Chapter 164: Headmaster Lance’s Work Schedule

On the third floor corridor of Lichten's Castle, Lance and Hyperion stood before the master bedroom that was once the domain of the castle's lord. They gave the heavy door two light knocks.

"Is that Lance?" someone asked.

Lance said, "It's me."

He turned the knob and pushed open the door to the master bedroom. Through the widening gap, a slightly dazzling, flickering light instantly pierced the dimness of the hallway.

Lance led Hyperion into the room. The walls of this vast chamber were spacious enough to rival the castle's central great hall, and they were adorned with countless carvings and intricate decorative details. Stepping into the room was like stepping into an open history book. The rich colors and delicate lines almost compelled a visitor to explore the stories hidden behind them.

A magnificent, roaring fire burned in the marble fireplace, while heavy, dark brown floor-to-ceiling curtains shut out the night, lending the room an air of secrecy, as if some unspeakable ritual was underway. Beside the four-poster bed in the center of the room stood three familiar figures.

The three clergy, now displaying a surprising range of skills, wore face masks as they intently set about modifying a desiccated corpse.

Frey stood nearby, instructing the three clergy, "If all the prey's soft tissue, including the internal organs, has dehydrated and dried out, we need to apply considerable force to break it down. Yes, use plenty of strength. Don't worry about damaging the specimen."

"Stop... please, stop!" The emaciated corpse at the center of the group had pale skin, its texture as distinct as ancient parchment. Defying all reason, the corpse was still struggling in agony—a truly horrifying sight!

The instruments in their hands moved repeatedly over the body. Whether the movements were gentle or violent, they invariably elicited a faint, piercing cry from Count Palokas. It was a high-pitched sound that mingled with the muted noise of scalpels slicing through dry, hardened skin.

Lance remarked in surprise, "Huh, there’s no smell of blood."

Hyperion could no longer remain silent. She looked up at Lance, who was standing beside her, and remarked with a hint of sarcasm, "Have you ever wondered why?"

The two of them first sought out Frey, who was busy instructing the clergy using his Hunter class skills. Under Lance’s training regimen, the three clergy would return to the real world after this course concluded, fully proficient in dissecting everything from humanoid creatures to beasts. They were effectively mastering the skill set in one go.

After observing for a moment, Lance waited until the busy group paused their work and turned their attention toward him before asking, "Everyone, is anyone the Werewolf here?"

If the Werewolf wasn't here, he could simply head up to the fourth floor iron casting room to ask the young master and the bodyguard siblings.

"It’s me." Frey nodded promptly in response, then looked at Lance. He knew his teammate had come to see him for a reason.

While eyeing Frey with a hint of curiosity, Lance asked, "Frey, do you actually possess the abilities of the werewolves?"

He had heard from Hyperion on the way over that even within the Shadow Realm’s information interface, visible only to her, there was no explicit notification identifying her as the Witch. Yet, according to the sealed grimoire found in the castle, her status as a half-demon meant she was indeed the Witch of this Shadow Realm dungeon.

She had perfectly concealed her demonic traits using the Polymorph: Human spell card she had acquired previously. Only her teammates and the two traitorous cultists, who knew her background beforehand, were aware that she was actually a half-demon.

Since the Witch identity wasn't something bestowed by the Shadow Realm challenge, but instead was something innate to her, it stood to reason that the Werewolf assignment might work the same way.

"Yes. I dug through some ancient texts in the library and found records on the werewolves. That’s when I finally understood why I get a slight boost in strength at night."

Frey had finally solved a mystery that had puzzled him for a long time back in the real world。 Although he wasn't a true werewolf, he likely possessed a trace of atavism—a reappearance of ancestral characteristics—in his bloodline. Even in the real world, moonlight would strengthen him, enhancing all of his attributes and accelerating his regeneration.

Frey explained to Lance and Hyperion, "My hair was black when I was young, but it began to turn grayish-white as my rank increased. That was also when I started awakening more werewolf-like traits."

In a sense, he was now half-werewolf. However, he had already possessed powerful regenerative abilities even before those werewolf traits awakened. If it were nighttime, he was confident he wouldn't lose a one-on-one fight against any vampire of the same rank.

After a brief moment of thought, Lance asked his teammate, "Frey, sorry to trouble you, but could you come with me for a moment?"

Frey nodded. "Sure, no problem."

***

After briefly outlining the key points of the upcoming mummification procedure to the three clergy, Frey left the bedroom alongside Lance and Hyperion. The sound of their footsteps broke the silence of the third floor corridor once more, echoing against the cold stone walls and stairwell.

Frey broke the silence first. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Lance wore the earnest expression of someone eager to save a life as he said, "I’ve received fresh intelligence. Sealed away beneath the castle’s wine cellar is a vampire viscount. Breaking the seal requires the blood of a witch and a werewolf as part of the ritual, so we need to go and rescue him."

Frey nodded. He understood immediately what Lance was up to. His friend had expressive eyes, and he knew how to read them. No further explanation was needed.

The three of them descended the stairs slowly, chatting casually as they walked. Every footstep landed with a heavy, drum-like thud.

Lance said, "Frey, before we entered the Shadow Realm, we were talking about how the academic delegation from the Kingdom of Yaloran would be creating a lot of extra work for the president. They’re scheduled to arrive at Ikerite University within the next two days for a two-week visit. Since the Shadow Realm challenge ends in four days, we’ll be able to step in and really help the president out once we’re back."

The pitch-black stairwell resembled a gateway into the unknown, while each flickering candle flame felt like a warm hand reaching out to offer aid and dispel the shadows.

It was just like the times they carried out their Student Management Council duties in the old Liberal Arts Hall. Everything was relaxed and easygoing.

Frey nodded. "Absolutely."

Lance continued speaking with righteous conviction, exuding a sense of responsibility worthy of a headmaster. "What’s more, there’s an elite member of the Church of Resurrection hiding within the Yaloran delegation. Their mission is to assassinate Hyperion and shatter the trust between our two nations. It’s a grave, malicious plot that no one else is aware of yet. To protect our informant, we can't report it to the Hutton authorities right now. Instead, we have to stage an 'accident' to flush the criminal out."

Hyperion was momentarily stunned by Lance's plan. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had heard something like that before...

She then recalled the intelligence provided by Priestess Sticella: a highly dangerous individual was plotting to kill her on campus by staging an "accident." As it turned out, the culprit and Lance were now on a collision course. Apparently, Lance was thinking of creating an "accident" too.

Hyperion’s lips twitched. So, I guess it’s just a contest now to see whose "accident" turns out to be the most unexpected?!