Facing the vampires’ harsh pressure, the Demon Realm’s Inspectorate took a firm stance: everything must proceed strictly by the rules.
They escorted the vampire envoy across the perilous northern icefields into the Demon Realm and would accompany him to the academy for investigation.
This envoy wielded a unique blood authority—capable of discerning humans disguised as demons.
If such an infiltrator were exposed at the academy, its entire leadership would bear crushing responsibility. To appease the vampires’ wrath, the demons might even cast the school itself as a sacrifice.
And to prevent the principal from interfering, the Education Ministry had already transferred him away in advance, citing “important duties.” In truth, it was simply to sideline him.
“By the timetable, the vampire envoy will arrive at the academy in just a few hours.”
The vice principal’s voice carried nothing but fatigue.
The academy’s only hope now was the Demon King’s secret support.
Openly, the king’s stance remained ambiguous. From his position, he could never overtly help cover up for the academy—that would anger the vampires and violate the treaty.
Yet, before the principal was removed, the Demon King had secretly sent him word: if the vampires truly dispatched an envoy, he too would send a resourceful confidant to assist.If the humans the vampires sought really were lurking within the academy, then this special envoy from Demon King’s Castle would be the school’s final lifeline.
But now—with only hours left before the vampire envoy arrived—there was still no sign of this supposed rescuer.
“Special Envoy… where in the world are you?”
The vice principal leaned forward over the table, brows locked in a painful knot, expression bleak, his eyes searching the darkness as though for a hidden path.
All he could do now was pray that the envoy bearing the Black Jade seal of the Demon King would appear soon—before it was too late.
—
Meanwhile.
Beneath the starry sky of the Glass Corridor Bridge, Lan Qi bowed his head, turning the black seal and residence pass over in his hands.
His gaze shifted between the Demon King’s Castle residence permit and the jet-black emblem, filled with confusion.
“This guy… wasn’t even a student?”
“Feels more like a connected insider…”
He muttered to himself.
Like defeating some hidden mini boss out of nowhere—dropping items whose purpose made no sense.
“…”
Huperion had nothing to say.
By the rules of the Shadow World, that silver-haired demon shouldn’t have been killable inside the Demon King’s Gifted Restaurant—the safest functional zone. But unfortunately for him, he ran into Lan Qi.
That he carried strange things on him wasn’t surprising at all.
“Anyway, after two classes, next up is the third—we need to find a difficulty-3 classroom.”
Lan Qi stood, decisive.
Only in difficulty-3 classrooms could they encounter professor-level demons.
And only those demons might hold knowledge about the “high-level meeting” recently held at the academy.
He checked their mission log.
Exploration progress: 18%.
During their second class, they had spent over an hour enjoying that lavish dinner.
Entering the restaurant hadn’t raised the progress—clearly, functional zones didn’t count.
Meanwhile, the other two teams had likely added 4% each, by clearing difficulty-2 classrooms.
“Our progress is a little behind—we’ve got to catch up!”
Lan Qi said it with all the responsibility and confidence of a leader…
Huperion looked at his carefree smile, doubting whether it was duty or just overeager energy after a good meal—like a child itching to play at an amusement park.
She sighed, following him anyway.
The Shadow World was nothing like she had imagined. It really felt like she was just accompanying Lan Qi through some demon-themed carnival.
Together, under the stars, they dragged the silver-haired demon’s corpse to the edge of the corridor.
With a joint heave, they hurled it through the glass window.
The body dropped like an arrow loosed from a bow, vanishing into the endless abyss of purgatory.
Soon, only the silent bridge and tranquil night sky remained.
Huperion exhaled in relief.
At least Lan Qi had lent a hand with the heavy work—so any deduction in merit points would be shared, not all dumped on her.
The two leaned against the wall, chatting idly, until—
The ancient chime of bells once more resounded across the academy, shattering the stillness.
At the corridor’s junction, stone blocks began to shift and rotate, grinding together like the swing of iron pendulums, filling the air with thunderous echoes.
The functional zone and teaching zone reconnected.
A spiral staircase of black stone unfurled downward into nothingness, unsupported, suspended in the void.
Beyond it lay only endless darkness, stripping away any sense of direction.
After nearly ten minutes, Bacher came scrambling up the steps, breathless, carefully avoiding the gaps in the stairs.
“Forgive me, I’m late!”
He bowed low, not daring to slight Lan Qi or Huperion.
“No worries, Bacher. Take us to a difficulty-3 classroom—preferably arts-related.”
Lan Qi clapped him on the shoulder with his usual friendliness.
“Difficulty 3…”
Bacher froze, his face paling in shock. Then his eyes widened further.
So suddenly—jumping straight to the hardest level classrooms in every faculty?
“You can wait outside if you’d rather. I’ll pay you three credit coins for your trouble.”
Lan Qi shrugged, as if reading his fear.
“!”
Bacher gaped, then nodded quickly in gratitude.
But he couldn’t shake the feeling—since these two had come back from the Demon King’s Gifted Restaurant, not only had their credits not dropped, they acted like they’d struck gold overnight.
Yet how could that be? In a place so tightly controlled, there was no such thing as the numbers running backward…
“Lead the way.”
Lan Qi grinned.
Now that he was swimming in credit coins, there was no need to drag Bacher into danger. Paying him a little extra was nothing.
As long as he stayed close to Huperion—her strength boosted to fourth-rank by the Restaurant’s special meal—he had all the protection he needed.
Lan Qi felt certain: once they cleared a difficulty-3 classroom, the truth about the academy’s hidden crisis would finally come to light.