Chapter 2: The demons have all gone to take the civil service exam, so only I, a human, can be the Demon King

That evening, the roofs of the entire Demon King Academy were covered in the droppings of messenger bats.

However, thanks to this, the little demons didn't sweep through the cafeteria in the West Tower today; they were all busy writing letters.

Luo Yan had been enrolled for three years and finally had the chance to taste the legendary charcoal-grilled Minotaur beef steak.

To be honest, the texture was truly beyond words; it could only be described as superb.

But then again, would Professor Enuosi really have no objections? According to the books, the earliest Fear Demons seemed to be Minotaurs who "ascended to demonhood"?

Luo Yan tried to imagine someone serving a roasted monkey in front of him, which successfully ruined the appetite of his originally ravenous self.

Across the dining table, Yi Ge, holding a plate of vegetable and nut stew, sat down opposite Luo Yan cautiously and finished his pre-meal prayer before picking up his fork.

This guy was probably the most polite high-tier demon to him in the entire Demon King Academy.

It's a pity he's a male.

"Senior Luo Yan, aren't you writing a letter home?"

Although they were classmates, this guy called everyone senior... even those in lower grades.

Luo Yan felt awkward at first, but got used to it over time.

"I'm an orphan." He took a bite of the steak and said indifferently.

Yi Ge froze, then hurriedly lowered his head to apologize.

"I-I-I'm sorry."

Luo Yan waved his fork to stop him.

"No need to apologize. Didn't you hear what Enuosi said? Hell doesn't have the word 'sorry'. Next time you offend me, be more righteous."

Other demons did indeed do this, but later they didn't dare to do it openly, at least they didn't dare to chant spells.

Because as long as someone took the initiative to provoke him, Luo Yan would immediately write a letter to the Truth Force to complain, stating that he had been discriminated against by so-and-so on such-and-such a day, and so-and-so was the child of so-and-so, fully utilizing his value as a "protected animal."

Not convinced?

Go complain to the Demon God!

I haven't engaged in zero-dollar shopping while eating and buying things, which is already giving you demons enough face! Be happy with that!

"Haha..."

Seeing that Luo Yan still had the heart to joke, Yi Ge also laughed along, but still said worriedly.

"Actually... my family happens to have some connections in the Internal Affairs Force, if you don't mind..."

"No need, no need," Luo Yan waved his hand to stop him, "You just write your letter about your own affairs; you don't need to help me say anything. We are just classmates; it's not appropriate. And, I've already decided where I'm going."

Yi Ge asked curiously.

"Where do you plan to go?"

Luo Yan gave a wicked smile.

"Hehe, naturally to the place where a Demon King should go."

Yi Ge didn't react at first, and it took a good while before he widened his eyes as if he had just come to his senses.

"D-Demon King?!" He looked at Luo Yan, full of disbelief, "Are you crazy? I-I-I don't mean to look down on you, but your practical combat grade is only an F. Wouldn't it be better to reconsider?"

F?

That's because the lowest grade is F!

If there were a G, Luo Yan believed he could easily get it.

"Hahahaha!"

Luo Yan laughed self-deprecatingly, masking his embarrassment as well as the helplessness and sorrow in his heart, and reached out to pat Yi Ge's thin shoulder. "Magic is just one of the tools to achieve a goal; don't rely on it too much. Besides magic, I have other things."

"Other things?" Yi Ge swallowed nervously, his petite frame trembling.

"A secret."

Luo Yan gave a mysterious smile, but the truth was that he didn't know what to do himself, so he could only take it one step at a time.

After all, he couldn't tell this blockhead that he would run away as soon as he saw the situation was bad after reaching the surface, right? Anyway, except for being handsome in a way that didn't look human, he was not much different from the humans on the surface.

However, Yi Ge seemed to take it seriously, looking at him with big, adoring eyes, as if looking at a true hero.

Luo Yan was also carried away by his own boasting and couldn't stop for a while, continuing to talk eloquently.

"A real man lives between heaven and earth; how can he be willing to live under others?"

"Men, after all, should be a bit more manly! What's the point of hiding in the rear and eating? Cough! Of course, I don't mean you aren't manly enough!"

