High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 889: Chapter 237: Quartet in the Night

”Boom, boom...”

The dull rumble of thunder rolled over the forest, leaving quivering echoes in its wake. Pale white lightning followed, cleaving the previously pitch-dark world apart and revealing a stark contrast of black and white.

White lightning, white snow; black forest, black night.

The colors were distinctly separated, yet harmoniously integrated.

Using those fleeting flashes of light, Zheng Qing clearly saw several dark figures standing quietly atop nearby treetops, akin to ghosts in the night, stirring an intense unease from deep within.

”The Fire Spell is ineffective, unable to break through the night curtain suppression effect.”

”The surrounding temperature is too low, the environment does not match, ’Sunrise Ye’ also cannot be activated.”

’Shu’s Reedy Curse Series’ might trigger uncontrollable wildfires, abandon using it,”

”’Sunrise Ye’ can only be sustained for a very short duration, consumes too much magic power, not recommended as a method to dispel the night curtain.”

Columns of Law Books lit up with a hazy brightness, intermittently spitting out colorful spells, firing them into the black curtain overhead, exploding into brilliant flashes of light.

However, these lights, like the lightning brought by the Thunder Curse, could only last for a very short time, vanishing in a flash.

Zheng Qing stood in the center of the team, together with the other four members of the Absolution, formed a defensive formation, staying quietly in place, listening to the intermittent reports from the teaching assistants surrounding them, filled with worry.

It had been nearly ten minutes since they were enveloped in darkness. If First University had indeed noticed the anomaly here, they surely would have dispatched a senior professor by now. Yet, up to this moment, this makeshift team, which included both the Absolution Hunting Team and the Assistant Team, was still trapped in place, caught between a rock and a hard place.

To advance was to walk into the unknown; to retreat was to wander aimlessly.

”’Birdsong Chirps’ failed, the spell formula is disrupted by an unknown magic power, unable to penetrate the night curtain!”

”’Clearly Visible’ lacks a light source for assistance, unable to investigate the origins and identities of the opponents!”

”’To Guide with Wings’ malfunctioned, unable to correctly indicate direction... Compasses, including other directional magic artifacts, have also failed!”

”’Divination King’ failed, we are likely pulled into some interlayer space by the opponents, losing our divination anchors!”

One bad news after another arrived, the Assistant Team used various methods, not only failing to break the sudden night curtain, but even creating a bit of light in this darkness or finding a direction seemed to be a luxury.

This situation further sank Zheng Qing’s heart. Not just him, even the tone of the few teaching assistants around him when they spoke revealed a hint of unease.

”Neither shaken nor stirred, not harassed nor startled!”

The low and gentle voice of Zhang Yu, the leader of the Assistant Team, resonated in the darkness, a pale green halo suddenly lit up from his Law Book, transforming into a bright ring of light that swept across the entire team.

’Neither terror-stricken nor wavering, neither cowardly nor disturbed’—the effects of this spell were remarkably good, not only calming everyone’s somewhat anxious moods, but also adding effects like ’Tranquility’ and ’Focus,’ invigorating everyone’s spirits.

And Zheng Qing, inspired by this spell, regained his spirits as well.

Then, a spark of inspiration flashed through his mind, and for some reason, he suddenly recalled a scene from a recent rookie contest at the university hunting party—midway through the competition, the Absolution Hunting Team and the Serpent Tail Hunting Team had already set up camp, choosing a small hillock far from the demons for a break. Unexpectedly, the demon horde blocked them outside their Array again.

”Could we be that unlucky...” the young subsidized student muttered, raising his hand and subconsciously touching his eyes.

Similar to that incident at the rookie contest, today, Zheng Qing’s eyes had turned red again. Though unlike last time, this time, Zheng Qing had two red eyes.

”Front and rear teams take turns casting ’Brilliant Thunder Shock’ and ’Cunning Thunder,’ while the middle team releases a ’Cunning Thunder’ every three minutes, ensuring we are always within the protection of the Thunder Curse.”

Zhang Yu’s clear voice rose within the team, calm and confident as if he held a winning card in his hand. It must be said, his composure indeed brought great reassurance to everyone. Moreover, his arrangement was very prudent—as a source of righteous energy, the Thunder Curse had always been a powerful weapon for wizards against the dark, and in the current situation, it couldn’t have been more appropriate.

”Interesting child...”

”Correct response...”

”Wrong resistance...”

”Failed struggle...”

Four eerie voices suddenly emerged from the darkness, shattering the ’assurance’ atmosphere that Zhang Yu had just created—the reason they were eerie was that these voices seemed to be a mix of moaning wind, rustling leaves, and the crunch of feet on snow, not at all like sounds made by normal people.

”Humph, hiding in the shadows, you don’t even dare to speak normally... Are you afraid that the school will settle accounts after the fall, drag you out of your shells, and give you a good beating?!” Hilda said loudly, unapologetically mocking, ”To have the capability to lure us into this interlayer world, yet not even daring to show your faces, if I were you, I would have taken my own life with a block of tofu by now!”

Zheng Qing quietly swallowed his saliva and cautiously glanced at Hilda, fearing that those hidden in the darkness might suddenly attack and drag this temperamental teaching assistant out for a beating.

”No hiding...”

”Not out of fear...”

”For your safety...”

”Please shut up...”

It was still those strange, intermittent voices, echoing as if in a quartet. However, this time the echo was accompanied by a gust of cold wind sweeping across the team, striking Hilda, who stood in the middle of the group.

Then, there was no more sound from Hilda.

This terrifying effect instantly chilled everyone’s hearts.

”Close your eyes...”

”Put away the Law Book in your hands...”

”Lower your heads...”

”We will only take one child...”

The quartet resumed near everyone’s ears, sounding like merely a warning yet also like prompting everyone to make their own choices. The demands were too vague and too presumptuous, and even to Zheng Qing, they felt unacceptable, let alone to the teaching assistants standing on the periphery.

”The moon rises bright...”

”Sharing sweet dreams with you...”

”The glow of the rising moon...”

”For Qing gathers auspiciousness...”

Receiving no response from those present, the quartet showed no signs of anger; instead, it seemed as though they considered everyone’s situation and cast four spells.

Except for the second spell, the other three directly addressed the task of returning light to the world enveloped by darkness.

This contradictory behavior made everyone even more perplexed.