5: Can This Stump Me?

Ding!

Congratulations, you have obtained the Extraordinary Trait Butcher's Instinct.

In the kitchen, just as Ian was about to finish off the hen in front of him with a single stroke, a delighted expression flashed across his face. He then began examining the trait's effects.

Obtaining an Extraordinary Trait meant that a skill had reached a certain level of mastery and that he had grasped part of its true essence.

Just like the psychological trait, Mind Perception.

But what effect would the trait from Biology Dissection have?

Ian examined the trait's effects and discovered that Butcher's Instinct allowed him to analyze the optimal anatomical structure of any living creature at a glance.

How should he put it? This skill was better than nothing?

Looking at the hen he had caught.

Ian now felt as though he could see through its feathers and directly find the best place to strike.

Then the blade moved. With a sharp crack—

The hen's life was thoroughly ended.

Even the chefs beside him could not help but praise his decisive technique.

"Wow, Ian, your butchering skills are getting better and better!"

After killing the chicken.

Ian then helped cut up the chickens that the chefs had already plucked.

After several swift chops.

The chicken meat was cut into neat portions.

Ian replied with a smile, "Hehe, I have gotten a lot more proficient."

After obtaining the Extraordinary Trait of a skill, his improvement had indeed been tremendous.

The Extraordinary Traits of ordinary skills were certainly magical, but only magical. Ian could not help looking forward to what would happen if he learned magic.

Would the Extraordinary Traits born from magic be even more powerful and wondrous?

Unfortunately, he still had to wait half a month for the owl before he could buy study books.

Even now, Ian still did not know why Dumbledore had insisted on visiting first.

Was Wu's Orphanage really that charming?

At his desk that morning, he found that he could no longer focus on his books.

"I have to wait so long! I really want to learn magic!"

After waiting several days in a row.

Ian felt like days were dragging on like years. Even the wait for an online-ordered masturbation cup could not compare to this feeling. It was like knowing the Goddess had already descended, yet still having to wait for the postal service to deliver the set to him.

"After all, I have an adult soul."

Ian did not know how to describe his feelings. Eager? Impatient? They seemed to mean the same thing.

In truth, it was the anticipation of discovering a new continent, the joy of entering a wondrous world filled with magic from an ordinary reality.

Forget an adult soul—even any normal person would not be able to resist wanting to explore that mysterious magic.

That day.

Ian chose to skip work.

Though he was the owner of his own little stall... Since he was an adult, he had to make the decisions an adult should make. Wasn't it just a simple Diagon Alley?

Could this stump him?

Ian tucked away the "huge fortune" he had saved up and began relying on his faint memories of the original story to search for The Leaky Cauldron in vast London.

It was a bar that Muggles could not see at all. Only wizards could see it. Through the bar, he could enter Diagon Alley, the territory of wizards.

In the original story, Harry Potter had entered Diagon Alley this way.

So Ian wanted to give it a try too.

But he only knew the bar's name and had no idea where its actual address was.

People surged through the streets.

Ian disappeared into the crowd. He had already run through many blocks, yet no matter how he scanned the shops on both sides of the street, he could not find the bar.

"Bull's Head Bar... Jenny Restaurant, Tomorrow Restaurant, KFC."

The shops were dazzling in variety.

None of them was the target Ian was searching for.

Just like Platform Nine and Three-Quarters in the original story.

Only wizards could see The Leaky Cauldron—so logically, Ian should have been able to see it. He knew he simply had not found the right place.

"Hmm?"

While searching, Ian suddenly realized that someone seemed to be following him—he immediately grew uncertain and alarmed!

A human trafficker?

Organ trafficking was not popular yet these days, right?

Ian quickened his pace and passed several corners in succession, taking the chance to glance behind him—a person in black robes stood there, their face hidden from view.

Hmm.

It suddenly all made sense.

No matter how he looked at it, that outfit did not seem like cosplay.

A Dark Wizard abducting a Young Wizard—who knew why? In any case, it could not be because she could not have children and wanted an heir to inherit her Dark Magic.

"I've been targeted!"

Ian's heart tightened.

He was somewhat panicked.

Fortunately, he spotted the entrance to a subway station at that moment and hurriedly jogged toward it—the Black Robed Woman remained outside and did not follow him in.

Perhaps she did not dare use magic in a crowded place either.

After all.

Abducting a Young Wizard.

And provoking the Ministry of Magic's regulations.

The intensity of the pursuit those two would bring was definitely not the same.

It was probably like the difference between breaking the law and terrorism?

His heart pounded wildly.

Ian hurriedly boarded the subway in relief. An hour later, he returned to Wu's Orphanage.

"Today was really dangerous! The magical world really is quite chaotic!"

Before the square, eerie-looking orphanage building, Ian's small figure slowly walked into the orphanage. Yet he failed to notice the two figures watching him from the shadows.

Among them.

Was the woman Ian had regarded as a "Dark Wizard."

Dumbledore's steady voice softly sounded beside the Black Robed Woman.

"Wasn't preventing him from coming into contact with the magical world ahead of time a little too cautious?"

The Black Robed Woman remained silent.

Like a statue in the night, her thoughts drifted back to an hour earlier. It was she who had cast a mysterious spell on Ian, preventing him from seeing The Leaky Cauldron right before his eyes. Yes, Ian had not failed to find the place—magic had interfered and kept him from seeing it.

"Diagon Alley is no place for children to play house. There are quite a few Dark Wizards active there. I don't want him to be like his foolish..."

The Black Robed Woman stopped halfway through her sentence. She turned her head, her deep eyes fixed on Dumbledore. After a long silence, a hoarse voice sounded.

"He belongs to Slytherin."

She said nothing more. After leaving behind those words, the Black Robed Woman instantly used Apparition, leaving only a faint breeze and magical ripples that gradually faded away.

"Wu's Orphanage..."

Dumbledore remained where he was.

He continued to quietly look at the orphanage's mottled gates, staring at the dilapidated sign as though lost in memories. A somewhat complicated expression appeared on his face.

"I hope I won't make another mistake this time."

Dumbledore let out a heavy sigh.

Then turned and melted into the night.

Only.

His departing figure looked somewhat hunched.