Strongest Existence Becomes Teacher

Underground facility,

Selene remained restrained by the mana cuffs, unable to move as she watched Clara calmly sit at a nearby desk.

The Queen of Demons seemed completely relaxed.

She flipped open a thick leather diary and began writing inside it as though she weren't keeping two prisoners in an underground laboratory.

The scratching of the pen echoed throughout the silent room.

Selene stared at her.

"So..."

"The Queen of Demons, huh?"

Clara didn't answer.

"You betrayed all of us..."

"You betrayed Jax."

"You betrayed Uncle Caesar."

"We didn't even know you were a demon..."

"And now you're telling me you were the Queen of Demons all along?"

Clara continued writing.

Selene clenched her fists.

"You used to be such a kind person."

"What happened?"

"Why did you leave?"

"Why did you betray Uncle Caesar?"

"He loved you."

"And you loved hi—"

Before she could finish—

Clara suddenly appeared before her.

A hand instantly covered Selene's mouth.

"Mmgh!"

Clara's eyes had completely changed.

The smile from before had vanished, replaced by chilling killing intent.

"Don't."

"You."

"Dare."

"Finish that sentence..."

"...girl."

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Clara slowly removed her hand.

"You've been trying to waste time this entire conversation..."

"Haven't you?"

Selene's heart skipped a beat.

Clara smiled faintly.

"Oh?"

"You really thought I wouldn't notice?"

She shook her head.

"You just never think things through, Selene."

" You still haven't noticed you are still disguised this whole time?"

Selene's pupils shrank.

Clara casually walked behind her.

"I have to admit..."

"The rune on your back is fascinating."

"Its ability to continuously absorb tiny amounts of ambient mana to sustain itself..."

She smiled.

"A wonderful design."

Only then did Selene realize something.

She...

Was still in her demon disguise.

"How..."

"How did you figure it out?"

Clara leaned against the desk.

"At first, I had no idea who you were."

"When my people captured you, I only noticed that strange artifact you were carrying."

"The one pointing toward something."

She chuckled.

"Or rather..."

"Someone."

"It was pointing toward Jax."

"I must say..."

"That device is brilliant."

"I assumed you were merely a mercenary sent to locate him."

She closed her diary.

"But then..."

"I sensed an unusual mana fluctuation from your back."

"It was subtle."

"Something was continuously drawing tiny amounts of ambient mana."

"So I made it visible."

"And I found that some sort of self-maintain rune."

Her eyes shone with genuine curiosity.

"I found it fascinating."

"Even then, I wasn't suspicious."

"A disguised mercenary on mission isn't exactly uncommon."

She slowly walked toward a nearby table.

"But when I searched your belongings..."

"I found several rune papers similar to the one on your back."

She picked up a familiar identification card.

"And this."

She turned it toward Selene.

Astralis Arcanum.

Selene Raynhart.

"My son's childhood friend."

Clara placed the card back onto the table.

"So..."

"I finally knew exactly who you were."

Silence filled the room.

Then Clara smiled.

"Anyway..."

"I believe you've wasted enough of my time."

Selene quietly lowered her head.

Any minute now...

She forced herself to smile.

"Aunt Clara..."

"You'll pay for everything you've done."

"I'll make sure of it."

Inside her mind, she counted.

Now...

She waited.

...

Nothing.

The room remained completely silent.

Selene's expression froze.

No...

Why...?

Why isn't anything happening?

Clara noticed the change immediately.

A knowing smile spread across her face.

"My..."

"Your face says everything."

"It looks like whatever little plan you had..."

"...failed."

She turned toward the exit.

"I'll continue researching that fascinating rune of yours later."

"I have another guest to meet."

"The gentleman who arrived here with you."

Selene's eyes widened.

"Professor Zane...?"

Clara didn't answer.

She simply opened the door and left the room.

The heavy door slowly closed.

Clang.

Silence returned.

Selene looked toward Jax, who still hung unconscious against the wall.

Then her eyes drifted downward.

"...Why didn't it work?"

She bit her lip.

"I attached a thirty-minute delayed rune to the cube..."

"So it would come back out of my stomach..."

"...and press the emergency button by itself."

"It should've called Professor..."

Her chains rattled softly as she straightened herself.

"...Looks like I'll have to find another way to free myself."

She looked at Jax once more.

Her eyes filled with determination.

"Wait for me..."

"Jax."

.

.

.

As soon as Clara left, Selene immediately began struggling against the restraints.

The black mana cuffs bit into her wrists as she twisted her hands, trying to dislocate her thumb to slip free.

Clink!

Instead of loosening, the cuffs tightened even further.