"What I mean is, if I don't enter Hell—pfft! If I don't enter Heaven, who will? Not only will I enter, but I will enter hard! Once I become the Demon King, hehe, hehehe..."

I must buy a house in the human Holy City!

As soon as Luo Yan's voice fell, before Yi Ge could express his adoration and admiration, a loud voice and applause came from the cafeteria entrance.

"Hahahaha! Well said!!!"

Glancing over the crowd of Goblins busy eating, Luo Yan instinctively looked toward the entrance to see who it was, but the moment he saw that face, he almost slid from his chair to under the table.

Headmaster Aiwen Keluge!

A Demigod-tier (Level X) Lich!

The principal of the Demon Capital's Demon King Academy!

He tensed his expression, silently chanting a spell to stabilize his soul, fearing that his true thoughts would be seen through.

But fortunately, the respected Mr. Headmaster Aiwen Keluge did not use soul-stealing magic on a mere student.

In the Demon Capital, the use of spells above Level 4 is prohibited, let alone using them on a human protected by the Demon God.

Its nature is no less than taking a shot at a giant panda's butt in a park in Chuan-Yu on Earth.

Looking at Luo Yan, who had a solemn expression, Headmaster Aiwen's face was full of approval, his kind gaze looking as if he were looking at his own child.

"Courage is commendable... For the past five hundred years, Hell has been lacking in talent, and my Demon Capital Demon King Academy has become a place for the children of Hell's nobles to get gilded. What a pity! I didn't expect the one with the most guts to be a human! Of course, I don't mean humans aren't good; all servants serving the Demon God are equal."

It seems even a Demigod can't escape political correctness.

Luo Yan couldn't help but think sourly in his heart; so-called power is nothing more than this.

He restrained his flamboyant expression, continuing in a manner that appeared honest and sincere.

"Sir, you are overstating it! Just as you said, all servants serving the Demon God are equal... although I only have Bronze-tier strength, I also want to contribute my power to the Demon God!"

This sounded a bit contradictory to what he said earlier, but in fact, it wasn't contradictory at all.

The Demon God encourages ambition, and even said the famous quote, "A Demon King who doesn't want to be a Demon God is not a good Demon King."

Of course, reciting this quote is harmless, but actually doing it or shouting it every day is a bit unwise.

Headmaster Aiwen looked at this young human man approvingly, the more he looked, the more he liked him.

He was also human when he was alive, and even at seventeen or eighteen, he was just an ordinary Necromancer... although he might not have been as low as Bronze, but rather two levels higher, Bai Yin or even Gold, but these are not the point!

The point is that he has a heart to become a strong person!

In contrast, the Succubus sitting opposite him, although having Bai Yin-tier strength, was crying like a little girl... even if this might be the setting of Succubi, he still had to say, what a disgrace!

The Succubi of a thousand years ago weren't like this!

Those with eight-pack abs were even existences that Fear Demons feared, capable of riding and exploding human knights with their bare hands!

And now?

They really only have that little bit of ability to pose and preen!

From that guy, he couldn't see any ambition to become a strong person at all!

All the demons who wrote letters today, even if they finally found good jobs, went to fat positions in good departments, and lived a life without worry from then on, without having to go to the front line to die... he, as a teacher, looked down on them from the bottom of his heart!

Weaklings!

All of them are weak!

Tapping his cane on the floor, Headmaster Aiwen looked at Luo Yan with a serious expression and said meaningfully.

"Young man, I have remembered you. Come to my office after you finish eating in a while; I want to give you something... You can treat it as a gift."

After saying this, the old Lich, wrapped in a gray robe with white hair and beard, turned and floated away.

Yi Ge looked at Luo Yan with adoration, already treating him as his idol.

However, Luo Yan couldn't be happy, but felt a headache instead.

A bit uncomfortable.

Feeling like this boasting was blown too big...

He just wanted to be a small-fry Demon King who stayed far away from the Demon Capital, close to human city-states, could run away at any time if the situation was bad, and even actively gave himself up to female heroes.

Anyway, he wasn't a real undead, just a poorly skilled Necromancer, and he didn't pose any harm to humans.

