High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2459: Chapter 680: Hempseed Essential Oil

Given the atmosphere during dinner, neither Zheng Qing nor Jiang Yu wisely mentioned the veteran of Starry Sky Academy who was absent due to an accidental death, but that doesn’t mean Zheng Qing had forgotten about it.

The indifferent tone Old Yao used when discussing the matter etched deeply in his mind.

It felt like having eaten a fish in the afternoon and getting a bone stuck in his throat; just when he thought the bone had slipped into his stomach, it would quietly shift, causing a brief and sharp pain to remind him of its presence.

Night.

After the Cloud Scroll class ended.

Returning to dorm 403, two companions were gathered around the desk, Xiao Xiao was flipping through a thick stack of reference books, while Xin Fat Man had a line of bottles of different sizes in front of him, seemingly concocting some kind of magic potion.

”Making potions in the lab building... do you really need to blow up the dorm once to feel your college life is complete?” Zheng Qing scolded weakly.

After all, he was still the dorm leader of Room 403.

As he spoke, he dragged himself over to the desk and picked up a reference book near the doctor, looking at the title, Introduction to Elf Studies, by John Craig. He flipped through the contents, which started with basic types and properties of sprites, covering topics like soul seed cultivation, sprite feeding, contract explanation, simple commands and deep learning, sprite habit training, and common case analysis. It was very comprehensive.

Holding the book, Zheng Qing’s gaze passed over the edge of it, looking at other reference books stacked beside the doctor — ”Green Elves: Seeding, Growing and Control”, ”Elf Management Technique Manual”, ”Elf Behavior Analysis”, ”Chaotic Life under Precise Logic”, ”Alchemical Life - The Formation and Special Mutation Rules of Different Kind of Life under Magic Refining-Natural Selection”, ”Jabir and Valentine Discuss Alchemy”, etc. Each looked frighteningly thick.

Snap!

The young teaching assistant snapped shut the Introduction to Elf Studies in his hands.

”Damn it,” he muttered, his face showing more annoyance, ”At lunch, I was thinking of discussing going to see Doctor Du Zemu with her...”

”And you forgot as soon as you saw her, right?” Xin Fat Man hummed in a sardonic tone beside him, his hands moving fast and without error.

Zheng Qing let out a heavy sigh, unable to defend himself.

He indeed forgot all about these sprites.

”So, what are you doing now...” He perked up a little, glanced at Xiao Xiao, then at the mortar next to Fat Wizard, and finally his gaze landed on a sunflower and several small sprites sleeping soundly on its dish.

”The doctor saw an ancient recipe in ’Alchemical Life’, for making bold hemp oil, which aids in special mutations, so we’re giving it a try.” Xin lifted the pestle in his hand, pointing to the dark green slime on it, ”It enhances communication between life and nature, increases magic power to a certain extent... It’s very, very safe.”

The fragrance of bold hemp liquid wafted around, and Zheng Qing could almost see countless tiny molecules of magic bouncing around the dorm, causing him to swallow involuntarily.

The ’fishbone’ in his throat reminded him again.

He put down the Introduction to Elf Studies, hesitated, and briefly mentioned the Starry Sky Academy’s veteran who accidentally died to his two companions, only to be surprised that neither of them showed a bit of surprise.

”Things like that are inevitable.” Fat Wizard carefully adjusted the amounts of different herbs in the mortar, humming. There was no trace of his usual excitement at catching a big news story in his tone.

Compared to him, the doctor provided far richer information.

”I heard that student’s surname was Wang; he always liked close combat when he participated in internal competitions at Starry Sky Academy and once held a ring for a week in no-rules fighting.”

As he spoke, Xiao Xiao glanced at the empty bed of Mister Wolfman, adding, ”If Dylan comes back, there might be more news. As for now... I don’t know anything more specific. After all, the accident happened in the Outer Domain and not much time has passed. The school always handles these matters very discreetly. People aren’t fond of bringing it up. It’s not good news.”

”Every year, the graduating class always has a few slots for injuries, it’s not strange if you hear it often.” Xin Fat Man stirred the somewhat viscous liquid in a cup with a glass rod, his expression serious, tone a bit somber, ”Remember our trial meeting before the opening of last semester? It used to be held for freshmen, but because of the casualties, the school reformed it last year.”

”... I always thought those ’casualties’ were like the effect of the Causality Turning Curse when we attended the campus hunting party before.” Zheng Qing mumbled, staring at the sprites in the sunflower dish.

”Ha.” Fat Wizard snorted a short, piercing laugh, without commenting on Zheng Qing’s naivete, continued speaking to himself, ”...And news like this, in principle, neither the campus newspaper nor the Post will proactively publish... unless his death is related to other campus news. Like this case, died in the New World without causing a ripple... hmm, my bold hemp oil has stopped bubbling, it should be about done... by the way, have you ever seen a zombie mermaid?”

The topic turned so abruptly that both Zheng Qing and Xiao Xiao were taken aback.

”What?”

”Zombie mermaid.” Fat Wizard meticulously repeated the term.

”I’ve seen Dead Spirit Jana... but it’s still quite different from a mermaid.” Xiao Xiao frowned, adjusting his glasses, ”Does it have anything to do with that student’s death?”

”Why ask this question?” Zheng Qing almost simultaneously asked a similar question.

”Because I think the topic you guys are discussing is too heavy, affecting my potion-making.”

Fat Wizard’s reason was very justified. He held the glass up to the light, squinting to examine the state inside, ”As for the ’zombie mermaid’, that’s because someone submitted an article to the campus newspaper, saying they saw a zombie mermaid sucking the blood of a Minotaur under the moon in the Aegean during winter break, described very convincingly... but I still feel they’re talking nonsense.”

”Why did you see other people’s submissions?” Xiao Xiao immediately caught the implicit meaning expressed by Fat Man.

”Hmm.”

Fat Wizard rarely showed a bit of reserve, but after just a few seconds, he put down the cup and explained gleefully, ”No choice, the more capable bear more work, after Senior Linda left, our original editor became an associate editor and no longer had extra energy to review the manuscripts... so, you know, the position emptied layer by layer... the editorial department added a bit of weight to my responsibilities.”

”Oh, got promoted, congratulations, congratulations.” Zheng Qing listlessly congratulated, and then lowered his head again, staring dazedly at the few sprites in the sunflower dish.

”You sound like you’re congratulating a dead person.”

Fat Wizard quipped, finally picking up a jade spoon, scooping a spoonful of clear, viscous oil, and looked around, ”Everything’s ready... who wants to start applying it on them?”