Lanqi Did Not Want to Draw Attention

The day of the entrance examination. Ikerite Magic Academy, Learning and Education Building. Natural light poured indoors through large glass curtain walls. Lanqi had arrived early at the examination hall on the seventh floor, sitting quietly in the waiting area for the exam to begin. Although Talia, who had accompanied him, could not enter the seventh-floor exam hall, she was waiting down on the outdoor terrace below. One corner of the building's exterior featured a spacious terrace paved with wooden flooring and furnished with benches for students and faculty to rest. While enjoying scenic views of the campus, one could also take in the outdoor sunlight and fresh air. Moreover, directly across from it was a massive magic screen looping announcements from around the school. According to many others waiting there, live broadcasts of the entrance examinations for both the School of Knights and the School of Mages would soon be visible on any screen across the campus. ... In the vast atrium of the seventh floor, the space was open and airy. Several colossal magic devices stood like a gathering of silent giants. Lights reflected off the magic apparatuses, casting hazy yet magnificent gleams. The winding components of these gigantic machines stretched for dozens of meters, forged entirely from mithril and magic crystals, exuding a chilly aura while presenting an extraordinarily magnificent sight. Many examinees in the waiting area who were seeing them for the first time could not help marveling at the remarkable achievements of magic engineering. For this examination, Ikerite Academy would activate this breathtaking "artificial Shadow World activation terminal" to provide candidates with an immersive, practical simulation of a Shadow World. Compared to those who looked excited or anxious, some examinees appeared exceptionally calm, as though already thoroughly familiar with strategies for clearing Shadow Worlds. Because the Shadow World combat simulation was a joint examination for both the School of Knights and the School of Sages, those waiting here included not only genteel-looking candidates for the School of Sages, but also many who looked like martial combatants at a glance. Of course... that did not rule out the possibility that they, too, were candidates for the School of Sages. Only those who passed this test would proceed to the final evaluations conducted by professors from their respective schools. Sitting on a bench after waiting for a long time, Lanqi nervously rubbed his palms together. The live exam footage would be broadcast, after all—professors of the academy and passersby across campus would all see it. Precisely because of this, instances of "public execution" had been a frequent occurrence over the years. Many senior students watched the new students' entrance examinations around campus simply for amusement. Looking on the bright side, however... The magic screens used a split-screen rolling broadcast format. Among so many examinees, the probability of him being noticed was not very high. Besides, he had always conducted himself with prudence and discretion; he should not draw any attention. Or so Lanqi thought. At some point, light footsteps began echoing through the hall, yet they carried enough presence to cut through all other noise and reach the candidates' ears. This formidable presence belonging to an extraordinary powerhouse naturally caused the once-noisy, expansive examination hall to fall silent in an instant. Lanqi's thoughts were interrupted as well, and he looked up toward the direction where everyone's gazes converged. A figure emerged from the inner section of the hall, until the entire seventh floor seemed filled only with the sound of his footsteps. As the footsteps drew nearer, people finally made out that the newcomer was wearing a classic black suit paired with a white shirt and a golden necktie. The suit's buttons and collar bore patterns of lozenges and cruciform holy radiance. He was a brown-haired young man, noticeably younger than they had imagined, looking not yet thirty. Yet no one dared underestimate him because of his youth. Being permitted to wear such insignia meant he was not only an instructor at Ikerite Academy, but also a cleric of exceptionally high standing within the Church of the Goddess of Fate. He walked at an unhurried pace. Coming to a stop before the waiting area, he looked across the assembled candidates. "I am today's chief examiner, Loren Crantel, and the dean of the School of Sages." The young man's eyes were gentle, and his demeanor carried not the slightest hint of threat. This allowed many examinees whose nerves had been frayed to relax. Compared to the strict, intimidating examiner they had envisioned just a moment ago, it turned out the dean of the School of Sages appeared quite approachable. "The theme of this examination is 'wisdom and temperament,'" Loren continued methodically. "In the vast majority of cases, while challenging a Shadow World, deciphering clues along the correct path and advancing the main objective will not require you to defeat enemies whose tiers far exceed your own. "However, if an accident or mistake occurs along the way, it will cause the Shadow World to devolve into an extremely perilous situation. Not only will you encounter enemies powerful enough to kill you in an instant, but you may also be hunted in reverse... or even flayed alive. "Therefore, successfully unraveling the mystery and obtaining key clues in a Shadow World is of paramount importance." At this point, Loren paused briefly, his gaze turning somewhat complicated. "A lamentable tragedy once occurred at Ikerite Academy: a failed Tier 4 Shadow World where none of the seven participating students survived." His voice was not particularly deep, yet those words reverberated through the entire atrium like muffled thunder. To teenagers, "death" was perhaps a distant concept. However, quite a few may not have possessed the necessary resolve before coming to this academy. The examination hall grew eerily quiet, and many examinees' expressions visibly wavered. As though anticipating the students' reaction, Loren remained silent for several breaths before continuing: "The root cause was simply that the students in the team were overly conceited, which caused their main objective to stray from the proper direction while they lacked sufficient ability to cope with a suddenly deteriorating, chaotic situation. "This is what happens when temperament and wisdom fall out of balance. "Therefore, this year, both the School of Knights and the School of Sages will place special emphasis on candidates possessing firm mental resolve and the comprehensive ability to handle crises appropriately. "The test you will face shortly is a replica of an actual Shadow World. "Each of you will face the same solo Shadow World independently. Clearing it successfully will constitute a pass." After briefly explaining the examination procedure, Loren inserted a key glowing with black crystalline luster into the console of the "artificial Shadow World activation terminal." Then, the space directly before the magic apparatus seemed to gradually distort, growing darker and darker until it materialized into a seemingly ethereal gateway. Within its vast, mirror-like surface, countless twisted souls appeared to swirl. It was virtually identical to the Void Gates that permitted entry into real Shadow Worlds. Loren stood quietly in the hall's atrium while other academy staff began guiding the examinees, directing them to step through the Void Gate into the artificial Shadow World. At the same time, the giant screens mounted on the walls of the atrium ceased broadcasting their routine footage, switching instead to the Shadow World scenes of the entrance examination!