Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 48: Lan Qi Is Playing 4D Chess
Inside the spacious, classic exam hall.
The dragon-horned demon pulled out a handkerchief, elegantly wiping his hands. His expression was one of complete satisfaction, as if this slaughter had been his greatest pleasure. Then, with an air of eager anticipation, he resumed his patrol.
"Excellent."
As the dragon-horned demon returned to his designated patrol route, he passed by Lan Qi and gave him an approving nod.
"Maintaining order in the exam hall is a duty we must uphold."
Lan Qi returned the nod—like a class president on duty.
Then—
Under Huperion’s growing horror and incomprehension, Lan Qi didn’t stop.
He doubled down.
And thus, began his relentless reporting spree.
It was as if he could predict every possible cheating method—spotting them with pinpoint accuracy, catching every demon student attempting to break the rules.
The two proctors, though limited by their blind spots, now had Lan Qi covering their gaps—greatly shrinking the opportunities for cheating.
Soon—
The classroom had three proctors.
Lan Qi didn’t write his own test.
He didn’t do anything else.
He just focused on monitoring the exam hall.
The glares from the other demon students were filled with unspoken fury—
It was as if they could draw a thousand horses in their rage, yet not a single one could capture Lan Qi’s likeness.
—
Ikerite Academy – Jera Memorial Plaza.
The clock tower struck five, its chimes echoing across the campus square, where an open-air magic screen was broadcasting today’s campus news and Shadow Realm challenges.
The massive magic screen, standing at the center of the plaza, was usually a gathering spot for students at night, creating an outdoor cinema-like atmosphere.
Students would typically bring drinks and snacks, lounging on the steps, chatting as they watched.
At this moment, however, the plaza was sparsely populated.
Most people passing by were either leisurely strolling or heading off to dinner. Some glanced up at the screen momentarily before continuing on their way.
The sunset bathed the surrounding buildings in golden light, reflecting off the windows, casting a radiant glow over the square, the screen, and the steps—making everything look as if it had been dressed in gold by the sunlight.
But today—
The students gathered in the plaza were far more agitated than usual.
The chatter and shouting were anything but the usual relaxed afternoon gossip.
"What the hell is this guy doing?!"
"If the other demons won’t let him cheat, he won’t let them cheat either?!"
"Is he insane?!"
Students watching Lan Qi’s baffling behavior began yelling in disbelief.
Sure—his actions had a certain twisted sense of justice, but how was he going to get answers now?!
"Newbies are like this—they don’t understand the mechanics at all."
Many senior students could only shake their heads, sighing in disappointment.
Too arrogant, too foolish, and above all—too unlucky.
But the real problem wasn’t just two first-years recklessly challenging a Shadow Realm on their first day of school.
The issue was—why had they been thrown into a Tier 4 Shadow Realm?
A Tier 4 Shadow Realm wasn’t something freshmen should even be touching.
Even Silver-ranked challengers would feel the pressure in such a setting.
And in this case—they had been dropped straight into a death trap.
"The Sage Institute’s faculty must have already called an emergency meeting."
More and more students were gathering in front of the Jera Memorial Plaza magic screen, their discussions growing louder.
"Wait… isn’t that Lan Qi Wilfort?"
A student who had stopped mid-stride frowned as he stared at the screen.
"Who? Is he famous?"
"That’s the dark horse who unexpectedly took first place in this year’s Sage Institute entrance exam. But his exact strength is unknown—Headmaster Loren personally sealed his third-round exam records."
"All we know is that, for a combat-oriented mage, his mana pool is oddly weak."
"Most teams were still debating whether to recruit him—but at this rate, just making it back alive would be a miracle."
"I mean… if he does survive this, he might actually become famous overnight."
Spectatorship was like kneading dough—once it started, it quickly expanded.
Within minutes, the plaza steps were filled with students who had just finished class, all watching the broadcast.
"Those two disasters just had to get thrown together again."
"So that’s the duke’s daughter’s real form, huh? Such a filthy, wretched demon… Ha, I wonder what that naive boy will think once he learns the truth."
Some passing nobles sneered, chuckling among themselves as they walked away, clearly indifferent to whether Lan Qi and Huperion lived or died.
—
Shadow Realm – Purgatory Corridor Academy.
The once lavish classroom was now filled with the heavy stench of blood.
The elegant, indulgent atmosphere had been shattered, replaced by a suffocating aura of slaughter.
Dark crimson stains marred the wooden desks and chairs, standing out starkly against their deep hues.
The classroom had fallen into an eerie silence, broken only by the soft dripping of blood onto the floor and the measured footsteps of the proctors.
Both demon proctors, now bloodstained, left behind gruesome red footprints with every step.
The dragon-horned proctor’s suit had been soaked in blood, his eyes gleaming with cruelty and satisfaction.
Meanwhile, the owl-headed proctor silently wiped the blood from his hands, his gaze unreadable.
In just a few minutes—
This exam hall had turned into a massacre, an absurd spectacle beyond words.
And yet—
Even though Lan Qi had forsaken both morality and humanity, becoming the third proctor—
Some demon students still chose to risk cheating.
Because—
For those who couldn’t solve the exam, cheating was their only option.
If they didn’t cheat, they were guaranteed to die.
If they cheated successfully, there was at least a slim chance of survival.
Lan Qi—
Sometimes—
Would turn a blind eye.
Even when he noticed cheating students, he didn’t always report them.
In a way—
He was giving them a sliver of hope.
The two demon proctors, on the other hand, seemed to approve of Lan Qi’s actions—
They sharpened their focus, ears twitching, waiting for his next report.
—
Back row of the exam hall.
Huperion—
Had her face buried in her desk, both hands covering her face.
Her mind had already been a mess—
And now—she could no longer comprehend Lan Qi’s actions at all.
At this point—
Compared to Lan Qi, she was the one who still seemed more human.
But no matter what—
Even if they somehow escaped this exam hall today, one thing was certain—
Neither of them would have their citizenship records intact after this.
—
And yet.
Whether it was the demon students in the exam hall—Or Huperion—Or even the Ikerite Academy students watching the Shadow Realm broadcast from outside—
None of them had noticed the subtle shift taking place in the classroom.
Although Lan Qi seemed to be randomly orchestrating the slaughter of demon students who violated exam discipline, before anyone realized it, an uneven distribution had begun to emerge—
At first, it appeared to be a matter of luck.
Maybe it was intentional, maybe unintentional, or maybe—
Lan Qi had planned this from the very beginning.
Because somehow—his reports always timed it so that the dragon-horned proctor was the one closest to the cheating students.
And so—
Most of the time, it was the dragon-horned demon who got to make the kill.
Meanwhile—
The owl-headed demon was left empty-handed.
Every. Single. Time.
And slowly—
The owl-headed demon’s gaze began to fill with jealousy and resentment toward the dragon-horned proctor.
"……"
Lan Qi rested his left elbow on the desk, fingers covering his chin.
Finally—
The corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly.
As if he was barely holding back a smirk.