As long as the churches on the surface didn't mind, he wouldn't mind changing his faith on the spot.

Hopefully, nothing troublesome will come looking for him...

Luo Yan prayed to the Demon God, appearing pious.

After dinner, Luo Yan went to the teacher's building with a heavy heart, declined the invitation for tutoring from Professor Lilisi, and headed straight to the principal's office located at the top of the tower.

When he knocked on the door and walked in, the old Lich was standing by the window, a curved pipe in his mouth, the smoke rising above the pipe looking like the torn remnants of a ghost's soul.

It's possible that the tobacco was really made of ghost souls.

Looking at this old gentleman who was worried about the future of Hell, Luo Yan bit the bullet and said respectfully.

"Sir, I'm here."

Principal Headmaster Aiwen didn't turn around, just said in a kind voice.

"Come here, child."

Luo Yan walked obediently to his side.

"I'm glad you still remember our agreement," the old Lich extinguished the burning pipe, tucked it into his bosom, and then looked out the window, saying, "Look out from here and tell me what you see."

Not knowing what the old Lich wanted to do, Luo Yan probed with an uncertain tone.

"... Demon King Academy?"

"Anything else?"

"The cafeteria in the West Tower... uh, I mean the Demon Capital!"

"Cast your gaze further! Don't you see it? This gray dome, the low-quality simulated moonlight, and the magma that sprays endlessly all day long... Demon God above, this is Hell! The place where we have been lingering for a thousand years!"

The old Lich said with hatred for the lack of ambition.

Luo Yan couldn't help but complain in his heart that who could have thought of this, but he couldn't argue with this guy, so he followed his lead and said.

"I naturally see it... it's just that, as someone who enjoys the fruits of others' labor, I really don't have the qualification to say this."

In all fairness, life here is not bad.

Although the magma sprays endlessly all day, it hasn't burned him to death, has it?

However, these old monsters of the old era might have different views.

Principal Headmaster Aiwen had an expression of "a child who can be taught," nodded approvingly, and cast his gaze out the window.

Staring at the barren yet rich city outside the window, the old Lich said in a voice like a dream.

"We have stayed underground for too long, to the point that our children think... we were born here."

Isn't that the case?

Luo Yan thought silently, and the old Lich continued.

"A long, long time ago, things weren't actually like this. In the distant First Epoch, we were no different from the people on the surface. We also lived on vast lands, had our own kingdoms, and worshipped our gods... of course, because the undead are not convenient to see light, and demons like to travel at night, we usually find a valley or cave that doesn't see light to stay in."

Luo Yan: "..."

What's the difference between that and now?!

The old Lich's eyes fell into memories, and he continued in a nostalgic tone.

"... Now that I think about it, that was all a thousand years ago."

1000 years ago, the God of the Underworld, Hagen, fell, and the Aosi Empire, which believed in Saint Saint Xisi, unified the human world.

Since then, the remnants of the God of the Underworld moved to the deepest part of the underground to linger... which is the so-called Hell.

Since then, the First Epoch ended, and the Second Epoch began.

In the early Second Epoch, the first Demon God, Udis, replaced the fallen God of the Underworld and carried the banner of Hell, becoming the leader of the undead and demons, and unified the underground world.

However, Udis had limited ability, and later the underground world was divided and unified, and he himself very unfortunately died in a civil war.

Nowadays, the Demon God has been changed three times... now it is the era of Lord Bayeli.

And among the three Demon Gods, Lord Bayeli has ruled for the longest time, lasting more than five hundred years, and will continue to do so.

Under the rule of Lord Bayeli, although the people's livelihood in the underground world has been greatly improved, even little demons can eat their fill, but the combat power is getting worse year by year.

Headmaster Aiwen watched them degenerate day by day.

You know, 500 years ago, you had to pull strings to become a Demon King!

At that time, only a waste who was nearly twenty years old and still Bronze-tier would go to the Internal Affairs Force to mix in a leisure job; how could it be like now, where one after another they run to the Internal Affairs Force?

The younger generation has forgotten that they once lived in such a prosperous world, and only covet the enjoyment in front of them.

