step. It radiated an intense malevolence that sent shivers down Huberly's spine.Her limbs also became stiff and immobile, as if bound by some kind of magic.The poet, a fragile first-stage being of gr...Chapter 123: Shadow World: A Banquet of Heretics in the Sanctuary

In a chaotic darkness, they seemed to be immersed in the precipitation of long time, actually only over ten minutes. (Due to caching reasons, please users directly access the website through their browser to view the fastest chapter updates.)

Finally, like the first ray of sunlight piercing through layers of darkness, their vision gradually returned to light, indicating that they had successfully matched and stepped into the shadow world.

Lanche looked around, with Huberlian and Frey standing on his left and right respectively. Their faces were as familiar as ever, unchanged.

His gaze swept over the faces of his companions and landed on the large glass window in the distance.

The clear reflection proved that his own face still retained its original contours.

The view outside is indistinguishable because thick fog makes everything hazy.

If it weren't for a few feeble fireflies flickering in the garden outside the glass walls, they wouldn't even be able to tell if it was morning or night.

Under the thick fog, it seems to place the dawn outside in a hazy and mysterious world.

Inside, Lance and Fray are already dressed in formal wear.

Although their styles are different, they complement each other's personalities perfectly.

Ranch's beige classical suit paired with a brown waistcoat, his hair neatly combed, after a slightly formal dressing up he looked more gentle and elegant than usual.

Frey casually wore a black suit over a deep blue double-breasted windbreaker. He had added a pair of black hard leather gloves to his hands, and his sunglasses, still half-covering his face, obscured half of his eyes.

While Huberly was a figure like a large, romantic poet in a red dress, her delicate makeup had transformed her aura into something entirely different. She appeared elegant and magnificent yet endearing. A thin coat was draped over her shoulders, as if warding off the chill.

This kind of attire made them sure that this wasn't the Demon Realm, and this time it didn't seem like the Devil Academy exam grounds either. There was no forced entry into a room with mandatory mechanisms at the start. It seemed everyone could move freely.

A subtle coolness permeated the air.

This is not the bone-chilling cold of winter, but rather a crisp and refreshing chill, like breathing at the summit of a mountain.

The three did not immediately speak, but rather immersed themselves in the surrounding environment, quietly observing each other.

Before you lies a grand banquet hall, its vaulted ceiling soaring over ten meters high. At the same time, it also resembles an ancient cathedral.

Looking up, a magnificent pipe organ reaching nearly five stories high dominated the entire back wall. Some pipes stood straight, others curved, some glittering gold and others wood-toned and muted. They were arranged in various shapes and levels, radiating an indescribable sense of sacred solemnity.

The ceiling, crafted from stained glass, boasts intricate gold carvings adorning crystal chandeliers. In the soft glow of their illumination, they resemble a celestial tapestry cascading from the heavens, illuminating the opulent dark stone-carved walls and the smooth marble floor.

At the center of the hall, a grand and spacious Baroque dining table took pride of place. Silver candelabras gleamed under the flickering flames, while on either side of the table stood twelve intricately carved, brown oak chairs, arranged with meticulous order, hinting at a world of opulent revelry, where fine wine flowed freely and glasses clinked merrily.

In this grand and imposing hall, a few figures stood scattered.

They three huddled together, standing still as statues.

Whether it be a luxurious cathedral, the arrival of dawn, or the biting chill of winter wind, nothing could shake their indifference.

Because this hall is not so harmonious.

In such a scene, a bloody stench mingled with the metallic tang of iron permeated the entire hall. The pungent odor was so overpowering that it completely masked the fragrance within the hall.

At the far end of the hall, at the head of the long table, lay a corpse in opulent attire, its head lolling back against the high-backed chair. A look of despair and unwillingness contorted its face, the agony etched into its vacant eyes.

His chest, from below his breastplate to his abdomen, was brutally ripped open, like a horrifying anatomical drawing. A steady stream of crimson poured from his body, painting the ground with a tragic masterpiece.

The seeping blood mingled with the marble floor's patterns, flowing through the banquet hall, leaving bloody streaks along the lines of the table legs.

This crimson color, like an invisible blade, cleaved the banquet hall that had once shimmered with gold and silver. It transformed it into a bizarre and terrifying killing ground.

Soon, a prompt also appeared before his eyes.

【The Shadow World: A Banquet of Saints' Villains】

Level: 5

As the autumn deepened, you twelve guests were invited by Lord Caligula to this ancient castle perched upon a cliff.

You all appear to have different social standings, but in reality, you are all members of a secret society dedicated to overthrowing the blood race's tyrannical rule over humanity.

However, the Grand Magus Cargulla met a tragic end that very night.

Of the twelve of you, one has betrayed and sided with the Blood Clan.

Total number of challengers: 12

Special Identity Challenger: 3

Special Identity - Detective (Non-Traitor): Automatically selected as the non-traitor among all challengers who is most likely to solve the riddle. Characterized by wearing a holy cross insignia bestowed upon them by Sir Caligula.

Special Identity - Blood Clan Descendant (Traitor): You can borrow the powers of either Lord Palocas, Earl of Blood, or Lord Seybernard, Earl of Blood once each day when they are in a state of awakening.

Note: If a blood relative of a vampire dies, a count-level blood master will arrive at the castle within one day.

Task Goal 1: Find the betrayer 0/2.

Task objective 2: Discover the hidden secrets and dangers within the ancient castle.

