Chapter 287: Dark Demon and Cocksnake (4k)
[Image: Cocksnake]
The shattered stone shell, the ground covered in stone powder.
Professor Nina’s innocent expression.
All of these finally eased the tense atmosphere in the classroom.
The front row students quieted down, observing the cocksnake carefully in Professor Nina’s hand. Though still nervous, they no longer panicked as much as before.
Cocksnakes differ slightly from Sucking Spirits.
They are common dangerous monsters in the underground city.
But cocksnakes are far more well-known than Sucking Spirits.
They look like a monstrous hybrid of a rooster and a snake, capable of turning enemies to stone with just a glance.
What happened just now proved the legend’s truth.
However, Professor Nina, who has the bloodline of a Behemoth, seemed to have a strong resistance against the petrifying ray, almost completely negating the petrification effect.
This slightly reduced the students’ fear of cocksnakes.
Yet, many subconsciously overlooked that Professor Nina’s immunity didn’t mean they could be immune too!
Fortunately, she hadn’t forgotten to tie the cloth back…
“Alright everyone, return to your seats. I believe Professor Nina, having brought such a dangerous monster into the classroom, must have prepared the corresponding countermeasures. For example, a ‘Petrification Antidote’?”
A calm and clear voice came from the back row—Dark Demon.
The students’ emotions finally stabilized.
Emma Maltis looked up at Professor Nina, cautiously asking, “Professor Nina, is this correct?”
Professor Nina on the podium seemed to remember the matter only now.
She hurriedly put aside the cocksnake and reached into her small backpack, pulling out a large jar.
Inside was a large jar filled with murky green liquid.
It didn’t look like a proper ‘Petrification Antidote’…
But Professor Nina shook the jar and loudly said, “This is calcium toad saliva, the bane of cocksnakes. A single drop of this saliva can create a liter of antidote, capable of reversing the petrification caused by cocksnakes.”
“Phew—”
Despite the murky green saliva looking unreliable and somewhat disgusting, it was indeed an effective remedy for cocksnakes.
Emma let out a sigh of relief and led her two classmates back to their seats.
With her leading, the male and female students from the Knight Academy gradually resumed their seats.
Students from other colleges quickly followed suit.
The entire classroom finally regained some order.
Dark Demon also sat back down in the back row.
During the previous two classes, he knew that though Professor Nina seemed a bit naive, she would do everything possible to prepare thoroughly.
Now it was evident that she had done so.
With the effective antidote, petrification wasn’t so terrifying anymore.
Myths always portray petrification as unsolvable and terrifying, like the legend of Medusa.
But in fact, humans have long developed methods to counteract petrification during their prolonged war against demons.
…
Professor Nina watched the students sit back down, then cast a grateful glance towards Dark Demon. She held the cocksnake and the toad saliva in one hand each and walked to the lectern to continue her lesson.
“In fact, cocksnakes aren’t as frightening as they seem. Besides their petrifying ray, they only possess the combat power of a rooster and half a snake.”
“Moreover, the rooster-like rear end makes the cocksnake lose some of the snake’s characteristics. Its danger is even less than that of a snake!”
“Many monsters in the underground city are similar; their danger stems from the unknown. Once you understand them thoroughly and prepare adequately, you can greatly reduce the risk and even turn encounters into profitable adventures.”
“Take the cocksnake, for instance. It has both a rooster and a snake body, which means…”
Professor Nina suddenly realized she needed interaction with the students and abruptly stopped.
She eagerly looked down, hoping a student would raise their hand to answer.
But the question seemed too advanced. Even the students from the Mana Academy didn’t know how to respond.
After a while…
A sympathetic female student from the Mana Academy cautiously raised her hand.
Professor Nina’s eyes lit up, and she immediately called her up.
The girl whispered, “If we talk about profits, having both a snake and a rooster body means we can gather materials from both…”
She worried her words were too obvious, but Professor Nina nodded vigorously, saying, “Exactly. That means we can eat both chicken and snake meat!”
The girl was momentarily stunned.
Professor Nina continued, “In the underground city, if you want to venture deeply over a long period, learning to find food is crucial.”
“I remember someone mentioned the vine monster in the homework. Vine monster’s blood can quench thirst in emergencies, and its meat is soft and delicate. Just cook it and it’s edible. The taste is a bit bland, but with seasoning…”
“Another student mentioned the mushroom bear. Mushroom bear’s mushrooms are edible fungi, large and plentiful!”
“Similarly, cocksnakes are edible!”
“Cut off the head and tail, and cocksnakes will be far tastier than vine monsters and mushroom bears!”
“Oh, they may look like chickens, but they’re actually snakes. The snake part is the head, and the rooster part is the tail.”
“Well, today’s class includes introducing cocksnakes and experiencing petrification…”
“Does anyone want to try?”
