Loren Left His Vocal Cords at Home

The real world. In the height of summer, a warm breeze carried the fresh dawn air as it gently swept across the sprawling metropolis. Water droplets clinging to the windowsills of Ikerite Academy were the lingering traces of last night's light rain. Loren returned to the school alone. His demeanor was as gentle as ever. In that regard, he closely resembled his student Lanqi, the only minor difference being that Lanqi naturally possessed an air of subtle majesty, whereas Loren was more unassuming and approachable—making it hard for anyone to sense just how formidable a powerhouse he truly was. He walked down a tree-lined path in solitude. Birds darted past now and then, and shifting dappled sunlight filtered through the branches onto his face, making his figure flicker between light and shadow. "..." A figure with snow-white hair and silver eyes—looking as pure as falling snow even in midsummer—stood in the distance, quietly observing Loren from afar. She could not make out the man's expression. Approaching Loren rashly or even watching him this closely was extraordinarily dangerous. One day, she might slip up. Yet she knew certain things could only be accomplished by her. Rather than spying on him from the shadows like this, it was better to simply walk over and strike up a casual conversation. Drawing a deep breath, the Ice Snow Witch composed herself. Her movements seemed both exceedingly swift and oddly leisurely; in mere steps, she materialized not far from Loren's side. "Loren." At the sound of her voice, Loren visibly started, his footing stumbling half a pace. He then turned to look at the Ice Snow Witch, Almis, who had walked up beside him. "Miss Almis, it's you at the school," Loren said, letting out what sounded like a heartfelt sigh of relief. Perhaps because he held no guard against Almis whatsoever, he hadn't even noticed her sudden approach. "..." Almis studied Loren in silence. He looked as if he hadn't slept well last night. Furthermore, he seemed remarkably fearful of her, as though he had no idea how to explain to her why Lanqi had dragged Hyperion into a Tier 7 Shadow World. Did he have a guilty conscience? Almis could not help feeling perplexed. For a moment, she couldn't tell whether Loren was displaying cunning, consummate acting skills or was simply hopelessly honest. Soon, the Ice Snow Witch cleared her thoughts. Regardless of whether Loren was playing tricks on her, as a covert agent, the best disguise was to pretend she knew nothing and interact with him normally. "I'm not here to pressure you. Seeing you suffer these past days, I've realized you are, at least, a responsible man," the Ice Snow Witch said in her characteristically flat tone. "Thank you for helping me handle the church's affairs during this time. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have been able to hold out," Loren exhaled once more, expressing his sincere gratitude. If the Ice Snow Witch hadn't happened to come down from the Northern Continent—holding an equivalent rank that allowed her to substitute for his duties as High Priest in the church—he likely wouldn't have had a single moment to close his eyes. "It's nothing. That is part of my duty anyway," the Ice Snow Witch said, turning her gaze away from Loren and looking ahead down the path. The two walked along together. On this summer day at Ikerite Academy, the green leaves flanking the road had just been washed by the rain, bowed under the weight of water droplets like taut bowstrings. Almis's body temperature was inherently low, and in this summer heat, it made the crisp, cool chill emanating from her all the more pronounced. The silence stretched for a good while, broken only by the slightly shrill cooing of several turtledoves perched upon the tree branches. "Almis, I give you my word: regarding Lanqi's abilities, you only need to trust his upper limits without worrying about his floor. As long as he is fine, Hyperion will definitely be safe," Loren said to the Ice Snow Witch beside him, as if unable to endure this silent interrogation any longer. He always felt that being around the Ice Snow Witch was sometimes even more agonizing than battling the Bishop of Destruction. "A young man and a young woman, all alone in a Tier 7 Shadow World... who can guarantee nothing will happen between them?" the Ice Snow Witch asked, turning her head toward Loren with a voice that was both airy and chilly. She had long heard plenty of rumors about Loren. Supposedly, he had several dozen fiancées, and his relationship with the famous Knight Commander Juliana of the Aloran Kingdom had been deeply ambiguous from start to finish. They merely pretended to be at odds to mislead his swarm of fiancées, while in truth, the two secretly slipped away for trysts at regular intervals under the pretext of official business. Not only did he harbor a singular fondness for Knight Commander Juliana, but he also used sweet words to charm dozens of fiancées to their utter satisfaction, leaving them hopelessly smitten with him. The Ice Snow Witch believed that Lanqi, as Loren's student, was bound to be cut from the same cloth. She was deeply worried that a girl of Hyperion's age would be duped by Lanqi. "Rest assured, this is the one area where Lanqi is exceptionally reliable. He is very mindful of keeping his distance from women. Aside from community service all day long, he has no interest in romance whatsoever," Loren said in a firm tone. He understood Lanqi well enough. "Just look at those rumors that are always circulating about me. Don't you think the claim of dozens of fiancées is completely absurd?" Loren actually understood why the Ice Snow Witch harbored such doubts. It was nothing more than the idle campus gossip. He had truly suffered from it for far too long. "..." The Ice Snow Witch was struck speechless. That did seem fair. "How do you usually train