Chapter 109: Lance Establishes a Special Task Force Overnight

A wisp of cloud, soft as cotton, drifted quietly across the clear sky, instantly dimming the previously brilliant morning sunlight. Judging by the way Hyperion's face fell, Lance had a feeling she had misunderstood something. To begin with, his teacher wasn't even human. The thought that she would look down with disdain upon Hyperion due to her demon heritage was completely unfounded.

However, there was a slight complication. Talia believed that Lance didn't know she was a demon. She had been maintaining her disguise as a human this entire time. So, even if she didn't actually dislike Hyperion, she would inevitably act as though she did, just to keep up the charade!

After all, that cold-hearted old hag Talia wouldn't care about Hyperion's feelings or whether she might get hurt.

Lance smiled cheerfully as he explained, "Er, actually, my teacher treats demons just as she does anyone else. She doesn't harbor any particular dislike for them. But she has a terrible temper and acts dismissive toward everyone. If she snaps at you, please don't take it to heart. I'll introduce you when she's in a better mood. She's actually quite interesting. We might even be able to hire her as a technical consultant when we start our company!"

"Okay." Hyperion nodded earnestly. She trusted Lance's perspective. Anyone capable of mentoring a student like him surely wouldn't be the type to discriminate against demons.

Lance then became serious again. "We were just discussing how hard it is to catch that cult mole at the university, but I have another plan to apprehend some cultists."

"Oh?"

"Since the Church of Resurrection wants to cross paths with us in the Shadow Realm, let's turn the tables on them. We'll form a special task force with the specific goal of capturing their cultists during our next Shadow Realm challenge! Cults are a cancer of society. For the sake of our loved ones and the harmony and happiness of our nation and city, we must crack down on cult activities without delay!"

Lance's speech was filled with a sense of responsibility and conviction. As a spirited citizen who believed in love and justice, he couldn't wait to bring the cult organization to justice. He was well-versed in the laws of the land.

In the Shadow Realm, even if they managed to capture a member of the Church of Resurrection, it was impossible to immediately bring them back to the real world and hand them over to the authorities.

The regulations explicitly stated: "If a challenger encounters a member of the Church of Resurrection within the Shadow Realm, their personal safety takes absolute priority. They may use any available means to deal with the cultist, and the challenger bears no legal liability for any accidental killings that occur."

This effectively meant that anything was okay when it came to dealing with Church of Resurrection cultists in the Shadow Realm. Capturing one and subjecting them to a bit of "ideological re-education" was, of course, perfectly fine!

If this was Hyperion's first time challenging the Shadow Realm and she heard of this plan, she would simply think Lance needed a psychiatric evaluation. But when she heard him put it this way, she was surprised to find the idea actually seemed quite feasible! He was like a phantom in the Shadow Realm.

Last time, they simply ran out of time and couldn't interrogate the cultist Lillete. If they crossed paths with the Church of Resurrection in the Shadow Realm again, and if they prepared in advance to go on the offensive as the "bad guys," they might actually manage to capture one!

Then, they could extract intelligence through interrogation, paving the way for their infiltration of the branch of the Church of Resurrection in the Northern Continent. Not to mention, they now had a heavyweight player, Frey, on their team.

However, if they engaged in that kind of behavior, who exactly was the bad guy then? Hyperion felt that if things went on like this, her magic user's license might get revoked!

A gentle breeze stirred the hems of their garments, and the plants seemed to sway their leaves in greeting. The soft sound of flowing water drifted from the stream winding through the College of Alchemy's botanical garden, while the air gradually filled with the scent of flowers and a touch of damp freshness.

As they resumed walking, they chatted along the forest path. Lance said, "We have about a month of time left before we can enter the Shadow Realm again. Before that, I can sit for a Card Maker Association's exam."

