High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2314: Chapter 535: vas Eagle

The Eagle family’s tradition of raising Fire Dragons has extended over five hundred years, and the entire Dragon Hunting Ground is shrouded in an ancient and immense magical barrier, which serves to prevent and repel Commoners from approaching, while also inhibiting the Fire Dragons bred in the Dragon Ground from escaping.

The stone tower located on the ridge serves as the entrance to the Dragon Hunting Ground.

Welcoming the Atonement Hunting Team was a burly Dragon Ground Tower Guard, dressed in a tattered black robe, draped with a thick cloak made from tanned Little Dragon skin. His face was full of meat, with his eyes hidden in the creases, almost unseeable. His unruly beard was roughly trimmed, scattered all over, creating a strange yet harmonious match with the flesh on his face.

Contrary to his appearance, the Tower Guard’s speech was somewhat fawning and slick.

”...Actually, this stone tower is just one of several entrances to Eagle’s Dragon Hunting Ground.”

He leaned on a long magic wand and led the way forward, enthusiastically introducing the hunting ground to the Trident Sword representatives: ”The entire Dragon Ground’s barrier is supported by eleven Magic Towers, each built upon a node in the earth’s veins, relying on the earth’s energy to organize the magical environment within the Dragon Ground... What you have just seen is a part of one of the Magic Towers revealed in reality.

...Typically, Commoners are very curious, wondering ’what is this, and what is that’... as if, without figuring certain things out, they can’t find peace. Thus, they have only two attitudes towards the unknown: either completely understanding them to satisfy their peculiar need for control, or utterly failing to understand them and blindly worshiping...”

The spiraling staircase twisted level by level, while the windows between the floors became taller and grander. Magic torches were affixed along the walls, the flames flickering slightly, resonating with the faint green light emitted from the Deadly Wind Lamp hanging from the guide’s magic wand tip, giving an impression that the whole world was slightly wobbling.

The young Hunters quietly followed behind the Tower Guard, listening to his disjointed and chatter-filled voice, cautiously and curiously observing the occasional reliefs and portraits on the stone walls, silently assessing the strength of each gargoyle and passing ghost.

After climbing more than a dozen floors, the Tower Guard suddenly shifted, leading the young Hunters into a corridor between floors, making twists and turns before stopping in front of a terrace-like plaza, where the tall windows resembled the Augusta Archway in Lisbon, and one couldn’t discern the details of the reliefs on the arch ceiling when looking up from beneath.

”...Since there are occasional Fire Dragon landings here, the construction is exceptionally tall.”

The guide’s voice became hollow and resonant beneath the archway: ”For instance, some sick dragons, if left in the Dragon Ground, might be killed or eaten by other Fire Dragons, whereas staying on this terrace allows them a peaceful recovery... Fire Dragons are a type of magical creature with a strong reproductive capability. Their numbers, however, remain scarce due to their lengthy juvenile stage and high risk of being attacked by other Fire Dragons when sick in the wild, which results in a continual low natural growth rate... Eagle’s Dragon Homestead does not bind or use spells to control each dragon’s activities like other Dragon Homesteads. We only need to ensure that the little dragons grow up healthily and provide a safe haven for sick and injured Giant Dragons, everything else is entrusted to Sananos...”

Sananos is one of the Divine Spirits worshiped by Druids, and Zheng Qing did not expect this bulky, seemingly Odin-follower, to possess a Heart of Nature.

”Alright, Uncle Stuckley, if you continue talking, you’ll reveal all the secrets of dragon breeding.”

A slender, handsome young wizard with a slightly delicate demeanor half-jokingly interrupted the guide’s endless speech at the corridor’s end.

”Eh?”

A slight, surprised sound from Dylan reached Zheng Qing’s ears.

”Know him?”

The young scholarship student subtly knocked along the mask’s edge with his finger, activating the Hunting Team’s internal communication, ensuring their conversation couldn’t be overheard by others.

”Vas Eagle, a fourth-year veteran from Starry Sky Academy. I assumed he had already joined a New World exploratory hunting team, but unexpectedly, he finally returned to his family’s Dragon Ground.” Dylan sighed with a hint of nostalgia: ”I used to participate in the Baddminton Winter Hunting with him; he’s a great lad.”

The choice of words sounded quite archaic, without the slightest hint that Vas was his senior.

”Another one from Starry Sky Academy.”

Zheng Qing muttered, instinctively glancing back at the two Starry Sky Academy members in their team, having suddenly noticed something slightly unusual: Starry Sky Academy students seemingly have a high level of facial attractiveness.

In theory, these often-brawling wizards should have crooked mouths, squashed noses, and faces full of flesh, yet all the Starry Sky Academy attendees he knew, including that Lǜèyǎnér John Neville acting as a broker in the school hunting event, Ani Black from Hearts Q Hunting Team, Deng Xiaojian from Judgement Hunting Team, and others, all appeared rather handsome.

In comparison, Zhang Ji Xin oddly resembled a Starry Sky Academy student more effectively.

”Do Starry Sky Academy students always have cosmetic surgeries whenever they visit the school hospital for injury treatment?” The Atonement Hunting Team’s Captain speculated wildly, pondering the deeper reasons behind this: ”For example, a rhinoplasty or bone shaving?”

Both Dylan and Blue Bird appeared baffled.

Cough, cough!

Xiao Xiao gave a discrete and forceful cough twice, seemingly trying to block his Captain’s wild imagination using phlegm.

”Master Vas.”

The guide Tower Guard left the guests and sprinted over to the young wizard, smiling broadly, his attitude becoming even more submissive, presenting a clumsy ’bear holding hand’ impression: ”...These are the Trident Sword representatives, here to investigate the frenzied sprites incident.”

”I understand, Uncle Stuckley.” Vas Eagle patted the guard’s shoulder with a laugh: ”Go ahead, I’ll take care of things here.”

”Alright, Master.” The Tower Guard seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, grabbed the long wand, and strode away from the young wizards’ sight.

Vas Eagle stepped forward to greet them.

”My apologies for our less-than-stellar hospitality.” He restrained his smile, exhibiting the crisp efficiency of a qualified Starry Sky student: ”Would you like to take a break, or head straight to the site now?”

”Let’s go now.” From beneath the cat mask came a mechanical, indifferent voice.

Vas Eagle seemed unfazed, his tone became even more cheerful: ”This way, we’ll take the Magic Carpet down the tower, it’ll be quicker... Honestly, when my grandfather summoned me back, I thought he was making a fuss over nothing, but after seeing the site, I realized I had to notify you guys...”