Mira slumped back into her chair with the grace of a dethroned princess. She didn't even bother to glance at Lu Zhuoxing.
For a brief, glorious moment, peace reigned.
Lu Zhuoxing allowed himself a deep, satisfied breath. He knew it wouldn't last, but for now, he'd won a small, vital battle.
Still, he wasn't foolish enough to believe Mira would forget this.
If anything... her silence was more concerning.
She's definitely plotting something, he thought grimly.
But before he could dwell on it further, Professor Mor'Karav slammed a massive tome onto his desk, causing several desks to jump.
"Now, where was I? Ah, yes! The critical importance of psychological warfare among lesser demons! In particular, how to break the spirit of a human without shattering the body too quickly."
Lu Zhuoxing groaned inwardly.
Here we go again...
As the professor launched into an enthusiastic explanation about nerve clusters and fear induction techniques, Lu Zhuoxing leaned back in his seat, allowing his mind to wander just a little.
Fortunately, before his mind could enter another dimension, the recess bell finally rang.
It was as if someone had fired a starter pistol, the lesser demons in the classroom bolted toward the windows, shouting "Mine! Mine!" as they scrambled over each other. Their target was the canteen in the neighboring tower.
Realistically, leaping from a multi-story window would have been nothing short of suicidal in the Living World. However, things were different here. Lesser demons could fly, thanks to the biological traits they were born with — namely, the wings sprouting from their backs. In fact, flight was so commonplace that it was rarer to find a lesser demon without wings. Even the succubus beside him and the incubus seated at his far right bore a pair of wings on their backs.
Glancing at the lesser demons soaring through the air, Lu Zhuoxing felt a hint of envy.
For all his so-called uniqueness as a demon, he lacked the one trait he truly yearned for: wings.
It felt like some grand cosmic joke. Even demons without wings could fly, either through Sorcery or their Innate Abilities. But for him, lacking both, flight was nothing more than a dream.
Across the Orz Continent, whether on the surface or in the underworld, power levels were still measured by the standards of the Fourth Epoch.
From weakest to strongest progression in the Cycle of Destruction: Ninth Order, Eighth Order, Seventh Order, Sixth Order, Fifth Order, Fourth Order, Third Order, Second Order, and First Order.
However, there exists a progression beyond the First Order, a revered progression known as Order Zero. This order represents absoluteness. Those who attain it are considered true gods, as they possess the omnipotent ability to create existence from nothing (0) or make nothing from existence (1).
According to ancient records, no one has surpassed the First Order, which remains the domain of the Demon King, with the sole exception being the creator of the demon race, the Dream God.
For example, the strongest demon at the Demon King Academy was the principal, Osric Necrath, an elder lich of the Second Order and former subordinate of the previous Demon King. For a thousand years, no demon had managed to reach this progression, known as the territory of Fallen Angels, a rank just beneath the realm of Devil.
Most instructors of the Demon King Academy were either around the Sixth Order or Fifth Order.
Lu Zhuoxing himself was a demon of the Ninth Order.
Despite excelling in theoretical knowledge and often ranking among the top in final examinations — In fact, nobody could surpass him in that regard — his magic power remained his greatest limitation and weakness. There was little he could do to compensate for his abysmal magical reserves.
The ranking of a demon was primarily determined by their overall magic power.
In the native demon language, magic power was referred to as "demonic power." This energy can be used by demons to cast sorcery spells or activate their unique abilities. Without saying, It was understandable that demons of noble blood possessed tremendous magical power, far surpassing that of lesser demons.
Of course, the amount of magic power possessed by demon nobles differs from person to person.
He wasn't entirely sure of the criteria used to rank demons overall, but he was certain that demonic power was the key factor. It was the lifeblood of a demon, shaping their potential and influence. A demon's status, their strength, even their future were all bound to this energy. The more demonic power one wielded, the greater their standing and influence in society.
Lu Zhuoxing knew this all too well, but it did little to ease his frustration.
His theoretical brilliance and unmatched intellect, counted for little in a world where magic power was the true measure of worth. He often found himself overlooked and underestimated, not because of his knowledge, but because of his lack of raw magical power.
Simply put, he was looked down upon because he was weak.
It was as simple as that. For this reason, lesser demons were considered the Netherealm's discarded refuse. Unfortunately, Lu Zhuoxing found himself in this category, which made him deeply concerned about his future.
Just because he was weak didn't mean he was without options.
Given the circumstances, he wasn't eager to explore those options. He had no intention of becoming a permanent resident of Hell. Somehow, he had to find a way back to Earth.
