High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 103: Chapter 27: Impossible Task_1

Beyond the neatly arranged file cabinets, a crowded world appears before everyone.

In one corner of the room, a black marble floor-standing clock is placed, its silver-white dial is engraved with elegant, floral runes. Its charcoal-colored pendulum swings leisurely, making ’tick-tock’ sounds.

In front of the grand clock is a large spherical instrument. The sphere is painted with celestial patterns. Upon the sturdy brass base, four red-lit, dragon-shaped beasts stretch their claws, pushing the central sphere to rotate slowly.

On the opposite side of the room, a wooden window is tightly closed; the silver-grey curtains are bound tight on either side of the window. Through the dim sky outside, one can make out the pitch-black, undulating canopies of the Silent Forest in the distance.

A few pots of short-leaf Clivias and daffodils are placed on the windowsill. Perhaps due to neglect, these potted plants have wide dust-covered leaves, making them appear rather grey and dull.

Below the windowsill, along the low wall, a row of cartons are piled up, filled with miscellaneous items. On top of the items, a few brightly-colored red ’Do Not Touch’ warning signs are placed.

In the very center of the room is a gigantic desk. It occupies most of the space in this world. A stack of documents lays haphazardly on the desk. Multicolored tags are squared into these documents, promptly inducing dizziness to any onlookers.

At the front of the desk, a bamboo penholder has toppled over, several brushes splayed with their tips casually spewing black ink. A bronze buffalo-like figure of a mere inch-high waves its tail, lowering its head, it licks clean the black ink blot.

A simple bird perch rests on the edge of the desk.

Two parrots are squatting on the perch.

One is the tiger-striped macaw that led Zheng Qing and the others.

The other is a Red-bellied Macaw with two heads.

At the moment, the Red-bellied Macaw is holding a list and shouting loudly:

”Alpha Academy’s request for annual Hunting Ground use plan!”

”A Wesleyan monk from Atlas has a request for independent class separation from the Baptism class!”

”Next week’s duty roster from the patrol department!”

Every time a sentence is shouted, a small blue elf turns over the corresponding document from the pile around it and places it in the center of the table.

When the newcomers squeeze past the mountainous piles of documents to the front of the desk, the Tiger-striped Macaw is sipping fruit juice through a straw. The other head of the Red-bellied Macaw is also holding a straw, quarrelling with the Tiger-striped Macaw over the juice’s source.

”The first floor really should get another administration office!” The Tiger-striped parrot flaps its wings and mumbles, ”The office space that was vacated a few days ago, the ’Fishman Reserve Office’ is still empty. We should make a report and ask to set up a new office.”

”It’s not that simple.” The Red-bellied Macaw drops its straw and complains, ”The vacant office has already been booked. They plan to change the ’Third Administration Office’ to the ’Affairs Coordination Office’ — who knows how many more documents this chaotic change will result in!”

”That’s right! That’s right!” The Macaw reading the list from the other head agrees.

”Don’t stop! Do you still want to get off work tonight!” An annoyed voice interrupts the two birds’ resonance.

The owner of the voice buries his head in the pile of documents. Zheng Qing can only see his messy black hair.

Seeing the newcomers approaching, the Red-bellied Macaw coughs slightly.

From behind the desk, a weary face lifts from the pile of documents.

”Who are you?”

”They’re the newcomers who started fighting before they even enrolled!” The Tiger-striped Macaw explains hurriedly.

”This is Heintz Leman, the duty officer of the First Administration Office for this week, a junior in the Starry Sky Academy.” The Red-bellied Macaw leisurely introduces him to the newcomers.

”Oh! You’re here to receive work duty tasks.” Realization dawns on Heintz’s face. He draws out a stack of documents from the drawer, stands up, and walks in front of the few newcomers: ”It all has been prepared for you.”

He’s tall and well-built, and his blue academy robe fits so tightly that he looks very much like a bodybuilding trainer.

”Nowadays’ newcomers are really something.” The upperclassman flips through the file bag in his hand, and sighs, ”When we first entered the school, we were as obedient as a bunch of young quails, daring not to make a peep. Not like you guys, already throwing punches before your student identity cards even get warmed up! There’s really a generation gap!”

