Chapter 215
Chapter 215
Chapter 215
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 215 – Lan Qi Has the Heart of an Apprentice
In the center of the hall, the natural light refracted from the dome swayed gently. Though not bright, it was enough to illuminate this serene space.
Loren tried to calm the turbulence within his heart as he quickly walked toward where Lan Qi and Kalian were standing.
“Dean Loren.”
Both Lan Qi and Kalian greeted him as he arrived.
For Dean Loren to take time out of his busy schedule to allow them to observe the Primordial Slate, they were both deeply grateful.
“Lan Qi…”
Loren’s gaze focused mainly on Lan Qi. After watching Lan Qi’s expression for a while, he said:“Perhaps I should arrange another session for you instead.”
The moment he saw Lan Qi here, Loren couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding.
Lan Qi’s emerald eyes showed slight confusion, as though he didn’t understand why Dean Loren seemed so hesitant.
The dean’s upcoming workload was heavy—how could he spare extra time?
Just as Lan Qi fell silent, still hesitant to ask about Loren’s work burden, Kalian spoke first.
“Dean Loren, classmate Lan Qi is strong and reliable. With him observing the domain of the [Primordial Slate – Wind], I feel very reassured.”
Kalian’s tone was considerate as she bowed slightly.“Lan Qi is surely also trying to lessen your workload.”
“Is that so.”
Loren sensed harmony between Lan Qi and Kalian, yet also a subtle distance.
It didn’t feel like Lan Qi was coercing or deceiving Kalian.
To doubt Lan Qi without cause would only make him appear biased…
“Lan Qi, Kalian is the student most valued by Yaloran’s academic delegation. I must ensure she returns to the Yaloran Kingdom healthy, safe, and happy. But I’m far too busy lately to manage everything. Can you help me?”
Loren’s gaze deepened as he asked.
It was a very tactful way of making Lan Qi promise not to let Kalian suffer any harm, physical or emotional.
Loren was far too afraid of any accident happening to her.So he entrusted her safety directly to Lan Qi.
“No problem. Rest assured, I promise to keep classmate Kalian cheerful and won’t let her suffer even the slightest grievance at our school.”
Lan Qi smiled gently with responsibility in his voice as he nodded.
“Then go and observe together.”
Loren thought for a moment. Perhaps this time, he had misjudged Lan Qi.
Lan Qi always kept his word. Whatever his way of doing things, his promises were indeed trustworthy.
“Oh, Lan Qi—though you’re talented at card-making…”
Loren hesitated, then waved it off:“Forget it. Just get along well with Kalian.”
He was actually worried Lan Qi might accidentally crush Kalian’s confidence. But saying that outright would be unkind.
Still, Loren knew Lan Qi’s temperament. He was not the arrogant or domineering type.
“Wait a moment, I’ll open the gate into the slate’s internal domain for you.”
After giving them a few instructions, Loren walked toward the circle of council tables by the hall’s center to greet the scholars dispatched by the Mage Tower.
There was only one recorder, as usual, along with a few staff members from various magi-engineer guilds. All greeted Dean Loren with utmost respect.
Indeed, while Loren might appear easygoing in the academy, with almost no distance between him and his students, outside he was highly revered—a High Priest of the Goddess of Fate and the famous holder of the Primordial Slate across the southern continent.
Normally, staff from the Institute of Magical Engineering would also attend, but since today was Saturday, they refused to work overtime and simply didn’t show.
By contrast, somehow a reporter from the Hedon Times had drifted in.
From earlier, a lively young journalist had been waving at Lan Qi nonstop from the seats, trying to catch his attention. Lan Qi only gave a polite nod in return, unwilling to engage further.
In the front row, Hedon Times journalist and Student Council secretary Lu Weixier was already itching to interview Lan Qi and Kalian.
Though Lan Qi didn’t know her—since they hadn’t met in the student council room—she had long since known of the two new members: Lan Qi and Huperion.
During this brief pause in waiting—
Loren’s earlier reminder left Kalian curious.
She turned toward Lan Qi.
“So Lan Qi, you’re really skilled in card-making?”
Kalian asked softly, her voice tinged with curiosity.
After all, magitek-engineers specialized in many fields. At the Sage Academy, most leaned toward scroll-making or appraisal.
Generally, professional magitek-engineers would study at the Institute of Magical Engineering instead of the Sage Academy, which focused on training combatants.
For Loren to allow Lan Qi to observe the Primordial Slate, Lan Qi must have a talent in Magitek-Engineering—specifically as a card-maker.
She hadn’t expected this.
“I know a little.”
Lan Qi replied.
He had caught Loren’s earlier hint—urging him to stay humble. So Lan Qi was even more reserved than usual.
“Dean Loren said you’re amazing at it. Do you realize the weight of such praise?”
Kalian teased with a sly smile. She knew Lan Qi had been around Loren so long, he might forget what kind of stature Loren held in the eyes of other kingdoms.
“Dean Loren just hasn’t seen me blowing up cards.”
Lan Qi sighed.
Talia always teased him as nothing more than a “garbage card-blower.”
As they exchanged whispers, the preparations were completed.
Loren returned to them.
“Let’s begin.”
With those words, he summoned forth an ancient stone-carved slab. Thin yet solid, its surface was darkened with age, carrying faint glowing runes that flickered in and out of sight. Ash-grey ripples swayed across it, like whispers of millennia.
The instant it appeared, a light breeze swept through the library. Pages rustled and lifted, dancing in the sunbeams like tiny spirits—delicate, graceful.
Students on the upper floors felt the powerful magic surge and leaned over the balconies, eager to witness Dean Loren’s display in the central hall.
As Loren channeled his magic into the slab-shaped epic card, cracks spread across its surface.
Until it split—revealing its true form.
A crystal-clear, semi-transparent magic card.
But what seized everyone’s gaze was not its shape—
—it was the strange glow it emitted. Not pure orange, but tinged faintly with crimson!
The next second, after consuming enough of Loren’s magic, the suspended card split open into a small Void Gate at the library’s center.
“You may begin.”
Maintaining this Primordial Slate state consumed Loren’s magic.
But he knew Lan Qi and Kalian understood the process. It was no different from entering the Shadow World.
The two bowed to Loren, then stepped through the gate one after the other.
Unlike the real Shadow World, this domain was artificial—no need for matching or waiting.
In just seconds, the darkness lit up again.