Objective 3: At least one survivor reaches the end of the 120-hour time limit.

The betrayer side has completely different mission objectives, visible only to the betrayers. Non-betrayers will obtain a job identity, visible only to non-betrayers.

If the challenger mission objective fails, it will trigger a global catastrophe.

Time remaining: 119 hours 59 minutes.

The starting location for all challengers is the Base Level Hall.

In the hall, a large clock hung silently on the high wall.

The hands were just past five thirty, in the early morning light of dawn.

As prompts from the Shadow Realm flashed, the atmosphere in the banquet hall suddenly grew tense.

Everyone in this castle is in danger!

People's gazes sharpened, like a pack of caged beasts, wary of each other. For everyone knew, the next five days would be a challenge fraught with trust issues and life on the line.

It is no ordinary shadow world.

The enemies are not historical figures projected from the Shadow World.

...a game of death where challengers, playing as historical figures, deceive and are deceived, kill and are prevented from killing!

The Challengers in the Sanctuary.

Whatever one's intentions may be.

Finally, all eyes gradually turned to the Shadow World selection – a man wearing a holy light breastplate. -

The ashen-gray hair was slightly messy, his tall and muscular frame radiated the explosive power of a wolf, his face was angular with half a pair of small sunglasses, his eyes were deep and cold with an aggressive gaze.

He exuded an aura of unparalleled arrogance and ferocity, clearly a killer.

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and so on.

This is it.

Detective…

……

In the dead of night at Etheria Academy, a soft glow emanated from Gera's Memorial Plaza.

The time on the clock tower also pointed to five thirty in the morning.

However, at this point, the square was already bustling with activity.

Many speculated that students for the second screening of Ranchi and Huberlian's world film were already sitting on the steps of the square with picnic blankets and lunchboxes, having secured a prime view.

As the spectral world of the three Ranchi people appeared on the giant outdoor screen.

The Icterean Academy, on Jerala Plaza, was bustling with noise once again.

"Frey is a detective"

"Isn't he a power-type player!"

Many students at the Knight Academy know that Frey has monstrous strength and physical growth potential. Even though he's only a fourth-rank, fifth-rank senior knights wouldn't dare say they could win in a straight fight against him.

In the third round of the Knight Academy entrance exam, a practical test, he didn't bother with any fancy tricks. He charged straight at the examiner and landed a shocking punch that became the first in Knight Academy history.

Besides having a very peculiar way of thinking, he is undoubtedly the strongest freshman in the history of the Knights Academy.

But no matter how you look at him, he doesn't look like a detective!

This fifth-order Shadow World is extremely dangerous for the challengers on the open side, always facing the risk of encountering unknown and overwhelmingly powerful bloodline abilities. Even a sixth-order challenger could be caught off guard and killed if they are not careful.

For ordinary level three and four challengers, it's a serious over-the-top difficulty.

A detective's skill directly determines the challengers' chances of winning.

A detective with an absolutely trustworthy identity will be the key to finding the traitor!

If the detective lags behind and fails to uncover the traitor in time, as the traitor's secret mission progresses unchecked in the shadows, everyone will be plunged into a desperate situation.

Moreover, the challengers cannot push those two traitors who are blood clan affiliates too hard. They must maintain a great information gap to control the traitors and find a way to catch them.

Otherwise, once the traitors are driven to desperation and choose mutual destruction, the seventh-ranked Blood Count will be lured in, directly triggering a rampage mode that will result in the complete annihilation of all challengers.

Even a Tier 7 powerhouse would struggle against the Blood Count's immortality, with little hope of winning in a one-on-one fight.

Even if all the challengers in this five-tier shadow world were to combine their strength, they would still be no match for the night's Count. Even though they could escape during the day, once the sun sets, they would be brutally slaughtered by the blood race Count!

"Oh no, if Lance was a detective it would be fine... Why did it have to be Frey..."

"The detective can only choose from among the non-traitors, could Lan Qi be a Blood Clan affiliate"

Although students immediately began to suspect the extraterrestrial identities of Lance and Huberlian, they could clearly see the information in their field of vision due to both of them having activated the "Shadow World Recording Program".

Lanch and Huberly's professions are [lawyer] and [actress], respectively.

The lawyer is familiar with the current legal regulations of the country and can check them on their own shadow world panel.

The task objective is also the same as the regular version.

Clearly, Frey, Lynch, and Huberly were not traitors.

The betrayer must be among the other nine challengers whose abilities are unknown.

At the Jera Memorial Square, the dim light and shadow of the outdoor giant screen played across the students' faces, flickering on and off, making them swallow nervously.

Just the thought of being in this potentially deadly shadow world right now sent shivers down the spines of many students, making their hair stand on end.

Every time night falls.

Waiting for itself.

Just as poor Caracalla, stripped to his chest and seated on the throne, could have suffered a similar fate.

This kind of mental game, which requires players and villains to engage in a world of deception and murder, often tests one's psychological resilience. Sometimes, before the final moment arrives, psychological defenses may crumble, and some might even resort to suicide in search of release.

A senior student couldn't help but sigh with a solemn expression.

However.

He stared at the screen, watching the detective, lawyer, and actress, then remembered the recent "Civilization and New Style" campaign in their school. His words caught in his throat as he became choked with emotion.

But when these three student council bullies went in, the vibes just felt off!

Let me clarify first, the three main characters are not betrayers and there's no plot twist like that of Big Pain Teacher.

(The End)

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