High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1544: Chapter 288 The True Black Wizard

”Does a Black Wizard really live here?”

”That’s what Old Atar said.”

”But in my impression, a Black Wizard’s residence shouldn’t look like this.” Zhang Ji Xin’s eyes swept over the beautiful lawn and the round, neatly trimmed shrubs around it. Then he looked at the lazily lounging Guardian Beast and the somewhat foolish Door Ring Beast, muttering again and again: ”...It shouldn’t look like this.”

”Then what should it look like?” Zheng Qing countered. ”Should there be a row of Man-hitting Willows planted outside the house, with a few rows of Man-eating Flowers as well? Should the guard dog be a skeleton with a deformed head whose drool can erode granite? And the Door Ring Beast — should it answer the visitor’s questions in a creepy voice?”

”Not necessarily a skeleton dog,” the red-faced Warlock solemnly corrected, ”It could be a Hellhound, or a Houdou, or even a Nameless Monster stitched together from various creatures.”

”Or maybe a Sphinx,” added Zhu Si enthusiastically, her interest piqued by the topic, letting her escape the clutches of the Sleeping Insect. ”You have to answer its riddles before entering, and if you fail, the Sphinx eats you!”

”Sounds full of stereotypes,” Xin Fat Man objectively evaluated.

”But isn’t that how everyone imagines Black Wizards?” Zhang Ji Xin spread his hands, complaining, ”Reclusive, gloomy, living in desolate places, raising a molting old cat, and commanding three or four Abominations as servants...”

”Creak!”

The old mansion’s door opened, interrupting Zhang Ji Xin’s complaints and halting the small-scale discussion among the uninvited guests. Zheng Qing instinctively raised his Charm Gun, as if the next moment an Abomination dragging its slow steps and oozing pus would appear before him.

But it was clear that the owner of the lawn in front of the mansion did not share the generally poor aesthetic taste of Black Wizards. What appeared before the guests was not some dirty, grotesque stitched-together creature but an actual Black Wizard.

A true Black Wizard.

A man with no hair, dark skin, striking white teeth, and wearing traditional robes.

”May I ask who you’re looking for?” the Black-skinned Wizard inquired politely of the visitors at the door. The brass Door Ring Beast fell silent as soon as the Black Wizard appeared, obediently biting down on its ring without uttering a sound. Meanwhile, the stone beast on the steps remained lazy as ever, not even wagging its tail more vigorously despite the door being open.

Nikita stared in surprise at the Black Wizard before her.

She hadn’t yet recovered from what she was witnessing, and the many plans that had been brewing in her mind instantly dissolved into nothing. Similarly, the young Wizards nearby were mostly just stunned by the image of the door opener, unlike the female demon, whose mind raced through various thoughts in an instant.

Dark-skinned individuals were not uncommon. In fact, there were many Black-skinned Wizards at the First University. However, no one referred to them as ”Black Wizards”; the school had an established convention to call them ”African Wizards.”

”Maybe my memory is faulty?” Zheng Qing rudely stared at the man who opened the door, mumbling to his companions, ”Maybe Elder Atar said there’s a Black-skinned Wizard living in this mansion... not a Black Wizard?”

”A genuine Black Wizard,” Xin Fat Man said with a stern expression.

”That also explains why the lawn outside the mansion is so stunning.” Zhang Ji Xin seemed to let out a heavy sigh of relief. He was still bothered by the disconnect between the typical image of a Black Wizard and the ambiance of this mansion.

Compared to them, Xiao Xiao was more cautious: ”Everyone distinctly heard Atar say it was a ’Black Wizard,’ not a ’Black-skinned Wizard.’ There’s no reason for everyone to mix up such concepts.”

”He’s just a servant,” Jiang Yu, who had been silent for a while, suddenly spoke up, quietly reminding her companions: ”Did you notice his robe? It’s made of linen, something only servants wear... And the buttons on the robe are gold-plated, with a crest embossed on them, but neither the collar nor the belt has those markings.”

”Aren’t there plenty of students wearing linen clothes at the school?” Xin Fat Man habitually asked.

”It’s different. It’s like how Blood Race and Werewolves can peacefully sit at the same dining table at school, whereas outside they might tear up the entire restaurant before dessert is even served,” the Witch said lightly, using an amusing analogy in response. ”Using linen for servants’ uniforms is an ancient rule to distinguish them from their masters’ silk attire... Very few families do this anymore. Only some historically significant ancient clans might still maintain such traditions.”

”A Wizard hidden in Dreamland—yes, they must be very old,” Xiao Xiao nodded thoughtfully.

Zheng Qing looked at the Witch with admiration.

”How can you discern so much,” he asked, not concealing his curiosity, ”from such a distance... such minute details...”

”Because the complete spell ’Other Moon Micro’ isn’t just for illumination,” Xiao Xiao explained on behalf of Jiang Yu, addressing Zheng Qing’s doubts. ”Those mushroom-like creatures—each one serves as the caster’s eye... Surely you’ve used this spell before?”

Zheng Qing shifted his gaze uneasily.

Because ”Other Moon Micro” was an extracurricular spell, its formula involved multiple disciplines such as transmutation, evocation, and summoning, requiring advanced casting skills. Moreover, there were many alternative spells, like the primary-school-level ”Twinkling Glowbug” or the slightly more sophisticated ”Shining Evening Walk,” ”The Moon Is Bright,” ”Sunrise Ye,” and so on.

Consequently, Zheng Qing had never properly studied this spell—in fact, when walking at night, he preferred carrying a pack of Fireflies for convenience, cost-effectiveness, and magic power conservation—and naturally, he was unaware of the spell’s additional effects.

”May I ask who you’re looking for?” the Black Wizard at the door patiently repeated his earlier question, casually sweeping his gaze over the young Wizards whispering in the distance before focusing it on the female demon. ”Strangers are not welcome here.”

He didn’t specify whether he meant people outside the mansion, outside Dreamland, or ”non-Wizards.” However, it was evident he intended to end this brief and somewhat impolite encounter.

”We’d like to visit the owner of the mansion,” the female demon seemed to snap out of her fixation on the Black-skinned Wizard’s appearance, responding with a trace of disappointment.

”Strangers are not welcome here,” replied the Black-skinned Wizard calmly.

Nikita appeared to realize something. After closely examining the man who opened the door, she paused briefly before speaking again. ”Elder Atar of Wusa City recommended we come... He’s a respected elder.”

Then the female demon quickly noticed that upon hearing the name ”Atar,” the man who opened the door tilted his head slightly, as if he were listening to something.

But this might just have been her imagination, as his subtle head tilt seamlessly transitioned into a gesture of invitation: ”Please come in... Elder Atar is always an honored guest of the Engla estate.”