High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 751: Chapter 99 Forbidden Land_1

”Ribbit!”

A mournful croak suddenly rang out, shattering the tranquility of the lakeside. The young male and female wizards, who were just close to each other, seemed as if they were electrocuted, quickly separated and looked around in panic.

Not far away, a cobra had somehow slid down from a faux rock, its mouth tenaciously holding one back leg of a flower-skinned frog. This poor amphibian appeared to have just climbed out from a cave, and hadn’t adjusted to the bitter cold yet. Its movements were slow, and it was hit by the snake’s sudden attack.

Perhaps it was the effect of long-term exposure to the magical world that both the cobra and frog had great resilience to nature - particularly the flower-skinned frog. Even though it was bitten by a poisonous snake, it was still stubbornly clawing its front legs forward, putting up a fight for life, refusing to yield to the God of Death’s scythe.

”Ribbit! Ribbit! Ribbit!!”

The frog’s front claws were caked with black mud, foam was frothing from its mouth, and its piercing cries became ever louder. Even though most of its body was already swallowed by the cobra, it still clung onto the hope of life.

”Noisy creature.”

The young scholarship student muttered softly, with no intention of extending a helping hand to the frog. He believed he had already been merciful by not throwing this amphibian directly into the snake’s mouth. However, he soon realized that his reaction was somewhat ’politically incorrect’ and couldn’t help but glance worriedly at the Gypsy witch beside him.

Luckily, the witch seemed not to have heard his soft cursing. Instead, she was looking towards the center of the lake with a faint blush on her face. This eased the young wizard’s anxiety a bit.

”Ding dong! Ding dong!”

The crisp sound of bells echoed in all directions. Only then did Zheng Qing notice that the red boats, which were originally docked at the lakeshore, had somehow left the harbor. They were moving towards the center of the lake, guided by the swinging of the bells on the bamboo poles at the front of the boats.

These small boats were called ’Ze Meng Boats,’ used as ferries on Lin Zhong Lake. It is said that they could travel upstream along the Silent River deep into the Silent Forest — a popular scenic route in the university. However, due to time and financial constraints, the young scholarship student hadn’t had the chance to experience the scenery along this route since school started.

He had only taken a ride on the Ze Meng Boat once, from the south shore to the north shore of Lin Zhong Lake with Nicolas when school started. Perhaps it was because Lin Zhong Lake was a reserved territory of Fishman Tribe and the students were apprehensive of these brutal creatures. Or perhaps it was due to the six bronze coin fees charged for each round trip on these ferry boats. In any case, students of the academy rarely took these boats from the front courtyard to the back courtyard in their daily commute.

Most people would rather take a longer route and commute along the lakefront corridor on both sides of Lin Zhong Lake than sit on these Ze Meng Boats, which jingle bells as they move.

”Where are the people on the boats? Where’s the boatman?” The young scholarship student shouted in astonishment. ”How did these boats start moving by themselves?!”

Zheng Qing could swear on his eyeballs that there was not a single person in sight on these Ze Meng boats, neither a minute ago nor now. Aside from the yellow copper bells hanging on the bamboo poles at the front of each boat, there were no other occupants in sight, not even a water ghost.

Let alone the boatman.

In an instant, a series of images emerged in the young scholarship student’s mind - captains with octopus heads, skulls adorned with tattered seashells, creaking masts, decks covered in barnacles and seaweed, and the lamenting ghost wails. Being in a fantasy world, these images in his mind became increasingly vivid in the backdrop of reality, giving him the creeps.

”The boats are being drawn by the bell sounds,”

The hoarse voice of the Gypsy witch sounded next to Zheng Qing’s ear, extinguishing the wild thoughts in his mind. The young scholarship student cautiously glanced at her - whether it was the effect of time or the weather, the blush that had been on the Gypsy witch’s face had faded, revealing her pale complexion again - this slightly eased the wizard’s nerves.

But it also increased his annoyance at the flower-skinned frog that had spoiled the moment.

Glancing back, he saw that the amphibian, who had been struggling for a while, had at last been swallowed whole by the cobra and turned into a lump of writhing flesh in the snake’s belly. This outcome slightly improved the male wizard’s mood.

Only then did he start contemplating the words the witch had just said.

”Are they the bell sounds from Lake Heart Island?” The young scholarship student squinted, gazing at the destination of these boats, and pondered aloud. ”I remember there is a small white tower on Lake Heart Island, and a lot of bells hang on the tower.”

”The bells on the tower should have summoned the bells on the boats. That’s why these Ze Meng boats are moving towards the bell sound,” explained the witch.

”What are they going to do on Lake Heart Island!” The young scholarship student was puzzled. ”Isn’t that island a forbidden place in the school?”

There are many areas in the university where students are forbidden to enter. For example, the laboratories of some great wizards, the professors’ residences, the depths of the Silent Forest - but no matter what, everyone knows the reasons behind these restrictions.

The great wizards’ laboratories are highly dangerous and confidential. Anyone entering without permission may trigger irreversible magical accidents. The professors’ residences are too private - entering without invitation may trigger magical traps set by professors and get oneself blasted into pieces. The dangers of the Silent Forest are widely known.

In addition to the above-mentioned restricted areas, there’s one more ’forbidden land’ in the school, and that is the small island in the heart of Lin Zhong Lake. Unlike the other forbidden places though, everyone knows that this small island is a forbidden area, but no one knows why this island is forbidden.

Some say that the seven-story white tower on the island is suppressing seven mighty demons. The school’s principal sealed them with powerful magic, and this enabled the operation of the school’s protective array. The island was a very important place and naturally needed to be designated as a forbidden place.

Others say that what is suppressed in the white tower is not demons, but ’alien gods’ or great beings from the depths of the starry sky that the school’s hunting team had captured from outside the world. Their power was so great that even when sealed in the white tower, they could easily influence the young wizards in the campus. So the school established this forbidden place for everyone’s safety.

There are also others who say that retired old professors from the school, or certain important people who return from the outer realm to recuperate in the school, are living secluded lives on the island. Since these important figures prefer peace, setting up a small forbidden area is naturally not a big issue.