You know, compared to the prosperous surface world, the resources of the underground world are simply the leg hair on a flea!

However, what is gratifying is that he finally saw an ambition in a young student that was no less than his own back then.

He decided to give this young child some help.

This is not a difficult thing for an old Lich who has lived for a thousand years; he happens to have a student in the Cabinet, and he is a Cabinet Minister with great power.

Unlike bureaucratic departments like the Internal Affairs Force and the Truth Force, the Cabinet is the true center of power in Hell, and it is also a place closer to the Demon God than the temple... it is not an exaggeration to say that it reaches the ears of the Demon God.

"I wrote a recommendation letter to the Cabinet of the Demon God, in which I mentioned your name."

Luo Yan was taken aback.

Good guy, this letter skipped the Internal Affairs Force and went straight to the Cabinet of the Demon God!?

However, he didn't rush to be happy, but asked cautiously.

"Thank you for your appreciation... for the sake of mental preparation, can I know the content of the letter?"

Headmaster Aiwen's face had a kind smile, very satisfied with Luo Yan's composure.

"A Demon King territory just fell recently; the former Demon King's name was Lei Ji Delagong. He was not only a Diamond-tier Fear Demon but also a Duke... If you know enough about the circle of Hell's nobles, you should have heard the name of the Delagong family."

"Although, strictly speaking, you aren't qualified to take over Mr. Delagong's work, the mess this guy made this time is simply too massive. It's said that the core of the Demon King's Territory was destroyed and he himself was obliterated, to the point that even the Delagong family, who are known for being the best at spreading fear on the surface, wouldn't dare touch this hot potato of a Flame Crystal... However, I want to say that while this is a hot potato for them, it is an opportunity for a rookie like you who is just starting out."

Luo Yan's heart shrank violently, and he almost couldn't stand firm.

A Diamond-tier Fear Demon?!

He didn't know any Lei Ji Delagong, but he knew Professor Enuosi, who could scare people into wetting their pants with one look.

He had no doubt that a Fear Demon of that level could press him into the ground with just one little finger, and he wouldn't be able to pull himself out!

Similarly, Luo Yan couldn't imagine how awesome a human hero must be to beat that kind of thing to the point of soul-scattering.

"Taking over a territory of this... level for a rookie like me, I'm afraid it's not very appropriate?" Luo Yan pondered his wording, sweat already seeping from his forehead.

However, Principal Headmaster Aiwen waved his hand with a kind heart, his expression as if to say, you don't have to thank me when you become successful in the future.

"All servants serving the Demon God are equal; where is there any talk of appropriate or inappropriate? And the front line is in an emergency recently, everyone is pushing back and forth, and the Internal Affairs Force really can't spare any manpower. With my recommendation letter, the appointment letter is a sure thing, so you can put your heart at ease."

Who the hell is worried about that!

As if seeing the "caution" on Luo Yan's face, Headmaster Aiwen had an expression of "I understand," smiled, and patted the young man's shoulder.

"I know what you are worried about, but you don't have to worry too much. The reason your predecessor fell was that he was too clever, wanting to show off in front of the Demon God, so he took the initiative to attack, and as a result, he lost the battle. But you are different; I believe you are a smart person who will do the right thing at the right time, rather than being blinded by temporary pride."

"You... are right." Luo Yan squeezed a smile from his face that was not much brighter than magma, but it was still considered bright.

The letter had already been sent, and he knew that struggling was useless, and might even lose the favor of this big shot because of "not knowing what's good for you."

This is the only thigh he can hold tight for now.

"Is it convenient to ask where that Demon King territory is? If possible, I want to check the information about that place, so I can be prepared before I go."

"Haha, worthy of being a student who can get full marks in theory class! I guessed you would need those things, and I have already prepared them for you."

Headmaster Aiwen cast an approving look at Luo Yan and turned to point his index finger at the pile of books on the desk.

"The Demon King territory you are about to take over is located on the border of the human Kingdom of Lei En, belonging to the fief of Duke Kanbeier of the Kingdom of Lei En. There is a free city nearby that is said to have a population of one million... but don't worry too much about them. Those citizens are soft-footed shrimps, not of one mind with their lords and priests, and sometimes even sell their souls to us."

