High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2663: Chapter 884: Black Gem Cat

A perfectly good night, yet someone dragged me to take a stroll in the Silent Forest.

Zheng Qing felt a bit exhausted.

Originally, he could have basked under the moonlight near the Cat Fruit Tree, or trained the three Great Elves at Greenhill Mansion. But to say that the night was terrible would be an exaggeration.

Whether it was the saying given by the Elders of the Uteya Tribe before leaving or those Fire Meteors streaking across the night sky, it all made Zheng Qing feel a bit closer to the crow.

But just a little bit.

Like a traveler walking in the mist, seeing only a vast expanse of whiteness, unable to tell directions, even if they took a step forward, the mist didn’t clear, leaving everything around them still blurry.

Perhaps because of the swirling spirits on the Qingming Festival night or perhaps because of those few Fire Meteors, Zheng Qing slept uneasily that night, yet without any nightmares.

Upon waking in the morning, the Nightmare Doll beside his pillow lay neatly, without losing a head.

He habitually reached out beyond the bed, yet didn’t receive a warm towel after a long wait; just as he was about to call out, he suddenly remembered that his Sprites had moved into Greenhill Mansion, making him a bit downcast.

It’s easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but hard to go from extravagance to frugality.

Even though several days had passed, he still hadn’t fully adapted to life without the Sprites.

But it only took one morning for the suddenly intense study routine to grind away the gloom.

Doing homework, discussing assignments with Jiang Yu, submitting homework, discussing his thesis with Su Shijun, preparing for classes, remotely checking on the Great Elves’ first day of class, conducting experiments, making time for lesson preparations - balancing the life of a student, teaching assistant, and nanny, managing everything was like juggling eight pots with one lid, always leaving him in a scramble.

Fortunately, Zheng Qing was nimble enough not to drop any pot.

The good news was that the strong external pressure effectively stimulated Zheng Qing’s inner potential. By Tuesday evening, during dinner, the black gemstone he had been holding for ages finally transformed into a cat.

It was already the seventh week of the semester, more than a month since he received this task from Old Yao.

It was amusing to think about.

At that time, Zheng Qing had just picked up a serving of mushroom cream soup. At the table next door, several witches were frying fish - no one knew why these first-year girls decided to cook in the cafeteria. Anyway, as they frantically tossed a few live fish into the sizzling hot pans, one palm-sized fish, in the instant it fell into the pot, flipped its tail with great effort, trying desperately to leap out, heading straight for Zheng Qing’s face.

Because of the buzzing sounds next to him, Zheng Qing was on high alert, and he caught sight of the shadow coming at his face, instinctively tilting his head back.

He dodged the fish.

However, due to a moment of panic and needing to securely hold the bowl of mushroom soup, he exerted a bit more force with his other hand, and the black gemstone originally held in his palm slipped out from between his fingers with a swift ’whoosh’.

Like another black fish.

Off balance and positioned wrong, Zheng Qing didn’t have time to catch his black gemstone. He gritted his teeth, already resigned to hearing the clear sound of it shattering on the ground.

Yet, when it was about to hit the ground, the black gemstone seemed to melt like playdough, elegantly extending legs and a tail, landing lightly on the floor, then turned back to glance at Zheng Qing.

Though its face was still a bit blurry, Zheng Qing swore he read a hint of reproach from the gemstone cat’s expression.

As if blaming him for being clumsy.

During Zheng Qing’s moment of gawking, the black gemstone cat flicked its tail and darted out like an arrow, deftly pouncing on the escaping small fish and bringing it back.

”Sorry, sorry!”

”We didn’t mean it!”

”Really sorry... oh, your sleeve is stained!”

The witches at the adjoining table stood up in a fluster, apologizing one after another, one even took out a handkerchief, intending to help Zheng Qing wipe the stain off his sleeve.

”No worries, no worries... it’s fine.”

Zheng Qing put down the soup bowl, waving his hand repeatedly while quickly wiping the stain off his sleeve with his own handkerchief, ”... just a little mishap, it’s fine.”

The black gemstone cat leapt up onto the table with the fish, looking back and forth between Zheng Qing and the witches, apparently uncertain about what to do with the fish.

”Whoa! Is that your pet? It’s amazing!” one witch exclaimed with her hands clasped in front of her chest, leaning forward to admire the black gemstone cat, smiling adorably.

Zheng Qing noticed her collar was a bit loose, and instinctively cleared his throat, averting his gaze.

”No, it’s not a pet, nor an Alchemical Creature... just a simple Transfiguration Technique,” he mumbled, glancing at his companions, gesturing for them to say something too.

But Xiao Xiao and Xin were both engrossed in their own steaks, seemingly oblivious to the commotion beside them.

Zheng Qing was forced to face the witches by himself.

Turning back, he happened to meet several pairs of bright eyes, instantly making his back hair stand on end.

”Transfiguration Technique! So this cat is transformed with it! Senior, you are amazing! This cat is just like a real one! It seems to understand what we’re saying!”

”This must be an advanced Transfiguration Technique... are we going to learn such deep content in sophomore year? I can’t even transform a Pumpkin Car yet...”

”Then you need to find a suitable tutor.”

”Senior, you’re so awesome; could you teach us? I can bake fish for you! My baked fish is delicious! Or we could run errands for you; you’re so impressive, make us your helpers!”

The witches chattered enthusiastically, naturally gathering around Zheng Qing, teasing the equally flustered black gemstone cat, seeming to forget all about their baked fish.

Flattering excessively.

Flattering without any skill.

Even though Zheng Qing held his breath, he could still smell the fragrances blending together, almost suffocating him.

”Sorry, I have a lot of homework, no time to tutor anyone else.”

The warlock dryly refused, subconsciously ignoring the odd request to be their ’little brother,’ while trying to change the awkward atmosphere by shifting the topic, ”... why were you frying fish in the cafeteria?”

”Because the cafeteria doesn’t prohibit us from frying our own fish,” one witch boldly looked at Zheng Qing as if staring at a greasy fried fish, ”many things aren’t prohibited, so we’re allowed to try, right?”

”And ’fry fresh fish, marinate dead fish,’ it’s a basic principle of cooking fish,” another witch seriously added, ”we don’t want marinated fish, nor do we want to eat someone else’s fried dead fish... so we bring live fish to fry ourselves.”