The newcomers nod in agreement, greeting him with smiles on their faces.

”Did you bring your identity cards and penalty notices?”

”Yes, we did.” The few newcomers quickly respond.

Zhang Ji Xin pulls out the crumpled notice and identity card from his pocket.

Heintz held the corner of the notice, giving him a meaningful glance.

Zhang Ji Xin gave a guilty laugh.

Zheng Qing pulled his notice out of a grey cloth bag and smoothed out its creases.

”Are you Lin Guo?” A melodramatic voice echoed in the office.

Zheng Qing lifted his head, Heintz was holding an ID card, closely examining Lin Guo.

Lin Guo clutched his little backpack, nervously nodding his head.

On the backpack, the bad-tempered mouse showed a pleasing smile.

”I’ve only heard about you, but never met you. Today, I finally see the legendary super genius of our batch!” The veteran on duty pat Lin Guo’s shoulder, full of emotion: ”You rarely come to Starry Sky College, a lot of people there want to say hi.”

”They don’t let me go to Starry Sky College,” Lin Guo turned a little green.

Zheng Qing empathized deeply.

With Lin Guo’s skinny figure, he probably wouldn’t last a round of greetings at Starry Sky College.

”Technically, you are their senior!” The veteran on duty had a cheeky smile as he looked at the other newcomers in the office.

”Senior!” Zheng Qing glanced at the slender figure, choking back his tears.

Why is the gap between people so vast?

At the age of twelve, he was scared to the point of wetting his pants at the sight of a ghost, yet Lin Guo had been attending university courses next to the top university for two years.

”You don’t have to call me senior,” Lin Guo fluttered his hands in panic, while the grey mouse on his backpack kept a smug face: ”The two years don’t really count as official enrolment, I am in the same batch as you guys.”

Zheng Qing fell into a sulky silence, this explanation was a brand-new knife in his heart.

Heintz opened the file bag and pulled out several notices:

”Blue Bird, you are to go to Alchemy Lab 114 and find Assistant Gold.” As they were from the same college, this senior also kindly gave him some pointers: ”Assistant Gold is very easy-going. He specializes in weapon enchantment. He must have called for a student from Starry Sky College for forging.”

Zheng Qing imagined the cold-faced Blue Bird swinging a hammer, and couldn’t help but laugh.

”Zhang Ji Xin, go and find Uncle Sistanda in the Hundred Herb Gardens. He will give you tasks.” The senior shook his head, patted the red-faced young man’s shoulder, and consoled: ”You have to be careful in the garden, be careful, be extra careful. Don’t cause any trouble at home.”

Zhang Ji Xin received his penalty notice with a gloomy face.

Zheng Qing maliciously speculated if the school deliberately selected people who could afford to pay for damages in the Hundred Herb Gardens.

”Xiao Xiao, go find Researcher Lin in the Library.”

The boy with the watermelon-shaped head silently nodded, tucking his penalty notice into his notebook.

The senior in the office glanced at the last two penalty notices, rubbed his eyes, and read them carefully again.

”It can’t be!” He murmured, snatching the two pieces of paper and rushing back to the desk to cross-reference with the detailed records.

The office fell into an eerie silence.

Zheng Qing looked at Lin Guo, then at the others.

Xiao Xiao squinted his eyes, lost in thought; Zhang Ji Xin scratched his head, looking perplexed; Blue Bird, on the other hand, was patting Lin Guo’s head consolingly.

”So, the last two parts.” Heintz stood behind his desk, shaking the two slips in his hand: ”I thought there was a mistake when this was issued, but it really is like this!”

”It’s going to be a bit tough for you two.”

He raised his eyelids, scrutinizing the two nervous newcomers.

”Zheng Qing, you and Lin Guo are joining the patrol team, we’ve already arranged a place for you to be stationed, the Night Patrol Team by Bell Lake, and you will be responsible for patrolling from 1 am to 4 am. The time is not fixed, but you need to participate in the patrol once a week.”