Don't confiscate my identity as a human race

Purgatory City Pasquale.

In the foundation layer of a dark black suspended building, the magical plant patterns on the carpet changed from time to time, swallowing up the sound of footsteps. Only sparse rays of light flickered on either side, sometimes shining, sometimes extinguishing. The gold patterns laid on the marble tiles surged with brilliance and mystery whenever the light swept across.

Every few steps, portraits and mirrors alternated along the walls.

This was the very heart of Purgatory Corridor Academy, close to the support structure at the base of the corridor building, the Inverted Corridor Mirror.

"Lanci, do you want to get some more sleep?"

Talia's psychic voice echoed in Lanci's ears.

She had returned to Lanci early this morning.

Siegler was still asleep at the lodging arranged for them in the rest area of Purgatory Corridor Academy by Lisandra, while Hyperion had not yet woken up, having been returned to her quarters by the Cat Boss using telekinesis magic.

Only Lanci was up the earliest.

Having slept for less than four hours, he was already preparing for the next day's work.

Talia, on the other hand, was used to getting up early.

She was a bit worried about Lanci and followed him.

For any of Lanci's adventures, as his Life Card, she could stay by his side without hindrance, even to the Shadow World. She, being a soul-bound Magic Card, could also enter.

"It's alright, there's just over five days left in Purgatory Corridor, and I'm afraid there's urgent business. I need to finish the important things before they become pressing matters." Lanci recited the school motto in his mind.

In his coat pocket now nestled a palm-sized grey kitten, and in his hand he carried a multi-tiered lunch box.

Its materials were selected from top-quality cherry wood, with clear natural grains, polished and varnished with traditional Demon World craftsmanship and inscribed with preserving magic. The top cover fit tightly with the body of the box, consisting of four layers, each with a moderate capacity, suitable for separately placing main dishes, sides, and desserts.

Today, he might need to spend most of the day in this central area of the school, too far away from the teaching and rest areas, so Lanci simply brought his lunch from the Demon King's Restaurant in advance.

"Alright then, but you must still take care to rest."

Talia advised.

Right now, she and Lanci were in a state akin to dual souls; his body was also her body. It was very important to take good care of this body.

"Understood, Mother Tata."

Lanci replied tersely, as if dealing with his mother.

Pursuing further exploration into the Shadow World undoubtedly meant following the trail of Task Objective One, to find the gift that Calila had left behind in Purgatory Corridor.

His figure halted in front of a forbidden door.

This was a shortcut to the negative first floor corridor, the door engraved with an ancient Demon Race curse mark prevented ordinary demons from passing through to the Inverted Corridor Mirror.

The Purgatory Corridor Academy was built atop Hell's Territory, directly below it connected to Hell's Land, and the Inverted Corridor Mirror was from the Corridor Academy above, leading to the magic pillar structure of Hell, capable of conveying and absorbing energy from Purgatory, endowing Purgatory Corridor Academy with an inexhaustible source of energy.

Since the Inverted Corridor Mirror connected to the depths of Purgatory was the core of the entire academy, even the successive headmasters were not allowed to enter, only with the highest level of special permission from the Demon King's Castle, could one possibly open the doors to the Inverted Corridor Mirror.

Recently, there had been incidents of faculty and students losing consciousness near the Inverted Corridor Mirror, so its surroundings had been sealed off.

In fact, this was due to Calila's magic power; if one had no resistance against the influence of Fallen Wonderland, it was easy to walk nearby and fall into a deep, unwaking sleep.

Lanci pushed gently, and a rumbling sound echoed through the corridor, a scent of candle fragrance assailing his senses.

Stepping into the grand transitional corridor, towering inverted statues lined the two sides like a dark forest, with silver light instantly coming alive.

Lanci looked down at the grey kitten in his pocket.

Ever since he had received it from Lisandra's hands this morning, it had been completely silent.

Regardless of these demonic languages or the sound of a cat's meow, it did not emit any.

At this moment, Tamisha was also looking around at the scenery of the corridor.

It seemed unaffected by the magic power of Fallen Wonderland as well.

Perhaps sensing the familiar magic of Calila, the grey kitten was even curious about the identity of this place.

As they stepped further into this peculiar corridor, a multitude of sparkling refractive light gratings first caught their eyes.

The four walls, floor, and ceiling were densely inlaid with prisms of varying shapes and sizes, and the temperature dropped several degrees compared to outside.

They were diamond-like, translucent, appearing in shades of milky or pale colors. A slight rainbow frost mist permeated the surrounding air, and the light, refracted and reflected off prisms, diffused into mesmerizing beams.

As they walked forward, with the changing angle of light, the play of light and shadow also flowed and transformed slowly, gathering at times, dispersing at times, and casting upon the smooth stone floor, making them feel as though they were stepping among stars and rivers.

This corridor meandered without end, and niches and recesses appeared intermittently on both sides with clear visual layers. Taking a brief pause to appreciate the marvels of the Inverted Corridor Mirror, they experienced the illusion of an infinitely extended space-time, as if stepping into an alternate spatial dimension.

"This corridor doesn't seem to welcome me; I can't discern the direction."

Lanci stopped, not entirely to admire but because he felt he had gone in a circle.

Both space and time seemed non-existent within the Inverted Corridor Mirror, and getting lost was not a matter of physical disorientation but rather falling into the cycle of the mirror corridor.

Despite being amazed by the masterpiece of the ancient Demon Race master craftsman, Inverted Lord Tiberius, Lanci's current priority was to quickly traverse this span of the Inverted Corridor Mirror to reach the location where Calila's magic was strongest: the legendary Central Energy Room of Purgatory Corridor Academy.