Chapter 227: Three Forms of Animagi and the Vibrant World of Magic

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Harry underestimated this world. He underestimated magic itself. Even though he had prepared himself to encounter new and extraordinary things before embarking on this adventure, some of what he experienced still went beyond his imagination.

The first poacher camp he dealt with—Jack the Severed Finger's camp—was mostly populated by wizards from Europe. Running into a wizard from the Japanese Ministry of Magic had been sheer coincidence. However, the magic taught there seemed very similar to the European and American schools, leaving Harry a bit disappointed as he was curious about Shinto magic but didn't get a chance to witness it firsthand.

Later encounters, however, left Harry utterly astonished by the wildly diverse types of magic he came across.

It was akin to how prisons are full of unique individuals—these outlaws, risking their necks to survive in Kitchadjeri, each had their own set of remarkable skills.

Take, for example, "Fire Release: Napalm Bomb Technique!" 

Harry couldn't help but silently quip to himself. This wasn't some crossover from Naruto, but the wandless spellcasting and hand signs performed by the wizard in front of him bore an uncanny resemblance.

Kitchadjeri, located in Africa, was home to the largest number of poachers—not foreigners, but native wizards. For wizards from elsewhere, the ten-kilometer-wide magic interference zone surrounding Kitchadjeri was a deadly trap. However, for wizards from Uagadou, who often learned the first stage of Animagus transformation by the age of sixteen or seventeen, it was as if they had returned home.

Creatures soaring through the skies, racing on the ground, or swimming in water—whether animals or insects—were all potential forms they could transform into.

The Uagadou magical system was entirely different from that of Europe. Wizards here did not favor wands or firearms, though they didn't reject their use entirely. Most of their combat, however, was an intricate dance combining spellcasting and Animagus transformation.

Uagadou wizards often adorned their bodies with tattoos drawn using special magical pigments, creating new magical circuits on their skin. This practice allowed them to perform spells unaided by tools, and their Animagus forms were unlike those of wizards elsewhere.

They could fully transform into beasts incapable of using magic, or undergo partial bestial transformations. When Uagadou wizards completed a full-body magical circuit, they could push their Animagus transformations to a new level, breaking the boundary between beasts and magical creatures. This allowed them to incorporate parts of magical creatures into their transformations while retaining their wizarding abilities.

Though complete transformation into a magical creature was possible, Uagadou wizards avoided it. Their Animagus transformations required the support of the special magical circuits drawn on their skin. Fully transforming into a magical creature would render them unable to revert to human form. They would become permanently trapped in their beastly shape, their minds eroded by their new form, dragging them into a state of inhuman existence—inside and out.

The most common battle form they adopted when facing other wizards was a half-human, half-beast hybrid.

At this moment, a "spiderized dark elf" with a bloated spider lower body was perched on nearly invisible strands of webbing. Her trembling fingers formed a complex series of gestures, and as the magical circuits on her skin glowed faint blue, an oversized spell—seemingly a fusion of the Explosion and Blasting Curses—shot forward, trailing a crimson tail as it struck one of the rainforest's massive trees.

The spell, which narrowly missed Harry's head, shattered a giant tree so large it would take seven or eight people to wrap their arms around it. The tree was instantly engulfed in magical flames that proved almost impossible to extinguish, covering a radius of over ten meters around it.

It was as though a napalm bomb had been dropped here. The acrid black smoke mixed with evaporating water vapor, creating a foul stench that filled the air.

Grayish-black mist hovered above the sea of flames, and the atmosphere was thick with the rank odor of decay.

"Sure enough, the setting where 'Fire Release never hits its target' seems to apply in this world too," Harry muttered to himself after observing the magical spectacle performed by the spiderized dark elf, Gongzhaji. But of course, whether the spell hit or not depended on the target. For ordinary wizards, the speed, power, and range of this spell far surpassed typical incantations. Without Apparition, even flying on a broomstick wouldn't make dodging any easier. The slightly longer casting time compared to spoken spells wasn't much of a drawback, as it left very little time for opponents to react.

Seeing the spiderized dark elf prepare for another spell, Harry, now more familiar with the magic of Uagadou wizards, disappeared from his spot. The black mist enveloping him allowed him to hover midair, exposing the spider-like creature's bloated abdomen.

The hairy spider body, covered in a glossy black carapace, bore a striking resemblance to an Acromantula. However, unlike Acromantulas, this creature's body was armored. The matte-black chitinous exoskeleton, at least a centimeter thick, was enough to deflect most spells. But against Harry's ebony shotgun, such armor wouldn't stand a chance.

A crisp chambering sound echoed as the crystal-clear bullets in the KS-23's magazine were imbued with a magical glow. The 23mm explosive round was unleashed with a deafening roar. Harry, having deliberately removed the silencer and muzzle flash suppressor, watched as crimson magical light burst forth, accompanied by a thunderous boom.

'Roaring Blast.' 

This was Harry's response to the earlier "Fire Release." A point-blank shot from behind, paired with a teleportation spell, was nearly impossible for anyone to evade. The blast spell, fired in a scattershot pattern, completely covered a ten-meter radius.

Perhaps the spider's sensory hairs were acutely tuned to vibrations in the air. At the faintest sign of movement behind her, the spider-woman's reflexes activated. Her human upper body bent into an unnatural shape, almost folding forward at a 270-degree angle. The taut webbing beneath her feet snapped in an instant, and her eight long legs folded together, forming a shield-like barrier to protect her vulnerable human torso.

The explosive spell ripped through the air, releasing a wave of searing heat and a deafening roar. Blood mist erupted as the impact shattered her black chitinous armor, leaving behind burn marks and the scars of magical flames.

Though the blast had only grazed her, the damage to her spider back was catastrophic, with much of it blown apart. However, such a terrifying injury didn't seem fatal.

