Lan Qi, who had originally been on the second-floor corridor preparing to return to the Sanctuary to find Huperion and Frey, stopped in his tracks as he looked at the castle scene gradually dissolving away.
"Ah, looks like I don’t need to walk anymore."
As the castle walls slowly faded, the brilliance of dawn, at the very moment it reached its peak, was suddenly replaced by deep darkness.
In just the blink of an eye, Lan Qi found himself standing in a transparent hut, as though wrapped in an eternal starry sky.
Only a few scattered stars twinkled faintly, as if narrating stories of tens of thousands of years, shining brightly. Frey and Huperion were also here, their light enough for him to clearly see the scene before him.
This was a wondrous space, where the real world and the shadow world intertwined, forming a liminal edge.
Not far away, a crack quietly appeared on the transparent barrier, from which a few strands of tranquil violet light leaked. Soon, as long as they passed through this small void gate, they could return to the real world—back to the familiar campus life of Ikerite.
But the settlement of the shadow world had yet to appear.
From their previous experience, Lan Qi and Huperion were already certain that if too many actions outside the “intended mechanics” occurred during a real shadow world challenge, the settlement process would take a little longer.
Who knew how long this one would take.Lan Qi smiled at Huperion and Frey, preparing to chat with them.
"This time, our rewards shouldn’t be bad either."
He spoke with full confidence to the two of them.
"After all, we burned a lot of merit points for better scores…"
Huperion covered her cheeks. To improve her rewards this time, Lan Qi had insisted she personally start up the Solar Infinite Merit Machine several times.
Though grateful to Lan Qi, the more time she spent with him, the less possible it seemed she could ever remain “human.”
"I’m actually starting to look forward to this."
All of Frey’s magic cards came from his teacher, Sphintos, the Dean of the Knight Academy. But so far, Sphintos had only given him cards up to purple rare rank.
The thought that he might finally obtain his first pink divine card, or even an orange epic-ranked magic card, left Frey with a bittersweet dilemma—
Should he use it for himself, or sell it off and gamble on wealth?
"Frey, if you get a top-tier card that perfectly suits you and then try to sell it, I doubt Dean Sphintos would let you off…"
Huperion, of course, knew that elder dean of the Knight Academy.
He had once also been the teacher of Duke Migaya Aransal.
For Frey to be chosen by him meant Frey possessed talents no less than Migaya, once called a true prodigy.
Just as the three of them chatted like they would in the student council, suddenly, in this quiet, strange space, lines of information began to flash into being. Pure white halos scrolled one by one across the dark void.
【Shadow World – Sanctuary Villain Banquet cleared.】
【Settlement complete, evaluation generating…】
【Since challengers Lan Qi & Huperion & Frey entered as a team, team settlement will be applied.】
【In this reasoning-type Shadow World of 120 total hours, challengers identified the traitor in 11 hours 30 minutes, and completed full information disclosure in 17 hours 58 minutes.】
【Team has achieved the following feats:】
【Noble Instructor SS – Under your influence, most living beings evolve within a single day. For those unable to evolve, you help them in another way.】
【Villain’s Banquet A – In this reasoning-type Shadow World, you successfully achieved the traitor’s goal, rescuing and taking control of Viscount Augustine.】
【External Battle Specialist S – The traitor fell into your traps and was utterly tormented.】
【Music and Rites Enlightenment E – At your request, the Great Poet of Love dutifully played the organ instead of remodeling it into an earth-shattering kitchen utensil, as she preferred.】
【Vampire Release SSS – You released and sealed Viscount Augustine more than ten thousand times.】
【Conscience D – You are a kind witch, the only one still trying to be human.】
"These must be mine and Huperion’s."
Lan Qi, watching the updating light screen, happily told the others.
"…What the hell is that ‘Music and Rites Enlightenment’ one supposed to mean?"
Though there were plenty of strange ones to complain about, what Huperion found most baffling was the achievement regarding the Great Poet of Love.
"Could it be that the Great Poet of Love has been obsessed with that organ all this time?"
She asked, puzzled.
"So that’s why she always lingered around the Sanctuary organ. I thought she just wanted to play a bit more."
Frey nodded, finally understanding the Great Poet’s quirk.
It turned out that what burned in her eyes was not the soul of music, but the soul of a craftsman.
"In the future, I’ll have to keep a closer watch on my summoned creature. She’s too strange—there’s no way I can let her near expensive instruments."
Lan Qi felt a chill in hindsight.
The Great Poet of Love had full self-awareness; even Lan Qi couldn’t guess what was in her mind. To think she really was that deranged.
If she accidentally damaged some kingdom-treasured, priceless instrument, the losses caused by the summoned being would all fall on the summoner. Lan Qi might well end up bankrupt.
As they talked, the evaluation continued scrolling.
【Detective SS – You are a detective combining both wisdom and strength, leaving enemies unable to tell if you solved cases with power or intelligence.】
【Castle Protector C – Because you solved the mystery efficiently, no bedroom doors were destroyed by the traitor on the first night. You fully protected Lichtenstein Castle.】
【Vampire’s Gospel S – Thanks to your efforts, vampires gained an unprecedented evolutionary path—mummies.】
【Achievement review complete. Evaluation generated.】
【Because of your presence, the very nature of a killing game was altered. Compared to you, the two designated traitors of the Sanctuary Villains seemed no different from ordinary people.】
【Overall Evaluation: SSS】
【Rank Increases: Lan Qi Rank 3 → Rank 4, Huperion Rank 4 → Rank 5, Frey Rank 4 → Rank 5.】
At the instant the settlement ended, all three of them experienced breakthroughs.
Lan Qi even realized that though he had just reached Rank 4, he was already not far from Rank 5.
For a Rank 3 challenger to take on a Rank 5 Shadow World was already over-rewarding—let alone earning an SSS evaluation.
Frey, meanwhile, experiencing this god-granted enlightenment for the first time, clenched his fists in amazement.
"Frey, how does it feel?"
Lan Qi asked.
Compared to him and Huperion, the changes for Frey from his rank increase would be the most noticeable.
"…So this is Rank 5? If I fought the Saint of Destruction one-on-one in jungle terrain at night, I could even bring her down."
Frey was convinced that with his rank-up, more of his wolf clan traits had awakened.
Lan Qi nodded.
Even at Rank 4, Frey already had strength on par with Rank 5.
Now that he was Rank 5—even though there was a gulf between Rank 5 and Rank 6—at night, with his racial boost, even among Rank 6 he could not be underestimated.
At present, he could be considered the strongest combat force in their team.
【Reward Settlement: Tear of the Undying Glaze (Rank 4 Epic Equipment Card), Wolf King’s Proud Heart (Epic Material), Witch’s Warm Companionship (Rank 5 Divine Equipment Card).】
Soon, with that announcement, three hazy, glowing orbs drifted toward them.