The magic cards I made are absolutely flawless!

This little succubus is probably the human chosen by the human side from among thousands of people. She is the one whose behavior is most like that of a demon, and she is so convincing that she could blend in with the demons and no one would be able to find any flaws in her.

Humanity was probably forced into this desperate measure to attempt a plan with no hope of victory: rescuing the Dark Saintess from the Demon Realm.

"Yes."

Dekan expressed his approval.

Artis shook her head bitterly and said:

"No, it's impossible. It's possible for you to gain the Warden's approval to complete the trial. But if you want to take the Dark Saintess away, the Warden will never allow it. She will kill you without hesitation unless you can defeat the Warden... But even if you combine the wardens from the previous eight levels, it's impossible to defeat the Warden..."

“I know, but we must rescue the Dark Saintess. There is no turning back. We also need to escape the Demon Realm within 14 days.”

Dekan also knew that the warden, a ninth-tier boss, was difficult to deal with.

So he has been working hard to gather information about the warden throughout these layers of the prison.

He felt that this shadow world was more difficult than the typical seventh-order shadow worlds he knew.

This boss alone is practically invincible.

Even without considering some bug-based gameplay, following the normal steps to conquer the Shadow World shouldn't be unsolvable.

Therefore, there must be a way to defeat the warden boss.

"14 days?!"

Artis asked in surprise.

"What's wrong? Is it difficult?"

Dekan frowned.

After buying the map on the first floor, he felt that the timeframe wasn't particularly strict.

"It's difficult."

Artis shook her head bitterly and took out a folded, giant map of the demon realm from the bookshelf.

She spread it out on the table for Dekan and Morion to see.

This map is many times more detailed than the one Dekan bought on the first floor; it even clearly marks the terrain areas.

However, this volume is not portable.

The map was marked with Artis's symbols, suggesting that she had planned her escape route from the Demon Realm long ago.

Artis: "Let's not even talk about whether you can rescue the Dark Saintess. Even if you can take her away from the warden, the time limit is much more difficult than you think. Although in terms of distance, with the help of vehicles, you can reach the border of the Demon Realm from the Demon Realm prison in ten days, you will definitely be wanted after you escape. There will be many pursuers and interceptions along the way."

Dekan: "So?"

Artis: "If you can't rescue the Dark Saintess today, it will be very difficult. If you rescue her today, even if there are obstacles along the way, there is a good chance that you can take her away on time. Every day that passes, the success rate will decrease by more than 90%."

"This task seems to be more difficult than I imagined..."

Dekan felt that the difficulty of this seventh-tier shadow world was far greater than that of a typical seventh-tier shadow world.

Even if you bring in a few eighth-tier experts, you might not be able to beat them easily.

Besides the warden, a boss that cannot be easily defeated, there is also a strict time limit.

"I can't help you with anything else, but if you can rescue the Dark Saintess, remember to follow this route. Based on my understanding of the Demon Realm's terrain and the province layout, this is the safest and fastest way, and there are also backup plans..."

After she finished speaking, Artis took a pen and carefully drew it on the map.

Dekan also noted down the key points mentioned by Artis on his portable mini-map.

Before long, Dekan had figured out the best route to leave the Demon Realm from the Demon Realm prison.

"Thank you so much, you've been a great help."

"Dekan said."

Artis's planned route almost guarantees that Dekan will leave the Demon Realm within 14 days.

Otherwise, according to the original plan, even if Dekan rescued the Dark Saintess, it would be very difficult to take her away from the Demon Realm on time.

At that time, the adventure in the Demon Realm will likely be fraught with difficulties.

"That's all I can do to help you."

Artis gave a bitter smile.

She longed to leave with Dekan and the others.

But once she was given the role of warden, she had no hope of leaving.

Unless the Demon King is defeated one day.

But if one day even the Demon King is defeated, she is not sure if she will still be able to survive.

"By the way, is there any other information about the warden? Even if it seems useless."

Dekan asked earnestly.

Now, both Artis and Dekan's attitudes have changed.

Their positions were completely aligned, and Dekan also approved of Artis's character.

In the face of major issues, minor personal conflicts or misunderstandings are not worth mentioning.

Artis rested her chin on her hand and thought for a moment, then, as if struck by a sudden inspiration, she said:

"I have some information, but I don't know if it will be of any use..."

"please say."

"I heard that the warden was once defeated by an eighth-tier paladin."

"Lost the one-on-one duel?"

Dekan was somewhat surprised.

But hearing this news brought me more joy than anything else.

Artis: "Hmm... but I don't know anything about that paladin, or how he defeated the warden."

Dekan: "It's okay, it's already very important."

Although this information wasn't particularly useful.

But it at least illustrates one point—

The warden must have a fatal weakness.

Even someone with eighth-tier combat power can get past the warden!

Perhaps it is because the warden has a very serious flaw.

Therefore, in such a tense situation, the Demon King would place such a ninth-tier great demon in the rear to guard the prison, rather than send him to the front line.

……

After the conversation ended.

Dekan was ready to leave this floor quickly and take Morion, the cat teacher, to the deeper parts of the prison.

He has now successfully cleared the first four levels in just a few hours, which is more than enough time for him.

He just hadn't expected this mission to be so much more difficult than the other seventh-tier shadow worlds he knew.

As for saying goodbye to Artis.

Forget it.

Although in some ways Artis could be considered his friend.

He thanked Artis for her help and also recognized her character.

But saying goodbye to a character from the film world still made it somewhat difficult for Dekan to express his feelings.

Artis is destined to remain trapped in this level, unable to escape the Demon King's control.

Dekan could tell that she really wanted to leave and return to her hometown.

Even though she knew she couldn't escape, she still hoped to help the Dark Saintess escape.

It's hard to imagine what she was thinking when she devised such a series of escape routes from the demon realm and then gave them to Dekan.

Dekan didn't know what Artis's fate would be in real history after this shadow world, nor did he know whether the character he was playing now actually had such a friendship with Artis in real history.

The more precious something is, the more illusory it is, and the more regrettable it is.

"Don't get too caught up in the world of shadows," was a lesson Professor Arnold taught him when he first arrived at Hervenlite Academy.

"By the way, is there one subject among these that you're particularly bad at?"

Dekan stopped and turned around to ask.

Out of sheer curiosity, Dekan wanted to figure out which subject to choose for the third round of the exam in this prison, following the normal strategy.

And to remember some stories about this friend who transcends time and space.

"how do you know?"

Artis seemed somewhat surprised, but quickly lowered her head and nervously clutched the hem of her dress.

"I'm just guessing. I'm simply curious about where my chances of winning in this fair competition lay."

Actually, Dekan doesn't need to explain much.

Since Artis had previously acknowledged that this would be a fair match.

It's impossible to propose a rule that guarantees a 100% victory for oneself.

Artis pointed to a box on the desk.

The words "Painting" were clearly written on it.

"You can't draw?"

Dekan was surprised that Morion had guessed correctly.

That old fox has some guts.

"Um……"

Artis admitted.