Dekan's Reputation Was Suffering Some Mysterious Damage

Dekan pressed his fingers to his dimples, trying to control his expression, then turned away sadly.

"You stay with Elaine until the very end. We'll go outside and keep watch. Who knows when a new Jailer or guard will be sent to this prison?"

Dekan patted Ryan on the shoulder and said softly.

"Yes, thank you for your help."

Ryan nodded gratefully.

At a time when everyone was immersed in the sorrowful atmosphere of bidding farewell to Elena.

Dekan, along with Cornelia and Morion, quietly retreated and left the camp.

Their goal is clear; there's no need to waste any more time on this step.

Together they headed towards the portal leading to the sixth floor.

"Dekan, you're so kind."

Cornelia walked beside Dekan and said.

"Um?"

Dekan looked at Cornelia with some confusion, then looked away, focusing only on what was ahead.

"I said, you're so gentle."

Cornelia moved a little closer to Dekan and whispered.

"I don't understand, I don't understand."

Dekan quickened his pace as he spoke.

"Huff, huff."

Cornelia didn't say anything more to Dekan, but just covered her mouth and laughed.

"Meow!"

At this moment.

Cat Teacher finally jumped out of Dekan's clothes.

"Cat Teacher..."

Just Cornelia was about to catch it, it nimbly leaped onto Morion's head, who was walking behind.

"Huh?"

Cornelia turned around and looked at Cat Teacher and Morion, somewhat stunned.

Their relationship was the same last time.

It's inexplicably good.

"Cornelia! I'll come find you later, meow. Dekan lots of praise, meow! He's in a great mood!"

The Cat Teacher waved its paw and shouted.

"Um?"

Cornelia was puzzled, but quickly nodded and agreed:

"Good."

Then she jogged over to stand next to Dekan, took his arm, and started whispering to him.

Dekan, on the other hand, wore a speechless and helpless expression, occasionally tilting his head back, but there was nothing he could do about Cornelia.

For some reason, Cornelia felt that Dekan was very approachable in his current state, and naturally she moved closer to him.

It seems there's nothing to worry about.

So all the way.

Cornelia was praising him all the while standing next to Dekan.

In the present world.

Due to Dekan's illustrious reputation.

His Shadow World challenge has also received a great deal of attention.

From the outside, it seems that Dekan has kept a very low profile since returning from the Randir Kingdom, and has not made any moves.

It's as if they've vanished without a trace in the Norton Kingdom.

This time, Dekan finally managed to enter the seventh-tier Shadow World, which naturally attracted attention from all sides.

And those who were very interested in him and had arrived in Norton's Royal Capital early to wait for him.

The entrance to the Havenlit Academy.

"Hello everyone, this is Ludwig, the official reporter from the Kingdom Association. I'm bringing you an interview about... no, wait... oh no! Cut it out! It's about Mr. Dekan, the Quasi-Special Grade Card Crafter, challenging the Shadow World!"

A girl with light blue hair, wearing cute overalls, spoke somewhat clumsily to the camera.

"We've arrived at Mr. Dekan's Havenlit Academy, and we're now heading to the Observation Hall. However, we'll also randomly select some students to interview along the way!"

After saying that, she started walking into the campus with her partner who was filming her.

Soon, a student with a very distinctive demeanor caught her attention.

He looked like a teenager, but he had a sense of weariness and desolation that shouldn't belong to someone his age.

He clearly possessed the air of a young master, yet his face was etched with untold stories.

It's hard to imagine what this student has been through.

"Okay, let's go interview that student first!"

Ludwig, a young reporter with light blue hair, quickly jogged over, found the student, and handed him the microphone.

"Hello, do you know Dekan?"

"Dekan?! No, I won't cause him any trouble! Don't try to seduce me!"

The down-on-his-luck student's eyes widened, as if some key word had been triggered. He clutched his head in anguish and fled in disarray.

"Huh?"

Ludwig stood there, microphone in hand, watching the student walk away.

She then shrugged at the camera with a somewhat puzzled expression.

"It seems Mr. Dekan's reputation at school is beyond our imagination. It seems the legend that his name can stop babies from crying in the middle of the night is true."

