Logical Problem

"Someone initiated a duel—what's going on?!"

A screen suddenly appeared in the Knight Secret Realm's plaza, sparking a wave of discussion.

"Wasn't the area cleared in advance? How could someone interfere with an examinee?! Who would dare?!"

The livestream split into two sections. Lu PingAn appeared on the left, slowly making his way up to the second floor.

The other half showed the challenger who had already been waiting on the second floor—a young man in a Technology University uniform.

"Technology University, we need an explanation!"

Director Qian, who was leading Gu City University's team, immediately lost his temper and stormed over to Technology University to demand answers.

The Rust Knight was the god of knights and justice, as well as a fanatical lover of duels and fair fights.

Take the Tier 2 Duel Swordsman and Tier 3 Arena Knight of His path, for example. Both possessed combat abilities that could forcibly drag opponents into duels.

The Rust Knight and His knights feared no challenge and avoided none. His secret realms generally had an Unspoken Rule—the "principle of duels."

As long as someone shouted the name of their intended opponent, a duel would take place.

At the Duel Plaza outside the Tower of Trials, inscriptions updated the names of other trial-takers around the clock, allowing challenges to be issued at any time.

And since the Rust Knight was not the God of Slaughter, one could surrender at any time during His dueling ritual without any penalty. The loser's trial would simply end there, so in theory, the impact was limited.

"Maliciously interfering with an examinee—what the hell are you thinking?!"

Once Director Qian ShuEn of Gu City questioned them, the Technology University camp also erupted into noisy commotion.

Most people looked completely bewildered, but a few seemed thoughtful.

The procedures of the special examination were fair, and the trial procedures of the Knight Secret Realm were just.

But when two systems of fairness and justice overlapped, people could exploit the rules to produce unfair methods.

"Even if he wins this time, he won't get far. And besides, there'll be another pursuit after this."

This was not the first time something like this had happened. Someone laid out everything that could occur.

A trial-taker could be challenged at any time. The next room would turn into a duel chamber. Even if they won, they could continue the trial—but their spent stamina and injuries would not recover instantly.

In the Knight Secret Realm, each person only had three chances per day. Examinees also only had three chances. If someone targeted them every time and forced them into duel trials, then even if their exam score did not become zero, it would be mostly ruined.

Come back the next day? That depended on whether they had the nerve to ask the college entrance exam rules to make an exception for them.

Once someone explained all this, the plaza immediately exploded. Perhaps some people already knew about this "method," but for most, it was their first time learning that such filthy tactics existed in this supposedly absolutely fair secret realm.

Wasn't this basically saying that if they wanted to screw someone over, they could do it at a critical floor? Many people turned their gazes toward those they had feuds or grudges with.

If they sacrificed one trial opportunity to kick someone while they were at their weakest... Heh, that sounded pretty worthwhile.

"What are you thinking?! Anyone who dares use such filthy methods will have their exam results canceled and be barred from admission forever. Non-examinee outsiders will face an additional penalty and be wanted for maliciously disrupting public order, under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs. Interfering with the college entrance exam is not an administrative violation—it is a criminal offense!"

This was clearly malicious interference with an examination. What it harmed was not only Lu PingAn's personal interests, but also Gu City University's dignity and the stability of social order.

Under Director Qian's loud rebuke, some people finally reined in their malicious thoughts.

At that moment, everyone also realized something.

That Technology University student had thrown away his own future just to target another examinee. What kind of hatred, what kind of grudge, did that take?

"Deng Jun is Professor Deng Anqi's son. He's a sophomore and was originally expected to go straight into a combined bachelor's-master's program, but all of that was canceled. His father, whom he was so proud of, was fired as well. He came here voluntarily to help. Maybe he simply couldn't think straight for a moment."

A Technology University teacher came over and spoke quietly with Director Qian.

This appeared to be an individual act, but Technology University was clearly in the wrong.

"Deng Anqi?"

Qian ShuEn frowned. He had accepted Xia Qin's request, so he had naturally investigated that child and learned about certain incidents that had caused an uproar across half the city.

In his hot-tempered view, Deng Anqi, who had tarnished the reputation of teachers and caused such terrible consequences, deserved death. Merely firing him was already far too lenient.

"A sophomore? How strong is he?"

"He just reached Tier 2, but he's from the combat track."

The Technology University teacher's expression was also ugly. If this turned into a criminal case, he would be held responsible.

He had nothing to do with Deng Anqi, yet now he had to take the blame for him. How could he possibly be willing?

Upon hearing that, Director Qian's expression darkened as well.

A newly advanced Tier 2 combat-track student was nothing in his eyes, but among students, he was already far from weak.

