High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 626: Chapter 295: Red Flame_1

The white Wolf Demon King shrunk to the size of a fist, squatting atop the head of a large black wolf, his gaze majestically surveying all around him.

To the left of the wolf pack, there were several coarse Monkey Demons, their brown fur gleaming gently in the sunshine. However, they swung around huge tree trunks uprooted from the wilderness in their hands, looking ferocious and wild. To the clueless observer, one might think their monkey mothers were abducted by the Minotaurs.

On the right side of the wolf pack, there was a group of plump Wild Boar Monsters. These mighty and clever creatures, donning an innocent facade, stared with their two small crimson eyes, presented their glaringly white and sharp tusks, and casually dug holes in the grassland to vent their restlessness.

Also, across from the wolf pack were countless Snake Demons, a congregation of Bull Demons. Above the wolf pack were soaring Eagle Demons and lightning-fast Swallow Demons. Even the bushes in the grassland and the crevices in the rock contained the occasional surprise of Stone, Water, or Tree Yao appearing.

In summary, it was a grand spectacle of all types of demons gathered together.

If it were an ordinary day, these demons, which held strong territorial instincts, would begin fighting at the mere sight of one another in the wilderness.

But today, whether it was the vicious Wolf Demons, crafty Snake Demons, irate Monkey Demons, or rash Bull Demons, each was cautiously maintaining their territory, deliberately ignoring other unfamiliar demons just a few meters away.

This gave the grassland a somewhat harmonious and coexistent atmosphere.

Of course, both the Snake Monster King and the Wolf Demon King knew that all this peace was merely an illusion. Just one spark, such as the reappearance of the scent that drove all demons almost mad, would be enough to shatter this calm facade, plunging the scene into unprecedented chaos.

On thinking of the scent that had triggered a deep longing inside him, the Wolf Demon King couldn’t help but lick his lips. His instincts told him that if he could devour the bearer of that scent, he would surely be able to break free from the shackles of being a mere Wild Demon and transform into a true demon accepted by the Demon Kings.

Upon thinking of this, the white Wolf Demon’s stare swept fiercely across his ’neighbors’ on both sides. If it hadn’t been for their vigilant watch, he would have consumed the human wizards, skin and bone, long ago - after all, who would then need to chase after that scent halfway across the prairie? There wouldn’t have been those encounters with seventeen or eighteen groups of different types and forms of demons during his chase!

A gust of wind carrying a few dry straws drifted across the Wolf Demon King’s eyes.

The white Wolf King drew deep breaths.

In the wind, besides the foul smell from the Snake Demons, a hint of an odd scent could also be perceived. The crimson eyes of the Wolf Demon King brightened suddenly, and its body rapidly enlarged, followed by a long howl towards the sky. It definitely was here!

The group of little wizards was somewhere nearby!

And that alluring scent was right around here, too!

The long howl of the Wolf Demon King was like a clarion call, instantly adding an edge of unrest to the calm scene. The eyes of each Wild Demon possessing even the slightest ambition or desire started gleaming crimson.

...

When the howling of the Wolf Demon King startled all the large and small demons on the prairie, within the Four Image Array, the young hunters that had just begun to relax had been thrust back into chaos.

Zheng Qing shook his head forcefully and opened his eyes.

He felt as though he had just closed his eyes and was being forced to open them again.

His eyelids felt somewhat dry and heavy, with a slight pain akin to that of a needle prick. The young wizard chalked it up to the consequences of forcibly opening his eyes and thought nothing more of it.

”What happened?” With a hoarse voice, he struggled to stand up from the ground and asked softly.

The hunters standing in front of him slightly moved out of the way, opening up a small gap.

Zheng Qing immediately saw the black mass of demons outside the Array, causing him to gulp down a breath of air in shock.

Off to the side, Amber was arguing intensely with the others.

”Impossible!” the fortune teller turned as pale as a ghost, seeing the ever-growing horde of demons, ”The Four Image Array should completely conceal the presence of a wizard... The demons can’t possibly have detected us!”

”The fact, however, is that they have,” Zhang Ji Xin replied stoically, giving the fortune teller a sidelong glance.

Xin Fat Man, who was previously applying a fragrant ointment to Iseni’s little green frog, immediately stood up to mediate the argument, ”Whether or not they’ve found us isn’t the important issue... the issue at hand is what we should do about it.”

His question further dampened the mood.

With so many demons around, the risks were enormous whether they opted to use teleporting talismans or fight their way out. But doing nothing, staying put, would be even less acceptable.

Zheng Qing stayed out of their argument.

His eyes open, he stared intensely for a moment before breaking the silence, ”No, they haven’t discovered us.” He, the former leader of the Absolution Hunting team shook his head and said softly, ”If they had, they wouldn’t be milling about... Look at their gaze, it isn’t focused on us. They’re sweeping the area.”

”This means they haven’t found us!” Omega growled in excitement, vigorously swinging his arm.

”But, how did they detect the Four Image Array?” Amber remained confused, ”The ’Oster’s Guardian’ is embedded within the Array. It should be a foolproof method of shielding us from demon detection!”

Upon hearing the words ’Oster’s Guardian’, a light bulb went off in Zheng Qing’s head. He remembered his experience with Thomas at the Great Ming Pavilion before entering school.

Oster’s Guardian was involved then too.

Realizing this, a penny dropped in Zheng Qing’s mind and his face slowly turned deathly pale.

Simultaneously, a heart-wrenching pain shot out from his right eye and he involuntarily grunted, clutching his eye.

”You okay?” Zhang Ji Xin shot him a worried glance.

As a close friend and comrade who had once jointly resisted the demons onboard the school-bound special plane, Ji Xin was keenly aware of the chronic ailment plaguing Zheng Qing.

”Your headache acting up again? Didn’t the professor treat it? You okay?” Xin Fat Man, who also noticed Zheng Qing’s peculiar behavior, questioned anxiously.

The others stopped arguing and focused their attention on the young wizard.

Zheng Qing shuddered as a rush of warm energy flowed from his eye socket to his palm.

”I’m fine,” he mumbled, lifting his head to reveal the other intact eye, and instructed, ”Everyone get ready. We can’t possibly win against so many demons...”

His words acted like a key, diverting everyone’s attention and opening a floodgate of conversation.

Clutching his eye, Zheng Qing turned his back on them and walked towards a small puddle, pretending to collect water.

Once there, he quietly released the hand covering his right eye.

Under the dim light, a vibrant red flame danced joyously in his palm.