High School of Demon Hunting-Chapter 1516 - 260: The Anchor Lines That Slowly Disappear

Living in this world, each person has their own anchor.

It might be an ideal, a belief, a desire, or just a simple thought. This anchor stabilizes one’s inner self, ensuring that as they witness the unfamiliar days ahead, they won’t panic or feel lost.

In the Dreamland, this anchor becomes even more crucial.

Because any adventurer venturing into the Dreamland needs this anchor to tether them to reality, preventing them from utterly losing themselves in illusions and dreams.

It is a treasure more valuable than a compass on the sea.

The young wizards of the Absolution Hunting Team anchor themselves to the First University. The First University resembles a colossal lighthouse that, despite being enveloped by layers of mist, continues to radiate dazzling light.

No Face, disguised as Zhuzhu, uses the identities she has impersonated in the past as her anchor points. Though each of these anchor lines is fragile, intertwined together, they form a large net capable of pulling her out of the Dreamland.

Nikita, on the other hand, uses the Mist Captain as her anchor.

This wasn’t her choice but the will of the Captain. The advantage is that, with the Captain’s vast power, Nikita doesn’t risk losing herself in the Dreamland; the drawback is that without the Captain’s protection, she would be like a soap bubble whisked away by the era’s whirlwind, dissipating into nothing.

Right now, however, the female demon had discovered, with a mix of surprise and unease, that her anchor line had loosened somewhat.

The most evident sign was the large ornate "M" on her shoulder, whose color had faded slightly, and the red strip of cloth tied on her wrist had frayed in parts.

She didn’t know why.

Perhaps it was because, at some point, a disrespectful thought toward the Mist Captain had flitted through her mind; perhaps, upon entering the Dreamland, "Zhou Zhou" had gained greater authority, weakening her own presence; or maybe the earlier conflict with the young wizards in Wusa City had triggered the temple’s suppression of her connection with the Captain.

Of course, it might also simply be because she hadn’t wholeheartedly completed the Captain’s mission, and the Captain was expressing displeasure.

Nikita entered the Dreamland without the Mist Captain’s permission.

The Captain’s only instruction was to gather the wandering magical creatures in the Silent Forest and, at the right moment, command those foolish beasts to attack the First University.

But the female demon had discovered a pathway to the Dreamland within the forest.

She wanted more.

Thus began this journey to the Dreamland.

Though the Big Wizards have long life spans, those who don’t achieve Legend status will eventually reach the end of their vitality. Many elder White Sorcerers can choose to retire to secluded realms like Hui Zi Ji, isolated segments of time extracted from the river of eternity, allowing these old wizards to enjoy their twilight years.

Unlike the White Sorcerers, most aged Black Wizards have no access to Hui Zi Ji. Consequently, they often gravitate toward places suspended between illusion and reality, eking out their remaining days.

The Dreamland holds the largest congregation of dying Black Wizards in the world.

Nikita hopes to find some of these elder wizards—her sole leverage to entice those relics is the Xuanhuang Wood in Black Prison, currently bearing fruit. The Captain’s intention to mobilize forces for an assault on Black Prison wasn’t a secret among the crew; to the female demon, if she could gather enough manpower, she might stand a chance to claim a morsel during the raid.

However, those old figures hide themselves exceptionally well in the Dreamland. From the Cold Plateau traveling south to the Dimly Forest, passing through deserts strewn with stones, swamps saturated with venomous mists, and even threading through Zien Cave, Nikita had only managed to gather some magical creatures native to the Dreamland—none of the powerful wizards had met her satisfaction.

"When are we going back? I think we’ve already gathered enough monsters, and adding more might not guarantee we can take them out... Do we really have to capture those little wizards?"

Zhuzhu followed behind Nikita, chattering incessantly. She finished with her ultimate remark: "If we don’t return soon, the Captain might get angry..."

By "Captain," she referred to the Captain of Poseidon, not the Mist Captain.

But to the two female demons, the Poseidon Captain and Mist Captain were hardly different, both being Big Sea Monsters—both being Captains.

A massive purple spider moved its eight spindly legs, briskly and nimbly navigating the Skye River gorge. Nikita remained seated on its back, while Zhuzhu had switched to riding on an Ancient Leather Giant’s shoulder—only then could she keep pace.

Behind the purple spider trailed groups of Cold Spiders, Moon Beasts, and the strongest among the Zu Ge. The weaker Zu Ge had already fallen far behind, likely preyed upon by the Wusa cats that shadowed the procession.

After leaving Wusa City, Nikita had ordered the Zu Ge to abandon their tributes and supplies, focusing solely on advancing toward the Dimly Forest. She needed to outpace the Absolution Hunting Team to locate the young witch lost within the forest.

Since they were traveling through the night, the wilderness was quiet, save for the rustling night wind and the stars shining above. All that could be heard otherwise were the heavy breaths of the female demon’s monstrous followers and their occasional chilling howls.

Encircling this swiftly moving force were scores of ghouls, serving as scouts; overhead, swarms of terrifying Shatak Birds screeched endlessly, casting a shadow over everyone’s hearts, like a gloomy cloud.

Nikita paid no attention to Zhuzhu’s murmured complaints and warnings.

She knew Zhuzhu had faintly discerned her intentions, but the timid little demon simply lacked the courage to vie with the Captains over spoils of war. Instead, Zhuzhu nagged in hopes of swaying Nikita’s mind.

The end of the Skye River gorge marked the edge of the Dimly Forest.

Seated atop the monstrous purple spider, Nikita could already see the faint green luminescence emanating from the forest. It was the nightly essence released by the mushrooms scattered throughout the Dimly Forest.

The female demon cast her gaze upward at the sky.

Venus had already risen.

Finally, she turned back to glance at the little demon: "For the First University, no amount of monsters and magical creatures is more than cannon fodder. If you don’t want to become cannon fodder, you must, like me, use every possible method to struggle... Perhaps then you might stand a chance to struggle for survival."

"I stayed at the First University for half a year," the little demon seated on the Ancient Leather Giant’s shoulder swung her legs defiantly. "I know plenty of secret passages... Stirring up chaos in the school would be easy."

"What you’ve seen of the school is merely the tip of the iceberg floating on the surface of a calm sea." Nikita turned her gaze forward again, toward the ever-nearing Dimly Forest. "When you spot a small hill on the sea surface, hidden deep in the unfathomable ocean lies a vast shadow far exceeding your imagination... I don’t deny that the school’s defenses have many gaps, but I don’t believe those gaps would significantly aid the Captains’ plans."