High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 878: Chapter 226: Fei Rui

On the edge of the Silent Forest.

In the clearing under the Return Soul Poplar.

Five figures clad in dragon skin robes were seated in two rows, quietly sitting cross-legged in the snow. Zheng Qing was in the front, with the other four behind, sitting a step away from their team leader.

The dragon skin hunting gear they wore was what Xin Fat Man had been incessantly talking about before, costing the Absolution Hunting Team a significant amount of their funds, depleting the already tight resources of the team due to the store— had it not been for Zheng Qing’s ability to prepare talismans, Fat Man’s help in concocting essential magic potions, and the Elder’s knack for procuring second-hand tools from his brother, the Absolution Hunting Team wouldn’t even need to set out to declare the winter hunting mission a failure.

Opposite the five hunters of the Absolution Hunting Team sat rows of differently colored and sized mouse-wolves. As the highlighted dangerous creatures of the Absolution Hunting Team’s hunting zone, these seemingly petite mouse-wolves did not appear as ’fiercely vicious’ as described in the documents issued by the Hunting Committee. Of course, this didn’t exclude the possibility that everyone was influenced by their state of mind or unconsciously affected by some ”Alpha”’s overall judgment.

And right in the center of those mouse-wolves, atop the brain of a white weasel, sat a reddish-brown, mottled rodent.

That was Fei Rui.

It was already around three o’clock in the afternoon.

The annual winter hunting event of First University had unfolded for the greater part of the day. Fast approaching the end of the first day with less than half a day left, enduring two more days like this and returning the designated prey assigned by the school, every young wizard participating in the winter hunt would reap a substantial credits reward.

But clearly, such a foreseeable future had nothing to do with the Absolution Hunting Team anymore.

Because a traitor had emerged within the Absolution Hunting Team.

Their esteemed team leader, the renowned Merlin Medal recipient of First University, the publicly funded student of Jiuyou Academy, was actually great friends with their prey!

It was like a soap opera at eight o’clock.

”Why can’t the school assign us some Wild Demons to hunt?” Elder Zhang Da sat in the snow, fingers spread, digging into his short hair, scratching vigorously, his face showing despair, his tone somewhat hopeless, ”It looks like a fight is not on the cards now! My credits! My future!... If they were Wild Demons, we wouldn’t have this awkward situation, right?”

”That’s hard to say... I reserve my opinions on your point,” Xin Fat Man pinched his chin, warning in a thoughtful tone, ”Based on the vibe our team leader gives me, if someday he introduces us to a Fallen Wizard, then grinningly says something like ’This is an old friend of mine, a good Witch Demon who doesn’t eat wizards, please be kind to them,’ it wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

”After all, lacking a traditional wizard education does not give one a deep enough understanding of demons,” Dylan made a piercing comment.

”Such naive children,” Xiao Xiao, sitting beside them, scoffed at everyone’s discussion: ”The school didn’t assign Wild Demons to us simply because we are still near the school. If the edge of the Silent Forest were to be swarmed with uncontrollable dangerous creatures, not only the residents of Beta Town but also the students of First University would be threatened for their lives, this is not something to be trifled with.”

”Moreover, this world is vast. And this world is not just filled with wizards and demons. Apart from demons, hunters have countless prey to hunt... Just like those hunting teams contesting in New World, most of their adversaries are natives of those other worlds, not demons of the same origin as us.”

”If your scope is solely limited to demons from start to end, then I can assert that you haven’t grown into a qualified hunter yet.”

”Holy shit, that sounds so much like my big brother!” Zhang Ji Xin exaggeratedly twisted his body to the side, a ghost-struck expression on his face.

Doctor Xiao lowered his eyelids and paid him no mind.

Zheng Qing wasn’t joining in the eager, low-voiced discussion of his companions. At the moment, he was sitting in front of the others, with a stern face, seriously staring at Fei Rui a step away.

Fei Rui sprawled on the head of the White Weasel, yawning boredly, looking like he could fall asleep at any moment. Meanwhile, the White Weasel under its butt had been earnest and sincere from the get-go, seemingly more reliable than their leader.

”Don’t you think you should say something?” As the chubby mouse seemed about to nod off, Zheng Qing finally couldn’t stand it anymore and spoke up.

Fei Rui mustered a bit of energy.

”Say what?” It squinted, lazily lifting an eyelid and grunted with a reluctant tone, ”Complain about why we have to sit out here in this icy, snowy wasteland? I know you hunters have a cozy little lodge that’s warm, so why can’t we sit inside, have a hot cup of tea and chat? Sitting in the snow, catching a cold, that’s hardly the proper way to treat guests!”

Even though it looked somewhat cute in its current state, its terrible drake-like voice ruined any bit of cuteness, making it hard for anyone to feel a sense of closeness.

The government-funded student was no exception.

”We are not a proper household, and you are not a guest,” Zheng Qing decisively rejected Fei Rui’s notion, and added, ”What I mean is, don’t you think you ought to explain why you moved into my house? And how did you come to Buji Island? Or perhaps tell us how you became a target for the winter hunt?”

”Not in the mood,” Fei Rui pouted, saying lazily, ”Right now, I just want to lie in a warm house, sip some hot milk tea... if there were some dried nuts and snacks from Hui Zi Ji to accompany the milk tea, that would be even better.”

Hearing the words Hui Zi Ji, Zheng Qing felt even more certain of the guess in his heart—he had never talked about anything that happened at the bookstore at home. In that case, how Fei Rui knew about Hui Zi Ji was indeed questionable.

”Having eaten mouse chow for over a decade, I always thought your tastes were simple,” the young state-funded student said with a sarcastic tone.

”That’s because you’re dumb, it’s got nothing to do with me,” Fei Rui immediately waved its tiny paw, disclaiming any implications in Zheng Qing’s words, ”As for my taste... it’s always been simple. When conditions allow, I can drink milk tea, munch on nuts, and wouldn’t mind if you give me a dozen spicy Little Dragons; but when I’m not picky, tree bark is quite chewy, stones are good for grinding teeth, and occasionally, I’ll grab a couple of steel bars to crunch, it’s not unacceptable at all.”

”Mouse chow? No biggie... it’s nutritionally rich, varied in taste, even the colors are rich... from any perspective, it’s much better than eating steel bars.”

Zheng Qing gritted his teeth.

This was what he hated about the Wizard World.

You never know when something very magical will happen before your very eyes, shattering your preconceived notions, and you have no words to say, can only passively accept it.