Chapter 89: Aftereffects of Lances Shadow Realm Run

Chapter 89: Aftereffects of Lance's Shadow Realm Run

Bathed in the gentle glow of dawn, the once-drab walls and furnishings of the dormitory came alive, and the tranquility of night slowly dissipated.

"I hope there's a better option for me than just Mental type magic." Lance stood on the balcony, feeding his animal friends and chatting away even though they didn't understand a word he said.

Although the Poet of Boundless Love used sonic magic, it fundamentally belonged to Mental type magic, as it primarily influenced the enemy's mind, either directly or indirectly. In fact, the vast majority of sonic spells fell under the broad umbrella of Mental type magic.

In less than a week, Lance had cleared the rigorous entrance exams and reached Rank 3. Now that he had the Shadow Realm challenge behind him, things had finally quieted down. His plan for the day was to ask Talia to help him check if he had an affinity for any magic types other than Mental.

The chirping birds bobbed their heads to peck at the food in his open palm. Suddenly, he remembered something. "Oh right, I should also buy some potted plants for the place."

The pleasant time the Poet was supposed to enjoy at Purgatory Corridor Academy had been ruined by cultists. After returning to the real world, Lance had summoned her briefly to apologize. Surprisingly, she hadn't taken advantage of the situation to make any unreasonable demands. She had simply expressed a desire to grow flowers and asked Lance to let her out occasionally.

He had readily agreed to her request. Thinking about it now, however, between her growing flowers and him feeding the birds, he felt that if things went on like this, his dormitory would soon turn into a nature reserve.

Once he finished feeding the animals, he returned to the living room and sat on the sofa, pondering where to have breakfast. The university granted students a two-week break to use as they pleased whenever they cleared a Level 4 Shadow Realm challenge. Students who were utterly exhausted from the challenge had time to recover and readjust.

Lance found himself with an almost excessive amount of free time. At the very least, he wouldn't have to endure being tortured by the college's instructors in the classroom for the next two weeks.

He muttered to himself, "How about I just go see her first thing in the morning?"

Lance figured today was the perfect time to visit Talia anyway. Aside from asking for her advice on magic type affinity, he also wanted to have an enthusiastic discussion about the crucial research project known as "Hairstyle Makeover Magic."

As for choosing a place to eat, although Talia never explicitly stated her preferences, Lance could tell from subtle shifts in her eyes whether a restaurant was acceptable to her or if she wasn't particularly interested.

Furthermore, the places she took a liking to were invariably excellent. Lance had come to regard her as a living gourmet detector. The demon, on the other hand, didn't seem to realize he was using her that way.

Lance stepped up to the mirror, took his coat from the solid wooden rack, and threw it on. He was ready to head out. When they had last parted ways, Talia had mentioned that she would be moving to a new place. Since she planned to stay in the capital for the long haul, staying at an inn felt like a pointless waste of money, so she had found new accommodations.

Lance recalled that it was located just east of the school, about a ten minute walk from the dorms. Just then, a knock sounded at the door of Dormitory 101.

"Coming!" He hurried toward the entryway. He wondered who would be knocking so early in the morning. Fortunately, he hadn't left yet, or the visitor would have made a wasted trip.

He had a feeling that once his dorm became known and word spread, plenty of people would come looking for him even if all he did was stay in his room and skip class.

When he returned to school yesterday, before dawn had fully broken, many students had cheered him on, giving him a taste of what it felt like to be a celebrity. His positive, inspiring conduct in the Shadow Realm had clearly won their approval. They had been very polite, too, refraining from disturbing him because they knew he needed rest.

With these thoughts in mind, Lance pressed down on the door handle. As the door swung open, he came face to face with a tall, vigorous-looking old man with silver hair and a white beard.

"Hello, Sir...?"

Lance didn't recognize the old man, but judging by his attire, he was likely a professor from the Sages' College and a high-ranking one at that. Although the ravages of time were etched into the old man's high-bridged nose and refined facial features, they only served to enhance his air of wisdom and authority. An aura of unfathomable magic radiated from him.

It made sense for this person to be a professor. After all, they would naturally know which dormitory he was staying in.

"Lance, there is no need to worry. I've simply come to have a chat with you." The old man, clearly sensing Lance's confusion, spoke in a gentle voice. "I am Associate Dean Ron of the Sages' College. You will be seeing me in class later on."

Lance had skipped his final class on the very first day of the term, which happened to be the class the associate dean taught. Therefore, the two of them, who ought to have met long ago, hadn't actually encountered each other in person until now.

Of course, Ron had already witnessed far too many of Lance's "spectacular" exploits from the conference room of the Sages' College.

Upon hearing this, Lance's initial instinct was to clasp his hands behind his back, offer a slight nod, and proceed to discuss and delegate important administrative matters with the deputy headmaster. "Professor... Ron, please come inside."

However, he quickly remembered that he was at Ikerite University and no longer the headmaster. Instantly shifting gears, he politely invited the visiting associate dean into the living room and asked him to take a seat on the sofa.

Lance felt a lingering sense of unease. He had to be suffering from some aftereffects of the Shadow Realm challenge. The mere sight of an administrative figure in the university had nearly triggered his headmaster persona.

Inside the living quarters, Ron took a quick look around Lance's space. It was impeccably tidy. Clearly, he was a student with excellent personal habits who took great care of his living space, which was a stark contrast to other slovenly, unruly students.

Yet, at the same time, Lance's gentle and courteous demeanor gave Associate Dean Ron a surreal, almost dream-like feeling. It was hard to imagine that the composed, upstanding young man before him was the very same Great Demon who had dominated the ancient Demon Kingdom in the latest Shadow Realm challenge. In fact, the entire faculty of the Sages' College had witnessed that side of Lance in the conference room just yesterday.

Ron couldn't help but marvel at his own good fortune. During the third test of the entrance exam, Examiner Ferrat had encountered the Lance of the real world, so he was still bound by human laws and social norms. Had he instead faced that Radiant Demon from the Shadow Realm, Ferrat would likely have ceased to exist by now.

Lost in thought, Ron felt as though he were looking across dimensions. He really couldn't fathom how a single person could embody such a stark duality, containing both pitch black and pure white within himself. He also had to admit that Lance was undeniably the most outstanding freshman at the Sages' College this year. Perhaps too outstanding.

Furthermore, he also attracted a kind of danger that no ordinary person could possibly predict. Of course, the people in real danger were those who had failed to grasp just how dangerous this student was and were foolish enough to try and provoke him.