I'm Leon, and I go to Demon Lord Academy

The classroom was dark and terrifying, its walls covered in instruments of torture. A hideous demon stood behind a black stone lectern.

His name was Eunos, a Diamond-level (Level VII) Fear Demon. Two enormous bull horns grew from his head, making him look like a beast walking upright.

His towering body was wrapped in a crimson robe, and his scarlet eyes gleamed with an eerie ferocity from beneath the hood's shadow.

The blackboard behind him was even more alarming. Scrawled across it in chalk was a messy line—

[Methods for efficiently torturing humans and collecting fear energy from their screams.]

"Fear differs from seduction, but their essence is actually the same... The source of our power is people's faith. Our followers will not praise us, but they will live in constant dread of us. In truth, that is also a form of prayer."

"Therefore, dead followers are meaningless. Only living followers can provide us with an endless stream of power."

"Make a note of this... We must make our prey afraid, while avoiding excessive torture that causes them to die or break."

"After all, if prey loses its response to external stimuli, then whatever we do becomes meaningless. Thus, the highest form of torture is often invisible... But at the same time, you must take care not to torture them too lightly, or it may have the opposite effect—for instance, making the prey feel good. That, too, is something we must avoid."

"Pay attention! Don't think this knowledge is useless just because you aren't Fear Demons. Even Succubi can draw experience from it. Never let your prey have you. Only when those simps cannot get you will they regard you as their Gods... I hope the only thing you learned from Ms. Lilith was not how to flirt and pose."

This was the highest institution of learning in Hell—the Demon Lord Academy.

As the name suggested, it was a place for cultivating Demon Lords.

Of course, as the humans on the surface grew increasingly powerful, Demon Lords were no longer as sought-after as they had been five hundred years ago. They had practically become a disposable commodity.

Thus, the goal of most students was to remain in the Demon Capital after graduation, preferably as civil servants in the Ministry of Internal Affairs... But that was beside the point.

In any case, in order to stay safely behind the lines after graduation, the students beneath the lectern listened with rapt attention... Only Leon felt a chill run down his spine.

There was no other reason.

Everyone present was either a demon or an undead. He was the only human, and he was sitting right in the middle of the classroom.

Whenever class touched on anything related to humans, no matter how thick his nerves were, he could not help but clench up.

Professor Eunos in particular would always suddenly split his blood-filled maw into a mysterious smile in Leon's direction while lecturing.

Eunos's smile was only one part of it. Sometimes, trouble came from right beside him.

Lumi, the Terror Demon at the neighboring desk, kept sneaking glances at him with an eager look on his face... Leon could only hope the guy was merely fantasizing in his head and would not actually risk everything.

On his other side, Mai Jinli, the Nightmare Demon, was blowing air at the Flame Demon in the row ahead while occasionally muttering under his breath.

"I heard humans are more likely to get sleepy in an environment of forty degrees..."

Leon had no idea where this guy had heard that, nor did he know what the guy was fantasizing about doing after he fell asleep.

In Professor Eunos's class, Leon felt that even if he were roasted alive, he still might not be able to fall asleep.

Compared to the two nuisances seated on either side of him, Ms. Mia, who sat behind him, was even worse.

This young lady was a Succubus, with pink hair, heart-shaped tail tips and pupils, and a pair of ram-like curved horns above her ears.

She had altered her school uniform skirt to be so short that one hardly knew where to look.

From the beginning of class, she had been picking on him. Sometimes she would kick his chair with the tip of her foot under the desk; other times, she would let out an exaggerated yawn and blow air against the back of his neck.

She was the most dangerous one!

Other demons at least needed to cast spells, but she only needed to rely on her racial talent.

Without spellcasting, no traces would be left behind. Even if he fell for it, he would have nowhere to argue his case.

Leon did not dare let his guard down in the slightest, afraid she would catch an opening and put everything taught in class to immediate use on him.

Other than him, there was only one fairly normal person in the entire class—a guy named Ige.

Though this guy was a Succubus, he was a male Succubus, the kind that sat at the very bottom of the high-level demon food chain.

Because Leon's status was similar to that of a giant panda—an "protected animal" personally designated by the Demon God—bullying him carried severe legal consequences. Thus, Ige usually served as the class's designated victim.

