The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 363 The Demon King Who Infiltrated the Academy

The heavy oak door closed slowly behind him, shutting out the old-fashioned and dignified atmosphere of Professor Hector's office.

Outside the door lies a completely different world.

Luo Yan's gaze swept across the corridor.

The walls here are made of pure white marble, and are decorated with paintings and tapestries, just like the manors of the nobles of the holy city.

The only difference is that some of the hanging scrolls with inscriptions slowly change characters, displaying precise times, and the meaningless "sunny" or "rainy" sign outside the tower for those inside.

At that moment, a young man quickly came up from one side of the corridor.

He was not tall, about the average height of men in the Kingdom of Rhodes, but he walked briskly and seemed full of energy.

He wore a simple robe in the style of the Academy on his thin shoulders, and a badge with a "gear and quill" on his chest, which represented his identity in the administrative department.

"Good day, Your Highness Prince Corin." The young man stopped in front of Luo Yan and bowed respectfully. "My name is Corgi, and I am an assistant professor in the administration department. I am here on Professor Hector's orders to guide you to the residence prepared for you."

His voice was clear and his speech was fast, like a walking "Xuebang Freshman Handbook".

While striving to maintain a professional demeanor, a hint of awe and curiosity towards the "perfect score genius" and "imperial nobleman" in her bright eyes couldn't help but show.

Looking at this energetic young man, Luo Yan smiled and nodded.

"Please lead the way, Mr. Corgi."

His quick wit is really a bit like a "Corgi".

"Please come with me!"

Corgi was surprised and flattered that His Highness Colin was so courteous to a servant like himself, and he enthusiastically led the group to the other side of the corridor.

At the very end of the corridor sits an open terrace. If you stand on the edge of the terrace and look down, you might be able to see the clouds floating at your feet.

Luo Yan noticed that there were several floating blankets there, their golden patterns faintly emitting a firefly-like glow.

Corgi introduced with a smile.

"The teachers' dormitory tower is right across from the main tower; taking the flying carpet is the fastest way there—"

“No need to rush, Mr. Corgi.” Luo Yan smiled and politely declined, continuing in a casual tone, “I’m new here and full of curiosity about everything in Xuebang. If it’s convenient, please take me on a walk to the dormitory tower so I can experience this renowned academic mecca.”

This request sounds reasonable.

Corgi was only slightly surprised before readily agreeing.

“Of course it’s convenient, Your Highness! It would be my greatest honor to fulfill your request… Now, we need to take the elevator to the Apprentice Plaza first. Please follow me!”

The group arrived at a huge courtyard, where a granite platform decorated with brass and magic crystals was quietly waiting.

Corgi was the first to stand on it, infusing magic into the inscriptions on the platform.

"Om-"

The dark blue magical light flowed into the magic crystal along the magical patterns.

Once Luo Yan and his group had settled on the platform, the entire rock platform shook and sank towards the tower with a low hum.

This thing looks like a magical version of an elevator; the design is quite ingenious.

Luo Yan also has an elevator built by a player in his own Demon King's territory, but that thing is designed with a more steampunk industrial style, which is completely different from the one under his feet.

The vertical "elevator shaft" is not completely enclosed; the floating stone platform occasionally passes through open floors, and behind the railings, you can see crowds of people hurrying by.

Luo Yan looked around curiously, while Corgi continued to enthusiastically introduce the situation to him.

"...You are passing through the main hall of the faculty area of ​​the Great Sage's Tower, where the professors and mentors of the Source Law School handle their daily affairs!"

"Are all those people professors?" Luo Yan glanced at the crowd coming and going in the hall, a look of surprise in his eyes.

The crowd seemed to consist not only of humans, but also occasionally of elves with pointed ears, dwarves with beards trailing on the ground, and even the figures of golems.

Corgi smiled sheepishly and said softly.

"Well, of course not. Some of them are administrative staff, and others are teaching assistants like me, or apprentices one level below me. The mentors here rarely handle these tedious tasks themselves. We believe that a wise and distinguished gentleman like yourself should devote more energy to a more noble cause."

Luo Yan nodded.

That makes sense.

Conversely, it's no wonder that apprentices are desperate to get in.

The relatively high-rise faculty and staff area lobby flashed by, and then the floating stone platform sank into a quiet and solemn area.

