NOVPUBIn an unstable corridor of light, three figures stood quietly in a spot. Their bodies were enshrouded by an ethereal play of light and shadow, which made their appearances seem even more eerie and ominous.
"Difficulty 3 classrooms are usually not for normal students to challenge, they are only available during special course activities or high-level evaluations," one of them said.
"But there is rumored to be hidden difficulty 4 classrooms in a corridor. However, I have never heard of a living student who has experienced it first hand..."
After listening to Bachel for a while, Lanci handed him the Credit Coin in his hand.
Bachel instantly took it, as if he had gotten an immunity pass.
Lanci once again brought up the mission information from the Shadow World.
[Time remaining 11 hours 42 minutes]
[Mission goal 1: Achieve over 60% exploration of the academy, current progress 4%]
[Mission goal 2: Investigate the source of tonight’s danger]
[Mission goal 3: At least one person to survive until the time limit ends, current survival rate 6/6]
[Challengers Lanci & Hyperion are in corridor G21, not participating in any classrooms]
The initial ’progress 3%’ in [Mission goal 1] got changed to ’progress 4%.’
In other words, the demon examination field they just cleared added 1% to their progress.
According to Lanci and Hyperion’s previous discussion on the road, a total of six Challengers shown in the Shadow World were most likely split into three groups of two.
So the data change implies that entering a difficulty 1 Demon Classroom would add 1% to their exploration percentage, and clearing it would also add 1%.
By this rationale, difficulty 2 and 3 classrooms most likely yield a higher exploration percentage.
If there are three teams working together, they could only gain a 30% exploration rate by clearing five difficulty 1 classrooms within 12 hours; this translates to 2%×5×3.
This means that they must consider splitting up to challenge more difficulty 1 classrooms or try to challenge difficulty 2 and 3 classrooms together to reach the 60% exploration rate for [Mission goal 1] within the 12-hour mission period.
Lanci looked at Hyperion, and she nodded back.
Her arithmetic was solid, and it was clear that she understood the mechanism of the Shadow World.
With their strategy now clear, they had to take on as many high-difficulty classrooms as possible and investigate what the "potential threat in the Demon Academy tonight" was, as mentioned in [Mission goal 2].
"Bachel, have there been any unusual changes in the academy recently? Or are there any threatening factors tonight that scare you?" Lanci enquired.
"..."
Bachel looked at Lanci but remained silent, unable to find the words to respond.
He did not understand what Lanci meant, or know anything more dangerous that could happen tonight than Lanci himself.
"Alright then."
Lanci nodded helplessly. It appeared that Bachel had a limited understanding of the situation and obviously knew not of any hidden facts about the school. Regarding [Mission goal 2], they would have to ask teachers or even higher authorities, such as the principal.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t ask the two invigilators from the examination field any longer.
However, Lanci was sure that his progress was ahead of the rest.
If things had just been usual, he would have had to wait more than an hour to uncover this information, and there was no guarantee that he would meet such a friendly and sincere student like Bachel who was willing to share everything.
He needed to buckle down and start learning, or else he wouldn’t survive!
Compared to the lessons in Ichrite Academy that bored him to the point of wanting to run away, Lanci must admit that studying in this Demon Academy full of extraordinary fantasy was not at all bad to him, he was even a tad bit excited about it!
Hyperion: "..."
She felt that Lanci seemed like he couldn’t wait to move on to the next classroom.
The Lanci she saw in Sage Academy during the day was nowhere near as thirsty for knowledge as he appeared to be now...
Hyperion was concerned that after studying in this academy, Lanci might awaken some irreversible nature and become even more inhuman...
But she could not voice her concerns, after all, she was not really a person either.
While Hyperion was immersed in her thoughts, Lanci broke the silence. 𝚗ov𝚙𝚞𝚋.c𝚘m
"Student Bachel, there’s a saying in my homeland that ’a wise man understands the situation.’ I believe you won’t refuse our proposal to cooperate, would you?" Lanci said as he patted Bachel’s shoulder.
"We-, well, of course not."
"If the task is well executed, we won’t let your efforts go unrewarded. Could you please lead us to an art classroom?" Lanci asked.
Having a sincere and smart demon to guide him would save a lot of time.
"Follow me, please."
Bachel quickly gestured elegantly with his left hand in a characteristic noble etiquette, like a waiter, and began leading the way for the two.
Although there was no fixed map due to the complex and ever-changing corridors in the school, Bachel, with his strong survival instincts, was well aware of what most of the classrooms in the corridors taught.
Lanci and Hyperion followed Bachel quickly through the corridors.
Their steps were steady and swift.
A few minutes later, a grand gate appeared before them, towering in silence, like a giant guarding the secrets within.
Bachel stopped, turned around, and confronted Lanci.
"This door supposedly leads to a music classroom, the closest art classroom we can find at the moment. If it doesn’t meet your expectations, we can always go looking for others," he offered.
Lanci’s gaze followed the direction of Bachel’s hand, landing on a door rich in artistic sense. On it were two peculiar Demon Markings, obviously indicating that it was a difficulty 2 classroom.
Lanci nodded, seemingly satisfied with the classroom.
Then, extending his hand, he rested his palm on the ancient and solid door. "This one’s perfect."
Moving on would be a waste of more time.
"Are you really challenging a difficulty 2 classroom?" Bachel asked, clearly looking worried due to his lack of experience with such classrooms.
"No worries, there’s no art subject that I’m afraid of."
With that said, Lanci confidently pushed the door open.
The moment he stepped into the classroom, he was met with an expansive view. The place didn’t resemble a giant lecture hall; instead, it looked more like a spacious grand theatre! The ornate lighting, red velvet seats, and solemn stage all gave off an air of luxury and nobility.
Up on stage, a student was engrossed in a passionate musical performance. His coordinated and expressive movements echoed throughout the hall like waves.
At the edge of the stage, a formally dressed teacher could just about be seen. He seemed to be in charge of the entire classroom. He spotted the trio as soon as they entered and gestured for them to move to the back seats, his action exuding nothing but uncompromising authority.
Lanci and the others obliged, slowly making their way to the top of the classroom along the steps. From there, they could better observe the entire theatre-like classroom.
Aside from the Demon Students seated like an audience in the rows at the back, there were four Demon Teachers stationed in four large chairs right in front of the stage, all of them listening attentively to the student’s performance, almost like they were judges.
Lanci stared at the bizarre setup and felt a strange sense of déjà vu, even though he didn’t yet know the rules of the classroom.
"Hmm? Demon’s Got Talent?!"
Lanci felt that this classroom was a bit over-the-top!
