39. Nagini

Jon the Bearman is the strongman of the circus.

Aurelius didn't find anything interesting about this, but it was clear that Jon the Bearman and the strong man of No-Maj society were not the same concept at all.

"Yeah!" he roared, and his arms, as thick as elephant legs, bulged and trembled.

Accompanied by bursts of exclamation from the audience on both sides of the stands, the visual effects were simply outrageous!

A metal pillar cuts through the performance space and spans the base of the two stands.

Jon the Bear lifted the stands and dozens of spectators with his strength!

Aurelius's eyes burned.

Men always have some strange pursuits, like wanting to be taller, faster, bigger, and stronger.

Strength is one of them.

The popularity of strong men abroad is reflected in the history of many records of people with extraordinary powers.

The power demonstrated by Jon the Bear even amazed wizards.

Part of the reason is the incredible ratio of strength to size.

The magical world has no shortage of powerful individuals, such as giants and trolls. Giants are often twenty feet tall or more than six meters, while trolls are shorter, only three or four meters tall.

People have certain expectations about their power.

But what about Jon?

He's only a little over two meters tall. Although his body is muscular, his strength is unbelievable compared to his size.

And this is just one scene in the entire show.

In the second half of the performance, Aurelius noticed more unusual people with unique skills.

But gradually, Aurelius discovered something interesting.

No magical beasts!

Why would there be a circus show without animals?

That's strange!

But it's not surprising.

The magical world of America does not allow the breeding of magical animals, and this small circus doesn't dare to violate the laws of the Magical Congress. After all, they're just here to make money.

These traveling people know a lot about the customs and traditions from all around the world. Likely, they didn't bring magical animals to the Magical Congress.

One performance after another, Aurelius roughly calculated that the performers could be divided into two categories - ordinary actors and exotic actors.

Ordinary actors are clowns, and some sexy girls mainly juggle. A magician from a No-Maj social circus has no value in a wizarding circus.

There aren't many actors like this, and they have higher positions in the performance order.

There are many exotic actors, including Jon the Bearman, as well as some half-orcs, half-blood elves, and half-elves. Their performances may be well-received by the audience, but they are often mistreated.

It is common for them to bear various scars and endure abuse. It's almost like they are treated as slaves rather than actors.

As hybrids or products of magical failures, these individuals receive no sympathy from wizards and no support from their kind.

As the performance nears its end, the bearded man reappears, but this time an iron cage descends from the sky.

"Next! Allow me to introduce you to Maledictus, a participant in our peculiar showcase of monsters and oddities!"

A tall and stunningly beautiful girl emerges from behind the iron bars.

She wears an elegant purple-blue dress, and her graceful figure draws appreciative whistles from the audience.

There is nothing that excites these lower beings more than the presence of a pretty girl.

Aurelius straightens up, sensing that he may have found his target.

The girl's expression remains devoid of emotion. Beneath her soft East Asian features, there is a look of disgust and contempt.

While she has no visible wounds, her pale skin lacks vitality and appears unhealthy.

Her hair is slightly disheveled, but it does not diminish her beauty in the slightest.

"Once trapped in the jungles of Indonesia, she carries a cursed bloodline!" The bearded man stands outside the cage and proclaims with great enthusiasm to the audience.

With each word spoken, Nagini in the cage grows to despise the wizard even more.

She has lost track of how many years she has spent trapped in this circus, enduring daily scorn and abuse.

Though she has been spared physical beatings due to her appearance, her tormented heart cries out against the injustices of the world.

"Creatures like her are destined to live forever trapped in the form of animals!"

The bearded man's words elicit gasps from the audience, contributing greatly to the charged atmosphere.

A blood curse? What kind of terrible curse is this?

The bearded man is pleased with the strong emotional reactions he has evoked from the viewers. "But look at her—so beautiful, so alluring..."

"But soon! She will be forever imprisoned in a completely different body! Every night as she falls asleep—" The bearded man deepens his voice, leading the audience into a world of fantasy. "Ladies and gentlemen..."

Nagini lowers her head so that her expression remains hidden. Her teeth are nearly broken. She longs to escape from this hellish existence, but everyone, their eager eyes fixed upon her, only wants to see what they desire. Something to gaze upon.

No one will speak up for her, and no one will rescue her from this hell.

Heartbroken, Nagini crosses her arms. She wishes to reveal the side of herself that she despises the most. She wants to please the audience. It is all about her survival.

She desires to live, for only through life can hope to exist—With the grace of a boneless creature, Nagini's body contorted, transforming before their eyes into a massive, coiled python.

High above, her imposing head stood as her final triumph.

The snake paused, amid the audience's exclamations and the bearded man's chilling proclamation: "In due time, she will remain trapped within this serpent's form for eternity!"