Werewolf wizards were notoriously poor, and Rex had been no exception.
After searching the cave thoroughly, Lucas found almost nothing of value apart from a handful of Galleons and some filthy supplies scattered around the cavern. Most of the place smelled like blood, damp earth, and rotting meat.
While washing his hands with water collected inside a rusted bucket, Lucas finally caught sight of his own reflection properly for the first time since arriving in this world.
He froze briefly.
The boy staring back at him had black hair and dark eyes, almost identical to his appearance in his previous life.
The similarity was startling.
After questioning the system, Lucas learned that the original owner had apparently been of Chinese descent in this world as well. Somehow, that familiar appearance gave him a strange sense of comfort amidst everything else.
Since he still didn't know the original owner's real name, Lucas quietly made a decision.
From now on, he would continue using the name Lucas Summers.
After spending some time becoming familiar with his new abilities and eating a small amount of stale food he found inside the cave, Lucas finally prepared to leave.
But just as he stepped outside—
"Ding! As a white wizard, you understand that innocent people are being persecuted. A true white wizard should bravely stand up and save them!"
Lucas's eyelid twitched violently.
The system coughed awkwardly before continuing.
"Ding! Mission released: Rescue the children abducted by werewolf wizards!"
"Mission reward: Two Skill Points and one Treasure Chest."
"There is no penalty for mission failure. Does the host accept the mission?"
Lucas looked up at the sky expressionlessly.
"You meant dark wizards again, didn't you? Honestly, system, I've felt for a while now that there's something seriously wrong with you."
"Ding! Final interpretation rights belong solely to the system. If the host does not accept within ten seconds, the mission will automatically expire. Please answer directly."
Lucas waved dismissively.
"I'll take it."
Even without the mission reward, he had never planned to let those monsters continue hurting children. Evil had never belonged exclusively to dark wizards, but what those werewolves were doing crossed every line imaginable.
If he lacked the ability to help, that would be one thing.
But now he had power.
And if he possessed the strength to save people yet chose to ignore them, then he would truly become no different from the monsters themselves.
Besides, the reward itself caught his attention.
This was the first time the system had mentioned Skill Points.
According to the system, Skill Points could directly enhance any ability or attribute on his panel. In the long run, they would be far more valuable than ordinary rewards.
Thinking of this, Lucas immediately stopped wasting time.
Dark mist erupted around his body.
His figure dissolved instantly into a mass of black smoke before shooting into the sky toward the location Rex had confessed earlier.
There were still many kidnapped children waiting to be rescued.
And there were still many monsters waiting to die.
...
Lucas had never flown on an airplane in his previous life.
Strictly speaking, this was the first time he had ever truly flown.
And the feeling was incredible.
The moment he left the ground, he completely fell in love with it.
Freedom.
Weightlessness.
The endless sky stretching in every direction.
If his Obscurus form had allowed normal speech, he probably would have shouted from excitement already.
As mountains, forests, and rivers swept beneath him, Lucas couldn't help drifting into thought.
This was Albania.
Which also meant that somewhere within this country, Voldemort's shattered soul was likely hiding after his fall.
Earlier, Rex had confirmed that it was now late June, 1991.
That meant Harry Potter would soon begin.
And there was a very real possibility Lucas might encounter Voldemort himself.
Still, Lucas had no interest in seeking him out for now.
Even though he was already powerful enough to defeat the weakened, spirit-like Voldemort easily, there was no practical point. As long as the Horcruxes still existed, Voldemort couldn't truly die.
No matter how many times someone destroyed his temporary body, his main soul would survive.
So Lucas decided to ignore him completely for now.
His current goal was simple.
Destroy the werewolves.
Then leave Albania.
High above the forest, Lucas's senses had become unbelievably sharp in his Obscurus state. The world below felt clearer than ever before.
Then suddenly—
BOOM!
A loud explosion echoed from somewhere nearby.
Lucas immediately turned toward the source.
Without hesitation, the black mist shot through the sky at terrifying speed.
Several hundred metres vanished in an instant.
Moments later, Lucas arrived above the forest clearing where the disturbance had occurred.
The scene below made his eyes narrow instantly.
A blonde girl wearing an elegant green dress had fallen onto the ground beside a large crater blasted open by magic. Her clothes were stained with dirt and mud, and despite the calm expression she was desperately trying to maintain, fear still filled her emerald-green eyes.
She held her wand tightly toward the enemies surrounding her.
Several ragged werewolf wizards slowly closed in from every direction, grinning viciously.
Even from the air, Lucas could smell the same disgusting stench clinging to them.
"The boss is gonna love this one," one of them laughed.
"No kidding. He was complaining recently that he hadn't tasted fresh wizard flesh in ages."
Another werewolf licked his lips greedily.
"She's pretty too. Maybe we'll even get a share after he's done."
The girl's face turned even paler after hearing their conversation.
Her wand trembled as she desperately tried recalling the spells she had learned before.
"Expelliarmus!"
Before she could react, one of the werewolves disarmed her instantly.
Her wand flew from her hand.
The moment she lost it, despair flooded her expression completely.
Another werewolf stepped forward while raising his wand.
"Stupe—"
He never finished the spell.
A mass of black mist carrying an overwhelming dark aura crashed down from the sky like a storm.
The werewolves didn't even have time to react.
"AAAAAHHH!"
Several of them were swept screaming into the air before their wands were violently ripped away. Their bodies smashed into trees and rocks with sickening force.
Most died instantly.
Only one survived, crashing heavily into the ground with half his bones broken.
The black mist landed silently before condensing back into human form.
Lucas stepped forward without hesitation.
Then he raised his wand.
"Crucio."
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"
The surviving werewolf immediately collapsed into hysterical screaming.
...
A few moments later, after ensuring the werewolf had completely lost the ability to resist, Lucas finally spoke.
"Where's your camp?"
Because according to Rex, the main gathering point should still have been far away from here. If werewolves were already roaming this forest, there was a good chance another camp existed nearby.
Lucas had deliberately left this one alive specifically for questioning.
As far as these monsters were concerned, he no longer possessed even the slightest trace of mercy.
Mercy for them would only betray the countless children they had murdered over the years.
"You… who are you?" the werewolf gasped weakly, terror filling his eyes.
"Crucio."
"AAAAHHH! I'll talk! I'll talk!"
After the werewolf finally confessed the camp's location and roughly how many werewolves were inside, he looked at Lucas desperately.
"I was wrong… please… let me go…"
Lucas's expression remained cold.
"Forgiving you is Merlin's job."
He slowly raised his wand.
"My job is sending you to meet him."
"Avada Kedavra."
A blinding green flash illuminated the entire forest.
Countless birds exploded into flight from the surrounding trees.