Chapter 443: Chapter 444: Subjugation

Until the end, Professor Sprout never came looking for him. Bai Lang slipped out each day to run in the Forbidden Forest with Dio; Dio was already a very seasoned hunter, able to kill deer—yet its main food still came from Hagrid, who also knew that letting Dio eat freely might provoke the centaurs to intervene—Dio's appetite was huge during its growth phase.

Bai Lang's other focus was on how to deal with that small sculpture that, in a sense, the "same kind" had given him; he could sense a strange power within it, but he couldn't extract it—does it benefit his power growth? Maybe not, but since the thing exists, Bai Lang thought it would be fun to get it out and watch.

"Should I drip blood to acknowledge a master? It can't be that easy, right? Still, it's best not to do it. After all, in the wizarding world that act is like being cursed without protection," Bai Lang squeezed the sculpture; in his mind he could hear a bizarre laugh emanating from it, and that feeling sounded like trouble.

Should I get some Harry Potter blood and smear it on this thing? After all, Harry is also a Horcrux of Voldemort, and that fellow, though mentally unstable, is definitely a ruthless character—maybe it could resist a potential curse. "But thinking it over, the two of them have no reason to harm me, right? Didn't one of them even make the egg I found become stronger?"

Bai Lang is certain that if that someone hadn't shed a drop of blood, he would never have gotten Dio, that pet. And a beast like Dio is indeed highly obedient to him, so perhaps that odd little sculpture he was given is also safe?

After much deliberation, Bai Lang finally went to the Black Lake at Hogwarts, pricked his finger with a needle, squeezed a drop of blood onto the sculpture, and readied himself for battle. The little sculpture began to heat up and glow. "Whoa! Dawarixi! This thing is really glowing!" Bai Lang tossed the object away.

The thing looked like it would explode, but it didn't; instead it fell ten‑plus meters away and turned into a thick plume of smoke. Bai Lang slipped off his clothes, tossing them aside to reveal a combat outfit underneath, and his wand was twirled into a staff, ready, because the smoke gave him a sense of pressure, and deep down he sensed a fierce fight was coming.

Bai Lang breathed in and out, adjusting his condition, while the black smoke gradually coalesced. From the darkness came heavy panting mixed with a bizarre laugh; eyes that glowed red like embers lit up the gloom, and soon the owner of those eyes emerged under the moonlight—a massive Hyena.

The Hyena was larger than a lion, even bigger than the biggest bull; its mane rose from the back of its head like a brush along its spine to its hindquarters. It stared at Bai Lang, ready to pounce and bite at any moment. "Hmm, letting a minor take on this..." Bai Lang sighed.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the Hyena lunged like a phantom, opening its jaws for a sideways bite. "That speed isn't what a Hyena should have!" Bai Lang leapt backward, dodging the lightning‑fast strike before he could utter the remark. In the next instant he powered his legs, lunged forward, and smashed it with a staff.

His staff also had a reputation, called the Skull‑Crusher, its brass head having shattered more than one goblin's dog‑head, weighing sixteen jin. Bai Lang, empowered by magic, summoned a gust of vicious wind and slammed it into the Hyena's head. If it hit solidly, even the skulls of lions, tigers, bears, or leopards would be pierced, and an elephant struck by this blow would likely lose its balance and collapse.

But the Hyena's evasion speed was also extremely fast and its intelligence not low; it twisted its head to dodge Bai Lang's strike and quickly leapt back, also evading Bai Lang's follow‑up sweep. "Whoa!" Bai Lang exclaimed, "What a strong beast." Bai Lang and the Hyena stared at each other while moving sideways in circles.

In this respect the Hyena was at a disadvantage; actually quadrupeds are generally disadvantaged against a human's lateral movement. The massive Hyena could only crouch and turn its body, looking rather clumsy. After a few sideways steps, Bai Lang spotted this weakness and smiled.

Bai Lang planted his wand into the ground; the clash of his fists produced a dull metallic clang—his martial skill had only progressed this far. "Bronze skin, iron bone, mighty demon," he muttered a meaningless phrase, then charged forward—moving erratically left and right on a wide scale, forcing the Hyena's turning to become sluggish.

For an ordinary person, the Hyena wouldn't care—it could absorb blows with its fur and massive body and then quickly counterattack. But for Bai Lang, the Hyena could sense the power he wielded, so it turned cautiously in response to Bai Lang's movements.

A two‑legged human can move left and right too quickly, and with many deceptive feints, so in the blink of an eye the Hyena spun wildly, got fooled, and Bai Lang appeared directly on its fully exposed side. He first unleashed a booming punch that shoved the Hyena's massive body sideways a few steps, then turned his fist into a claw, gripping its fur and muscle; with the force, Bai Lang vaulted onto the Hyena's back.

Bai Lang's legs, like steel bands, clenched the Hyena's thick neck, while his fists hammered down. No matter how the Hyena leapt or struck, if it tried to roll he would drop low, wrench his arms around its neck, and if it jumped he would smash it with his fists.

When a quadruped is pinned by a human on its neck and spine, it's doomed, because its claws and teeth become useless, leaving it to be slowly strangled. This Hyena had underestimated Bai Lang's skill, falling into a death trap despite its bone‑crushing jaws. Now its huge mouth spat frothy white foam as it gasped, and the foam was gradually turning pink and then deep red—signs of internal bleeding in its neck.

Its skull also caved in, and Bai Lang hadn't even struck many times. The massive Hyena finally collapsed on the ground, tongue hanging out; when Bai Lang delivered his final punch, the creature turned into a wisp of black smoke and vanished. Bai Lang remained standing, thanks to his quick reflexes.

The statue was gone, but within Bai Lang's Divine Sense a new incantation appeared, a special "Ma Ni Ma Ni Hong," that can summon a gigantic legendary Hyena for battle—the dog does not die; if slain it turns to black smoke and revives after twelve hours.

All of this was a "notification" echoing in Bai Lang's mind; it seems this is the second gift.