High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1264: Chapter 11 The Tired Witch

Snow falls without a trace, a passing goose leaves its call.

After any magic is used, there are traces to follow. It could be an abnormal wrinkle in space, a special scent left by a magic potion, or an illusion created in reality after the breaking of a ley line.

Of course, the most significant and clearest characteristic is the residue of magic power after the use of magic.

Just as gunpowder remains after a firearm is discharged, magic power leaves a trace of spiritual energy on or around the wizard who casts it. Many experienced hunting teams, during the Hunting Competition, have certain skills to measure this residue, thereby making precise assessments of the environment around the Hunting Ground. Organizations like Trisword conduct regular investigations that involve the measurement of magic power residue.

First-year students at First University all learn how to detect magic power residues in their practical classes. As an outstanding student of Jiuyou Academy, Jiang Yu could make a rough assessment of the very recent magic power residue on the gray-robed witch, even without using alchemy instruments.

And the residue of magic power from different spells has subtle differences.

The residue on the witch happened to be from the use of a ”Binding Spell,” the one that students of Jiuyou Academy are most familiar with. A Binding Spell is a ”Standard Curse” certified by the Mage Alliance.

A Standard Curse is a spell that produces a significant magic effect, requiring a certain amount of magic power and considerable training to cast. This is distinctly different from innate magic such as vampires’ ’Bloodthirsty Recovery,’ werewolves’ ’Lunacy,’ or the fox race’s ’Natural Charm,’ and it’s fundamentally different from a Trickster flicking their fingers to produce a small flame, pulling a bunch of fresh flowers from a hat, or changing the color of playing cards.

In the ”Wizard’s Code,” Tricksters are classified as wizards, but because their sensitivity to magic power is too low, they can only use simple, almost trick-like magic.

Tricksters do not have the ability to use the Standard Curses certified by the Mage Alliance.

”You’re saying that she used a Standard Curse not long ago!” Zheng Qing repeated the witch’s judgment with a look of disbelief on his face, ”A Trickster, used a Standard Curse?! Korma allowed Tricksters to use Standard Curses?!”

Even as slow-witted as he was, he understood the enormous change implied by this judgment.

Although he did not know the exact number, having spent last semester’s off-hours and the winter holiday doing a survey report in North District with Xin Fat Man, Zheng Qing could estimate that there were about ten thousand Tricksters in North Beta Town.

In the entire Beta Town, including First University, there might be fewer than one hundred thousand ’official wizards’ registered. If all the Tricksters in North District suddenly had ’real’ casting abilities, it would mean that Buji Island’s strength had instantly grown by nearly a tenth!

How would the Mage Alliance view this? What about the Moon Council? The alien envoys stationed on the island, how would they see it? And even the alchemy workshops, the herbal purchasing merchants, and the magic laboratories that require a large number of ’volunteer test subjects’ on the island, which had grown accustomed to exploiting the labour of Tricksters, would they accept this change?

Could the Tricksters adapt to the change in their status? After gaining power, would they seek revenge on the wizards who had once insulted them? Would they demand more resources, greater power?

Just thinking briefly about it, Zheng Qing felt like his head was about to explode.

”This is not a good thing.” The young government-sponsored student paused here and added a little emphasis, ”At least for now, or for this semester, this is not a good thing.”

Based on the deductions of Doctor Xiao and fragments of conversation from his sir, Brother Huang, Professor Yao, and others, Zheng Qing keenly sensed the foreboding of the ’storm’ that was looming both inside and outside First University. The school would certainly not appreciate a large-scale disturbance on Buji Island at such a critical time.

”Whether it’s good or not is indeed hard to judge right now... but you can’t deny the ’greatness’ of the matter, nor can you deny the legitimacy of the title ’Great Sage’,” Jiang Yu said.

”That’s just a word spread haphazardly by the neighbors in the North District; it should not be taken seriously.” A familiar voice suddenly rang in the ears of the two young wizards.

Zheng Qing turned around abruptly and saw Korma holding up her skirt hem, swaying as she came down the stairs from the second floor.

She was still wearing the long dress from yesterday, with the scorch marks from fire and a patch of dry leaves stubbornly clinging to the skirt. Her hair was disheveled, her complexion pale, and her eyes looked somewhat hollow, as if she had not rested in a lifetime.

”How long has it been since you last slept!” Zheng Qing couldn’t help but blurt out.

Just a minute ago, he had prepared himself to be ’polite’, planning to tread carefully as he would when meeting other high-ranking wizards. But seeing the witch’s exhausted appearance, he couldn’t help but call out impolitely.

”A day... no more than two days?” Korma tilted her head, pondering, and gave an uncertain answer.

”You’ll wear yourself out if you keep this up.” Jiang Yu quickly walked a few steps, steadied Korma, who was descending the stairs and complained, ”You’ve just made a breakthrough to the level of a high-ranking wizard, you should be staying in your hermitage, stabilizing your realm... you are in a very unstable state right now!”

”That’s why when I heard you were here, I hurried down.” The owner of the Gini Cottage showed a smile on her face and patted her own cheek, ”Don’t worry, I know my own body better than you do...”

Jiang Yu didn’t pay attention to Korma’s self-consoling words and took a potion out of her handbag, twisted open the cap of the ampoule bottle, and brought it directly to the lips of the tavern owner, ”Drink this... we can talk later, we need you to stay clear-headed.”

Korma leaned her head back and looked at the body of the ampoule bottle.

”Wow, Fizzell’s special Energy Potion? I haven’t even had the regular version before.” Saying this, she tilted her neck back and gulped down the potion into her stomach.

Having drunk it, she smacked her lips, looking as if she wished for more.

The Magic Potion took effect quickly; within the blink of an eye, the witch’s pale face gained a healthy blush, and her glassy eyes brightened significantly. Even the magic power that hovered around her seemed much more lively than before.

”Indeed,” the owner of the Gini Cottage praised, ”worthy of the product from the largest potion supplier in the Wizard World...”

The Fizzell Magic Pharmacy Company is the largest producer of Magic Potions in the wizard world; its position in the field of Magic Potions is roughly equivalent to that of Martin Todd Alchemy Company in the Alchemy industry or the Double Tang Note in the sugar figurine field.

”This is just a temporary emergency measure, it treats symptoms, not the root cause.” Jiang Yu said sternly, reminding her, ”Adequate natural rest is the most effective way to maintain stable wizarding magic power... you’re already a high-ranking wizard; you should understand this better than us.”

Korma turned her head to glance at the dense crowd outside the window, and the hint of a smile on her face slowly faded.

”If you held the hopes of so many people in your hands, you wouldn’t say the word ’rest’ so lightly.” She sighed softly, ”By the way, just to correct you... I don’t want to be a high-ranking wizard; I am a ’Great Trickster’.”