Ludwig and his companions continued their journey towards the Observation Hall.

"It seems we can't interview students who look down on their luck this time. We need to find a student who definitely couldn't have been persecuted by Dekan and interview them normally."

Written by Ludwig himself.

Not long after, Ludwig noticed two outstanding young women walking side by side.

The glamorous blonde girl is the princess of this kingdom, while the other black-haired girl also possesses an exceptionally outstanding temperament.

They appeared to be on their way to the Observation Hall.

Ludwig felt he had to conduct an interview.

She quickly ran up to Alice.

"Your Highness Alice! May I interview you?"

"Yes, no problem!"

Alice readily agreed after seeing Ludwig's work badge on his chest, then looked at the camera, tossed her hair with a hint of pride, and stood confidently in front of the lens.

Are you going to the Observation Hall to watch Dekan's Shadow World Challenge?

Ludwig asked.

"Of course! I'm going to see how my dearest friend Dekan performs! He even brought the card I made for him! By the way, he'll be representing the Norton Kingdom at the Hero Festival! I had to personally invite him to participate before he agreed. Of course, he always gives me face..."

Alice started talking non-stop as soon as she stood in front of the camera.

Ludwig laughed somewhat awkwardly, and taking advantage of Alice's pause for breath, he quickly interrupted Alice:

"Haha, Princess Alice, thank you for sharing! I will also be attending the Hero Festival as a staff member of the Kingdom Association! I look forward to seeing you again then!"

Before Alice could speak again, Ludwig turned his gaze to the black-haired girl.

"Mi... Mie! I know you! You're also a member of the Beautiful Soul Squad! You provided crucial help to Dekan in the Randir Kingdom, so why didn't you join him in the Shadow World challenge?"

Mie smiled and prepared to answer, but then seemed to realize something, and a hint of sternness flashed in his eyes as he stared at Ludwig.

However, this only lasts for a moment, and no one will even notice.

Mie replied with his usual smile:

"I'm just a clerical worker to fill a quota. Last time in the Randir Kingdom, they were the ones who helped me pass the test. Actually, it doesn't make much difference whether I'm there or not."

"Oh! My apologies! I thought you were providing a lot of support behind the scenes for Dekan and Croix, who are so active in the public eye! Mie, Miss Mier, see you in the Observation Hall later!"

Ludwig scratched the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly.

She quickly led her team, jogging towards the Observation Hall.

Mie stared at Ludwig's retreating figure for a while.

He then shook his head and continued leisurely walking with Alice towards the Observation Hall.

When Ludwig arrived at the Observation Hall, the scene being shown was Dekan's rescue of everyone and his passionate speech.

"Wow, I guess I'm really lucky! I just happened to witness Dekan doing good deeds! Let's hear what the other students have to say."

Ludwig glanced at the camera, a sweet smile playing on his lips, and continued watching Dekan's performance.

Ludwig then walked down the aisle, occasionally pointing the microphone around to collect the students' voices.

"He really... I'm so damn dead..."

"I saw him complete five levels, and this is the first time he's truly done good deeds, but why does his act of doing good deeds always feel so strange?"

"Akan, you should stick to doing bad things. I'm scared when I see you doing good deeds..."

Ludwig: "..."

"Haha, it seems the classmates have a good relationship with Dekan. They must be joking, right?"

Ludwig laughed awkwardly.

"Emmm, let's interview the teachers instead. They're sure to give us a more objective evaluation!"

Ludwig's voice immediately regained its vitality.

She soon found a dignified middle-aged man dressed in the uniform of the Knight Academy teacher.

She believed that this teacher, who looked like the vice dean, must be very reliable.

"Excuse me, teacher, how would you rate Dekan's performance in this Shadow World?"

"I'm just a passerby, so I can't really comment."

Professor Arnold's pupils contracted when he saw the camera, he waved his hand and quickly walked away, as if he was afraid of being on camera.

Ludwig tilted his head, somewhat puzzled.

She then asked the Knight Academy teachers around her.

Their reaction upon seeing the camera was probably the same.

