Chapter 248 "The Black Devils Blood Transformation"

As Skyler ventured into the labyrinth, the deafening cheers and roars from the spectators outside were muffled, magically silenced from reaching the ears of the Champions. The effect was undoubtedly the work of magic.

The tall, imposing hedge cast ominous shadows over the path ahead. Whether due to its height and density or its enchantment, Skyler found himself surrounded by an eerie darkness.

Yet, aided by the four orbs of light hovering around him, he enjoyed a visibility of at least fifteen feet. This advantage proved invaluable, whether scanning for potential adversaries in the distance or guarding against ambushes lurking in the corners.

Casually pacing along the path, Skyler soon encountered a junction where four diverging roads stretched before him.

With a deft flick of his wand and a whispered incantation, Skyler conjured a complex spell, orchestrating a hundred tiny field mice to materialize. The mice promptly scattered, each venturing down one of the four branches.

Guided by their acute senses and magical instincts, these enchanted rodents were tasked with locating the elusive Goblet of Fire with utmost haste.

Even if confronted by traps or creatures along the way, they possessed the cunning to navigate through obstacles, sacrificing some of their numbers if need be.

As Skyler pondered his next move, Bagman's whistle echoed from behind, signaling the continuation of the challenge.

It appeared that Bagman's whistle possessed an extraordinary quality, its sound piercing through the maze's enchantments, signaling to Skyler that all the Champions had embarked on their maze journey.

A sudden intuition struck Skyler, spurred by the sensation that the magical vole had made a breakthrough. Trusting his instincts, he opted for the leftmost path.

However, as he stepped forward, the entrance to the path swiftly sealed shut, the hedge sliding into place as though erasing any trace of its existence.

Meanwhile, Harry, who had initially ventured into the maze with Eleanor, found himself standing at a crossroads after traversing about fifty meters.

Glancing at each other, they exchanged a wordless farewell. Harry veered left while Eleanor chose the rightward path.

Harry's chosen route seemed unremarkable at first. He proceeded cautiously, wand held aloft in his grip, straining to peer into the gloomy depths ahead. Yet, despite his efforts, visibility remained limited, shrouding the path in an impenetrable darkness.

Unease crept over Harry as he felt the distinct sensation of being watched, unseen eyes lingering on him from the shadows. With each passing moment, the maze grew increasingly dim, the sky overhead darkening to a deep blue hue.

Arriving at a second fork in the road, Harry paused, his senses alert for any sign of danger lurking in the labyrinth's depths.

"Guide my path," Harry murmured softly to his wand, cupping it flat in his hand. With a deft flick, the wand swiveled, aligning itself toward the dense hedge to his right.

That indicated north, and Harry knew that to reach the maze's center, he needed to head northwest. Opting for the leftward path, he planned to make a swift right turn at the earliest opportunity.

The path stretched ahead, devoid of any obstacles. Upon reaching a rightward bend, Harry proceeded without hindrance. Yet, the absence of challenges left him unsettled.

By now, he expected to encounter some form of impediment. The maze seemed to lull him into a false sense of security, tempting him with the illusion of safety.

Abruptly, two brilliant sparks erupted from the field, one shooting southwest and the other southeast.

"What in the...!" Harry exclaimed, his heart lurching in disbelief. "Two contestants have withdrawn! It's barely been fifteen minutes!" The realization dawned on him: the maze posed far greater dangers than he had anticipated. His survival thus far had been nothing short of fortunate, owing more to luck than skill.

"Who could have left?" Harry pondered inwardly. Though Skyler and he were both fourth-year students, he couldn't shake the feeling that Skyler wouldn't be among the departees. "It's likely one of those Durmstrang and those two Beauxbatons girls..." he speculated silently, his thoughts racing as he navigated the labyrinth's twists and turns.

Skyler regarded the two distress signals in the sky with a pensive expression. He knew Eleanor and Catalina's capabilities well; even if faced with a fire-breathing dragon within the maze, they wouldn't be eliminated so swiftly. So—

"Could it be Crouch Jr.?" Skyler pondered silently. "Was it just Crouch Jr. meddling with the maze?"

His eyes narrowed suddenly as he raised his wand. A gust of wind swept from behind, signaling the approach of something— a creature.

It was a Blast-Ended Skrewt!

The Skrewt before him differed greatly from the ones encountered in Hagrid's class. Skyler recalled seeing them last December, just before Christmas, when they measured six feet in length.

Their thick, gray shells could withstand nearly all spells cast by young wizards.

