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Chapter 7 - Chapter 7: First Trial of Dark Harvest

"Alaho."

Arriving at the store's entrance, Hermione waved her wand at the locked door, causing the lock to fall to the ground.

After casting an invisibility spell on herself, Hermione quietly slipped inside.

Deep in the room, near the bar, two figures faced off, and the side window had been pried open.

One of them was the familiar Uncle Edwin, and standing opposite was a man holding a pistol.

Hermione quickly grasped the situation.

A robbery—the art of zero-dollar shopping, a classic American tradition.

Uncle Edwin raised his hands, looking nervous, and repeatedly said, "Don't shoot, I'll get you the money right away."

As he moved towards the counter, the robber shouted, "Hand over the money! I told you to hand over the money! Don't move, I said don't move! Get the money, quickly!"

The gun's muzzle trembled slightly, as if he might shoot at any moment.

Hermione: "..."

Listening to the nonsense, Hermione could only sigh at the robber's lack of intelligence, which perfectly fit the stereotype.

As Edwin hesitated between "stay still" and "get the money," the robber seemed enraged by his indecision, his finger tightening on the trigger.

Seeing this, Hermione didn't hesitate any longer. She pointed her wand forward and whispered:

"Expelliarmus!"

Instantly, an invisible force struck the robber's chest, sending him flying backward to crash against the wall with a loud "bang."

The force was so strong that it even cracked the wall.

Well, the power's not bad.

Hermione was quite pleased.

Although it was just a level 1 Disarming Spell, she had mastered it to near perfection, making it as powerful as a full-strength punch from a top boxer, significantly stronger than other wizards her age.

Even some senior wizards might struggle to cast a Disarming Spell with such force.

"Ah... it hurts... help..."

The robber groaned in pain on the ground, feeling as if his internal organs had shifted and unsure how many ribs were broken.

"Oh, he's still alive?"

Hermione raised her wand again.

"Diffindo!"

The transparent wave sliced through the air, striking the robber's neck.

In an instant, a deep gash appeared, cutting halfway through his neck, with blood gushing out and pooling on the floor.

Nearby, Edwin was frozen in shock.

Just as he was about to fight back against the erratic robber, the man suddenly flew back as if hit by something, and then his neck inexplicably broke.

It was like a horror movie.

Edwin trembled and dared not move, wondering if he was the one hallucinating.

"Accio pistol!"

While Edwin was paralyzed with fear, Hermione quietly cast a Summoning Charm, pulling the pistol into her arms before leaving the store without looking back.

...

[Dark Harvest]

[Current Soul Energy: 1]

Back in the dark alley, Hermione looked at the changes in the magic book and felt elated.

Her guess had been correct!

Dark Harvest could absorb power through death!

After gaining this soul energy, she immediately understood how to use it. She could infuse it into her body to enhance her magic power or use it to boost her spell proficiency.

1 point of energy could increase the corresponding value by 1 point.

"Isn't this pushing me to become an evil dark wizard?" Hermione couldn't suppress the grin on her lips.

That's right, her return to the Marvel world tonight had one purpose: to kill.

Because Dark Harvest required death to harvest soul energy, when nobody nearby died, she simply took matters into her own hands.

Of course, she didn't choose her target lightly.

First and foremost, while she didn't mind killing, she didn't want to harm innocent bystanders. That would cross a line.

Even if this wasn't Earth as she knew it, she still viewed everything as a game and didn't want to act that way.

In her previous life or this one, Hermione wasn't a kind-hearted person, but she certainly wasn't a psychopath who sought chaos and evil.

The second and most crucial reason.

Hermione had already crafted her persona for the Marvel world.

If she killed indiscriminately and attracted the attention of superheroes, it wouldn't be worth it. She wanted to use the Marvel world as a stable testing ground to enhance her strength, so she couldn't become an enemy of the world.

By targeting a robber intent on murder, she could justify her actions as a heroic deed. Moreover, given her age, even someone with a strong sense of justice like Captain America wouldn't blame her.

What superhero here hasn't taken a life in the name of justice?

[Hermione Jean Granger]

[Magic Level lv1 (988/1000)]

Absorbing the soul energy, a cool sensation spread through her body, and Hermione felt her magic power increase slightly.

A single point of soul energy equated to a day's hard work!

Amazing!

The Marvel world was just... perfect for her!

Hahaha!

Hermione couldn't help but laugh inwardly.

Three hours later.

"It has to be you, America."

Standing in the area known as Hell's Kitchen, Hermione looked at the experience points just two away from full and sighed appreciatively.

After leaving the barbecue shop, Hermione asked passersby about the most crime-ridden neighborhood in New York and took a taxi straight there.

She still remembered the driver's incredulous expression in the rearview mirror when she announced her destination.

It seemed to say, "You're just a kid, why go there?"

As expected, in just three hours, she witnessed wonders, including but not limited to: drug deals, highway robbery, zero-dollar shopping, and random shootings.

Yet the passersby seemed unfazed, as if accustomed to it.

It's truly a wondrous country.

Using the Disillusionment Charm, Hermione became the queen of assassination, practicing spells on the most notorious criminals and converting them into soul energy through [Dark Harvest].

During this process, she also stumbled upon a murder scene and discovered she didn't need to do the deed herself. As long as someone died nearby, she could harvest the soul.

"What should I do now?"

After working for so long, Hermione felt a bit tired. Although she was a wizard, her physical strength wasn't much greater than an ordinary person's, and as a growing girl, sleep was still essential.

The area was cleared of threats, and there were at least eight hours before she could cross worlds again.

"It would be great if I could fly or Apparate," Hermione thought to herself.

Three hours on foot was a test of both physical endurance and willpower.

Fortunately, flying lessons would start next week, so there was no rush.

Hermione looked around, observing her surroundings.

Though she was in Hell's Kitchen, she wasn't sure if Kingpin existed in this world. Even if he did, she had no intention of contacting him.

It didn't align with the character she set for herself.

And what level was a lowly crime lord that he deserved a wizard's attention?

Judging by Tony Stark's presence, this seemed to be the MCU film universe, and Iron Man hadn't yet emerged, meaning the timeline was before Tony's kidnapping.

Eh?

Suddenly, Hermione realized something.

It's the summer of 2008, and Iron Man hasn't been born yet. Doesn't that mean...

a certain wealthy playboy has just been kidnapped?!

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