This area is similar to Professor Hector's office, but it's a bit simpler, so it must belong to the mentors.

The heavy oak doors were tightly shut, with brass plaques hanging on them bearing the professors' names and titles. The air was filled with the fragrance of old parchment and rare incense.

Occasionally, he could glimpse one or two well-dressed elderly monks leaning on their staffs, talking in hushed tones in another corridor, their expressions solemn.

As the platform continued to decline, the surrounding atmosphere began to change.

Noise and energy gradually filled the air as they entered the "Research Area" located in the middle section of the Great Sage's Tower!
Rather than calling this a corner of an ivory tower, it's more accurate to describe it as a series of bustling workshops.

Some of the room doors were wide open, and behind the doors was a magic star chart in operation, with countless points of light flickering in the bronze metal rings.

Luo Yan happened to see several apprentices who appeared to be senior students, arguing intensely about the complex rune structure around a floating blackboard.

The air here is filled with the hissing sound of cooling liquids and the peculiar smell of magic potions, as well as the passion for creation and experimentation.

However, the experiments here seem to have nothing to do with the virtual realm, nor do they involve dangerous or cutting-edge exploration.

soon--

The platform reached the bottom, and the view suddenly opened up, the hissing sound of the cooling liquid being replaced by a cacophony of voices.

The spacious hall was crowded with young apprentices, most of them dressed in uniform gray apprentice robes, hurrying across the covered bridges toward the tall archways.

Behind that archway seemed to be a lecture hall, and among those eager little heads, there might even be a familiar figure.

Speaking of which, I wonder how Phoenix and the others are doing.

Luo Yan then realized that he hadn't said goodbye to them when he left, but he quickly thought that they were just passing through on their journey, so he smiled and let it go.

Throughout the journey, Corgi enthusiastically introduced the various facilities of the academy to Prince Colin, his voice carrying a hint of boasting or pride.

Many of the things here were obtained from the Void Realm in the last fifty years; the Holy City obviously couldn't possibly have anything similar.

That's the truth.

But he probably couldn't imagine the other kind of life he had never seen before—the lads at the Imperial Academy of Arts had it much easier than he did.

Whether in the future or in the present.

Throughout the entire ordeal, the young dragon Taf, perched on Luo Yan's shoulder, kept fidgeting, especially when it heard a certain hairless monkey boasting about the ingenious design of the elevator.

Finally unable to contain herself any longer, she gritted her teeth and whispered in the Dragon Language, which only Luo Yan could understand.

"Tch, isn't this just an elevator? It's obviously copied from Zeta Empire!"

"And that glowing crystal... It's just a light bulb, how dare they show it off! Haha, I can guess with my toes where they copied it from!"

When she saw the ever-changing class schedule hanging on the wall, her cynicism was amplified to the extreme as her eyes widened.

"Wait, how did they make the photos move... Tsk, they copied it badly, it's not as good as my holographic projection."

Luo Yan almost couldn't help but laugh. This kid was the type who would call a horse a hoof and a donkey a mouth, completely forgetting that pigs, cows, and sheep also have these things.

However, considering that she was still developing and her brain wasn't big yet, he didn't bother to make fun of her. Instead, he teased her in the dragon language with interest: "Have you ever played a game?"

Taff paused for a moment, tilting her head slightly.

"game?"

"It's nothing," Luo Yan said casually. "Forget about it."

He couldn't think of how to say it in the Dragon language.

Taff: "???"

"Sir... were you speaking Dragon Language just now?" At the same time that Luo Yan and Taf finished their conversation, Corgi, who was standing to the side, finally couldn't help but ask softly with a look of surprise and envy.

ancient.

Profound.

It's full of primal power!
Although he only heard a few syllables, they were basically consistent with the phonetic symbols he had seen in the literature!

The instant he finished speaking, Taf, who had been ordered by her master not to speak in front of others, suffered a critical hit of ten thousand points, as if ten thousand back scratchers were scratching the soles of her feet.

Feeling the vibrations on his neck, Luo Yan smiled gently and nodded.

"Yes."

"You are truly...so knowledgeable!" Corgi exclaimed sincerely, his gaze towards Luo Yan filled with even greater admiration.

"Don't you have dragon language classes here?" Luo Yan asked casually.

