High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2414: Chapter 635: The Sprites’ Unusual Condition

On Saturday afternoon, Zheng Qing moved back to Dormitory 403 from Greenhill Mansion.

He wanted to cultivate a sense of life in the dormitory before tomorrow’s school registration day, to prove to his roommates that he had been very well-behaved during the winter break.

Although he was always well-behaved by nature.

Despite being empty for a month, the dormitory wasn’t as cold and deserted as Zheng Qing had imagined. There were a few fresh sunflowers on the desk, with a few sprites lazily lying atop the huge dish. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass window, casting enchanting hues on the petals and their wings. A plump cat curled into a ball, resting its head on its paws in the shadow of the sunflowers, its long purring could almost compel one to pet it.

”I’m back!”

The young public-funded student spread his arms wide and shouted, shattering the ambiance.

Tuan Tuan’s purring came to an abrupt halt. It twitched its ears, didn’t open its eyes, but very bluntly turned around, pointing its fat butt at Zheng Qing, wagged its tail, and continued its afternoon nap.

Flap flap!

A group of sprites flew out from behind the curtains of the boy’s bed. Hehe exclaimed, showing delight on their delicate little faces. But those on the sunflowers still appeared somewhat lazy and lacklustre.

”What’s wrong with them?”

Zheng Qing paid no mind to Tuan Tuan’s rudeness – for him the fat cat not jumping up to scratch him was considered friendly enough – but those languid sprites made him feel something was amiss.

Hehe!

Hehe!

A few slightly clever sprites flapped their wings, landed in front of the boy’s nose, gesturing with their arms, trying to describe their comrades’ condition. Meanwhile, Zheng Qing had arrived at the desk, lowered his head, and stared at the sprites on the sunflowers.

They seemed awake, yet also asleep. Their aura faintly fluctuated, but exuded a vivacious lively vibe, completely different from their current languid state, emitting a drowsy and dreamy contradictory sensation.

The sharp-eyed warlock easily discovered the anomaly – under the ribs of the three sprites atop the dish there were two clusters of sharp, curled wings, reminiscent of cicadas newly emerged in summer, still yet to unfold.

Like butterflies emerging from cocoons.

This was the first thought that arose in Zheng Qing’s mind.

When insects cocoon and emerge as butterflies, life enters a new stage. If following this hypothesis, are the sprites on the dish undergoing an evolutionary metamorphosis?

But he had never heard of ordinary alchemical creatures having the possibility of evolution, especially sprites. Back when he was curing them, Zheng Qing had read many books about sprites, none mentioned they could evolve. Fragile bodies, weak magic power, and simple alchemical constructs had already locked the upper limit of their lives.

Just like the half-blood werewolves and mixed-fur foxes of the Clans of the Moon, they would never have the opportunity to glimpse the realm of the big wizard.

Unless—

Zheng Qing raised his hand, stared at the intricate lines crossing his palm, as if he could see through the thin skin, the veins buried in flesh trembling slightly, and the fresh blood gurgling inside.

Back then when treating these sprites, he certainly paid a ’bloody’ price—literally ’bloody’ price—now, knowing his blood’s peculiar nature, he naturally had a vague psychological preparation for the sprites’ current abnormality.

It’s uncertain whether all the sprites will undergo transformation or only a few can break through this layer of opportunity.

This winter break marked the first time Zheng Qing urgently missed Doctor Xiao. If he was in the dormitory, he would certainly provide a relatively proper method of handling these sprites’ abnormalities.

However, due to the later timing of this year’s Spring Festival compared to last year, occurring only a week before the end of the winter break, students returned to school later than last year. Most people timed their return on the last day. Despite his inner anxiety, Zheng Qing could only wait obediently for the return of his roommates.

Knock knock!

A dull tapping sound came from outside the window.

Zheng Qing set aside the book ”Classical Rituals”, puzzled, and walked towards the balcony, unsure who would send him a letter just after moving back into the dormitory.

He opened the window, and a blue paper crane flapped its wings, fluttering into the room, circling the ceiling a few times, then hovered near the copper mirror suspended with thin silk, before leisurely landing in the warlock’s open hand.

Noticing as Tuan Tuan’s ears, which had been drooping while lounging, suddenly perked up, pivoting with the crane’s flight, finally pointing its ears in Zheng Qing’s direction.

Without even opening the letter, the warlock had already discerned its origin from the faint scent emanating from the paper crane.

The letter was succinct, anonymous, containing only five elegant characters:

”Tonight, Cat Fruit Tree.”

In the empty dormitory, a silly chuckle echoed, the fat cat’s ears which had just upright quickly drooped down again, curling its body even tighter.

The waiting time always seemed particularly long.

As dusk barely descended, the black cat eagerly slipped out of Dormitory 403’s window.

Tomorrow was registration day, and the Cat Fruit Tree, unlike its sparse state during the winter break, was once again laden with furry fruits of various sizes, which appeared even plumper compared to before the holiday.

The black cat always felt it should perhaps collect a round of New Year’s greetings from the fruits to solidify its status on the Cat Fruit Tree.

Light breeze in the cold night.

Under the dim moonlight, the distant shimmering ripples on Lin Zhong Lake’s surface appeared somewhat blurred, much like the wooded groves beneath the night sky, imbued with an ink painting ambiance.

The little white cat hadn’t arrived yet.

This made the black cat, which had arrived excitedly, slow its steps slightly. It shook its sleek fur like black satin, paced gracefully around the Cat Fruit Tree, evenly spreading its scent among the nearby shrubs, before leisurely climbing onto its ’throne’.

From high to low.

One by one, the furry groups left their branches, lining up in a rather loose formation, obediently arriving in front of the ’throne’ to pay homage to their leader. The black cat coyly extended a paw, permitting each furball to rub against it slightly.

When the little white cat arrived under the tree, the homage ceremony was still ongoing.

Noticing the white cat’s figure from the corner of its eye, the black cat immediately abandoned the last few newcomers still trying to rub against its unlicked fur, and hurriedly came down the tree, circling around the little white cat, making inquiries about why it had called it here tonight.

The little white cat contentedly twitched its ears.

It hadn’t summoned for anything urgent, just felt slightly displeased having stayed at Greenhill Mansion for an extended period. Coming to the Cat Fruit Tree tonight, stepping on the head of the black cat, enjoying the gentle lake breeze, finally lifted its mood a bit.