NOVPUBAs the surroundings gradually brightened, Lanci’s vision was filled with light.
He found himself in a cold iron prison, feeling the icy wind seeping in through countless unknown crevices, carrying a bone-piercing cold. 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝘱𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Each breath felt like swallowing hail, as if his lungs were frozen solid.
"It’s too cold..."
Lanci’s words came out with a mist.
In fact, he had never challenged this Artificial Shadow World, because he had very little experience with the Shadow World itself.
Including two entrance exams and the actual Shadow World, there had only been four times in total.
His gaze swept around the room, seeing a thick layer of frost condensed on the rough walls. In the corner of the wall, a heavy shackle was linked to his wrist by an iron chain.
The ground had been eroded unevenly by time, and in some of the low-lying areas, there were large chunks of dark ice. Whenever the wind blew in through the gaps in the iron bars, the ice chunks and chains would make a series of collision noises.
Hanging from the low ceiling were long icicles formed by condensation from the dampness inside the cell, constantly threatened to fall and pierce the prisoner’s head.
A thick iron bar made up the entire door, and in the corridor outside, there was ceaseless wind and unending darkness. The howling wind seemed to carry with it the wails of souls that had been imprisoned here for thousands of years.
At the same time, the information about the Shadow World appeared in front of Lanci——
[Shadow World: Desperate Bony Cage]
[Level: Second-order]
[Number of Challengers: 2]
[Welcome to the Artificial Shadow World, technically supported by the Magic Engineering College.]
[Note: This assessment involves practical simulation of the Shadow World. Generally speaking, there is no danger to life in a simulated Shadow World.]
[Note: This Shadow World is not suitable for challengers with cardiovascular diseases.]
[After the death of a candidate, they will be automatically ejected from the Shadow World. Candidates can also choose to quit voluntarily. However, you may experience death and pain, including unbearable conditions such as hunger and extreme cold...]
[Even if you’re in a hopeless prison and can’t see any hope for now, only those who survive can win in the end.]
[You have been captured and taken to the Seventh Layer of Absolute Prison, a prison that has never had a prison break since its construction. The warden constantly destabilizes the prisoners’ will with various methods, today you have been thrown into a punishment cell of extreme cold.]
[In this Shadow World, all Magic Cards will be sealed, and the order will be sealed to the second order.]
[In addition to the initial supplies, a random supply will be received every half hour.]
[Mission Goal (Endless Mode): Try to survive as long as possible and obtain more prison-related information from other prisoners.]
Lanci calmly read the information of the Shadow World.
It was similar to the knowledge he crammed in before the competition.
In the database of the South Continent Shadow World Management Association’s registered Challenger exam, there are many classic remakes of Low-order Shadow Worlds.
Among them, [Desperate Bony Cage] is a well-known Second-order Shadow World, often used for practice, where the content is to survive in this extremely harsh environment and constantly cooling icy-cold prison cell for two hours.
Later, it was gradually discovered by various academies and the South Continent Shadow World Management Association that it has a modifiable space.
Because it can be changed into "Endless Mode" full of randomness, and challengers can try to survive as long as possible in this mode in various ways.
It became a popular record-breaking Artificial Shadow World.
...
A raindrop fell on the stone steps, followed by more and more raindrops, and the area around the square quickly turned into a white blanket.
Some commotion had just occurred at the edge of Jera Memorial Square, another person had fainted.
However, the students from the Ichrite Academy nearby quickly contacted the hospital at the Alchemy College to take the unconscious girl away.
They watched the unconscious girl being taken away.
"Thank you for your help."
The students from the Royal Arolan Academy expressed their gratitude to the warm-hearted Ichrite students who had offered their help.
They didn’t expect that the students from the Ichrite Academy would be so swift and resolute in dealing with this emergency, and the medical staff from the Alchemy College who rushed over were orderly and efficient, not wasting a single second.
It was just like they had just conducted a drill two days ago.
The students from the Arolan Kingdom couldn’t help but marvel at the execution and unity of the Ichrite students in dealing with emergencies. It was truly remarkable.
"Don’t worry, she probably fainted due to anemia. There’s no danger to her life."
The students around them replied humbly.
After all the issues had been resolved, the attention of the students on the plaza steps returned gradually to the fluorescent screen from nearest to farthest.
From the audience’s point of view, the camera was facing two adjacent cells. Adams was on the left and Lanci on the right. They were both behind bars and the cells were separated by walls, with prisoners in the cells next to them as well.
