NOVPUBMain Building of Magic Engineering College, fifth floor. 𝚗𝚘v𝚙𝚞b.𝚌𝚘m
The floor-to-ceiling crystal windows brightened the entire hallway, and occasionally members of the Magic Engineering College’s faculty and staff passed by, while the carpets laid on the wooden floor reduced the sound of footsteps and noise.
The heavy doors of the Dean’s office swung open, and Lanci and Hyperion stepped out, turning back to bid farewell to Professor Bolao before leaving.
They walked along the corridor lined with glass curtain walls, and their conversation resumed.
"I didn’t realize we talked for quite a while with Professor Bolao."
Gazing at the glaring sunlight, Lanci remarked with a sigh.
Apart from filling out forms and registering, he had been chatting with Professor Bolao.
"It feels like it’s past eleven already."
In this angle, Hyperion couldn’t see the school’s clock tower, but she had a feeling that it was about that time.
"Let’s head home, that’s enough for today, and we need a good rest."
Lanci trusted Hyperion to have an accurate sense of time.
Professor Bolao told Lanci and Hyperion that he would have their special approval letters ready by tomorrow, and if they came to pick up their new credentials from the Magic Engineering College in the morning, they would be ready to take on the Shadow World.
So Lanci and Hyperion also agreed to go to the Shadow World together tomorrow, with only the Cat Boss necessary to bring along.
When they returned to the store later, they at least had to say goodbye to Tata and Pranay.
The higher the order of the Shadow World, the longer the time might be. Last time at the fifth-order Shadow World Sanctuary Evil Banquet, it lasted a full six days. He didn’t know how long he and Hyperion would be in the Shadow World this time.
Furthermore, long-term academic research has shown that the difficulty of the Shadow World takes into consideration the Magic Cards carried by the Challengers.
For the beings who first challenged the Shadow World thousands of years ago, they went without Magic Cards, and the difficulty of the Shadow World was slightly lowered accordingly. As the Challengers’ Magic Cards increased in rank and quality, the Shadow World’s assessment of their strength would also increase correspondingly.
According to the formula given by this theory, if Lanci carried three eighth-order Epic-level Summoned Beast Magic Cards, it would probably be about the same as teaming up with three members of the Great Demon Clan to challenge the Shadow World. It might even be better not to bring them at all.
If they really entered an eighth-order Shadow World, firstly, it would likely put Hyperion in great danger, and secondly, both the South Continental Kingdom Union Council and the Shadow World Management Association would become suspicious of them. Lanci did not want any trouble, nor did he want to expose the existence of the three Great Demon Clans before going to the Cerryti Empire.
"I still remember last year, when you suddenly wanted to take me to the Shadow World and gave me quite a scare."
Hyperion remembered that on their first day of classes at Sage Academy, Lanci called on her and ran off to challenge the Shadow World without looking back.
Though in hindsight, that was the correct decision.
But looking back, she still didn’t understand why her normally rational self had impulsively followed Lanci.
"It was from that time in the Shadow World that the two of us really got to know each other well," Lanci said with a grin.
Before that Shadow World challenge, they had only partnered during the entrance exam, and they were more or less friends who had just met.
It was indeed those 12 hours at Purgatory Corridor Academy that made them real friends who could get along well.
"Yes, after that, I ended up spending every day with you without even realizing it."
Hyperion sighed, her face showing a hint of a natural smile.
The two passed by numerous offices and classrooms in the Magic Engineering College on their way to the Basic Layer of the Main Building of Magic Engineering College.
They had just walked out of the Magic Engineering College’s Glass Curtain Wall Tower when suddenly —
"Meow meow meow! Lanci, are you thinking of taking me to the Shadow World?"
At the sound of a cat’s meow, Lanci felt his clothing get heavier, and then he noticed a cat clawing and climbing up his clothes.
The Cat Boss had slipped into Lanci’s shadow without him noticing and listened in on his and Hyperion’s morning conversation.
"Of course, I even asked Professor Bolao to get you a special Challenger license from Ichrite Academy, to enter the Shadow World as a logistic class Magic Artisan from the Magic Engineering College," Lanci said, picking up the sticky Little Black Cat from his body.
While filling out the form, he listed the Cat Boss’s occupation—as a backpack.
Professor Bolao looked at the form and felt something was off.
Although there were indeed teams of Magic Artisans who specialized in carrying Magic Cards, it was usually a Seventh-order big shot leading a Fifth-order rookie, so how come in Lanci’s case, it was a Fifth-order big shot leading a Seventh-order rookie?
"Meow meow!"
The Cat Boss, upon hearing this, started rolling around on Lanci’s hand.
It had never challenged the Shadow World before, and had only climbed up to Seventh-order by accruing years of experience.
Not being combat-oriented, it had never considered that one day it might also be able to visit the Shadow World!
"I, might there be hope for me to become an Eighth-order Elf Cat?!"
It had been stuck at Seventh-order for far too long and felt the bottleneck known as racial limits, even doubting whether it could reach Eighth-order in this lifetime.
Without external forces like the Shadow World, it saw no hope of advancing to Eighth-order.
Eighth-order would be so cool.
Though in terms of combat power, an Eighth-order Elf Cat’s basic attributes might only be on par with a Fifth-order, or at most, a Sixth-order warrior, but if it had fixed-damage type Eighth-order magic, fighting against Fifth or Sixth-order opponents might mean an instant kill.
Then it would no longer be the shame of Seventh-order!
Plus, Magic Cards could be produced in the Shadow World!
The high-ranking Magic Cards that had always been out of its reach might just be obtained directly from the Shadow World!
"Indeed, Eighth-order, they are worthy of being a National Guardian Beast."
Lanci nodded in agreement.
Hyperion also pondered thoughtfully on the side.
Throughout history, indeed, many nations’ protectors had not been humans but Eighth-order Divine Beasts who had lived in the country for hundreds of years, revered and loved by generations of citizens.
"Meow-ow!"
Although the Cat Boss was well aware of some dangers, after hearing Lanci’s words, it felt as if these words were echoing in its heart—be brave, move forward, for you cannot lose no matter what, because the reward for winning is too high.
"Lanci, then you’ve got to lead me to victory, meow."
The Cat Boss no longer doubted Lanci’s professional ability.
After all, they had started from scratch, just a man and a cat, and had made it to the top in the Protoss Empire.
"Don’t worry, Cat Boss, you just get ready to tally up the rewards."
Lanci gently stroked the Cat Boss’s back.
"Meow meow meow, Lanci, you’re a really good guy, I really didn’t misjudge you."
The Cat Boss issued a happy sound again,
"If one day I could also become a National Guardian Beast, worshiped by the citizens, that would be just too dreamy."
It joked.
Although it knew that even if it reached Eighth-order, it would not become one of those creatures referred to as Divine Beasts in legends, but if it became Eighth-order, it felt it would be truly amazing.
"Give it your all, Cat Boss!"
Lanci and the Little Black Cat high-fived.
"..."
Hyperion looked at Lanci and the Cat Boss, full of hope.
She didn’t have the heart to remind the Cat Boss.
It seemed possible to become a National Guardian Beast, but that country might not be the one the Cat Boss had in mind.