"The strategic goals of different Demon King territories are different. The Demon King territory you are about to take over is in the rear of the human world, far from the front line of the war. Therefore, your primary task is not to invade the surface world, but to develop and grow the Demon King territory by all means."

If that's really the case, that's good news, at least he doesn't have to take his skeleton soldiers out to draw hatred every few days.

If it really doesn't work, he can hide in the city and blend into the crowd to disappear.

Luo Yan's uneasy mood finally recovered a bit.

And just at this time, dear Professor Headmaster Aiwen gave him another big gift.

"... By the way, speaking of Duke Kanbeier's territory, I suddenly thought of a war trophy I snatched from the humans a long, long time ago. Wait for me."

Seeming to have thought of something, Professor Headmaster Aiwen patted his forehead, turned and floated into the meditation room on the side, and didn't float back until five or six minutes later.

Looking at the necklace handed to him by the kind-hearted old Lich, Luo Yan cast a confused look at him.

"This is?"

"The relic of the last king of the Aisaike Dynasty, the first dynasty of the Kingdom of Lei En, 'Incompetent King' Aisaike IV."

Luo Yan: "..."

This name sounds not very useful.

However, Principal Headmaster Aiwen didn't seem to think so.

"He is very similar to you; neither of you had magic talent when you were young, but as time passed, he mastered power comparable to gods. I got his relic, which is the pendant in your hand, from a knight of the Kingdom of Lei En. Judging from the energy field emitted by this pendant, the person who made it had at least Demigod-tier strength."

"Demigod-tier?!" Luo Yan was shocked.

"That's right," Headmaster Aiwen nodded, saying meaningfully, "Maybe it's not just Demigod-tier, but I can only perceive this much... That residual power is very weak, but my intuition can't be wrong. After all, I have only seen the same smell on those three adults."

Those three adults...

Probably refers to the three generations of Demon Gods.

Luo Yan gripped the necklace tightly, his heart beating fast, but he was also confused in his heart why Principal Headmaster Aiwen wanted to give this thing to himself.

Even if this respected Lich thought highly of himself, this gift was too valuable!

"Are you wondering why I gave it to you?"

Looking at Luo Yan's eyes, Headmaster Aiwen smiled kindly and continued.

"Although this necklace is suspected to be made by a Demigod-tier powerhouse, judging from the power it shows, it may not have Demigod-tier magic power. It is more like an antique, and my interest in it mainly comes from Aisaike IV himself... It is rumored that he is the only mortal among human nations who broke through to Demigod-tier without relying on the power of Saint Saint Xisi, and he did it while he was alive."

Compared to long-lived species and undead, the lifespan of humans is only a short hundred years.

How to master power that even gods fear in such a short time... Headmaster Aiwen is very curious about this.

It is rumored that the war nine hundred years ago when the Aosi Empire conquered the Aisaike Dynasty was deployed by Saint Saint Xisi himself by descending an oracle.

The superficial reason was that Aisaike IV blasphemed the gods, but in fact, it was far more than such a superficial reason.

After all, the entire Aisaike family was smashed to bones and ashes by the Aosi Empire, and the bloodline was cut off...

This kind of extermination practice, even looking at the history of human nations on the entire Aosi Continent, is extremely rare.

"... Out of interest in the hidden story behind this, I spent twenty years in the past thousand years studying the relics of Aisaike IV, and even managed to get his diary from the human kingdom."

"However, it is a pity that most of the contents of that diary were written in obscure and difficult-to-understand ciphers, and just deciphering these ciphers took me a lot of time. Later, many, many things happened, and this matter was thrown into the corner of the meditation room by me."

When saying this, a bright smile appeared on Principal Headmaster Aiwen's face, and he took out two books from his bosom and handed them to Luo Yan together.

"I think it's time to hand over this unfinished work to the young people... Your talent in academics impressed me; perhaps studying academics is more suitable for you than studying magic."

"In short, you can ponder it when you are not busy; even if there is no progress, it can help you understand the human society on the surface, as well as the Kingdom of Lei En you are about to go to." ===== CHAPTER 3 =====