High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2758: Chapter 979: Another Year at the Beginning of Summer

Jiang Yu’s concerns about Doctor Duzem were not unfounded.

Even without considering this Alchemy Grandmaster’s illustrious history of causing trouble and being blacklisted by the school, his sloppy lifestyle and penchant for steeping eyeballs in potion upon their first meeting left a very deep impression on Zheng Qing.

He didn’t want the clean and obedient Lin Guo to turn into that appearance later.

So, on Wednesday morning, after bidding farewell to the White Jade Cat, the Obsidian Cat returned to the dormitory to check-in but did not follow Zheng Qing to class. Instead, it set off alone to Alpha Fortress, quietly tagging along behind Lin Guo for two classes. It was only after confirming there were no signs of the child being led astray that it felt relieved.

This ’business trip’ yielded more than that.

After receiving the Obsidian Cat’s report, Zheng Qing was comforted, and suddenly found that the time he could ’control’ had doubled. Previously, the Obsidian Cat required Zheng Qing to be asleep to have the independent ’will’ to act, but now, as long as the magic power was sufficient, it could roam around 24/7, and the minutes and seconds it experienced were almost indistinguishable from Zheng Qing’s own experience.

This gave him a deeper understanding of the concept of a ’doppelgänger’.

However, understanding is one thing.

Truly mastering the use of doppelgängers is another matter.

After leaving Zheng Qing again, the Obsidian Cat roamed the campus for a while, first chasing a twin-tailed squirrel for half of the academy, then counting fruits on the Cat Fruit Tree, and finally comfortably taking a long nap, waking up to find that it was not even dinner time.

Time that ordinarily seemed to fly by like a spinning wheel turned into a snail for the Obsidian Cat.

Such is the magic of time.

In extreme boredom.

The Obsidian Cat simply slipped out of the school gate and went to Qingqiu Mansion, intending to check on Poseidon’s assignments and to familiarize the Fox Maids and several Great Elves at the mansion with this Obsidian Cat doppelgänger.

The result was a solid closed door at the mansion.

”Sorry, Miss is not here, we can’t verify your identity!”

Su Ya, arms crossed, looked with vigilance at the unexpected guest outside the railings, her head shaking like a rattle: ”——So, we can’t let you in!”

The Obsidian Cat was both gratified and somewhat embarrassed and annoyed.

”It’s me!”

It coughed, imitating the voice of its main body: ”Haven’t you seen me turned into a cat? This doppelgänger is almost identical to that black cat!”

”You said almost.”

The Little Fox Lady displayed rare cleverness and immediately provided Zheng Qing with an irrefutable example: ”I’ve seen a black cat in Miss’s laboratory that is ’almost’ identical to Zheng Zha after transformation! But it’s not Zheng Zha!”

The originally dark face of the Obsidian Cat turned even darker.

”Don’t call that name!”

It angrily knocked a pebble from beside its paw, watching the stone splash a pretty little water flower in the creek outside the railings, slightly easing its fury: ”Besides, the black cat you mentioned is my shadow!”

”Your dislike for the name ’Zheng Zha’ is quite like Zheng Zha.” Su Ya gnawed at her finger thoughtfully: ”That Scum also doesn’t like being called Zheng Zha by others.”

The mind is walnut-sized, but the ability to annoy is not small.

The Obsidian Cat suspected if it brought back this conversation to the main body, would Zheng Qing beat this little girl the next time he came to Qingqiu Mansion.

It took a deep breath—purely a habit of the main body, as a piece of stone, the Obsidian Cat didn’t need to breathe—and sat properly: ”...Since you can’t make the decision, find someone who can! Where’s Su Man?”

With the keen eye of the Head Maid, she should be able to recognize my identity.

The Obsidian Cat felt a twinge of anxiety.

”Sister Man went to the lab with Miss... Who said I can’t make the decision!” Su Ya replied after realizing she was underestimated and jumped up: ”I can decide not to let you in!”

This statement sounded quite correct.

The Obsidian Cat felt a toothache, pulled its ear, and decided to change tactics: ”——What about Poseidon? Are Zheng Su 123 here? Are they around?”

Bang!

A water balloon accurately smashed onto the Obsidian Cat’s head, leaving it bewildered.

”Don’t think about coaxing my little Misses out!”

Su Ya was very pleased with her sharpness, putting away her little spellbook, warning with a hint of restraint: ”...If you have any more ill-intentions, the next thing on your head won’t be a water balloon!”

There’s nothing more to talk about with this silly kid.

The Obsidian Cat finally confirmed this conclusion, stepped back two paces, glanced at the wide gaps between the railings, pondering if it could sneak through unnoticed.

Su Ya immediately saw through its intentions.

”The last Grass Spirit that tried to sneak into the mansion was directly thrown into the toilet by the Protect Legal Formation.” She looked at the Obsidian Cat with ill intent: ”If you don’t believe it, you can try.”

The expression on the Obsidian Cat’s face paused slightly.

”Heh, hehe, sneak in? How could a cat of my identity possibly sneak in!” It forced a laugh, suddenly thinking of another way to prove its identity: ”——Furry Bean? Furry Bean!”

It howled twice.

The Little Fox couldn’t recognize it; the family dog surely could recognize it!

It thought confidently.

Sure enough, before the end of the second call, the gray figure appeared cheerfully before the Obsidian Cat, then, was dumbfounded.

The Obsidian Cat watched the dog’s expression shift from joy, to bewilderment, to hesitance, and then to confusion, standing on one side of the creek, glancing at the small Obsidian Cat on the opposite, then at the vigilant Little Fox Maid behind the railing. Its originally windmill-like tail gradually slowed down.

”Meow...wu...woof?”

It let out the most complex bark Zheng Qing had heard to date.

The innocent and bewildered dog face made the Obsidian Cat unable to be even angry.

Su Ya behind the railing laughed so heartily, her tail fell out without her noticing.

When Su Shi Jun returned to Qingqiu Mansion, she saw this scene: A fist-sized Obsidian Cat lying in the cold creek, its tail pathetically tapping the stream, splashing water that kept fireflies from landing on its belly; On the bank, the gray dog looked anxious, seemingly wanting to step into the water but hesitating; And behind the railing, Su Ya hugged her tail and slept delightfully, a drool trailing an inch long from her mouth.

”Feeling down at night, soaking at my doorstep?”

The owner of Qingqiu Mansion squatted down curiously, poking the dozing Obsidian Cat, surprised: ”Decent doppelgänger... What material did you use, Obsidian?”