High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1842: Chapter 63: A Familiar yet Unfamiliar World

No one can inherently adapt to a new world.

Even great wizards or legendary wizards do not have this ability or talent.

If a wizard arrives at a new world and unexpectedly finds that he can, without Flerek’s preparation, freely exchange energy and use magic in the new world, there is only one possibility—he has been to this world before.

And this ”before” should belong to a very short time span. If he was born in this world and then taken elsewhere to grow, when he returns to this world, he would still need some time to adapt.

With this premise.

Taking into account the shared experiences and recent encounters of the young wizards in the Absolution Hunting Team, including Zheng Qing, everyone almost immediately realizes where this new world designated by the school as the trial arena is.

”Is this the Black Prison?”

Even Jiang Yu, who is usually composed in the face of events, showed rare astonishment on her face, subconsciously turning to look outside the tent, seemingly trying to find some familiar traces in the desolation and barrenness outside the fence.

The thick curtains blocked her view but did not block the thoughts that were spreading.

The astonishment on the witch’s face gradually faded, but her expression became more serious, with a somber gaze, as if she had thought of something, temporarily forgetting the elder wizard before her.

In contrast, the other warlocks in the Absolution Hunting Team had more of an epiphany and excitement besides astonishment.

”So that’s it.” Xiao Xiao adjusted his glasses, showing a thoughtful expression, muttering to himself: ”No wonder I always had a strange feeling during divination.”

”This trial is more interesting than I imagined.”

Zhang Ji Xin habitually cracked his knuckles, chuckling amidst the sound: ”I thought the school just randomly tinkered with a secret realm hunting garden to keep us busy... Truly the First University, full of ambition.”

”Damn, I never thought I’d have the chance to come in again in this lifetime.” Xin Fat Man cursed under his breath, but he couldn’t suppress the excitement in his eyes, almost instinctively taking out his notepad and feather pen: ”Does this trial’s pest hunt have anything to do with the demons that escaped from the Black Prison battle? Does the school trust us students to ’clean up’?”

The last time he came was too sudden, leaving in a hurry, so he couldn’t fulfill a journalist’s duty. This time, he was determined to record well, providing plenty of curious material for the campus newspaper after the semester starts.

Compared to the pondering witch and the enthusiastic Fat Man, Zheng Qing’s focus was more specific. He moved his gaze from the map to Old Verne.

”Is this really the Black Prison?”

He did not conceal his inner astonishment at all, gesturing with his hands, throwing out a series of questions: ”How did the Black Prison brighten up? Aren’t those two suns the True Form of the great wizards? After the war ended, didn’t they leave? And what about this climate, the magic power around... what happened to the prisoners? Are they all locked up in the Black Prison Castle? Or are they all dead already?”

Having once experienced a difficult journey in the Black Prison, Zheng Qing’s understanding of the world’s original desolation was clearer than the other warlocks, and he remembered well those prisoners who, unafraid to eat their kind, could drink lava and chew bone scraps for a hint of magic power.

This time upon landing, though within the fence, during the previous monitoring outside the tent, he found no demons coveting flesh and blood nor those grey-skinned, emaciated prisoners.

Despite the thick clouds overhead, the light between heaven and earth, akin to the rainy season on Buji Island, already contrasted greatly with the former light and dark of the Black Prison.

Not to mention outside the fence, the river flowed swiftly, the magic power filled between heaven and earth, everywhere exuding a vibrant vitality.

It formed a stark contrast with the dark, barren, and scarcity-stricken world Zheng Qing imagined.

It’s no wonder he dared not confirm his conjecture until now.

A flurry of questions came rushing, even stumping Old Verne momentarily, who then returned to his senses after a brief pause, softly exhaling a breath as he surveyed the young wizards with a nuanced gaze.

”This was indeed the original Black Prison world.”

He first confirmed Zheng Qing and the others’ guesses but did not immediately answer their questions. Instead, he shifted the topic, sighing: ”It looks like the rumors are true... there were rumors from the School Works Committee that during the Black Prison battle a while ago, a group of kids recklessly barged into the battlefield, almost causing big trouble. I didn’t expect it to be you.”

The phrase ’almost’ was far too understated.

Zheng Qing thought of his actions back then, feeling emotional, the light in his eyes dimmed. The witch beside him sensitively perceived the boy’s slump and tugged at his sleeve.

”Why didn’t we need Flerek’s preparation to directly adapt to the Black Prison environment back then?” Jiang Yu did not merely comfort Zheng Qing but asked a question he had never considered.

Zheng Qing forced a smile, the knot in his brow driven away by the witch’s question: ”You mentioning it reminds me... perhaps only a Doctor knows the answer.”

Saying that, he turned to look at Xiao Xiao.

But surprisingly, Xiao Xiao hesitated for a moment, then shook his head: ”I’m also unsure... presumably it’s related to the battle that occurred in the Black Prison at that time.”

The young wizards all turned to Old Verne.

”This question involves some profound reasoning about dimensional theory.”

Old Verne did not reject the young wizards’ inquiries, raising his right index finger pointing upward, like a patient professor: ”When you entered the Black Prison, this world had already turned into a huge battlefield... the degree of magic transformation on the battlefield greatly exceeded the differences of an ordinary world, with many dimensional lines soaked by the aura of those great wizards, great demons, and legendary beings. In other words, they subjectively allowed you to come and go freely, while the world objectively rejected external entrants.”

It sounded indeed quite difficult.

Yet Zheng Qing immediately realized another contradiction that this answer revealed.

”According to this reasoning, we initially adapted to the aura of those great wizards or legendary wizards, not truly adapted to the aura of the Black Prison world?”

The young public-funded student furrowed his brows, slowly chewing over his confusion: ”Which means, when we come to this world again, we should, like others, repeat the Flerek preparation.”

”Theoretically, yes.” Old Verne chuckled, showing a kind of you’re still too young demeanor: ”But the problem is, do you think the current world looks the same as the Black Prison you visited before?”

Of course, not the same!

The last time they came to this world, everything was pitch black, the world a desert, the gaunt prisoners, timid yet fierce; coming again, although the sky was still somewhat dim and the scenery seemed still barren, the vibrant vitality between heaven and earth was like the young seedlings of early spring, vastly different from before.

”The difference comes from the war erupted between wizards and demons a few months ago.” Old Verne clasped his hands, offering a simple explanation for these changes.