High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1374: Chapter 121: The Tacit Understanding Among the Big Wizards

”What is the truth?”

”The truth is a synthesis of countless prejudices, a reflection of reality.”

”Most demons believe that the world originated from a Great True Spirit, and every life is the bloodline of that True Spirit. The True Spirit governs the fortune and misfortune of each bloodline descendant. Wizards are the thieves of the True Spirit’s fire, rebels, burglars; while demons are the filial children of the True Spirit, upholding its glory... Every piece of flesh they seize from a wizard is an offering to the True Spirit.”

”Most wizards, on the other hand, believe that the world is a combination of chaos and reason, a symphony played by dimensions in the void. Every life is the result of numerous coincidences and inevitabilities. Demons represent the world’s negative emotions, and wizards are the just light of the world. Every demon hunted by a wizard is a correction to the world’s trajectory.”

”Are these the truths? Yes, and no.”

”Wizards and demons are not everything there is to this universe. Therefore, the ’truths’ they observe are not complete. Even I do not dare to claim that I have seen the entirety of the world.”

The starry sky slowly recedes in the darkness.

Darkness descends.

Then it is pierced by a ray of sunlight.

The chirping of songbirds and sparrows, along with that sunlight, enters Zheng Qing’s ears; the lazy scent of the afternoon grass makes one intoxicated.

Zheng Qing and his teacher have returned to that small patch of lawn.

The laughter and frolic of young wizards passing by behind the bushes nearby form a stark contrast with the empty and lonely universe, further compounded by the teacher’s definition of demons.

Everything is cast in an unreal shadow.

The young scholarship student lowers his head, rubbing his Clear Bright acupoint to soothe the swelling pain his eyes faced earlier from staring directly at those spheres of light, while desperately trying to make sense of his chaotic thoughts.

”Moon Council... what about the creatures of the Moon?” Zheng Qing asks in a low voice.

The teacher looks at him, a smile of satisfaction on his face.

”Demons, Fallen Wizards, Black Wizards, Moonlight Clan, wizards... different paths leading to the same destination,” the teacher says softly. ”Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies, etc., are all products of wizards imitating demonic powers for self-transformation. Some succeeded, others failed.”

”The successful ones, such as the Vampire Ancestor, Ancestor of Werewolves, Fox Ancestor, etc., were all once very great wizards. In confronting the invasion of demons, they used the power of soul and will to resist becoming demonic, successfully avoiding the fall. Although their forms have greatly changed, and they occasionally have bloodthirsty impulses... overall, they’re still within an acceptable range of deviation.”

”A remarkable success. Their existence has gradually given rise to the current Clans of the Moon.”

”And those who did not succeed... like Ulrich, known as the fallen mentor, they too slowly developed into new familial lines of demons.”

The young scholarship student falls silent.

His mind flashes with many thoughts—for instance, Professor Montreya’s laboratory; low-tier Werewolves and Vampires that can mass-produce blood servants and wolf servants through biting; the whispers of Outer Gods in the ears of supplicants in the Deeps of Starry Sky; and even the vast number of memetic contaminants stored within the legendary Foundation.

Many things, when looked at individually, don’t seem extraordinary.

But when put together, it’s bone-chilling.

”Has no one ever noticed these things?” Zheng Qing couldn’t help asking: ”The way the Vampires create blood servants is so similar to how Demons contaminate Wizards... haven’t any Ordinary Wizards questioned this?”

Sir raised his eyebrows.

”You still don’t understand,” a strange smile appeared on his face: ”Ordinary Wizards have no say in this world, no matter how loud their voices, it’s hard for them to gain public recognition... And those with a say, they have a tacit understanding regarding this matter.”

A tacit understanding could be interpreted as silent cooperation, or even a Silence Contract.

Zheng Qing didn’t know which meaning the professor used.

That’s not the point.

”A tacit understanding? Why would everyone have a tacit understanding about such a thing?” The Young Wizard found it incredible. He still vividly remembered the clouded eyes of Sepulano’s brother after he turned into a Pig Demon and the filthy aura emanating from his body.

There couldn’t be a worse outcome.

”It’s simple, because a society without adversaries lacks the motivation to move forward. Take Forbidden Curses, for instance; Demons have played a role in the birth of Forbidden Curses in some catalytic way... Wizards keep progressing in power combating Demons, and many methods created by Demons are pretty handy for the Wizard World after being sanitized. Just like how the Blood Race develops their progeny.”

”But that’s not the most important point.”

”The most important reason is hope...”

Zheng Qing stuck a finger in his ear, feeling like he hadn’t heard the professor clearly: ”What did you say is the most important reason? Hope? The kind of beautiful wishful thinking?”

”Yes.” The professor nodded affirmatively and motioned for the young man to calm down: ”No matter whether they’re Fallen or not, Wizards who survive after being eroded and transformed will leap across a great rank... Ordinary Wizards will metamorphose into Big Wizards; Big Wizards will cross the boundaries of legends... Of course, up to now, becoming a Legend is known to be the greatest extent of transformation.”

Just a Legend.

Zheng Qing bitterly smiled and shook his head.

He finally understood what the professor meant by ’hope’. For the vast majority of wizards in the Wizard World, even being a Registered wizard was already an elevated existence, Big Wizards were like fantastic delusions. As for legends? The very reason they were called legends is that even in stories, they were astonishing and extraordinary.

A ’Dao’ to become a Legend.

Zheng Qing was very curious, how Wizards who knew this could restrain the agitation deep in their hearts. To be honest, even though there was a seed of a Forbidden Curse in the depths of his soul, when he suddenly heard that being bitten by a Demon and surviving the ordeal could offer a chance to become a Legend, he couldn’t help but feel the urge to lean his neck in for a Demon bite.

The professor easily noticed his thoughts.

”It’s not that easy,” he waved his finger, indicating the Young Wizard should regain his composure: ”A divergent path means danger and difficulty. It is not any simpler than honestly following the right path.”

”There was a time when many talented Young Wizards thought they could rid themselves of erosion like their predecessors, so they deliberately exposed themselves to Demon erosion... That octopus in the library, the mice in the sewers, and that hamster you’ve had for over a decade, they were all guys who were hoping for a stroke of luck.”

”You’ve seen for yourself, they weren’t very successful.”

”So later, the Alliance revised history... also to prevent more people from straying onto the wrong path.”