High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2158: Chapter 379: Raven and Witch Demon

”You should have let those two kids rest their feet in the yard.”

Professor Montreya stood in the shadow of the terrace, watching the disappointed backs of the two unexpected young guests leaving the entrance of the institute, his expression inexplicable, ”Even if it’s just for a cup of coffee?”

”You shouldn’t be here during the day.”

The owner of the Abnormal Life Research Institute wrung his hands, looking around uneasily, as if worried that a fierce-looking Trident Sword would jump out from beneath every fluttering leaf on the wall, ”Alliance, school, Dark Council and Moon Council... too many eyes are watching around me.”

”Daytime?” The professor raised his head with interest, glancing at the sky with only a trace of light left, shaking his head slightly, his gaze falling on the old servant struggling to close the door, muttering, ”...Even if it’s just for a cup of coffee?”

”Stop thinking about them!”

Doctor Duzem keenly sensed that gaze, slightly intensifying his tone, ”You must have heard about the incident at the Wandering Bar... I’m not a Wandering Wizard, and my place is less than a block from Greenhill Mansion! ...Since you’ve already collected his blood, why go to the trouble?”

”You’ve run a lab before too; you should know that experimental materials are never enough.” Professor Montreya let out a low laugh.

”Isn’t he Su Shijun’s fiancé? Does he have any other special features?” The owner of the institute lightly questioned.

This time, Professor Montreya did not answer directly.

”Those prying eyes are the very drive for our experiments; without pressure, there’s no progress.” He then shifted the topic to today’s purpose, ”...The consumption of ’stones’ in the laboratory has slightly exceeded expectations, and some need to be replenished.”

”Replenish! Replenish! Replenish!”

Doctor Duzem, like an enraged gorilla, left the terrace and paced around the narrow study with a touch of agitation, lowering his voice and roaring, ”I’ve said it many times, the stone used on the Black Prison Battlefield is the only finished product I’ve refined in over ten years! The fragments I gave you last time were just defective remnants from the finished product coming out!”

”Defective remnants are enough.” Usually stern, Professor Montreya managed to squeeze out a stiff smile, ”I heard that Northern District Wizards are already using similar defective remnants...”

”Great Wizard Colmar only referenced my refining process!”

Doctor Duzem irritably pulled his collar pin, speaking rapidly, ”The stones she supplied to the North District Mage, in essence, are just stones condensed with the vitality of frogs, toads, even ants, mosquitoes, and other insect beasts. Once the vitality in the stones is exhausted, they will shatter... Aside from the similar color, those stones fundamentally differ from a true Philosopher’s Stone! The inferior products manufactured with such processes lack the ’purity’ and ’cleansing’ effect you need!”

Professor Montreya’s stiff smile quickly disappeared from his face.

”No fragments left either?” He frowned and reminded, ”You have to know that after Giant Zero Three was taken by the Rat Immortal, my experiment has become your sole... and most likely chance to break through to a Big Wizard.”

”Not a single grain left.”

Doctor Duzem let out a deep sigh, a trace of defeat on his face, ”I said I had refined only one, and even the fragments were taken away by others. Why does no one believe it? Back then, due to the illegal life refining incident, I was confined by the school; people in the Alliance know about it, the only finished product was made with those stockpiled materials, long since exhausted... Now everyone wants me to refine a few more, but nobody wants to dirty their hands, withstand the backlash of destiny...”

Speaking of this, he let out a cold laugh, his youthful yet aged face showing a trace of self-mockery, ”Perhaps everyone thinks using dirty gloves to grasp dirty things is making use of waste?”

”No, because everyone saw your outcome and doesn’t want to risk ruining their future for others.” Professor Montreya stated coldly and directly, expressing what many were hesitant to say, ”Compared to that, they’d rather believe you’re hiding a real Philosopher’s Stone... hidden where no one else can find it.”

The truth is always simple and cruel.

The study fell into an asphyxiating silence.

”Do you think so too?” Doctor Duzem felt his eyes sting slightly - he ought to wash them; he glanced at the glass bottle in the cupboard.

”I don’t expect you to still have the real Philosopher’s Stone, but I hope you might still have some remnants.” Professor Montreya casually flipped through the parchment manuscripts on the desk and finally shook his head, ”...But it seems even that hope is a luxury. Indeed, relying on ’hope’ isn’t advisable for experiments... Rest assured, the previous promise remains valid. If the experiment succeeds, you’ll receive a piece of ’real flesh’ of your own.”

With that, the professor donned his hood and turned to leave.

”Wait!”

Doctor Duzem called out softly behind him, the voice urgent and fearful, ”I know... you should know as well... everyone knows where there’s still a real Philosopher’s Stone!”

Professor Montreya did not turn back, facing away.

But neither did he immediately open the door to leave.

After a while, he answered with a confused and slightly hoarse voice, ”Have we really fallen this far? My students are still ’Ravens’, not ’Witch Demons’... That stone is engraved on a soul about to dissipate by a father and mother’s resolve of sacrifice. Although there was an accident, the father survived... we haven’t fallen to that level yet.”

”Moreover,” his voice carrying phlegm, making it sound strange and indistinct, ”though we are at the top of the registered wizard level... do you think we can afford to provoke her legendary father?”

Doctor Duzem, gritting his teeth and looking extremely intimidating, began speaking more quickly, as if worried that if he spoke slower, the figure in front would vanish:

”Giant Zero Three was created by me alone; after the Rat Immortal and it merged, how much belongs to it and how much to Giant Zero Three is unknown. Besides, we don’t need to completely seize that stone, because it’s already etched deep in her soul, so we only need some blood. I believe I can extract enough ’remnants’ to meet the requirements.”

Professor Montreya finally turned back to look at the owner of the study.

His face was hidden under the broad hood, appearing shadowy and indistinct.

”Just a bit of blood?” His tone showed a hint of wavering.

”One Pint!” Doctor Duzem gritted his teeth, ”It won’t cause any harm to the body. If the quantity doesn’t suffice, after eight weeks, we ’borrow’ some more.”