“Don’t worry, if you can remove the petrification within fifteen minutes, there won’t be any aftereffects!”
She looked earnestly at the students again.
But this time, unlike before, all students avoided her gaze.
No one responded out of sympathy.
Oh my!
Experiencing Sucking Spirits’ absorption might make sense, but this petrification experience?
Could experiencing it once grant immunity?
Isn’t that a mistake? Not everyone is a Behemoth!
Group immunity doesn’t work here!
…
Professor Nina, rejected by the group, sought help from Emma and Dark Demon.
But this time, Emma turned away, firmly refusing.
Professor Nina then looked at the golden-haired youth in the last row.
Dark Demon took a deep breath, feeling it was inappropriate to remain silent, and stood up, saying, “Professor Nina, there’s no real necessity for a petrification experience. If caught off guard, we might not have time to use the antidote before turning to stone.”
“If we’re prepared, covering our bodies with inorganic materials will prevent petrification. The best way to deal with cocksnakes is to have companions nearby.”
Professor Nina curiously asked, “What’s an inorganic chicken?”
Dark Demon replied, “A chicken without chicken essence.”
Professor Nina: “?”
Dark Demon: “Just a joke. Anyway, instead of experiencing petrification in class, why not discuss which parts of the cocksnake are most delicious?”
Such discussions are practical and can alleviate students’ fear of cocksnakes.
In the underground city, calmness and composure are paramount.
…
Later…
Professor Nina followed Dark Demon’s advice and dissected the cocksnake in class.
That scene…
It’s better left unmentioned!
…
By the latter half of the class, Professor Nina excitedly roasted the cocksnake meat, making it less nauseating for the students.
Who chose the cocksnake for the previous assignment?
Vit Gold applied for exemption!
…
The assignment for today’s monster studies class was to write a short paper about cocksnakes.
After assigning the homework, Professor Nina eagerly left with the roasted meat, her drooling revealing her true desire.
“Ay, Diana also wants to try!”
Diana watched the roasted cocksnake disappear from the classroom door, revealing a disappointed expression.
“Let’s have chicken for lunch,” Dark casually said.
Diana nodded forcefully, “Chicken it is!”
…
At noon, the cafeteria ran out of chicken.
…
Overall, today’s monster studies class was very interesting.
The initial shock became a topic of conversation afterward.
Especially the dissection and cooking in class, which was something the young magi never expected.
They enjoyed the chicken, looking forward to next week’s monster studies class.
…
Soon after, the passage to Traveler’s Street opened.
Dark had been waiting for this moment, so he entered Traveler’s Street with the crowd right after twelve o’clock.
His goal was to buy more base materials for creating “Ultimate Skill Cards”!
He already had some insights into the creation of “Ultimate Skill: Drink Milk” and could achieve perfection through extensive experimentation.
Regarding “Ultimate Skill: Transformation,” he could only temporarily set it aside with only one magical beast hair left.
One magical beast hair was worth 1000 credits, which was quite expensive.
Even he couldn’t afford it easily.
His plan was to improve his skill in creating “Ultimate Skill: Drink Milk” through multiple attempts, then challenge “Ultimate Skill: Transformation”!
…
But as soon as he entered Traveler’s Street, the pungent smell hit him in the face.
Last week’s Traveler’s Street had suddenly turned into a pink hell!
Pink ribbons hanging from rooftops, pink panels at shop entrances, and hearts everywhere…
All seemed to announce the approach of an important festival.
Only then did Dark realize that Valentine’s Day on February 14th was only a month away.
“Can’t these shops be more patient?”
Dark muttered, then saw two familiar figures slip into a chocolate workshop!
Outside the workshop, in extravagant letters, it read: “Quickly learn to make chocolate, two-day course, guaranteed success!”
Though the classroom showed no signs of the festival, first-year students were secretly preparing.
An invisible war had already begun.
…
Children grow quickly.
Halloween dance.
Christmas dance.
Enough to teach them what it means to be single.
Since they missed the opportunity during Halloween and Christmas, they couldn’t afford to falter during Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day has a good custom—it doesn’t matter if there’s a response!
White情人节, a month apart from Valentine’s Day.
People give gifts on Valentine’s Day and receive gifts on White情人节.
A month separates them.
Even if there’s no response, it won’t be remembered by others.
No embarrassment.
As for those who declare their love publicly during Valentine’s Day, they can only hope they don’t die of shame.
Dark never had much fondness for Valentine’s Day.
Chocolate, roses, and the sense of ceremony.
Everything feels tiring.
Two parallel lines forced together eventually drift apart.
Too artificial!
…
Unfortunately, life is full of artifice.
Unable to transcend, one can only compromise.
Time passes, the path is long and arduous.
One must learn to accept.
This year’s Valentine’s Day might require a whole cabinet.
[Image: Dark]
Where’s the images