In the corridor where the light flickered unpredictably, three figures stood in silence. Draped in shifting light and shadow, their silhouettes appeared all the more sinister and grotesque.
"Difficulty 3 classrooms usually aren't places normal students can take on. They're only open under limited circumstances, usually for special course events or high-difficulty assessments."
"Legend has it that there are even hidden Difficulty 4 classrooms somewhere in the corridors, but I've never heard of any living student experiencing one firsthand..."
After listening to Bachel speak for a bit longer, Lanqi handed him the credit coin in his hand.
Bachel accepted it instantly, holding it as if it were an absolute talisman of survival.
Lanqi called up the Shadow World's quest information before his eyes once more.
[Time Remaining: 11 hours, 42 minutes]
[Quest Objective 1: Achieve an academy exploration rate of over 60%. Current progress: 4%]
[Quest Objective 2: Investigate and determine the source of danger tonight]
[Quest Objective 3: At least 1 person must survive until the time limit ends. Currently alive: 6/6]
[Challengers Lanqi & Hyperion are currently in Corridor G21, not participating in any classroom]
As he looked, the initial "Progress: 3%" under Quest Objective 1 had become "Progress: 4%."
In other words, clearing the demon exam room just now had granted a 1% increase.
According to what Lanqi and Hyperion had discussed earlier on the way, the six challengers shown by the Shadow World were very likely split into three pairs.
Thus, the change in numbers indicated that entering a Difficulty 1 demon classroom likely awarded 1% exploration, and clearing it added another 1%.
By that logic, Difficulty 2 and Difficulty 3 classrooms would very likely yield even higher exploration progress.
Even if all three pairs cleared five Difficulty 1 classrooms each over the twelve hours, under the absolute best circumstances they would only reach 2% × 5 × 3 = 30% exploration.
Therefore, they had to consider either splitting up into solo challengers to tackle more Difficulty 1 classrooms simultaneously, or attempting Difficulty 2 and 3 classrooms; only then could they hope to achieve the 60% exploration required by Quest Objective 1 within the twelve-hour limit.
Lanqi glanced at Hyperion, who nodded in return.
She was sharp at arithmetic and had clearly figured out the Shadow World's mechanics as well.
Their next strategy was crystal clear: they needed to challenge high-difficulty classrooms as much as possible, while investigating what the "potential threat tonight in the Demon Academy" meant under Quest Objective 2.
"Bachel, do you know of any unusual changes in the academy lately? Or is there any danger factor tonight that terrifies you?"
"..."
Bachel stared at Lanqi, speechless for a long moment.
He didn't understand what Lanqi meant, nor did he know of anything tonight more dangerous than Lanqi himself.
"All right, then."
Lanqi nodded helplessly. It seemed a student like Bachel only possessed limited intelligence and clearly knew nothing about the school's hidden secrets. Regarding Quest Objective 2, they would still need to ask higher-ranking staff like instructors or even deans.
It was a pity they could no longer ask the two proctors back in the exam room.
Regardless, Lanqi was certain their progress was well ahead of schedule.
After all, had they taken the exam normally, he would have had to wait over an hour to learn about these rules and mechanics, and he might not even have run into such a friendly, sincere classmate like Bachel, who was willing to share every bit of information in full detail.
Now it was time to study hard—without studying, survival was impossible!
Compared to the classes at Ikerite Academy that made him want nothing more than to skip, Lanqi honestly didn't dislike studying at this fantastical demon realm academy filled with the extraordinary; he was even looking forward to it a little!
Hyperion: "..."
She could sense that Lanqi could hardly wait to reach the next classroom.
Yet back in the School of Sages' classroom during the day, Lanqi hadn't looked remotely this thirsty for knowledge...
Hyperion was genuinely worried that after completing his studies at this school, Lanqi would awaken some irreversible traits... and become even less human...
Yet she could hardly say anything. After all, strictly speaking, she wasn't entirely human either.
While Hyperion was lost in these thoughts, Lanqi patted Bachel on the shoulder.
"Classmate Bachel, there is an old saying in my homeland: 'He who understands the times is a wise man.' I trust you won't refuse to cooperate with us, right?"
"O-Of course."
"Do a good job and we won't mistreat you. Please lead me to an arts classroom."
Lanqi needed a sincere, clever demon to guide them, which would save plenty of time.
"This way, please."
Bachel hurriedly gestured with his left hand in an instinctive display of elegant aristocratic etiquette, like a waiter, and began leading the way for the two.
Although the academy's intricate, shifting corridor structure meant there was no fixed map, Bachel, whose will to survive was at maximum capacity, naturally knew what classrooms occupied most of the corridors.
Lanqi and Hyperion followed Bachel as they swiftly moved through the corridors.
Their footsteps were steady and swift.
A few minutes later, a wide double door loomed ahead of them, standing like a silent titan guarding the secrets within.
Bachel stopped and turned to Lanqi.
"They say behind this door is a music classroom, and it's the closest arts classroom as far as I know. If you're not satisfied, I can take you to find another."
Lanqi followed Bachel's gesture, looking at the artistically styled door. On it were two peculiar demonic insignias, clearly indicating Difficulty 2.
Lanqi nodded, seemingly quite pleased with this classroom.
He reached out, resting his palm against the ancient, solid door. "This is the one."
Who knew how much time they would waste searching further?
"A-Are we really going to challenge a Difficulty 2 classroom?"
Bachel, having clearly never set foot in such a classroom, asked Lanqi with lingering anxiety.
"Don't worry. When it comes to the arts, there's nothing I fear."
With that, Lanqi pushed the heavy doors open with complete confidence.
The moment he stepped inside the next second, the scene within flooded his vision. Rather than a massive tiered lecture hall, it looked more like an expansive grand theater! Ornate chandeliers, red velvet seats, and a dignified stage—everything exuded luxury and nobility.
Onstage, a student was wholly engrossed in performing music, their movements coordinated and brimming with passion, sending waves of reverberations rolling endlessly through the vast auditorium.
At the edge of the stage, a formally dressed instructor was faintly visible, acting as the overseer of the hall. Standing beside the curtain, he immediately spotted the arrival of Lanqi's trio and raised a hand to motion them toward the rear seats, his gesture carrying an impeccably commanding presence.
Lanqi and the others nodded and moved up the stairs toward the highest tier of the room, finally getting a better vantage point to take in the entire theater classroom—
Aside from the demon students watching the performance from the tiered back seats like an audience, four large chairs facing the stage below were occupied by four demon instructors, listening to the student's musical performance like a panel of judges.
Lanqi stared at this bizarre setup. Although he didn't yet know the rules of this classroom, a strong sense of déjà vu inexplicably welled up inside him.
*Wait... The Voice of Demons?!*
Lanqi felt that this classroom was bordering on utterly absurd!
Chapter 54