Chapter 171: Lance Almost Loses His Father

After Lance concluded the showcase of their new autumn release, the scene shifted, and the deep, soothing tones of the pipe organ began to resonate.

The Poet of Boundless Love sat at the organ console with her hands on the keyboard. Clad in a red dress, her long, silky gray hair draped over her fair back, revealing only her slender silhouette as she played with focused dedication.

Lance once again addressed the audience in the outside world with a gentle voice. "What kind of love is it that truly resonates with the heart? It is hard to put into words, yet it is undeniably there."

As he spoke, the viewpoint panned slowly, showcasing every detail of the magnificent, sacred Lichten's Castle.

"Look. Here, everything is unique." The view shifted to the interplay of dawn light streaming through stained glass windows. It illuminated every corner and caused the shifting patterns of light to dance across the floor.

Lance intoned, "The air is filled with vitality. Sound caresses you. Sunlight fills you. And all of creation basks in freedom."

The view extended beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows to the lush, vibrant forest atop the mountain, teeming with life. The camera then moved through the sanctuary's massive portico to a garden and lawn dotted with lounge chairs. Beneath large sun umbrellas, men and women were preparing a barbecue with fresh produce, enjoying a leisurely, pleasant holiday.

Lance's voice continued as the music swelled and the camera pulled back. "If you are fortunate enough, love will dwell in your life forever. It is like the Morning Star, purifying your soul, flowing through your blood, and dispelling the gloom within your heart. In just a single glance, everything finds its meaning."

At the very moment the music ceased, the screen faded to black, displaying only a logo and some lines of text.

[Boundless Love Company]

[From Ikerite, Kingdom of Hutton]

~Making your life extraordinary~

***

Back at Ikerite University, the students sitting on the stone steps found it difficult and perhaps a bit too risky to pass judgment on the product before them. All they could say was that this company had better not secure any investment.

One person commented, "By the way, the academic delegation from the Kingdom of Yaloran is arriving at school tomorrow morning."

Another chirped, "It's a real shame they missed this presentation."

The students deftly changed the subject in a way that was both casual and awkward.

If it weren't for the fact that Lance was a specialist in countering vampires, the vampires themselves would likely have fought tooth and nail to get rid of this wretched contraption. Even though it was a conceptual invention and not necessarily practical, the design Lance proposed was going to spread like a virus, teaching people the ultimate way to humiliate vampires.

At the edge of the plaza, Noel let out a dry, awkward laugh, his facial muscles stiffening. "Lance... what exactly is he doing?"

He couldn't tell what new creatures those things in the coffins were, nor did he know if Lance had any talent for marketing. But what his son was doing was clearly an act of using merits, sacrificing them by the second!

And yet, the students in the plaza were reacting far more calmly than Noel had expected.

Perhaps there was a generation gap, making it hard for an old man like him to understand. Or maybe the people of the capital were simply on the cutting edge, and he, a borderlander who spent most of his time abroad, was just out of touch with the newest trends.

But...had Lance gone mad, or was the university itself just bizarre?

"Lance is doing good deeds and accumulating merit!" Luviselle, the young reporter beside Noel, snapped photos continuously, grinning with delight.

Noel stared at Luviselle's clearly abnormal behavior. He felt the school's eerie atmosphere growing even heavier.

Furthermore, the three individuals who had hauled the coffins out of the sanctuary earlier appeared gentle and dignified at first, but they later exuded an aura of terrifying abnormality. Merely locking eyes with them made one feel as though their own tombstone, already engraved with their name, was waiting for them.

It was enough to make anyone shudder, even through a screen! They certainly didn't look like good people. Noel was deeply worried that Lance was getting mixed up with unsavory characters!

He suddenly asked, "Wait a minute. Are they actually on campus?"

He was struck by a sudden realization. He had initially assumed the sanctuary was just another building on campus. It wasn't until the angle shifted and revealed the view beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, showing a location high atop a mountain, that he realized otherwise.