Harry saw the Uagadou witch's face, slick with cold sweat from the pain, twist into a fierce snarl. She didn't utter a single word—not even a curse or cry of pain.

In an instant, her rapidly shifting form returned to a humanoid state. The moment her toes touched the ground, her human feet transformed into fur-covered, clawed paws. Her head morphed into that of a wolf, and the menacing shadow of Armanda the Jackal—a creature Harry had once seen haunting Dudley's bedside—manifested in full force.

This Uagadou witch wasn't ordinary. Aside from her human arms, her entire body had transformed into that of a beast, and her Animagus abilities encompassed at least two magical creature forms. The fully beast-like Armanda form was evidently her most powerful battle shape.

With what seemed like a light touch to the ground, the shadowy jackal leaped over ten meters into the air, appearing in front of Harry in an instant. Her massive, fang-filled maw emitted a low, bone-chilling growl as it snapped toward Harry's neck without hesitation. Her two human arms moved fluidly, forming two brief hand signs, releasing a wave of magic similar to the Finite Incantatem spell that disrupted all enchantments.

The black mist surrounding Harry dispersed in an instant, causing him to almost lose his ability to remain airborne.

The snapping fangs made a sharp clack as they closed on empty air. The half-human jackal reached the apex of her leap, and with no foothold in sight, her inevitable descent presented a critical vulnerability.

Harry vanished abruptly, but the battle-hardened Uagadou witch didn't falter. It was as if she had anticipated this move all along. From the moment Harry first disappeared, she had mentally prepared herself for exactly this scenario.

It had been over a week since Harry's encounter with the witch who could transform into three different Animagus forms. The mid-May Duel Championship was just around the corner, but Harry's attention was elsewhere.

Compared to the flashy tricks played by the wizards of Qichadrello, the duels in the upcoming tournament seemed far less enticing. What truly captivated him was the World Youth Wizard Duel Championship, slated to begin in early June. The European circuit no longer held much appeal for him.

After witnessing countless unique magical systems from across the world, Harry's broadened perspective made it difficult to confine himself to the narrow chessboard he had once known.

South American wizards practiced magic akin to Druidic nature spells. The witches and wizards of Castelobruxo had achieved astonishing expertise in herbology. After all, the standard herbology textbooks used at Hogwarts had been penned by a master herbologist from that school, a work adopted by magic schools globally.

At Castelobruxo, the accelerated growth of magical plants was just the beginning. Beyond that, they had mastered methods to actively control magical flora. Harry had almost been deafened to death by a "Storm Weeping Mandrake." Were it not for his high resistance to magic—allowing him to endure its deadly wail long enough to cast Sectumsempra and slice the plant and its handler cleanly in two—he might have met his match.

Professor Sprout had taught Hufflepuffs in their fourth year how to use magical plants in combat, and Mandrakes were among them. However, Hogwarts' methods of cultivating Mandrakes seemed flawed; their cries lacked the deadly potency of naturally grown ones, merely inducing severe headaches or unconsciousness.

Wizards from Koldovstoretz in the Soviet Union, as Professor Flitwick once described, excelled in close-quarters combat. Their magic heavily emphasized augmenting the wizard's physical body, but their approach differed from Wagado's transformative style. While both excelled in melee combat, their methods of employing power were worlds apart.

Koldovstoretz wizards essentially constructed a magical "exoskeleton" around their bodies, which they continually enhanced with various "modules." This might explain why the legendary Ivan the Great possessed such a unique Animagus form.

Neither Professor McGonagall's second-stage "Catwoman" transformation nor Dumbledore's third-stage Phoenix morph bore any resemblance to Ivan's magical mech-like duel with the Frost Tyrant.

As for the mysterious wizards of the East, Harry had yet to encounter one. However, he had briefly witnessed a demonstration of Shinto sorcery. Unfortunately, this occurred during a chaotic battle where Harry was being besieged by hundreds of adversaries. The hapless Shinto sorcerer hadn't even had time to make a proper move before being shredded—along with his Shiba Inu familiar—by a barrage of explosive spells. The fool had tried to ambush Harry, only for Harry to vanish at the last moment, leaving the sorcerer to bear the brunt of his allies' indiscriminate attacks.

After visiting over a dozen campsites, Harry had successfully stuffed his dragon-hide backpack full. The magical materials and Galleons inside were worth at least three to four million. If not for the hassle of fencing stolen goods, Harry could have doubled that amount by grabbing more valuables. Instead, he focused on ingredients useful for potions.

The green bracelet on Harry's wrist glowed ever brighter, having absorbed an abundance of life force. Halting his wandering, Harry decided it was time to pause his learning-by-provocation tour.

Now beyond the outer perimeter of Qichadrello's magical interference field, Harry entered the true hunting grounds of Qichadrello. By the light of his campfire, he gazed at the distant, shimmering Solar Mountain. Even under the night sky, the mountain sparkled, surrounded by countless tiny "stars." These were the joyous Sun Dragons, too restless to sleep, gathering in the skies for a nightly rave.

"It's time to settle the score," Harry muttered.

He shrugged off his robe, revealing his toned yet balanced physique. Across his right shoulder and chest was a patch of pale, tender skin—a mark of recent regeneration. On his very first day in Qichadrello, Harry had accidentally Apparated near the central region, where he was promptly "spat on" by a passing Sun Dragon with nothing better to do.

The searing stream of light had nearly evaporated him on the spot. Were it not for his quick escape and Snape's top-notch potions, Harry might have been forced to return home for recovery the very day he arrived.

"I'll remember this grudge," he growled, tearing into a piece of roast meat with the same ferocity he imagined he'd display devouring a Sun Dragon steak.

(End of Chapter)