Chapter 190
Chapter 190
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 190 – Mr. Loren’s Series of Unfortunate Events
In the bone-chilling prison, two adjacent cells fell into a brief silence between Lan Qi and Adams.
In the dim light, the only sounds were sporadic water droplets freezing and the distant wind whispering through narrow corridors.
“What reason would I have to lie to you?”
Lan Qi’s voice carried a hint of disappointment.
He was simply frozen stiff, wrists numb, and even the motions to exit the Shadow World were slow.
“…”
Although Adams knew Lan Qi was lying, for a brief moment, he wondered if he had misjudged him.
Lan Qi’s acting was too convincing—it sounded like genuine disappointment at being mistrusted.
Or perhaps it was frustration that his plan had failed, emotions amplifying his already strong delivery.
“Lan Qi, I know your strongest skill is strategy and psychological warfare. Nothing you do is inherently despicable, but today I only care about winning or losing. If you keep using feigned surrender to trick me, it will only make you look foolish.”
After a moment of thought, Adams said coldly, with absolute certainty.
He would not blame Lan Qi anymore. The rules of this challenge were clear: all means are justified, and victory is truth.
Whatever Lan Qi says, just don’t step into his logic.
This was Lan Qi’s greatest weakness.
If his opponent refused to engage in meaningful communication, none of Lan Qi’s tricks would work.
Follow this principle to the end, and this challenge—Adams would win, Lan Qi would lose!
Lan Qi in the neighboring cell did not reply.
He slowly walked to the back of his cell and tossed all his stockpiled supplies out through the bars.
Hearing the crisp clatter, Adams peered out in confusion.
Through the bars, he could see the supplies in the slanted hallway. Lan Qi seemed to have truly given up, abandoning all resources!
“What are you doing?”
Adams asked in surprise.
“So you don’t say I tricked you. I’m really leaving. People should trust each other more.”
After saying this, all sounds from Lan Qi’s cell abruptly ceased.
“…”
Adams stared at the supplies on the floor, deep in thought.
Could he have truly misjudged Lan Qi?
If Lan Qi had truly acted with goodwill…
And Adams, assuming the worst, had refused to trust him, wouldn’t that make him seem petty?
…
Meanwhile, at Jera Memorial Plaza, the stone floor rippled with rain, yet the crowd’s enthusiasm remained. The massive outdoor screen even attracted passing students to stop and watch.
People held colorful umbrellas, forming clusters like flowerbeds. Rain slid off the tips, hitting the ground with crisp “drip drip” sounds.
Yet the clamor of discussions on the plaza nearly drowned out these sounds.
“That Lan Qi, again trying to fool Adams!”“Don’t trust him, Adams!”
For some reason, students from Ikerite Academy began cheering Adams on.
Lan Qi was clearly playing psychological games.
By discarding his supplies, he was taking a gamble—speeding up the game to maximize confusion.
First, he could make his opponent feel guilty, potentially forcing him to leave the Shadow World.
Second, he could mislead the opponent about the abundance of his resources.
Many familiar with Lan Qi guessed:
Lan Qi would surely find a way to retrieve the supplies from the corridor later!
The cheering from Ikerite students actually left a few Yaloran students watching the screen somewhat bewildered.
Isn’t this Ikerite’s home field?
On the outdoor screen:
The more Adams thought, the more resolute he became.
His conscience pricked him—had he misjudged Lan Qi?
Soon, Adams relaxed his brow and curled a cold smile.
“Lan Qi, don’t bother pretending. No matter how you try to manipulate my mind or what schemes you have, I won’t believe a word you say until this Shadow World ends!”
Adams reaffirmed his determination, shouting with unwavering conviction to the neighboring cell.
The more Lan Qi tried to engage him, the more suspicious he appeared.
By removing emotion and thinking rationally, Adams could avoid Lan Qi’s traps.
Lan Qi would only ever play mind games!
…
Then, suddenly, the previously lively plaza—filled with rain and voices—fell silent as if cut off by an invisible force.
The sound of raindrops hitting umbrellas and the ground, the chatter of students—all disappeared, leaving only heavy silence.
Everyone was unable to make a sound, staring at the outdoor screen in disbelief.
Other than the ongoing rain, nothing seemed amiss.
Yet in the audience view:
Lan Qi had truly vanished.
He had exited the Shadow World.
