High School of Demon Hunting

2: Chapter 2 The large sculpture on the telephone pole_1

2 -2 The large sculpture on the telephone pole_1

It was already late, and Zheng Qing had to go home.

Though he had graduated from high school and was almost an adult, enjoying a certain degree of freedom, he was still dependent on his parents’ money.

Therefore, he had to listen to their words.

After downing an apologetic beer, he mounted his bicycle to head home.

The night was deep and the sky was covered with persistent gray clouds, stars were scarce, let alone the moon.

In this major coal province, buildings had been getting higher and roads wider for over a decade.

The colors on the main street had become progressively richer, the only constant was the gray, hazy sky above everyone’s heads.

Zheng Qing steered his wobbling bicycle into a narrow alley.

This shortcut could save him the trouble of crossing three streets, significantly reducing his journey home.

The alley was long and less traversed at night; the yellowish hue cast by seldom-cleaned street lights added an eerie atmosphere to the place.

“Clack clack…” His worn-out bicycle emitted a mournful cry under Zheng Qing’s forceful pedaling, which in the tranquil alley appeared particularly loud.

Annoyed, Zheng Qing glanced at the broken basket at the front; he decided to repair it in his spare time, hoping for a smoother ride in the future.

“Flap flap…” The sound of a bird flapping its wings echoed from a nearby electric pole.

Subsequently, several lazy, crystalline chirps followed.

Clearly, Zheng Qing’s clunky bicycle was disturbing these creatures.

Feeling sorry, Zheng Qing turned his gaze towards the electric pole, regretting his interruption to their peaceful rest.

“Screech!!!” His old bike screeched to a halt.

As Zheng Qing planted one foot on the ground, he forcefully twisted his head back to look.

He could swear that on top of the electric pole was a gigantic black figure, a figure that resembled a crouching human.

However, the pair of green eyes, all too visible against the dark night, reminded him of the big wolf dog at his grandmother’s house.

He blinked his eyes, shaking his intoxicated and sluggish head.

Seemingly noticing Zheng Qing’s gaze, those green eyes slightly shifted, gazing at him.

Then, under his stunned expression, a pair of large wings gracefully unfolded, flapping gently.

Taking a few deep breaths and then exhaling forcefully, Zheng Qing vigorously rubbed his somewhat swollen cheeks due to alcohol intake, which finally awakened him a bit.

Looking upwards again, the green eyes had disappeared completely.

All he could see was the gray sky and a street light emitting a white hue.

The dark entrance to the distant alley looked like an open mouth, seemingly mocking Zheng Qing’s hallucinations.

Inserting his hand into his chest pocket, he grabbed a gray, hand-sized pocket.

He could faintly make out the golden patterns on the pocket under the light of the street lamps.

Above him, a tuft of hair trembled uneasily.

A large eagle.

After several attempts to recollect, Zheng Qing finally concluded that it had to be an eagle.

Although he didn’t understand why such animals, typically inhabiting large mountains, were in the city, it made sense considering the old owl he saw on the school campus when he was a child.

If an old owl could hang around the school’s tree branches all day, an eagle’s squat on an electric pole for a while should be nothing out of the ordinary.

After all, no one could be sure that these creatures living in the mountainous region wouldn’t want to experience the city life on occasion.

With the groaning of the old bicycle gone, the surroundings fell back into silence.

The noise of the distant street seemed miles away– remote and ethereal.

“Awooooo…” a soft, eerie howling suddenly echoed in the alley.

Zheng Qing immediately felt his hairs stand on end, and a cold sweat involuntarily broke out.

His initially groggy mind suddenly cleared.

At the same time, a heavy pressure filled the alley, causing Zheng Qing to involuntarily cease his breathing.

After a while, there was no movement, only the oppressive feeling became more and more severe.

Zheng Qing took a slow breath, defiantly pedaled his bicycle through the shrill sound of the bell ringing, pushing forward swiftly, eager to escape the depressing atmosphere as quickly as possible.

Although reluctant, Zheng Qing finally admitted to his own cowardice deep in his heart.

After all, darkness has always been a perpetual nightmare for humans, even in the era of artificial light.

No matter how advanced electric lights become, they will never provide a sense of safety like the sun.

A few yards from the alley exit, Zheng Qing could already clearly see cars speeding past.

A shrill scream rang out.

Before he could react, a massive shadow had already entered his field of vision.

Accompanied by a dull thud and a cloud of dust, a small figure was thrown onto him, then rolled aside into a pile of sand.

“Thunk!” Zheng Qing fell heavily with his bicycle, but he had no time to complain.

He tumbled up from the ground, a stack of yellow paper appearing in his hand, the red cinnabar imprint on it emitting a faint red glow under the dim street light.

He glanced over the sand pile next to him, a fluffy big tail twitched weakly.

“Awoooo~~” The howling from not far away clearly expressed a sense of anger.

Zheng Qing, who had just managed to stand, quickly followed the sound.

At the top of the utility pole by the road, the eagle that was there before was back, gazing at him indignantly.

It was about thirty feet high, under the illumination of the simple street lamp hung on the utility pole, Zheng Qing could clearly see the eagle with its feathers erect, its entire body seeming to have grown several sizes, its wings slightly spread and its head raised high, a deliberate sign of menace.

“How terrifying…” He muttered under his breath, feeling the eagle’s piercing green eyes.

He silently retreated two steps, attempting to sneak away, but failed to notice the giant sand pile behind him.

He stepped back and his foot immediately sank into the soft sand up to his ankle.

“Damn!” Zheng Qing became more and more frustrated.

How could he be this unlucky!

All just because he was a little late coming home.

Just as he bent down to remove his shoe and clean the sand out, the sand pile suddenly erupted, catching him off guard, and he was covered in a head to toe of sand.

“Fuck!” Anyone beset by wave after wave of bad luck would feel a fire raging deep in their heart, eager to vent, especially when the alcohol churning in his stomach was slowly exerting its power.

Looking along the sand pile, under the streetlight, a dog with slightly yellow fur was baring its teeth, staring at the sky.

This dog is probably about a foot high, with fluffy fur and narrow eyes that sparkle brilliantly.

Its ears, large like those of a Pekingese, were strangely erect, like those of a German Shepherd.

Looking closer, the dog was heavily pregnant, and its fluffy fur was matted in places, damp with blood.

The situation was clear, Zheng Qing easily filled in the details in his mind.

The roaming eagle had set its sights on the pregnant dog, intending to feast, but the little guy had managed to escape.

Seeing the situation, Zheng Qing couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The stack of yellow paper in his hand had somehow disappeared.

“Fuck!” The anger in his stomach turned into limitless energy under the effect of alcohol.

Reaching down, he picked up a broken brick from the ground, glanced at the menacing eagle, and hurled the brick with all his might.

Although his aim was usually not very good, the target wasn’t far away and was quite large, making it a significant threat.

The brick silently passed the utility pole and smashed into the window of a house next to the pole, accompanied by the eagle’s sharp shriek.

“Crash…” The crisp sound of shattering glass completely deflated Zheng Qing’s rising temper and startled the menacing eagle into taking flight.