High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1002: Chapter 64 Strange Ballad

Afternoon, one o’clock.

In front of the small plaza at the Forest Goods Market near the port in North Beita Town.

The cold wind was piercing, and the Sun seemed to lack the energy to shine, casting a rather pale light.

A gray owl circled under the sunlight, its low hoots sounding hoarse, as if there were a block of wood stuck in its throat. Its feathers were dry and disheveled, devoid of luster. One could easily tell that this winter hadn’t been easy for it.

But it could only circle in midair and couldn’t land within the town. Every time it attempted to, a hazy, thin barrier would appear in the sky, bursting into brilliant sparks that bounced it back into the air.

On the little plaza, experienced wizards didn’t pay much attention to the gray owl overhead.

After all, this wasn’t a war between wizards and demons, but a confrontation between Beita Town and the Silent Forest. Any magical creature with a bit of sense had dragged its family to seek refuge with First University long ago, leaving behind those assailing Beita Town, whose brain capacity likely made it difficult for them to flexibly use so-called reconnaissance and tactics.

Not to mention, the town’s defensive formation had only a small breach and had not collapsed entirely.

To invade Beita Town from the sky, as things stood, was not a wise decision.

At the forefront of the defensive position, tall Beast Tamers held thick iron chains in their hands, shouting loudly, trying to make their three-headed dogs and bird-dragons quiet down a bit.

But the effects of the Zealot Potions, which were too potent and had been fed to the creatures before the battle, made the tamers’ efforts somewhat futile.

They would serve as the first wave of forces to counter the dark tide, tearing apart any magical creature daring enough to charge at the defensive line.

”They’re coming!”

”They’ve already crossed the gap!”

Urgent and resonant voices penetrated the walls of the Forest Goods Market, occasionally mixed with unsettling roars. In the blink of an eye, the blue filmy glow covering the market’s entrance rippled as two figures stumbled out.

Robert Lee’s head drooped onto Andrew’s shoulder, the entire man seemingly unconscious, his body limp like a noodle, dragging on the ground.

Andrew, with his chubby body like an inflated ball, moved swiftly and nimbly, dragging the sheriff out of the market and towards what he deemed a safe area.

On the defensive position, wizards with Charm Guns, in unison, aimed at the two brave men.

For a moment, Zheng Qing worried Andrew and Robert might get blasted away by the wizards’ combined gunfire from their Charm Guns. Fortunately, the commander of Beita Town wasn’t that reckless.

”Right flank, leave a passage open, stay alert!” bellowed a loud voice above the right flank, ”Let them through!”

The speaker was a witch, her voice somewhat unfamiliar.

Zheng Qing slightly raised his eyebrows. He wasn’t aware that today’s battle was being commanded by a witch.

”He’s been hit by a Water Fox’s shadow arrow and needs emergency treatment!” Andrew yelled as he sprinted toward the right flank, blabbering like a machine gun, spilling the reconnaissance details they had gathered earlier: ”Five Chisel Tooths, all armed with large shields and Wolf Fang Clubs; two Ao Yins with nasty tempers; and there’s a pack of Chimeras at the rear setting fires—the wall outside has already been scorched clean!”

”Poisonous Horn Beasts, they’re using the explosive effects of the Poisonous Horn Beasts’ charges to expand the breaches in the wall!”

”And there are Pustule Leopards, I’m certain I saw the shadow of Pustule Leopards, following beside a few Flying Buffalos...”

Zheng Qing couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath.

Using Poisonous Horn Beasts as a battering ram, with brute forces like Chisel Tooth and Ao Yin charging the formation, then employing Chimeras to create fires and spread chaos, with the Flying Buffalos and Pustule Leopards to amplify the damage with widespread toxic diseases—it was well-coordinated, in their proper positions, not something those brainless creatures could arrange.

Considering this, the young sponsored student couldn’t help but look up at the gray owl circling in the mid-air, his mood growing heavier.

”He was hit by a Water Fox’s shadow arrow? I have Pyro-stone! I have a Pyro-stone!” Xin Fat Man shouted as he raised his arm high, calling out to Andrew, ”Come here, quickly, quickly!”

While speaking, he had already flipped out a reddish stone from his wristwatch.

Water Fox, also known as Short Fox, though it contains the word ’Fox’ in its name, has nothing to do with the Fox race. It’s an insect resembling a turtle with three legs.

They had another name that was relatively more well-known, the ’Yu’.

In the ”Encyclopedia of the Wizarding World”, it is said: Yu discharges energy at people, indirectly attacks like throwing sand, and can attack from a distance of two or three steps away. Out of ten people struck, six to seven would die. This can be neutralized with Pyro-stone.

Andrew, overcome with joy, made a sharp turn while dragging Robert Lee, stopping in front of a few hunters from the Absolution Hunting Team. Without a word, Xin Fat Man grabbed Robert’s jaw and shoved the piece of Pyro-stone into his mouth.

Only a few seconds had passed when Robert, who had been at death’s door, suddenly opened his eyes and took a forceful breath, the darkness on his face visibly receding at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The onlookers let out relieved sighs.

Having a wizard being injured before the battle was a bad sign; but having someone injured before the battle successfully rescued was much more comforting, seen as a good omen.

Wizards were particularly concerned with such omens.

”Quiet!”

”Quiet!”

”Quiet!”

The voice of the witch who had been giving orders earlier echoed again over the small plaza, as if two echo walls were repeating every word she said, ”Listen carefully!”

The scene, which had been somewhat chaotic, quieted down immediately after her voice.

Although Zheng Qing had no idea what the commander wanted everyone to listen for, he still tilted his ear to the side, listening attentively. Soon, a puzzled expression appeared on his face.

From behind the Forest Goods Market, accompanied by the rumble of destruction, a strange, ancient song could faintly be heard:

”Hey, hey!”

”The horses of the Mad Hunt salute!”

”Trampling over the black tides and huge waves!”

”Outside Alpha Academy in Beta Town, there is Gamma Tower!”

”Standing atop the tower, one can see beyond, where there is Delta Tower!”

”Inside the tower lives an Elder Wizard, raising an Ipsilong!”

”Every day he feeds it Sigma!”

”And wraps it in Omicron fleece!”

...

At first, the singing was barely perceptible, but gradually, as the Giant Beasts ’wrecked’ more rapidly and came closer, the singing became clearer and clearer.

On the small plaza, there was dead silence as though everyone had forgotten to breathe, even the three-headed dogs and bird dragons, drooling and with red eyes, were breathing slower in response to the bizarre song.

Zheng Qing squinted his eyes, his head aching from the thoughts.

He felt he had a hundred thousand ’whys’, and wanted to ask Doctor Xiao—like where was Gamma Tower located? Who lived in Delta Tower? What breed of dragon was Ipsilong? Does it breathe fire? How large does it grow? What is a Sigma horse? And so on.

But he knew now was not the time to seek answers to these questions.

Because the sound that kept getting closer was telling him, the Mad Hunt and surging dark tide were just separated from him by a single wall.

”Boom!”

Dust flew in all directions, bricks and stones scattered chaotically.