High School of Demon Hunting-Chapter 2338 - 559: Another 5 Days Later

Compared to Buji Island, the Atacama Mountain between the plateaus is exceptionally dry and hot during this season.

At the same time, Buji Island might still have snowflakes falling, with an orange sun hanging in the ash-gray sky, casting a dull color over the entire world. Even if you stare at the sun all day, it wouldn’t matter.

However, on the Atacama Plateau, during this season, if you stare at the sun for a while, your eyes would be blinded by the intense and blinding light.

Zheng Qing disliked this uncontrollable extreme weather.

He preferred the mild and polite climate at school, where if the weather got too hot, they could smear an extra layer of clouds in the sky to cover half of the sun’s face.

Pa!

A heavy shoe smashed a hurrying Peruvian Red Scorpion into pulp. Zheng Qing lowered his head, kicked up a few clumps of dirt with his toe, building a small and desolate grave for the little creature.

Regardless of whether it was the eye of a Black Wizard, since it had died, it should be treated with the etiquette of death. On this land as desolate as Mars, life and death held similar noble meanings.

The Young Wizard adjusted his hood and lifted his head to glance at the scorching fireball above.

The good news was that under such intense sunlight, the power of Black Magic would be greatly suppressed—if indeed there were Black Wizards here.

The bad news was that Zheng Qing had a bad premonition.

It had been five days since they departed from Buji Island. Tomorrow was the small lunar New Year, and seven days after that was New Year’s Eve, with Valentine’s Day following on the first day of the lunar New Year. Time seemed like a heavily loaded train rushing at the young cost student with blaring sirens. Just thinking about it, Zheng Qing could almost feel the strong, nearly tangible pressure coming towards him, suffocating him.

Meanwhile, the Absolution Hunting Team’s chase was still making little progress.

From Alaska to Siberia, from Lake Victoria to the Great Divide, and to the plateaus between the Peruvian borders of the Acata Mountain, the Absolution Hunting Team was like a headless fly, scuttling around the world, sniffing countless reeks of decay, only to find nothing resembling the shit they were looking for.

Thinking of that word, Zheng Qing spat hatefully on the ground.

The precious liquid almost evaporated half in midair, and what’s left quickly seeped into the dry crevices between the fine gravel. In a blink, the spit seemed to have never appeared in this world, leaving no trace behind.

Rustle.

Disordered footsteps approached, as Xiao Xiao and Dylan, in charge of the scouting task, appeared in Zheng Qing’s view one after the other, carrying a lazy vibe in their stride.

Zheng Qing’s heart sank slightly. Indeed, that bad premonition had become reality.

"Nothing?" he asked succinctly.

Xiao Xiao’s slightly shaking head seemed to mean a double negative, bringing a glimmer of hope to the young cost student, though it was promptly dragged back to the ground by the gravity of reality before it could rise.

"There are traces of Black Magic, but unrelated to ’Ravens,’" the short Warlock answered quickly: "We checked those drained-of-blood corpses, gentlemen confirmed there’s no sign of the Blood Race, so in all probability, there’s a recently fallen wizard nearby... Where are the Fatty and the Swordsman? Weren’t they staying with you?"

He looked around suspiciously, already clutching his roll of green Bamboo Slip Law Book.

Zheng Qing patted the charm gun hanging at his waist.

"Don’t worry... The Swordsman went to patrol the surroundings, and the Fatty went to catch scorpions," said the Absolution Hunting Team’s leader with a sudden feeling of a slight envy: "That guy said that whether roasted or soaked in wine, Peruvian Red Scorpion is a top-grade material. It’s a waste not to catch seventy or eighty while we’re here once..."

"That indeed sounds like something he would say." The Diviner nodded slightly, then adjusted his glasses: "Has there been any news from Old Verne at the school?"

Five days ago, the Absolution Hunting Team, following the agreement, went to patrol the North District at night and saw Old Verne. The old man was still in good spirits but had poor memory, taking a long while to recall the One-eyed Crow that he had brought back to the school.

The result was a great disappointment.

After all, the school wasn’t Trident Sword or Danghag; without a legitimate reason, they couldn’t detain a wizard for long—even if he was just an Elder of an Ogre Tribe. According to the "Codex," magical creatures like Ogres and Fishman, possessing spell-casting abilities, could enjoy rights equivalent to Ordinary Wizards.

So, several months ago, following the release of the mandatory Metamorphosis Curse on that One-eyed Crow, the Ogre Elder vanished into the vast Silent Forest.

According to Old Verne’s speculation, that Ogre Elder was likely searching for his peers in the Silent Forest. To any Ogre Tribe, an Elder capable of Shamanism was a scarce and valuable resource.

"Don’t worry, I know many oldies in the Silent Forest who will help you inquire about this,"

These were the words Old Verne said, patting his chest in assurance to the young Hunters before their farewell. But five days had passed with no news from the old man, causing Zheng Qing to sometimes privately suspect if he was just brushing them off.

However, he couldn’t show this suspicion in front of his companions.

"No, no, not... You’ve only been apart from me for less than an hour. Do I need to ask every now and then?" The leader of the Absolution Hunting Team revealed a look of helplessness: "If there’s any news, I’d definitely..."

His voice stopped abruptly.

Because a wisp of green flame suddenly shot out from the Void, interrupting the Young cost student’s words. The Hunters all looked up at the flame.

The flame spread its tongues, and in an instant, turned into a beautifully intricate Green Bird, flapping its wings, landing on Zheng Qing’s shoulder, and pecked lightly at his earlobe.

Chirp chirp.

The Green Bird sang in a melodious voice, and the Warlock inclined his ear, listening intently.

This was an encrypted message from Trident Sword, ordinary intel didn’t need such encryption measures. The rest of the Absolution Hunting Team’s young Wizards watched this scene with tension.

Soon, they saw their leader’s brows slightly relax.

"Got it, Absolution will return immediately," he said to the Green Bird.

The little bird in green satisfiedly flapped its wings, pecked at his earlobe once more, leapt off his shoulder, soared into the sky, and flew toward the sun.

In just a blink, it turned back into a flame of green, disappearing from the young Hunters’ sight under the brilliant sunlight.