Although dragon language is not a popular course at the Demon King Academy, the library still has a comprehensive collection of books on dragon language.

“Yes, there is,” Corgi scratched his head and answered sheepishly, “but it’s not a popular research topic, and because it’s not closely related to the mainstream magic system, plus the dragons and dragon gods didn’t leave behind any brilliant culture, only a few mentors are researching it… Ah, we’ve arrived.”

Corgi seemed completely unaware of the murderous gaze directed at Prince Colin by the baby dragon perched on his shoulder.

He felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively quickened his pace, hurriedly leading his group away from the bustling hall.

They emerged from the main tower's excessively grand archway, and the outside noise and the thin northern light instantly flooded in.

Before us lies an extremely spacious circular plaza!

The ground here is paved with polished marble, like a frosted mirror, reflecting the towering mage towers that connect here.

This is the heart of the academic community—Scholars' Square!
The howling wind and snow were kept out of the semi-transparent barrier by the magic light. Although the air here was not warm, it was far from the cold of the snowfield!

Sarah surveyed her surroundings, her icy expression finally melting away at the novel sights she had never seen before. They had landed directly on the terrace atop the tower in Professor Hector's flying carriage, and thus hadn't noticed the astonishing wheels beneath them.

In the center of the square, a giant fountain was performing a miracle. What gushed forth was not ordinary water, but magical light that constantly shifted and changed shape!

Sometimes they coalesce in the air into an elegant bird about to take flight, hovering for a few seconds before suddenly dispersing into a misty haze of light, radiating a rainbow-like glow!

Several enormous parchment scrolls floated in mid-air above the square, displaying various announcements in shimmering, iridescent lettering.

For example, a public lecture announcement from a great alchemist, or a quest offering a reward for the rare material "Deep-sea Noctiluca Spectre"!
This place is even more like a starting village for players than the Great Cemetery Plaza, to the point that even a certain Demon King showed a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Although he had heard Miranda describe the prosperity of the school long ago, the shock he received from seeing it with his own eyes was undoubtedly stronger than what he had heard from others.

After crossing the spacious Scholars' Square, Corgi led them to a slightly shorter tower.

However, while it may be considered slightly shorter, that's only relative to the towering main tower. Compared to the cluster of towers surrounding the Great Sage's Tower, this tower still stands out like a crane among chickens.

Two enormous metal golems stood in front of the dormitory building, looking down with their imposing gaze at the students who passed by like ants.

However, when the two golems saw the badge on Corgi's chest, their imposing gazes instantly shifted away... They seemed to have an "identity recognition" function. "Your Highness, this is the faculty dormitory tower. Your room is on the thirtieth floor... Please allow me to take you up."

Corgi took out a rune stone engraved with runes, opened the access control, and respectfully handed it to His Highness the Prince.

"Do I need to show this thing every time?" Luo Yan held it in his hand, weighed it in his hand, and casually asked the Corgi.

Corgi said with a smile.

“Of course not. You are a mentor here, and they recognize every mentor’s face… However, your identity is still being registered, and it will take them a few days to remember it.”

"I see."

Luo Yan nodded and then handed the "gate access stone" to Sarah.

After passing two enormous metal golems, the group continued forward and ascended a stone platform similar to the elevator in the main tower.

The dormitory tower's elevator platform is smaller and slightly faster.

When the platform came to a smooth stop on the 30th floor, Luo Yan saw a separate entrance hall with a dark red carpet that stretched all the way to the oak door in front of him.

Corgi's tone was filled with undisguised awe and envy as he bowed deeply to the prince beside him.

"Your Highness, to express our sincerity and respect, the higher-ups of the Great Sage's Tower have specially granted you this suite for your use... You will have the entire floor to yourself."

“In Xuebang, only professors or sages who have made outstanding contributions are qualified. You are the first person to live here as a mentor.”

Luo Yan smiled upon hearing this, appreciating the compliment, and then stepped forward.

As the heavy wooden door was pushed open, a magnificent mansion that perfectly combined magic and art came into view.

The ceiling of the living room is not a solid rock wall, but a huge "celestial globe" made up of countless intricate brass gears and crystal lenses of different sizes.

Driven by an invisible force, it rotates slowly, perfectly mimicking the movement of the heavens with a stunning mechanical beauty.

