Taking the gift Newt handed over, Link felt a little dumbfounded.
Because just from the outside, this thing was nothing more than a black cloak sealed inside a transparent crystal.
And not even an intact cloak, completely tattered and ragged.
"This is something extremely rare, I spent a huge effort to catch it." Seeing Link's expression, Newt said proudly.
At this time Emily and the others also gathered around. Newt still held his head slightly raised, with that extremely smug look.
It was obvious he didn't think anyone present could recognize what this thing was.
But his pride didn't last long, because Fleur had only glanced once at what Link was holding, and her expression immediately changed. She backed away in terror.
At the same time, she stammered out, "M–Mortis bat! You actually brought back something this dangerous!"
Hearing this, Link suddenly understood.
Mortis bats usually only live in tropical regions. They are an extremely rare magical creature, though many people prefer to classify them as dark magical beings.
During the day, they choose to hibernate. When night falls, they skim at extreme speed along the ground and walls, seeking prey that is immersed in sleep.
Once they find prey, they wrap around it tightly until it suffocates, and then slowly devour it.
The most terrifying thing is, most spells have no effect on Mortis bats at all. The only spell known to drive them away is the Patronus Charm.
But that's only in theory. In reality, if you continuously bombard it with strong spells, once enough damage accumulates the Mortis bat will still die.
So Newt wasn't wrong, this really was a very, very rare thing.
Only… giving away something this dangerous as a gift, wasn't that a bit too much?
The Flamel family didn't have a single person who could use the Patronus Charm. If the Mortis bat lost control, though it could still be killed with brute force, inevitably someone would get hurt.
Not to mention, if the Mortis bat escaped and harmed other wizards or Muggles, the consequences would be extremely serious.
When the Ministry of Magic came asking, who would take the blame?
That's exactly what Emily and Mrs. Flamel were thinking. At this moment they were glaring daggers at Newt.
"Uh, I know this thing is a bit dangerous. But I figured Link has such a talent with magical creatures, he should have a way to tame the Mortis bat, right? And even if he can't, you could just throw it to Krell, isn't that what your business is about anyway?"
Newt scratched his head, saying awkwardly.
But under the almost man-eating stares of Mrs. Flamel and Emily, his voice grew smaller and smaller, until it disappeared completely.
"I told you not to give this, who would ever like a Mortis bat? You just wouldn't listen! Now look!" Mrs. Scamander pinched Newt twice, then turned her head with an apologetic smile to Mrs. Flamel.
"Please don't be angry. Newt's been unreliable since he was young, and even now, as an old man, he hasn't changed a bit. He gives me a headache every day! As for the Mortis bat, just leave it to us to handle. The real gift is here with me!"
As she spoke, Mrs. Scamander pulled out a pile of items from her Beaded Bag and laid them on the floor.
Most were rare potion ingredients only found in tropical regions, along with some strange trinkets from tropical tribes.
It seemed the couple's trip this time had been to a tropical location.
Seeing this, the expressions of Mrs. Flamel and Emily finally softened.
If it had been anyone else, they would absolutely have taken this as an insult or conspiracy against the Flamel family. But Newt was different.
His reputation for being unreliable was already famous across all of Europe.
This was most likely just another one of his old habits acting up.
Taking a deep breath, Mrs. Flamel said to Link, "Don't worry, we won't take it to heart. Link, give the Mortis bat back to the Scamanders first."
"Hold on."
Link waved his hand. "I think I can give it a try."
As he spoke, he kept stroking the crystal.
Through this motion, he could clearly feel the aura being transmitted from the Mortis bat inside.
That aura was very familiar. He had felt it before on Dementors.
And thinking about how both Dementors and Mortis bats feared the Patronus Charm, Link figured the two must share a great similarity.
If that was the case, then subduing this Mortis bat wasn't impossible.
After all, Dementors were terribly afraid of him.
These details, of course, Mrs. Flamel and the others didn't know.
So when Link said this, everyone else was shocked. Emily even reached out, trying to snatch the crystal away from Link, afraid he might impulsively release the Mortis bat.
Only Newt clapped excitedly, thrilled beyond measure.
The commotion inside Flamel Castle lasted for half an hour. In the end, Link's persistence won out.
Mrs. Flamel ordered all doors and windows sealed, to prevent the Mortis bat from escaping if things went wrong.
Newt and Mrs. Scamander stood with wands in hand, one in front and one behind Link.
They were the only two present who could cast the Patronus Charm. If Link failed, it would fall to them to capture the Mortis bat again.
Once everything was ready, Link slowly poured his magic into the crystal under the tense gazes of everyone present.
The crystal soon shattered piece by piece, revealing the Mortis bat inside.
Perhaps because it was daytime, the Mortis bat made no move after being released, lying obediently in Link's hand.
But the nerves of everyone around were stretched to the limit. They all knew how dangerous this creature was.
Link, however, seemed completely relaxed. He reached out and stroked the Mortis bat, and was surprised to find that though it looked ragged like torn burlap, the touch was more like silk, smooth and comfortable.
And through his stroking, he could feel the Mortis bat trembling slightly, as if it were afraid of him.
This discovery made Link smile.
By stroking it for a while, Link cleaned away the remaining bits of crystal from its body. Then he gave it a sudden shake.
And an astonishing scene unfolded.
The pitch-black Mortis bat twisted and flipped in the air, then of its own accord flew onto Link's back, using its little fabric-like claws to grip his shoulders, becoming one with Link's cloak.
Feeling the cloak billowing behind him without any wind, Link nodded in satisfaction.
His guess had been right. The Mortis bat truly was similar to Dementors, and even more afraid of him than they were.
Which meant he could completely control it.
Gaining the Mortis bat also gave Link a tremendous boost in combat power.
After all, Mortis bats are natural assassins. And even in direct confrontation, Link could rely on its strong magic resistance for defense.
Fleur's mouth dropped open, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and astonishment.
Emily and Mrs. Flamel first let out a sigh of relief, then immediately smiled proudly, as if they hadn't been the ones nervously panicking earlier.
"I knew you could do it!"
Newt was even happier than Link, jumping up and screaming with excitement.
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