Chapter 235
Chapter 235
Chapter 235
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 235: Loren Believes Lan Qi Must Have Understood Not to Court Death
After Lan Qi answered, the office quieted for a while, the only sound being the ticking of the antique wooden clock on the wall.
“……”
After a brief silence, Loren leaned back in his chair. The luxurious office chair carried both authority and a comforting warmth.
“Well then, I’ll look forward to it.”
Loren smiled at Lan Qi and Huperion as he spoke.
Even without asking further, Loren already understood more or less.
Lan Qi wanted to go further north, seeking a Supreme of another race.
Only something like that could truly be considered a challenge worthy of Lan Qi.
A bit of tempering wouldn’t hurt—this kid was just too overdue for some knocks.
He himself couldn’t bring himself to be harsh with him.
But once Lan Qi set foot on the Northern Continent, others would certainly not treat him gently.
“The Northern Continent, due to its complex races and history, has very severe conflicts between species. Some races harbor deep hatred toward humans, and likewise, some humans loathe the other races. Unlike here, where it’s mostly prejudice, over there they may very well kill you the moment they hear your race. So absolutely do not treat the North as if it were the South.”
Loren pulled open a drawer and took out an ancient tome bound with the cover of the Goddess of Fate’s Church. He handed it to Lan Qi, meaning for him to read it on the journey.
“This really isn’t good…”
Lan Qi accepted the book, thanked Loren, and muttered under his breath.
“Once you arrive in the coastal Protos Empire of the North, do not try to go any deeper north. If you can manage to find the [Original Tablet – Light] or [Original Tablet – Undeath], it will already yield extremely high credits. After all, both those holders are tremendously dangerous figures in the North.”
Loren continued.
Even though the Protos Empire itself was, in Loren’s view, a rather twisted nation, at least it still had some semblance of order, though exceedingly harsh.
“How dangerous are they?”
Lan Qi asked.
“In your current understanding of Tablet holders… say the Saintess of Destruction appeared before me. How long would it take me to capture her?”
Loren chose to answer his doubt with a practical example.
So far, the strongest opponent Lan Qi had ever faced was the Saintess of Destruction.
That weakened seventh-rank vampire count who had been ambushed and beaten couldn’t serve as a proper reference.
“Maybe… a few seconds?”
Lan Qi thought a bit before guessing.
In the game, levels beyond 60 had not been unlocked, so he didn’t actually know the exact difference past the sixth rank.
The sixth-rank Saintess of Destruction was already considered the peak of the younger generation in the South.
Even now, neither he nor Huperion could win against her in a frontal clash.
Loren only smiled at Lan Qi’s answer.
He didn’t give a number. Instead, he lightly lifted his fingers resting on the desk.
At once, both Lan Qi and Huperion’s expressions turned startled and doubtful.
Their bodies were utterly frozen, not like any normal binding magic.
It was as if, with just Loren’s thought, the very air had solidified into iron!Even if they had been instantly made ten times stronger, there was no conceivable way to resist.
And yet Loren himself, gazing calmly at them, showed no fluctuations of mana at all. He hadn’t even exerted himself.
“Even if you were hundreds of meters away, it would be the same.”
Loren said blandly.
Then he released them. Their stiff bodies relaxed again.
He hadn’t caused them pain.
But they were absolutely certain: if Loren had wanted to strangle them with wind just now, it would’ve taken nothing more than a thought.
“I understand now. No wonder they say only an eighth-rank can defeat another eighth-rank…”
Lan Qi nodded.
The gap between eighth rank and below was indeed another world entirely.
As for the ninth rank, Lan Qi couldn’t even begin to imagine.
From Loren’s demonstration, Lan Qi could infer: if he and Huperion appeared within the Destruction Bishop’s sight, killing them would take only an instant.
Huperion might endure two more strikes with her shields and death-avoidance, but it was meaningless.
Setting aside spells or card ranks—the raw attributes alone were hundreds of times apart.
Even if, by some miracle, they engineered a closed-environment fight against an eighth-rank vampire marquis, they would still be doomed.
“Also, Huperion—when you’re in the Protos Empire, you must never reveal that you have demonic blood.”
Loren reminded her. He knew she currently possessed a transformation spell capable of fooling all detection methods in Hedon Kingdom, letting her perfectly disguise as human. That was why he stressed it.
“Why?”
Huperion asked, puzzled.
Because of blocked and outdated intelligence, most widely circulated information about the Northern Continent was dubious at best.
Only someone like Loren, who had personally been there, could be absolutely trusted.
“In the Protos Empire’s latest decrees, disguising one’s race is a capital crime, punishable by extreme execution as a public example. That’s because racial heritage dictates vastly different class hierarchies there.”
Loren explained.
“What if I just use my half-demon identity openly?”
Huperion wondered aloud.
If the risk of exposure wasn’t zero, perhaps honesty was safer.
“Then, unless you can prove you are free-born, you’ll likely be captured as a demon slave. Demons in the Protos Empire are considered a criminal race at the very bottom, with almost no human rights.”
Loren shook his head.
Half-demons might be slightly better off, but most were the offspring of attractive demons purchased by nobles or merchants. Even then, they weren’t treated as nobility. At best, they lived a bit better than commoners.
“There’s really such a thing?”
Lan Qi frowned.
“Just act human. As long as you don’t provoke trouble, you generally won’t run into conflicts.”
Loren said seriously.
“Also remember—the dangers in the North are not limited to Tablet holders. Not all Tablet holders are stronger than non-holders. Some Supremes find the fixed fifth-rank slot of a Tablet unworthy of using, or they simply never acquired a suitable Tablet. Strength and luck both play big roles.”
“I understand, Dean Loren.”
“Outside the capital, I cannot protect you. You must remember: not everywhere is as stable as Hedon Kingdom. And since you’ve already made enemies with the Resurrection Church, there may be bounty-hungry individuals who will target you. So stay cautious and hide your identities.”
Loren paused, then spoke with deep sincerity.
Knowing Lan Qi and Huperion were headed so far away did surprise him somewhat.
He might wish they’d travel in the North for a while, but above all, their safety was his priority.
“You may delay your return by at most two months. Beyond that, you risk expulsion.”
After stamping the forms with three official seals, Loren handed the documents back to them.
Counting their three-and-a-half-month holiday, they had a total of five and a half months—enough time, even for a Northern Continent expedition.
With the South’s political balance beginning to unravel, Loren hoped Hedon Kingdom could soon produce a new pillar-level powerhouse.
The world was wide, and it was time for Lan Qi and Huperion to see more of it. Such experiences were indispensable catalysts for growth.
After all, they’d already survived [Purgatory Corridor Academy] and [The Cathedral Villains’ Banquet], both of which looked like certain-death shadow-realms for freshmen. So Loren wasn’t too worried about them now.
As long as they didn’t actively seek death, with their talents, they were already considered outstanding young powerhouses outside.
And after everything he had just lectured, Loren believed that clever Lan Qi would surely have no thoughts of courting death again.
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(End of this chapter)