Lanqi's Humanity in Question

On the Eleven Great Plains. "Uh... didn't they say an artificial Shadow World carried no danger?" Lanqi stared at Ferrat lying motionless in the far distance, muttering with genuine concern. It seemed he had gone a bit too heavy-handed. According to Lanqi's original plan, the more opportunities Hyperion created for him to stoke Ferrat's anger, the higher their chances of victory. But he had never actually tested such a strategy in combat before. He had not been sure how enraged he needed to make Ferrat before Poet of Great Love could push him so far past the boiling point that he snapped entirely out of anger. That was why Lanqi had simply asked Hyperion to stall for as long as possible. Just to be safe. He had not anticipated that Poet of Great Love would be this terrifyingly potent. [Severe cardiovascular and cerebrovascular damage outside the artificial Shadow World protection protocol detected in Examiner Ferrat. Emergency evacuation protocol will now be initiated...] Along with the notification that suddenly flashed across the sky above the Shadow World, Ferrat's body on the ground was teleported out. Meanwhile, in the examination hall, Teacher Teresa—who was in charge of field logistics—was wringing her hands and stamping her feet in a frenzy of anxiety. After assessing Ferrat's condition, she immediately contacted the medical team from the School of Alchemy, who were now rushing toward the exam grounds with a stretcher. Most healing spells leaned toward surgical treatment. High-tier magic could also treat straightforward internal ailments. Yet a cerebral hemorrhage was something she truly could not heal. Ferrat required specialized surgeons to perform emergency operations on him. "Student Lanqi... and to think I was worried Ferrat would make things difficult for you at first..." Teresa buried her face in her hands, her voice completely drained of the will to live. Turns out she had worried about the wrong victim. She no longer knew how to evaluate the youth who had so candidly told her during enrollment that "I am a white mage." At the thought of Lanqi studying at the School of Sages in the future, perhaps even joining the department of healing mages, Teresa felt the school's reputation was utterly doomed. Lanqi might single-handedly invert the public perception of the term "healing mage." Even in the broader history of healing mages, he was destined to leave an indelible mark. ... The conference room of the School of Sages was neat and solemn, with long tables encircling a massive ring-shaped magic screen in the center. Several crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, their glow complementing the meticulously polished wall accents and neutral color palette to make the entire room bright and comfortable. And yet... At this moment, the room had descended into a clamor of turbulent debate! "We just got the latest report from the exam grounds. Ferrat suffered a cerebral hemorrhage because of Lanqi." "His magic card build is utterly diabolical!" "Once this kid gets in your head, you're done for. He makes you lose all self-control in an instant." "But if you were standing in Ferrat's shoes, who here can guarantee they wouldn't lose their temper?" "..." Everyone understood the principle. Even if they now realized that Lanqi's provocation had been an overt scheme, if any of them actually had to face him, nobody could say for sure whether they could keep themselves under control... In the end, Lanqi had even held back a mysterious Tier 1 magic card. God only knew whether that was an even more mind-breaking card—or what other torturous tricks he might concoct in the future! "If you face him as an opponent, you either eliminate Lanqi immediately, or, even if held back by him or his teammate, you must maintain an unshakable state of mind until you manage to finish him off," Vice Dean Ron remarked, reviewing the assessment. With Poet of Great Love serving as Lanqi's core trump card, facing him meant that emotions other than anger—including shock, sorrow, and joy—could prove equally fatal. And Lanqi was evidently exceptionally skilled at playing with his opponents' minds, plunging them into extreme emotional states before letting those feelings gather momentum like a boulder rolling down a mountain, impossible to arrest. "Typically, this manner of meddling with an enemy's psyche was a method favored only by the most sinister of the demon race during their holy wars of conquest," an instructor remarked in awe, watching the replay of the decisive moment on the magic screen. "Perhaps we should double-check his human citizenship," another instructor suggested. Vice Dean Ron shook his head. "There is no need to do something so disrespectful to a student. His race was thoroughly verified at enrollment." "Even demons would not dare use Lanqi's indiscriminate card recklessly, because a demon's desires are also their weaknesses; amplifying them infinitely is tantamount to self-destruction." "Unless the user possesses a mind as still as a clear mirror, completely impervious to external influence." Ron sighed. Clearly, Lanqi possessed precisely that impenetrable mindset. His temperament was extraordinarily optimistic and composed. No matter the circumstance, he had never shown the slightest wavering. The instructors present could only nod in helpless agreement. Although it was difficult to define the current combat strength of a mere Tier 2 student like Lanqi, they all knew that nobody would want to cross paths with a fully matured Lanqi in the future. His skill floor hovered near zero, but his ceiling was terrifyingly high. Take this exam, for instance. Under heightened difficulty, Lanqi and Hyperion had not only passed, but had also fulfilled the special clear condition of defeating the examiner, virtually guaranteeing them exceptionally high marks. Vice Dean Ron knew that Hyperion, Lanqi's temporary teammate, was far from his most optimal match. If Lanqi were ever to find a teammate with flawless synergy, it would likely bring about an unimaginable catastrophe... With that thought in mind, Vice Dean Ron removed his glasses and began leafing through the freshman roster for the School of Knights. When he reached a certain page, he drew in a sharp breath. This year, it seemed their school had recruited quite the legendary pair of eccentrics... ... Inside Phantom Ravine, accompanied by the notification that they had passed the exam, Lanqi let out a breath of relief. It seemed he had not broken the artificial Shadow World terminal this time. Even so, the terminal possessed serious hidden hazards. What did they mean by "no danger to life"? Had he not just brought one to light? Surely the professors of the School of Magic Engineering would be deeply grateful to him, a freshman of the School of Sages, for helping them eliminate a safety hazard. "I'm heading outside first." From the distance, an exhausted Hyperion waved to Lanqi and exited the artificial Shadow World testing environment ahead of him. Unlike Lanqi, who was completely unscathed, she had sustained numerous injuries and felt utterly drained; only by leaving the artificial Shadow World could her wounds be restored. Lanqi nodded toward the spot where Hyperion had vanished. Then he glanced at his Epic summon—Poet of Great Love. The reason he could not exit the artificial Shadow World right away was that he had to recall all of his magic cards before he could step through the Void Gate. Looking at this little demon summon who bore an uncanny resemblance to Talia, Lanqi could not help shaking his head with a smile. Back when he had collaborated with Talia to craft this card using Hymn of Compassion, he had taken charge of the illustration phase. To make the card as flawless as possible, he had naturally chosen the style he excelled at most— Directly modeling the summon's appearance after Talia! Furthermore, the primary card maker for this summon card was Talia herself, meaning an exceptionally profound bond existed between her and the card. Using her likeness to shape the card had, by some miraculous stroke of luck, produced an inexplicable level of synergy. Even though Talia had ended up both shocked and furious about it... In order not to ruin this peerless masterpiece on the verge of completion, and for the sake of the handsome fee Lanqi had promised her for making the card, she had forced herself to endure it.