Chapter 189: How is Lance Supposed to Win?

As the surroundings gradually brightened, the scenario came into full view for Lance. He found himself inside a cold-iron prison cell. He could feel a biting chill as the cold wind seeped in through countless unseen crevices. Every breath felt like he was swallowing hailstones, and his lungs felt like they were freezing solid.

Lance formed visible puffs of mist in the air as he muttered, "It's so cold in here..."

In truth, he had never attempted this artificial Shadow Realm dungeon before. After all, his experience with Shadow Realm dungeons was limited to begin with. If he counted the two entrance exam tests, he had only ever entered some form of the Shadow Realm four times in total.

He looked across the room. A thick layer of frost coated the rough walls, and an iron chain in the corner was connected to the heavy shackles on his wrists.

Time had eroded the floor into an uneven surface, with dark patches of ice filling in the hollows. Whenever the wind whistled through the gaps in the iron bars, the ice and chains would clatter against one another.

Long icicles that were formed from the cell's condensation hung from the low ceiling. They threatened to plummet down and pierce a prisoner's skull at any moment.

A solid gate of thick iron bars blocked the exit. Beyond it lay a corridor filled with ceaseless wind and endless darkness. The howling gale seemed to carry the wails of souls who had been imprisoned there for millennia.

At the same time, information regarding the Shadow Realm appeared before Lance.

[Shadow Realm Dimension: The Bone-Chilling Cage of Despair]

[Level: 2]

[Number of Challengers: 2]

[Welcome to this artificially created Shadow Realm dungeon, powered by the technology of the College of Magical Engineering.]

[Note: This assessment consists of a practical Shadow Realm simulation. Generally, there is no risk of actually dying within a simulated Shadow Realm dungeon.]

[Note: Participation in this Shadow Realm dungeon is not recommended for challengers with cardiovascular or cerebrovascular conditions.]

[If a candidate "perishes," they will be automatically ejected from the Shadow Realm. Candidates may also choose to exit voluntarily. However, be warned that you may experience death and pain, as well as other grueling conditions such as extreme hunger or freezing cold...]

[Even when confined in a prison from which escape seems impossible and hope is nowhere to be found, only those who survive to the end can claim victory.]

[You have been imprisoned on the seventh level of an absolute-security prison. This is a facility with a flawless record of zero escapes since its inception. The warden constantly employs new methods to break the prisoners' will. Today, you have been thrown into the freezing punishment chamber.]

[In this Shadow Realm dungeon, all enchanted cards are sealed, and you are restricted to Rank 2.]

[In addition to your starting supplies, you will receive a random supply drop every half-hour.]

[Mission Objective (Endless Mode): Survive for as long as possible and gather information about the prison from other inmates.]

Lance calmly finished reviewing the information on the artificial Shadow Realm. It aligned closely with what he had learned during his last-minute cramming session before the challenge began.

The exam question bank of the Southern Continent Shadow Realm Management Association contained numerous classic recreations of low level Shadow Realm dungeons.

Among them was The Bone-Chilling Cage of Despair. It was a well-known Level 2 Shadow Realm dungeon frequently used for training. The objective was to survive for two hours inside a freezing prison cell where conditions were brutal and the temperature steadily dropped.

Eventually, various academies and the Southern Continent Shadow Realm Management Association discovered the potential for modifying the scenario. It could be adapted into an "Endless Mode" filled with random elements, allowing challengers to employ various strategies to survive for as long as possible.

Subsequently, it became a popular artificial Shadow Realm for record-breaking attempts.

***

A single raindrop landed on the stone steps, followed quickly by an increasingly dense downpour. The area surrounding the plaza soon became a blur of white mist. A commotion had just broken out at the edge of Gela Memorial Plaza. Someone had fainted.

However, nearby students from the university quickly contacted the hospital at the College of Alchemy, and medical staff arrived promptly to carry the young woman away. As they watched the unconscious girl being taken away, the students from the Yaloran Kingdom's Royal University expressed their gratitude to the helpful Ikerite students who had stepped in.

"Thank you all for your help."

They were impressed by how decisively and swiftly the Ikerite students handled the emergency. The medical team from the College of Alchemy was equally methodically swift. They executed the entire process seamlessly without wasting a single second. It was as if they had just conducted a drill a couple of days prior.

The students from the Kingdom of Yaloran couldn't help but marvel at the remarkable execution and solidarity displayed by Ikerite students when dealing with unexpected situations.

"Don't worry. She likely fainted due to anemia. Her life isn't in danger," said one of the surrounding students modestly.

Once the issue was resolved, the students on the plaza steps, from those closest to the screen to those further back, gradually turned their attention back to the broadcast.

From the audience's perspective, the camera was focused on two adjacent cells: Adam was in the one on the left, and Lance was in the one on the right. Both were behind iron bars, separated by a wall, with other prisoners occupying the cells next to theirs.

