Chapter 46
Chapter 46
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 46: Lan Qi’s Thirst for Knowledge
Shadow Realm Demon Academy classroom.
The uniquely dim atmosphere seemed to slow time itself, each second frozen like eternity in amber.
The red tablecloth stood out under the faint light—a deep, rich crimson, absurd yet filled with artistic flair.
In this classroom, light and shadow, brightness and darkness, stillness and motion all shifted in a steady rhythm, like clockwork.
Clearly, the exam had already begun.
Lan Qi knew that upon entering the Shadow Realm, the most important thing was to observe and understand his surroundings and current situation.
The Shadow Realm always maintained a sense of logic.
Unless a challenger made a critical mistake or outright failed, there was no such thing as a dead-end or unsolvable scenario.
Lan Qi’s emerald-green eyes swept keenly across the classroom, the dim light flickering in his pupils.
Despite minimizing his movements, he quickly noticed a few students displaying improper behavior.
Their eyes darted about, heads tilting slightly—every motion screamed an attempt at cheating.
Suddenly, a raspy voice sliced through the oppressive silence.
"This is your only warning. Anyone caught whispering will be immediately deemed a cheater."
The voice belonged to the exam proctor patrolling the room, rumbling like a lion’s growl as it exploded through the classroom.
The demon students who had been sneaking glances instantly froze in terror at the merciless warning.
Those nearly caught lowered their heads at once, focusing entirely on their test papers. Their faces were filled with fear and tension, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads like trembling dewdrops, ready to fall at any moment.
Even though they themselves looked quite terrifying, under the oppressive aura of the demon proctor, it was instantly clear who held the power here.
Then—
The proctor resumed his orderly patrol.
But when the demon proctor turned his head, the corners of his mouth twisted into a sinister grin, like a caged beast yearning for bloodshed, watching the bars, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.
"……"
Lan Qi silently took in everything.
Judging the strength of the demon students was actually quite simple.
Their mana levels weren’t particularly overwhelming—most were around the second or third tier, similar to Lan Qi and Huperion.
For them to be this terrified, the demon proctor was likely at least fourth tier.
Possibly even fifth tier.
That meant there were two terrifying fifth-tier demons here. If they wanted to clear this initial demon exam hall and move forward, brute force wasn’t an option.
However, Lan Qi also noticed a bit of good news—
Huperion was sitting to his left.
Only one empty seat separated them.
The feeling was almost the same as when they used to skip class together, sitting in the back row of the Sage Institute.
It was as if they had been yanked back into a school classroom, surpassing even the fear of death itself.
Huperion’s appearance hadn’t changed much, aside from gaining some Demon Clan features.
This reassured Lan Qi that his own appearance likely hadn’t changed drastically either—because in that brief moment of eye contact, Huperion recognized him too.
However, for some reason, the always calm and rational Huperion looked visibly unwell.
And just now, when their gazes met, her flickering eyes made it seem like she was afraid of being seen in her Demon Clan form.
"……"
So Lan Qi lowered his head for now, turning his attention to the objects on his desk.
A parchment test paper, its top embossed with the academy’s emblem—an engraving of a snarling demon head, its eyes burning like fire, as if peering at him from another world.
Beside it, an ink bottle crafted from magic crystal, its rim inlaid with mithril, the pitch-black ink inside utterly still, as if its immense magic power had been forcefully sealed.
The quill pen had jet-black feathers, its razor-sharp metal tip gleaming coldly under the light, while the handle bore intricate, unknown engravings, reflecting a deep, blood-like red.
It looked almost like a set of vintage magic scroll crafting tools.
As expected, this was an "Demonic Magic Script" exam. Writing answers wasn’t just a matter of inscription—it was practically the act of crafting a magic scroll.
Lan Qi flipped straight to the final, high-point question.
Because he didn’t know how to answer any of the previous ones.
【Question 10 (12 points): Please list the magic spells that can be used when handling rare materials, specifying how they achieve the following effects:】
【1. Quickly shed a magic beast’s sharp fur】【2. Change the color of a magic beast’s fur】【3. Slightly harden or soften a magic beast’s fur】
After skimming through the entire test paper, Lan Qi took a deep breath.
Not a single question he could answer.
Lan Qi realized that demonic magic, while strange, definitely had some merit—it involved spell structures that human magic scripts couldn’t achieve.
For example, these three utility spells simply didn’t exist in human magic.
He was now completely certain—this exam wasn’t designed for humans. Even Talia might not know these ancient Demon Clan spells. The era gap was too vast, and many aspects of each race’s civilization had been lost over time.
But while Lan Qi didn’t know the answers—
It felt like he had discovered a new world.
His grip on the parchment test paper slowly tightened, his emerald eyes filled with an unmistakable excitement.
These three spells at the end of the test—he desperately wanted to learn them!
Since they appeared on an exam, that meant somewhere in this school, they had to teach these spells.
And if these ancient Demon Clan spells could be used on beasts, what if—
A master of Magic Engineering, someone well-versed in both Demon Clan and human magic, could modernize and refine them using the latest technology?
Could there be a way to adapt these spells for humans?
Lan Qi fell into deep thought.
His thirst for knowledge burned even stronger!
Lan Qi was already envisioning hosting a Fall Product Launch—
"In daily life, we often notice that other people’s hairstyles are... less than ideal. Sometimes, we even feel a strong urge to fix them ourselves.
"Clearly, this is an act of kindness—helping others while also striving for an objective unity of aesthetics and personal taste."
"Thus, a ‘Hairstyle Modification Spell’ would be incredibly practical."
As an artist, Lan Qi felt a strong need to master this theoretically feasible magic.
He also had to consider whether this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—to secretly learn the ancient Demon Clan spells on this test paper, take them back to the real world, and research practical applications with Talia!
Which meant—he had to pass this exam quickly!
For now, Lan Qi seized a moment when both proctors were in a blind spot and glanced at Huperion.
For some unknown reason, Huperion’s condition was extremely poor, as if she were barely holding herself together.
For now, he didn’t have many chances to communicate with her.
He would have to wait until they both cleared this test hall before asking what was wrong.
Since that was the case—
This time, it all came down to his own performance!