The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 81

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 81
Everyone held their breath.
The Gluttony Demon standing in the Duel Arena reacted the same way.
It was inevitable.
After all, everyone was currently regarding me as the Heavenly Demon King.
“Y-you’re challenging me? Or rather… are you saying you will challenge me?”
The Gluttony Demon stammered.
“That’s right. Is there a problem?”
!!
The Gluttony Demon faltered.
Though hidden by the mask, the face beneath would surely be draining of color.
Of course, behind my own mask, my face had gone just as pale.
‘Please, let the plan work.’
Level 7 Advanced.
A supreme powerhouse several ranks above Puppet or Duchess Bes.
A single breath from the Gluttony Demon would send someone like me flying like a fly caught in a tempest.
Yet the Gluttony Demon could neither exhale nor even snarl.
All thanks to the mask of the Heavenly Demon King I wore.
“H-how is this possible?! For a being as great as yourself to participate in such a contest?!”
[Hehe, the Dark Auction places no restrictions on event participation.]
The Jester giggled with obvious amusement.
In truth, the Dark Auction knew I was half-human, but they were turning a blind eye for the sake of “entertainment.”
[Have no fear, regardless of your opponent! The demons we serve are fair, and will grant you aid to achieve victory, no matter who you face—though naturally, such aid comes at a corresponding price.]
The Gluttony Demon’s eyes wavered.
It was calculating what price it would need to pay the demon to gain victory over “me.”
…Of course, even without any such aid, a single flick could defeat me,
‘But this is where it matters.’
I ascended the platform.
With elegant, refined steps.
Leisurely and slow.
Everyone swallowed hard, watching my display, and I spoke in a languid tone.
“Think carefully. You should know by now that offering some paltry price is utterly meaningless. If you so much as wish to brush the hem of my robe, you’ll need to offer up the thing most precious to you.”
!!
The soul.
Without that, the Gluttony Demon had absolutely no chance of victory against the “Heavenly Demon King.”
Yet the Gluttony Demon could not choose easily.
‘One’s soul is not something given up lightly.’
Moreover,
‘Even if one offers their soul, the odds of winning are not high.’
Level 8 End, Seeker.
A being that touched the heavens at the summit of transcendence over humanity.
That was the realm of the Heavenly Demon King.
By my own words just now, even damaging the hem of a robe would count as a successful defense.
…Of course, it was all performance.
“…W-would you not consider a deal instead?”
“A deal?”
“I-I will give you all my wealth! Please, just this once, withdraw from the contest!”
A critical moment.
I must not accept the offer here.
I poured every ounce of my power into channeling the Black Flame Dragon.
A voice so chilling it unsettled even me poured forth.
“Why would I bother with deals? I need only kill you and take everything for myself.”
!!
I recalled the countless transactions from my days as a business king.
Even when someone begged desperately, the moment a deal was struck, hearts often changed.
The Gluttony Demon would likely experience a surge of resentment the instant I accepted its offer.
There was only one method.
I had to make it believe that merely escaping with its life would be a blessing.
“Besides, it’s been so long since such entertainment came my way. Killing you would be a delightful pastime for me as well. So by all means—whether you sell your soul to demons or find whatever means you can—do your utmost to bring me joy.”
A roaring flame burst forth.
I flicked my finger idly, and a star was drawn.
A simple 1-Star Grade star.
Yet it was a star imbued with meaning deeper and more profound than any other.
Only a being of the caliber of the Heavenly Demon King could draw such a thing.
A gesture that said: even a lowly star like this could handle the likes of you.
And then,
-Ascension Grade manifesting! (Incomplete, faint.)
It was so faint as to be nearly imperceptible, but like playing it cool, the effect was all the better for it.
Everyone in the arena swallowed hard,
‘Please let this work. God.’
Thump. Thump.
My heart raced as though it might burst from my chest.
Then, at last.
“…I will hand over to you the Dark Auction Wish Voucher. Please, just spare my life.”
Thud.
The Gluttony Demon collapsed to his knees, begging me for his life.
‘Done!’
Of course, I didn’t forget to tie up loose ends.
“How tedious it’s become. Very well. Off you go—quietly.”
“Y-yes, thank you.”
The Gluttony Demon staggered down from the platform, and I stood at the center.
[The final champion is the Rabbit Mask! What wish would you desire from our Dark Auction? Simply name it! We will grant anything within our power!]
Within our power.
A curious caveat.
They often feigned inability to fulfill requests, so I had to choose my words carefully.
“The expulsion of all demons from this island.”
[…Pardon?]
“For exactly one hour from now. No demon shall interfere in any matter on this island. And during that hour, no liability shall be assigned for any incident that occurs.”
At this unexpected demand, the arena fell silent.
But only briefly.
The Jester, grasping the ‘meaning’ behind my request, stammered.
[Do you truly mean this? But then how could we fulfill our duties as the Dark Auction…?]
As I mentioned earlier, the Black Magicians who run this Dark Auction are all Demon Contractors.
When demonic power withdraws, they become powerless for that hour.
“What does it matter?”
[!!]
“If the participants seize the moment of your helplessness and cause trouble, that’s their fault, not your responsibility, is it not?”
[Well, that is true.]
The Jester swallowed and communicated with someone through Message Magic.
Consulting with a superior, it seemed.
‘They won’t refuse.’
The reason was simple.
As I’ve said many times, this auction exists for demonic amusement.
My proposal was precisely what any demon would most delight in.
[If I may ask one thing: why did you wish for such a thing?]
