The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 81

Everyone gasped.

The Glutton Demon standing in the dueling arena reacted similarly.

Naturally.

At this moment, everyone regarded me as the King of Contrary Heaven.

“Y-You’re challenging me? No, you mean to say you will?”

The Glutton Demon stammered.

“Yes, is there a problem?”

“!!”

The Glutton Demon hesitated.

Though unseen due to the mask, his face inside must have turned pale.

Of course, I was just as pale behind my mask.

‘Ugh. Please, let this go according to plan.’

Close to the upper Lv. 7s.

A powerhouse several levels above the Puppeteer or Duchess Vess.

Merely the breath of the Glutton Demon could send me flying like a fly caught in a storm.

However, the Glutton Demon could do nothing, not even growl.

It was all thanks to the mask of the King of Contrary Heaven that I was wearing.

“H-How can this be?! For a being as exalted as you to participate in such a quarrel?!”

[Hehe, our Dark Auction does not restrict participation in events.]

The jester chuckled as if amused.

In truth, the Dark Auction knew I was impersonating but chose to overlook it for the sake of ‘entertainment’.

[Do not be afraid of your opponent! The demon we serve is fair, so no matter who you face, you will receive help to achieve victory! Of course, this is only if you offer a worthy sacrifice.]

The Glutton Demon’s eyes wavered.

He was assessing what kind of sacrifice he would have to make to the demon to stand a chance of defeating ‘me’.

…Of course, without any such help, he could easily defeat me with a mere flick of his finger,

‘But this is where it gets crucial.’

I stepped onto the stage.

With graceful and distinguished steps.

Leisurely, and slowly.

Everyone watched my approach, swallowing hard, and I spoke in a relaxed tone.

“Think carefully. Offering a trivial sacrifice will mean nothing. If you wish to even touch the hem of my garment, you must offer what is most precious to you.”

“!!”

It was the soul.

Without such a sacrifice, the Glutton Demon had no chance of defeating the ‘King of Contrary Heaven’.

However, the Glutton Demon couldn’t make that choice easily.

‘One cannot easily part with their soul.’

Moreover,

‘Offering one’s soul doesn’t necessarily mean a higher chance of victory.’

Lv. 8, the pinnacle, a transcendent being.

A being that surpassed humanity and reached the heavens below.

That was the realm of the King of Contrary Heaven.

Indeed, as I just mentioned, causing even the slightest harm to my robe would be considered a victory.

…Of course, it was all an act.

“…Will you make a deal with me?”

“A deal?”

“I-I will give you all my wealth! Please, let me go!”

A crucial moment.

I couldn’t accept his offer.

I summoned all my might to channel the Dark Flame Dragon.

Even I was chilled by the voice that emerged.

“Why should I bother with a deal? I could simply kill you and take everything that’s yours.”

“!!”

I recalled the countless deals from my days as a sales king.

Even when someone begs out of desperation, their thoughts often change once the deal is made.

The Glutton Demon, upon having his offer accepted, was likely to feel aggrieved.

There was only one way.

He had to think that escaping with his life was fortunate enough.

“Above all, I wouldn’t want to miss the pleasure of this rare entertainment. Killing you would be a delightful diversion for me as well. Whether you sell your soul to the demon or whatever means you employ, do try your best to amuse me.”

With a casual flick of my finger, a star was drawn.

A simple first-level star.

Yet, it was a star imbued with deeper and more profound significance than any other.

Only a being of the King of Contrary Heaven’s caliber could draw such a star.

It was as if to say, “Someone like you could be dealt with even by such a low-tier star.”

And then,

   

It was nearly imperceptible, so faint it was, but that subtlety made it even more effective.

Everyone in the room swallowed hard,

‘Please let this work. God.’

My heart was racing madly.

And then,

“…I will hand over the Dark Auction’s Wish Ticket to you. Please, just spare my life.”

Thud.

The Glutton Demon knelt and begged for his life.

‘It worked!’

Of course, I didn’t forget the final touch.

“What a disappointment. Very well. Get lost.”

“Th-Thank you.”

The Glutton Demon staggered down from the stage, and I stood at the center.

[The final winner is the one with the rabbit mask! What wish do you desire from our Dark Auction? Just say the word! If it’s within our power, we will grant it!]

Within our power.

It was a curious caveat.

They often used excuses not to fulfill a request, so it had to be utilized wisely.

“Expel demons from this island.”

[…Pardon?]

“Starting now, for exactly one hour. Let no demon interfere in the affairs of this island. And for that hour, if any accidents happen, do not hold anyone accountable.”

The sudden request silenced the hall.

But only for a moment.

Realizing the ‘meaning’ of my request, the jester stuttered.

[A-Are you serious? But then, we wouldn’t be able to fulfill our duties for the Dark Auction…]

As mentioned before, all the sorcerers hosting this Dark Auction were demon contractors.

If the power of demons recedes, they would be helpless for an hour.

“What does it matter?”

[!!]

“Even if the participants were to cause trouble and exploit the moment of your weakness, it’s your fault, not theirs, isn’t it?”

[That’s true.]

The jester swallowed hard and communicated with someone through a messaging spell.

It seemed like the jester was consulting a higher authority.

‘They won’t refuse.’

Simply put, this auction was for the amusement of demons.

My suggestion was precisely the kind of content that demons would revel in.

[Just one question. Why would you wish for such a thing?]

