High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 147: Chapter 71 Terri Duzem_1

Terri Duzem, a district-funded student from the 1980 cohort of The Alpha College of the First University.

In Alpha College’s independent admission, then 17-year-old, with super S-level Alchemy talent, became the most brilliant new talent in First University.

It seemed like a matter of course.

Duzem began auditing third-year courses in his freshman year, completed all studies for a registered wizard in his sophomore year, and in his junior year, submitted a T-level paper titled ”On the Divine Substances Appearing in the Process of Invoking Spirits and their Storage, Release, and Inhibition Mechanisms” as the lead author along with Professor Montreya.

That same year, Terri Duzem was invited to give a speech at the opening ceremony of the International Young Alchemist Congress.

Soon after, at the age of twenty, he was recruited by the director of the Alchemy Research Institute, becoming the youngest special researcher in First University at the time, and owned a dedicated laboratory named after him in Alpha Castle - the Duzem Alchemy Laboratory.

A year later, when his peers were struggling with their graduation thesis or worrying about professional internship programs, Duzem had already published several high-factors papers, successfully adding the prefix ’Dr.’ to his surname.

The editorial board of the First University’s commentary publication, ”Magic Wand,” made an exception for Duzem, who had no experience in society or organization, and no deep human network, placing him in the Great Arcana sequence with the code name ’Star,’ which means hope.

It means that ”Magic Wand” sees him a beacon of hope for the wizarding world.

In its rationale for the promotion, the editor-in-chief of ”Magic Wand” asserted that Duzem would win the Logic Prize within a decade and could become the youngest member of the Great Wizard Conference.

However, this statement would also become the biggest stain since the launch of ”Magic Wand.”

Only five years later, The First University released a message that shocked the entire wizardry world: due to certain special reasons, The First University would terminate its appointment with Dr. Terry Duzem and ban Dr. Duzem from participating in any magic research activities hosted by The First University.

It was nothing less than a kill order.

Everyone was flabbergasted by this news, and the wizarding world was in an uproar. Even the Alchemist Committee of the Wizards Alliance sent a letter to First University to inquire about the matter.

However surprisingly, both parties, The First University and Dr. Duzem remained silent.

Thus, a supernova that had the attention of all, the future hope of the wizarding world, walked away quietly after the kill order, disappeared without a trace from the public view.

No news of him was heard ever since.

In the campus of First University, there were various speculations about the reasons for the fall of the new star.

Some say, a serious safety accident occurred in Dr. Duzem’s lab, which led to significant losses for the First University, so he was banned altogether.

Others say, Dr. Duzem just accepted The First University’s secret research program, and therefore had to hide his name, becoming the so-called legendary ’Nameless’ - It was rumored that this ’Nameless Plan’ was directly administered by the Chancellor of First University.

There are also people saying, Dr. Duzem was eroded by demons in the lab and fell into a Witch Demon, locked up in the mysterious Black Prison for life without parole.

But regardless of how convincing these rumors were, the only fact is that the genius male wizard who was seen by ”Magic Wand” as the beacon of hope for the wizard world, the genius male wizard who could have won ’The Logic Prize,’ disappeared thoroughly from people’s sight.

As if he had never existed.

No one would have thought that this genius wizard was living just across the wall from First University in the west district of Beta Town; and nobody would believe that this legendary genius was now confined in his ancestral home, living together only with an old servant, worrying about food and experiment materials every day.

”But how did you know?” Zheng Qing couldn’t help being curious, looking at Jiang Yu.

In the interval of waiting for the old servant’s notification, Jiang Yu briefly introduced the tortuous identity of the visiting doctor to Zheng Qing.

Which greatly surprised Zheng Qing: ”Also, why was he banned by First University in the first place?”

”I’m not quite sure why he was banned.” Jiang Yu seemed a bit puzzled, ”But I know it has something to do with the accident that occurred in his lab. In addition to him, several researchers and professors from First University also disappeared at that time. I don’t know their situation, but I do know that this legendary genius wizard will never break away from the shackles of being a registered wizard and will never be able to become a grand wizard.”

”As for why I know,” Jiang Yu smiled, ”All wizard families with some kind of heritage are aware of this news. But the First University issued a block order about it, cast by a spell jointly cast by the school’s three chancellors, so no one talks about it in public anymore... The Jiang family had some research interactions with Dr. Duzem, so we barely managed to break through the blockade.”

Zheng Qing licked his lips, calming his inner shock.

”Why can’t he become a grand wizard?”

”Because his soul was damaged.” Jiang Yu’s face was filled with pity, ”A true genius held back by fate. If an ordinary person suffered such damage, they probably couldn’t even take care of themselves. Yet Dr. Duzem can still continue his research, chasing his dream.”

”His dream?”

”...Making a god.”

Not to mention outside the black iron gate, a young wizard was shocked by the great dream of Dr. Duzem.

Inside the gate.

In the three-story grey building.

In the old study.

Dr. Duzem was lying on a chaise longue, with his legs on the large desk, covered with a thin blanket, and gently snoring.

The noon hour was his regular daily rest time.

As a wizard who had nearly lost all his talents, all he had was that 99 percent perspiration.

Therefore, he sat at his desk day and night, used feather pens and ink, and calculated endless formulas on draft papers.

For a dream that seemed already far out of reach.

On the wall beside his desk, a sentence of beautiful poetry was hanging:

”Unique fireworks, same brilliance.”

This sentence had become the greatest motivation supporting his research.

”Even without the original talent, I am still Terri Duzem. I can make my life bloom like the most beautiful fireworks.”

He had said these words to his old servant more than once.

For that, the elderly servant always smiled sincerely, nodded firmly:

”No problem, young master.”

”Certainly can, young master.”

”You’re right, young master.”

Now, Dr. Duzem who was in his dreams seemed to hear again the old servant’s monotone, repetitive address:

”Young master? ...Young Master!”