Hunters Annihilated, When Did Transfiguration Develop This Far?

"Click--"

The sound of shattering was incessant.

Countless cracks spread across the black barrier formed by the Earth-Splitting Boundary.

Newt struck the barrier with his wand again, causing large sections of it to crumble and fall away.

With one step, Newt, carrying his wand and briefcase, arrived at the area where Lucien was.

"Lucien, don't be afraid, I'm here..."

But Newt was stunned by what he saw before him before he could finish speaking.

A group of people lay sprawled on the ground, all bearing injuries of varying degrees. What they all shared was that they were unconscious and firmly held down by shackles made of earth and stones, with no possibility of further resistance.

Several strange, Magical Creatures were also wandering around—yes, strange.

Newt looked at the Fire Dragon, Occamy, Wampus Cat, Acromantula present...

Aside from the Occamy, Newt doesn't recall releasing any of the other Magical Creatures.

Newt glanced at Lucien at the edge of the field. The boy was putting a brass pocket watch into his pocket, his expression calm and indifferent, his clothes as neat as if nothing had just happened.

A terrifying thought kept creeping into Newt's mind:

Did Lucien subdue these poachers?

So what are these Magical Creatures...?

"I... I've already surrendered. You... you hit my accomplices, can you please stop hitting me?"

A weak voice came from behind.

Newt looked in the direction of the Fire Dragon, which was a Norwegian Ridgeback. Its scales, which should have been pure black, were covered with golden stripes, making it look even more noble and mysterious.

The sound originated from the Norwegian Ridgeback, or rather, from beneath her feet.

A blond man was pinned to the ground; his robust body seemed frail compared to the dragon's claws.

"Cough cough, hitting is fine, but can't you give me some air? I... I can't breathe."

The blond man Aiden, struggled with difficulty.

"Norbert."

Lucien's call made Norbert loosen his grip slightly, but his orange-red dragon eyes remained fixed on his prey.

"Mr. Scamander, are you alright?"

Hearing Lucien's question, Newt snapped out of his reverie.

"I'm fine, the little ones all took care of it for me."

"Lucien, are you alright? I see you're like this..."

Faced with the scene before him, Newt found himself even more speechless.

Lucien approached Newt and explained:

"My Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts in my first year was excellent; he taught me many practical skills."

Yes, the Dark Lord teaches people how to deal with Dark Magic, how to fight, and how to use magic...

There were only two teachers who could rival him: one who strolled around the Headmaster's Office drinking tea, and the other who was imprisoned in Nurmengard.

Lucien's answer was fine, but Newt still felt something was off. No matter how dedicated the teacher or how eager the student, they were still just a little wizard who hadn't even started second grade...

"Mr. Scamander, we've taken care of things here. Let's hurry and help Mr. Stanley."

Upon hearing this, Newt nodded and aimed his wand at the magic barrier. This time, the dispelling was much faster, only consuming more magic power.

"Lucien, don't worry too much about Stanley. He used to be Ilvermorny's Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, and he's very strong in combat."

He used to be Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts? Now he's Potions professor?

Wow, that's quite a career change.

Seeing that Lucien seemed a little confused, Newt smiled and explained:

Stanley Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts for a few years, but found teaching Potions more interesting, and since there was a vacancy at the school, he switched majors.

Lucien nodded. That Mr. Stanley was a man of character; he changed jobs whenever he wanted.

A casual decision can determine someone's entire life.

Hopefully, a Potions Professor craving the Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts won't be envious.

"By the way, Lucien, what are these Magical Creatures?"

Newt pointed to the Magical Creatures.

Lucien said directly:

"Except for that Norwegian Ridgeback, the others were created using Transfiguration; they're not real."

I'll be using the Transfiguration of Magical Creatures all the time, so there's no need to hide it.

Newt paused in his wand movements, wondering if he had misheard.

Magical Creatures that Transfiguration?

Has he been in seclusion for so long that Transfiguration has developed into such a new achievement?

Newt, who knew so much about Magical Creatures, didn't notice anything unusual about the Magical Creatures at first glance; they were almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

And what do you mean by saying that, apart from the Norwegian Ridgeback, the unusual-looking Fire Dragon is real?

"Click--"

It seemed someone on the other side was also breaking the barrier; the black barrier in front of Newt disintegrated into fragments faster than expected, while someone shouted loudly from the other side:

"Don't be afraid, child, I will protect you..."

But Stanley's urgent voice stopped abruptly upon seeing Newt's face.

"Wow, Newt, you're so fast!"

Stanley peeked out and saw that Lucien was unharmed, and breathed a sigh of relief. He then tossed one of the poachers he was carrying onto the ground.

"I questioned this guy when I was breaking the barrier, and he basically told me everything."

"They are an internationally notorious poaching gang, operating in many parts of the world and wanted by the Ministries of Ministry of Magic in numerous countries..."

Stanley's voice grew colder and colder as he spoke.

"This group's original target was the Thunderbird. They were targeting this time of year when the Thunderbird was weak. After encountering Newt and the others, they had ulterior motives and wanted to attack you and steal your box."

As he spoke, Stanley suddenly looked at Lucien, his eyes filled with relief and gratitude.

If it weren't for the boy's timely intervention, stopping the assassin who had somehow infiltrated the area, Newt would most likely have been killed.

When the Killing Curse was inscribed and its magic was unleashed, even Stanley, with his skills, had no time to retaliate.

If something were to happen to Newt here, Stanley had no idea what the consequences would be.

While Stanley was pondering how to thank Lucien, Lucien quietly observed the poacher Stanley had thrown to the ground.

Mr. Stanley will definitely need to use his wand to break the barrier, but prying the poachers open with magic probably won't work, so the method...

Looking at the poacher, whose face was bruised and swollen, resembling a pig's head, Lucien glanced at the remaining bloodstains on Stanley's left fist.

Hmm, we can rule out Veritaserum. I guess this professor doesn't carry that kind of potion with him.

Mr. Stanley is also a powerful individual skilled in both magic and martial arts.

"Newt, these Magical Creatures you brought are a bit dangerous, but they've been a huge help to us. Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret."

Stanley chuckled and pointed to the array of Magical Creatures on the field, especially the most dangerous species like the Fire Dragon and the Wampus Cat.

However, the Wampus Cat that Stanley was pointing at suddenly turned into a large rock, followed by the Acromantula, the Graphorn, and the Fire Dragon, all of which turned into trees and rocks.

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