The guy was truly pitiful. Sometimes, even Leon, a straight man of steel, could not help feeling sorry for those vulnerable, pleading eyes.

Of course, sometimes Leon could not decide whether the guy was putting it on deliberately...

Maybe he needed to be wary of him too!

The chair-kicking was gradually becoming excessive. Leon had endured all he could and turned around to glare at Mia.

Yet not only did she show no restraint whatsoever, she provocatively licked the corner of her lips.

Her Wine Red pupils were like sweet chocolate gummies. The moment Leon met her gaze, his mind uncontrollably slipped into a daze.

That was not magic, but a Succubus's racial talent... Their pupils were born with the power to captivate the soul.

Only High-level Demons or people with sufficiently powerful Spiritual Power could resist it, but Leon clearly belonged to neither group.

This was bad!

The instant the thought crossed his mind, it was already too late.

In that brief moment, Eunos, standing on the lectern, had noticed Leon's small movement of turning around and immediately let out a bull-like roar.

"Leon! You dare fool around in my class? You've got some nerve!!!"

The entire classroom trembled, and the students in the front rows were already covering their ears in pain.

And this was merely Eunos's normal volume when reprimanding students.

"Sorry, sir—" Leon sprang to his feet and hurriedly apologized, only to be cut off by another thunderous roar.

"Sorry? There's no such word as 'sorry' in Hell! Lift your head and look me in the eyes! You dare look a succubus in the eyes, but not me? Don't submit to fear—overcome it! Yes, just like that! Very good, you may go dry your pants in the restroom now! Hahahaha!"

Professor Eunos threw back his head and laughed loudly, and the classroom erupted in laughter as well.

"Hahahahaha!"

Only Ige looked at Leon with doe-like eyes, his face full of concern.

Mia clicked her tongue, clasping her hands behind her head with dissatisfaction written all over her face. It was unclear whether she regretted Professor Eunos ruining her fun or lamented that she wasn't the one who had wet someone's pants.

Of course, Leon's pants were not wet, so there was naturally no need for him to go to the restroom.

Faced with his classmates' laughter, he gave no response and simply sat back down helplessly.

This was Hell, after all. Situations like this were far too common, and it wasn't the first time he had been toyed with by a teacher at this academy.

Just yesterday, Ms. Lilith, the succubus who taught illusion and control spells, had used him as casting material for a live demonstration.

Mia, sitting behind him, had probably just been doing a clumsy imitation of that female benefactor.

As for Professor Eunos, he was actually considered one of the friendlier professors at this Demon King University. At the very least, he could teach Leon some useful skills.

Thanks to him, as an ordinary human living in Hell, Leon had not been scared into wetting himself by a Fear Demon's gaze for a very, very long time.

Ms. Lilith, on the other hand, merely used him for her own amusement.

Even now, he still couldn't resist a succubus's control skills. No matter how he thought about it, that woman's teaching methods were clearly the problem!

As for how an ordinary human like him had ended up studying in this godforsaken place, that was a long story.

First of all, he was not from this world, but a transmigrator from Earth.

The cause of his transmigration had been a traffic accident. He no longer remembered what happened in between, but when he opened his eyes again, he was already in the Demon God Temple at the deepest point beneath the Os Continent, with mysterious incantations and a pentagram behind him.

According to the Shadow Priest in the temple, his mother had been a human acolyte, while his father was a vampire who refused to reveal his name.

Logically speaking, he should have possessed half vampire bloodline... but that was not actually the case.

In this world, vampire inheritance was not passed down through primitive mating. The inheritance of vampiric power required the ritual of the First Embrace.

It was an extremely troublesome process. Not only did it test manpower and resources, it also depended on the spell recipient's family lineage.

Generally speaking, only the union of two vampires allowed a child to receive the First Embrace of their vampire kin at birth.

As an illegitimate child of questionable standing, Leon was clearly not qualified to receive the First Embrace.

And what flowed through his veins was merely ordinary human blood.

At most, he had inherited a devastatingly handsome face from his father, along with blood that seemed noble but was completely useless. Other than that, there was nothing... though he had never expected much anyway.

His mother, Tiffany, died not long after giving birth to him, while his father had never appeared even once over the past eighteen years.

But that did not really matter.

