Survival Guide After Accidentally Kissing a Demon - Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Aside from the cluster of light at Cyril’s fingertips, the surroundings were pitch black, as if swallowed by the gaping maw of a giant beast.

Given the current eerie situation, Beili would have believed it even if someone told her the sky was falling.

However, the thin youth remained sitting quietly behind her, still fast asleep.

Aside from that fleeting, eerie smile, nothing else had happened.

“Why did it turn dark?”

Ignoring Lance’s flippant remark, Beili turned around and asked in a puzzled tone.

Then, her gaze fell upon Susanna, who seemed a bit off.

At some point, Susanna had moved between Cyril and Lance, and she was now hanging her head low.

Her cheeks were flushed bright red.

Her expression seemed happy, yet she also looked as if she were about to cry.

She appeared flustered and lost, but a hint of irrepressible joy flickered in her eyes.

In short, it was complicated.

“…What’s wrong?”

Sensing something was amiss, Beili frowned slightly and asked, “Did something happen?”

“Nothing happened,” Cyril replied in an exceptionally cold tone.

Then, he addressed her previous question:

“The Hunt Feast grounds we are in is a magical space created by consuming a vast amount of Mana; it is not a world that actually exists.”

So that was it. The Hunt Feast grounds were a space similar to a secret realm.

Beili nodded, trying to process the information. “So we won’t see the sun rise or set here. Once the time is up, darkness simply descends, right?”

Cyril’s tone softened as he gave a faint “Mm,” and then he fell silent.

As if to ease the awkward atmosphere, Susanna touched her burning ears and hesitated for a moment before explaining to Sister Bartholomew:

“Based on previous years’ closing Hunt Banquets… when the third night begins, everyone is teleported out of the event grounds because the Mana maintaining the space’s operation runs out.”

So they just had to wait, and they could leave this place once the time was up.

Beili breathed a secret sigh of relief at the news.

Then, a thought occurred to her. Her shoulders stiffened slightly as she asked, “So, is the game between the Hunters and the prey still ongoing?”

After all, both she and Susanna had signed up for this event for that very reason.

Cyril had also participated in the closing Hunt Banquet because of his contract with her and Susanna’s request.

Now that such a major disturbance had occurred, were the event rewards still valid?

Beili was very concerned about this issue.

Cyril remained silent for a while before slowly saying, “Perhaps, if we can all leave this place unscathed.”

Lance’s expression became uncharacteristically serious as he suddenly suggested in a firm tone:

“I think it’s necessary to gather all the students in the Maze. Whether they are playing the role of Hunters or prey, they don’t know what’s happening yet.”

“Will they… believe us?” Susanna asked.

The students acting as prey would surely hide the moment they saw a Hunter.

As for the other Hunters…

After all, to prove that the Defensive Magic Pendants couldn’t teleport them out, they would have to completely destroy the Defensive Shield Layer.

But who would be willing to gamble with their own Defensive Shield Layer?

“Won’t they think… that it’s a lie we made up just to eliminate them?”

Thinking that Prince Cyril and Prince Lance might leave to find the other students, Susanna felt uneasy again.

“There’s no need to go looking for them.”

On the other side, Beili suddenly spoke up after listening to them.

Her red eyes were thoughtful as she explained in a calm voice:

“The Gray Mist is eroding this Maze from the outside in. Staying in that mist for a long time will cause skin burns, so they will eventually head toward the center of the Maze-which is exactly where we are now.”
“You’re right. It won’t be long before other figures appear here,” Cyril said.

Susanna hesitated for a moment, then whispered to Lance, “Prince Lance, actually, when we were first teleported into the Maze, I heard someone say… they were going to kill you…”

Cyril’s lips curled slightly as he nodded in agreement. “I heard it too.”

“What?”

Lance was momentarily stunned.

“Did something like that really happen?”

His mind suddenly flashed back to the mulled wine he had meticulously prepared before the competition began.

The curve of his smile froze. After a moment, he gave a sheepish laugh. “I almost forgot about that. In that case, forget the others-let them fend for themselves!”

Indeed, the camaraderie between the students of Holy Island Academy was as thin as paper and as cold as ice.

When a group of children born with silver spoons in their mouths, accustomed to being the center of their own universes, were forced to live together, the development of deep friendship was a rare and bizarre occurrence.

Besides, these people usually had nothing but insults for him anyway.

“My friend, speaking of which, you’re in this too.”

Lance suddenly turned to Cyril, a smile as warm as a spring breeze gracing his face.

“You know, if they come here and try to lay a hand on me, you’ll have to stand at the front of the line.”

He spoke every word with a smile.

Cyril lowered his head and chanted a string of incantations. After consuming Mana to leave a blazing ball of fire on the grass, he turned and underwent Beast Transformation, shifting into his Black Panther form.

He began to pace slowly, his deep purple gaze scanning the surroundings as if he hadn’t heard a word Lance said.

“Hey, Cyril!”

“You jerk…”

Lance called out in dissatisfaction, grumbling as he followed behind the Black Panther.

***

The magical fireball flickered on the grass, casting an orange-red glow beside the two girls.

The discussion had come to an end for now.

Susanna breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that the two princes would not be leaving the clearing for the time being.

She looked up and suddenly noticed Sister Bartholomew watching her quietly, her expression thoughtful.

“…Sister Bartholomew, what is it?” Susanna asked hesitantly.

“Susanna, after everything that’s happened, have you thought about how we’re supposed to win this closing Hunt Banquet?”

Sister Bartholomew met her gaze and continued emotionlessly, “After all, the situation has become extremely chaotic.”

Susanna’s heart tightened; she hadn’t considered that question yet.

She had placed all her hopes on Prince Cyril.

Furthermore, she felt that Duke Constance wouldn’t truly force her to leave Holy Island Academy.

What else could she do…

Was she supposed to speak up now and beg her sister not to fight her for the Academy spot?

“I… I don’t know, Sister Bartholomew. I don’t know,” Susanna said in a low voice, suppressing her emotions as she stood rooted to the spot.

“You should think about it. After all, you know more about Holy Island Academy than I do.”

“Don’t forget that our goals are currently the same: to ensure the prey’s victory.”

Beili’s lips twitched into a friendly smile as she guided the conversation. “Susanna, think about it. Compared to previous years, what’s different about this closing Hunt Banquet?”

“Different…”

Like being called on unexpectedly in a magic class, Susanna bit her lower lip and tried hard to think.

“You can take your time. Tell me when you’ve thought of something.”

Beili’s tone softened, and then she pointed to the three unconscious people behind them. “First, let’s wake them up.”