High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2307: Chapter 528: Rookie Style

This group of five people are the five young wizards of the Absolution Hunting Team.

Unlike participating in campus hunting competitions or school-hosted winter hunts, hunting teams performing Alliance-assigned tasks need to conceal their true identities to some extent to avoid entanglement or retaliation from black wizards, which could lead to trouble beyond the mission.

In the dazzling mask warehouse of the Trident Sword, Zheng Qing was immediately drawn to these cat face masks.

Being standard equipment, these masks were very similar in appearance, all white base with black patterns, with a small Trident Sword emblem burned onto the cheek, and paired with cloaks and robes serving the same purpose, making it impossible for outsiders to discern their true identities just from their appearance.

As for why they appeared in this somewhat secluded pub, that’s another story.

Before officially starting the mission, Zheng Qing imagined pursuing black wizards would be like hunting magical creatures in Silent Forest—diviners determining locations, hunters searching for targets, wandering hunters maintaining vigilance, main hunter and auxiliary hunter ready to go into action at any moment.

But after really starting the mission, he realized that the two had completely different processes.

First of all, everyone in the hunting team needs to stay alert at all times. Because during the pursuit process, aside from their mission target, there are too many enemies of the Trident Sword eager to give these cat face wizards trouble, including but not limited to old witches who give wrong directions, cultists with faces full of frenzy only wanting to hug them and commit suicide, and dead bugs occasionally appearing in coffee cups.

As for the last scenario, the somewhat paranoid Xin Fat Man insisted it was Trident Sword’s subpar enemies hexing them, but Zheng Qing suspected it was just because the little shop they went to was too ’old-fashioned,’ retaining many ancient wizard habits.

Secondly, the black wizards they were chasing were not like Houdous and Ogres in Silent Forest, with strong territorial awareness, limited activity areas. Black wizards run, and they run fast. In just a week’s pursuit process, the Absolution Hunting Team crossed three continents, entered seven Four Seasons Pavilions, and had brief contacts with more than a dozen wizard organizations of various sizes.

Honestly, this process was quite eye-opening, the only downside was it is a bit tiring, Zheng Qing couldn’t remember the last time he slept steadily for four hours.

Lastly, and most importantly, pursuing black wizards was not like lonely battles during hunts. Every hunting team on a mission can receive ample logistical supplies, omnipresent personnel cooperation, and round-the-clock intelligence support from the Trident Sword.

Just like now.

The Absolution Hunting Team appearing in this small pub in Newcastle, northeast England, was due to new intelligence from the rear indicating traces of suspected target personnel using black magic in this area.

Jingle.

The lingering sound of the wind chime at the entrance.

With weary eyes, Zheng Qing scanned the small pub, unsurprisingly witnessing many expressions of awe and unease. When starting the task, seeing these expressions, the young cost student would feel somewhat proud ’and honored,’ unconsciously maintaining the ’awe’ belonging to the Trident Sword.

But after several small stumbles, he had gradually learned to read some implicit malice from those awe and uneasy expressions.

The owners of the malice didn’t necessarily want to do anything to the Alliance, most were just simply wanting to challenge authority, to see the Alliance’s ’big shots’ make fools of themselves.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

The sound of the boots of the Trident Sword hunters walking on the wooden floor was audible, within a short few meters distance, Zheng Qing had already roughly understood the entire pub—a pub that seemed quite old, with its walls plastered with expired ”Beta Town Post,” many papers stained dark yellow with candle wax, many portrait illustrations turned their backs, protesting their miserable plight with the back of their heads.

Speaking of candle wax, this pub still uses those centuries-old magic candles, with dense smoke and dim light, burning slowly on a chandelier hanging in midair, surprisingly not even a cluster of fireflies in the large room.

With the footsteps of the cat face wizards, the crowd gathered around the bar silently parted, inexplicably, a scene from Moses crossing the Red Sea popped into Zheng Qing’s mind—the First University’s museum had an oil painting depicting that scene, this moment distinctly echoed that moment.

”Welcome, welcome!”

The bar owner behind the bar greeted loudly and somewhat exaggeratedly: ”Noble guests, is there anything I can help you with?”

”Five glasses of ’Brown’ lager, as for food...”

The fat wizard among the cat face wizards ordered with a mechanical and monotonous voice, while half-jokingly asked, ”Is there anything edible here besides fish and chips?”

Although because of the cat face mask his voice wasn’t very pleasant, and his lively tone was greatly weakened, the joking meaning was very clear. The previously oppressive atmosphere in the pub instantly relaxed with this joke, and a few laughs echoed faintly within the crowd.

”There’s clam chowder from Old Larry’s and slow-cooked dragon meat!”

The high fat wizard in the crowd recommended loudly: ”Not far from here, Old Larry’s dragon meat for stew is bought directly from The Old Egg Family, as fresh as can be!”

Zheng Qing slightly tilted his head, heavily sighed inside.

Having heard a keyword mentioned in the intelligence as soon as they arrived in Newcastle made him feel a bit speechless. Originally, he wanted to have some drinks with everyone in the shop, enjoy some local specialties, and rest for a moment.

Similar to him, the mood of the other hunters wasn’t very pleasant either.

The entire room was filled with wizards, everyone was particularly keen on sensing aura, within a short period, the customers sensed the low pressure emanating around the cat face wizards, the high fat wizard trying to make friendly contact was puzzled and a bit uneasy with some bewilderment in his expression, and a few clever ones had already moved to the door, intending to slip away quietly.

But then they immediately found the bar door was locked.

”Silence and Think!”

Before chaos erupted, Xiao Xiao flipped open the law book, casting a wide-range calming incantation with an indifferent voice explaining: ”Alliance mission, pursuing black wizards, everyone stay calm... Without chaos, there won’t be accidental injuries. If injured accidentally by us, it is not covered by most insurance policies.”

Like the Fat Man, he also told a joke.

Just his joke was rather cold.

No one in the entire pub could laugh.