Following Rita's exposé of Hagrid's half-giant heritage in the newspaper, Hagrid took a temporary leave from his teaching duties, replaced by Professor Guerra-Plan. Upon Hagrid's return, the Skrewts were removed from the curriculum.

Now, at the end of June, after six months of brutal competition and survival of the fittest, only one Blast-Ended Skrewt remained— the one standing before Skyler.

This Blast-Ended Skrewt stood at least ten feet long, its gray protective shell adorned with peculiar dark-gold lines and menacing barbs gleaming with sharp edges.

What truly caught Skyler's attention was the creature's lack of a discernible head. Instead, on one end sprouted a scorpion tail, while on the other, its features varied by gender— males sported a stinging needle, while females bore a sucker.

However, Skyler couldn't determine the creature's gender.

Curiously, it had grown an elongated tube covered in numerous suckers, capped with six menacing white tusks that opened and closed eagerly, as if anticipating prey.

Skyler furrowed his brow. Something about this Skrewt felt off. Even in the wake of cannibalism that left only one survivor, it shouldn't exhibit characteristics of both genders. This was clearly an artificial alteration!

Aware that the creature's protective shell rendered it impervious to most spells, Skyler had already attempted an explosive spell upon its approach, only to watch it charge forward unscathed.

Skyler understood the formidable nature of the Explosive Curse he had cast. Even the most potent Death Curse might not breach the defense of the Blast-Ended Skrewt in a single strike.

The prudent approach was to rely on physical prowess. After all, the Killing Curse drained substantial magical energy, and he needed to conserve his reserves.

With a deft motion of his hand, the long-forgotten sterling silver dagger materialized in his grip. Taking a few swift strides forward, a gust of wind lifted him off the ground.

The Skrewt's elongated tube, resembling a retractable tentacle, swiftly lunged toward Skyler's mid-air position. Injecting copious amounts of magical energy into the pure silver dagger, he activated the impregnable curse etched onto its surface, causing the blade to pulsate with silvery-white lightning-like light.

Hissing in snake language, Skyler summoned a green snake-headed arrow, which whistled through the air towards the Skrewt's tube.

Though the bomb-tailed snail boasted formidable defensive capabilities, it lacked intelligence. Oblivious to the threat posed by the snake-headed arrow, it persisted in its attack on Skyler.

The snake-headed arrow struck the tube with force, unable to pierce the carapace but successfully diverted the tube's trajectory.

"Extend!" Skyler commanded, and the pure silver dagger morphed into a two-handed giant sword. With a fierce downward slash, he challenged the strength of the carapace. "Let's see whose defense is stronger, your shell or my blade!"

With a resounding hiss, the silver sword cleaved through the carapace, severing the entire elongated tube of the snail. As the tube spiraled away, a vile orange liquid oozed from the snail's fractured body.

Despite the success of the strike, Skyler felt discomfort. The reverberating shock from the sword's impact caused his jaw and arms to ache. Fortunately, he was skilled in aerial maneuvers, allowing him to mitigate the recoil by flying backward.

The snail's carapace vibrated violently, emitting a grating squeak as it scraped against itself. Suddenly, a blast of scorching hot air erupted from the snail's tail with a crackling sound aimed directly at Skyler, who had just touched down.

Skyler retracted his right hand, gripping the sword tightly, then, with his body coiled, he bellowed, "Waddiwasi!" He flung the sword like a javelin, aiming precisely for the fiery maw of the blast-ended snail.

It's easy for readers to envision the outcome when a fire-spewing vent is obstructed.

The snail met its fiery demise as the entire tail erupted from within. Flesh and viscous orange-yellow liquid sprayed in all directions, creating a grotesque spectacle.

Thanks to his supreme wizard robe's liquid-repelling enchantment, Skyler remained unblemished by the splattering fluids.

Advancing cautiously, he retrieved the sterling silver dagger, now returned to its original form.

He meticulously inspected the patterns on the snail's carapace before tapping it lightly with his wand. Instantly, Dark flames engulfed the creature, consuming it entirely and leaving behind no trace of ash.

Skyler recognized the magic at play—it was Dark magic.

And not just any Dark magic—

It was the obscure and rare art of the Black Devil's Blood Transformation.

During ancient wars, wizards employed this forbidden magic to twist magical creatures into weapons of destruction.

Creatures altered by this dark enchantment would become exceedingly aggressive and resilient to magic. Not even the Killing Curse could dispatch them in a single strike.

However, there was one caveat—this Dark magic could only be applied to magical creatures, specifically those with exceptionally robust skin and bodies. Human wizards were incapable of enduring such transformations.

A faint smile graced Skyler's lips. It appeared that the stakes in this game were escalating, and he relished the challenge it presented.