A Crow was still a Crow after it evolved. It wasn't going to turn into a phoenix, but its special abilities were bound to improve.
Xuanling had eaten nothing but good food while following Cedric around these past few days. His Hunting Level rising three times in a day was practically nothing.
This time, the change was bigger than ever. Maybe the Dragon Blood was especially potent, or maybe everything he'd eaten before had finally added up. Either way, his Blood Hunting Level shot straight to level 15.
That might not sound like much, but for Xuanling, who had started at level 5, it changed everything.
Once Xuanling woke up, he would be the toughest Crow in the world. There wouldn't be another like him.
Cedric tucked the sleeping Xuanling into his pocket, picked up the plate, and glanced at it. Identification information appeared.
[Pan-Fried Dragon Blood Sausage] Effect: Eating it granted [Fire-Dragon Furnace C] for one minute. If Cedric ate it, he would also gain 300 Enhancement Points. [Fire-Dragon Furnace C]: Magic became far more active than usual. Magical attacks hurt less, flames were easier to withstand, and strength, stamina, and Magic all recovered much faster.
Dragon Blood really was as effective as Dragon Liver.
Cedric still remembered how the two top-tier Dragon Liver dishes he'd made were described.
[Orange Dragon Liver Sauce] Description: Hungarian Horntail liver prepared to perfection. Even a Hungarian Horntail would applaud it. Effect: Eating it granted [Precision Dragon Flame D] for five minutes. If Cedric ate it, he would also gain 500 Enhancement Points. [Precision Dragon Flame D]: Fire magic became ten percent more powerful, all magic became fifty percent more accurate, and fire magic could be controlled with ease. [Pan-Fried Dragon Liver] Description: Antipodean Opaleye liver prepared to perfection. Even an Antipodean Opaleye would stop in its tracks at the smell. Effect: Eating it granted [High-Temperature Dragon Flame D] for five minutes. If Cedric ate it, he would also gain 500 Enhancement Points. [High-Temperature Dragon Flame D]: Fire magic became ten percent more powerful, all magic dealt ten percent more damage, and fire magic dealt another five percent more damage.
Unfortunately, the pan-fried Dragon Blood sausage was still a long way from perfection. Otherwise, its effects would have been even stronger.
Even so, Cedric polished off the entire plate and added [Magic Resistance E] to his special enhancements.
[Magic Resistance E]: Increased resistance to magical attacks. E-Rank magic and anything below it had no effect.
The ability was straightforward and practical—a reliable way to stay alive. It nullified magic of the same rank and weakened anything above it.
At Cedric's current level, he could cast spells at himself without so much as producing a spark. Once he raised the ability's rank, the results would be even more frightening.
It was worth noting that this protection worked against the Unforgivable Curses, too. If Cedric raised [Magic Resistance] high enough, he could stand still while a Killing Curse or Imperius Curse struck him.
Of course, improving something this useful came at a steep cost.
Raising it from E-Rank to D- would take 400 Magic. Only [Fire-Dragon Breath] cost him more.
Still, it would be worth every point.
Cedric was itching to get back and upgrade it, but he couldn't leave just yet.
He made the rest of the Dragon Blood into sausages. Without bothering to cut them into portions, he kept one whole sausage for himself and handed the rest to Ron.
"These are Dragon Blood sausages," Cedric explained. "Tell them they'll have to cook them themselves. They can roast them or fry them in Butter. One sausage..."
Cedric did some quick mental arithmetic, then named his price. "Twenty Galleons each."
"How much did you say?" Ron's throat tightened. "That's daylight robbery."
Cedric hadn't charged anything close to that when he sold the Orange Dragon Liver Sauce and Pan-Fried Dragon Liver.
"That's because of the portions." Cedric rolled his eyes at him. "Those Dragon Liver dishes were barely a mouthful, so I sold them for five Galleons a serving. One of these sausages is huge. It'll last two or three days at least, or a whole week if you stretch it. Of course it costs more."
Cedric could afford to be confident now. He had built up a few regular customers, and as long as he didn't go too far, someone would pay.
If he announced there was no purchase limit, someone might even buy up all the Dragon Blood sausages at once.
"All right, I've got it." Ron nodded. After a moment's thought, he kept one for himself and took the rest out to sell.
Sales were just as lively this time. Though the sausages were only half-finished, the wizards didn't mind at all. If anything, the generous portions had them cheering.
Cedric made a tidy profit. Then he went back to his room, shut the door, and got to work on his enhancements in peace.
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