I Swear I'm Not a Demon Masquerading as a Human

Inside the exam hall, the light streaming through the glass dome grew increasingly brilliant. Theresa shook her head. Something just didn't feel right. How could this young man propose such a plan with a sunny, cheerful expression? Of course, judging by his performance in the previous round, he was clearly no ordinary individual.

"So rest assured. I, a model of law-abiding conduct, certainly won't sabotage you." Lance smiled as he looked at Hyperion. He believed teammates should place a little more trust in one another.

Hyperion hesitated briefly before agreeing. "Alright."

If this guy really were the type to sabotage his own team, she probably wouldn't stand a chance of surviving in the capital anyway. He might not be a powerful White Mage, but as a genius of the law... Well, it was hard to say. There wasn't much time for further conversation.

Following the exam protocol, Theresa led Lance and Hyperion to the Void Gate. She whispered to them, "You two should be cautious around the examiner, Ferrat Chavenson. I shouldn't be saying this... But he is a rather harsh man."

Theresa personally considered Hyperion and Lance to be outstanding students, so she didn't want to see them treated unfairly. Unfortunately, there wasn't much substantial help she could offer.

Hyperion gave a nod of thanks to Theresa. Simply being told the identity of their examiner was a form of helping her.

A Void Gate opened before the two of them at the activation terminal for the artificial Shadow Realm. Theresa gently said, "Alright, it’s time to begin the exam."

This time, there was a countdown timer on the Void Gate. Clearly, the examinees were required to enter within the allotted time. Without asking any other questions, Lance stepped into the portal alongside Hyperion. Although he didn't know who Ferrat was, his teammate evidently did. He could simply ask her later.

The portal was just like the last time. It was a pitch-black space where nothing could be seen. The surroundings were far quieter than the seventh floor atrium, as if all sound had been completely blocked out.

The next second, brilliant light flared up, and he found himself in an extradimensional space resembling a spacetime tunnel. Text prompts appeared before his eyes.

[Shadow Realm Dimension: Canyon of Infinite Phantoms]

[Level: 2]

[Number of Challengers: 2]

[Welcome to the Canyon of Infinite Phantoms. This map is a Shadow Realm dungeon developed by the College of Magical Engineering specifically for combat training.]

[The exam is currently configured to a scenario where the Challengers have failed to complete the Shadow Realm’s main objective and are now in a desperate situation. On a randomized map, you will face a Rank 4 Hunter controlled by the examiner. The examiner is prohibited from using enchanted cards, but will employ spells within their own repertoire that match the ranking.]

[There is no risk of actually dying within the artificial Shadow Realm. Upon failure or your "death," you will be automatically ejected from the simulation. You may also choose to voluntarily exit the dungeon, which will be marked as a failure.]

[Note: Based on the evaluations of Examinee 001 (Lance Wilford) and Examinee 002 (Hyperion Aransar) from the previous assessment, the exam difficulty will be adjusted to more accurately gauge the examinees' capabilities.]

[Note: Failure does not equate to elimination; the examiner will conduct a comprehensive, multi-dimensional assessment of overall performance.]

[Note: The initial distance between you and the Hunter has been reduced to one-third of the standard distance. The rank limit for the Hunter has also been adjusted to Rank 5.]

[Mission Objective: Candidates must cooperate to survive until the time limit expires.]

[Time remaining: 29 minutes 59 seconds.]

[Map for this assessment: Great Ilaiven Plains.]

Once they were fully immersed in the alternate dimension, Lance and Hyperion found themselves standing on a vast grassland. Sunlight bathed every inch of the land in warmth and radiance.

In the distance, the sky was a pristine, brilliant blue, with a few white clouds drifting lazily on the breeze. The green grass of the prairie swayed and danced in the wind, vibrant and full of life, resembling a sea of emeralds.

Upon seeing the "one-third starting distance" and the "Rank 5 Hunter," Hyperion sighed. When she finally saw that the randomly generated terrain was a plain, however, she finally lost her composure. She was so exasperated she almost laughed, and she couldn't help but ask Lance, "Just how high was your exam rating, anyway?"

Even Lance was momentarily stunned.

"I have no idea. Didn't they say the scoring was switched to a manual process this time? They never released the actual figures. Besides, isn't having a plains map for a student examination no different from taunting us and putting on a show?"

For a moment, he couldn't tell if someone had tampered with the randomization, or if their luck was simply abysmal, or if the person who designed this Canyon of Infinite Phantoms was just plain...unhinged.

He had long heard rumors that the people in the College of Magical Engineering weren't exactly normal, with a few screws loose. Now, he was getting a taste of just how true that was. Generally speaking, any one of these three disadvantages on its own would have been manageable. But when combined, their situation was dire.

After all, most entrance exam candidates were only at Rank 2. Lance, for instance, had only just reached Rank 2. Candidates at Rank 3, like Hyperion, were the minority. However, whether they were Rank 2 or 3, they were utterly defenseless against a Rank 5 opponent! Being caught meant the end of the exam, and on this boundless plain, with the starting distance drastically reduced, there was no possibility of them kiting the examiner.

"Heh..." Hyperion was about to say something, but then felt it was meaningless to say anything.

To her, the sanctimonious actions of these nobles who were obsessed with maintaining their reputations while being utterly shameless when chasing their own benefits were utterly ridiculous. Ever since Duke Aransar went missing, she had been plunged into a web of lethal plots and dealt with constant trumped-up charges, leaving her unable to distinguish between friend and foe.

She finally had uncovered a few clues regarding her father’s disappearance, a glimmer of hope. Yet, in doing so, she had stumbled upon something far deeper and more dangerous. She had a hunch that she was going to die under mysterious circumstances in the capital soon.

The only chance of survival left to her now was to successfully enroll in the university, following the final plan her father had laid out before he vanished. With the protection of Lawrence, a High Priest of the Goddess of Fate, no one would dare attack her rashly within the Sages’ College.

And yet, that bunch of sore losers... They were never going to let her be admitted to Ikerite University as she wished.

Hyperion turned, lifting her gaze slightly as she asked, "You aren't running?"

She noticed that Lance was still standing beside her, and he showed no signs of panic or the intent to flee. She pointed out, "If you quit the exam now, you’ll save yourself some suffering."

"I can't do that," Lance said with a helpless shrug.

A hint of a sneer appeared on Hyperion’s lips. "Why not?"

Unlike her, whose mind had been twisted by rage and a thirst for vengeance as she was fast running out of options, this young man didn't seem to have any compelling reason why he had to pass the exam.

Lance spread his hands casually and replied, "If I don't pass, my old man will chew me out when I get home."

Hyperion thought Lance was joking at first. But upon thinking about it, she realized that he had been like this all along. Although he might occasionally betray a hint of surprise or puzzlement, nothing ever seemed to faze him. It was as if his heart rate remained forever in the calm, leisurely state of someone enjoying afternoon tea.

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