High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2020: Chapter 241: The First Selection Task

The puppet wore a black top hat, its face pale, eyes narrow, dressed in a crisp black suit, with shiny pointed leather shoes on its feet, and in its hand, a slender civility cane spun like a windmill.

This appearance was very familiar to Zheng Qing.

Last year’s freshman competition at the school hunting party was hosted by this guy. At that time, it had scared the freshmen by claiming it was a high fatality rate competition—in a sense, this wasn’t wrong—which left a deep impression on Zheng Qing.

”I don’t like it.”

Xin Fat Man voiced the inner thoughts of the young public cost student: ”If I were given a choice, I would rather have Iseni host the competition with his awkward accent...”

Iseni was a fishman of Lin Zhong Lake. To push the Fat Man to choose a stammering, hissing-speaking fishman, this puppet must have left him with a terrible impression.

”I don’t like it either.”

Dylan nodded in agreement, yet while holding his arms, he looked thoughtfully at the puppet: ”I’m just curious... Do you guys think puppets can dream?”

Right now, these young hunters were all in a dreamscape, on the fringe of Dreamland. Theoretically, an alchemical life form shouldn’t be able to set foot in this area.

The only explanation is that this puppet must have surpassed the ordinary alchemical form level, exhibiting unique traits of a spiritual life.

Zheng Qing’s gaze at the puppet became more scrutinizing.

But he only looked for a moment; as the captain of the Absolution Hunting Team, there were more critical matters to attend to now - like ensuring all members of the Absolution Hunting Team had arrived.

”Doctor, Gentleman, Elder, Fat Man, Swordsman... and Monitor.” The young public cost student silently confirmed the team members’ identities while paying attention to the activities of other hunting teams.

Similar to Absolution, other hunting teams were also assembling nervously, forming distinct small circles within the entire hall.

”Snap!”

Just after Zheng Qing finished confirming the numbers, the puppet on the podium suddenly raised its arm, snapped a crisp finger, and immediately, a sudden burst of drumming filled the expansive hall, drawing everyone’s attention.

”Ladies and gentlemen!”

”Thieves upon the timeline!”

”And those who covet beyond the world, ferrymen of souls, seekers of the future!”

”Whether you’re the bloodthirsty Long-Lived Kind, hairy Resurrectors from graveyards, or Fenrir and Anubis’ favored cubs—anyway, all you moon-obsessed freaks, allow me to say...”

”Good evening everyone!!!!”

The puppet on the stage danced in a dizzying step, its lofty voice echoing throughout the hall, while below, the young wizards who had experienced last year’s freshman competition exchanged looks.

”Can’t say it’s exactly the same.” Zheng Qing smacked his lips.

”Only roughly similar,” the Fat Wizard nodded deeply in agreement: ”At least last year the last word was good afternoon, and this year it’s good evening.”

”This only proves his brain is indeed a block of wood.” Zhang Ji Xin rarely made a quip—looking at the Red Face Wizard’s enthusiastic expression, Zheng Qing suspected he had wanted to say that for a long time because someone always accused him of having a brain full of muscles, and he seldom got a chance to make such quips about others’ brains.

”...It’s a great honor to witness tonight’s selection tournament! I am your host, Night•Phantom’s Shadow•Puppeteer•Puppet!”

On the podium, the puppet placed one hand on its chest, the other extended backward, bowing slightly to the audience below in a polite gesture. But then it raised its head, showing a malicious smile:

”Perhaps some believe you cannot die in Dreamland... but I must remind everyone that some people live on, yet they are dead, while others died, but they still live on... the subtleties of the spiritual world far surpass the confines of reality! If you believe you can disregard dying in the spiritual world, then now you can turn and leave this oppressive hall, no need to listen to the puppet’s annoying chatter from the podium!”

Not a single person moved below.

Mages who organized hunting teams for selection tasks weren’t fools. They wouldn’t be bothered by the puppet’s bad attitude as long as it fulfilled the school’s mission.

”Good, very good!”

The puppet laughed maniacally, spinning like a top: ”I love smart people! Because dealing with smart people makes you seem very smart!”

”Snap!”

Another crisp snap echoed from the podium.

With the sound, the entire hall darkened completely, the puppet ceased spinning, raised the slender civility staff, and its tip shot out a stream of light, projecting into the arched dome above, a series of bizarre, eerie images flashed rapidly before everyone’s eyes like a carousel.

Everyone focused intently, striving to capture the information within those images—this was difficult because the images were blurry and fragmented, incoherent. There were black ancient castles in forests, shadowy figures spreading claws, tentacles waving, a clear big lake, and various oddly shaped creatures birthing, battling, even mating.

From past experiences in Dreamland, Zheng Qing barely recognized some figures of Ancient Leather Giants, Shatak Bird flocks, and the silhouette of a temple in Wusa City among those scenes.

This provided the young public cost student no confidence—the only comfort was that all mentor teachers were currently absent from the hall, meaning Zhu Si couldn’t provide Fringe Hunting Team additional assistance.

”RULE-NO.1, on the Hunting Ground, whatever the host says is the rule!”

The puppet’s high-pitched voice easily suppressed the sound waves from the headlight above, it raised a finger, provocatively gestured in the air:

”RULE-NO.2, for fairness, the first selection task doesn’t set a specific scene, everyone will enter the same Hunting Ground! Each hunting team will face exactly the same challenges!”

As it spoke, the slender staff in its hand gave a slight tremor, the light curtain on the dome flickered faster, gradually becoming blurry, forming a giant plaza akin to an ancient Colosseum, surrounded by high stands, the stage covered with yellow earth.

As the Colosseum took clearer shape, shadowy figures on surrounding stands gradually emerged, waving various flags and banners, cheering, shouting, yet hunters couldn’t discern the robes’ colors nor see their faces, only sensing the tidal waves of sound waves reechoing within the massive Colosseum.

”Snap!”

With another snap, the huge Colosseum split into two, two into four, in a blink dividing into identical forty-seven sections, precisely matching the hunting teams participating in the selection tournament.

Zheng Qing immediately understood the meaning behind ’each team will face identical challenges.’ Perhaps only in Dreamland can such a relatively fair Hunting Ground truly be created.