High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1353: Chapter 100 Wizard Discusses Wine

Compared to the Wandering Wizard’s worries, which were merely about the possible arrival of a search warrant from Danghag and the damaged ceiling and windows of the Wandering Bar, the concerns of the Rat Immortal were far more complex.

Its lover was imprisoned deep within the Black Prison.

Its child was lost in a corner of the World in the Mirror.

Year after year, it wasted half of its time locking itself in the laboratory, seeking a cure for its wife, then spent the other half traversing the corners of the World in the Mirror, searching for Juice’s whereabouts.

But to no avail.

Until it learned from an old friend’s channel that a ancient tree in the Black Prison was about to bloom.

This was an opportunity.

The Rat Immortal told itself. The fruit of that ancient tree could not only help him go further on the path of Magic, but the uproar brought by that fruit also gave him a glimpse of dawn for rescuing his wife.

The First University had granted it many favors, yet now it chose to betray the school—such as making deals with the Dark Council and Terri-Duzem—though in its view, its choice was only a disagreement with the school, it believed that in the eyes of Shi Hui or If Foolish, it was betrayal.

A myriad of complex emotions stirred together, causing the Rat Immortal great suffering.

Especially last night, when it had another dream about Juice.

The daughter, screaming and stumbling down a dark corridor, calling out for her mother with tears spilling everywhere. Behind her, a tide-like wave of Mist pursued, with unsettling chewing noises and cackling laughter emanating from within the fog.

After being startled awake, the Rat Immortal put down its work and, risking being caught by Yellow Flowered Cat, headed to the Wandering Bar.

The Wandering Wizard had a self-brewed wine, Time of Flowing Gold, that could make one forget the world’s worries between drunkenness and dreaming, retrieving the most beautiful memories.

It needed those memories now.

They could help it rally once again.

But as it drank, bottle after bottle of Time of Flowing Gold emptied, replaced by the stronger and more robust Amber Light. The beautiful memories were no longer enough to save it from slowly sinking into the quagmire.

It needed a more potent anesthesia.

...

Regarding the Rat Immortal’s suggestion that it could dig a hole to hide, the Wandering Wizard simply put his pointed hat back on, tugged at the brim, and showed his respect.

”You’re a mouse, of course you can do that.”

The owner of the Wandering Bar spoke the uncomfortable truth, with a tone slightly sarcastic: ”But you are also a Wizard... Burying your head in the sand is the way of an ostrich. Besides, a mouse’s brain should be a bit bigger than an ostrich’s.”

The Rat Immortal gulped down its wine, without uttering a word.

After a pause, the Wandering Wizard softened his voice, continuing: ”In this World, accidents always happen. We take off our hats. Observe a few seconds of silence. Then put on our hats, and life goes on...”

”Just like you just did?” Big Mouse finally spoke again, his voice full of mockery.

The Wandering Wizard pretended not to hear the sarcasm in its tone and continued to make chicken soup for the soul: ”I remember a singer, named Xin something, who said, ’Live every day as if it’s your last, and one day your dream will come true’... Not a bad line. But I prefer to interpret this saying from another angle.”

”Many people procrastinate, preferring to put off today’s tasks for tomorrow, the day after, dragging it on and on... So why not delay your current gloomy mood to let it out another day? ’Oh, I just want to work now, I’ll have time to be depressed tomorrow.’ You have more important things to focus on right now, don’t let those bad moods bring you even worse futures. Maybe you can keep delaying that bad mood until the day you enter the grave...”

The Rat Immortal finally put down the bottle.

Staring with its tiny, round eyes, whiskers by its mouth twitched a few times, showing a bit of dissatisfaction: ”People often say, one can finally rest in peace after death... do you want me to not even have peace in the afterlife?”

”We have a good relationship with the God of Death.” The Wandering Wizard winked at it.

”Bullshit.” The Rat Immortal, biting the wine bottle, guzzled a few mouthfuls of alcohol and grumbled: ”Some old guy also claimed he had an affair with the Goddess of Destiny... never saw Destiny favoring him though!”

If that’s not being favored, the Wandering Wizard silently moved his lips, really wanting to argue, but in the end did not open his mouth.

No need to argue with a drunkard.

But the Rat Immortal was in the mood for talking, waving its short arms, the wrinkles on its face seemed to have smoothed out a lot:

”Do you know? Destiny has nothing to do with us!... Life is always full of uncertainties. Like me, born, entered First University to study, got married, had children, stayed to teach, conducted experiments... Life seemed like a rampant rhinoceros, with clear goals, bright futures.”

”Suddenly, the rhinoceros twisted its neck, glancing to the side.”

”The whole world became completely different... I turned into a mouse, no children, no wife, only a newly created clan of mice... Although I could still do experiments as before. But you know, something’s different... Have you ever tried looking up at the sky on your daily route? That fresh perspective...”

Then its bottle was empty.

The mood for conversation abruptly ended.

”Would you like to try a different flavor of alcohol?” Seeing the Rat Immortal weighing the empty bottle, the Wandering Wizard felt some pity for his Amber Light and actively asked: ”What do you want to drink, I can help you find it.”

”I want to drink ’Back to the Past’.”

”Magic can take you back to the past, alcohol can’t.” The Wandering Wizard shook his head, pulled out a fine bottle of Sea Monster Langmu from the liquor cabinet behind him, and stuffed it into the Rat Immortal’s hands: ”Alcohol can only ease your brief suffering. You drink the first sip, alcohol helps you, lets you drink the second sip, the third... and then slowly, you are devoured by the Illusory World created by the Wine God... The past He lets you see isn’t sweeter than an illusory dream.”

The Rat Immortal bit off the cork of the Sea Monster Langmu and gulped a few mouthfuls.

”These are the tears of a God! This is Demon’s blood!” It shouted, as if each sip helped it transcend the shackles of reality’s spirit: ”This is the antidote! More powerful than any Snake Oil, the antidote to pain! Pain is a filthy prison, and this...”

It raised the bottle in hand, spilling some of the pale blue liquid:

”And this! Is a coat of paint! That can make the filthy prison look nice and clean... just like it was in the beginning.”

”But that’s not true.” The Wandering Wizard said softly: ”The prison is still a prison.”

”True or false, what’s the difference.” The Rat Immortal’s mouth dripped with pale blue liquor, yet its expression was calmer than a few minutes ago: ”This world itself is a prison.”

The Wandering Wizard looked at it, his Adam’s apple moved unnaturally.

”Even though I’m the owner of this bar.” He laughed dryly: ”But I must admit, in some ways, you’re more suited to running a bar than I am.”