'Let's think this through over lunch. After all, it's hard to think clearly on an empty stomach.'
With that thought, Lu Zhuoxing let out a quiet sigh, stood up, and walked out of the lecture hall, unaware of the gaze fixed on his back.
† †
Where was the best place to gather information about Hell?
Naturally, it was the Infernal Library Archive within the Demon King Academy. To learn more about his unique predicament, Lu Zhuoxing frequently visited the Infernal Library, searching for anything related to Transmigration. Without saying, that failed so he focused on spatial transfer or the nature of the Soul.
To begin with, what was the Soul?
It was a question that had occupied Lu Zhuoxing's mind for a while now. In the realm of demons, the Soul was often seen as a mystical, almost sacred entity. It was said to be the very essence of a being's existence, the core of their identity and power. However, the Soul wasn't just a nebulous concept, it had practical applications, especially when it came to sorcery and the manipulation of life and death.
Most demons, and even humans in some cultures, saw the Soul as a vessel for their life force, something that could be harnessed, extracted, or even consumed for power. But there were speculations among hell scholars that the Soul wasn't a singular thing; it was, in fact, divided into aspects, each with its own purpose and influence. Some believed the Soul could be fractured, reshaped, or even transported across different realms. That was where Lu Zhuoxing's interest lay if he could understand the deeper nature of the Soul, perhaps he could find a way to manipulate it and return to Earth.
The problem, however, was that studying the Soul was a complicated, if not dangerous, and potentially fruitless endeavor.
From his research and inquiries, Lu Zhuoxing discovered that the only soul-related magic practiced widely was Necromancy and even that wasn't true soul manipulation. Necromancy, at its core, involved manipulating the residual "body data" of the deceased. Through this, necromancers could raise the dead, but it wasn't the soul itself being controlled, it was merely the remnants of the body's information.
It was like reanimating a puppet by pulling on its strings. The body moved, spoke, and acted, but the essence was absent.
The dead were merely husks, lifeless except for the manipulation of the remaining biological data. Perhaps it was possible to transfer a soul into an inanimate object, like a doll. The concept should follow a similar principle, with the added complexity of dimensional study and transfer.
Lu Zhuoxing frowned as the thought lingered.
This is far more difficult than I anticipated. It's been months, yet it feels like I've made no real progress. At this rate, I might really be stuck here forever.
He sighed inwardly.
Feeling a little down and disappointed, Lu Zhuoxing placed the book titled "The Fundamentals of Necromancy" back on the towering shelf.
Moving through the labyrinthine halls of the Infernal Library, Lu Zhuoxing couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. The sheer magnitude of knowledge contained within these walls was staggering. Books and scrolls lined every shelf, stretching up to the vaulted ceilings, and the faint smell of old parchment filled the air. For a moment, he allowed himself to indulge in the majesty of it all.
No matter how many times he entered the library, he was still amazed. To a first-timer, its vastness would make it seem like an endless expanse, just as it had to him the first time he stepped inside.
Shaking his head, Lu Zhuoxing returned back to his original assignment.
As he walked through the aisles, he swept his eyes over the spines of countless books, each one seemingly more ancient than the last. Most were filled with the dry, mundane technicalities of magic, necromancy, or demonology. Others were dense with theoretical work of dimension and space study, areas where he'd already exhausted his search.
With a sigh, he leaned against one of the towering bookshelves, looking up toward the high arches of the library.
His gaze drifted back down to the floor, and that's when something unusual caught his eye.
What is that...? He thought, narrowing his eyes.
Upon closer inspection, it was a modest, weathered book resting on a shelf and appeared far too ordinary amidst the array of grand, gilded tomes. A small, leather-bound volume with a faded cover and no title etched across its front. Perhaps it was its very plainness that made it stand out like a sore thumb.
Finding something like this in the Infernal Library was extremely rare, even suspicious.
Was this the work of one of those old scholars playing a prank?
Intrigued, he reached out and plucked it from the shelf. The book felt surprisingly light in his hands, almost weightless. Upon closer inspection, it seemed more like a personal diary than an educational tome.
Did someone leave their personal diary in the library while returning a book?
Lu Zhuoxing tilted his head, then frowned in displeasure.
That's quite troublesome. I should probably inform the librarian about this.
He placed the mysterious book alongside the others he intended to borrow, adding a few more volumes on demonology and sorcery to his collection.
After gathering his books, he made his way toward the librarian's desk, situated at the far end of the reception area.