Aside from their initial supplies, the prisoners would receive a fresh drop of supplies every half-hour they managed to stay alive. These drops could contain anything from food and water to medicine, textiles, or even fire-attribute crystals.

If a supply imbalance occurred, such as a critical shortage of food alongside a surplus of fire crystals, prisoners could attempt to trade with the inmates in the neighboring cells through the gaps in the walls or iron bars.

Success in this regard required deducing the other party's needs and inventory status to secure the most favorable terms of trade. Veterans familiar with this artificial Shadow Realm knew that during resource exchanges, challengers must not let the other party see what you were lacking.

Sometimes a challenger had to feign abundance when supplies were actually scarce, or, if they were already well-stocked, strategically adjust their inventory composition. A challenger also had to assess the risk of the other party reneging on the deal. A prisoner on the verge of dying might well attempt a one-off scam.

Additionally, if a challenger had surplus supplies, they could trade them for information with other prisoners. Gathering intelligence also earned bonus points in this Shadow Realm scenario.

A helpful student explained, "In Endless Mode, the temperature gradually drops. No matter how plentiful your supplies are, you can't hold out forever. After all, this is only a Level 2 challenge. The current record holder for Solo Mode had managed to last a full twenty hours and five minutes."

Under the colorful umbrellas in the plaza, upperclassmen were explaining the mechanics of this Shadow Realm to younger students who looked on with bewildered expressions.

Another senior analyzed the situation. "Adam has the advantage. As a warrior, his physique is battle-hardened and superior to Lance's, and he possesses extensive experience. Lance, on the other hand, would struggle to leverage most of his usual strengths in this specific Shadow Realm dungeon."

He paused and then continued, "The main thing is, I'm certain Lance has never challenged this artificial Shadow Realm before. There are certain nuances regarding 'multiple-run' experiences that simply cannot be compensated for by intellect alone."

For people who had low stamina, surviving even two hours required a great deal of cunning. However, combat-oriented classes like Lance and Adam, who possessed naturally high stamina, could simply tank through the early stages.

The real contest lay in who could stockpile the most resources during the early phase, followed by an ultimate showdown of sheer willpower in the late game as the temperature plummeted.

***

Within the precincts of the Sages' College was a small library loft. Although modest in size, its interior radiated an atmosphere of ancient, noble, magical scholarship. The bookshelves were meticulously arranged into ornate patterns, rising from the floor along the walls to the ceiling like the ramparts of an ancient castle.

Upon ascending to the loft's upper level, a person would see a standalone magical display screen suspended high on the wall. Its surface flickered with light and shadow, mirroring the broadcast playing on the massive open-air screen at Gela Plaza.

There, in the loft's most prominent seat, a woman clad in a black gown sat in the central chair, commenting on the images on the screen while laughing heartily. "Hahaha, Lance is really making a giant splash this time."

This space belonged to a powerful team within the Sages' College, and it was a unique venue granted to them by the school. The team's nominal leader was Gold Licensed Challenger Mordan Gasigus, heir of Marquess Gasigus. However, it was blatantly obvious that the woman in the black gown, a fourth year student and a Platinum Licensed challenger, was the one who truly called the shots.

Down below, Mordan gazed up at the screen, his expression far from relaxed. Having previously clashed with Lance, he had long believed that aside from Asina, the Student Management Council vice president, he was the strongest among the university's third year students in the Sages' College.

However, everyone had unanimously championed Lance instead. Mordan personally doubted whether Lance could secure an easy victory after seeing the nature of this Shadow Realm dungeon.

Seeming to sense Mordan's unease, the woman in black stood up, leaned over the railing, and asked him with a smile, "Lance is playing for such high stakes this time. Do you think he even dares to lose?"

Mordan didn't know what to say. He couldn’t gauge the mood or stance of the woman on the upper level. After all, to some extent, she was connected to this wager: she was one of Dean Lawrence's fiancées.

After a moment of silence, Mordan looked up and asked with a voice tinged with uncertainty, "Do you still think Lance can win? I have a feeling he's going to lose."

The woman in the black dress cupped her cheeks as if in prayer as she murmured, "Lose, just lose already, Lance, and toy with Dean Lawrence even more ruthlessly!"

Although she adored her teacher, Dean Lawrence, she took immense pleasure in watching him suffer. She truly longed for the day when she could toy with him herself. At the mere thought of it, a flush of delight gradually spread across her face.

Meanwhile, on the wall-mounted screen displaying the Shadow Realm...

As expected, both Lance and Adam had chosen to rely on their physical resilience to tough it out, stockpiling supplies while waiting for prisoners in the neighboring cells to initiate trades. Apparently, they were truly set for an ultimate test of willpower.