The skirmish ended, and now it was time to pack up the battlefield.
Midgard went to the alley entrance to finish off those two unlucky Werewolf sorcerers, while Leonard cleared the traps he had set.
To deal with Fenrir, Leonard had nearly depleted his entire supply of Chomping Cabbage seeds, all enhanced with the landmine variant. This locked them in place, preventing locomotor movement and forcing immediate disposal.
Otherwise, who knows how many innocent passersby would have had their legs bitten off?
The solution was simple: apply Optimize Growth again, this time choosing the Rapid Growth enhancement.
The second burst of Rapid Growth swiftly propelled these already rapidly maturing Chomping Cabbages toward the end of their lives. Their teeth softened rapidly, their bodies turning into mud-like masses, leaving behind only malnourished-looking pale yellow seeds scattered on the ground.
Due to the double dose of Rapid Growth, these seeds were essentially born with defects. Even if planted, the resulting Chomping Cabbages would be incredibly weak.
But Leonard didn't despise them. After all, these Chomping Cabbages had become this way because of his abilities. No matter how they grew, Leonard wouldn't abandon them—he'd simply not use them for combat.
After packing all the Chomping Cabbages, Leonard stepped out of the alley to see Midgard tossing those two werewolf sorcerers into the old witch's house like discarded trash.
Spotting Leonard emerge, Midgard gestured toward the scattered vegetable fragments on the ground. "Your Chomping Cabbages were torn to shreds by Fenrir."
Leonard scratched his head, sighing helplessly. "At least it died a worthy death."
Even with the protection of the Lighting Charm, Chomping Cabbages were no match for Werewolves.
Midgard nodded, not asking why Leonard's biting cabbage could be thrown to attack, nor how he'd instantly grown two rows of it.
Everyone had their secrets. If someone revealed theirs to save you, gratitude was owed—not prying. That would be ungrateful.
She followed Leonard into the house and returned the suitcase he'd tossed aside.
Leonard accepted it with a smile.
"If you ever need help, come find me in Flip Alley. My name is Midgard Greyback. Ask anyone, and they'll point you straight to me," Midgard said.
"Um... could you do me a favor first? Swap the materials inside for Galleon or some rare magical plants or seeds—and make sure they're alive." Leonard's eyes lit up at this, and he promptly handed the suitcase to Midgard.
Midgard showed no surprise—this sort of deal was common in Flip Alley.
"Selling everything? There should be some hard-to-find materials in there. Selling is easy, but buying them back later would be tough," Midgard cautioned.
"Oh..." Leonard hesitated. He didn't recognize all the materials inside and wasn't sure what exactly was there. Thinking it over, there might indeed be something he needed.
If he sold them now, he might regret it later when he couldn't find them again.
Besides, he was so close to unlocking the enhancement skill [Devour]—he'd definitely need large quantities of magical creature materials.
Seeing Leonard's hesitation, Midgard smiled. "Leave the items with me for now. I'll give you Galleon. If you need them later, you can buy them back from me at the original price."
"That's perfect," Leonard replied, his face breaking into a smile."Thank you very much."
"I should be thanking you. If not for you, I would've died at Fenrir's claws today." Midgard shook her head, then frowned upon noticing her own bloodstained, claw-scratched clothes.
Her gaze drifted naturally to the old witch's clothes lying on the ground.
"It's just mutual aid," Leonard said, feeling a bit awkward. He was about to make small talk and leave when he saw Midgard calmly strip completely naked.
"Wh-wh-what are you doing?" Leonard stammered.
Midgard wasn't just good-looking—her figure was striking, strong without being bulky, her muscles balanced with a raw, untamed beauty. The sudden shock of her stripping left Leonard completely at a loss for where to put his eyes.
"Changing clothes. Can't you tell?" Midgard said as she pulled the old witch's clothes off.
"I know that! But shouldn't you wait until I leave? Or at least step aside? I'm still here!" Leonard exclaimed.
"You're just a brat. What's there to avoid?" Midgard replied carelessly.
"I'm a man."
"Please. You're nothing but a kid who hasn't even grown hair yet." Midgard laughed outright at his embarrassed expression, then pulled him into her arms.
"Now you actually look like a kid. At first, I thought you were some old monster using dark magic to turn young again."
"Ugh… let me go!" Leonard's face was pressed into a suffocating wall of softness, leaving him gasping.
"Alright, alright, I'll let go." Still amused, Midgard released him. "Go on now. Knockturn Alley's dangerous at night. I'll clean up the traces here."
Leonard sucked in a deep breath, cheeks reddening as he recalled the soft sensation. Even so, he forced his tone firm. "Don't forget, you still owe me Galleons."
"Relax, you'll get what's yours." Midgard waved him off. "I know your name now. I'll have an owl bring the package to you."
Leonard nodded, trusting that Midgard wouldn't go back on her word. After a brief farewell, he left.
Midgard watched him disappear, shook her head with a faint smile, then turned and set the house ablaze with a werewolf wizard's wand.
As the flames consumed the building, her eyes grew cold. Hoisting the suitcase, she pulled her cloak tight around her shoulders and walked off into Knockturn Alley.
...
[Upto 50 chapters ahead for now]
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