Several exquisitely woven wool tapestries hang on the walls, their landscapes rendered with gold threads, creating a magnificent and breathtaking spectacle!
What's even more astonishing is that both the tranquil forests and the majestic mountains subtly change with the passage of time.

They seem to have their own lives!
At the far end of the living room are floor-to-ceiling windows, beyond which lies a spacious stone balcony protected by an almost invisible wind-resistant barrier. Even high above, not a breath of wind can be felt, offering a panoramic view of the magnificent, brightly lit campus.

And by the window, an antique bronze plate sits quietly.

According to Corgi, this is a device that can emit "communication light spheres," which can encapsulate sound within the light spheres and transmit it directly to any terrace on the main tower.

Of course, its delivery distance is limited and it does not have a "note-taking" function, so it is usually only used to summon subordinates who are on duty in the laboratory or office.

Important messages still rely on familiars such as owls and carrier pigeons.

Luo Yan was very curious about which virtual realm this thing came from, but unfortunately Corgi obviously didn't know, as he was just a small teaching assistant.

Without giving the troublesome young man a second thought, Luo Yan headed towards the study.

The study here is anything but ordinary.

The elegant ebony bookshelves are arranged like a screen, layer upon layer, reaching up to the ceiling, just like a small library!

With Corgi's earnest prompting, Luo Yan casually mentioned the title of a book on basic magic theory. The magic book seemed to sprout wings and detached from the bookshelf, landing steadily in his palm under the guidance of the rune stones embedded in its cover.

Kind of interesting.

Luo Yan tossed the book forward with great interest, watching it fly back to the bookshelf on its own. He pondered that he could also place one of these things in his Demon King's Palace.

The resources at Xuebang were more plentiful than he had imagined; it seemed this trip to the North would be very rewarding.

"Next is the bedroom—"

Just as the corgi opened the door and was about to introduce the room, Taf had already rushed in with a loud cheer, quickly taking over the largest one and declaring ownership.

The long journey had exhausted her; she wished she could stuff her entire tail into a soft velvet mattress.

This "meat lizard" is even more useless than I imagined.

Luo Yan didn't care where he slept, so he turned his gaze to Sarah, who surprisingly did the same, speaking softly.

"I'll stay next to you, Your Highness."

Upon hearing this, the corgi's cheeks flushed slightly, clearly indicating that it had misunderstood something.

But he dared not let the prince discover his lapse in composure, lest he be perceived as presumptuous.

So he immediately pretended not to hear anything, quickly finished explaining the last few things such as the location of the cafeteria and the course application, and then prepared to leave.

"Mr. Corgi." Luo Yan suddenly called out to the teaching assistant who was about to leave.

The corgi paused for a moment, then stopped in its tracks.

"Is there anything else you need, Your Highness?"

Under the young man's questioning gaze, Luo Yan took out a thumb-sized, deep-colored magic crystal from his storage ring and handed it to him.

"Thank you for showing me around for so long. This is... a magic crystal that is abundant in the continent of Gana. It may be of some help to your research. Please accept it."

The moment the corgi saw the magic crystal, its breath caught in its throat.

Although he wasn't a teaching assistant in the academic field, he recognized at a glance that it was a high-grade magic crystal with extremely high purity!

For a teaching assistant like him, whose salary was meager and who often worried about finding a little bit of magical material, this was an invaluable treasure!
With trembling hands, the young man accepted the still-warm magic crystal. He was so excited that he was incoherent, and his whole face turned red.

"This...this is too precious, Your Highness! I...I..."

"Take it." Luo Yan gave the young man an encouraging look, with a gentle smile on his face, like Santa Claus handing out candy.

His labyrinth is overflowing with this stuff; he collects a huge amount from players almost every day. The yield is much higher than that of diamonds, though high-purity ones are relatively rare.

However, rarity is relative.

Why not use a small tip to further enhance His Highness Colin's reputation for kindness and generosity, given his extensive knowledge and adherence to ethical standards?

While all the young men in the entire academic community were actively inquiring about him.

This small investment, which serves as a prelude to later "corrupting" this academic mecca, can be considered a highly profitable venture.

A thousand words were condensed into a deep bow. Corgi's eyes shone with gratitude and fervor as he mustered his courage to speak.

"Your Highness, your generosity is admirable. I... have no way to repay you. In the future, if you need anything from the Academy, please feel free to ask if I can help!"

