High School of Demon Hunting-Chapter 1522 - 266: After the Mirror Shattered

"Tap, tap, tap..."

Urgent footsteps echoed through the hallway. Moments later, the door opened, and the distinct chill of the Black Prison mixed with the dragon’s distant keening poured into the room. A wizard in a black robe quickly crossed the long tables on either side, stepping briskly to the staircase at the far end of the office.

"Report!"

He removed his hood, revealing slightly graying hair and a smooth forehead, and bowed slightly toward the gaunt elder wizard seated behind a secondary desk to the left of the steps. "Acting Head of the First University Assistant Corps, Zhang Yu, reporting to Lord Ruoyu."

"What’s the matter?" The gaunt elder wizard stroked the wolf-headed staff in his hand, his pitch-black eyes glancing at the young assistant.

Zhang Yu lowered his head and respectfully reported, "The Protect Legal Formation of the First University has activated abnormally. The School Works Committee requests joint defense."

"Has the Black Tide launched an attack?" Vice Principal Ruoyu furrowed his brow slightly, casting a glance at a desk veiled in shadows nearby. "Old Yao, didn’t you say the Black Tide wouldn’t surface until later?"

Professor Yao’s shiny hair emerged from the darkness.

He leaned on the desk with his arm, half of his body slightly leaning forward, and replied with a smile, "That’s the information we received. The Mist plans to attack the Black Prison while triggering the Black Tide... But often, demons don’t exactly follow plans when they act."

"That little girl hasn’t been a rule-abiding child even when she was at the academy," remarked another elder wizard in a white robe from behind another desk.

"She’s no longer a little girl... or a child," the wizard in the yellow robe beside him corrected in a low voice. "They’re demons. All of them are demons."

Zhang Yu had to wait for the academy’s big figures to finish their discussion before speaking again.

"It’s not the Black Tide." This time, he didn’t give the elder wizards behind the desks a chance to interject, quickly adding, "It’s not the Dark Council either, nor is it connected to the Outer God’s projection that may be lurking in North Beta Town... The alert came from the First University’s Magic History Museum."

"What could possibly happen in a museum?" Vice Principal Ruoyu furrowed his brows.

"The Protect Legal Formation detected abnormal magical fluctuations. The Geiger value has already exceeded the critical point, confirming a leak of extradimensional energy." The Acting Assistant Corps Head continued his report, "Based on the School Works Committee’s materials, the leaked energy is suspected to originate from the Dreamland. There may be regions where Dreamland interferes with reality."

"Suspected, possible... poor choice of words." Vice Principal Ruoyu tapped his staff impatiently. "Can’t they deliver a more accurate report?"

"Time is too short; investigations are still ongoing." Zhang Yu paused briefly before reiterating the School Works Committee’s initial request from the report. "Due to a lack of manpower, the School Works Committee hopes the academy can dispatch personnel back to assist."

The figure behind the secondary desk to the left of the staircase remained silent for a moment.

"Let them handle it." The elder lightly brushed his staff’s wolf-head carving, rejecting the committee’s request. "For now, unless it concerns Xuanhuang Wood, do not bother me."

Zhang Yu bowed slightly and was about to retreat when Professor Yao suddenly spoke again.

"The School Works Committee can seek assistance from the Northern District Wizards." He offered his suggestion with a smile, "Pull back the patrol teams in Silent Forest and Beta Town for now... Let the Northern District Wizards manage those areas."

"Northern District... Wizards?" Zhang Yu paused and quickly realized which group Professor Yao meant by "Northern District Wizards." "That’s against the rules..."

The wording was deliberately mild.

He had reasons to doubt whether those bumbling wizards from the Northern District, who cast magic with frogs, were capable of patrolling Silent Forest or Beta Town.

But such thoughts weren’t appropriate for this setting.

"Rules are dead; people are alive," Old Yao said, glancing at the figure on the staircase. Vice Principal Ruoyu didn’t oppose his suggestion, causing the professor to turn back toward the Acting Assistant Corps Head. "The Northern District folks know Silent Forest very well. And you know Korma; she’s a warm-hearted one. Temporary reassignment won’t be an issue."

...

...

While Zhang Yu was reporting to the elder wizards in the Black Prison,

The "warm-hearted child" mentioned by Professor Yao, newly ascended Northern District Great Sage Korma the Wise, was standing on the second floor of the Sakura Pub’s hall, holding a meeting with her subordinates.

This hall, once used by the Gini Cottage for gatherings, had become the Holy Land for Northern District Mages ever since Korma ascended and invented the Rune Seal.

At the moment, over a hundred wizards gathered in the hall — the most elite segment of Northern District Wizards. Among them was Nicholas, positioned closest to Korma the Wise among the front ranks.

He maintained a stiff posture, his expression grave, as if attentively listening to the Great Sage’s speech.

But in his mind, he couldn’t stop mulling over the recent intel he learned in the study hall — Zheng Qing had speculated that demons might aim to harm the academy by summoning magical creatures from Silent Forest to attack the First University.

Initially, Nicholas thought this conclusion was a bit far-fetched.

But now, even Korma the Wise herself, a Great Wizard, had drawn similar conclusions and assembled the best members of the Northern District Wizards to prepare for a potential outbreak of the Black Tide.

Nicholas had no choice but to admit Zheng Qing’s intuition was reliable.

Thinking of Zheng Qing made him recall the Absolution Hunting Team’s mission tonight — to enter the World in the Mirror via a magic mirror and capture the Faceless Demon that once devoured Fifi’s pet.

He wondered how the group was faring — whether they were safe, whether the demon had been caught. Was it still a snake... or perhaps now just a stinkbug?

With such wild thoughts running rampant in his mind, Nicholas kept a straight, serious face.

This, in fact, had been his go-to lecture tactic during his three years at university.

Korma the Wise suddenly paused mid-speech.

Nicholas’s mind snapped back, as if stung, regaining focus on the platform. He quickly saw that the Great Sage was frowning and gazing toward the direction of the academy.

"What’s happened?" The warlock subconsciously asked, then immediately realized his rudeness and added hastily, "Great Sage."

Only then did the surrounding Northern District Wizards retract their piercing gazes.

Nicholas gave them an apologetic look.

"Something’s happened at the academy." Korma’s gaze seemed to pierce through countless formations, walls, traversing long distances to land on Jiuyou Academy.

"Great Sage, has the Black Tide erupted?" A Northern District Witch asked nervously.

This was the day’s meeting focus; so, when Korma mentioned trouble at the academy, the first assumption was the Black Tide outbreak. Nicholas felt the same.

But Korma’s next words raised his apprehension even further.

"No, it’s not the Black Tide." The Great Sage furrowed her brow faintly, her expression somewhat perplexed. "It’s the museum—an accident occurred at one of the university’s museums... activating the Protect Legal Formation."