Leon committed the ancient and esoteric incantations and gestures of the taming art to memory, repeating them in his mind until his head swam. His consciousness gradually faded, and he finally fell into a deep sleep.
An unknown amount of time passed before Leon opened his eyes again. He discovered that the venomous Doxy on his arm had vanished. A thought stirred in his mind, and remembering the mysterious "Primordial Magic Tower," he subconsciously formed a newly learned hand seal. In an instant, the Doxy materialized before his eyes.
Looking closely, Leon saw that the Doxy bound to his pact had grown significantly. It had been the size of a fist before, but it was now the size of an owl. Two sharper fangs, glinting coldly, had sprouted in its mouth, and the antennae on its head had become tougher, making it look particularly ferocious and intimidating. It seemed the mysterious Primordial Magic Tower had been of immense benefit to it.
Once his initial surprise faded, Leon focused on the new memories that had appeared in his mind. One moment, he was seeing a Doxy larva, the size of a grain of rice, breaking out of its egg; the next, he felt as if he had become an adult Doxy, soaring through the Forbidden Forest at high speed. Not only had he subdued the magical creature through the pact, but he had also acquired a portion of its memories.
Through these fragmented memories, Leon confirmed that he was deep within the Hogwarts Forbidden Forest. This place was fraught with danger, teeming with powerful magical creatures. Even the ferocious Doxies he'd just witnessed only dared to operate on the outer fringes.
Time travel? No, it was teleportation.
Leon shook his head with a wry smile. He never could have imagined something so incredible would happen to him.
I have to survive! Only by surviving in this forest where the strong preyed on the weak would he have any chance of finding his way back to Hogwarts Castle.
After the initial shock wore off, Leon slowly calmed down. There were no warm dormitories here, no classmates for company—only countless terrifying magical creatures. If he wanted to return to the world he knew, he first had to figure out how to stay alive. If he gave in to despair, he wouldn't just fail to get back to the castle; he'd be devoured by one of the forest's ever-present predators in the blink of an eye.
A strange world, a boundless Forbidden Forest, terrifying magical creatures, and the mysterious "Primordial Magic Tower" and its taming art…
Stroking the hard carapace on the Doxy's head, Leon felt a flicker of anticipation grow amidst his anxiety. Perhaps this dangerous forest held even greater surprises for him.
Through some experimentation, he quickly learned how to command the Doxy. With a bit of practice, a mere thought was often enough for his pact-bound Doxy to understand his intent, responding as nimbly as his own fingers. At the same time, everything the Doxy saw and heard was transmitted directly into his mind. It was a bizarre sensation, like having a personal spy drone that could rotate 360 degrees and had night vision.
The Doxy's teeth were incredibly sharp, capable of chewing through not just wood but even hard rock. Its diet was extremely varied, from carrion on the ground and Billywigs in tree trunks to even ores containing faint traces of magic—all were fair game.
After seeing what happened to the Graphorn, Leon's first instinct had been to stay as far away from these venomous sprites as possible. But after his own Doxy killed an Ashwinder that tried to ambush him, a bold idea began to form. Doxies were terrifying, but once bound by a pact, they were invaluable allies.
The magical creatures in this forest were far more savage than the descriptions in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Sometimes, a seemingly harmless Puffskein would open its mouth and spit a ball of scorching soot. Other times, a fluorescent trout in a stream could shoot a jet of high-pressure water sharper than a Cutting Charm. Leon understood that without sufficient power, he would never make it out of this mysterious and perilous sea of trees alive.
Guided by his pact-bound Doxy, Leon cautiously approached the Doxies' nest. He hid motionless in the nearby tall grass, searching for a lone target.
The Doxy nest was built into a steep cliff face, pockmarked with countless holes of all sizes. From a distance, the dense cluster of openings made the cliff look like a colossal skull.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of Doxies were constantly flying in and out. Some carried chunks of meat from some unknown magical creature, while others held glowing mushrooms. A few worked together, dragging several still-twitching Flobberworms back to the nest. In addition, a number of particularly burly Doxies patrolled the skies.
