High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2400: Chapter 621: Gradual Contagion

An unexpected thing that did not surprise Zheng Qing was that Professor Montreya did not directly draw blood to analyze whether Zheng Qing was truly afflicted by a bloodline curse, but instead started the examination from his eyes.

Because just last year, probably around this same period—Zheng Qing was not very sure, about the first or second week after the winter break ended—he went to the ’Bloodline Research and Advanced Magic Text Analysis’ laboratory for the first time because of blood stasis in his eyes and asked Professor Montreya to help check his eyes.

The examination results at that time were not clear; the professor merely made a vague judgment that there was a force within Zheng Qing that did not belong to him, which due to ’improper borrowing’, led to its overflow, causing a certain degree of backlash to his body, resulting in bloodstains at the bottom of his eyes.

This time, upon rechecking, coupled with Professor Montreya’s recent advancement to Big Wizard, it was natural to start from the direction previously checked.

”Have you experienced any blood stasis in your eyes recently?”

”No... no.”

”Any swelling pain or other stimulating sensations?”

”Also no.”

”In the past year, have you undergone any modification regarding bloodline, or similar bloodline-related treatment? Hmm, you can respond briefly if it involves privacy.”

”No!”

Regarding this last question, Zheng Qing answered very straightforwardly.

Surely, a few months after Professor Montreya checked his eyes, due to certain unexpected events, he accidentally exploded, but eventually, the teacher made him a body almost identical—at least in his perception—with no difference from before—thus, while answering ’no’, the student felt somewhat confident.

The professor took off the monacle with gold frames and pulled out a roll of leather from his handbag, spreading it open, revealing silver needles of varying lengths and thicknesses, some barely an inch long, others over a foot. He didn’t ask Zheng Qing to close his eyes but directly took out the silver needles and inserted them into various acupuncture points on the warlock’s body, especially on the face.

Zheng Qing didn’t even need to use the corners of his eyes to see several slender silver needles trembling subtly on his face. He guessed the professor was attempting to block his internal blood energy for further examination.

”... Do you have any idea about the force in your body?” The professor asked while continuing to insert the needles.

Zheng Qing hesitated slightly but eventually shook his head.

He could not tell anyone about the forbidden curse.

”Not sure.”

The student answered vaguely, a bit worried that the professor might continue to ask questions, pondering how he should cover up, but the professor seemed to believe his response directly and did not inquire further, instead bringing up that copper bean.

”... Regarding your experience at the banquet, Su Councilor has already described the relevant situation briefly. I have also reviewed the records from the school hospital and the Trident Sword. According to what you said, the copper bean directly ’fused’ into your body and then disappeared, is that correct?”

While saying these things, Professor Montreya’s face was very close to Zheng Qing, still adjusting the positions of the silver needles slightly to more precisely capture the changes in the flow of blood energy within Zheng Qing.

Zheng Qing noticed that the professor seemed much younger now compared to before; although his skin was still dark yellow, the brown spots on his cheekbones had almost disappeared, and the thick bags under his eyes were gone, no longer displaying the previous fatigue.

The only things unchanged were his messy gray hair and those deep blue-gray eyes.

His gaze was as sharp and deep as always.

”Yes... correct.” Facing these eyes, Zheng Qing involuntarily averted his gaze, worried that this Big Wizard just close by might see something from his eyes.

”Do you remember what I told you after the examination last year?” The professor seemed not to have noticed the student’s wandering gaze, his tone and expression unchanging as he continued: ”One of the most fascinating aspects of magic is that things without brains often have their own thoughts; things that appear to be capable of thinking often don’t have much brain; and in your own head, many things that don’t belong to you are often hidden... That bean is an example of something without a brain.”

This assertion immediately sparked the student’s interest.

”Do you mean, it has its own thoughts?”

”Or to be more precise, it has ’behavior logic’.” The professor corrected the student’s wording and then, departing from his previous taciturnity, began to explain in detail: ”According to your statement, that copper bean is a method of the Ravens, and according to the information from the Trident Sword, the Ravens conduct illegal human body modification experiments... which means the Ravens want to modify you... Although I am not very familiar with the ’Ravens’ you mentioned, based on my knowledge of bloodlines, completing human body modification and achieving bloodline evolution does not necessarily require very precise surgery or magic rituals; many times, it only takes a piece of bone or a drop of blood to accomplish.

Long ago, certain alchemical factions would remove a piece of bone from a wizard’s body and replace it with a piece from the Dragon Clan, Azure Phoenix, or even Unicorn, gaining supernatural magical physique through alien magic corrosion. Later, due to the reduction of magical creatures, these wizards turned their attention to their fellow wizards with greater talents, removing their spinal bones, replacing their hearts, and even changing their entire skeletons... these methods were so sinister that this faction has almost gone extinct within the Alliance, only surviving in some ancient wizarding families.

Recently, for example, blood races and werewolf clans of the Moon Council, can transform ordinary wizards, and even commoners, into true blood races and werewolves through biting. Of course, I know that many people would say that this method is similar to demon transformation, but unlike the violent erosion of demons, the transformation of the blood race is more gentle and secretive. The difference lies in the blood. Blood races mix their blood with the blood of those transforming, conducting ’gradual dyeing’, artificially extending the transformation period to lower the risk of loss of control.

In this process, that piece of bone or drop of blood contains the ’some segment of will’ or ’certain concepts’ of its original owner; you can simply understand it as genetic information at the soul level... and that information is the root from which the ’behavior logic’ I mentioned arises.”

Upon hearing this, Zheng Qing finally had a deeper understanding of the principle of that copper bean’s effect, subconsciously squeezing the closest glass cup.

Pop!

The crisp sound of the cup breaking interrupted the professor, echoing clearly in the living room.

Su Shijun, who had been listening attentively, erased the smile from her face, expressionlessly making a V gesture toward Zheng Qing, pinching it to suggest cutting the warlock’s reckless hand like scissors.

Only Zheng Qing understood that Upper Senator’s meant that the glass cup would cost two jade coins, with no bargaining.