Usually, their student council duties weren't heavy, so this period was mostly a time for rest and relaxation. President Monaster was delighted that these first years were willing to team up and challenge the Shadow Realm together. It meant the Student Management Council could earn a significant, unexpected amount of team points, enough to fund some nice rewards and outings for the council.

Lance mused, "It's a shame, though. The timing for the next Shadow Realm run clashes with the academic visit from the Yaloran Kingdom's Royal University that President Monaster mentioned."

The academic delegation from the Kingdom of Yaloran would be arriving just a couple days after the date they planned to enter the Shadow Realm. The president had told them not to worry and to go ahead with the Shadow Realm challenge. There was no need to waste their cooldown period. He and the vice president would handle the reception duties. If they were truly short-handed, they could always call back the secretary, who was usually nowhere to be found, to help out.

Hyperion responded with a smile, "If we clear the next Shadow Realm challenge quickly, we might even be able to help the president share the workload once we're back in the real world, like hosting the Yaloran guests."

By the time they emerged from the Shadow Realm, they could, if circumstances allowed, assist with the visiting academic delegation. After that, there would be roughly a month of preparations at the school before winter break began. If all went smoothly, they would then be able to set off for the Northern Continent to carry out their holiday project. Everything was perfectly arranged.

However, Hyperion soon looked up at Lance in surprise. "Lance, you know how to make cards too?"

She had always assumed Lance was only capable of crafting simple magical items! After all, the exam to become a registered card maker was notoriously difficult. It certainly wasn't something an amateur could pass by sheer luck. That implied that his card making skills were actually quite extraordinary.

Could it be that those distinctive cards of his were actually made by him personally? Hyperion stared at Lance in astonishment.

"Of course. Once my skills improve a bit more, our team will have its own battlefield card maker. Plus, whenever you need a specific card, you won't have to go to the Association to find a card maker anymore." Lance grinned as he declared, "The cards I make are amazing!"

Hyperion couldn't help but smile warmly. "You really can do anything, Lance."

The clouds overhead finally drifted away, and the sky returned to its former brightness. Natural light illuminated the path, bathing the emerald-green forest in a brilliant, shimmering glow.

"I heard that, among the visiting students from Yaloran, there's a brilliant card maker genius who specializes in wind magic. They want to meet Dean Lawrence to study his Wind Primal Tablet. The student council doesn't have a single student from the College of Magical Engineering. The president was worried we'd look like doofuses in front of them, but now it seems we'll have to rely on you to save our bums, Lance."

Within the Student Management Council, President Monaster and the elusive secretary were both from the College of Alchemy, majoring in Commerce and Intelligence, respectively. Vice President Asina was a third year student from the Sages' College, and Frey was from the Knight's College. The only college missing was Magical Engineering.

Even in previous years, it was rare for students of that college to join. They generally preferred spending their time on research rather than dealing with tedious school administrative tasks. Furthermore, magical artisans held a high status as essential support personnel. Joining a team not only offered an easy path to participation, but also meant they could be carried through Shadow Realm challenges by others.

A card maker from the Sages' College like Lance was a rare find indeed. Conversely, he did lack the various spellcasting techniques that the students from the Sages' College typically excelled at.

Hyperion couldn't help but notice that his repertoire of talents seemed to be constantly expanding. Beyond his role as a so-called white mage, he now juggled duties as a lawyer, a headmaster, and a card maker, leaving her to wonder what else he might pick up next.

"Right, I really need to buckle down and practice crafting Tier 3 cards this month. I'm aiming to pass the exam on the first try and secure a high rank right off the bat. I heard rumors that the accessory that signifies a high-ranking card maker looks incredibly prestigious."

Hyperion smiled. "In that case, I'll come along to watch your card making exam next month and cheer you on."

"You got it!"

Lance and Hyperion strolled leisurely across the lawn near the old Liberal Arts Hall, sipping cool, tangy-sweet fruit juice and chatting with smiles on their faces. Their voices were filled with a sense of ease and contentment.