Most of the time, they each quietly gazed out at the scenery beyond the window.
Motionless.
Unfamiliar yet beautiful sights entered their eyes at high speed, flashing by in an instant.
After a full day of riding, it was now midday of the second day.
Resting his chin on one hand, Lanqi shifted his gaze from the scenery flowing like a scroll outside the window to glance at the train's clock.
As sparse suburban-style buildings and pastures gradually came into view, Lanqi sensed they were not far from their stop.
"By the way, Tata, what is the Shadow World in your understanding?"
Having seemingly grown tired of the scenery at last, he posed a question to Talia.
Originally known to him as an incompletely developed, maximum-difficulty randomized dungeon, Lanqi had likewise found a vast amount of material on the "Shadow World" in this world's books.
Yet the mysterious "Shadow World" was far more complex than he had understood; in this real world, it had become an endless multitude of perilous instances.
And the Ikerite Magic Academy he was bound for was originally founded with the goal of "cultivating talent capable of conquering the Shadow World."
Naturally, the entrance exam would be related to it as well.
"Leaving a Shadow World alone or failing to conquer it causes a natural disaster somewhere in the world, but clearing it brings power and wealth."
Talia's eyes did not waver as she gave a brief reply.
Before agreeing to be Lanqi's teacher, no matter what questions he asked her about magic cards, she had responded with this kind of attitude.
Hearing this, Lanqi nodded, showing no intention of pressing further.
Just as the books said.
To the people of this world, the Shadow World was like a double-edged sword.
Clearing a Shadow World yielded vast rewards, including core materials for crafting magic cards as well as naturally formed magic cards far more powerful than man-made ones.
Failing to conquer one, on the other hand, triggered a natural disaster somewhere in the world; if left unattended, once past a certain time limit, the Shadow World would close on its own, likewise letting natural disasters encroach upon reality.
Therefore, nations and major factions across the globe spared no effort in nurturing talent adept at conquering the Shadow World.
"Shadow Worlds... appear without warning at fixed or random entrances across this world. They are projections of fragments of world history, or of history from other worlds."
Talia added another remark.
Perhaps out of her duty as a teacher, whenever it concerned magic cards, she would elaborate slightly—if only just a bit.
Even so, both of them had grown accustomed to this habit of stopping as soon as the point was made.
"Is that so..."
Lanqi murmured thoughtfully.
The books in the Frontier Library recorded that Shadow Worlds opened gradually at regular intervals, infinite in number, and varied widely in timelines and worldviews—some were breezy and simple, while others were extraordinarily perilous.
Upon entering a Shadow World, people would be granted unpredictable, entirely new identities to reenact those historical fragments.
As a result, no weapons, attire, or ordinary magic tools could be brought inside.
Except for one thing—magic cards bound to the soul.
This was precisely why magic cards had become the mainstream tools of this era, offering indispensable aid when challenging the Shadow World.
Viewed this way, there was indeed an inextricable causal link between the Shadow World and magic cards. The raw materials for magic cards had to be harvested from the Shadow World, yet only with magic cards could people of the mortal realm clear the Shadow World more easily.
He truly wondered how the ancient beings in the pioneer era had cleared those hellish dungeons without any magic cards when the Shadow Worlds first surged forth...
"We've arrived."
Talia's voice broke Lanqi's train of thought like a drop of water falling onto ice.
He turned his head to look and found that the scenery outside had slowed to a halt before a station whose roof was constructed of ochre-red brick and stone.
Soaring towers at both ends gave the entire structure a solemn, grand presence, and the interior was richly ornamented—marble pillars, murals, and stained-glass windows all radiated the weight of history.
Unlike the South Vantina frontier city-state, this royal capital named Ikerite was magnificent and bustling while preserving countless historical elements.
Without hesitation, Lanqi retrieved his suitcase from the luggage rack and followed Talia off the arriving train.
...
Walking across the concourse level of Ikerite Central Station, the clamor gradually receded into the distance.
Coming to the edge of a wide plaza, Lanqi and Talia boarded a small carriage meant for sightseeing, beginning their new journey in this city.
The afternoon sunlight spilled over the carriage, swaying gently with an easy, cozy warmth.
Looking from afar, one could see tulips and calla lilies clustered together in the Royal Botanical Garden, plants of every color drifting like mist and veil amidst lush greenery.
The clip-clop of hooves echoed across ancient cobblestone streets while wheels hummed along. Even just leaning against his seat, Lanqi could take in Ikerite's distinct architectural style: imposing houses, brick-red walls, pointed eaves, and exquisite antique carvings.
The carriage rolled alongside a winding canal; with the breeze, ripples fanned across the water's surface, mirroring willows that softly brushed the water.
"Once we get to the academy, want to take a walk together?"
Lanqi turned his head and asked Talia beside him.
"What do you think?"
Talia countered his seemingly friendly yet utterly shameless invitation.
Since she had to protect Lanqi, she didn't really have a choice—even if, after these three months, she still had no idea who the fellow trying to kill Lanqi was.
She only knew that Lanqi's claim that "someone wants to kill him" was true.
En route, the carriage crossed an ancient stone bridge, its mottled beige stone bricks bearing witness to the passage of time. Below, the canal water gently lapped against the stone piers in tranquil splashes; overhead, a flock of seagulls circled and soared freely through the sky.
"Can't be helped. Visiting the academy today is very important for me," Lanqi said, closing his eyes and spreading his hands.
Unlike the School of Alchemy and the School of Magic Engineering, the School of Knights and the School of Sages actually began their first phase of examination right at registration.
Namely, the attribute test.
If an applicant's attribute growth potential was too poor, they might be barred outright from taking the official exam.
Because the School of Knights and the School of Sages both aimed to cultivate rare talents capable of conquering high-tier Shadow Worlds—and entering a Shadow World not only posed extreme danger to the challenger's own life, but also concerned their companions' survival and whether the mortal realm could be spared from natural disasters—the entrance examinations of these two schools imposed stringent requirements on candidates' practical combat capabilities.
Once a candidate passed the first phase's attribute test, the official exam—the second phase—would employ an artificially simulated Shadow World to assess the student's practical adaptability, while the third phase's final examination was a role-based combat test arranged by the faculty.
After thoroughly researching the academy, Lanqi had ultimately chosen to change his application from the School of Alchemy to the School of Sages, which specialized in magical combat.
Given his innate attribute inclinations and role affinities, there was simply no chance of him becoming a physical combatant, leaving little hope of passing the School of Knights' first trial.
"..."
Talia said no more.
She was well aware of Lanqi's itinerary and schedule, and she had already heard from him about the format of the exams he was about to face.
It was just that, across her long life as an immortal, based on everything she had seen and gathered while journeying through the Demon Realm and numerous human kingdoms, she still had no idea how to categorize Lanqi as a combat class.
Leave such a headache to Ikerite Academy.
In any case, she wouldn't be the one to suffer for it.
Chapter 14