Fragmented footsteps echoed in the quiet corridor. Two figures ran down the hallway, paying no heed to the loud noises and gusts of air behind them.

After setting their ambush, Dekan and Cornelia, chose not to attack further but opted for a retreat. They had equipped themselves with a trio of cards: Hydrogen Explosion, Hypnotic Gas, and Extremely Poisonous Spikes. These three cards were essential spells for survival, even in such perilous situations.

"Dekan, what's our next move?" Cornelia, now standing beside Dekan, inquired as they paused for a moment.

"We need to buy some time and, if possible, locate the principal's position. A tier 5 challenger is far more formidable than a tier 5 demon." Even Dekan, who usually wore a confident expression, now appeared solemn.

Although battling against others was enjoyable, their previous PvE encounters were only against tier 4 opponents. The upcoming PvP battle was against a tier 5 challenger; it presented a significant challenge.

"Cornelia, we must not underestimate them. These demons have to abide by the rules and can't use magic cards. However, these despicable challengers are different. They may have some sinister cards up their sleeves. Our priority is to hold out until the principal arrives."

Cornelia nodded in agreement. Even though she was more inclined towards martial combat, she trusted Dekan's judgment completely.

Sometimes, students need to rely on their teachers.

As they continued to approach the well-lit corner ahead, a shadow, akin to a black snake, silently shot out from behind and slipped into Dekan's shadow before disappearing without a sound. Dekan felt his body freeze momentarily before becoming unable to move. It was as if his shadow had bound him, restricting his movement.

However, he quickly broke free from the restraint and regained his mobility. However, his legs felt heavy as if they were made of lead.

"Who the hell uses this card?!" Dekan shouted in frustration after identifying the annoying effect that had immobilized him temporarily. He had an idea as to what card it might be. He had come across information about this particular disgusting spell in his studies - it was the tier 5 spell Soulshadow Pursuit.

[Soulshadow Pursuit]

[Category: Spell Card]

[Rarity: Purple Rare]

[Tier: 5]

[Effect: Captures targets within a 200-meter radius, immobilizes and applies a slowing effect based on the difference in attributes between the caster and the target.]

[Note: Created by Archbishop Minos of the Resurgence Church.]

This card was practically useless against opponents stronger than the caster. It consumed a significant amount of mana, had a short control duration, and could easily be cleansed by a tier 5 spell. However, when used against weaker targets, it was incredibly frustrating as the prey had virtually no chance of escape.

"If I was a higher tier, I'd teach them a lesson with an enhanced version of Soulshadow Pursuit!" Dekan muttered angrily after confirming his assailant's identity. It was undoubtedly a repeat offender from the Shadow World who enjoyed hunting weaker individuals.

"It seems like there's no escape," Cornelia remarked as she looked at Dekan.

"That's right. I really hate fighting people, especially those who use these vile dark cards." Dekan sighed deeply, turned around, and stared resolutely into the dim depths of the corridor.

Cornelia had also equipped herself with the "Battlehammer of Terror" and "Cursed Armor," reinforcing her body with various enhancement spells. She stood in front of Dekan, prepared to defend him.

[Cursed Armor]

[Category: Equipment Card]

[Rarity: Purple Rare]

[Tier: 2]

[Effect: Transfers 200% of the damage received to the attacker.]

"Are Dekan and Cornelia really this unlucky? They've entered a tier 4 Shadow World and now they're facing these enemies!"

Despite Dekan and Cornelia's previous effortless performances, the students watching couldn't help themselves from being concerned.

Those who would attack other challengers in the Shadow World were truly wicked individuals.

They excel at disguising their identities and going against challengers.

Moreover, as they have been hunting challengers and robbing magic cards for a long time, they were not weak.

Most importantly, they like to infiltrate the lower-tiered Shadow Worlds and are skilled at concealing themselves.

"Wait a minute, those four creepy masks..."

A senior student, holding his chin, looked closely at the screen where the veil-covered man and the four giant masks around him appeared.

Soon, new information also appeared on the screen.

"Information match rate 97%. Equipment identified as the Malevolent Spirit Mask. Card user is the B-class wanted criminal Faceless, an elite member of the Resurgence Church."

[Malevolent Spirit Mask]

[Category: Equipment Card]

[Rarity: Orange Epic]

[Tier: 5]

[Effect: Provides a substantial shield to the wearer. The shield will automatically regenerate. Return 25% damage taken to the damage source.]

[Note: Feel the pain.]

"It's definitely those scoundrels from the Resurgence Church!"

"Resurgence Church?"

Some new students seemed a bit puzzled by these words. They were people that havent been in Shadow Worlds before.

"Theyre a cult! Their doctrine is all about bringing rebirth to this world after natural disasters. They believe that with fewer people, the world's resources will be abundant and the remaining people will be happier!"

"They're nothing but a bunch of plunder-crazed maniacs!"

Once the Resurgence Church was mentioned, many senior students and teachers clenched their teeth in anger.

"Why didn't they just attack their teammates from the beginning so that the Shadow World would fail?"

"The Resurgence Church is said to be divided into two factions, the 'Kingdom Federation' calls them the 'Hawk Faction' and the 'Hound Faction.' Both of their goals are all about plunder, destruction, and causing natural disasters. It's just that the Hawk Faction tends to focus on plundering resources, while the Hound Faction seeks ultimate destruction."

"Because of that, the Hawk Faction actively raid Shadow Worlds and are initially indistinguishable from normal people. But when they approach the Shadow Worlds are about to end, they would find opportunities to kill and steal cards."

"As for the Hound Faction, they directly sabotage Shadow Worlds and would hinder missions from the start all the while also trying to kill their teammates and steal their cards."

"Anyway, if you encounter someone from the Resurgence Church, battle them to the death! It's not a crime to kill them!"

As the failure of a Shadow World raid would bring about natural disasters, the Resurgence Church was undoubtedly a calamity for humanity!

They enjoy making exhausted challengers die in despair and plunder their cards while torturing them.

Even if a senior student hasn't personally encountered members of the Resurgence Church, they know people who have been assaulted by them.

Some have even lost their lives because of the Resurgenceists.

When it comes to the Resurgence Church, they both hate and fear them.

For a moment, the entire viewing hall fell into silence.

The students were all holding their breath and closely watching Dekan and Cornelia's movements.

Even though Dekan and Cornelia had engaged in quite a bit of demon-torturing behavior earlier, there was not a single person in the viewing hall who wasn't worried about them now.

The known information about the Faceless was displayed one by one on the screen.

A tier 5 summoner, with high constitution and spirit.

Summoners were known for being the most capable at crushing their opponents, and the Faceless deck was specifically configured for hunting the weak.

His spell cards were mostly for disguise and reconnaissance, equipment cards for survival, combined with a large number of summoning cards to exert control.

Many senior students knew deep down that Dekan and Cornelia were in serious trouble.

Dekan, only tier 2, could only carry a total of 20 tiers of cards when entering the Shadow World.

The cards he carried had already been thoroughly displayed to the people in the viewing hall during their various challenges.

With their current cards, the probability of defeating the Faceless was approaching zero.

The tier difference was too great, and the Faceless... was a sadistical torture maniac!

He would never give Dekan a chance to win in a single blow!

"We can only pray that Dekan has a trump card up his sleeve."

"To be honest, I had my suspicions about Dekan being a member of the Resurgence Church from the start because his tactics were even more extreme than theirs... but now, I just hope Dekan can be a bit less humane and take down this villain!"

"You can do it! Dekan! Cornelia!"