I Swear I'm Not a Demon Masquerading as a Human

The heavy oak door emitted a low creak that was mellowed by the passage of time as it was gently pulled shut behind the last departing demon teacher. Starlight from the Demon Kingdom streamed through the large, wood-framed window, mingling with the warm lamplight to create a shimmering, luminous glow.

Beside the square tea table near the window, Lance sat comfortably in a soft, woven armchair, exuding the leisurely air of someone enjoying a quiet retirement.

[Time remaining: 0 hours 57 minutes]

[Mission Objective 1: Achieve over 60% exploration of the academy. (Current progress: 1200%)]

[Mission Objective 2: Investigate and identify the source of tonight's danger. (Crisis resolved)]

[Mission Objective 3: At least one person must survive until the time limit expires. (Current survivors: 6/6)]

[Challenger Lance located in Corridor T01: Headmaster's Office]

After receiving the good news from the Poet of Boundless Love, he checked the Shadow Realm's information panel. Sure enough, the mission status had changed. All objectives for this challenge had been met, and the timeline had reached the latter half of the fifth period.

Before long, the challenge would conclude. He and Hyperion would then be teleported back to Ikerite University in the real world.

No, I don't want to go back! The mere thought of reverting from the headmaster of this dream-like campus back to a student at that hellish school made Lance loathe the sight of the all too painful countdown.

With that, he deactivated the recording function of his Shadow Realm Recording Program. The live-streaming function could be toggled on or off at will. In high-level Shadow Realm dungeons that lasted days or even months, challengers often needed to live their own lives, so not every moment was suitable for broadcasting.

Since all the mission objectives had been fulfilled, continuing to record would have no impact on his academic credits or the Southern Continent Shadow Realm Management Association's calculation of his promotion points.

For now, he simply wanted to study, in peace and solitude, the spells for processing magical beast fur that the Magic Department faculty had delivered to the headmaster's office and commit its contents to memory. He didn't want the Association to record details of this magic, as he simply wanted to take it to Talia so they could study it together.

There was no need for other humans to know the principles behind such forbidden magic! He might as well end the stream here and switch to broadcasting something lighthearted and cheerful for the audience. Once Lance cut his feed, the live broadcast in the real world would show only Hyperion's perspective.

He was certain that the audience back home would much rather see the Poet of Boundless Love's happy smile, rather than watch him sitting in the headmaster's office reading a book.

Let me see what this magnificent product of demon-kind's wisdom has to offer!

Content and satisfied, Lance leaned back in his reclining chair and began to leaf through the book on magical principles.

He suddenly muttered to himself, struck by a thought, "But come to think of it, why did Hyperion and I get matched into a Level 4 Shadow Realm dungeon?"

Could it be that a Rank 5 Challenger had entered the mix, raising the average difficulty? Since both he and Hyperion were well below the Shadow Realm's level, it would only be balanced if there were also challengers who exceeded that rank.

The demon students summoned to the headmaster's office earlier had varied in strength, making them hard to distinguish. Furthermore, high-rank challengers were adept at controlling their mana, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly which four among them were the challengers.

Of course, those four challengers had absolutely no idea that Lance, the real acting headmaster, was a challenger himself. After all, it wasn't exactly normal for anyone to imagine that a student could rise to become the headmaster of a demon academy in just a few hours.

Lance realized with a start, Yikes. If they mistake me for a hidden NPC of this Shadow Realm, it'll be incredibly awkward if we ever run into each other in the real world, won't it? Eh, oh well.

Lance shook his head. He had already cleared the scenario, so there was nothing left to worry about. Right now, his only desire was to focus wholeheartedly on studying the magic spell he had been longing to master throughout most of this Shadow Realm journey.

***

Located above the basement level was the Demon Kingdom's experimental botanical garden. It was a place where the fragrance of flowers wafted even through the closed doors. Upon entering, the first thing that caught the eye was a vast lawn that spread out like a carpet of emerald green.

Winding paths were flanked by Demon Kingdom flora of every conceivable shape and size. From towering Demon Kingdom eucalyptus trees to tiny wildflowers, from brightly colored tropical plants to thorny vines, they looked like natural treasures that could only thrive on this unique soil. Bathed in the subtle, rosy glow of magical lamps, the lush plants took on soft, blurred outlines, resembling phantoms in the night mist.

They did not necessarily have gaudy colors or flamboyant forms, yet they possessed a quiet, poetic beauty. Standing in silent stillness, they remained unchanged by the passage of time, quietly awaiting every sunrise and sunset.

The Poet and Hyperion spread a picnic blanket beneath the trees. In the faint starlight of the very early morning, they prepared to enjoy a meal of Demon Kingdom delicacies that had been packed to-go from the Demon King's Bestowed Restaurant.

It was four in the morning, just barely early enough to count as breakfast. Happiness radiated from the Poet. She lay prone on the ground, resting her cheek on one hand while gently brushing the stamens of a flower with the fingertips of the other. As if sensing her warmth, the flower responded. Clusters of petals unfurled and bloomed in a gentle, miraculous display.

The Poet's signature summon effect naturally caused flowers to bloom rapidly across the landscape. However, triggering that beautiful spectacle required Lance to expend extra mana when summoning her. Consequently, she possessed a modest ability to accelerate plant growth, though it always drew upon her summoner's mana reserves.

Since Lance had given her free rein to play as she pleased, she didn't hesitate to lavishly spend his mana. Hyperion looked at the Poet. She was momentarily speechless, yet her anxiety gradually melted away. At that moment, the summon looked nothing like a scheming, mischievous succubus.

Due to their arrival, the demon instructor of the botany class, which was a Difficulty 1 course, had temporarily changed the lesson plan to free observation. In other words, as long as they didn't damage the plants, students were free to rest in the classroom and would still receive a passing grade.

Following the general assembly and official announcement held by the deputy headmaster, the faculty were naturally aware of the identities of these two female demons. Since Purgatory Corridor Academy had just navigated a giant crisis, the instructors had no intention of making things difficult for the students and treated the occasion as a celebration instead.

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed in that tranquil atmosphere, where one easily lost track of the hours.

Suddenly, a gust of biting cold wind swept through, causing the blades of grass to rustle.

The Poet looked up, puzzled. She felt as though the surroundings had immediately grown slightly dimmer. As the sparse starlight turned increasingly cold, the tranquility of the botanical garden gave way to an indescribable, heavy silence.

A sound, like something tearing through the air, echoed across the open meadow the very next instant, though its source was nowhere to be seen. An intense aura of danger sent a chill down Hyperion's spine. She instantly tensed, bracing for action.

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