Chapter 55
Chapter 55
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 55
Lan Qi Arrives at the Grand Performance
Inside the grand music theater of the Infernal Academy, an immersive concert was underway.
At the center of the stage, a demon with blue fire burning above his head was singing with feverish intensity. Under the spotlight his figure was sharp and vivid, his guttural voice echoing like the roar of some beast from the deepest pits of hell—each note pulsing with the raw, violent power of death metal.
The judges’ faces showed focus and tension. Some frowned; others closed their eyes, listening as if the sound itself were a ritual.
As the lights dimmed, darkness swallowed the entire hall—then the stage burst alive again. Flames and light exploded in harmony with the climactic refrain, filling the theater with dazzling, crimson brilliance.
Students in the back rows began shouting wildly, their cries echoing like thunder through the hall.
Lan Qi couldn’t help but feel that this demonic academy was experimenting with some very avant-garde teaching methods.
Still, the more eccentric the class, the more dangerous a “Difficulty 2” ranking seemed.
According to Bachel, it was exponentially harder than the “Demonic Language Exam Hall” they’d cleared earlier.
Lan Qi scanned the theater carefully.
The four apparent judges sitting before the stage seemed high-ranking, yet their magic was surprisingly weak. In contrast, the teacher standing by the curtain radiated tremendous magical pressure—clearly the one maintaining the classroom’s rules.
His attire and regalia suggested that his faculty rank surpassed even the dragon and owl invigilators from the previous test.
Sure enough—
While Lan Qi, Lady Huperion, and Bachel took their seats among the audience, the curtain-side teacher gestured. A black, winged familiar resembling a floating eyeball delivered slim brown-covered booklets to them.
Lan Qi lowered his gaze and read the embossed title:
[Demonic Music: Graduation Examination & Public Performance][Location: Corridor G24, Theater of the Demon King’s Blessing]
“Another exam?”
Lan Qi muttered under his breath.
“It’s nearing the end of term,” Bachel murmured nervously.“There are always more graduation-type courses this time of year…”
It was his first time in a Difficulty-2 classroom, and he was already shaking.
During exam season, nearly every classroom turned into some life-and-death test.Students without spare Credit Coins were forced to attend anyway—failure to pay the daily tuition meant execution.
Only those with surplus coins could afford to skip the deadly sessions and rest easy.
“Well, since we’re here already…”
Lan Qi nodded and began reading through the course handbook.
It was thin—he finished it in under two minutes.
The rules were brutally simple:
Every student could freely choose when to take the stage.In other words—the moment you stepped up to perform, the exam began.
Assessment Requirement:Your music must earn the approval of at least two of the four music mentors.
Time Limit:Each performance must be under two minutes.Every guest mentor has sworn by the Demon King to judge with absolute fairness according to their personal “faith in music.”
Regulations:While in the audience, students are forbidden from using any form of magic.On stage, performers may freely use any spell that enhances their performance—except offensive spells that harm the judges.
Penalties:Violators will be erased instantly by the “Demon Eye.”Those who fail to meet the requirement will be executed on the spot.Those who refuse to perform before time ends will likewise be executed.Only those who pass may leave the classroom when the period concludes.
A note at the end explained that all students must remain as audience members throughout, providing real-time reactions—after all, this was both an exam and a full-scale concert, and excitement was part of the ritual.
Lan Qi looked upward. A massive Demon Eye floated above, rotating slowly as it observed everything within the hall—likely broadcasting the scene to other parts of the academy.
“Lan Qi… are you good at music?”
Lady Huperion had already read her booklet. She folded it neatly on her lap and turned toward him with quiet curiosity.
If he’d chosen this class, she reasoned, he must have some confidence.
She herself had received formal artistic training since childhood, though she couldn’t claim mastery.
“Music?” Lan Qi crossed his arms, thoughtful.“I’d call it average. But all art shares a language—you just have to find the rhythm behind it.”
He studied the ongoing performance on stage, mind working.
No Shadow World scenario was ever truly unsolvable; there had to be a hidden mechanical path to clear it. This test likely wasn’t just about musical talent—it was about discovering the right logic to survive.
Still… sometimes, if one’s skill or talent was outrageous enough, one could bypass the mechanism entirely.
Like the earlier written exam—had anyone actually been capable of acing that test legitimately, they could’ve walked right out the front door.
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
Lady Huperion nodded. If Lan Qi didn’t give any specific instruction, her role was simply to guard him when the time came.
Still, she hadn’t expected him to be this confident about art.
“Oh no, oh no…”
Bachel’s face had gone chalk-white as he finished reading the handbook.
He bitterly regretted following Lan Qi into this classroom.
Lan Qi looked so calm—maybe he could pass—but this was a solo performance! There was no way to piggyback on someone else’s success.
“Relax. You’re our guide, remember? I’ll make sure you live through this.”
Lan Qi patted Bachel’s shoulder reassuringly.
Bachel nodded so fast it was almost mechanical.
At this point, his last shred of faith in survival rested entirely on this terrifyingly serene white demon beside him.
Lan Qi then turned his eyes back to the stage and the four mentors seated before it.
It was still unclear how high the bar for “approval” was.
Just then, the current performer—the demon they’d seen earlier—finished his song.
The audience hushed as the judgment phase began.
Lan Qi and Lady Huperion exchanged glances.
“What do you think?”“He’s good,” she said honestly.
Lan Qi nodded.Technically speaking, the performance had been excellent—far above average.
Yet, on the four grand judges’ chairs before the stage—
Only one mentor showed the faintest hint of satisfaction.The other three looked as cold as stone.
“It was fine.”“I’m not impressed.”“No.”“Terrible.”
The host-teacher raised his hand.
Without a word, his gesture unleashed finality.
In an instant, the student’s body burst open like a crimson flower.
Blood rained upon the stage, painting it red as his corpse collapsed with a dull thud.
The floor beneath him bloomed with spreading scarlet—a sudden, violent end to a fleeting performance.
The concert hall fell silent once more.
(End of Chapter)