Chapter 1 Purgatory Corridor Academy

Inside Purgatory Corridor Academy, a giant classroom resembling an arena was brightly lit by dazzling spotlights.

This classroom wasn't a typical rectangular design but an oval arena-like interior. Ring-shaped seats rose tier upon tier like stadium seating, the highest row almost touching the ceiling.

Now, it was past the halfway point of the fourth period.

In the center of the arena, demons were engaged in fierce combat.

In the back row of the stands, a pair of siblings sat quietly, waiting.

[Time Remaining: 3 hours 30 minutes]

[Mission Objective 1: Academy Exploration Exceeds 60%, Current Progress: 748%]

[...]

They were Silver-ranked challengers from the Holy Church Research Society. They had previously suspected that demons were mixed in among the challengers, and now they were silently monitoring the changes in the Shadow World's mission objectives.

The numbers were going haywire.

Originally, when the fourth period had just begun, the progress was only 40%. Later, it began to rise in a ridiculously fast, linear fashion.

Although they had explored the school and roughly figured out that, given the school's size, if they fully explored the teaching area, the exploration rate would definitely be more than 100%.

But correspondingly, 100% should be the exploration limit that the Shadow World calculated, based on common sense, that all challengers could complete within 12 hours.

But clearly, it had now exceeded common sense.

The number was still jumping every so often, continuing to increase!

The brother and sister had no idea what was happening!

At the end of the third period, everything was still normal. From the changes in the exploration rate, it was easy to see that all three teams had cleared Classroom Difficulty 3, adding a total of 18% to the progress.

After several previous classes of investigation, the siblings had also learned some information—tonight, uninvited guests would come to inspect the academy, and this visitor seemed to make even the senior teachers feel dread.

[Mission Objective 2: The Source of Danger Tonight] must refer to the "Inspector."

Specifically, what identity they possessed, what their intentions were, and what connection they had with the humans lurking in the Demon Academy still required the three teams of challengers to merge and exchange information in order to piece together the key to unlock the mystery.

This was the correct mechanism of this Shadow World.

However.

No matter how they left clues and codes between classes, trying to contact the other four challengers, the other challengers seemed to have no intention of joining them!

In a Shadow World where the opening was scattered and identities were hidden, if challengers didn't find a way to connect with each other, they couldn't know who was who.

In this situation, the correct challenge strategy must be to give up entering the classroom in the fourth period and try their best to find other challengers to seek cooperation.

But just now, the school issued an emergency new rule—

[All students must return from the functional area to the teaching area, and must enter the classroom in the fourth period, and must not leave. Furthermore, a large number of teachers will begin patrolling the corridors. If any students are found, they will first be driven into the classroom, and if they still resist, they will be killed without mercy. At the same time, all Difficulty 3 classrooms will be closed during the fourth period.]

This joking-like rule was like the Shadow World suddenly accelerating into a runaway mode!

The siblings had no choice. To save their lives, they could only temporarily enter a Difficulty 2 classroom and pass the time for another class.

"Brother, could it be that someone made a mistake, causing the danger mechanism to advance..."

The girl's voice trembled, her hollow eyes seeming to search for some hope to grasp, but she couldn't find it.

"..."

The young man bit his lip, not knowing how to respond.

His heart was also filled with endless fear and anxiety, almost devouring him, but he knew that as a brother, he couldn't increase his sister's panic any further.

"...Don't worry."

The young man murmured softly, comforting her.

From the first class onward, he had been observing the changes in the exploration rate, in order to deduce what difficulty classroom the other teams had entered at what time...

Although two challengers had been methodically clearing classrooms in the teaching area, similar to their own progress, they had no intention of merging at all, and their attitude was very strange, as if they didn't care at all whether the Shadow World could be cleared.

And there were still two slackers who, despite having the ability to clear Difficulty 3, had not entered the classroom for two entire periods from the second to the fourth class! It was as if they had been running around in the functional area, and they couldn't be found anywhere!

"Goddess... we haven't done anything bad, why did we come to such a Demon Academy... If you are still willing to protect us, please send someone to save us..."

The girl lowered her head, her hands trembling as she clasped them together in prayer.

When a person can only pray to the gods, it is almost complete despair.

Just then, the classroom door was pushed open.

The sound of the door lock opening echoed through the classroom, sounding particularly grating.

Then, a large group of demon teachers strode into the classroom, their steps steady, as if making way for someone waiting behind the door.

This sudden intrusion immediately caught the attention of all the demon students present, as if time had been put on pause.

Next, behind the door, like a leader, a Lumi Demon with black hair and green eyes walked in.

His footsteps paused slightly.

He scanned the classroom.

"Come, send all the students in this classroom to the principal's office."

The Lumi Demon immediately ordered the teaching task in the classroom to be terminated and escorted all the students to the principal's office.

It felt like sending prisoners to a concentration camp.

The young man and woman in the back row felt their spirits extinguished in an instant.

What was coming finally came.

But they didn't understand what the entire mechanism of the Shadow World had been messed up into, that would provoke the principal to personally obliterate them!!

The Lumi Demon seemed to sense the uneasy atmosphere in the entire classroom and frowned slightly.

"Students, don't worry, the principal's office is not dangerous, and it's also very spacious. Now the school is facing a surprise inspection, and the course in this classroom has a risk of being non-compliant. I want you to avoid it temporarily. After the fourth period is over, you will return to campus, and the school will give each of you 3 credit coins as compensation, this principal assures you."

The Lumi Demon raised his hand, signaling all the demon students to calm down, and said quickly.

Immediately, all the demon students quieted down, and even their expressions were surprised because of this unexpected joy.

Naturally, they didn't doubt the principal's words much.

Because this principal, who was accompanied by many senior professors, didn't need to be so complicated to harm them.

The brother and sister in the back row, holding their breath and focusing, exchanged glances, with confusion mixed in with the uneasiness that was difficult to dissipate in their eyes.

How did it feel like this principal was helping them?

Even protecting them?

But no matter how they thought about it.

The principal of the Demon Academy, this Lumi Demon, could not possibly help the challengers!

His unfathomable temperament, the supreme power that made all the powerful demon teachers treat him with respect, was undoubtedly the most evil and terrifying leader demon in this Shadow World!

It must be that the school also encountered some trouble, causing the progress of the Shadow World to be mistaken just right, allowing them to encounter some turning point.

Although the mechanism of the Shadow World became more and more confusing.

But now, it seemed like there was a glimmer of hope for the siblings!

(End of Chapter)