Chapter 57: Lance Arrives at the Performance Venue

An immersive concert was underway inside the grand theater music classroom of Purgatory Corridor Academy. At the center of the stage, a demon with blue flames flickering atop his head was singing passionately. His figure stood out sharply under the spotlight. His roaring voice was thunderous and wild, sounding like a bellow rising from the deepest abyss of hell, with every note charged with the raw power of death rock.

The judges wore expressions of intense focus and engagement. Some frowned slightly out of concentration while others closed their eyes to fully absorb the vocalist's performance.

As the lights dimmed and the venue plunged into darkness, the interplay of light and shadow on stage shifted. The vocals exploded through the silence, ushering in the performance's climax. A burst of magical light and fire instantly illuminated the entire stage, prompting students in the back rows to erupt in cheers that echoed throughout the theater.

For a moment, Lance felt as though this Demon Kingdom academy was experimenting with some novel teaching methods. Yet, the more bizarre this was, the more ominous this Difficulty 2 challenge appeared. According to Bakar, this was several times more difficult than the written exam on Demonic Runes & Theory from the Difficulty 1 classroom.

Lance scanned the vast music classroom. The four music instructors were seated in front of the stage and clearly held a high status. Despite that, their magical auras were not particularly strong. In contrast, the teacher standing behind the curtain, who seemed to be the moderator, radiated an ominous surge of mana power.

This presiding teacher was clearly the one in control of the classroom and the enforcer of its rules. His impeccable attire and accessories suggested a faculty rank even higher than that of the dragon demon and owl demon from the previous exam room.

Lance, Hyperion, and Bakar, seated in the audience, soon received the exam guidelines delivered by a winged, black, eyeball-like familiar serving as a teaching assistant. The manual was bound in a brown leather cover.

[Demon Kingdom Music: Final Exam and Public Performance]

[Location: G24 Corridor, Theater Bestowed by the Demon King]

"Another exam?" Lance muttered to himself as he opened the manual.

Bakar mumbled from the side, "With the semester drawing to a close, there are quite a few courses involving final exams lately."

It was his first time being brought into a Difficulty 2 classroom. The moment he stepped inside, he completely lost his nerve.

Walking into just about any classroom could mean stumbling right into an exam. Yet, to pay the mandatory fee due each day, students had to bite the bullet and take the test. Failing to pay meant facing execution. Only students with a substantial surplus of credits could breeze through this exam season with relative ease.

"Well, since I'm already here..." Lance nodded and began reading the guidelines for the class. The manual was thin, and he finished it in a minute or two.

The rules were actually quite simple. Students who arrived at the classroom could freely choose when to take the exam. Basically, they could decide when to step onto the stage and perform a piece of Demon Kingdom music.

Assessment Requirement: Your performance must earn the approval of at least two music instructors. Performances are restricted to a total of 2 minutes. Each guest music instructor has sworn an oath to the Demon King to judge performances strictly and impartially, based on their musical convictions and their specific areas of expertise.

Note: Students may not use any magic while watching performances. During their own time on stage, they may use any magic that enhances the performance. The use of offensive magic to harm music instructors in the audience is strictly prohibited.

Violators will be instantly obliterated by the Demon Eye. Those who fail to meet the requirements will be executed on the spot. Those who do not attempt the exam by the end of the session will also be executed. Those who meet the assessment requirements may leave the exam room when class ends.

In addition, regardless of whether the student performed early or late, leaving before the class ended was not permitted. Students were required to remain as audience members the entire time to provide feedback and basic interaction for the live performances.

This event served not only as a final exam, but also as a public performance for the Demon Kingdom. Therefore, it couldn't afford to lose the lively atmosphere that was so essential to the occasion.

Lance looked up and noticed a massive Demon Eye hovering near the ceiling. It was surveying the entire classroom and transmitting it to other places.

Hyperion finished reading the handbook. She closed it, laid it flat on her lap, and turned to ask Lance, "Lance, are you skilled at musical performances?"

Since he had chosen this classroom, he must have had some confidence in his abilities. As for herself, although she had been schooled in the arts since childhood, she couldn't claim to have mastered them.

"My musical skills are just average, but anything involving art tends to share certain underlying principles," Lance responded with his arms crossed as he gazed thoughtfully at the performance on stage.

Musical proficiency wasn't something built overnight. In the Shadow Realm dimension, unless a mistake was made, there were no truly impossible situations. Therefore, this exam likely wasn't testing the challenger's artistic aptitude alone; there had to be a hidden way to clear it.

Of course, there were times when a challenger with exceptional talent could bypass the mechanics entirely for a speedrun. For example, in the previous Demonic Runes & Theory exam room, if there happened to be an incredible genius who could simply write out the answers, they could naturally stroll right out of the exam hall.

Hyperion nodded. "Then I'll leave it to you."

Since Lance had no specific instructions, her role was simply to protect him should he need assistance. Still, she hadn't expected that he would be so confident about the arts.

"I'm screwed... I'm screwed..." Bakar's face turned pale with fright after reading the contents of the guide.

He now deeply regretted following this Radiant Demon into this Difficulty 2 classroom. Lance looked calm, so perhaps he had a way to pass. Unfortunately, this was a solo performance, so there was no way he could drag Bakar along to success!

Lance patted Bakar on the shoulder. "Calm down for a moment. You're our guide, so I'll make sure you're safe."

Bakar nodded vigorously. This big shot Radiant Demon standing beside him was the only hope he could cling to now.

Lance then turned his attention back to the stage and the four instructors. He didn't yet know just how difficult it would be to gain their approval. Just then, the performance by the student they had seen upon entering the room concluded, and the evaluation phase began.

While waiting for the results, Lance and Hyperion exchanged glances and whispered.

"What do you think?"

"Pretty impressive."

Objectively speaking, they both thought the musical performance they had just witnessed was of an exceptionally high standard. At the very least, this student had earned their approval. However, of the four large chairs facing the stage, only one instructor's expression hinted at satisfaction with the performance. The other three wore faces as grim as iron.

"I think it was alright."

"I don't really approve."

"No good."

"Terrible."

Amid that silent verdict, the presiding teacher raised his hand, displaying a signature cold ruthlessness and resolve. The very next moment, the student bloomed with a spray of blood. His corpse crashed onto the stage, and a pool of wet crimson spread beneath him. The frenzied revelry had been abruptly cut short!