High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1156: Chapter 218: Before Departure

In the depths of the Silent Forest, right before the entrance to the Secret Realm.

Following the clues provided by Fei Rui, the two witches and the Black Cat didn’t spend much time locating the entrance to the Secret Realm, which was marked by two crooked ancient locust trees. At the base of these trees, clusters of Other Shore Flowers bloomed on each side.

The two ancient locust trees stood independently with intertwined branches and leaves. The trunks seemed as if they had been squeezed forcefully, appearing somewhat flattened. Together, they formed a narrow crevice that seemed to lead straight into an underground cavern, so dark that one could not see its end.

However, Zheng Qing clearly knew that the diameter of the two ancient locust trunks was only about a meter, and the gap between them should not appear endless. The only explanation was that this narrow crevice was her target for this trip, the entrance to the Secret Realm.

Standing in the clearing before the entrance, the two individuals and one cat held their final pre-adventure meeting.

Naturally, the meeting was chaired by the leader of this adventure team, Korma.

”This is our first exploration of this Secret Realm, so we need to be extremely careful,” the witch said conservatively, maintaining her typically cautious style. ”Safety first... Under this premise, we have two preliminary goals.”

”One is to confirm the reliability of our clues, including whether the space behind this hollow is indeed the ’Gate to the Secret Realm.’ If it is genuine, we’ll need to set up formations and construct a barrier to ensure smooth entry and exit and prevent any other wizards who might stumble upon it from discovering the ’Gate to the Secret Realm.’”

As she spoke, she looked up at the crevice between the two ancient locust trees and tugged at the hood on her head.

”The second, if time permits, is to briefly survey the Secret Realm, gathering basic information including its size, flora and fauna population and status, establishing basic constants within the Realm, and identifying principal threats.”

”All this work, do you plan to split up once we’re inside?” questioned the Black Cat.

Korma shook his head.

”The aforementioned tasks may not all need to be completed; we can choose to complete parts of them to lay the groundwork for the next exploration. We can decide the specifics once inside.”

”During the exploration, we must always maintain the ’Little Three Talents Formation’ as we move forward. Unauthorized actions are absolutely not permitted.”

”The whole operation will revolve around me as the core. I’ll be in command, and you will have the right to make suggestions.”

”Although it’s just a Secret Realm, theoretically there shouldn’t be entities above the level of registered wizards, but just in case, if we encounter high-risk targets, retreating will be our first option. I will cover the rear; ’No Face’ will exit first.”

The Black Cat nodded repeatedly. In adventures, it’s common for plans to not keep up with changes, and in such times, a flexible yet stable decision-making process is very important. Korma’s arrangements were indeed mature and prudent.

At the end of this small-scale meeting, Korma also detailed arrangements for the potential proceeds from the adventure:

”Our exploration is not primarily aimed at hunting. Without the permission of all members, no unauthorized gathering or hunting allowed. If we encounter demons or other creatures that attack proactively, deterring them is the primary objective.”

”All spoils of the hunt will be kept by ’No Face’ and distributed evenly afterwards... irrespective of contribution.”

’No Face’ was Elena, who lately always wore a white mask when meeting others, hence Korma had given her the nickname ’No Face’. Correspondingly, Korma’s nickname was ’Captain’, and the Black Cat was simply ’Black Cat’—originally she wanted to call it ’Blackie,’ but relented under the Black Cat’s strong objection.

Regarding not dividing the spoils based on contribution, Zheng Qing also felt it was understandable.

This method of distribution would discourage team members from acting on their own to secure loot. Even for wizards, no one does something when there’s no benefit.

”No problem,” Elena nodded.

The Black Cat also tugged at its whiskers, nodding in agreement.

Clarifying the plan and method of spoiling distribution beforehand could minimize entanglements during exploration and conflicts afterward. This was a practical issue every temporary hunting team had to face.

From this aspect, Korma was doing very well.

”Final comprehensive check before entering.”

Korma flipped open his Law book, reminding, ”Law book check... Spell entry effective, Law book status normal, spellcasting effect good.”

”Basic potions check.”

”Amulet check.”

”Talisman check.”

Since the Black Cat didn’t carry any equipment except a Jade Pendant around its neck, it could only squat aside, watching helplessly as its two companions checked their gear.

Until Elena began checking the stack of Talisman papers the Black Cat had sent out not long ago.

”Where did you get these talismans?” the Gypsy witch suddenly asked in a casual tone, ”They seem to work very well.”

While speaking, she immediately pulled out a Binding talisman and threw it towards the edge of the clearing. Dozens of vines burst from thin air, aggressively entangling a nearby Return Soul Poplar tree into a tight bundle.

A hint of pride appeared on the Black Cat’s face. Just as it was about to answer that it had drawn them itself, a sudden realization stopped it, remembering its current guise.

It was just a cat now.

The Black Cat secretly breathed a sigh of relief internally. If it admitted that it had drawn the talismans, the witches could easily guess its identity by being just a bit more observant. What was more critical was, unlike Korma, Elena frequently consulted him about Talisman Studies, and she was very familiar with Zheng Qing’s habits, skills, and the unique aura left on the talisman papers when drawing them.

She definitely had already figured out that these talismans were drawn by Zheng Qing.

Considering this, the Black Cat flattened its ears, calmed its heart, quietly took a breath, and then slowly responded, ”Oh... these talismans, I bought them from a Wandering Wizard. He has a lot of good stuff. You can buy them without a permit.”

Elena frowned slightly, nodding her head gently, and then flipped her wrist to tuck the stack of talisman papers into her chest.

She indeed heard from Zheng Qing about selling talismans at the Wandering Bar. Moreover, her initial familiarity with Zheng Qing started in a Wandering Wizard’s bar. Hence, the Black Cat’s response sounded plausible. At most, it was a coincidence.

Korma’s voice interrupted the witch’s contemplation:

”Report on the results of the check.”

”Check complete, everything is normal,” the Black Cat immediately perked up its ears, responding very formally.

”No problem,” said the Gypsy witch, nodding gently.

Korma’s face showed a satisfied smile, his arm swept towards the crevice, and with no further words:

”Let’s go!”