High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2058: Chapter 279: Chassis

”The clues are already very clear...”

Inside the D&K store on Pedestrian Street, Zhang Ji Xin had just finished saying this when there was a ’dong dong dong’ knocking sound from outside, which made him a bit annoyed.

Opening the door, before he had time to stick his head out, a head squeezed in through the door crack.

”Sorry, sorry.”

Zheng Qing hurriedly rolled up his sleeves and squeezed into the shop, apologizing repeatedly: ”The opening dance started a bit late today, Nicholas and Liu Fei Fei haven’t come at all, and the Hunting Committee couldn’t find them either... so it took a little longer.”

He was talking about tonight’s Hunting Dance.

Today is Monday, and there’s no Hunting Competition tonight, but instead, Jiuyou Academy held a Hunting Dance. Just like last year, the dance venue is on the small square in front of Lin Zhong Lake, but the captains of the nine hunting teams that made it to the finals need to perform the opening dance, making it impossible for Zheng Qing to sit it out like last year.

”Good evening, Monitor!” A hoarse voice greeted from behind Zhang Ji Xin.

”Good evening.” A pleasant voice responded, greeting everyone else in the room at the same time: ”Good evening, everyone... is everyone here?”

The young student on a free scholarship turned his head just in time to see Jiang Yu lightly walk in from outside, having swapped the bright red one-shoulder long gown she wore at the dance for the Jiuyou Academy robe, with only the complex floral arrangement still adorning her head. Zheng Qing swore that they had walked nearly together the entire way, and he had no idea when she changed clothes.

Perhaps sensing the confusion in the boy’s eyes, the witch blinked and the jade hairpin on her head playfully swayed, highlighting her increasingly fair neck, which made the boy’s heart sway, causing him to hurriedly retract his gaze.

”Everyone’s here except for Li Meng.” The one who picked up the conversation was Xin Fat Man, who was holding a box of dried fruits, eating them with relish.

”Oh, Meng Meng.” Jiang Yu smiled slightly: ”Meng Meng realized she hadn’t finished her homework and is catching up on that, no need to wait for her.”

Considering last night’s ’out of line’ behavior at the assembly, Zheng Qing privately thought the little witch’s homework would take at least a week, at the very least, before the finals start. Jiang Yu most likely wouldn’t let her roam freely.

”Is that so?”

The Fat Wizard sighed regretfully, clapped his hands to shake off the dried fruit crumbs from his fingertips, and drew the entire room’s attention toward him: ”Since that’s the case... Elder, you hadn’t finished yet. ’The clues are already very clear’, then what?”

Zhang Ji Xin squeezed in front of Zheng Qing and casually grabbed a shelled hazelnut from the box in front of the Fat Wizard, tossing it in his mouth, then pointed to the things in the wooden box on the table: ”I was saying, the ’clue’ given to us by the Hunting Committee is just this chassis, everyone should find it very familiar...”

The things in the box seemed like a square bronze plate, square and not even a foot long and wide, having an ancient bronze color, with the surface inscribed densely with runes, a star map, and angle markings. At the very center, there is a smooth copper mirror with approximately an inch diameter, its surface shiny enough to reflect a person’s shadow.

”Not just familiar, right.”

Zheng Qing reached out and picked up the item from the box, inspecting it in his hand: ”I was somewhat sure when I received it yesterday... Today, I specially went to the library to confirm... Professor Yi demonstrated it in class, this is the chassis of a compass.”

This ’clue’ was received by him from a puppet after the finals rules were announced last night. He initially thought it was just something inside the Dreamland, but unexpectedly, he found the box containing it beside his pillow when he woke up this morning.

Snap!

The Red-faced Male Wizard snapped his fingers.

”That’s right! It’s the chassis of a compass.”

