High School of Demon Hunting

51: Chapter 51: Rumors and Nightmares_1

51 -51: Rumors and Nightmares_1

“Attention, please.”

The elegant voice of the flight attendant echoed once again in every corner of the cabin.

“I am the flight attendant in charge of this flight, Su Qijun.

We have encountered an attack by an unidentified dangerous creature during this flight; it has been confirmed that apart from some passengers being frightened, no one was injured.

On behalf of the entire flight crew and Witch Union Moonfall Airline Company, I offer our sincerest apologies.”

“The journey will proceed as normal.

If any passenger feels unwell, or notices any unusual circumstances, please contact our crew immediately.”

“Thank you for your active cooperation with the crew.”

“Thank you!”

In the lingering echo of the cabin’s broadcast, Zheng Qing signed his name on the roll call and then was escorted by Xiao Xiao and Shi Yuan towards the cabin.

The corridor at the entrance of the dining hall was deep and secluded, with rounded, carved doors every few meters, each leading to a different cabin.

At the moment, many curious heads crowded around these carved doors.

Those who hadn’t gone to the dining hall, or those who had returned early after lunch, were peering out, carefully scrutinizing the returning freshers.

The charter was small, and the news of the demon’s appearance on the plane had spread rapidly, with rumors flying around in different shapes and forms.

The ambiguous wording of the flight attendant’s announcement made many people skeptical about these rumors.

At each carved door of each cabin, wizards who claimed to have firsthand information were using their hands and feet to vividly narrate unconventional insider stories.

Some graphically described how the little elves in the dining hall had rioted, how the leading elf had turned into a terrifying creature, a foot tall with its mouth wide open, eating the pets.

In these descriptions, the normally docile creatures were portrayed as resisting wizards’ enslavement, heroically overturning pots and pans, furniture, breaking lamps, tearing curtains, like heroes in epic tales, rebelling against the evil wizards’ tyranny!

Interestingly, many young wizards listened with keen interest, their blood boiling, seemingly not seeing the numerous logical contradictions in this story.

Others solemnly interpreted the flight attendant’s announcement.

For example, the dangerous creature was a demon; the unidentified dangerous creature was an unregistered demon; if someone was frightened, that meant someone got scared and cried, fainted, or even lost control over their magic power; when it was stated that no students were harmed, it implied non-students could be hurt, they analyzed Su Qijun’s tone, pauses, emphasis, and referred to possible abnormalities in expression.

Admittedly, these announcement analyzers had more reliable conclusions compared to the elves riot theory.

Others spoke mysteriously, whispering to their companions that the demon on the plane had not escaped but had infiltrated the freshers, with the highest chance of replacing those returning from the dining hall.

The flight attendant’s call for vigilance against abnormal circumstances was not to scare the snake in the grass but to catch the turtle in the jar.

This theory caused a scrutinizing glint to appear in the eyes of the curious onlookers at the doorway.

Zhang Ji Xin and Liu Fei Fei were in different cabins.

Due to the scrutinizing gazes, the group didn’t continue to move forward together and parted ways at the entrance of the dining hall, agreeing to regroup once they reached the school.

Li Meng, cradling her three little pets, walked at the front.

She held her head high and chest out, her small leather shoes making a thudding sound with each step.

Everywhere she turned, she had a triumphant air about her.

But what infuriated her was that not a single freshman inquired about the incident in the dining hall.

Most of the curious eyes were on Zheng Qing, who needed assistance walking.

These banal freshmen sized him up, whispering amongst themselves, carefully speculating whether Zheng Qing had been injured in the fight with the demon.

Zheng Qing’s face turned red.

He hated being in the spotlight.

It felt like a monkey show.

He wished his headache would intensify, even to the point of making him completely pass out, just to avoid these rude stares.

Unlike him, some new students took this attention as a stage to show off.

“I felt that the flight attendant with red eyes was problematic!” In the corridor, a boy spoke excitedly to his companion: “If I weren’t worried about being accused of discrimination, I would throw my Black Donkey’s Hoof at her.”

With that, the boy lifted up a small withered black object hanging from his chest, earnestly demonstrating to his friends how to subdue a demon with a Black Donkey’s Hoof.

The new students around him listened with keen interest.

Zheng Qing rolled his eyes, trying his best to block out this offending scene.

He found the boy quite embarrassing.

Only those who have truly stood in the presence of a demon can understand what courage means.

It wasn’t until they all returned to their seats that the surrounding scrutinising eyes gradually dispersed.

“Are you really okay?” The little monk set Zheng Qing down in his seat, asking worriedly.

“Uh, it’s nothing, I’ll be okay after a bit of rest.” Zheng Qing bore the throbbing headache, sounding muddled as he responded, simultaneously adjusting his seat to a reclining position.

Right across the little monk, a beautiful woman with wavy wine-red hair was still sleeping soundly with her eye mask on.

A sense of inexplicable disappointment welled up in Zheng Qing’s heart.

“It seems the earlier shock triggered some kind of symptom in him.

From what he said, it’s an old ailment.

Usually, it’s safer to follow his lead in situations like these.” Xiao Xiao was murmuring to Blue Bird, explaining what had happened at the restaurant.

Li Meng leaned in, squeezing in next to them, whispering additions and arguing about something.

Zheng Qing couldn’t hear clearly, nor did he want to.

He curled up in the large seat, feeling his brain submerged in a foggy, dazed state.

Befor long, he sank into the world of dreams.

…

The back-and-forth swaying, the alternating near and far scenes gave a feeling of weightlessness.

He stretched his neck, straining to see why he was swaying back and forth.

A pair of wooden eyes, devoid of expression, appeared in his field of vision.

Then, a stiff neck followed.

Ridgid legs.

Then, two creaking rocking boards.

He had an epiphany.

So, he was on a wooden horse.

A dog’s barks resounded from afar, approaching closer and closer.

He turned his head back.

A large wolf-dog was salivating, its eyes blood-red as it chased behind the wooden horse.

The dog, with a thorny collar around its neck and matted fur stained with blood and dust, looked disgustingly dirty.

As it opened its mouth wide, its yellowish fangs were on full display, murky saliva seeping from between its teeth, dripping onto the muddy ground.

He mustn’t be bitten.

Determined, he kicked the horse’s belly hard.

Run!

He yelled out loudly.

The barks receded further and further.

He looked back, the large wolf-dog was nowhere to be seen, only the deepening dusk filled his vision.

The sunset painted the sky with scattered fiery clouds far away, rolling in like the tide.

The burning clouds drew closer, their colors deepening.

Until they became as deep as blood.

From beyond the clouds, seemed to echo the lonely howl of the dog.

The blood-red fiery clouds rampaged over the wooden horse, like a tidal wave crashing onto the sandy beach, swallowing everything in its path.

…

Li Meng was chattering excitedly to Blue Bird, detailing the incident at the restaurant.

Zheng Qing, who was asleep nearby, suddenly lurched forward, startling her.

“What’s your problem!” The young girl glared irritatedly at Zheng Qing.

Zheng Qing mumbled something, then turned over and went back to sleep.

Li Meng looked at Xiao Xiao, perplexed.

A nightmare?” Xiao Xiao shook his head, picked up his pen, and started to scribble something in his seemingly never-ending note book.