High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2337: Chapter 558: Conversation in the Laboratory

The school staff Zheng Qing was most familiar with after entering the university was Old Verne.

After all, during his freshman year, he spent many nights following the old man, patrolling circle after circle around Lin Zhong Lake, interacting with him even more frequently than with most of his professors.

Last year, due to a mishap during patrol, Old Verne was transferred from the Lin Zhong Lake patrol team to serve as a ferryman at the Silent River; later, when the Absolution Hunting Team participated in a trial mission, he became the administrator of the hunting team’s camp in the Black Prison.

Zheng Qing vaguely heard people say that because the disciplinary action against Old Verne had not been rescinded, he was frequently transferred. His position in the School Works Committee patrol team was frozen, so upon hearing Xiao Xiao say that Old Verne had a patrol assignment tonight, he showed a bit of surprise.

”Suspension, reflection, demotion, lateral transfer, and then reinstatement... It’s a very standard internal process. Is there a problem?” The Diviner of the Absolution Hunting Team impatiently knocked on the table: ”Don’t try to understand this with your simple-minded brain, okay? ... It’s just that this time, he’s not in charge of Lin Zhong Lake’s night patrol yet; he’s responsible for Beta Town’s North District, assisted by the Northern District Wizards.”

Once again, the Northern District Wizards.

Upon hearing this term, Zheng Qing immediately forgot about the old janitor with the Shar-Pei dog and instead recalled last night’s dreadful experience, feeling quite troubled.

...

...

While Zheng Qing was in turmoil, a certain Raven they were hunting was also in distress.

”Those kids make me uneasy.”

Although he had escaped the Pursuit of the Absolution Hunting Team, Gan Ning’s face still looked grim.

At this moment, he was standing in a somewhat cramped laboratory, which was a temporary backup base for the Raven in the Silent Forest. Apart from him, there was only Professor Montreya at the experimental table.

His words were directed at the professor:

”... This is definitely not my paranoia, or an attempt to find excuses for my mistakes. Really, those kids make me a little uneasy. I think we should pay more attention to them... They’re too young, not even graduated... Youth means recklessness and naivete, they’re still at an age where they believe in ideals, with none of the mature caution that adult wizards should have, so they might not understand the goodwill we’ve released...”

”Goodwill? What goodwill? For them to pick up scraps we’ve left behind to report to the Trident Sword? You’re not much older than them, does this mean you also harbor the same naivete and recklessness as them?”

Professor Montreya stood under the only light source in the laboratory, lowering his head meticulously dissecting an experimental subject on the table, interrupting Gan Ning’s words without looking up: ”... That’s why you dared to brazenly record data on a rampaging experimental subject in full view, completely ignoring the Big Wizard nearby?”

Gan Ning stood slightly behind Professor Montreya.

The shadow cast by the tall professor slightly shielded his face, which had blanched with shame and unease.

”I thought the North District Wizards shared a similar goal with us, that there was a tacit understanding.”

He murmured weakly, but in this small, quiet laboratory, his self-defense still sounded very clear, adding a bit of strength to it: ”And in fact, the one from Gini Cottage indeed didn’t intervene...”

”Great Sage.” The professor interrupted succinctly.

”Hmm?”

”You should address her as the ’North District Great Wise Person,’ not some odd term like ’the one from Gini Cottage.’ What is it, being surpassed by a younger, less talented witch makes you feel humiliated, so you want to find some balance in the address? Childish.”

The last two words were like a heavy punch, landing hard on the young Raven’s face, his expression betraying surprise and a slight hint of panic.

Though the professor had his back to him, it seemed as if he saw his expression and slightly softened his tone: ”Being surpassed by a much younger witch is indeed frustrating, but it doesn’t mean anything. We and the North District Great Wise Person walk different paths, our experiments can benefit wizards to a degree far surpassing the North District’s spell seals. If the North District Great Wise Person raises the average magic power of the Northern District Wizards from 1 to 5, then our experiments can raise the average magic power level of the entire wizard world from 10 to 100... We are on different levels of tracks, you should not lose your composure because of her.”

”We... I do not...”

”I’ve heard a saying,” Professor Montreya interrupted the stammering voice behind him again, extending his hand: ”Vertebral Bone Clamp...”

Gan Ning, somewhat flustered, pulled out the silver bone clamp, watching it eagerly fly toward the professor.

”The saying goes, ’If you don’t have money, then money represents everything; if you lack confidence, then confidence represents everything.’ Now, I give this saying to you...” The professor watched as the clamp dexterously meshed with the experiment subject, speaking in a light voice: ”If you lack faith, then faith represents everything.”

The young wizard lowered his head, accepting the professor’s reprimand.

The delicate clinking of metal tools echoed again in this serene laboratory as Professor Montreya lowered his head and resumed his work: ”Those kids you just mentioned, any thoughts?”

”Quickly catalyze a subject with Big Wizard strength, perhaps choosing a Black Wizard from the arrest warrant... Let them believe they’ve completed the hunting mission.” Gan Ning replied without hesitation, evidently having had this thought swirling in his mind for a long time: ”As for us, I think Raven’s earlier suggestion to change masks is an excellent way to deceive others...”

”It’s a good plan, but it treats the symptoms, not the root cause.”

The professor’s tone showed no fluctuations: ”After the winter break, they will eventually return to school, and we also stay in school... As you said, they’re very young, they won’t turn a blind eye to the darkness before them. If Raven’s activities are discovered again at school, driven by a mindset to mend their mistakes, they might pursue even harder.”

His words made the young assistant somewhat uneasy.

’Treating the root’ usually implied something troublesome in such discussions.

”Professor, those kids are very talented and well-regarded by the school.” He tried to gently remind: ”We can’t just ignore their existence.”

”Do you think I want to murder them?” Professor Montreya was amused by his assistant’s foolish words, letting out a rare light chuckle: ”I’m saying, let’s bring them into Raven, rather than have them stand against Raven.”

This suggestion seemed even more inconceivable.

”With their talent, there’s no reason for them not to join Raven?” Gan Ning’s expression showed confusion.

”Who said they must voluntarily join Raven?” The professor focused on his experiment, perhaps not realizing the secondary psychological impact his rhetorical question had on the Raven behind him.

”Hmm?” Gan Ning seemed unable to grasp the professor’s meaning, showing a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Professor Montreya stopped his work, lifted his head, and looked at him seriously.

”Who said they have to voluntarily join Raven.”

He repeated what he just said, but this time, he didn’t use a question but a more affirmative tone.