Outside the Demon Laboratory.
Dekan closed his eyes, preparing to put on a grand performance.
This would showcase his professional skills as an actor.
Before Dekan could even reach out to push open the laboratory door, it suddenly swung open.
A slender arm shot out from inside, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him in.
For an instant, Dekan felt weightless.
In his captor's hands, he was like a cotton doll.
The next moment, pain shot through his back.
He was pinned against the wall without the slightest chance to resist.
At last, the scene before him came into focus.
The Demon Laboratory looked like a gloomy prison. A thick, bloody stench hung in the air, making it seem like a slaughterhouse without a butcher's knife.
All kinds of strange vessels covered the tables and cabinets. They were marked with bloodstains, and calling them instruments of torture might have been more accurate.
Earlier, in the hallway, Dekan had estimated the Demon Academy's floor area and worked out the patterns in its room layout.
He had also calculated how large the Demon Laboratory ought to be.
But the laboratory before him was smaller than he had estimated.
That meant there had to be a hidden compartment inside. It was probably where Olive kept her secret prison for humans.
He shifted his gaze from the laboratory to the female demon standing before him.
At last, he could see her clearly.
This must be Miss Olive.
She was alluring, with a hint of the sinister about her. A long black gauze dress clung tightly to her figure, accentuating her full curves, while a scorpion tail swayed behind her.
Her eyes were full of amusement and mockery as she stared straight at Dekan. Her mesmerizing pupils seemed intent on sucking out his soul.
But soon, a flicker of surprise appeared in her eyes.
As she met Dekan's gaze, she found not the slightest trace of fear in his eyes.
Dekan made no attempt to struggle, either. He remained calm throughout.
Olive frowned, but before long, the corners of her mouth began to curl upward.
She suppressed her initial urge to enjoy this little demon right away.
Instead, she studied Dekan more closely.
It seemed his unusual attitude and cool eyes had caught her interest.
"Why aren't you afraid?" Olive asked.
"Why should I be?" Dekan replied.
"Your life is in my hands."
"But my life isn't what you want."
"..."
Olive fell silent for a moment.
"Oh? Then tell me, what is it I want?"
Her lips, pink as glossy cherries, parted slightly as a dangerous smile tugged at them.
She continued, "If you guess correctly, I'll do as you say. If you get it wrong, I'll make sure you die in agony~"
"I don't like the smell in here," Dekan replied coolly.
He didn't answer Olive's question directly.
Instead, he said something that left her puzzled.
The laboratory was filled with a heavy perfume to cover up the smell of blood. Mixed together, the scents made Dekan's nose ache.
He had been irritated by it for a while.
Dekan knew the answer to Olive's question, but he absolutely wouldn't give it.
If he guessed wrong, Olive would find him boring and torture him to death.
If he guessed right, the audience might never see him again.
He could always say something else, too.
Olive was already somewhat interested in him.
As long as he could keep her interest, she wouldn't kill him. He could keep drawing her in.
He needed to take control one step at a time.
"You don't like it?"
Olive asked, curious about what Dekan meant.
"Mm. There's too much blood in the smell that shouldn't be there.
"Not just Demon Students, but Demon Teachers, too. And even... humans?
"Teacher Olive, just how far do you indulge your desires?"
Dekan replied distractedly.
Olive's expression changed dramatically. The initial shock gave way to anger, and even a hard-to-conceal murderous intent.
She wouldn't have been surprised just to hear him mention Demon Students.
Teachers slaughtering students was perfectly normal at this school.
But...
How had a student found out that she hunted Demon Teachers and hid humans?
Keeping humans at the school was against the rules. And unless another teacher had committed a serious violation, she wasn't allowed to kill them.
Thinking of the strange events at the school today, she couldn't help wondering—
Could the inspectors really have come from above?
"Who are you, exactly?"
The hand Olive had clamped around Dekan's neck tightened just a little. At last, she stopped hiding the cruelty etched into her very bones.
Yet Dekan showed no sign of panic. Instead, the faintest smile finally appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Heh. I'm just a student passing through. If you want to kill me, then hurry up and do it."
"..."
Olive studied Dekan's face, lost in thought.
Her first reaction was that he was trying to goad her into breaking the rules.
She really couldn't afford to act recklessly.
After a moment's silence, Olive abandoned her tense stance and let go of Dekan's neck. Her hand moved gently upward, caressing his face.
"Keep playing dumb, and you really will die, boy.
"I have ways to kill you without breaking the rules, too.
"Or, if you're up to something, I can still kill you before I die."
As she spoke, her scorpion tail pressed firmly against Dekan's lower abdomen.
Olive looked gentle and sweet, but her murderous intent might have been stronger now than at any point before.
Dekan could feel the sharp, icy scorpion tail, its deadly poison ready to pierce his flesh at any moment.
The good news was that Olive had mistaken Dekan for an inspector.
She no longer coveted his body or his life and was willing to play by the rules.
The bad news was that Olive had mistaken Dekan for an inspector.
She was now intensely wary of him.
If things went wrong and triggered her killing instincts, Dekan's Mutual Destruction Technique could work, but it would be risky.
He would have to get the timing right, equip the Cursed Doll (2x pain rebound), and summon the Ruined Poet (10x pain sensitivity). Combined with the Crown of Thorns he already had equipped (3x pain sensitivity, prevents death), that would give him sixtyfold pain feedback.
The poison was another problem.
Dekan hated enemies who used poison more than anything.
They were all despicable, underhanded scoundrels.
Luckily, he was a benevolent healer who had mastered antidotes.
But unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't let things get that far with Olive.
After all, the Mutual Destruction Technique could only be used once a month, and it hurt like hell.
Dekan lowered his head and stayed silent.
His fingers trembled slightly.
He looked as though he was trying hard to control himself, but he couldn't stop the trembling from growing worse.
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