High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 524: Chapter 193 Meaning of the Shadow_1

Because Su Shijun had put her glasses back on, the pressure in the entire office suddenly lightened, and Zheng Qing felt an overwhelming sense that he could breathe again, regaining his ability to think.

It was only then that he recalled his previous somewhat wooden reactions.

”Is this a natural enchantment power of the Fox race?” The young cost student wondered. ”To subtly influence others’ thoughts...that’s a terrifying talent.”

The researcher who was delivering the report to Su Shijun could also clearly sense the surrounding pressure change.

It made his subsequent explanation flow much smoother.

It wasn’t until this fortunate researcher had finished presenting and left the office that Zheng Qing finally tore his gaze from the glass cabinet and turned to look at the witch sitting behind the office desk.

”You are the institute director?” Zheng Qing suddenly thought of the researcher’s form of address and couldn’t help but ask, ”The director of the Ascend Dimension Experimental Institute?”

”I’m the deputy director.” Su Shijun tilted her head, explaining, ”Those old guys in the professors’ joint meeting had no choice but to add a title due to not being able to ignore my Grand Wizard rank and status as a council member in the monthly congress... Actually, there’s no real significance to it. My powers are still confined to this laboratory.”

”That’s impressive,” Zheng Qing genuinely admired, but immediately grew curious again, ”But wouldn’t it be a problem if you’re not often at school?”

”What?” Su Daxu blinked her eyes, seemingly not understanding his meaning.

”I mean, you’re usually busy with the monthly congress or other matters, and not at the school, can you manage such a large laboratory?” Zheng Qing tried hard to articulate his thoughts.

It was quite challenging to keep a sharp, logical train of thought in front of a beauty.

”This laboratory, I just took over from the professors’ joint meeting.” Su Shijun finally understood what he was trying to express. She let out a subtle smile and said, ”Moreover, unless something unexpected happens, I should stay in the school for the rest of this academic year.... The monthly congress didn’t put in so much effort just to have me take a vacation.”

Zheng Qing’s eyes widened immediately.

”Wow!” he marveled, ”If the guys at school knew this news, they’d probably be overjoyed.”

The young cost student seemed to envision the response of the people he knew upon hearing this news.

”So, you have to keep it a secret for me.” Su Shijun winked, ”Besides a few professors, you’re the only student who knows this news...”

Zheng Qing immediately drew his hand across his mouth, making a zipping gesture.

”Speaking of secrets, you should pay attention to this...” Su Shijun, holding her feather pen, pointed at the young student’s feet, ”Try to avoid staying under the sun in the future to prevent other people from noticing this anomaly.”

Zheng Qing lowered his head to look at his bare feet, feeling a touch of sadness.

Being without a shadow made him feel as if he had lost a layer of protection, leaving him somewhat unsettled.

”What consequences would it have if someone discovers,” the young wizard shrugged, ”Are they going to crucify and burn me alive?”

”That’s a funny joke.” Despite saying this, Su Shijun did not have a trace of a smile, ”Without the protection of a shadow, you’re slightly more likely to feel dizzy or suffer heat stroke under the sun... As for being discovered by others, while they wouldn’t tie you up and burn you at the stake, it could inevitably cause some unnecessary troubles.”

”Won’t the lack of a shadow...affect my studies?” Compared to the potential issues, what Zheng Qing tangled on was this matter, ”I mean, without a shadow, will it affect my ability to cast magic, to use spells?”

”Have you ever seen a wizard gain immortality or fly with the aid of a shadow?” Su Shijun countered.

Zheng Qing felt it made sense.

But he also felt she was avoiding the serious matter and fooling around with him.

”...What will happen to my shadow in the end?!”

”If your projection couldn’t break through those two-dimensional worlds and instead remains there, there is a high likelihood it will gradually lose its self and become a shadow in someone else’s work.”

”If it manages to break through the two-dimensional world...you’ve hit the jackpot, at the very least, you could gain the enlightenment of life as experienced by a transcendent being. Of course, although the two-dimensional world is relatively low-level, the experiences there have significant references.”

Saying this, Su Shijun furrowed her brows, abruptly put down her paperwork, pulled open the desk drawer, and took out a red notebook. Then, she opened it and pushed it towards the young student.

Zheng Qing stepped forward and looked down.

On the slightly yellowed paper of the notebook, two obscure phrases were neatly written:

”...When I needed to travel through...the dark tunnel, I met an unanticipated version of myself in visual terms. Undeniably, it’s my shadow. What I need to do is as accurately and candidly as I can, to describe this shadow. Not to choose to ignore it; not to logically analyze it; but to accept it as a part of my complete self. Doing so won’t diminish the shadow’s power...you have to absorb your shadow, to regard it as your part without losing yourself as a person.”

”...Because if not, soon, your shadow will grow stronger and stronger, and it will inevitably arrive at your doorstep one day, knocking, whispering: ’I, have returned.’

The two paragraphs were not long.

But they contained great terror and great opportunities, causing the reader’s hairs to stand on end.

”I’m recommending a piece of work to you, ’The Story of the Shadow’ by the Great Wizard Hans Kristin Odensen... This is one of a series of articles he wrote for the Beta Town Post after his doctoral thesis passed at the first university.”

”It is very, very thought-provoking.”

Looking at the slightly gloomy words in the notebook, Zheng Qing muttered, ”....I didn’t know the school also had doctoral degrees...What’s a doctorate, is it a Grand Wizard?”

”No, it’s not.” Su Shijun gently explained, ”The doctorate is just a scholarly honor that some experienced researchers earn after achieving very outstanding results in a certain field. Essentially, they are still registered wizards...Of course, compared to general registered wizards, their views or statements in their fields often gain recognition from the Grand Wizards themselves.”

The young student took a deep sigh and put away the notebook.

”How much longer will it be in there?” He changed the subject and pointed at the alchemy instrument’s glass cabinet.

Ever since Poseidon had entered, the entire instrument fell silent except for the occasional illumination from the rune arrays. Even the mist inside the glass cabinet ceased to churn.

This couldn’t help but cause worries.

”Soon...it won’t interfere with your lunch.” Su Shijun smiled softly, ”And it won’t delay our upcoming conversation.”

”Conversation?” Zheng Qing quietly swallowed.

He had a feeling.

It seemed like the real reason for Su Daxu calling him here was yet to be revealed.