Strongest Existence Becomes Teacher

Chapter 284: Queen Of The Demons

Zane continued walking toward the Demon King’s Castle.

A dried chilling berry disappeared into his mouth as he casually looked around the unfamiliar streets. The capital remained unusually quiet, with only an occasional demon passing by before quickly disappearing indoors.

Then he noticed two figures walking toward him.

Both were demons with dark skin and black hair. They wore friendly smiles as they approached.

"Hello, Mr. Traveller."

Zane smiled back.

"Hello, guys."

He tossed another dried berry into his mouth.

"So..."

"What do you want from me?"

The two demons exchanged a glance before one of them stepped forward.

"You look like a weary traveller, sir."

Zane looked down at himself.

Then at the paper bag in his hand.

Then back at the two demons.

"Buddy..."

He lifted the bag slightly.

"I’m literally walking around happily eating dried berries."

He tilted his head.

"From what angle do I look like a weary traveller?"

The demon’s smile stiffened for a moment before quickly returning.

"Well..."

"You are still a traveller, sir."

"You’ll probably need somewhere to stay."

"And besides..."

He lowered his voice.

"Curfew is almost here."

Zane raised an eyebrow.

"Curfew?"

The second demon nodded.

"Yes."

"There have been rumors for quite some time."

"A monster has been roaming the capital during the evenings."

"It murders people..."

"...and eats them."

His expression became more serious.

"Recently it’s gotten worse."

"It has even started appearing during the daytime."

"I see..."

Zane nodded slowly.

"So that’s why there are barely any people on the streets."

"Exactly."

Both demons smiled again.

"So..."

"Allow us to show you our inn."

For a brief moment, Zane quietly observed the two of them.

Then a faint smile appeared on his face.

"Sure."

"Lead the way."

The two demons happily turned around and began walking.

Zane followed behind them while casually continuing to eat his dried berries.

Before long, they entered a narrow alleyway.

The two demons walked in front while Zane strolled behind them with one hand inside his pocket.

After a few moments, he spoke.

"By the way..."

"I never heard your names."

The demon on the left answered first.

"I’m Drul."

The other smiled.

"And I’m Hans, sir."

The instant the word Hans left his mouth—

A thin white beam pierced through the back of his head.

It emerged cleanly from his forehead.

Hans stood frozen for a second before collapsing onto the ground without a sound.

Behind him, Zane slowly lowered two outstretched fingers.

Silence filled the alley.

Drul stared at his companion’s corpse.

Then at Zane.

His entire face turned pale.

"W-What...?"

"Why did you do that?!"

Zane looked genuinely puzzled.

"It’s one of the basic rules of fantasy."

He shrugged.

"Never trust a Hans."

"They’re always some random villain."

Drul blinked.

"...What?"

Zane pointed toward Hans’ corpse.

"You heard me."

Then he looked back at Drul.

"You were his partner."

"So you’ve probably got some shady business going on too."

For a moment Drul simply stared.

Then his expression twisted with anger.

"You bastard!"

A sinister smile spread across his face.

"I’ll make sure you’re sold to the most aggressive owner I can find."

"Oh."

Zane nodded.

"So you’re a slave trader."

He smiled.

"See?"

"I told you."

"Anyone named Hans can never be a nice person."

He sighed dramatically.

"What a pity."

"Looks like your business ends here."

Before Drul could react—

Zane appeared directly in front of him.

A hand wrapped around his neck.

The demon’s eyes widened in terror.

He tried to struggle.

Tried to scream.

Crack.

His neck snapped instantly.

Zane casually tossed the body aside as though throwing away a bag of garbage.

The alley became silent once more.

Then, without even turning around, Zane spoke.

"Okay..."

"How long were you planning to keep watching?"

A shadow suddenly stirred behind Zane.

Without the slightest sound, a masked figure stepped out from the darkness. The person’s entire body was concealed beneath black clothing, leaving not even a strand of hair visible.

"You have to come with me."

The voice was calm.

"It’s an order from above."

Zane didn’t even bother turning around immediately.

Instead, he calmly tossed another dried chilling berry into his mouth.

Crunch.

"You’ve been observing me from the very beginning, haven’t you?"

The masked figure remained silent.

Zane finally looked back with a small smile.

"Let me guess."

He pointed a berry toward the masked person.

"You want me to come with you because your superior has taken an interest in me."

Silence.

The masked figure gave no response.

Yet the lack of denial was answer enough.