I couldn’t say it was to make off with the Gray Grimoire.
Instead, I gave an answer that would provoke everyone.
“Because it sounds entertaining.”
[!!]
“Aren’t you curious? What kind of spectacle would this place become if forced order simply vanished?”
Most who had gathered here were terrible villains.
People who would commit any atrocity for the sake of their own desires.
For now, they restrained themselves because of the Dark Abyss Tower, but if that order disappeared—
What would happen was obvious.
[Haha! I understand! I shall grant your wish! For the next hour, no demonic power shall interfere on this island. Should participants breach the rules among themselves and create problems, the Dark Abyss Tower will bear no responsibility whatsoever.]
The Jester cried out as if proclaiming a festival, and in that very next instant,
The participants glanced at one another briefly,
Splash!
Blood sprayed into the air.
The pandemonium had begun.
* * *
The island became a hell in an instant.
The villains who had gathered at the Dark Auction, their eyes wild with greed, began slaughtering one another indiscriminately.
‘They’re all wicked creatures anyway. If even one more of them disappears in this chaos, the world’s better for it.’
Where else could they have amassed such astronomical wealth?
Every coin came from atrocities too vile to name.
‘Of course, there are decent people among them, but those are hiding in the shelters provided by the Dark Auction. They’ll be safe for an hour or so.’
That was why I’d set the time limit to an hour.
So the bloodshed would remain confined to the wicked killing one another.
‘I can’t afford to sit idle. I need to move as well.’
Bes and I had parted ways.
I’d laid the groundwork; whether she obtained her treasure depended on her own capability.
‘Silvain… she’s already gone.’
I checked the Banquet Hall, but she wasn’t there.
For her, killing was as natural as savoring a fine meal.
Rolling about in such chaos wasn’t to her taste.
‘Though she has plenty of prey to hunt, even without these villains.’
I moved forward.
No one blocked my path.
Rather, those who stood in my way instinctively parted, fear gripping them.
I left the Banquet Hall entirely and headed deep into the island.
Following the quiet path, a stark, austere structure appeared—a contrast to the opulent hall behind me.
The Dark Auction Headquarters.
‘How quiet it is.’
The building, already suffused with an ashen, eerie atmosphere, was unnaturally silent.
Not a sound of life stirred within.
The reason was simple.
!!!
As I opened the door, the stench of blood struck my nostrils like a blade.
Corpses—now little more than pools of gore—stained the floor a deep crimson.
‘Silvain’s work.’
Silvain’s class was that of an alchemist.
More precisely, an Alchemist Magician.
She wielded combined powers of Magic and Alchemy.
With drugs and tools at her disposal, she commanded formidable strength from the outset.
Yet even so, it was strange to see the Dark Auction’s Black Mages fall so helplessly.
‘They were caught off guard. Even a madman wouldn’t have imagined attacking the Dark Auction itself, especially when these contractors can’t draw upon the demonic power granted to them. They’re far weaker than usual.’
It was the weakness of Demon Contractors.
‘Still, this is brutal.’
No matter how far I walked, there were only corpses.
Not a single one left alive.
The most horrific sight I’d witnessed since arriving in this world.
‘…They were scum who deserved to disappear, all of them.’
Not all the Black Mages of the Dark Abyss Tower were deserving of death.
Some genuinely revered Black Magic for its own sake.
But these—the ones running the Dark Auction—were not among them.
They were depraved creatures, trafficking in human sacrifice as a matter of course.
‘Those villains in the Banquet Hall, them too—if I could bring them to trial, they’d all face at least execution by flame.’
I shook my head and pressed on.
After navigating the maze of corridors and climbing to the upper level, sounds began to reach my ears.
I was drawing near to Silvain.
Then—
[Ahhhhh! What is the meaning of this?! How dare you assault the Dark Abyss Tower!]
The Jester was screaming, his mask distorting with rage.
All composure had vanished; his body was a ruin of wounds.
Before him stood Silvain, smiling with terrible composure.
It was the smile of a Jewel Clan member—so devastatingly beautiful it became grotesque.
“Ahh, so you’ve arrived, master. The moonlight is so bright tonight, isn’t it? Such a pleasant evening.”
[Van Ecclesia, do you want to die?! I overlooked your pretense at the Heavenly Demon King, but how dare you attempt such a thing!]
I shook my head.
“This wasn’t my intention.”
[What? What nonsense is that?!]
“I’m serious. Silvain, stop this instant and come to me.”
Whoosh!
He invoked the Slave Seal that had been inscribed upon her at the Dark Auction, but—
“Hehe, don’t wanna? Nope~.”
“You see? This girl won’t obey my orders. In fact, I should be filing a claim for damages against you. Selling defective merchandise like this.”
The Jester’s mask went rigid.
[Y-you’re not afraid of the Dark Abyss Tower?! If you don’t want to die a gruesome death and fall into the Inferno, stop this slave right now—!]
“Didn’t you promise that I wouldn’t be held responsible for whatever happens over the next hour? The Wish Voucher is a magical contract—you can’t break it.”
[!!]
“Besides, it doesn’t seem like the Dark Abyss Tower is the kind of organization overflowing with loyalty—where other factions would rush to exact revenge just because the Abyss Faction, which oversees your auction, collapsed.”
The Jester flinched.
It was a secret within the Dark Abyss Tower that no one else knew.
“Silvain’s bored. Can I keep going, Master?”
The Slaughter Demon rattled the glass bottle of poison and wheedled cutely.
“I wanna kill this guy quick and play with you too, Master.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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