When he had first arrived in this world, Leon had thought his life was utterly bleak, that this was the end for him. Yet after staying for a while, he discovered it was not quite so hopeless.

First of all, humans in the underground world were "protected animals" personally designated by the Demon God.

As long as human citizens served the Demon God, Hell's undead creatures and demons were forbidden from harassing or discriminating against them, and were strictly prohibited from harming them. Violators would face severe punishment.

Whether this was for the benefit of believers on the surface who secretly worshipped the Demon God, or to preserve Hell's biodiversity, humans in Hell were all registered and actually lived rather well... so long as they were not prey or prisoners of war captured and brought here.

Though it was impossible to expect Hell's might-makes-right society to completely stop discriminating against humans, at least demons and undead creatures would not openly cast spells on humans who also believed in the Demon God. The closer one got to Hell's political center, the more true this became.

Besides that, humans received bonus points when applying to Hell's institutions of higher learning.

However, since humans ranked near the bottom in magical talent, even with the extra points, the overwhelming majority could not get in at all.

Beyond the advantages in education, employment prospects were also quite good.

Although most demon workshops did not welcome frail humans, the acolyte positions at temples under the Ministry of Truth were always open to humans.

This job was equivalent to being a civil servant in Hell. It came with a certain status and decent income. Though there was little room for promotion, there was no danger whatsoever. After death, one could avoid becoming undead, with one's soul entering the Reincarnation Pool directly to be reborn as a demon in the next life.

Leon's biological mother in this life had been an acolyte.

Though becoming an acolyte was not bad, Leon did not want to stay in Hell for the rest of his life, even if he possessed the prestigious "Demon Capital household registration."

Humans did indeed exist in Hell, but this place was simply not fit for human habitation.

To say nothing else, the "oceans" here were all magma thousands of degrees hot. A casual heat wave could raise an entire city's temperature by over a hundred degrees.

Such temperatures were nothing to demons or undead creatures, and were not even much to Dwarves, but they were deadly to humans.

The only reason he had survived until today was the Demon Capital's Magic Barrier.

After being toyed with by Professor Eunos, Leon felt as though he were sitting on pins and needles.

He did not know whether it was just his imagination, but he felt that the latter half of this class—"One Hundred Brilliant Tricks to Make Humans Scream"—was somewhat beyond the syllabus.

At that moment, the dismissal bell finally rang in the corridor outside.

The Little Devils in the classroom seemed to have heard a starting pistol. With a whoosh, they shot into the air and flew toward the windows, screaming, "Mine, mine!" as they aimed for the cafeteria in the neighboring tower.

But just as they were about to fly out the window, they slammed solidly into an invisible wall with a bang.

Instant-cast Silver-level magic!

Wall of Atmosphere!

As Leon watched the Fear Demon at the podium, his eyes brimmed with envy.

On the Os Continent, both the surface world and the underground world followed the ranking system passed down from the First Era.

The lowest rank was Black Iron (I), followed by Bronze (II), Refined Steel (III), Silver (IV), Gold (V), Platinum (VI), Diamond (VII), Amethyst (VIII), Master (IX), and Demigod (X).

Above Demigod was actually Near God (XI)—in simpler terms, beings comparable to Gods. However, in the underground world, this rank was supposedly attainable only by the Demon God who ruled it.

In addition, every rank was further divided into five stars.

However, since experience and skill mattered more in battles between opponents of the same rank, the star ratings had limited reference value and were rarely used.

A Fear Demon capable of instant-casting a fourth-level air spell...

Professor Eunos probably possessed the strength of a five-star Diamond-level expert!

Incidentally, Leon was Bronze (II).

Although his theoretical knowledge was exceptionally extensive, and he consistently ranked near the top of his grade in final exams, his racial talents simply did not include magic power.

Just as the wing-drooping Little Devils cursed and climbed back up from beneath the windows, Eunos, standing behind the podium, stamped his foot.

"Quiet! I haven't dismissed class yet! Get your asses back to your seats!"

The impact was like an earthquake!

Seeing Professor Eunos lose his temper, the Little Devils who had been cursing moments ago immediately turned pale with fright and scrambled back to their seats.

After watching the students sit down again, Professor Eunos swept his gaze across the classroom, cleared his bull-like throat with force, and boomed loudly.

