High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1937: Chapter 158: Assembly

At eight-thirty in the evening, Zheng Qing packed up his books early and left the library.

Xiao Xiao accompanied him.

The hunting ground Zhang Ji Xin applied for was located at the edge of the Silent Forest, close to the Silent River. By the time they arrived, the sky was completely dark, and the trees in the distant forest were pitch black, swaying slightly under the moonlight like a group of ghosts dancing under the moon.

The night wind carried the gentle sound of the flowing Silent River, adding a bit of chill to the air.

Originally, there were a few light spheres of varying sizes floating in front of the two young wizards, swaying and bouncing lightly, illuminating their path. These were the ”Little Stars” summoned by Zheng Qing.

But suddenly, the young public student abruptly closed the law book in his hand, and the light spheres shattered, turning into a flurry of tiny specks of light, scattering in the lush grass like a group of weary fireflies returning home.

”What are you doing?”

The Atonement Diviner felt a bit baffled, took out his law book, and prepared to cast another Lighting Spell: ”We haven’t even entered the hunting ground yet... Aren’t you afraid there might be some Red Chain Snakes hidden in the grass ahead?”

Even though being bitten by a Red Chain Snake would only mean wasting an antidote, spending money and enduring unnecessary pain over something that could have been avoided seemed unwise.

Upon hearing Xiao Xiao’s doubt, Zheng Qing didn’t immediately explain. He simply pressed down on his hand trying to open the law book and whispered hurriedly, ”To hell with the Red Chain Snakes! ... You didn’t say she was coming?!”

No sooner had he spoken than a sliver of light emerged from behind the bushes not far ahead, followed by a neat line of slender mushroom-like plants bouncing into view in front of the two warlocks.

Xiao Xiao adjusted his glasses and recognized them as glowing mushrooms summoned by another kind of Lighting Spell, ’Other Moon Micro’. Because the ink used when copying this spell needed to be mixed with the spores of these glowing mushrooms, it was slightly more expensive, which is why it wasn’t widely circulated in the school; only some clan-affiliated wizards retained the habit.

He quickly realized there was no need to keep guessing. Following those glowing slender mushrooms was a familiar figure.

It was Jiang Yu.

”Did that really need to be said?”

The Atonement Diviner turned to look at his captain, quite speechless: ”She’s a Hunting Team member. It’s not like you didn’t know... Blue Bird just got admitted to the school hospital this afternoon, and Dylan still has a Curse Course tonight. She’s here to fill in as Hunter.”

The brutes at Starry Sky Academy are just unreliable.

Zheng Qing muttered inwardly, but outwardly he put on a warm smile, broke away from the short warlock beside him, and enthusiastically approached: ”You came really early! Weren’t we meeting at nine? Doctor, didn’t you inform her?”

As he said this, he turned to Xiao Xiao, showing a bit of anger on his face.

Xiao Xiao rolled his eyes silently in the dark.

”No, no, the doctor did inform me.”

Jiang Yu walked past the swaying cluster of slender mushrooms, her tone cheerful as she explained, ”I just wanted to come a bit early to get familiar with the place... It’s my first time joining your training, after all.”

”Everyone has seen your performance in the Black Prison and the trial grounds, there won’t be any problems.” Zheng Qing appeared even more confident than she was.

The witch smiled lightly, not arguing.

Tonight she was not wearing her usual loose red gown but had on a slightly tight-fitting light purple hunting outfit. Whatever leather it was made of, it appeared soft yet resilient, accentuating her graceful figure.

The hunting outfit seemed to have a layer of grey hue, giving a soothing, elegant, and slightly calm impression. Aside from this, she also did something with her hair; instead of leaving it loose or in her usual simple ponytail, it was gathered up and tucked into a crumpled duckbill hat of a similar color to her hunting outfit, with no logos or patterns—yet the warlock could bet that there was some kind of unknown Guardian Magic fixed on that hat.

”What about the others? Are they all here?” Zheng Qing withdrew his gaze and looked at Xiao Xiao, cleared his throat, trying to exude a bit of the Hunting Team Leader’s authority: ”Before training begins, we should all be on the same page.”

The Atonement Diviner looked at his captain with an undisguised doubtful gaze. He wasn’t the only one doing so. Zheng Qing felt that the mushroom men wobbling at his feet were also eagerly watching him, which made the warlock’s face flush slightly red, though fortunately, the darkness was thick enough that others probably couldn’t see clearly.

”This is really interesting.” The short warlock glanced back towards the quiet woods behind him, muttering to himself: ”You just said the scheduled time was nine o’clock... Isn’t it not time yet?”

The witch stood with her hands behind her back, pretending to look down at the mushroom men at her feet. One by one, palm-sized suns sprouted from the heads of these fungal creatures, drifting up like bubbles, and then bursting, showering a small patch of golden light, making her figure appear even more elongated.

The young public student had no immediate counter, not knowing how to respond to the doctor’s retort.

The entrance to the hunting ground fell silent, with only a few fearless katydids lurking in the grass chirping occasionally, preventing the place from becoming too stifling.

After several minutes of silence, just as Zheng Qing hesitated over whether to chat with the witch about Li Meng’s homework or Poseidon’s fur grooming, a rush of hurried and heavy footsteps came from the depths of the night.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

It sounded like a Thunder Dragon charging recklessly.

A moment later, the figures of Xin Fat Man and Zhang Ji Xin appeared in the glowing range of the mushroom men. Both were still wearing their regular gowns, whose creases and the oil stains from dinner were clearly visible under the small suns.

They hadn’t even worn their team uniforms!

Too lax!

Zheng Qing thought angrily, looking down and realizing he was also wearing a gown. The anger that had just risen seemed to be doused with cold water, dissipating instantly.

”Sorry! Sorry! Just a few minutes late!” Zhang Ji Xin apologized loudly, while gasping for breath: ”On the way here, we saw a Fishman bullying a Longevity tortoise near Lin Zhong Lake, gave the tortoise a hand... so we were a bit late.”

”Late? Not really late!” Compared to him, the Fat Wizard seemed quite confident: ”I remember being notified for nine o’clock... It’s still five minutes to go. Besides, I had to bring Tuan Tuan, and it’s not as obedient as Furry Bean.”

Saying so, he shook the watch on his wrist at Zheng Qing while shrugging his left shoulder, indicating the lump of fat on his shoulder to move. Tuan Tuan raised its paw and gave a rather perfunctory greeting to the Hunting Team Leader.

Zheng Qing suddenly found that blue, rotund face particularly annoying.

”Enough with the nonsense.”

The Atonement Hunting Team’s leader straightened his face, clapped his hands, signaling everyone to gather closer: ”This night’s training will mainly be restorative training, with no hunting targets set. The schedule is Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday this week, from nine to eleven each night. The goal is to get our hunting team ’tense’ again before the school Hunting Competition... not as slack as tonight!”

Saying this, he turned away from the witch and gave several partners a fierce glare.

A glare that left the three humans and one cat feeling inexplicable.