Chapter 190: Lance Will Always Be Considerate of His Opponents

An hour had passed since the Shadow Realm challenge began. Lance lightly touched the rough stone wall with cold fingers. The stinging sensation at his fingertips kept his mind sharp.

The whistling of the freezing wind and the trembling silence of prisoners in nearby cells were the only things he could hear. The iron chains bit tighter into his hands; his wrists chafed painfully against the shackles, nearly losing all sensation. Every pore in his body fought against the cold, but it was all in vain.

"It's freezing..."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the chill permeate his lungs before slowly exhaling a mist of white vapor. He could feel every internal tremor and heartbeat as his body struggled against the relentless cold.

As time wore on, Lance began to grow accustomed to the freezing temperature until his muscles stiffened and his thoughts began to slow. It was hard not to imagine that if he remained in this prison, cold and despair might become his only companions through the long, silent night.

Not that there was anything wrong with the Shadow Realm dungeon Adam had chosen. After all, Lance had said he would accept any type of challenge. However, given their respective strengths, a head-to-head clash to the bitter end would almost certainly result in mutual ruin.

Finally, Lance said helplessly from his spot against the wall shared with Adam's cell, "Mr. Adam... If we keep dragging this out just to decide a winner, we might end up damaging our relationship."

A reply came quickly. Adam chuckled, his tone tinged with mockery as he asked, "What is it, Lance? Can't you hold out any longer? I trust you aren't the type to back out halfway, are you?"

On the other side of the wall, in Adam's cell, conditions were hardly better. Although he, like Lance, had stockpiled a few supplies, a full hour of enduring the cold without using them had left a layer of frost forming on his face. He had never underestimated his opponent.

Even though they were of the same rank and neither could use enchanted cards, his own innate resistance to cold was superior to Lance's. However, his opponent was also adept at analyzing information and employing strategy. There was a strong possibility he could secure more supplies from the prisoner on the other side.

Adam had already made up his mind: no matter what Lance said, he would not engage in any trades. His opponent was a man with a silver tongue, capable of bewitching others with his words, and swindling supplies from an opponent was a likely tactic for him to gain the upper hand.

As long as he didn't let Lance get the better of him regarding supplies, Adam was certain he wouldn't lose to Lance when it came to willpower and determination for the sake of Knight Commander Juliana. Only by defeating his opponent in such an open and straightforward manner could he force Lance to accept defeat wholeheartedly.

Lance paused for a moment, realizing that Adam had clearly misunderstood his intentions. He calmly said, "I never go back on my word. You can rest assured regarding my adherence to contracts."

The two were communicating through a thick wall. Their voices traveled through the gaps in the iron bars into the corridor before drifting into the adjacent room.

Adam chuckled cynically. "Then there is no need for you to continue. Nothing you say will sway me."

He knew that, sooner or later, Lance would attempt to communicate with him within this Shadow Realm dungeon. He had anticipated that his opponent would try to draw him into a battle of wits and use stratagems to defeat him. However, he simply hadn't expected Lance to start so soon.

Lance fell silent for a moment. "In that case, I'll let you win."

With that, his voice from the next cell cut off abruptly.

Adam was momentarily stunned and then he shouted out through the iron bars, "Wait a minute?"

However, there was no longer any response from the neighboring cell.

"...Lance?"

Adam couldn't quite grasp the situation at first. Lance's enigmatic attitude toward winning and losing left him utterly bewildered. Was this the sort of person who truly didn't care about victory or defeat?

Rumor had it that Lance's mindset was unfathomable. However, even Adam had never imagined that someone would simply and decisively surrender in a match representing their respective schools. It was as if he were a creature composed entirely of pure reason, making decisions without a shred of emotion or ego.

Adam pondered this, then finally exhaled a misty breath, coming to an understanding. Lance must have realized that defeating him through sheer strength or willpower in this Shadow Realm dungeon was hopeless, so he chose to stop while the match was still civil, adhering to the principles of a friendly contest.

He marveled at Lance's poise and mindset. He was truly a prodigy, the kind capable of defeating the Saintess of Destruction, Adelise, even in the direst of straits.

Wait...

Just as Adam was considering exiting the Shadow Realm dungeon to end his torment, he frowned. Slightly puzzled, he pressed his hand against the wall, then closed his eyes and pressed his ear against the back of his hand to listen intently.

A moment passed. Faint as it was, he detected a slight, soft sound coming from the next cell! Adam was instantly startled, an expression of disbelief washing over his face.

Filled with rage, he shouted toward the next cell, "Lance, you despicable bastard!"

That son of a bitch. There was nothing he wouldn't stoop to! He had almost fallen for the guy's trick!

***

Silence fell over the students gathered at Gela Memorial Plaza. That was so typical of Lance. He had actually tried to feign withdrawal, pretending to quit, just to lure Adam out of hiding within the Shadow Realm!

After all, the terms of the agreement witnessed by the faculty and students of the Sages' College stipulated that the ultimate victor would be decided based on their respective scores within the Shadow Realm dungeon.

If Adam had actually fallen for it, Lance could have simply told him afterward, "You believed what I said in the Shadow Realm dungeon? A verbal surrender doesn't count. It was just a legitimate tactic. We still have to go by the contract."

Adam would have been left speechless. Lance was clearly playing mind games and exploiting loopholes in the contract terms once again. Although feigning surrender was a bit shameless, it was arguably the only way he could secure an easy victory!

A warrior sitting on the stone steps, himself a former victim, interjected with a mix of grief and indignation, "If Adam had been a little less sharp, it might have all ended right there. Some lawyers are just that devious—tricking you into making a verbal concession before slapping the contract down right in your face!"

Whenever he recalled the sight of their leader, Zirvini, sobbing uncontrollably, he felt deep regret that no one at The Warrior's Soul had seen through the true nature of that scoundrel Lance early on.

Because of Lance, Zirvini had completely abandoned the path of the warrior. No amount of persuasion could bring her back. Now, all they could do was wish their leader success in passing the bar exam...

The other students discussed the situation, puzzled. "But... Lance's scheme wasn't just seen through by Adam. It also put him on his guard. It's going to be even harder to trick him now. What will Lance do?"

Inside the Shadow Realm prison, a wall separated Lance and Adam, preventing them from seeing each other's condition. However, the live broadcast provided a direct view of both cells, allowing the audience to clearly see the expressions on their faces.

Adam clearly still had energy to spare, whereas Lance was truly suffering from the freezing cold. He couldn't afford to simply try and outlast Adam in a war of attrition. Despite possessing a vast reservoir of magical power, Lance, with his enchanted cards sealed, couldn't actually cast even a basic Tier 1 Fireball. He couldn't so much as heal himself or conjure a little warmth.

When it came to spell mastery across the entire Sages' College, Lance was the only one with such an absurd situation.

The decisive moment was rapidly approaching. It was time to pull out the big guns!