High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2343: Chapter 564: Peeling the Onion

”Clear Heart Symbol.”

Mr. Bun handed five talisman papers to the hunters of the Absolution Team: ”These can dispel the discomfort brought by the flower scent and alleviate irritability. Of course, Clear Heart Pills work better, but I doubt you’d casually consume something handed to you by others, right?”

This was true enough.

”Those ravens seem to have some self-awareness, knowing to prepare plenty of such flowers for themselves in advance.” The captain of the Absolution Hunting Team brushed the dirt from his hands and jokingly declined Mr. Bun’s offer. He took a stack of Clear Heart Symbols from his grey cloth bag, giving five to each person, while explaining, ”The school issues these to students on missions, and they have to be returned if unused...”

The other young hunters of the Absolution team tacitly chose not to expose their captain’s fib.

Mr. Bun laughed dryly, put away his talisman papers, and turned to point at a small hill in the clearing.

”The laboratory is beneath that hill.”

He sketched simply in the void with his fingers, and as a faint red magic power flowed, a vivid overhead diagram appeared before the young wizards. ”We’re here... and here are the positions of other hunting teams... and here, as well as here, are the areas Absolution needs to assist in defending. Your task is to ensure no black wizards slip through your line—if anyone manages to get out from the earlier layers of encirclement, that is.”

When dealing with an illegal laboratory, both the school and the Trident Sword have extensive experience. No one would foolishly stand at the short, exposed front door of an illegal lab, obediently knock and enter only after the owner’s permission, then proceed down a dark, narrow passage into the lab’s depths.

Even a witch demon whose brain has been thoroughly drained by bugs understands to prepare various traps, curses, and black magic in their lair to deal with uninvited guests.

”...According to the Divination Group’s arrangements, we have blocked all eight directions in this area, set space anchors to prevent the black wizards in the lab from quietly slipping away, and then constructed a large magic array outside the hill. This draws power from the School Guardian Array to peel away the layers of this lab, like peeling an egg or an onion, until the ’bugs’ hiding inside are revealed.”

As the liaison officer explained, the overhead diagram floated in mid-air, vividly re-creating the scene he described. The entire hill resembled bamboo shoots, with its layers being peeled away to reveal the pale fruit inside:

”...In this, the special tactics subteam of the Assistant Team is responsible for constructing the array model, while the School Works Committee patrol team is tasked with manipulating the School Guardian Array’s projection. Two crisis support groups from the Trident Sword provide close support, and the Absolution team, along with three other hunting teams, are positioned further away to serve as backup force...”

In other words, Zheng Qing and the others were like reserves, unlikely to see action. Of course, the liaison officer did not explicitly mention these slightly disparaging words, leaving it for the individuals to comprehend on their own.

Just like Zheng Qing.

Upon hearing this, he belatedly realized and interrupted Mr. Bun’s explanation, ”So, we’re just supposed to watch the people inside fight from here, right?”

”It’s not a fight, it’s disarming them per ’The Code,’ ” the liaison officer corrected with unusual meticulousness and subtlety, ”As for the Absolution team, they have their own tasks... it’s just that compared to those inside, the tasks are relatively easier for us.”

”Isn’t that just warming the bench!” Dylan didn’t hide his displeasure: ”We’ve been rocking on that red-eyed earth dragon for half a day, sputtered out by that cranky earth dragon into a dirt pit, just to stand around like fools watching others fight?”

The inability to engage was the most frustrating for the vampire Mr. Wolfman hailing from Starry Sky Academy.

Blue Bird might have felt the same, though he rarely exhibited such emotions.

Snap!

A violent surge of magic, accompanied by a sharp noise, interrupted the young hunters’ minor complaints. Countless spider-web cracks spread across the sky above the hill, as if a giant glass dome over the hill shattered. Pale golden cords suddenly appeared in the air, stretching outwards in all directions, eventually vanishing into the void.

Alongside the sound of cracks, mechanical and indifferent reports began to echo:

”...Alpha layer defense disintegration complete, preparation for detachment underway! Convergence of the Guardian Array’s projection! Partial exterior region space freeze removal, coordinate release...”

”Commencing detachment work!”

”Abnormal acceleration in magic accumulation at target region! Accumulation rate twenty, twenty-five, thirty...”

”Guardian Array detects small-scale magic tide phenomenon! Direction from northeast to southwest! Temperature of target building’s exterior at minus thirteen degrees, continuing to drop!”

”Tide active core confirmed as the target building!”

”Measured target building exterior slope at fifty-two degrees, needs preemptive peak-chopping operation...”

...

”Do you know why a building slope of fifty-two degrees enhances magic accumulation speed?” Amidst the chaotic reports, Xin Fat Man nudged Zheng Qing boastfully, signaling with a ’ask me quickly!’ look.

”I’d like to hear the details,” the captain of the Absolution Hunting Team said, still not recovering from the team’s inactive disappointment, nodding perfunctorily.

”Because dimension theory discovered that when the dimensional line curvatures of the magic space reach fifty-two degrees, magic accumulation achieves a subtle dynamic equilibrium. This means that at that node, if the curvature is slightly higher, magic accumulation easily spins out of control; slightly lower, the accumulation speed exponentially decreases... Have you heard of Egypt’s pyramids? The Great Pyramid’s side curvature is fifty-two degrees; they applied this theory in their construction... Though Dimensionism hadn’t been founded when they built it, it didn’t stop those ancient Egyptian priests from identifying this optimal curvature through rich practical experience!”

Zheng Qing turned and gave a surprised look, confirming that it was indeed Xin Fat Man speaking, and not a chubby Doctor Xiao.

That look deeply wounded the Fat Wizard, instantly dousing his desire to continue showing off.

”...chopping effect is significant... ’cleaners’ ready!”

”Alpha detachment interface responding well, magic status stable!”

”Tide movement direction synchronized, decay cycle proceeding, no deviation detected, consistent with Divination Group predictions! Assistant Team preparing for Beta-level second layer detachment!”

”Attention all units!”

”Detected that black wizards in the illegal lab have embedded Poisonous Horn Beast horns between building layers, short magic adhesion will occur between Gamma and Beta layers when second-layer detachment ends, please maintain magic silence to prevent disturbance from causing explosions...”