He had surrendered.
“Lan Qi, is he crazy?!”“How is he going to explain this to Dean Loren?!”
The plaza erupted in chaos.
The rain poured harder, splashing the ground, breaking the silence with new noise.
No one expected Lan Qi to play such a dramatic move, surrendering so cleanly.
Even if someone guessed Lan Qi couldn’t beat Adams, no one expected him to lose like this.
“Wait…”
After a long while of commotion, a hesitant student remarked:
“Have you noticed? Adams, struggling like this, must have steeled his heart, convinced Lan Qi will play psychological games with him to the end…”
Many students lifted their heads to see Adams still enduring in the dim, frozen prison.
Occasionally, he taunted the empty neighboring cell:
“Lan Qi, don’t hold back your voice. Your acting is too clumsy!”“Keep going, and you’ll look foolish.”“Your mind games can fool the Destruction Saintess, but not me, who acts with steadfast conviction.”
“…”
The students fell silent again.
Lan Qi had surrendered easily, but Adams had triumphed gloriously.
He had been thoroughly tricked by Lan Qi.
He likely wouldn’t have emerged without reaching his limit; Adams no longer trusted anything.
This Bone-Chilling Prison Shadow World—enduring it to the extreme—would be torture beyond human limits.
After the challenge, one would need days in the hospital to recover.
It was hard to imagine Adams’ mental state upon realizing Lan Qi had abandoned the game early, while he had battled only empty air…
“No, it’s not that simple…”
Soon, students familiar with Lan Qi noticed something.
Adams was on the second level. They saw the third level. Lan Qi’s scheme wasn’t that straightforward.
…
In the Sage Institute’s Education and Learning Building, seventh-floor atrium:
A special space surrounded by towering glass walls remained bright despite the heavy rain outside.
Outside, the world appeared blurred as raindrops streaked the glass, sometimes clear, sometimes foggy.
Senior Sage Institute students sat quietly, all eyes on the giant magical screen on the wall.
When Lan Qi disappeared from the prison feed, they couldn’t believe their promising student had surrendered to Adams so outright!
Until Lan Qi finally emerged from the Shadow World terminal’s void portal, wearing an apologetic smile, as if embarrassed by his lack of skill.
But the smile revealed the truth:
He had done it on purpose!
Teacher Teresa ran over, astonished.
“Why did you surrender? What will you do next?! Dean Loren returns tomorrow!”
She anxiously stopped Lan Qi.
She never expected such a clean surrender!
Lan Qi stopped calmly and said:
“Tell me, shouldn’t Dean Loren go apologize to Knight Juliana?”
He smiled at the screen showing Adams’ suffering and asked Teresa.
The icy, hopeless prison and the warm, bright atrium in the rain felt like hell and heaven, Adams there, Lan Qi here.
“…”
Teresa watched the screen, speechless.
It didn’t matter who won.
Even without mentioning the bet, Lan Qi had tortured Adams like this.
Dean Loren would surely have to apologize to Knight Juliana in person.
Wait.
Teresa calculated on her fingers.
First, Adams won Lan Qi as he wished.
Then, if Dean Loren apologized for “Juliana’s student being so tormented”…
Knight Juliana would receive Loren’s sincere apology.
Lan Qi’s promised bet to Adams had been fulfilled.
Next, according to Lan Qi and Juliana’s prior agreement—Clause Three:
“If you forgive him, he hopes to invite you to the royal capital, to share important words from his heart.”
If Juliana forgave Loren…
The condition for “forgiving Loren” would be met.
Lan Qi could then ask Juliana to uphold her agreement with Loren and go on the visit.
Dean Loren would be forced to follow through with a chain of conditions, ultimately beginning the visit!
Knight Juliana, honest and upright, would not renege.
But how she would feel during this somewhat coerced visit… that was another matter.
Teresa had to admit: Lan Qi was a genius. He could satisfy everyone’s demands, yet leave them feeling utterly frustrated.
He had survived to this point solely due to his extraordinary skills.
“Sigh… I need a leave today. My cat is sick, I must take it to the vet.”
Teresa muttered to herself, hands in pockets, and left quickly.
She was out of the picture today.
Hopefully, Dean Loren would be fine when he returned tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the cat on the ground seemed to gradually grasp the situation, sinking into the feline universe of thought.
“??”
Its cat brain was overloaded.