After returning to his room, Allen opened the system panel.
After eating the smoked braised mink, he had accumulated 27 strengthening points.
If he continued eating the meat from those braised martens, Allen could gain at least two more strengthening points. However, he didn't do this. Instead, he chose to share the barbecue.
It wasn't that he was particularly generous—it was because he wanted to make some money.
He understood why bar owner Tom was unwilling to cooperate, but Allen was confident in his cooking skills.
Since Tom refused to pay the price required to achieve greater profits, Allen had no choice but to promote himself and take matters into his own hands.
He had put out dozens of advertisements for his business.
Allen was certain that once someone tasted his cooking, they would never forget it.
Eventually, he could start purchasing high-grade magical animals or rare ingredients to cook with. Then, he'd sell those enhanced dishes to recoup the investment. The two portions of sable mink meat he had given away wouldn't be in vain.
When you gain strengthening points, you naturally have to use them for upgrades.
Strengthening points could be spent on enhancing one's own abilities, including basic attributes and special abilities.
The special abilities Allen had just obtained from the Tuba Marten were: [Aura Concealment E] and [Material Shuttle E].
These abilities weren't as powerful as those the Marten possessed, but since Allen now had them, he could use strengthening points to upgrade them further—a good long-term trade.
Unfortunately, leveling up these two abilities required a considerable number of strengthening points.
Upgrading Aura Concealment from E to D- cost 50 points, while Material Shuttle required a whopping 100 points to level up.
For now, these requirements were beyond Allen's reach. Instead, he chose to focus on his two general enhancements: [Physique Strengthening] and [Nerve Reflex Strengthening].
[Physique Strengthening E-] was upgraded to [Physique Strengthening E]
[Nerve Reflex Strengthening E-] was upgraded to [Nerve Reflex Strengthening E]
The upgrades consumed a total of 20 strengthening points, leaving Allen with 7 points remaining.
The moment those upgrades were applied, Allen felt an unfamiliar sensation spread through his body.
It felt as though countless earthworms were crawling beneath his skin, while his muscles became hot and swollen. A faint itching sensation radiated throughout his body.
Allen sucked in a sharp breath. He felt unbearably itchy, yet he couldn't scratch himself.
It was as if he had triggered a switch. The pain and sensation made him tremble involuntarily.
Xuan Qi, the little creature perched on Allen's shoulder, lost its balance and plopped onto the table with a wet squelch.
Allen's eyes widened as he stared at its twitching body, momentarily frozen with uncertainty.
Thankfully, the strange feeling disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.
After a while, the numbness and itching faded, and the intense heat in his body also subsided.
Now, a new surge of power flowed through him, endless and full of energy.
Allen clenched his fists, causing his joints to emit a crisp cracking sound.
With his improved physique and enhanced reflexes, he felt better than ever.
Even in a magical world, physical strength and agility were vital. After all, the spells in this world lacked auto-targeting—they were entirely ballistic.
Feeling invigorated after the strengthening, Allen's mood lifted. What followed was a sudden surge in hunger.
The portion of bracken he had eaten earlier had already been digested.
"Time to grab something to eat," Allen muttered as he touched his stomach. He planned to head downstairs to find something satisfying.
After tossing Black into his cage and scattering a handful of nuts, Allen was ready to step out.
To his surprise, the moment he opened the door, he came face-to-face with Quirrell—who stood there wearing a complicated expression.
To be honest, seeing a major villain standing right outside his door with a strange look nearly frightened Allen out of his skin.
Instinctively, his hand moved toward the knife hidden at his waist.
The small kitchen knife wasn't much, but since the E-level transformation spell was largely ineffective, it was better than nothing.
Allen, now physically enhanced and with lightning-fast reflexes, was confident he could slit Quirrell's throat in 0.2 seconds.
But he held himself back.
There was a vast difference between killing beasts and killing wizards. Allen wasn't prepared to face the consequences of murder.
He had no confidence in escaping from a group of Aurors, especially considering their average combat level was over 40.
"What's the matter, sir?" Allen asked calmly.
He knew Quirrell was a professor at Hogwarts, but since he hadn't officially enrolled yet, Allen had to pretend not to know.
Quirrell hesitated for a moment, then touched his throat. A cold shiver ran down his neck.
He wasn't sure if it was a lingering effect from being resurrected through Voldemort's snake body, but something didn't feel right.
Looking down at Allen, Quirrell managed a forced smile.
"I live above you," he said. "If you ever need help with anything, feel free to come to me."
"Huh?" Allen blinked, confused.
Brother, please be serious. This is a hotel, not an apartment complex. We're all temporary residents here. What are you playing at?
Quirrell offered no explanation. He just maintained that stiff, awkward smile before turning and walking away, leaving Allen scratching his head in bewilderment.
As Quirrell walked toward the stairs, an angry voice erupted in his mind—Voldemort's voice.
"Are you an idiot? I told you to get close to the boy, and that's what you came up with? Were you trying to scare him to death?"
"I… I'm sorry, Master," Quirrell stammered, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "I really don't know how to get close to a child."
"That's not my problem!" Voldemort snapped. "If you can't even handle something this simple, then what use are you? I want to eat every single dish that boy cooks. Do you understand? If you fail again—prepare to die."
"Yes…" Quirrell replied, almost choking with frustration.
He felt wronged.
It was that little brat who had killed the magical creature he was planning to use for his mission. And now, not only did he have to please the brat, he had to flatter him!
When will this miserable life finally end?