Ikerite was a highly livable city, characterized by gentle terrain and a network of small rivers and streams. The towering mountains shown on screen, however, were reminiscent of the mountainous cities in the northern reaches of the Krati Empire. It was certainly not the sort of scenery one would find in the royal capital of Hutton.

Before Luviselle could even answer, a student sitting nearby on the stone steps spoke up to address Noel's question. "This footage is from a Shadow Realm dungeon."

That middle-aged man must have missed the thrilling, high-stakes Shadow Realm run Lance had completed the day before.

"A Shadow Realm dungeon?" Noel asked, looking stunned.

Generally speaking, for a first year student, obtaining a registered challenger license from the Southern Continent Shadow Realm Management Association within just two months of enrollment was considered an impressive feat.

So how had Lance already managed to enter a Shadow Realm dungeon? And judging by the look of it, this was not a low level one either! After all, the three menacing figures shown on screen were clearly no ordinary challengers.

Another student on the step began explaining the situation to Noel. "Yup! Are you sure you don't recognize the youth in the broadcast, mister? He's the fiercest freshman at our university. Just yesterday, he took down the Saintess of Destruction from the Church of Resurrection and captured Imperial Princess Alexia of the Krati Empire. Today, he even turned a vampire count into a mummy."

It was common for residents of the capital to visit Ikerite University as a public attraction on weekends. Therefore, it was perfectly normal for an outsider not to understand the nature of the Shadow Realm dungeon depicted in Lance's unique style.

Noel was struck dumb. His brain was frantically processing the flood of information. He finally gasped, "This...how is that even possible..."

Nearby students eagerly chimed in to enlighten Noel. "If you don't believe it, mister, just go buy today's The Hutton Times. There's a column in it detailing how Lance and his companions conquered the Shadow Realm dungeon yesterday!"

"Thank you." Distractedly, Noel hurried to a nearby newsstand, bought a copy of The Hutton Times, and began flipping through the pages. He quickly found the column. His eyes scanned the paper, and his face gradually turned pale.

Meanwhile, the giant outdoor screen in the distance was broadcasting new audio and visuals. After the advertisements ended, the broadcast returned to live footage from the Shadow Realm.

At the center of the sanctuary, the priest leading the Northern Continent team cajoled earnestly, "Mr. Lance, do you truly have no intention of joining the Church of the Goddess of Fate? We would love to continue receiving your guidance."

Lance refused gently. "Though our faiths differ, our goals and aspirations remain the same. Perhaps we shall meet again one day. When that time comes, we will surely still be warriors striving for a world filled with universal love."

Lance continued to inspire the trio. "The world will surely be filled with light and love; love is invincible."

The priest sighed and said, "We exist for the sake of love. We shall spread Mr. Lance's magnificent philosophy across the Northern Continent."

The executioner, paladin, and priest then engaged in spirited conversation with Lance within the sanctuary.

Noel slowly turned his head to look at the photograph in the newspaper, comparing it with the faces of the three individuals shown on the massive outdoor screen.

Those three guys... Are they clergy members of the Church of the Goddess of Fate?

With his heart pounding wildly, Noel read the column detailing how these three clergy had transformed within the Shadow Realm. They had gone from ordinary people to indescribable, fanatical zealots consumed by madness. Furthermore, it had taken only a single day.

"Oh, Goddess... If this is a nightmare, please let me wake up..." Noel whispered. Everything went black before his eyes, and he fell to the ground.

A student shouted, "Someone's collapsed!"

Another pointed out, "He's still breathing. It looks like he just fainted from the shock!"

A third shook his head. "I knew it! Lance's Shadow Realm challenges shouldn't be screened publicly on holidays. Otherwise, innocent middle-aged men passing by might get scared out of their wits!"

A fourth jumped up and exclaimed, "Who has a communication spell? Quick, contact a doctor from the College of Alchemy!"

Chaos erupted at the newsstand, and students quickly gathered around. Soon, those who were trained in medical care stepped in to transport the handsome middle-aged man, who had been struck by a sudden ailment, to the College of Alchemy for treatment.