"Why is everyone just a complete stranger...? Looks like I just haven't run into any teachers who know Dekan well... Well then, let's ask some questions unrelated to the Shadow World."

Ludwig quickly spotted another target: Judith and Ice Princess, who were sitting conspicuously in the audience.

She skipped over to Judith with delight, introduced herself, and then asked:

"Lady Judith! As an employee of the Happy Group, what are your thoughts on the progress of the relationship between Dekan and Cornelia?"

Ludwig believed that many people would be interested in this topic.

She had just seen Dekan and Cornelia's interaction on the screen, which elicited screams from many students.

"Huh? Haven't they always been like that? But I've never liked gossiping about other people's relationships behind their backs. What's with all this talk about 'suddenly appearing' or 'childhood sweethearts'? I don't understand. I just hear Cat Teacher talking about it. You should ask someone else about these things."

Judith shook her head helplessly and replied.

"Um... is it possible that you are...?"

"What am I?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing!"

Ludwig quickly turned his attention to the Ice Princess.

"Lady Ice Princess! Do you ship Dekan and Cornelia?"

"..."

Ice Princess remained silent.

There was a few seconds of silence on both sides.

"Lady Ice Princess? Why are your eyes a little red?"

"Hmm? I... I'm still stuck in the fourth level. I feel so sorry for Altis..."

"And you, how are you?"

Ludwig asked with some concern.

"I have no problem."

Ice Princess turned her head to the side.

She seemed to want Ludwig to see her face again.

Ludwig touched his cheek, somewhat puzzled.

"Did I say something wrong...?"

Ludwig murmured.

"No problem, once I publish this interview, Dekan will definitely thank me!"

"Well, that concludes our interview for today. I will remain in the Royal Capital, awaiting the end of the Shadow World, to bring you the latest interview with Dekan himself!"

In the Shadow World.

Achoo!

Dekan sniffed, his expression turning somewhat confused.

"Did you catch a cold on the fifth floor just now?"

Cornelia looked at Dekan with some concern and asked.

"No, I always felt like someone was badmouthing me behind my back, but I guess I'm just overthinking it. Even though I don't care about reputation anymore, after I finish the fifth level, my reputation will probably improve a lot, which is pretty good."

The three people and one cat have finally reached the sixth floor.

[Heretic Prison]

[You cannot actively attack prisoners or other guards on this level of the prison; otherwise, you will lose 75% of your Demon Point or 100 Demon Point each time you do so, whichever is greater.]

[When the Demon Point are negative, the Jailer will execute the individual.]

[Complete the challenge against the Jailer to obtain specific resources you desire.]

[Demon Point can be used to exchange for resources, or resources can be sold for Demon Point. Demon Point are freely tradable.]

[On the sixth level of the prison, 600 Demon Point will be automatically deducted daily.]

[To proceed to the Seventh Floor, you need to pay 6000 Demon Point, or possess permission from the sixth-level Jailer.]

"Hmm... it's quite similar to the third floor. Looks like a Jailer who knows the rules, but..."

Dekan also noticed that this layer lacked any description of the work.

It seems there's no work to earn Demon Point on this floor; instead, the challenge is to complete the Jailer's task.

It's likely similar to the duel with Altis on the fourth floor, a challenge conducted under fair rules, where victory would yield special resources.

"Hopefully, the Jailer on this floor won't be too difficult."

Dekan prayed.

"It's going to be quite troublesome. Just from the name of this floor, you can tell the Jailer is definitely high-class and won't be as friendly as Altis. They can't possibly let you take advantage of someone you know like they did on the second floor, can they?"

Morion immediately poured cold water on Dekan's enthusiasm.

"Go! Go! Go!"

As they talked, they walked out of the portal's protective barrier.

However, as soon as they stepped outside, they saw a demon dressed in a dark green suit waiting for them.

He was quite different from the previous demons, and he didn't give off any sense of threat.

His hair and beard were neatly groomed, and with his top hat concealing his devilish horns, he looked exactly like a refined anthropologist.

"Hello, beautiful lady, welcome to my laboratory."

He removed his top hat and gracefully bowed to Dekan.

"I am the Jailer of this floor— the Forbidden Law Fasilier."