Against examinees who averaged Tier 0, it would be a crushing advantage.

By now, the teachers no longer held any hopes for Lu PingAn's trial. They only hoped he would surrender as soon as possible and avoid suffering any fatal injuries.

But at this point, the storm outside could no longer interfere with the duel within the secret realm.

Lu PingAn looked at the stranger before him, somewhat dumbfounded.

"I never heard that the Knight Secret Realm had humanoid monsters."

"Lu PingAn!"

What the young man squeezed out through clenched teeth was naked hatred. Because of the little brat before him, he had lost everything in just a few short days!

".Ah, this monster can actually talk. Interesting!"

Lu PingAn looked at the person before him with great interest, even wanting to ask, "How old is your little sister? Has she gone to school? What medicine is she taking now?"

Lu PingAn's cheerfulness and smile only made the man before him even more enraged.

"How dare you! How dare you! Did my cousin provoke you? My dad was such a good man—what did our family ever do to you—"

Hearing that the "humanoid monster" before him could actually speak, and was even talking as if Lu PingAn had slaughtered his entire family, Lu PingAn was momentarily stunned as well.

"You? Do I have a grudge against you? Did I provoke your entire family?"

"Yes!"

Lu PingAn's face immediately lit up with delight.

"Oh, oh, oh, you transformed from Aklis? Or Wine Lake Bird? Tsk, tsk, tsk. First time I've heard that creatures from secret realms can turn human and even cross secret realms to seek revenge. This world really is interesting. I've learned something new."

In an instant, Deng Jun's flushed face turned black with rage. He pointed at Lu PingAn, unable to speak for a long while.

"I, I, I—"

"You?"

"I'm Deng Jun, Deng Anqi's son!"

At that moment, Lu PingAn narrowed his eyes, thought seriously for a moment, then said—

"Deng Anqi? Who?"

Deng Jun immediately failed to catch his breath and nearly fainted on the spot.

That final word—"who"—was filled with confusion and sincerity.

Unless Lu PingAn was the world's greatest actor, he genuinely hadn't remembered.

Deng Jun had regarded him as a mortal enemy all this way, even gambling his future on this vendetta, yet the other party had completely forgotten him in the blink of an eye.

It meant that Lu PingAn truly had never taken him—or his father—seriously.

"Deng Anqi! Deng Anqi from Green New Company! Deng Anqi, whose family you ruined! If you're trying to provoke me, you've succeeded. But that won't make up for the enormous gap between us. Today, I'll avenge my father and my cousin."

The young man drew out a heavy battle axe. With a casual swing, he smashed a shallow pit into the ground.

The person before him was simply too infuriating. He no longer wanted to say another word.

"Oh." Lu PingAn clapped his hands, finally remembering.

"Oh, you came to take revenge on me? You should've said so earlier. You had me thinking for so long. Sigh."

Lu PingAn sighed in disappointment, earning another vicious glare from Deng Jun.

"Karma comes around. You didn't expect this, did you? You didn't expect this secret realm, supposedly absolutely fair and just, to have such a massive loophole in its rules."

"What are you even thinking? Rules are dead; people are alive. I've never had much expectation for rules. I'm just disappointed that it wasn't humanoid Aklis coming for revenge. Sigh, it looks like I'll have to figure out the monster-girl thing myself."

Humanoid monster? Monster girl? In an instant, Deng Jun's blood pressure, which had only just gone down, shot back up again.

He took a deep breath and decided not to waste any more words on the person before him.

"No matter how well you talk, you're finished today. I've already seen through your strength. I'll snipe you three times and make you score zero on the exam. I'll avenge myself and my father! That is the right I should have as a son!"

Lu PingAn laughed instead.

"You should know what they did, right? Then by your logic, the parents and relatives of those victims can also come seek revenge on you and your father, can't they?"

"Them? What the fuck do they have to do with me?!"

Deng Jun, who had been swinging his battle axe, suddenly flew into a rage and charged straight at the mortal enemy before him.

"Oh, that logic is kind of interesting."

Lu PingAn rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then smiled.

The next instant, Lu PingAn took a step on the spot and vanished before everyone's eyes.

Deng Jun had only made it halfway through his charge when a sudden, agonizing pain struck his neck. The world before his eyes flipped upside down, then spun one hundred and eighty degrees.

Crack.

A horrifying sound came from his twisted neck, while a low voice sounded from behind him.

With his head twisted behind his back, the young man could actually see the young man standing behind him.

He gently stroked Deng Jun's neck and said with a smile—

"Then if I kill you, what the fuck does it have to do with you?"

Crack.