Sunlight filtered through the green leaves, casting dappled light onto the stone steps of the Sage Institute’s Ancient Tower Library.
On the nearby road, only a few early risers hurried by in the morning light.
"So, if I join a team, what would the Shadow Realm challenges be like?"
Lanchi wasn’t in a hurry to agree to any team yet—he was just casually chatting with Vivian.
Since first-year students weren’t allowed to challenge the Shadow Realm alone, he couldn’t enter on his own.
Once stepping through the Void Gate, the Shadow Realm would automatically adjust its difficulty based on the challengers’ combined rankings.
If a team wasn’t at full capacity, the system could even match them with other challengers from different Void Gates around the world.
"You’d be led by Silver-ranked second- and third-year students. With your talent, you’ll quickly adapt to real combat inside the Shadow Realm."
Vivian answered as they approached the Sage Institute’s territory. The towering library, one of its most iconic landmarks, was already in sight.
Most Gold-ranked Registered Challengers were third-years, and they were never below Rank 5.Even setting aside practical considerations, regulations prevented high-ranked challengers from teaming up with someone at Rank 2, like Lanchi.
According to the Southern Continent Shadow Realm Management Association, to ensure safety, challengers could not form teams if their ranks differed by more than 2 levels—otherwise, the challenge difficulty would become overwhelming.
So, even if Lanchi joined a team, at most, he would be guided by a fourth-rank senior Silver-ranked student.
"So basically, I just follow orders and play support?"
"The answer is yes."
"Then let me think about it some more."
Lanchi’s response was polite, but Vivian knew it meant no.
Shadow Realm rewards were based on the team’s achievements and the individual’s final evaluation.
If someone just coasted along without doing much, the rewards wouldn’t be great. The Shadow Realm Management Association also wouldn’t grant them many promotion points after reviewing the challenge.
But for most newbies, simply clearing the Shadow Realm was already a blessing—
Let alone achieving a high individual rating, unless they were some kind of godly prodigy wiping the floor with monsters.
Vivian paused, then asked skeptically,
"Wait… are you planning to command a team yourself?"
That couldn’t be possible, right? Lanchi wasn’t that arrogant, was he?
Even if some teams had support-type members as their tactical leads, no one would ever let a newcomer take command.
After all, the Shadow Realm was a life-or-death challenge!
"Not at all! I’m not great at leading large groups."
Lanchi quickly denied it.
"Good. You need to take Shadow Realm challenges seriously—they’re far more dangerous than you think! Especially for a newbie like you, don’t overestimate yourself. Watch, learn, and be careful."
Vivian’s tone grew stern—she had a strong feeling that Lanchi wasn’t fully grasping just how deadly the Shadow Realm could be.
"If you think our team is a good fit after considering everything, just let me know. Also, be wary—there are some strong teams with terrible people in them. Be careful who you trust."
Vivian wasn’t in a rush to recruit him.
After all, Lanchi had plenty of options to compare, and she didn’t want him to just settle for their team.
Without realizing it, they had arrived at a tall, red-brick building that looked more like a manor-style hotel than a dormitory.
"Alright, thank you, Princess Vivian."
Lanchi smiled as he thanked her and stepped through the automatic rotating glass doors of the Sage Institute’s dormitory building.
It was clear that some people were already interested in him.
Whether or not he joined a team, his Shadow Realm challenges would be under a lot of scrutiny.
The Problem with Being Too Popular
According to regulations, all Registered Challengers had to carry an official Shadow Realm Recording Program Magic Card from the Southern Continent Shadow Realm Management Association.
This card automatically recorded every aspect of a challenge, including real-time combat situations and environmental data. It was a critical tool for research societies to analyze Shadow Realm intelligence afterward.
Most importantly—
This Recording Program had a real-time broadcast feature similar to the Artificial Shadow Realm Activation Terminal.
For example, since Icrithe Academy was an official partner of the Shadow Realm Management Association, the Magic Engineering Institute’s media department could select notable or educationally valuable challenges to broadcast live on the academy’s magic screens.
If Lanchi got too much attention, he could easily end up being forcefully featured!
He really didn’t want that.
