Starlight shimmered like distant dust, scattered across the deep, pitch-black liminal space.
The two of them still waited quietly for the shadow world’s settlement and clearance rewards.
“By the way, since Huperion, you’re… what I’d call an ‘officially recognized demon’…”
Lan Qi muttered thoughtfully.
“What do you mean?”
Huperion didn’t take his words as mockery. From his tone, it seemed he was already cooking up some other idea.
“Honestly, compared to human magical scripts, I personally enjoy studying demon scripts more. In the future, I might craft some demon-magic-related items—but the problem is their sales channels.”
The moment he said this, Huperion understood.
Though the laws of the Hedon Kingdom did not prohibit the circulation of other-race magical cards, if one wanted to trade them through official institutions or legitimate shops, special types like these required strict source registration.
If every time the source read “Created by Lan Qi”—Even if some believed him, it would still attract unwanted scrutiny: suspicion of “smuggling,” “illicit origins,” or even accusations that he was secretly sheltering a demon to help him craft magic tools.
“So what you want… is for me to act as your agent, right?”
Huperion asked directly.
She didn’t believe Lan Qi would ever gamble his life like her father, hiding demons in defiance of the kingdom. But if his trade constantly raised red flags and provoked endless inspections from higher authorities, his business would always remain crippled.
Yet as the openly acknowledged half-demon duke’s daughter, tolerated by the Hedon Kingdom itself, if she and Lan Qi opened a company together under the Aransar family name, then even if demon-magic cards circulated on the market, it would not arouse suspicion.
“Exactly! Let’s build a company—make it big, make it strong!”
Lan Qi nodded, his eyes blazing with entrepreneurial spirit.
With Huperion as the grand figurehead, maybe one day he could even rope Talia in as well.
That old hag probably dreamed of getting a legitimate business license.
“No problem. So it turns out my demon heritage actually has a positive use after all.”
As they plotted their business empire, the tranquil and surreal space around them suddenly shifted. Task information surfaced in midair, glowing in pure white halos that burned vividly against the darkness. Lines of text began to scroll:
【Shadow World: Purgatory Corridor Academy – Cleared.】
【Calculation complete. Generating evaluation…】
【Since challengers Lan Qi & Huperion entered as a team, evaluation will be based on group results.】
【This exploration cleared: 80 ordinary classrooms, 40 advanced classrooms, 15 ultra-hard classrooms, 20 non-clearable facilities, 1 Headmaster’s Office.】
【Achievements unlocked by the team:】
-【Model of Integrity A — resolutely refused to cheat and upheld exam order】
- 【Demonic Maestro S — masterful in using instruments, a music master even among demons】
- 【Frugal Spirit C — enjoyed fine food, yet also cherished it】
- 【God of Art S — professor gained deep artistic insight after a single lesson】
- 【Explosion Index SSS — exceeded standard task completion by 2000%】
- 【Guardian of the Academy SSS — protected all demons in the school from the wrath of vampires】
- …
- 【Headmaster’s Office Renovation S — though a swimming pool should never have existed there, the loyal vice-principal has already added it to the renovation plan】
【Achievement summary complete. Evaluation generated.】
【After a day of study, you have become not only an outstanding graduate of this academy, but also its headmaster. Your results deviate not only from the human path, but even from the demonic path…】
【Overall Evaluation: SSS】
【Rank Increase: Lan Qi → Tier 2 to Tier 3; Huperion → Tier 3 to Tier 4.】
At the instant the rewards settled, divine clarity struck them both, their ranks breaking through immediately.
Lan Qi even realized that though he had just stepped into Tier 3, Tier 4 was already within sight.
“I… I actually reached Tier 4?”
Huperion murmured in disbelief.
Only that very morning she had been resigned to wasting her first year, unable to challenge shadow worlds.
Now, on her second day at school, before the sun had even risen—she stood at the level of a second-year student.
It felt less real than a dream.
“Guess this means the two of us are going to have to run high-intensity shadow world raids from now on, huh?”
Lan Qi grinned.
Through this demonic shadow world, Huperion had fully transformed from a melee mage into a stealthy, corpse-looting demon rogue—complete with resistance to sound-based magic and the acting skills of a stage queen.
“Mm. Two months from now, let’s go together.”
She nodded firmly.
The cooldown for a Tier 4 shadow world was two months. Once it reset, they’d dive right in again.
At this moment, she felt that perhaps meeting Lan Qi was the goddess’s way of rewarding her—granting her a blessing uniquely suited for someone of demon blood.
【Reward Settlement: “Infernal Sound” (Tier 3 Epic Summon Card), “Polymorph: Demon” (Tier 2 Rare Spell Card), “Polymorph: Human” (Tier 2 Rare Spell Card).】
Three glowing spheres appeared before them like newborn stars, each haloed in a different light.
Two drifted toward Lan Qi, one toward Huperion—apparently distributed according to contribution.
“Epic…?”
Lan Qi frowned at the orange-glowing orb.
The last time he had touched an epic, it had taken an epic-grade material 【Ballad of Mercy】, Talia the demon master-crafter’s workmanship, and his own hand as chief artist to create the Tier 1 card 【Poet of Great Love】—which had left him with a 75,000-pound debt.
And now, after only twelve hours of dreamlike experience, he had received another epic?
And not just Tier 1—but a natural Tier 3 Epic.
Even Huperion stared, wide-eyed, at the orange sphere.
Natural magic cards often carried ancient principles linked to the shadow world, not of the present era.
Thus, they were generally far more valuable than manmade epics of equal tier.
Of course, this likely stemmed from their outrageous SSS score. Had it been only B or A, a rare-quality natural card would’ve been lucky enough.
Though she had once seen her father, Duke Migaya Aransar, wield an orange Epic, this was the first time Huperion had ever watched a natural Epic card manifest before her own eyes.
【Infernal Sound】
-【Type: Summon Card】
-【Grade: Orange Epic】
- 【Attribute: Spirit / Seal】
- 【Tier: 3】
- 【Effect: Consumes vast mana to summon the souls of the Infernal Theater’s demons. Their wails inflict mental torment and paralysis on all targets, sealing hearing. Effects intensify in enclosed spaces, weaken in open areas.】
-【Note: The forbidden classrooms of Purgatory Corridor Academy became a terrifying legend passed down in demon realms for over three hundred years.】
(To be continued—another chapter follows today, triple release)