Nearby, a group of Doxies was colliding with a massive dead tree like bombers. They would circle twice in the air before swooping down, smashing their hard bodies against the trunk with a loud thud.
Just as Leon was wondering what they were doing, the repeated impacts finally paid off. With a loud crack, a hole appeared in the trunk. Immediately, dozens of thumb-sized Bowtruckles scrambled out in a panic.
With triumphant screeches, the Doxies swarmed in, devouring the soft Bowtruckles in a single gulp. Soon, their bellies swelled up like round rubber balls.
After waiting quietly for half a day, Leon spotted a well-fed Doxy lazily flying about. An idea sparked, and he commanded his own Doxy to fly out and lure the isolated target over.
After being bumped, the wild Doxy flew into a rage and gave chase. Just as it flew over a patch of tall grass, a single drop of blood fell from above, landing squarely on its head. In an instant, its body glowed with a silver light as esoteric runes flickered across its surface.
Successful, Leon carefully retreated with his two Doxies. His own magical power was still very weak, and forming a pact drained nearly all of his stamina. If a large swarm of wild Doxies were to find him, he'd be dead without a trace.
Just as he was about to lie down and catch his breath, his two Doxies suddenly tensed, their antennae standing on end. A moment later, a series of wolf-like howls echoed from nearby. Leon crept closer, his own heart pounding. He saw a calf-sized, pitch-black Shrike in a tense standoff with a massive, black-and-white Runespoor.
The Shrike's fangs were bared, gleaming coldly. Leon had no doubt it could snap his leg bone with a single bite. But the Runespoor was even more terrifying. The eyes of all three of its heads were fixed on its opponent, its scarlet tongues flickering rapidly in and out.
After a moment of suspense, the hungry Shrike made the first move. It let out a heavenward roar and spat a glob of dark-red acid. The Runespoor was not to be outdone. Its middle head shot out a shard of ice, neutralizing the acid, before all three heads lunged forward to attack.
A Shrike that spits acid and a Runespoor that can cast an ice charm? Leon stared, dumbfounded, wondering if he was dreaming.
In the instant he was distracted, the Shrike clamped its jaws down on the Runespoor's middle head, while the giant serpent's body coiled tightly around the Shrike. Both creatures shrieked and roared, putting every ounce of their strength into the fight.
After a breathtaking struggle, the Shrike's spine was snapped. Its pupils dilated, its struggles growing weaker. The Runespoor was in no better shape; its middle head was a bloody, mangled mess, its hisses growing faint.
Seeing that the two powerful magical creatures had fought to a mutual standstill, the starving Leon had an idea. He sent his two Doxies, who were already eager for action, into the fray. With their venomous fangs, they quickly finished off the struggling Runespoor.
Sitting down cross-legged next to the twitching Shrike, Leon silently recited the esoteric incantations from the obelisk and placed his right hand gently on its head. Soon, the Shrike's muscles began to atrophy inch by inch as wisps of blood-red magical energy seeped from its body. Slowly, this energy gathered in Leon's palm, where it coalesced into a blood-red spirit essence, the size of a peanut, glowing faintly.
Essence Refinement, the secret art of the Blood-Pact Tamer, refining the essence of all the beasts of the world?
Looking at the crimson essence in his hand, he hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and swallowed it. According to the obelisk, this refined essence of a magical creature's energy was an invaluable aid for a tamer's advancement, capable of rapidly increasing one's own magical power.
"Tsk, tsk, this is truly incredible!" Leon slowly opened his eyes after successfully absorbing the essence's energy. He felt as if the entire world had changed. The mountains seemed greener, the sky bluer, and he could clearly hear the sound of a beetle crawling through the grass fifty feet away.
He stood up to test his new strength and felt a surge of power course through him. He could punch a deep imprint into a tree with a single blow. It seemed this mysterious taming art was truly formidable; not only could he form pacts with magical creatures, but he could also absorb their power through "Essence Refinement."
Now understanding the true potential of the taming art, Leon was filled with hope that he could find his way out of this dangerous forest. Since he was here, he might as well make the best of it. Perhaps, after being inexplicably brought to this world, he was destined to live a life unlike any other.