Along the empty corridors of the cloistered structure in the evaluation zone, two figures strolled leisurely.
Silence reigned all around, broken only by the soft echoes of their footsteps on the cold, hard stone flags.
Portraits and sculptures lined both sides of the corridor like sentinels, gazing down grimly upon every passing student.
This path did not seem familiar—or rather, it was not one they had walked before.
Upon the carpet, grotesque and jarring stains of blood appeared here and there, long dried and stiffened, soaked deep into the hue of the fabric.
The bloodstains came in various shapes; some were drawn by sharp blades, while others resembled irregular splatters.
It was as though a dreadful disaster had struck the academy, transforming it into an unspeakable horror game.
Yet the two of them hardly seemed to mind.
They exuded a strange cruelty and calm, just like demons.
It was not yet time for the first evaluation period to dismiss.
Lanqi and Zestira had already left the Magical Beast Rearing Classroom ahead of schedule for the moment, taking only the black fox with them.
Lanqi walked with steady strides, his head tilted slightly upward, the dim light illuminating his resolute face.
His destination was clear, set upon accomplishing a single task.
Zestira still followed closely behind Lanqi, as if doing so could bring her a little more peace of mind.
Only after leaving the Magical Beast Rearing Classroom did she realize that the barrier had already slapped them with all sorts of debuffs.
No matter where they went, their location was displayed in real time on the bulletin boards.
Furthermore, she felt her footsteps grow considerably heavier.
In addition to reduced movement speed, there were various afflictions such as vulnerability and healing reduction.
At the ends of many corridors, transparent barriers blocked their way, forcing them to take detours to pass; if they were cornered in certain nooks, it would be a dead end.
God only knew if, once fighting broke out, those upperclassmen in the background could apply even stronger debuffs to them and grant buffs to their opponents.
All these interventions felt like a warning.
Telling her not to reach for a championship she had no business claiming.
Yet she lacked the power to influence any of this and could only place her trust in her teacher.
"Zestira, think about it: when the students get out of class and see our changed bounty, what do you think I'll look like in their eyes?"
Lanqi seemed to sense Zestira's anxiety, turning back with a smile to ask.
"..."
Zestira fell silent for a moment.
In truth, from the perspective of the other students... no matter how desperately they wanted those three-hundred-thousand-plus credits, anyone sober enough to think it through would realize one thing:
A person who was slapped with a starting bounty of one hundred and thirty thousand, and within the span of a single class saw it soar past three hundred thousand—
if he truly possessed the strength to match such a bounty,
then the first reaction upon seeing him shouldn't be to attack, but to flee!
Instead, in the eyes of this Great Demon King, all the other students were mere walking credit bundles...
Under the comfort of his smile and reassuring gaze, Zestira seemed to relax a little.
She drew a gentle breath, doing her best to compose herself.
She knew this was only the beginning of the long road to becoming a great demon. She had to learn to face it and at least follow her teacher's example—even if he was human, he was a paragon for demons.
Inadvertently, her gaze fell upon the bounty notice on a battered bulletin board in the corridor.
[Bounty: Zestira Lilom (Servant: Luoqi McCarthy)]
[Total: 309,820 credit points]
[Noble student Zestira, preparatory student, current credits: 182...]
[Servant Luoqi, servant, danger level: Unknown...]
This was the first time she had ever seen the assessment "Danger Level: Unknown."
Zestira now felt that no matter how difficult it might be, she truly stood a chance of getting tens of thousands of credits.
The Pink Sacred card would naturally be picked by her teacher, and no matter how he wished to spend her credits, she would agree without hesitation.
All she needed to do was stick close to her teacher, remain decisive and rational, and avoid holding him back.
After all, to ensure that the two of them could win, the key was for her not to be hunted down.
...
A few minutes later.
Following a flight of winding stone stairs upward, the two arrived before the door of a room on the top floor of the building.
It was a classroom hidden deep within the structure. The heavy door was carved with intricate patterns, radiating an archaic, profound magical aura.
On the wall beside the door, the written symbols were somewhat faded, yet still legible.
This was a functional classroom.
The evaluation zone also possessed a few functional classrooms akin to self-service shops, serving as meal-supply options for students who chose to take all five exams and had no time to visit the rest area.
However, they opened only during class breaks and required payment in credit points to use.
Because the vast majority of other students were still inside their examination rooms for the first exam period, they had not encountered any other students along the way.
Or rather, no other students would come here anyway.
This was a broadcast room.
In this functional room, paying one hundred credits allowed one to use the broadcast function during the break.
The two stood before the door, waiting for a brief moment.
Throughout the academy's buildings, a deep, resonant chime echoed.
It was the signal marking the arrival of the first class break. Piercing through the entire structure, it stirred the previously tranquil evaluation zone into restlessness once more.
Just as the chime rang out, Lanqi pushed open the heavy door.
The door let out a low creak, as if it were an entrance long disused.
The two stepped into the broadcast room.
The door closed slowly behind them, cutting them off from the corridor.
Ancient spell patterns drifted across the entire room, faint in their cyan-blue luminescence. Deep inside against the wall stood interconnected standard-issue magitech apparatuses of bizarre design. Crafted from mithril, their surfaces were etched with heavy, solid motifs and characters, with a microphone standing upright in the center, its base wound with a spiral bronze cord.
One needed only place a student wristband upon the apparatus to select the credit deduction and activate it.
Although in the past spending a hundred credits in one go would have pained Zestira to the bone, right now it hardly bothered her.
At the Protos Royal Magic Academy, credits could accomplish almost anything.
Not only could one spend credits at the rest area to enjoy the barrier's protection with utter impunity,
but virtually anything one desired in daily life could be bought with them.
Credits could even offset disciplinary actions within the school, or even be used to revoke punishments on someone else's behalf.
This also caused the school's rules to heavily favor aristocrat students blessed with innate privileges and students with outstanding strength, allowing them at times to walk all over teachers without restraint.
Gradually, the school's culture had warped.
The students grew increasingly violent and arrogant.
They began to lack appreciation for people and things, considerate hearts, and respect for their elders.
Though living conditions in the Empire had improved, the hearts of these children were on a one-way road to corruption.
Naturally, his thoughts drifted back to the past.
Back at Purgatory Corridor Academy, students studied diligently, obeyed the rules, and held deep respect for their teachers; when faced with threats from other races, everyone united as one to overcome adversity.
And now, looking at this school before him.
Many teachers were just like Sido, constantly swallowing their grievances and tolerating the students over and over again.
This was wrong.
As an educator of the people who carried ideals in his heart and bore the sacred duty of teaching upon his shoulders, Lanqi was determined to change all of this.
He picked up the microphone and lightly tapped its side, confirming it was working.
Then, he spoke:
"Hello, students. Allow me to say a few brief words."
Lanqi's tone was calm and steady, yet carried an authoritative weight of absolute execution that echoed through the entire building, and across the breadth of the evaluation zone:
"Please approach this examination with a proper attitude and see it through earnestly.
"Toward students who break rules, disrupt discipline, or foster toxic academic conduct, we will show zero tolerance. I, Luoqi McCarthy, hereby promise all faculty members—
"Feel free to use lethal force in this evaluation. Any disciplinary penalties incurred by teachers this semester shall be revoked at my personal expense using credit points. For every negative role model student captured, you will be rewarded with one month of paid leave—with no upper limit."
Dedicated to creating a wonderful campus environment, Headmaster Lanqi had always been on the march.
Zestira: "?!"
Boss Cat: "??!"
Hyperion, hurry back!
This man has completely lost his mind!!
Chapter 292