High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1381: Chapter 128 News on Brahman Times

The study room for the chief student and other study rooms are all in the same building, but this study room is located at the end of a corridor on the first floor, with a brass ring on its door, as well as a painting of The Door God.

At First University, it’s almost uncommon for ordinary classrooms and study rooms to have a painting of The Door God.

After The Door God announced the clearance, the group could enter.

Compared to the damp and cold environment outside, the room was much drier. The tall French windows were tightly closed, and raindrops hit the glass without making a sound.

Under the window sills were a row of red flowerpots filled with weeds with slender leaves—possibly medicinal herbs, Zheng Qing wasn’t sure—in front of them was a long narrow desk, under which were several red loop chairs.

Zheng Qing looked around.

To the left of the study room was a bookshelf, somewhat empty with only a few books; to the right was a small experimental station, wiped clean, without even a test tube rack. In the middle, was a large desk where Liu Fei Fei and Nicholas were sitting behind, doing practice problems.

Seeing the guests entering one by one, the host of the study room jumped down from the chair, showing a joyful smile: ”Welcome, welcome... everyone feel free to find a seat, it’s just us here.”

”Sorry to disturb,” Jiang Yu said with a smile, putting the textbooks in her hands onto the biggest desk in the center of the study room.

”Not at all, I’m glad you’re here!”

”I brought you a gift!” Li Meng excitedly approached Nicholas and Liu Fei Fei, handing over a muddy yellow-skinned frog.

The frog, with its watery big eyes, whimpered pitifully, but dared not move.

It had been caught by Li Meng from a bush by the lakeside when they had just passed Lin Zhong Lake. Originally, there were also two toads stacked in the bush, but because the lumps on the toads were too disgusting, Li Meng had eventually flicked them into the lake with a stick.

Zheng Qing strongly suspected that those toads would become snacks for the Fishman in the lake—a truly ’heaven-sent’ delicacy.

Nicholas cheerfully accepted the gift and put it in a bamboo basket beside him. Through the gaps of the basket, Zheng Qing could see some wriggling figures; he guessed they were ’spell materials’ of the frog kind.

With the courage given by the gift-giving, Li Meng seemed more justified in staying in the study room.

”Where should I sit?” the Little Witch clamored, first pulling out a pack of potato chips from her backpack.

”Sit next to me,” Jiang Yu stated decisively while pushing the Little Witch’s chips back into her backpack: ”This is a study room, don’t just eat things randomly in here!”

Xin Fat Man, who had just joyously taken out beef jerky and candied fruit, sheepishly put away his snacks, sitting beside Li Meng with a resigned look, even dutifully wiping her chair for her.

Xiao Xiao walked past everyone and went straight to the long narrow desk by the window, placed down her notebook, then bent down to examine the flowerpots. It seemed like Grass Spirits were cautiously poking their heads out.

Zheng Qing hesitated as he glanced at Xiao Xiao and Banna, unsure where to sit.

Just as Xin Fat Man bent over to wipe the chair for Li Meng, a newspaper slid out of his pocket and fell to the ground. Zheng Qing picked it up, and a strange headline caught his eye:

”’Fool Nicolas or ’Shub-Niggurath’? An Outer God Lurking at First University!”

This piqued Zheng Qing’s interest, and he opened the article below the headline.

Below the title was a bizarrely colored cartoon:

A wizard, his back to the reader, draped in a wide dark red cloak, the long cloak trailing on the ground, shadows flickering, like an unset pool of blood.

Above the wizard’s head was a patch of massive, cloud-like flesh with mouths dripping viscous liquid and numerous writhing tentacles; one slender tentacle descended from the sky, landing on the wizard.

Zheng Qing was transfixed by the chunks of flesh, when unexpectedly, the wizard turned his face, revealing a fierce face and a disheveled chin. He cradled the remains of a frog, with a few drops of fresh blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His mouth corners slightly curling upwards, subtly revealing a mocking smile.

Zheng Qing examined the tadpole-shaped black curse mark on the wizard’s forehead.

It took a while for Zheng Qing to realize that the image of the warlock in the comic vaguely resembled Nicolas.

His gaze shifted downward to the main text:

”Nicholas Green Oswald, once boasting the illustrious bloodline of the Oswald family, abandoned his heritage in the latest internal conflict at First University, turning into a complete failure—previously best known for his record-breaking achievement of failing First University’s advancement exams two years in a row.”

”’I’ve never seen such a rude wizard, who has clashed with nearly every noble surname,’ revealed an unnamed third-year student from Alpha to our journalist, ’During his year at Alpha Fortress, at least half of it was spent in confinement by professors... the other half was spent lying in the school hospital. Perhaps only the Starry Sky Academy can accommodate such a thug.’”

”’But he’s not a qualified Stellarian either,’ countered a former classmate of Nicholas at Starry Sky Academy, ’He lacks the courage to face challenges... always looking for ways to flee the battlefield.’”

”Due to his academic failures, Nicolas was nicknamed ’Fool’ at First University.”

”We have reasons to suspect, whether such a wizard, lacking courage and honor, fits the recruitment profile of First University. But as the highest educational institution in the Wizard World, First University gave this young man a third chance.”

”Thus, Nicolas gained the opportunity to enter Jiuyou Academy.”

”Is this really a good thing?”

”Recent evidence suggests that First University may have made a colossal mistake in this decision. Augusta Dres from Sock City, Wisconsin, a Senior Registered Wizard focused on the genealogy and cult studies of Outer Gods, in his latest research indicates that the Nicolas at First University is not merely akin to the infamous Outer God Shub-Niggurath by name.”

”’People always find it difficult to notice the dangers close at hand,’ Mr. Dres said, ’Thus the great wizard Thales of ancient Greece, while stargazing, would fall into mud pits on the road... First University hosts many great wizards, their sights set on distant places, inevitably overlooking certain anomalies right before their eyes.’”