Lanchi frowned—his second-round exam challenge, "Winter’s Concealed Flame," hadn’t exactly received a great reaction last time.
Lost in thought, he inhaled the fresh air as a light, cheerful melody drifted into his ears.
Sage Institute Dormitory
Upon entering the dormitory, the first thing that caught the eye was the grand platinum chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It shimmered like a sky full of stars, illuminating the spacious lobby.
On the first floor, there were sofas and tea tables where students could relax. Despite it being early morning, a few students were already drinking tea and chatting, looking at ease and content.
No one particularly noticed Lanchi and Vivian—new students moving in had already become a common sight over the past few days.
They walked across the antique rug laid over the floor and approached the reception desk.
The dormitory manager, wearing an Icrithe Academy staff badge, looked up to greet them.
"Checking in to the dorms today?"
The manager asked with a polite smile.
"Yes," Vivian replied.
"The male dormitory is in the left wing, and the female dormitory is in the right wing. The cafeteria is in the back. Rooms are first-come, first-serve, and since you two are the first to check in for each dorm, you can choose any room you like. Currently, every floor still has vacancies."
The previous third-year graduates had moved out, freeing up plenty of space.
"I’ll take the second floor. See you later."
Vivian made a swift decision, took the key, and left without hesitation.
"See you."
Lanchi waved as she walked away.
Despite her proud and sharp demeanor, Vivian wasn’t difficult to get along with.
She was genuine in her interactions.
Lanchi hesitated for a moment but also felt that the second floor was a good choice.
It was convenient for going up and down, didn’t have the dampness of the first floor, and wasn’t as noisy as the main entrance area.
"Oh, one more thing," the dormitory manager added.
"The first floor has a few rooms, but since no one ever wanted to live there, the school eventually combined them into double-sized suites. So, if you pick a first-floor room, it’ll be twice as large as the others."
The manager sighed.
"The princess didn’t even let me finish before she immediately took the second floor… I wouldn’t dare argue with her."
The manager looked at Lanchi curiously.
He had no idea how this black-haired, green-eyed boy managed to stay so calm in front of Princess Vivian.
"In that case, I’ll take a room on the first floor."
Lanchi responded casually.
He had a feeling that the dormitory manager really wanted someone to finally pick the first floor.
"Alright, here’s the key to Room 101."
The manager smiled as he handed Lanchi a silver key inscribed with magical runes.
Even though the first-floor rooms were recommended every single year, it was rare for someone to actually take them.
Having the first student this year willingly choose the first floor made the manager quite pleased.
"Thank you. By the way, where are the fire safety tools?"
Lanchi accepted the key and then politely asked.
"...!?"
The manager froze.
This was objectively a good question.
But in all his years working here, no student had ever made fire safety their first concern when moving in.
For some reason, that worried him.
For a moment, silence filled the Sage Institute Dormitory’s reception area.
The manager stared at Lanchi.
Lanchi tilted his head slightly, his green eyes filled with innocence and curiosity.
Ahem.
The manager cleared his throat.
This student seemed to embody kindness, politeness, and humility—he was probably not a dangerous person.
"Of course, student. Our academy takes safety very seriously, and fire prevention is one of our top priorities. The entire dormitory has been designed and maintained according to Hetton Kingdom’s official fire safety regulations and building standards…"
Out of professional responsibility, the manager gave Lanchi a detailed explanation of the fire exits and fire safety equipment locations.
Lanchi listened attentively, nodding from time to time.
Which only made the manager more nervous.
"...Student, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but… you aren’t carrying any… dangerous items, are you?"
After finishing the fire safety briefing, the manager hesitated before asking the question on his mind.
"Not at all, you can rest assured."
Lanchi firmly reassured him.
Hearing this, the manager relaxed.
After all, the dormitory entrance was equipped with the Magic Engineering Institute’s latest automated security scanners—flammable or explosive items couldn’t even be brought inside.
With that, Lanchi cheerfully waved goodbye to the manager and set off to find his room.
Dorm Room 101
Lanchi had brought minimal luggage from the Southern Vantina Border Region—he had planned to buy everything he needed once he moved into the Royal Capital dorms.
