necessarily lose to a Blood Clan member even in a duel lasting an entire night.
"Yet regeneration ultimately cannot rival immortality. Over time, the werewolves were slaughtered to extinction by the Blood Clan, leaving the Blood Clan as the sole rulers of the night."
The "wolf folk" Lanqi spoke of was a race completely extinct in the real world, scarcely even seen across ancient Shadow Worlds dating back thousands or tens of thousands of years. Unsurprisingly, every challenger felt unfamiliar with them.
So that race's extinction had been caused by the Blood Clan.
Then just how distant an era was this Shadow World, which still preserved records of the wolf folk...?
Just how ancient was it?
Merely clearing such a primordial ancient Shadow World would likely trigger seismic waves across academic societies, and the copyright value of the intelligence logged in their [Shadow World Recording Program] would be beyond measure.
"The star represents the witch, the origin of human magic. It seems to refer to demons, yet also seems to refer to humans. From my brief skim, the author of this book appears to have been a witch herself."
With that, Lanqi closed the book in his hands.
For someone like him, who had always studied both Demon and human magic scripts in parallel, this grimoire—composed in a script transitioning between Demon Magic Script and human magic script—was surprisingly readable.
He had not yet examined the specific spell formulas in detail; he had merely deciphered the narrative intelligence.
Just as the challengers in the library exchanged bewildered glances, finding Lanqi's interpretation wildly esoteric and even doubting its authenticity—
[Quest Objective 2: Uncover the secrets and crises hidden within the ancient castle—Hidden intelligence revealed. Challengers, please protect the Werewolf and the Witch.]
...
At Ikerite Academy, across Jera Memorial Square.
The clock on the ancient bell tower had just ticked past twelve at the peak. Amid the twelve chimes still echoing through the campus, the open-air giant screen encircled by distant classroom buildings was broadcasting today's ongoing Shadow World.
It was several times livelier than usual; not only were the steps packed with students, but crowds of passersby had also stopped and stood along the surrounding pathways.
"He wasn't making it up?!"
"Audit his human citizenship, quick!!"
Many students had assumed Lanqi was playing mind games, fabricating information out of thin air.
No one expected he actually understood it.
The update to Quest Objective 2 confirmed that the decipherment had succeeded.
Although many students at Ikerite Academy had heard that Lanqi knew sealing arts—he had crafted exclusively sealing-type cards during the registered card maker exam—why was this guy so proficient in Demon Magic Script too?!
He's way too much of a demon spy!
...
Inside the Shadow World, within the second-floor library of Lichtenstein Castle.
The ancient library seemed to hold its breath for a heartbeat.
The figures gathered around the central writing desk froze. Their eyes were fixed on the spine of the grimoire in Lanqi's hands by the window. Their expressions shifted from confusion to comprehension, and from comprehension to shock, as though one could feel everyone else's heart rate quickening.
The challengers looked at one another, their gazes crossing. Someone's lips twitched as if wanting to speak, yet had no idea how to begin.
"Bro, you're not a half-demon, are you?"
The merchant scion looked at Lanqi with mixed surprise and awe, breaking the silence and causing the male bodyguard behind him to cough hastily in warning.
This tactless young master had zero worry about offending the Lawyer.
On the Southern Continent, suspecting someone of having demon heritage was typically a grave insult.
This left Hyperion on the side feeling profoundly awkward.
She was the actual half-demon.
Yet ever since she began staying by Lanqi's side, not a single person had ever questioned her lineage.
This was a sensation Hyperion had never experienced before.
It was as though as long as Lanqi's demonic radiance cast its shadow over her, she appeared entirely like a genuine human.
"My human heritage is beyond question. The gentleman priest here can examine and verify it for me,"
Lanqi smiled, answering without taking offense.
The innocent need no defense.
Lanqi had always firmly believed this adage.
Nor did he offer further explanation as to why he knew it.
"..."
The impression he gave everyone was that he simply dabbled in everything, no justification required.
Paired with his natural demeanor, it strangely felt completely reasonable.
"We believe you,"
the priest spoke up first, bowing slightly to Lanqi in respect.
The others probed no further, only feeling that aside from the Detective, this Lawyer was also an elite powerhouse.
Not only was he adept at coordinating and soothing everyone's emotions, he was extraordinarily erudite.
Advancing the decipherment ahead of schedule placed an immense psychological burden onto the traitors.
"Then what is the relationship between the werewolf and the witch? Why do we need to protect them?"
the merchant scion asked Lanqi, still rather perplexed.
"The werewolf and the witch are evidently on our side, because they are the keys to sealing or unsealing the Blood Clan. The true purpose of the two traitors trapping us here is likely to ferret out the werewolf and the witch from among us. As for why they haven't summoned their blood masters, there is probably another hidden reason."
Lanqi cradled the grimoire, answering like a headmaster lecturing a student.
"As expected of Mr. Lawyer!"
Enlightened, the merchant scion began showering Lanqi with praise. He was now utterly convinced of Lanqi's grand scholar capabilities. That refined bearing was precisely what he—frequently branded a foolish rich boy—had always yearned for yet could never attain.
By now, an understanding had formed in the minds of all the challengers.
From the clues revealed by Quest Objective 2, it was not difficult to deduce one of the traitors' quest objectives:
The challengers' side had to identify the traitors hidden among them, the [Blood Clan Dependents].
While the traitors had to find the [Werewolf] and the [Witch] hidden among the non-traitors!
This battle of wits had escalated once again for both sides.
Just as everyone prepared to depart this place and return to the ground-floor sanctuary hall, under the midday sunlight beside the library curtains, Lanqi gazed at Hyperion beside him, sensing her unease.
"Lanqi..."
Hyperion met Lanqi's calm gaze, seemingly about to say something to him.
Lanqi merely gave a slight nod, signaling that he already knew, and that there was no need to worry.
Even without being able to see her status panel, Lanqi had guessed it.
She was the Witch—and bar none, the person in the greatest peril in this entire Shadow World.
There was a passage of the witch's self-account in the grimoire that Lanqi had deliberately refrained from reading aloud:
["I am neither demon nor human, but I will help and protect kind people, so please do not fear me."]
In that era known as the Blood Moon Cataclysm, what "witch" actually referred to was an innate half-demon—a mage who would not suffer backlash even when using immature human magic scripts.
This Shadow World wasn't going to be solved day by day at a snail's pace—Headmaster Lan was about to start rounding people up!
Chapter 129