"What the fuck! Heartache counts as pain?! Can this jerk be any more shameless?!"
"Exactly which side is the evil cultist anyway?!"
"The Resurgence Church finally got what they deserved! Evil begets evil!"
Although everyone in Hevenlit Magic Academy was making fun of Dekan, they were all laughing.
The entire viewing hall was filled with a cheerful atmosphere. When Dekan delivered the winning blow just now, they were silent for a moment before erupting in cheers like a torrential flood.
In the back corner seats, a young man's expression was full of excitement. He clasped his fists as if he had been praying for Dekan and the others.
"Phew—"
When he saw Dekan and Cornelia defeating Faceless, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and stood up.
There was still a faint smile on his face that had not faded away.
But besides the joy, there seemed to be a hint of bitterness and helplessness in his expression.
Just as he turned to leave the classroom, he saw a slender girl standing behind him, blocking his way.
The girl's posture was noble and cold, with a hint of playfulness at the corner of her mouth, as if she were observing his expression.
"Croix, you're not fantasizing about being like them, are you?"
The girl's tone was not friendly at all.
"No... I wouldn't fantasize about such a thing."
Croix realized that the girl had probably been observing him for a long time, felt very embarrassed, and lowered his head.
At the same time, he seemed to recall some unpleasant memories and dared not face the girl again.
"Heh, it's good that you have self-awareness. You're no different from those people of the Resurgence Church. Remember the mistakes you've made and my big sister’s miserable appearance. No one will ever cheer for you!"
Seeing Croix's attitude, the girl seemed to become angrier.
"...I know."
Hearing the girl's aggressive words, Croix's tone softened slightly, but he didn't argue.
He just bypassed the girl and walked quickly towards the door.
"After watching their performance, you should understand that you are not suitable for challenging the Shadow Worlds! You are the embodiment of disaster! How could you ever end the calamity?!"
The girl shouted behind him.
Croix's footsteps hesitated for a moment, he clenched his lips tightly, and then quickened his pace.
As if fleeing in panic, he disappeared from the viewing hall.
...
In the hallways of the Demon Academy, there were two suspicious figures, each dragging an unconscious body.
They pulled the "bodies" by their feet, making a "sss" friction sound as they dragged on the ground.
Finally, they brought these two "bodies" to their headquarters, the Culinary Classroom.
Dekan locked the door, ran to the other side of the classroom, and opened the window.
Then he ran back to Cornelia, grabbed the shoulder of Faceless, and together with Cornelia, carried the unconscious Faceless to the window.
"One, two!"
As they counted, the two of them skillfully threw Faceless out of the window.
They repeated the process and also threw the sorcerer out of the window.
"Job done!"
Although Cornelia could easily throw these two guys out by herself, since they were committing crimes together, it was better for them to dispose of the corpses together. This way, they would feel a greater sense of team spirit.
When encountering villains that attacked other challengers in Shadow Worlds, killing them was not legally punishable. This was a special case approved by the Kingdoms Federation.
Dekan and Cornelia's viewing program had recorded more than enough evidence.
"This terrain is really convenient. It would take a lot of effort to get rid of Faceless otherwise."
Dekan spoked in admiration.
His evaluation of this school rose again.
"What should we do? I kind of don't want to go back."
Cornelia felt like she was back home and unconsciously sat down at the chair by the baroque-styled long table.
She leaned on the table, seeming reluctant to move.
"How great it’ll be to visit the Demon World again in the future."
Dekan looked out of the window, seemingly searching for a hidden paradise.
"Together."
"Of course. But let's get to work first. We still have an important project."
All the while they were speaking, the two of them were rapidly gathering ingredients from the cooking classroom.
Dekan had instructed Cornelia to dismantle some cooking equipment from the classroom.
He planned to use these parts to modify a piano.
"Oh, by the way."
Dekan clapped his hands, as if he had remembered something.
He turned on the school's broadcast and said, "Challenger student, please come to the culinary classroom. Your friends are looking for you. Please go to the third room on the west side of the school building immediately after hearing this broadcast..."
It didn't take long for Dekan and Cornelia to see the challenger they had saved earlier rushing to the culinary classroom.
After over an hour of rest and ample medicinal potions from the infirmary, the wounds on the challenger's body had healed considerably.
He was in good spirits and ready to work.
Their exploration progress was still 2.3% short.
Dekan looked at the challenger with satisfaction and patted his shoulder.
"Here, see if there's anything you want."
Dekan took out a stack of cards from his pocket and handed them to the challenger. These cards were obtained from Faceless and the mage they had defeated.
Like how only soul-bound magic cards could enter the Shadow World, taking cards out of the Shadow World worked the same way.
They had to be bound first to be taken out.
Dekan and Cornelia couldn't bind tier 4 and 5 cards. Moreover, they didn't have many empty card slots left.
Earlier, Dekan used up three Poisonous Spikes and three Captain Durrkan cards and freed up nine tier slots.
Without giving up their own cards, they ultimately took the 9 slots cost of cards as their loot.
Among the remaining cards were tier 4 purple cards, which would go to waste if left behind.
So, Dekan wanted this challenger to see if there was anything he needed. At least he could take the tier 4 cards.
"Can I really have these?"
Despite Dekan explaining the process to the challenger, he still hesitated to take these cards.
"Yes, these cards are absolutely legal. But for the cards you choose, you have to transfer 60% of the market price to the specified account I gave you. Is that okay?"
While saying this, Dekan handed him a note.
[Norton Kingdom Royal Bank, Account Number: 948957812, Recipient: Team Beautiful Heart]
"Of course, that’s no problem at all! Thank you, Brother Dekan!"
The challenger eagerly took the note and began to remember the account information written on it.
For him, it was a win-win situation no matter what.
Even if he sold the cards as soon as he returned to the real world, he would still make a net profit!
"Also, you'll have to deal with two rooms by yourself later. If you can't handle it, use this ring to call for help."
Dekan handed the ring to the challenger.
This ring was no longer of much use to him and Cornelia.
Although they didn't want to work anymore, they couldn't afford to let this challenger get into trouble.
After all, they were still waiting for him to bring a substantial donation from the real world.
"What are you two going to do next?"
The challenger looked at Dekan and Cornelia, who had cleaned out the cooking classroom and seemed very puzzled.
"Oh, we're going to do what students should do."
Dekan answered seriously.
Cornelia seemed to be impatient already and was occasionally tiptoeing to get Dekan's attention.
"Let's go!"
"Alright!"
So, without paying further attention to the challenger, they left the culinary classroom.
As if coming back from a shopping spree, they headed to the principal's office.
Outside the principal's office, there was already a piano waiting.
Cornelia opened the door to the principal's office, and the two of them brought in the piano and other items.
After preparing for several tens of minutes,
Dekan and Cornelia finally started their joyful pool party.
The tier 4 Shadow World, Strange Tales of the Demon Academy, ultimately ended with a strange image of Dekan and Cornelia enjoying themselves in the water.