"Tch..."

She clicked her tongue in frustration before scanning the entire laboratory, searching desperately for anything that could help her escape.

Tables...

Shelves...

Cabinets filled with strange bottles and surgical equipment...

Then her eyes suddenly locked onto a small glass bottle resting on top of a tall cabinet.

Inside it was a sparkling green liquid.

Selene's eyes widened.

"Is... is that Viridian Venom?"

She stared at it in disbelief.

"Didn't the Viridian Snake go extinct?"

Its venom was one of the rarest alchemical materials in existence. Refined properly, it could be used in countless precious medicines and treatments.

But in its raw form...

It is terrifyingly corrosive.

"It can melt these mana-inhibiting cuffs..."

Hope returned to her eyes.

She stretched one leg toward the cabinet.

Not enough.

She pushed harder, trying to hook it with her foot.

Still too far.

The chains restricted every movement.

"Damn it..."

"If I could just use magic..."

She stopped.

"...Magic?"

Something Clara had said earlier replayed inside her mind.

"I made the rune visible."

Visible...

Not destroyed.

Selene slowly looked down at herself.

She was still disguised as a white-haired demon.

Which meant...

"The rune is still active."

Her eyes brightened.

"But that should be impossible..."

"These cuffs are suppressing my mana or any ambient mana near me ."

Then realization struck her.

"No..."

"They're only stopping me from releasing mana through my hands."

"The rune on my back is still absorbing ambient mana."

A smile slowly spread across her face.

"...This should work."

Taking a deep breath, Selene awkwardly raised one foot.

Using her toe like the tip of a wand, she carefully traced a rune in the air.

It was slow.

Unstable and crooked.

Nothing like the elegant runes she usually drew with her hands or her wand.

Since she couldn't create self-sustaining runes this way, she settled for something much simpler.

A tiny explosive rune.

"...Good enough."

With a sharp kick, she launched it toward the cabinet.

Boom!

The small explosion shook the cabinet.

It wobbled violently.

Several bottles rattled before one finally slipped over the edge.

The bottle containing Viridian Venom.

Selene immediately kicked off both of her shoes.

The bottle fell.

Faster...

Closer...

She stretched both feet forward as far as the chains allowed.

Now!

Clap.

The bottle landed safely between her feet.

"...Phew."

She let out a relieved sigh.

At that exact moment—

Footsteps echoed outside.

"What happened in there?"

"The explosion came from this room!"

Selene clicked her tongue.

"...Shit."

There wasn't any time left.

She quickly uncorked the bottle using her mouth before grabbing it with both restrained hands.

The sparkling green liquid poured directly over the middle of black mana cuffs.

Sssssss—

The metal immediately began melting.

Thick green smoke rose into the air.

Selene turned her face away from the fumes while waiting.

Crack.

One cuff finally broke apart.

Without wasting another second, she poured the remaining venom onto the other restraint.

Moments later...

It also snapped.

The chains fell to the ground.

Selene immediately tried circulating mana through her hands.

Nothing.

Her expression darkened.

She looked down.

The cuffs themselves had melted away...

But the black rings around her wrists remained intact.

"Tch..."

"So that's what's blocking my mana..."

Without removing those rings, she still couldn't cast magic normally.

The door burst open.

Bang!

"Hey!"

"How did the prisoner escape?!"

Two guards rushed inside.

Selene didn't hesitate.

She sprinted straight toward the nearby table.

"My rune papers..."

She snatched the stack into her hands before immediately throwing several sheets into the air.

The guards charged.

Selene leaped forward and kicked both of them square in the chest.

"Ask the floor how I escaped!!"

The papers starts to glow.

Two glowing orange runes emerged.

They twisted together...

Taking the shape of two sharp knives.

Whoosh!

The runic blades shot forward.

Thud.

Thud.

Both guards froze.

The glowing knives had pierced straight through their heads.

Their bodies collapsed lifelessly onto the floor.

Selene exhaled deeply.

"...Finally."

She quickly grabbed the rest of her belongings—her bag, the Jax locator, and every remaining rune paper.

Then she hurried toward Jax.

Standing before him, she gently reached out and touched one of the small gray horns growing from his head.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

"...What has she done to you...?"

Her voice trembled.

She hurriedly unlocked the restraints binding his limbs.

As Jax's unconscious body slumped forward, Selene caught him before he could fall.

She wrapped one of his arms over her shoulder.

"Come on..."

"We're getting out of here."

"Let's escape together."

Supporting the unconscious, demonic-looking Jax with all the strength she had left, Selene slowly stepped out of the laboratory.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!