That included Card Crafting tools and other supplies.
So, if he could get a larger dorm room, he could set up a small art studio and a Card Crafting workshop.
This was one of the big reasons he had chosen the first floor.
Also…
Failure is an unavoidable part of Card Crafting. That’s just how it works.
Talia had already taken to mocking him as a “Card Exploder”.
If he was going to practice crafting cards in his dorm… then the first floor was probably the safest option.
Lanchi thought to himself as he walked down the hallway.
It didn’t take long to find Room 101, right next to the lobby corridor.
He inserted the key into the lock, turned it, and with a crisp click, the solid wooden door swung open.
The entryway came into view—
An elegant European-style coat rack and shoe cabinet stood near the door, offering a convenient place to store outerwear and shoes.
The entryway was both simple and functional, yet also tastefully decorated.
Lanchi stepped through it and into the main living space—a spacious common area.
The living room was furnished with a comfortable sofa, a matching coffee table, and a wall-mounted magic screen.
The warm-toned throw pillows and blankets on the sofa gave the space a cozy feel. A vintage floor lamp stood nearby, its soft light casting a glow over the rich brown wooden furniture, making the whole room feel warm and inviting.
It didn’t take Lanchi long to familiarize himself with the layout of his new home.
The living room connected to four different rooms:
A bedroom with an attached bathroom.
A balcony.
A study room.
A large empty storage room, likely designed for customization and student use.
The room was massive, almost too large.
But if the space had been too small, students would probably complain about it.
Just as he was finishing his inspection, there was a knock on the door.
Opening it, he found a staff member from the Student Services Center delivering the luggage he had previously stored with them.
Unpacking & Future Plans
The unpacking process went smoothly, and by midday, his dorm was fully set up.
The furniture was complete, and the storage space was well-designed—this was the most satisfying part.
Lanchi sat on the sofa, flipping through the "Southern Continent Card Artisan Association Registration Charter," waiting for lunchtime.
This was the first step in his journey to becoming a world-renowned Card Artisan.
The minimum requirement to register as a Card Artisan was Rank 3, meaning he had to be able to craft three types of magic cards:
Summoning Cards
Spell Cards
Equipment Cards
Lanchi still had a long way to go in refining his Card Crafting skills.
He also needed to reach Rank 3 as soon as possible so he could take the Card Artisan exam at the Royal Capital’s Icrithe Branch of the Southern Continent Card Artisan Association.
Becoming a Registered Card Artisan meant patent protection, exemption from tedious verification fees, and official trading privileges under his own name.
"Hmm… I got to skip the entrance exam and became an Iron-ranked Registered Challenger right away… I wonder if I can get a higher starting rank for the Card Artisan exam?"
Lanchi muttered as he flipped through the pages of his book.
The Card Artisan Ranking System
The Card Artisan exam, also known as the Rank Certification Exam, followed a ranking system similar to the Shadow Realm Management Association:
Iron
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Magic Crystal
Grandmaster
The exam would determine his initial rank based on his potential.
For most applicants, just achieving Iron rank was already a success.
However, those with exceptional talent could sometimes skip ranks and start at Bronze or even Silver.
A Silver-ranked Card Artisan was already considered a rare talent.
In fact—
Even Gold-ranked Card Artisans were rare in this academy, and across the entire Southern Continent, Gold-ranked Card Artisans were far fewer than Gold-ranked Challengers.
"Sigh… my craftsmanship is still too unstable."
Lanchi closed the book with a sigh.
So far, he had only successfully crafted two Purple-tier Rare Magic Cards—
[Basic Etiquette] and [Friendly Exchange].
Other than those, he had only managed to create a handful of Blue-tier Valuable First-Rank Cards.
Every other magic card he needed—especially those in the Error Treatment series—had been purchased from the association.
Luckily, those cards were dirt cheap.
"Well… whatever. First, I need to get stronger in the real Shadow Realm. I can’t even take the Card Artisan exam until I hit Rank 3."
Lanchi wasn’t the type to stress over the future.
"Live for today, drink for today—tomorrow is another day!"
Becoming a true Card Artisan would take time.
For now—
His new life at Icrithe Academy was about to begin!