High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 439: Chapter 108 - Formal, Reserve, and Non-mainstream_1

Officially, there are twenty-seven hunting teams registered at the university.

But now, only twenty teams are standing on the hunting grounds to receive the blessings of the Hunting Committee.

”There are seven teams that have been suspended from ’qualification’ temporarily due to their poor performance last year and insufficient team points.” Before Doctor Xiao could answer Zheng Qing’s question, Zhang Ji Xin interjected with an explanation.

”’Qualification’?”

”That is, the right to participate directly in the main event of the hunting party.” The main hunter of the Absolution Knight Group added condescendingly: ”In other words, the events that truly determine the ownership of the ’College Cup’... Like the twenty teams below, they can enter the hunting grounds to compete for the ’College Cup’ directly. As for the other teams, including those seven teams with insufficient points and other ’prospective teams’ looking to challenge for the ’official team’ status, they need to secure their places through round-robin competitions.”

”This year, there are ninety-one ’reserve teams’ participating in the round-robin competition, making it the largest scale competition in recent years,” Xin Fat Man added, flaunting information he gathered from the campus newspaper. ”But according to the campus newspaper’s estimation based on previous years, only about eight to ten teams would actually get to compete for the ’College Cup’... a promotion rate less than 10%”

”In other words, these twenty teams below have directly qualified for the finals. ” Zheng Qing concluded.

”You could understand it that way.”

”What about ’Absolution’?” Zheng Qing suddenly thought of his own hunting team and couldn’t help but ask, ”Do we need to participate in this...round-robin competition?”

”You’re overthinking it, kid.” Xin Fat Man patted Zheng Qing, the scholarship student with his fat palm, his tone somewhat bleak: ”Newly formed teams like ours have a status even lower than that of ’reserve teams’. Besides, we are freshmen; we can only participate in the Freshman Hunter Competition... After a hunting team is formed, there is a one-year probation period. If the team still exists at the end of the probation period and the hunter competition score meets the requirements, at this time next year we would be eligible to participate in the round-robin competition.”

”However, according to ’The Road of the Glorious Hunting Team’, most of the newly formed hunting teams do not last for more than a month,” Zhang Ji Xin added, ”Of course, I’m not saying that Absolution... we have a chance to survive this year and participate in next year’s round-robin competition.”

”Survive.” Zheng Qing chewed on this subtle word, feeling a bit tired, ”I originally thought our team could be promoted to an official hunting team next year.”

”Ha!” Zhang Ji Xin let out a strange laugh, either to mock their leader’s ignorance or to wallow in self-pity.

”Official hunting team!” The red-faced wizard added sarcastically, ”If we qualify for the round-robin competition next year, rank first in the competition, and then win the ’College Cup’, then at this time next year, our team should be able to officially register with the Wizards’ Alliance.”

Zheng Qing’s gaze brushed over the twenty teams below, pausing momentarily on the tall wizards leading the way.

Then he shook his head consecutively.

”Inconceivable, it’s impossible,” the young scholarship student possessed self-awareness: ”With big shots like Lei Zhe and Augustus down there, alongside so many set senior students... unless we cast a Forbidden Curse from the get-go and obliterate all the game, otherwise, there’s no chance.”

”Not exactly a Forbidden Curse.” Zhang Ji Xin’s lips twitched, apparently frightened by the rather audacious thoughts of this scholarship student: ”’The College Cup’ is an event in the Wizards’ Alliance series mainly for young hunters. Most participating teams are comprised mostly of recently ’registered wizards’, and even several non-registered wizards... they are not yet entitled to the Forbidden Curse.”

”Listening to your conversation, I’m under the impression that our hunting team could just launch a forbidden curse at any time.” Xin Fat Man couldn’t resist chipping in, ”You guys have dangerous ideas...”

”An official hunting team.” Zheng Qing sighed.

”Being officially registered as a hunting team and being a registered wizard are both extremely weighty honors.” Xiao Xiao, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke, ”Aside from the numerous rights we would have in the Wizards’ Alliance, each officially registered hunting team also gets one opportunity to enter the New World each year. This is a very precious opportunity for most wizards. Many wizards who are stuck on the edge of advancement can utilize these opportunities to get sufficient resources...”

Suddenly a sharp, piercing noise came from the Speaker Flowers, interrupting the doctor’s words.

The noise was so intolerable that even the Speaker Flowers emitting the sound could not help but curl their leaves and expand their petals to the maximum, as if they wanted to hurriedly get rid of the rubbish coming from their vines.

Xiao Xiao immediately closed his mouth, raised the telescope in his hand and looked towards the podium.

Other people there followed suit, raising their telescopes.

Zheng Qing hesitated for a second, not looking to the podium, but kept his head down, looking towards the hunting teams receiving blessings on the hunting ground, adjusting the focus of the telescope.

Maybe it was because the hunting teams were a bit distant from the Speaker Flowers; Maybe because the purple Speaker Flowers in the hunting field and the green ones behind the stadium seats were not part of the same system; It could also be because the hunters from the officially registered hunting teams had strong composure.

Through the telescope, the hunters from the twenty teams were all standing quietly in their places, not looking around, showing any unusual reactions.

Even the respected Deputy Headmaster who was bestowing blessings on the hunters, was going about his duty leisurely, touching the heads of each hunter who came forward and giving them his blessings.

The noise came quickly and left just as fast.

In the blink of an eye, soothing music flowed from the Speaker Flowers once again as if everything that just happened was an illusion.

The Hunting Commentator’s deep, steady voice also came out from the Speaker Flowers: ”... the pre-match blessing ceremony for the hunting teams is about to end... what will commence next is the pre-game oath-taking stage by the hunting teams...”

For the students of Astronomy Class 08-1, this voice was not unfamiliar.

However, many expressed surprise that this voice had appeared so soon.

”Tang Dun?” Zheng Qing raised an eyebrow, ”If I remember correctly... you guys said he was an assistant to the commentator?”

”To be precise, he is the commentator’s deputy...” Xin Fat Man scratched his chin, a hint of confusion in his eyes, ”and as far as I know, there have rarely been freshman students in school history who directly became the official commentator for the school hunting party...”

”Being a deputy means that they would take over subsequent commentating tasks when the commentator encounters any ’force majeure’ issues.” Zhang Ji Xin said, a glint of regret on his face as he spoke, ”If only today was the New Student Hunting Competition... that would mean we could potentially avoid a powerful competitor.”

The fact that Tang Dun is forming a hunting team to participate in this year’s New Student Hunting Competition is not a secret, some members of the Absolution Knights have even received an invitation from the class monitor.

The young scholarship student sneered, indifferent to the negative attitude of his own main hunter.

Instead of relying on coincidence and luck, he preferred to defeat opponents in a fair and square manner - even though his hunting team hadn’t undergone a single official training session.

”There was probably just a glitch with the student union’s public relations department which resulted in the noise from the Speaker Flowers.” Xiao Xiao was still holding the telescope, staring fixedly at the podium and mumbling, ”Maybe you should take a look at Old Yao’s face now... I finally know what the color ’livid’ looks like.”

The young wizards around raised their telescopes as one and looked towards the podium.

This time, even Zheng Qing was no exception.