Harry Potter : This Progress Too Much

More than 3,700 gold Galleons.

As expected, all the money they had earned came from illegal activities.

Dennis and his team only kept a small portion, while the rest was supposed to be handed over. However, in their current precarious situation, no one dared to make contact, let alone deliver the funds.

After all, how could they be sure that whoever reached out wasn't actually an undercover Auror?

For now, the safest option was to hold on to the gold.

A Dark Path with No Return

David tucked away the Galleons, then shifted his gaze to the panel that had appeared before him.

While using the Killing Curse and feeding the Winged Demon earlier, he had unlocked new achievements.

[First Blood]

Killing innocent lives… There is no turning back from the dark path. You can only move forward.

Achievement Goal: Kill a wizard (1/1)

Reward: A random spell

[Shit Shoveler]

"Hungry… Shit shoveler, where are you? Your master is starving!"

Achievement Goal: Feed a magical creature (1/1)

Reward: Talent – "Animal Affinity" (Also effective on magical creatures)

David's eyes gleamed.

"Animal Affinity, huh?"

This reward was exceptional. When used correctly, it could be incredibly powerful. Others had proven this before.

As for the randomly drawn spell, it turned out to be an auxiliary magic.

[Shadow Stealth]

A spell never mentioned in the original Harry Potter books.

Effect: Allows the user to merge into the shadows, avoiding enemy attacks and moving rapidly within darkness.

David tested it immediately.

In bright light, he transformed into a dark silhouette and could move—though only at his normal speed.

But in shadows?

He could freely travel within them, becoming undetectable in the process.

Though there were limitations, it was still an excellent escape technique.

Bonding with the Winged Demon

After several experiments, David returned to the Winged Demon's cage.

Earlier, after finishing its meal, the creature had ignored him.

But now?

Its tiny, glimmering eyes locked onto him.

Slowly, it approached.

David's instincts told him the Winged Demon wouldn't attack.

Cautiously, he reached into the cage.

The creature hesitated for a moment—then, instead of biting, it rubbed its exotic, scaled head against his palm.

Its sharp fangs remained hidden, and its expression seemed… content.

David smirked. "Dennis, open the cage."

"Yes!"

Dennis, still under the effects of the Imperius Curse, obeyed without hesitation.

An Unnerving Embrace

The moment the cage door swung open—

A black blur shot out at lightning speed.

David barely had time to react before something latched onto his face.

From Dennis and the others' perspective, the Winged Demon had fully spread its wings, wrapping its spiked appendages around David's head.

This was its hunting stance.

Normally, it would pierce the skull of its prey, inject venom, and suck out the brain.

Dennis and the others stiffened in horror.

But David didn't collapse.

Instead, he fought back—gripping the creature's body with both hands and yanking it off.

Snap!

It took immense effort, but he finally detached it.

David let out a breath.

"That was terrifying."

Luckily, the Winged Demon hadn't used its fangs.

Perhaps… this was its way of showing affection?

Unacceptable.

Absolutely unacceptable.

A Loyal Companion

Even after being pulled off, the Winged Demon chirped, trying to crawl back toward him.

It wanted to stay close.

After a long session of calming it down, David finally removed the enchanted collar from its neck.

The Winged Demon immediately shrank, curling into a palm-sized, chitin-covered ball.

It wrapped its tail around David's arm like a living pendant.

"Well, that's convenient."

A Cloak of Shadows

Encouraged by the successful bond, David turned his attention to the other creature in the cage.

A bat-like being with a dark, hollow face.

Unlike the Winged Demon, it didn't pounce on him.

Instead, it rubbed against his feet, looking up at him with two glowing, eerie lights.

David recalled something.

"This thing… has been starving for a long time."

He immediately threw in two corpses—a Murtra Rat's brainless remains and the dead wizard from earlier.

The creature devoured them instantly.

In just moments, both bodies disappeared completely.

The creature itself, however, had changed.

It had grown thicker.

Then, as if satisfied, it began climbing up David's leg.

Up his torso.

Up to his shoulders.

Then, it stretched out, draping itself over his body.

When it settled, it resembled… a cloak.

A cloak that couldn't be pulled back.

Beneath its hood, two deep, dark eyes gleamed.

From the outside, it simply looked like David had put on a long, black robe.

But in reality… the robe was alive.

Feeding the Masses

Satisfied with his new companions, David turned to Dennis.

"Bring the Murtra Rat feed."

Dennis obeyed immediately.

Standing at the top of the breeding farm, David watched in disgust as hundreds of Murtra Rats swarmed toward him.

His scalp tingled.

"Animal Affinity is useful… but I really don't want disgusting creatures like these getting attached to me."

He tossed in the feed.

The mixture was a chaotic blend of meat scraps, bones, vegetable bits, and even dismembered Murtra Rats.

As the creatures devoured their meal, David's panel updated again.

[Master of Fantastic Beasts]

"Flying in the sky, running on the ground, swimming in the water—I've fed them all. Ask me anything about magical creatures! …Wait, no, just ask me what they eat. That, I know perfectly."

Achievement Goal: Feed 100 magical creatures (100/100)

Reward: Magical Animal Energy Cube

David's eyebrow twitched.

"Energy Cube? Why does that sound familiar?"

Upon accepting the reward, knowledge flooded his mind.

The Magical Animal Energy Cube was not a single formula—rather, it was a vast collection of knowledge.

It detailed various recipes, each tailored for different magical creatures at different life stages.

Its primary functions?

Promoting growth

Enhancing strength

Boosting potential

David's grin widened.

"Now this… is useful."

With his new skills, allies, and knowledge, his rise to power had just begun.