High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1535: Chapter 279: Bursting the Bubble

”A passage?”

”Water Eye?”

Zheng Qing and Jiang Yu snapped back to reality simultaneously, exchanged a glance, and then turned their attention to Nikita.

”What do you mean by that?” The Warlock tightened his grip on the Charm Gun, his tone hostile. ”Are you saying that the passage the Doctor just found— you can see it too?”

”Thanks to the mighty Captain’s powers, just a little skill,” the Female Demon said with a mischievous smile.

”Why didn’t you mention this earlier?” Jiang Yu asked warily.

”Because you didn’t ask me earlier,” the Female Demon replied, tilting her head with an expression of helplessness. ”As the saying goes, ’too much talk leads to mistakes.’ What if you suspect I have ill intentions and slap a few more Suppression Symbols on me? Wouldn’t I just be inviting trouble for myself then...”

Zheng Qing scrutinized the Female Demon carefully, trying to glean more information from her expression.

But soon enough, he abandoned his attempt.

Her face maintained a seductive yet unreadable look, making it nearly impossible to discern her true thoughts.

”What did you mean by that earlier guess?” He decided to quit hypothesizing and asked directly, ”Does the size of the passage change as well?”

”This is Dreamland— nothing is impossible,” Nikita replied with a bit more seriousness, her smile waning. ”Just like how you suddenly teleported from Wusa City to the depths of the Beguiling Forest... The size of the dream passage could also shift depending on the user’s needs.”

Zheng Qing silently contemplated her words.

Jiang Yu sat up straighter, looking from the Female Demon to the Warlock.

”Don’t trust her,” she warned Zheng Qing softly, poking his arm, ”Like she herself just said, I always get the feeling she doesn’t have good intentions... Even if what she says makes sense, let’s wait until the Doctor returns to discuss this further.”

Zheng Qing knew she was right.

But the unpredictable ’storm cluster’ in his Conscious Sea felt like a lit bomb’s fuse, ready to blow him to pieces at any moment.

This urgency compelled him to resolve all problems promptly.

”Let’s go take a look,” he said, glancing at Jiang Yu and then brandishing his Charm Gun toward Nikita. ”You’ll lead the way... and you know the consequences if you’re even slightly dishonest.”

The Female Demon immediately raised both hands. ”Assurance, assurance... I only want to escape the terrifying aim of your gun as soon as possible. Even if it means ending up in the Black Prison, I’ll accept it.”

Her tone carried an air of sincerity.

Zheng Qing found himself believing her.

”You stay here on the shore,” he said, raising a hand to stop Jiang Yu before she could continue her objections, adding, ”In combat, there needs to be a vanguard and logistical support; in a Hunting Team, even the main Hunter needs Left Auxiliary and Right Aide... You’re my logistics or Auxiliary. As long as you’re safe, I’m good.”

”Wow, what commendable courage... and judgment.” Nikita, standing between the two Young Wizards, clapped quickly and carefully, adopting the role of a loyal sidekick.

Jiang Yu finally stopped resisting.

”Stay safe,” she murmured, adjusting Zheng Qing’s robe collar. Her whispered blessing accompanied the brave perk of her white cat ears, which stood as upright as her tiptoeing stance.

Then, Zheng Qing felt a warm, moist peck land on his cheek.

”I will definitely bring Zhu Si back,” the Witch’s gentle voice buzzed softly in his ear, lingering, lingering, never fading even as he stepped into the waters.

”I truly won’t do anything to you,” Nikita murmured in the water rather unflatteringly, her voice breaking apart with each bubble bursting in the river. ”You don’t need to act as though you’re in some dramatic storybook parting life and death... making me out to be a major villain.”

Zheng Qing rubbed his buzzing ears.

Or rather, maybe his cheek.

He cast a side glance at the Female Demon walking ahead of him. Unlike Silent River, the Skye River’s waters were clear, devoid of muddy currents. Instead, under the sunlight, the water shimmered with vibrant hues, as though a painter had spilled their watercolors into the river.

The silhouette of the Female Demon intertwined with this kaleidoscopic water, emanating a dreamy mystique unique to Dreamland.

”Shut up,” he snapped, cutting off her mutterings. He retrieved a Water Repelling Talisman from his pocket and slapped it onto her. ”Lead the way properly and stop playing tricks.”

Under the talisman’s effect, the swirling waters quickly receded from the Female Demon, forming an oval-shaped air pocket that rendered her previously blurred figure crystal clear.

Nikita turned around, her eyes glistening, and looked at Zheng Qing.

”Thank you,” she said, wiping away the liquid—whether water or tears, Zheng Qing suspected the former—from her cheek. She flicked her hair and added in a slightly choked voice, ”Since Thomas, you’re the first person to care for me like this... Rest assured, if I ever get the chance to eat you, I’ll make sure to salt you well for longer preservation.”

Zheng Qing deeply suspected that Nikita had used some strange witchcraft when he entered the water to swap his brain with the Skye River’s water.

Who in their right mind would express gratitude in that way?

No wonder Wizards strongly resisted transforming into Demons. It was just too terrifying.

He had yet to formulate a proper description for the terror when Nikita suddenly stopped. Caught off guard, Zheng Qing’s gun barrel jabbed forcefully into her waist.

”Hiss!”

”Hiss!”

Both of them drew in a sharp breath, Nikita out of pain, Zheng Qing out of shock.

”If I knew you’d zone out, I would’ve bolted outright!” Nikita’s scarlet eyes glimmered with a hint of danger, her earlier comedic aura gone without a trace.

Zheng Qing tightened his grip on the Charm Gun’s trigger and stared her down unyieldingly. ”You’re welcome to try... Why did you suddenly stop?”

Nikita stepped aside, clearing the path ahead.

”We’re here,” she said, pointing at a cluster of clear water ahead. ”This is the Water Eye.”

Zheng Qing easily confirmed her claim.

That cluster of water stood out unusually clear, lacking the vibrant colors swirling within the rest of the river. It was as though a transparent bubble—like a crystal-clear eye—had emerged in the river painted with swirling pigments.

Surrounding the bubble was a dense, glowing ’halo,’ as if a radiant eyeliner had traced that transparent eye.

The Female Demon casually reached down, grabbed an octopus-like crab from the riverbed, and tossed it into the clear water.

The crab vanished instantly.

Then, she thrust a finger into the bubble, withdrew it, and licked her fingertip.

”No problem, it tastes like a passage,” she said, nodding firmly to confirm.

Zheng Qing squinted his eyes, feeling that the Demon before him didn’t quite match the descriptions he’d read in books. He edged closer to the cluster of water, mimicking her movements, and poked a finger into it as well.

It felt like poking through a mass of mud—effortless but with a sticky texture.

While the Warlock mulled over this sensation, the ’halo’ around the transparent bubble flickered intensely.

Before he could react, the ’halo’ shattered with a bang. The surrounding multicolored river water instantly consumed the clear cluster. In a blink, the water calmed, leaving no trace of the previous clarity.

The Female Demon stood frozen by his side, dumbstruck.