It wasn't just physical pleasure—it was mental pleasure as well.
Especially when compared to before entering the Soul Palace, when Chu Yang had still been an ordinary person. The contrast made this indescribable joy even clearer.
It was like playing a game: you fight a high-reward monster, but your damage barely scratches it. Then you turn on a cheat, come back, and one hit deals 999, instantly killing it. The feeling was insanely satisfying.
That was exactly the state Chu Yang was in now.
He didn't want to stop.
So he pulled book after book out of his backpack and kept reading. It wasn't until dinner time, when his stomach began to growl loudly, that he reluctantly put the book down.
In just that short span of time, Chu Yang had already finished three introductory books: A History of Magic, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
He stretched lazily, a tingling sensation spreading through his entire body, and muttered,"If I'd been able to read like this in my previous life, I probably could've gotten into a world-class university in a year or two."
After hastily eating dinner downstairs, Chu Yang hurried back toward his room again.
"Hey, slow down, slow down, young wizard about to start school. Why the rush?" Old Tom lifted his head and called out as Chu Yang hurried up the stairs.
"Sorry, Mr. Tom—I'm in a hurry to get back to reading!" Chu Yang replied, slowing his steps slightly but still heading quickly upstairs.
"So studious…" Tom muttered, stunned. In his experience, most young witches and wizards who came to Diagon Alley for the first time were completely captivated by the wonders outside. Very few could actually sit still and read in his inn.
Back in his room, Chu Yang first let his owl out to feed it, then eagerly picked up Magical Theory and began reading.
Compared to the introductory books, Magical Theory had a much higher barrier to entry. It took Chu Yang noticeably more time to understand and memorize its contents.
Only when night fell and his mind began to feel fatigued did Chu Yang finally put the book down and fall into a deep sleep.
The next day went much the same. Chu Yang stayed in his room reading Magical Theory and Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Defense—commonly known as Defense Against the Dark Arts—over and over again, reading each book more than ten times.
By evening, Chu Yang put on a hoodie, layered it with his wizard robes, and left the Leaky Cauldron.
Tonight, he was going hunting in Knockturn Alley.
Knockturn Alley was connected to Diagon Alley by a hidden passage. Very few people used it, because too many ill-intentioned eyes lingered there.
In wizarding families, parents warned their children from a very young age to stay away from Knockturn Alley—it was a gathering place for dark wizards.
If adults needed to go there for urgent business, they usually used Floo Powder. Stronger wizards chose Apparition.
If Chu Yang were just running errands, he'd choose Floo Powder as well.
But tonight, he was here to hunt.
The more greedy eyes fixed on him, the better.
Defense Against the Dark Arts had taught Chu Yang the incantations and casting motions—essentially the "wind-up"—used by dark wizards when casting curses.
Observation Haki allowed him to anticipate his opponents' movements and evade in advance.
With Chu Yang's current physical condition, even without using the Naruto world's Body Flicker Technique, most dark wizards would have a hard time hitting him.
That was the confidence that let him hunt dark wizards without fear.
An eleven-year-old child swaggering through the street leading to Knockturn Alley naturally attracted a great deal of attention.
Chu Yang deliberately let his coin pouch fall to the ground, several Galleons clinking loudly as they rolled out.
The eyes of several pale, gaunt dark wizards nearly popped out of their sockets.
Chu Yang hurriedly picked up the coins.
Under the greedy stares around him, he "panicked" and darted into a narrow alley.
Immediately, several dark wizards followed him in, entering the pitch-black alley with sinister laughter.
Chu Yang screamed and ran even faster.
"Didn't your parents ever tell you which parts of Diagon Alley you shouldn't go to, little wizard?" a bald wizard with sunken eyes and a vicious face laughed as he chased after Chu Yang.
At the entrance of the alley, a group of dark wizards stood guard. Hearing the bald wizard's wild laughter, they all smiled as well.
But before long, the alley suddenly went quiet.
A long time passed without a sound—like no one had ever gone in at all.
The dark wizards stared at the blackened entrance, exchanging uneasy looks.
Logically speaking, dealing with a child shouldn't take this long.
"Who's going in to check?"
"York, why don't you go have a look? Afraid of the dark?"
"Hahahaha!"
Amid the jeers, the sickly-looking York flushed with anger."I'll go! Shut up, all of you!"
Supporting himself against the wall, he shakily walked into the alley.
The laughter behind him paused briefly—then exploded even louder.
"Hahaha! York, you walk like a woman!"
York cast a Lumos spell, driving back the darkness, and strode forward—only to trip over something and stumble heavily to the ground.
What he landed on felt strangely soft.
Looking down, he saw the bald wizard who had been chasing Chu Yang earlier.
York's pupils shrank violently.
He looked around—and saw bodies strewn all over the ground.
None of the dark wizards were dead, but they'd been stripped down to nothing but their robes.
York collapsed onto the ground in terror and began screaming at the top of his lungs. The dark wizards outside rushed into the narrow alley, only to be just as horrified by the scene.
By that time, Chu Yang had already left Knockturn Alley and returned to the Leaky Cauldron.
He dumped all his loot onto the bed. The sound of coins clashing together was like a magnificent orchestral performance.
Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts—coins of all three denominations.
Just one trip had earned him nearly a thousand Galleons.
"Life's not easy for dark wizards either," Chu Yang mused regretfully, though the corners of his mouth kept rising."They were probably richest back when Voldemort's power was at its peak. Sadly, times have changed."
He hadn't used magic at any point, so there was no chance of attracting attention.
With a steady source of income secured, Chu Yang stopped worrying about money. He went to Flourish and Blotts to buy several higher-year textbooks, then holed up in his room reading again.
For the next month, Chu Yang lived a highly regular life: reading by day, disguising himself at night to go "work."
He became something like a Batman haunting the nights of Knockturn Alley.
Time flew by, and before he knew it, September 1st arrived.
Chu Yang packed his luggage, left the Leaky Cauldron, and headed for King's Cross Station.
Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was concealed by magic. Muggles couldn't perceive it and would unconsciously avoid the area—just like the Leaky Cauldron.
(End of Chapter)