Zane smiled.

"So I was right."

After a brief pause, he casually dusted his hands together.

"Fine."

"Lead the way."

The masked figure turned without another word.

Zane leisurely followed behind, still eating from his paper bag as though this were nothing more than an afternoon stroll.

After walking for a short while, he spoke again.

"Anyway..."

"I can more or less guess your objective."

His eyes shifted toward the masked figure.

"But who exactly is this superior of yours?"

For the first time since appearing, the masked figure answered immediately.

"...The Demon King."

Zane nodded thoughtfully.

"Ah."

"The Demon King."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"I see."

The two continued walking deeper into the capital.

Meanwhile...

Selene slowly opened her eyes.

A dull ache spread through the back of her head as her blurry vision gradually became clear. She instinctively tried to move—

Clink.

The sound of chains echoed through the room.

Her eyes immediately widened.

"My hands..."

Both of her wrists were tightly restrained by heavy black chains attached to the wall behind her. Looking down, she quickly realized the rest of her body wasn’t in much better condition.

"...Damn."

"They took all my rune papers..."

She immediately tried circulating her mana.

The next instant—

Crackle!

"Ahhh!"

A violent electric shock surged through her body, forcing a painful gasp from her lips.

"It’s no use, dear."

A calm feminine voice echoed through the room.

"Those are mana restraints."

"The more mana you try to use..."

"...the more they’ll punish you."

Selene clenched her teeth.

"Who are you?"

She hurriedly looked around the dim underground room.

Old surgical tools.

Shelves filled with bottles.

Strange documents scattered across tables.

Then...

Her eyes stopped.

Her breathing froze.

Against the opposite wall hung a familiar figure.

"...Jax."

His limbs were spread apart and tightly restrained by thick chains. Countless surgical scars covered his body, his chestnut-brown hair had become messy and uneven, pointed ears had replaced his human ones, and two small gray horns protruded from his head.

His left eye...

Its sclera had turned black.

The pupil had become a slit.

He looked painfully thin.

As though he hadn’t eaten properly for months.

Tears immediately welled in Selene’s eyes.

"Jax!"

She desperately pulled against her chains.

"Jax!"

"Wake up!"

"Jax!"

The chains rattled violently.

Yet the boy didn’t move.

Not even a finger.

The same calm voice sounded again.

"Dear..."

"He won’t wake up just because you call his name."

Footsteps echoed across the room.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

A masked demon woman slowly walked toward Selene.

The moment Selene saw her...

Her entire body froze.

"...Aunt Clara?"

Shock filled her face.

Jax’s mother.

The woman who had abandoned him when he was still a child.

The masked woman smiled.

"Hello, little Selly."

Her voice was almost nostalgic.

"That’s what I used to call you whenever you cried, wasn’t it?"

Selene could only stare at her.

"W-Why...?"

Her voice trembled.

"W-Why are you here...?"

Her gaze shifted back toward Jax’s battered body.

Then anger replaced the shock.

"What have you done to Jax?"

Her voice rose.

"What kind of mother experiments on her own son?!"

"You bitch!"

Her chains shook violently as she struggled.

"You won’t live to see another day after what you’ve done to Jax!"

For several seconds...

Clara simply looked at her.

Then she sighed.

"Finished?"

She slowly shook her head.

"I never liked you."

"Not when you were a child..."

"...and certainly not now."

Her tone remained perfectly calm.

"You’re just as annoying as you’ve always been."

She turned toward Jax.

A strange affection filled her gaze.

"You don’t understand the greatness of this."

"This child..."

"I made this child become what he is today."

"He is my masterpiece."

"My greatest experiment."

Selene’s heart sank.

I have around thirty minutes...

I need to waste as much time as possible.

Taking a slow breath, she forced herself to calm down.

"So confident..."

She looked directly at Clara.

"You really think nothing can stop this?"

"What happens when the Demon Royal Family finds out what you’ve been doing?"

Clara chuckled.

Then, without hesitation, she reached up and removed her mask.

A beautiful face was revealed beneath it.

Copper-colored hair, almost identical to Jax’s own, gently fell over her shoulders as she casually brushed it aside.

She looked at Selene.

Not with fear.

Not with concern.

Only confidence.

"Not at all."

A smile slowly spread across her lips.

"Because..."

Her eyes gleamed with ambition.

"...I’m the Queen of the Demons."

Selene’s eyes widened.

The underground room fell silent.