In the painting classroom, bright lights shone on the walls, reflecting a faint halo.
Each colorful painting board hanging on the walls seemed to possess its own vitality, constantly telling ancient secrets.
The air in the classroom seemed temporarily frozen, filled with tension in the silence.
Lanqi's gaze moved away from the paintings, gently looking toward Senior Art Professor Mogutte, with a slight smile on his lips and eyes as bright as evening stars.
The other two students had become increasingly successful in their answers during the latter half of the class. Lanqi hadn't helped or challenged them further.
After class, they received their credit coins and quickly left the classroom.
Only Professor Mogutte, Lanqi, and Huberrian remained in the classroom, discussing how to realize Lanqi's qualification reward.
"...You can ask for anything. If it's within my power, I'll try my best to fulfill it."
Professor Mogutte pondered, his black eyes flickering with profound light, finally said.
He really couldn't think of what reward to give Lanqi.
Even for the previous highest record of 21 points, the reward was just choosing anything available from the art department.
During this special period, the Vice Principal had just warned them to strictly follow the rules, so even if Lanqi made an extravagant request, he would have to accept it.
Moreover, Lanqi possessed artistic talent that made Mogutte curious, and he didn't want to oppress such a gifted student.
"I'd like to ask two questions. Can you guarantee to answer them completely and resolve my confusion?"
Lanqi asked politely.
He hadn't become arrogant due to his classroom performance.
"Yes, I swear on the honor of the Karpas family that I will answer your questions to the best of my knowledge."
Professor Mogutte hesitated briefly before solemnly accepting.
If it was such a simple request that wouldn't trouble him at all, he could only say this student had chosen an easy path.
However.
Just as Professor Mogutte's mind began to relax.
Lanqi's question exploded in his heart like accompanying thunder—
"Please tell me what you think will be the biggest crisis about to happen in the academy, and in your opinion, what would be the turning point?"
Lanqi asked Professor Mogutte with a serious expression.
Since he was certain the deal had been made and had received Professor Mogutte's absolute guarantee.
Being direct with the question, even if the content was wild, pursuing a one-step solution wasn't a big problem.
But what followed, even Lanqi hadn't anticipated Professor Mogutte's reaction would be so intense!
"You, how did you know?"
Suddenly, Professor Mogutte lost his voice, almost shouting this question.
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His eyes fixed firmly on Lanqi, as if suddenly realizing something, yet not daring to believe it.
At this moment, as Mogutte recalled Lanqi's seemingly omniscient wisdom, omnipotent talent, and unfathomable mind, a terrifying speculation gradually arose in his heart!
But Mogutte dared not question Lanqi further.
He only felt his heart pounding, as if wanting to jump out of his chest.
Some things were starting to add up!
"Professor, you shouldn't answer a question with another question."
Lanqi said in a deep voice.
He couldn't let this senior professor know that he had obtained clues from the Shadow World information and music classroom.
Now he just needed this professor to honestly fulfill their agreement.
"!"
Hearing this, Professor Mogutte's brows trembled, and facing Lanqi's profound gaze, his heart seemed to become increasingly uncontrollable.
He tried to interpret Lanqi's gaze, but he found that in those emerald-like eyes, he couldn't read even a hint of secrets!
Mogutte lowered his head, trying hard to breathe, calming his composure-lacking state.
Then, he finally heaved a deep sigh.
Everything made Mogutte feel that this radiant demon before him was very likely the special envoy from the Demon King's Castle that the Vice Principal had mentioned.
And the questions raised by the special envoy now were attempting to make contact with the school's senior leadership.
After all, among the teachers who knew about the special envoy's identity, besides the Vice Principal, there were only a few senior professors.
To meet and speak privately with a senior professor, one had to pass through a difficulty level 3 classroom.
Mogutte also realized that today, whether Lanqi was this special envoy or not, having made such a promise earlier, he should go along with it and honestly give the answers.
"Yes, our academy is facing a major crisis. And this crisis might erupt tonight."
Mogutte slowly admitted, his voice full of helplessness and worry, his gaze falling on Lanqi again, seemingly nervously waiting for every slight reaction from him,
"Soon, an envoy from the Blood Clan will come to the school, investigating the possible existence of humans that the Blood Clan suspects are in the academy."
"Once discovered, none of us in the academy's senior leadership can escape involvement."
"If the academy really has problems, only the special envoy from the Demon King's Castle can save us."
After saying these words.
Mogutte looked at Lanqi hopefully, as if the last sentence was specifically directed at him.
He thought, if this was indeed the special envoy.
At this point, it should be time to lay the cards on the table.
"..."
Lanqi's expression remained unchanged, seemingly contemplating, processing the overwhelming amount of intelligence just received.
Beside him, Huberrian struggled to maintain her expression unchanged, while her inner mind had started screaming frantically.
The special envoy from the Demon King's Castle?
Could it be that silver-haired demon whom Lanqi killed in the Demon King's Royal Restaurant!
So the hidden storyline in this Shadow World was actually a free-for-all between multiple factions with different stances - "humans disguised as demons in the academy," "academy leaders who don't want to suffer," "Blood Clan envoys wanting to catch humans," "the Demon Realm Inspection Department afraid to offend the Blood Clan," and "the Demon King's envoy"!
And for challengers to survive tonight, the only way out was to grasp information at the earliest possible moment and leverage the maneuvering between demons with different stances, taking advantage of the mutual checks and balances within the demon race to find a path to survival in the cracks!
It was a life-and-death challenge and horror game that required strategy, courage, and survival abilities to be pushed to the extreme.
After carefully understanding how many hidden powerful enemies truly existed in this level-4 Shadow World who wanted the challenger's life, even Huberrian felt a moment of bone-chilling fear.
But now.
Huberrian discovered.
There was a danger that neither the demon race nor the Blood Clan had predicted - Lanqi, who had single-handedly completely muddied these troubled waters in a way no one knew about!
"..."
Lanqi still remained silent.
He quietly took out the black jade seal he had looted from the silver-haired demon from his inner coat pocket.
Reflecting it into Professor Mogutte's eyes.
At this moment, silence spoke louder than words.