In addition to the initial supplies, if they survived for half an hour, they would receive a supply drop. This could be food and water, or it could be things like medicine, textiles, or even Fire Attribute Gems.
If there was a supply problem, for example, they were short of food but had excess fire gems, they could try to exchange with the prisoner in the neighboring cell at the edge of the wall and bars.
But at this time it was necessary to estimate the other’s needs and saturation, in order to achieve the best trading conditions.
Veterans of this Artificial Shadow World knew that during the exchange of supplies, they couldn’t let the other person figure out what they were lacking. Sometimes, they even had to pretend to be sufficient even when their supplies were not, or anticipate and improve their own supply structure when they were already well-stocked, while also judging the risk of the trade being defaulted on. Because if the prisoner next door was on the verge of death, they might enter a one-time scam trade.
In addition, if there were extra supplies, they might exchange with other prisoners for information. Collecting information could also earn additional points in this Shadow World.
"The temperature will gradually drop in this Endless Mode. No matter how abundant the supplies, it is impossible to hold on forever. The record holder of the single mode has lasted for exactly twenty hours and five minutes, even though he was only Second-order."
Among the colorful umbrellas on the plaza, upperclassmen were explaining the mechanics of the Shadow World to the nearby lowerclassmen with confused expressions.
"Adams’s advantage lies in his well-tested physical quality as a warrior, which is better than Lanci’s. He also has rich experience, while many of Lanci’s advantages are hard to play out in this Shadow World."
"Most importantly, I am quite sure that Lanci has never challenged this Artificial Shadow World, and it is very difficult to compensate for some problems relating to multi-round experience through wisdom."
For fragile people, more wisdom is required to last for two hours, but for those like Lanci and Adams, who are naturally highly resilient Combat Professions, they can hold on stubbornly early on.
The real competition lies in who can hoard as many supplies as possible early on, and then engage in an ultimate battle of willpower later on as the temperature drops increasingly lower.
...
Within the area under Sage Academy’s jurisdiction, there was a small library loft. Although it was small in size, the interior was filled with an ancient and noble academic magical atmosphere.
The bookshelves in the loft were meticulously arranged into splendid patterns, stretching from the floor along the wall to the ceiling, resembling ramparts within an ancient castle.
Walking up to the second floor of the loft, a separate Magic Fluorescent Screen hung high on the wall. Its surface flickered with light and shadow, playing the same images as the outdoor giant screen at Jera Memorial Square.
And at the loft’s most conspicuous position.
"Hahaha, Lanci has really stepped up his game this time."
A woman dressed in black, sitting in the main seat, was laughing merrily while commenting at the images on the screen.
This place belonged to a powerful team from Sage Academy, and it was a unique activity space authorized for them by the school.
The current leader of the team was Marquis Modan Gasigus, who was a Gold-level Challenger. However, it was apparent that the real decision-maker was this woman in a long, black dress, who was a fourth-year student at Sage Academy and a Platinum-level Challenger.
Modan, who was on the ground floor watching the screen, didn’t look relaxed.
Having clashed with Lanci in the past, he had always thought that if Vice President Asina from the student council in the third year of Sage Academy didn’t participate, he himself would be the strongest.
However, everyone unanimously voted for Lanci.
But seeing the contents of this Shadow World, Modan didn’t think it’s easy for Lanci to win.
"Lanci is daring this time around. Do you see him daring to lose?"
Seemingly aware of Modan’s condition downstairs, the woman in the black dress stood up and leaned over the railing, smiling down at him.
"..."
Modan was at a loss for words.
He was unable to deduce the mood and stance of the woman on the second floor. She too was, more or less, connected with this bet.
Because she was one of Dean Loren’s fiancées.
"Senior sister, do you still think Lanci will win?"
After a moment of silence, Modan looked up and asked uncertainly.
"I think he will lose."
The woman with the black veil covered her cheeks as if praying.
"I hope Lanci loses. I hope he gives Dean Loren an even harder time!"
Although she liked her teacher, Dean Loren, she was always delighted whenever he suffered. She really wished she could tease Loren herself one day.
Just thinking about it made her face gradually turn a joyful scarlet.
At this time, in the Shadow World image on the wall screen.
Lanci and Adams both unsurprisingly chose to rely on their physical qualities, hoarding supplies, and waiting for the prisoners in the cells around them to initiate a trade.
It seemed they were really about to engage in an extreme competition of willpower.
