The light piercing through the glass dome in the atrium exam hall grew increasingly brilliant.
Theresa shook her head, feeling that something was off.
How could this boy say something like that with such a bright and cheerful expression?
Of course, based on his performance in the last exam, it was clear he wasn’t just some ordinary student.
“So don’t worry, as a model law-abiding citizen, I won’t be acting against you.”
Lance smiled at Huberian.
He felt that teammates should have more trust in each other.
“Fair enough.”
Huberian hesitated slightly but still nodded in agreement.
If this guy really were putting on an act, then she figured there wouldn’t be a place for her to survive in this capital city anyway.As a White Mage, he might not be particularly strong, but as a legal pioneer…
She wasn’t so sure.
There wasn’t much time for further conversation.
Following the exam procedure, Lance and Huberian were quickly led by Theresa to the Void Gate.
“You two should be a little cautious of Examiner Flat Savinson,” Theresa whispered beside them. “Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but… he’s a pretty strict guy.”
Personally, Theresa thought that both Huberian and Lance were outstanding students, so she didn’t want to see them treated unfairly.
Even though there wasn’t much she could do to help.
“Thank you.”
Huberian nodded and expressed her gratitude to Theresa.
Just knowing who their examiner was already felt like a big help to her.
“Alright, the exam is starting.”
With Theresa’s gentle voice, the Void Gate before them activated in front of the artificial Shadow Realm terminal.
This time, however, a countdown was displayed on the Void Gate.
Clearly, the examinees had to enter within the time limit.
Lance didn’t ask any questions and stepped in alongside Huberian.
Although he had no idea who Flat was, it seemed like Huberian did—he could just ask her later.
Inside the Void Gate.
Just like last time, it was an expanse of pitch-black space, completely devoid of anything visible.
The surroundings were far quieter than the seventh-floor atrium, as if all sound had been sealed away.
The next second, brilliant light flared up, and he found himself in what seemed like a dimensional tunnel, stretching endlessly.
A series of prompts appeared before his eyes.
【Shadow Realm: Infinite Phantom Canyon】
【Tier: 2】
【Number of Challengers: 2】
【Welcome to Phantom Canyon. This map is a Shadow Realm designed by the Magic Engineering Institute for combat training.】
【The current exam setup has placed the Shadow Realm’s main storyline in a failed state, leaving the challengers in a desperate situation.】
【You will enter a randomized map and face a Tier 4 Pursuer played by the examiner. The examiner is prohibited from using magic cards but will utilize spells appropriate to their tier.】
【The artificial Shadow Realm poses no life-threatening risks.】
【If a challenger is defeated or fails the mission, they will be automatically ejected from the Shadow Realm.】
【Challengers may also choose to leave voluntarily, which will be considered a failure.】
【Note: Based on the performance evaluations of Examinee 001 Lance Wilfort and Examinee 002 Huberian Aransal in the previous round, the difficulty of this exam has been dynamically adjusted.】
【Note: The initial distance between the challengers and the Pursuer has been reduced to 1/3.】
【Note: The Pursuer’s tier restriction has been adjusted to Tier 5.】
【Mission Objective: Survive until the time limit expires through cooperation.】
【Time Remaining: 29 minutes 59 seconds.】
【This exam’s map is: Eleven Great Plains.】
As the light fully illuminated the scene, they found themselves standing on a vast grassland, bathed in warm, radiant sunlight.
The sky stretched endlessly, a pristine blue with a few white clouds drifting lazily along the breeze. The emerald-green grass swayed gently, vibrant and full of life, like a boundless sea of jade.
“How high is your score exactly?”
Huberian couldn’t help but ask Lance when she saw the notes about the “1/3 initial distance” and the “Tier 5 Pursuer.”
But when she saw that the randomized terrain was “plains,” she finally cracked a little.
She almost wanted to laugh out of sheer frustration.
“I don’t know. Didn’t they say it’s an artificial scoring system this time? They didn’t announce anything. And seriously, is this ‘plains’ map just for entertainment value?”
Even Lance was momentarily stunned.
For a moment, he couldn’t tell whether someone had tampered with the randomization, whether their luck was just that bad, or whether the person who designed this 【Infinite Phantom Canyon】 at the Magic Engineering Institute was simply insane.
He’d long heard that the people in the Magic Engineering Institute weren’t normal.
Now, he was finally seeing signs of that firsthand.
Normally, these three negative effects wouldn’t be too overwhelming on their own.
But together?
It was a completely different story.
Most of the entrance examinees were only Tier 2.
Lance, for example, had only recently reached Tier 2.
Examinees like Huberian, who were already Tier 3, were rare.
However.
Whether they were Tier 2 or Tier 3, against a Tier 5 opponent, they were utterly outmatched!
Getting caught meant immediate failure.
In this vast, unobstructed plains terrain, with a shortened starting distance, there was no way to outrun their opponent.
“Heh…”
Huberian opened her mouth to say something but then realized there was nothing worth saying.
These so-called noble lords, who pretended to play fair while shamelessly stacking the deck against them, were utterly ridiculous.
Ever since Duke Aransal disappeared, she had been ensnared in a web of assassination attempts and false accusations, unable to tell who was trying to help her and who was trying to destroy her.
She had finally found a sliver of a clue regarding her father’s disappearance, a glimmer of hope.
Yet by doing so, she had stumbled into something far deeper.
She could feel it—before long, she would meet an untimely end in the capital.
Right now, her only chance of survival was to follow the final arrangements her father had left before his disappearance and successfully enroll.
With High Priest Loren of the Goddess of Fate’s church offering protection, no one would dare commit murder within the Sage Institute.
However.
Those who couldn’t stand to lose would never allow her to join Ikrit Academy so easily.
“You’re not running?”
Huberian tilted her head slightly, raising her gaze as she asked.
She noticed that Lance showed no intention of panicking or fleeing either.
“If we forfeit now, we’ll suffer less.”
“Can’t do that.”
Lance replied helplessly.
“Why not?”
Huberian let out a slight mocking smile.
Unlike her, who was already consumed by anger and bloodlust, cornered with no way out, this boy didn’t seem to have any desperate reason to pass the exam.
Lance spread his hands and answered,
“If I fail, my old man will scold me when I get home.”
“……”
Huberian thought he was joking.
But after observing him closely, she realized—
Lance had always been like this.
He occasionally showed surprise or confusion, but deep down, his emotions remained completely undisturbed.
As if his heart rate was forever at the calm, leisurely pace of someone sipping afternoon tea.