Chapter 24: Black Wizard's Day of Suffering

It wasn't just pleasure on a biological level, but on a spiritual level as well.

Especially since Chu Yang had been an ordinary person before visiting the Palace of the Soul; the contrast made this inexpressible euphoria even easier to understand.

It was like playing a video game: you're fighting a high-reward monster, but your damage is pitifully low, and then you come back with a cheat code, and one hit deals 999 damage, instantly killing it. That feeling was absolutely exhilarating.

This was Chu Yang's current state. Not wanting to interrupt the flow, he pulled book after book from his backpack and kept reading. It wasn't until his stomach began to growl during dinner that he reluctantly set the book down.

In this short span of time, Chu Yang had finished reading three popular science books: *A History of Magic*, *A Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi*, and *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them*.

Chu Yang stretched, a wave of numbness washing over his entire body. He murmured, "If I could have read like this in my past life, I probably could have gotten into a world-class university in a year or two, right?"

After hurrying downstairs to eat dinner, Chu Yang prepared to rush back to his room once more.

"Hey, slow down, slow down, little wizard-to-be. What's the rush?" Old Tom called out, tilting his head to remind Chu Yang as he walked up the stairs.

"Sorry, Mr. Tom, I'm busy going back to read!" Chu Yang replied, then lightened his footsteps and hurried back to his room.

"Quite the studious one..." Tom paused. In his impression, young wizards visiting Diagon Alley for the first time were usually lost in the excitement of the magical world; few could settle down to read like this.

Back in his room, Chu Yang first let his owl out to feed, then impatiently pulled out *Magical Theory* to begin reading.

Compared to popular science books, the barrier to entry for *Magical Theory* was much higher, and the time Chu Yang required for comprehension and memorization increased significantly.

It wasn't until the sky grew dark and his mind felt slightly fatigued that Chu Yang finally put the book down and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, just like yesterday, Chu Yang hunkered down in his room reading *Magical Theory* and *Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Defense*—commonly known as *Defensive Against the Dark Arts*. He read both books over and over, more than a dozen times.

By evening, wearing a hoodie with a wizarding robe layered over it, Chu Yang left the Leaky Cauldron.

Tonight, he was going hunting in Knockturn Alley.

...

Knockturn Alley is connected to Diagon Alley by a hidden passageway. Few people use this route for travel because too many ill-intentioned eyes watch the path.

In wizarding families, parents warn their children from a very young age not to go to Knockturn Alley, as it is a gathering place for Dark Wizards.

If there is an emergency, adult wizards usually use Floo Powder to travel quickly to and from Knockturn Alley; those with more strength choose Apparition.

If Chu Yang were merely running errands, he would also choose Floo Powder, but today he was here to hunt.

The more greedy people targeted him, the better!

*Defensive Against the Dark Arts* allowed Chu Yang to clearly know the incantations and starting motions—the "casting wind-up"—that Dark Wizards used when performing dark magic.

Observation Haki could help Chu Yang predict an opponent's movements, allowing him to evade them in advance.

With Chu Yang's current physical fitness, even without using the Body Flicker Technique from the Naruto world, most Dark Wizards would find it difficult to hit him.

This was the confidence that allowed Chu Yang to dare hunt Dark Wizards.

An eleven-year-old child strolling brazenly through the streets connecting to Knockturn Alley inevitably drew a lot of attention.

Chu Yang deliberately let his coin pouch fall to the ground, several gold Galleons clinking and rolling out of the bag.

The eyes of several pale, thin Dark Wizards nearly popped out of their heads.

Chu Yang hurriedly picked up the Galleons.

Facing the greedy gazes around him, he "panicked" and ducked into a small alleyway.

Dark Wizards immediately followed Chu Yang, trailing him into the pitch-black alley while letting out sinister laughs.

Chu Yang cried out in terror, running even faster!

"Little wizard, didn't the adults in your house tell you which places in Diagon Alley you shouldn't go?" a bald Dark Wizard with sunken eyes and a ferocious appearance laughed as he chased after Chu Yang.

At the entrance of the alley, a group of Dark Wizards stood guard. Hearing the bald wizard's boisterous laughter, they joined in.

But before long, the alley suddenly fell silent. A long time passed without a sound, as if no one had ever entered.

Staring at the dark entrance, the Dark Wizards looked at one another.

Logically speaking, dealing with a child shouldn't take this long.

"Who's going in to take a look?"

"York, why don't you go? Are you afraid of the dark?"

"Hahahaha!"

Amidst the mockery of the group, the sickly-looking York was instantly enraged. "I'll go, just shut up!"

With that, he stumbled forward, trembling as he leaned against the walls to walk in.

After a brief pause, the laughter behind him erupted violently.

"Hahahaha! York, you walk like a woman!"

York cast a *Lumos* spell to dispel the surrounding darkness and strode forward, only to trip over something and fall clumsily to the ground.

It felt as if he had landed on a soft cushion. He looked down and saw the bald Dark Wizard who had been chasing Chu Yang.

York's pupils shrank violently!

He looked around and saw a large number of people lying on the ground.

The Dark Wizards on the ground weren't dead, but they had been stripped of everything except their wizarding robes.

Terrified, York sat on the ground and let out a piercing wail. The Dark Wizards outside rushed into the dark, cramped alley, only to be equally shocked by the scene before them.

By this time, Chu Yang had long since left Knockturn Alley and returned to the Leaky Cauldron.

He poured all his spoils onto the bed; the sound of clashing coins was like a magnificent orchestral performance.

There were Gold Galleons, Silver Sickles, and Bronze Knuts—all three types of currency.

He had earned nearly a thousand Galleons in this single trip.

"Life isn't easy for Dark Wizards either. Their wealthiest days were probably during the height of Voldemort's power. Unfortunately, times change," Chu Yang thought with a hint of regret, though the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upward.

He hadn't used any magic throughout the entire process, so naturally, he hadn't drawn any attention.

With a steady stream of income, Chu Yang no longer had to worry about spending. He first went to Flourish and Blotts to purchase some advanced textbooks, and then hunkered down in his room to read.

For the next month, Chu Yang's life was very disciplined: reading during the day and transforming into different personas to go "work" at night.

He could be described as the Batman of the dark nights in Knockturn Alley.

The carefree days passed in a flash. Soon, it was September 1st. Chu Yang packed his luggage, left the Leaky Cauldron, and headed toward King's Cross Station.

Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was under a charm; Muggles could not perceive it and would unconsciously bypass it, much like the Leaky Cauldron.