He looked around, like asking questions, or talking to himself: ”Under what circumstances does a compass have only the chassis but no magnetic spoon? Where is the magnetic spoon for this chassis?... Let’s brainstorm a bit, think further, are the clues received by other hunting teams perhaps chassis without magnetic spoons as well?”

”Or maybe, some hunting teams got the magnetic spoon, and some got the chassis?... The finals rules announced last night were overly simple, just stating that after gathering on Friday afternoon, the nine hunting teams will set off together, traverse the Silent Forest, and the first two teams to reach the pre-set arena deep in the forest gain the final showdown rights... Does this mean that after the finals start, we need to find a spoon, place it on our compass chassis, and then let it lead us to the real finals hunting ground?... So, how do we ’get’ the spoon?”

”In summary, I think there are two urgent tasks.” At this point, Zhang Ji Xin raised two fingers: ”First, try to confirm the status of the ’clues’ held by other hunting teams; second, Combine Vertical and Horizontal!”

Having said that, he leisurely looked at his companions.

The other Hunters in the Absolution Hunting Team didn’t immediately speak up but instead used strange eyes to scrutinize the red-faced Male Wizard, making him entirely uncomfortable.

”Did you come up with all this by yourself?” Xin Fat Man, straightforward and without hesitation, revealed his suspicion: ”Or was it the result of your brother’s team’s discussion, and you ’just happened’ to hear it?”

Zhang Ji Xin’s face suddenly turned a lot deeper in color, displaying a hint of annoyance: ”For such a simple matter, is it necessary to eavesdrop on the school hunting team’s discussion? Ask the Doctor for fairness!”

Xiao Xiao adjusted his glasses.

”Honestly,” he sincerely looked at the red-faced Male Wizard: ”Given your usual performance, I’m also not used to you analyzing things so thoroughly... If it’s a hunting team tactical arrangement, nobody would question it... Of course, what I mean is, your analysis just now was right, except for one thing that needs to be reversed.”

Zhang Ji Xin, after hearing this, temporary set aside his annoyance and asked in surprise: ”Reversed?”

”Prioritize Combine Vertical and Horizontal, then consider confirming the ’clue’ situations of other hunting teams.” Xiao Xiao also raised two fingers: ”Who is our enemy? Who is our friend? This is the primary question we face in the finals...”

”I thought the other eight hunting teams were all the enemy.” Dylan thoughtfully remarked, fiddling with his cufflinks.

”In the final arena, any hunting team is an enemy.” Xiao Xiao calmly replied: ”Before that, from the starting point to the Silent Forest segment of the ’journey’, the current rules don’t prevent different hunting teams from joining forces to tackle other ’difficulties’.”

”What do you think?” The Fat Wizard tossed the dilemma toward the young student on a free scholarship.

”Me?”

Zheng Qing absentmindedly fiddled with a hazelnut, slowly responding: ”I think it depends on how we position ourselves. If the hunting team is strong, like the school team, then after entering the Silent Forest, finding another hunting team in the shortest time, seizing a spoon, and then sprinting toward the destination is the optimal solution... The concept of an ’ally’ is entirely unnecessary... But if not strong enough, then finding an appropriate ally, or teaming up to snatch the third team’s spoon, or I provide the chassis and you provide the spoon... It is, in essence, a dynamic gaming process, I wouldn’t advise locking down a solution now... But preparing for the worst in advance could be wise.”

”It’s important to note,” Jiang Yu suddenly spoke, softly adding: ”Now there are nine hunting teams, no matter how distributed, at least one hunting team can’t piece together their ’compass’.”

Zhang Ji Xin patted his head, letting out a heavy sigh.

”What a hassle.”

He muttered, reaching instinctively for a notebook: ”Before you guys figure it out... let’s seize the time to learn some tactics and magic that the other hunting teams used in the qualifying rounds... To get this from my brother’s... ahem, I mean, gathering this information took a lot of effort!”

This time, no one ridiculed him for ’eavesdropping’, but instead, eyes lit with interest, they immediately gathered around.