Lanqi?" the Ice Snow Witch asked again. She recalled seeing Lanqi during the Priest assessment, and his professional competence had indeed been thoroughly reliable. Yet how could anyone be passionate about community service? Even a child like Hyperion, who constantly muttered about accumulating merit, didn't have such an eccentric hobby. "...I never trained him. He grew up wild on his own," Loren stammered, his feelings conflicted. Lanqi had fallen from the sky; Loren hadn't raised him. This kid's strength was that his professional competence was extraordinary, and his flaw was that his professional competence was far too extraordinary. "Is that so?" the Ice Snow Witch murmured to herself, asking no further questions. Her mind was slightly set at ease. Thinking carefully about it, no matter how capable someone was, having dozens of fiancées was frankly too preposterous. It wasn't as if he were a Holy Emperor selecting an imperial harem; the rumor fell apart under scrutiny. Moreover, judging from her observations over the past half-month, Loren truly showed no improper conduct toward the opposite sex. At the very least, Loren was quite gentlemanly, treating her with utmost respect and politeness, showing not the slightest hint of viewing her as a mere woman. After all, master and disciple shared the same pedigree. If Lanqi was upright in matters of romance, then Loren couldn't stray that far either. "All right. I believe you, Loren," the Ice Snow Witch said. Having confirmed that Loren had no issues in this regard at least, the Ice Snow Witch felt far more relieved. Even if she were defeated by Loren one day, she wouldn't have to worry about him doing anything overly disgraceful to her; out of regard for their past days as colleagues, he would likely grant her a swift end. The two passed through the shaded walkway and arrived near Jera Memorial Square. The clock face hanging high upon the bell tower pointed leisurely toward nine o'clock. Encircled by numerous academic buildings, the giant outdoor screen was broadcasting the projection of today's ongoing Shadow World challenge. This weekend, the academy bustled with even greater vitality than on any ordinary day. For reasons unknown. Passionate clamor surged like tidal waves across the broad stone plaza. The tiered seating on the steps was completely packed with students, and even the surrounding walkways were no exception. Passersby seemed drawn by this magnetic force, stopping in their tracks one after another, their eyes glued to that colossal screen. From time to time, they shouted and screamed in wild excitement. Some threw up their hands, others bent over pumping their fists, as if celebrating a festival. "What is going on?" the Ice Snow Witch asked, looking at Loren. She always felt schools on the Southern Continent were far too unrestrained—or rather, the students were remarkably rowdy, excited every single day. "You'll get used to it. It's nothing major. When Lanqi entered the Sanctuary Shadow World previously, the spectating students loved doing this too," Loren waved his hand, looking thoroughly exhausted. "Wait." Loren suddenly snapped to attention. Could Lanqi have started a live broadcast? An ominous premonition made him instantly quicken his pace, heading toward the giant outdoor screen at Jera Memorial Square. His heart pounded as fast as a war drum. Still, it should be fine. He told himself that at most, Lanqi would just be demonstrating how to torment the Blood Clan this time. Whenever Lanqi caused students to cheer and holler, it was never anything more than his usual unhinged antics; there had never been any other exception. It shouldn't be a big problem. Two seconds later. Loren's legs froze as if rooted to the spot. The giant outdoor screen cut to a close-up within Lanqi's Shadow World— Under an infinite canopy of stars, a black-haired boy and a silver-haired girl stood on the seaside villa terrace. Hyperion leaned in toward Lanqi with all her might, stood on her tiptoes, and planted a kiss on his cheek. Lanqi gazed at the sea, his eyes snapping wide open. He stiffly turned his head, staring at Hyperion. What followed was a lingering, motionless exchange of gazes. The only sound was the thunderous, tsunami-like roar of cheers echoing across Jera Memorial Square. Loren's mouth fell open. Staring at the giant screen, his pupils trembled, and for a long time, he could not utter a single word. Faint cries of indeterminate origin drifted through the air: "This broadcast makes it crystal clear! Loren's two students had no intention of completing the mission at all! They're just seizing their final chance to fulfill their love on this last stretch of their lives!" "Obviously, after entering the Shadow World, they realized it was a trap—a disaster meant to be detonated using their very lives!" "Loren, what more can you hide?!" "..." Loren stared at the giant outdoor screen, feeling as though the chilling air beside him was about to freeze him solid. It was as if he had left his vocal cords at home; he didn't even dare turn his head to look at the Ice Snow Witch. Not just the Ice Snow Witch—he hardly dared imagine how the entire kingdom would be discussing him tomorrow. In the end. Loren covered his face and began to laugh. A truly shattered state of mind didn't manifest in shouting and wailing; it came with a faint smile. "..." The Ice Snow Witch stared at the corners of Loren's mouth and his trembling shoulders. Beyond her fury, she felt only a creeping dread. All of this. Perhaps it had all been planned by Loren from the very start. He was shivering with excitement right now. Perhaps no one else believed that a turnaround was still possible at this stage, but the Ice Snow Witch did. She was Loren's final opponent, and the only person capable of exposing his conspiracy! Resolving her heart, the Ice Snow Witch swore to herself, clenching her fair, slender hand tight.