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

Chapter 32: Lance's Human Citizenship is Being Questioned

"Uh... Didn't they say that artificial Shadow Realm dungeons were safe?" Lance muttered to himself out of concern as he gazed at Ferrat, who lay motionless on the ground

He might have been a little too heavy-handed. Lance had reasoned earlier that the more opportunities Hyperion could create for him to stoke Ferrat's anger, the better their chances of winning would be.

However, he had never actually put this strategy into practice before. He hadn't been sure just how enraged Ferrat needed to be for the Poet of Boundless Love to trigger the right reaction. That was why he had simply asked Hyperion to stall for time. It was the safer approach.

He just hadn't expected the Poet to be so terrifying...

[Severe cardiovascular and cerebrovascular damage detected in Examiner Ferrat. This damage exceeds the scope of the artificial Shadow Realm's safety protocols. Initiating emergency extraction measures...]

As a notification message suddenly appeared in the sky above the artificial Shadow Realm, Ferrat was instantly teleported out of the simulation.

Meanwhile, back in the examination hall, Theresa was wringing her hands and stomping her feet out of anxiety. After assessing Ferrat's condition, she had urgently contacted the medical team from the College of Alchemy. They were already rushing to the scene with a stretcher.

The vast majority of healing spells were geared toward physical injuries, like blunt trauma or cuts from a blade. Higher tier healing magic could treat internal ailments, provided the pathology wasn't too complex. But a cerebral hemorrhage? That was something she couldn't fix. Ferrat required specialized doctors to perform an emergency surgery.

Theresa covered her face with her hands, her voice heavy with despair, "Lance... and to think I was worried earlier that Ferrat would give you a hard time..."

It turned out she had been worried about the wrong person. She no longer knew what to make of the young man who, upon enrollment, had calmly declared to her, "I am a White Mage."

The mere thought of Lance attending the Sages' College, or worse, joining the healing division, made Theresa feel that the school's reputation was doomed. Lance might well singlehandedly redefine the very connotation of the term "healer." He was destined to leave a monumental mark on the history of healers...

***

The conference room was tidy and dignified, with long tables arranged around a massive, circular magical display screen suspended in the center. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the combination of meticulously polished details and a neutral color palette made the space bright and comfortable.

Right now, however, it was a chaotic hubbub of discussion.

One professor reported, "We just got the latest update from the exam site: Ferrat is suffering from a cerebral hemorrhage because of Lance."

Another chimed, "That set of cards he uses is absolutely infuriating!"

A third shook their head. "It's game over if you let that kid get under your skin. He'll make you lose control of yourself in an instant."

Another huffed, "But if you were in Ferrat's shoes, could you guarantee that you wouldn't lose your temper?"

Everyone fell silent. Although they all understood the logic behind Lance's strategy of provoking his enemies, if they were the ones to actually face him in a fight, none of them had the confidence to declare that they would actually keep their composure...

Furthermore, Lance still had a mysterious Tier 1 card he hadn't even used yet. Who knew if it was another card designed to mess with the opponent’s head? Or what other tormenting tactics he might come up with in the future!

Associate Dean Ron reviewed the replay of the test. "If he's your opponent, you have to either kill Lance outright or, even if you get bogged down by him or his teammates, maintain your composure without wavering until you finish him off."

With the Poet of Boundless Love as his trump card, facing Lance meant that emotions other than anger, such as shock, sorrow, or even joy, could prove just as fatal. On top of that, the boy was clearly a master at manipulation. He could easily string a person along into extreme emotional states that would then spiral out of control, much like a boulder tumbling down a mountain.

While watching the replay of the decisive moment, a teacher remarked with a sigh, "Tactics that toy with an enemy's mind like that... They were the sort of methods favored by the most wicked of the demon race during their wars of annihilation."

Another teacher immediately suggested, "Perhaps we should double-check his background and race registration?"

Ron shook his head. "There is no need to subject a student to that kind of humiliation. His race was already verified upon his enrollment."

He then sighed. "That card affects friend and foe alike, so it is something that even demons would not dare use recklessly. Their own desires are their greatest weakness. If amplified infinitely, it's no different from committing suicide. Only someone who possesses a mind as clear and still as a mirror, unfazed by anything, could remain unaffected."

Clearly, Lance was precisely the sort of person with that kind of unshakeable mindset. His temperament was remarkably optimistic and composed. No matter the situation, he never wavered in the slightest.

The teachers present could only nod helplessly. Although it was difficult to gauge Lance’s true strength, since he was currently only a Rank 2 mage, they knew one thing for certain: no one wanted to face him once he had fully matured.

His initial strength was virtually non-existent, yet his potential upper limit was terrifyingly high. For instance, despite the increased difficulty level of this test, not only did Lance and Hyperion pass, but they also achieved the special victory condition of defeating the examiner. They were destined to earn an exceptionally high score.

Ron knew that Hyperion, Lance's impromptu partner for this exam, wasn't even his most compatible teammate. If he were to find a partner with whom he shared perfect synergy, the result would likely be an unimaginable catastrophe.

At that thought, Ron removed his glasses and began searching through the files of the new students from the Knights' College. When he came across a particular page, he gasped sharply. The university had recruited a truly extraordinary pair of troublemakers this year...

***

In the artificial Shadow Realm dungeon, Lance breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving the notification that he had passed the exam. He hadn't broken the Artificial Shadow Realm Activation Terminal this time. However, that terminal certainly wasn't as benign as advertised. The claim that there was "no risk of actually dying" was clearly false. After all, he had managed to uncover a genuine hazard.

Presumably, the professors at the College of Magical Engineering would be grateful to him, a freshman from the Sages' College, for identifying a safety risk on their behalf.

In the distance, Hyperion waved wearily at Lance before exiting ahead of him. "I'm heading back out now."

Unlike Lance, who remained unscathed, she had sustained quite a few injuries and was in considerable pain. She needed to leave to recover.

Lance nodded in the direction where Hyperion had vanished. Then, he glanced at his Epic grade summon, the Poet of Boundless Love. The reason he couldn't exit the artificial Shadow Realm dimension immediately was because he had to recall all of his enchanted cards before he could pass through the Void Gate.

Seeing this little devil summon, which bore an uncanny resemblance to Talia, Lance couldn't help but shake his head and smile. Back when he had collaborated with his mentor to create this card using the Hymn of Compassion, he was the one who had created the illustration.

To ensure the card was as perfect as possible, he had naturally chosen something that he was very good at illustrating: He had modeled the summon's appearance directly after Talia!

Moreover, since Talia was the primary creator of the card, a profound bond already existed between her and the summon. By basing the card's form on her likeness, the compatibility between the two reached an inexplicably high level, almost by happy accident.

Even though Talia had been both shocked and furious about it at the time, she had ultimately restrained herself. It was partly to avoid ruining a soon-to-be-born masterpiece, and partly for the sake of the massive fee Lance had promised her for her work.

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