"Students, this is the last lesson I'll be teaching you. I hope you remember everything covered in class! Especially certain individuals—if you want to stay alive, you'd better listen carefully."

Leon did not know whether it was his imagination, but he felt that Professor Eunos's bull eyes had glared at him. Sweat began to seep from his back again.

The pressure of a Diamond-level demon was not something a mere Bronze-level necromancer could withstand.

Especially since his necromancy was watered down.

At Eunos's words, the demons and undead in the classroom began discussing among themselves.

"The last lesson?"

"What does that mean?"

"Summer vacation's starting early this year?!"

"It's not summer vacation that's early, you idiots! It's your graduation ceremony!" Eunos shook his head in disappointment at this bunch of fools still babbling about summer vacation, then continued in his deep voice. "The surface adventurers have grown too strong, and there aren't enough Demon Lords at the front lines. That's why this year's graduation ceremony for the entire academy has been moved up."

The moment his words fell, the Little Devils in the classroom erupted into shrieks again.

"Awwooo! Tear them apart!"

"I'm gonna bite off their ears!"

"I'll eat their heads!"

Little Devils were not High-level Demons and, strictly speaking, did not qualify to enter Demon Lord Academy.

But they were aristocrats among Little Devils, so naturally they could not be lumped together with ordinary Little Devils.

Though Leon often felt that these useless fools might be even stupider than average Little Devils. At least those cunning bastards usually managed to survive a couple more episodes.

Mia, seated in the back row, raised her hand and stood amid the gazes of the demons.

"But Professor Eunos, we're third-year students. We aren't supposed to graduate until next year. Did you make a mistake?"

Eunos gave her a contemptuous look and said coldly.

"A mistake? You're the ones who still don't understand the situation! The front lines are in critical condition this year, so the third-years will graduate alongside the fourth-years... But you're luckier than the fourth-years. All the spots for remaining at the academy have been reserved for you. Tomorrow morning, don't bring your textbooks. Be at the graduation hall by eight sharp. At nine, someone from the Ministry of Internal Affairs will come and have you fill out your assignment preferences."

"You've barely had any practical combat classes. You'd better pray you aren't assigned to the front lines. That place is no joke, especially with how bleak things have been lately."

The Little Devils were all stunned. Lumi, the Terror Demon playing with a nail puller, froze as well. Even Mai Jinli, the Nightmare Demon blowing cool air onto the back of a Fire Demon, puffed out his cheeks like a balloon.

"How could this..." Mia's peach-pink pupils widened in terror, and her fair thighs trembled faintly.

It was the first time Leon had seen her wearing such an expression. Usually, he only saw it on Ige's face.

Perhaps someone in her family knew about the situation on the front lines.

But... was it really that serious?

To be honest, while most of the students at Demon Lord Academy avoided the profession of Demon Lord like the plague and attended only to add prestige to their credentials, he had enrolled specifically to become a Demon Lord.

The reason was simple... once he became a Demon Lord, he would be stationed near the surface.

As a human, it was his only chance to return to the surface world.

Leon knew full well that things might not be so simple, but it was at least worth trying.

No matter how dangerous the surface world was... it could not possibly be more dangerous than hell, right?

Here, a Fire Demon's sneeze could accidentally injure him, and Succubi watched him like hungry wolves and tigers.

Leon had already made up his mind. Tomorrow, he would put Demon Lord as his first choice.

As for what kind of Demon King he would be, that was no longer up to this bunch of demons.

Anyway, he would lie low whenever he could. If a little whip or feather duster would do, he would never draw a forty-meter blade. He would do his best not to be seen as a threat by humanity, nor attract the attention of his colleagues in the rear.

He would play tai chi.

He wasn't good at magic, but he was exceptionally skilled at slacking off.

Perhaps because he had been to the battlefield before, Eunos knew exactly what it was like there.

Though he disliked these idle, spoiled young nobles, he ultimately couldn't bear to watch his students march off to their deaths.

He knew very well how demons tortured humans, and he knew even better how humans tortured captured demons.

Looking at the stunned youngsters exchanging glances, he continued shouting in a bull-like roar.

"You have one night to write letters home... you gutless cowards!"

"Class dismissed!"