High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1613: Chapter 357: Behemoth

”When a person is awakened from a dream, they may experience palpitations and shortness of breath, and they may have that groggy morning anger.”

”When a world is startled awake from its slumber, it too may throw a tantrum.”

Professor Yao stood on the lookout tower atop a turret in the main castle, looking up at the myriad sky lanterns blooming like fireworks in mid-air, scattering patches of pure light. He bit down on his pipe and took a deep breath, ”Phew... those prisoners, who foolishly rushed forth like moths to a flame—should probably count as this world’s minor tantrum.”

Upon finishing, he exhaled heavily, the thick smoke blurring his vision and his face.

”Them?” Hilda, standing not far from the professor, snorted at his words, ”You said yourself, they’re prisoners... How can prisoners represent this world? A prisoner’s tantrum is just them shaking their shackles, shouting and loud, banging their heads. When the world throws a tantrum, it’s earth-shattering thunder, the Earth Dragon turns over, and mountains topple. The two are not comparable.”

Professor Yao tilted his head, staring at the young teaching assistant for quite a while.

Under his gaze, Hilda felt thoroughly uncomfortable.

”Phew...”

The dean of Jiuyou Academy took another deep puff from his pipe, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, then shook his head and commented, ”Sometimes I really think you bought that registered wizard certificate of yours, and the teacher who graded your divination exam must have been bribed with some confusion potions... an earth-shattering event, is it truly so difficult for those nearly deranged prisoners?”

As soon as his words fell, a dull thunder suddenly resonated from afar in the darkness.

Soon after, a violent tremor was conducted through the dense earth layers, landing at the base of Black Prison Castle.

Buzz buzz.

The heavy defense layer of the outer castle flickered slightly, and then neutralized that formidable force, but still left some residual trembles, causing the wizards standing behind the turret and parapet to feel numb in their limbs.

Hilda abruptly turned her head towards the direction from which the tremor came, peering into the deep darkness. Within the thick darkness, like ink, seemingly unable to be dispelled, faint crimson lines emerged, winding and flowing upon the desolate ground, each linkage emitting a startlingly heated aura.

Professor Yao removed the pipe from his mouth and tapped it against the wall, knocking out the white ash accumulated in the bowl.

”See that?”

He pinched a small tuft of apricot-colored tobacco, stuffed it into the pipe bowl, then produced a match from nowhere, struck it against the wall, and plugged the lively flame into the pipe bowl before leisurely continuing:

”...that’s what I meant, a little tantrum after the world is jolted awake.”

Hilda swallowed with effort, looking at the increasingly clear patterns outside, asking hoarsely, ”Is this the work of those prisoners?”

”Behemoth,” Professor Yao tightened his grip on the pipe, observing the flickering red embers in the bowl with satisfaction, ”one of the few Great Demons in Black Prison. Back in the day, it took the school a great effort to capture Him... looks like He’s indeed grown quite impatient here.”

...

...

Thousands of sky lanterns were scattered over the heavens, casting endless radiance over Black Prison Castle and the surrounding hundreds of miles, bright as day.

This was the stage prepared by the wizards from the First University.

Whether the school’s Big Wizard or the hunting team conscripted from the New World, even the reinforcement from the Moon Council—the wizards guarding Black Prison Castle excelled at fighting under the spotlight rather than in the dark.

Conversely, to the prisoners in Black Prison who had spent long stretches in the pitch blackness, the bright lights were like poison. Every ray of light was like a spear tipped with grooves, piercing their bodies and slowly eroding the meager courage they gathered through their chaotic assembly.

Black Prison Outer Castle.

Nine Big Wizards arranged in a staggered formation, sat silently and calmly before each of their guarding base castles, revealing their True Forms.

One grasped a bottle, sitting cross-legged upon a lotus platform; another pinched the Zi Wu Formula, carrying Longsword, seated upon a cushion; yet another cradled an ancient zither, fingers brushing the strings, lounging slantwise upon a soft couch.

Also present were those non-humanoid forms, such as Giant Ape, Green Snake, and Scorpion, each holding their breath, focusing their spirits, ready to strike.

There were also forms resembling objects, such as Pagoda, with legs and arms, with a cap on its head, like the flying eaves of a tower’s tip; a massive coffin drawn by four horses stood on a carriage, its lid sealed shut, bound tightly with chains thick as forearms; a floating gown adorned with shoes, hats, and accessories, visible in every detail amidst a void, making one hesitant to approach.

The light spilled from mid-air onto the Big Wizards, further intensifying their grandeur, casting huge shadows tens or even hundreds of zhang lengths, concealing the entirety of Black Prison Castle.

This oppression sourced from sheer presence radiated outward, intimidating all prisoners approaching Black Prison Castle, leaving them momentarily daring only to hover outside the encircled illumination.

This did not serve the interests of those Great Demons.

They gathered the dispersed prisoners from the interior of Black Prison, driving them to the front of Black Prison Castle, not for sightseeing or appreciating the True Forms of the Big Wizards.

Click! Click! Click!

Sizzle... creak... hiss!!

From the depths of darkness came a few piercing shrieks, as though urging or communicating with one another. The hordes of prisoners originally hovering outside the sky lanterns’ domain receded like tide once hearing those shrill cries.

Moments later, the earth began to tremble.

A figure as tall as a mountain slowly emerged from the darkness, His shoulders seemingly carrying the sky, each step causing the earth to hum, pebbles skittering.

”Zheng!!!”

The Big Wizard embracing the zither was directly before the immense shadow, witnessing His incessant approach, fingers grazing the zither strings delicately, producing a crisp tone resonating in all corners, interrupting the heavy strides, and knocking down countless stones trembling from the steps.

”Behemoth.”

The plucking Big Wizard’s voice was as clear and bright as a ringing jade plate: ”You’re crossing the line.”

The surroundings fell silent.

The colossal figure opposite was quiet for a moment, then suddenly raised His head, two extremely deep crimsons ignited in the darkness, like a pair of lances piercing the night.

”Ding! Ding!”

Two zither notes rang out, neutralizing the force of those two looks.

The inner castle of Black Prison Castle opened its skylight, releasing another round of sky lanterns.

A swarm of slightly sparse, tiny light points shot into the sky, traversed hundreds of miles instantaneously, appearing above Behemoth’s head, soon spreading and scattered in star patterns, swaying and undulating in the wind, turning into several hundred enormous sky lanterns, illuminating the location of the gigantic figure.