I couldn’t say it was to steal the Gray Ritual Tome, so instead, I gave a provocative answer.

“Because it seems fun.”

[!!]

“Aren’t you curious? What would this place turn into once order disappears?”

Most of those gathered here were horrendous villains.

Individuals who wouldn’t hesitate to commit any atrocity for their own greed.

Currently restrained by the Dark Tower’s power, but what if that order vanished?

The outcome was obvious.

[Haha! Understood! We will grant your wish! For the next hour, no demonic power will interfere on this island. If any problems arise due to participants breaking the rules, our Dark Tower will not take any responsibility.]

The jester announced as if proclaiming a festival, and the next moment,

The participants briefly looked at each other, and then,

Splaat!

Blood was splattered.

The beginning of chaos ensued.

 

*    *    *

 

The island turned into a hellish landscape in an instant.

The villains who attended the Dark Auction, blinded by greed for treasures, began to kill each other on sight.

‘After all, they were all horrendous villains to begin with. It’s beneficial for the world if even one less of them exists.’

Where else would their astronomical wealth come from if not for indescribably hideous acts of evil?

‘Of course, not everyone here is vile, but those who aren’t have likely hidden away in the accommodations provided by the Dark Auction, so they’ll be safe for an hour or so.’

That was why I set a time limit of one hour.

To limit the damage to the villains killing each other.

‘I can’t afford to stand by idly. I need to make my move.’

I parted ways with Duchess Beth.

I’ve set the stage; obtaining the desired treasure was up to her ability.

‘As for the Massacrist Mage, the Slaughterer… she’s already disappeared.’

I scanned the banquet hall, but she was nowhere to be found.

To her, murder is akin to a gourmet experience.

She wouldn’t fancy rolling in such chaos.

‘It’s not as if there aren’t plenty of ‘prey’ for her outside of those villains.’

I began to move.

No one dared to block my path.

Instead, those who were on the path I was heading towards moved out of the way in fear.

Leaving the banquet hall far behind, I headed deeper into the island.

Passing through the quiet path, a starkly desolate building emerged, a contrast to the opulent banquet hall.

It was the headquarters of the Dark Auction.

‘It’s quiet.’

The building, already exuding a gloomy and eerie aura, was unnaturally silent.

There was no sign of life.

The reason became clear soon enough.

“!!”

Upon entering, the stench of blood assaulted my nostrils.

The floor was drenched red with the blood of corpses littered around.

‘The work of the Massacrist Mage.’

Sylphin’s class is that of an alchemist.

More precisely, an Alchemist Mage.

She wields a combination of magic and alchemy.

Using drugs and tools, she wields a formidable power from the beginning.

Of course, even so, it was so peculiar that the Dark Auction’s dark mages were utterly defenseless against her.

‘They were caught off guard. They never imagined, even in their wildest dreams, that anyone, no matter how insane, would attack the Dark Auction. Especially now, they can’t use the power bestowed upon them by demons. Their strength is significantly weakened compared to normal.’

It was a vulnerability of demon contractors.

‘But this is extreme.’

I kept walking past more and more corpses.

Not a single one was left alive.

This was the most horrifying scene I had seen since entering this world.

‘…Though they’re better off dead.’

Not all of the Dark Auction’s dark mages were deserving of death.

There were those who purely revered dark magic.

But the ones running this Dark Auction weren’t among them.

They were the scum who performed human sacrifices as a matter of course.

‘Just like the villains in the banquet hall earlier, if it were possible to arrest them all, they would at least deserve burning at the stake.’

Shaking my head, I moved forward.

Passing through the labyrinthine corridors and heading upstairs, noises began to be heard.

I was getting closer to the Massacrist Mage.

Eventually,

[Aaaaah!! What is this madness?! How dare you, against our Dark Tower?!]

The jester mask screamed in agony.

Gone was the jester’s earlier composure, now completely battered.

In front of him stood Sylphin, smiling serenely.

Her smile was grotesquely beautiful, fitting for someone from the Gem Clan.

“Hehe, has my master arrived? Ah, the moonlight is so bright tonight. It’s a pleasant night.”

[Van Ecclesia, do you wish to die?! I turned a blind eye to you pretending to be the King of Contrary Heaven, but to dare do this!]

I shook my head.

“This was not my intention.”

[What? What nonsense is that?!]

“It’s true. Sylphin, stop right now and come to me.”

With a flick, I activated the slave mark that the Dark Auction had engraved on her, but,

“Hehe, I don’t want to. Meh~.”

“See? This child does not obey me. Rather, I should be claiming damages from you for selling a defective slave.”

The jester mask was at a loss for words.

[Even so, aren’t you afraid of our Dark Tower?! If you don’t want to die miserably and fall into Gehenna, stop this slave right now…!]

“Didn’t you promise not to hold anyone accountable for whatever happens within an hour? The ‘Wish Ticket’ is a magical contract that you cannot fail to honor.”

[!!]

“Besides, it doesn’t seem like the Dark Tower is such a loyal organization that other groups would go out of their way to avenge the downfall of the ‘Abyss that oversees your auction.”

The jester mask flinched.

It was an internal affair of the Dark Tower unknown to others.

“Sylphin is bored. Can I continue what I was doing, Master?”

The Massacrist Mage playfully swirled a bottle of poison, pretending to be cute.

“I want to quickly finish this guy off and play with Master too.”