Whether it was just polite talk or not, Luo Yan smiled gently and waved his hand.

"You're too kind. You've already done me a great favor. I'll contact you if I need anything else."

Watching the young man leave, full of gratitude, Luo Yan casually closed the door and turned back to his elegant study.

He casually picked up a book about the basics of runes, his fingertips brushing across the pages, feeling the knowledge system that was so different from that of the Demon King Academy.

The runic magic of the Academy seems to have incorporated the knowledge of both dwarves and elves, and developed it further.

This knowledge was full of novelty for him.

Just like when he first came into contact with inscriptions, he couldn't wait to absorb this knowledge into his vast sea of ​​consciousness.

While he was reading quietly, Sarah's figure moved around the room like a ghost, her cat ears twitching slightly in alarm.

A moment later, she returned to Luo Yan's side and reported softly, "Your Highness, I have checked and found no hidden magic array in the room."

"Well done." Luo Yan nodded and praised him.

In fact, the moment he stepped into the room, he had secretly instructed Youyou to "sniff" every nook and cranny of the entire suite to confirm that there were no traces of any extraordinary power.

"What are your plans next?"

Hearing Sarah's question, Luo Yan smiled faintly and leaned back in the soft armchair.

"The arrangement is, of course, as planned: teaching the young men of Xuebang while studying the 'virtual realm' that Xuebang generously shared with us."

Anyway, he didn't need to worry about the players. The layout of the Holy City was continuing to take shape, and the plan for Thunder City was also progressing steadily.

It's a rare opportunity to play the role of a 'mentor,' which is much more interesting than being a prince. To be honest, his forte is solving problems.

Perhaps, he can bring some... the 'evil influence' of the Demon King to this place.

"Sarah, do you think I have a chance to cultivate a school of thought of my own?"

Upon hearing this, Sarah's eyes revealed a gentle smile, and her tender expression conveyed unwavering faith.

"With your foresight and wisdom, you certainly can."

Just then, Taf appeared out of nowhere with a sly grin, put her paw to her mouth and chuckled twice.

"Heh heh heh, Sarah, you trust him far too much. I've seen plenty of guys like him; first-rate as a mastermind, third-rate as an academic—"

Luo Yan gently waved his wand, silencing Taff's little mouth, and smiled as he looked at Sarah, who had a completely convinced expression.

Sarah, I'm hungry.

Without needing any prompting from him, the sensible cat immediately moved.

"As ordered, Your Highness."

Just as Sarah carried the whimpering Tauf into the kitchen, a crisp knocking sound came from outside the study window at the same time.

A majestic owl familiar stood on the stone railing, slowly tapping on the glass window with its claws, its feathers tilted to one side by the wind barrier.

Luo Yan casually waved his wand, opened the window, and the owl walked in with elegant steps, quickly shook its feathers, and stretched out a claw.

Luo Yan removed the wax-sealed letter tube from its paw, opened it, and saw a formal employment letter made of fine parchment inside.

The letter, written in elegant handwriting, came from the Academic Affairs Office of Xuebang, formally appointing "Prince Roxie Collin" as a Xuebang tutor.

The letter detailed the resources Professor Hector had promised him, including an independent laboratory, meditation room, and office located on the upper floors of the main tower, the right to use a large lecture hall that could accommodate three hundred people, and a research grant of one hundred thousand gold coins that he could freely use.

In addition, there is a monthly personal salary of one hundred gold coins.

Even in the Holy City, this salary is quite high, even exceeding the Regent's salary.

However, everyone knows that for both the regent and the tutors at the academy, the so-called salary is just something that's better than nothing, and nobody really cares about it.

At the same time, the letter of appointment also specifically mentioned at the end that the Council of Sages was discussing the resources of the "Virtual Realm".

This was clearly the result of Professor Hector's hard work.

Luo Yan smiled and put away the flimsy employment contract, tossing it into his storage ring. Who knows, he might want to show it off to Professor Lilith someday—

Look, a top student is a top student no matter where they are. Look how much others have given me.
Ok.

I'll give it a try when I break through to the Diamond level.

As for the present situation—

The only thing that "Prince Colin" needs to consider is how to arrange a unique "first lesson" for the academic elites.

(End of this chapter)