Lanchi had been preparing to return to the Sanctuary from the second-floor corridor to find Hughberlian and Frei. But as he watched the castle scene gradually dissolve, he stopped and stood rooted to the spot.
"Oh my, looks like I won't have to walk after all."
As the castle walls gradually faded away, the instant the dawn light reached its brightest, it was suddenly replaced by profound darkness.
In the blink of an eye, Lanchi found himself inside a transparent hut seemingly wrapped in an eternal starry sky.
Only a few stars flickered sparsely, as if recounting stories spanning countless millennia, shining brilliantly. Frei and Hughberlian were here as well, bringing enough light to their vision for them to see the scene before them.
It was a wondrous space where the Real World and the Shadow World intertwined, forming a boundary at the edge of reality.
On the transparent barrier not far away, a spreading crack quietly appeared. A few wisps of tranquil purple radiance spilled from the fissure. Soon, they would be able to return to the Real World through this small Void Gate and resume their familiar campus life at Ikelite.
The Shadow World's settlement had yet to appear.
Based on their previous experience, Lanchi and Hughberlian were certain that if too many situations violating the intended mechanics occurred during a genuine Shadow World challenge, the settlement process would take slightly longer.
They had no idea how much longer this one would take.
Lanchi smiled at Hughberlian and Frei, preparing to chat with them.
"Our rewards shouldn't be bad this time either."
Lanchi confidently assured the two of them.
"After all, we sacrificed merit to boost our score..."
Hughberlian covered her cheek. To improve her reward this time as well, Lanchi had made her personally activate the Solar