After a "cordial and friendly" negotiation with Aragog, the leader of the Acromantulas, Dudley strolled out of the Forbidden Forest. The giant spiders "enthusiastically" escorted him to the edge of their territory.
Dudley didn't leave alone. Tucked into a red-and-white ball (a magical creature orb) at his waist were a few Acromantulas.
That was the whole point of his trip to the Forest.
It didn't have to be so complicated, but the Acromantulas hadn't given him much room to negotiate. So, he'd had to use a bit of "reason" on them.
The results? Pretty satisfactory.
Leaving the Acromantula territory, Dudley didn't head straight back to the castle. Instead, he veered toward another part of the Forbidden Forest.
He moved quickly, the Forest as familiar to him as his own home, thanks to his Data Eye.
The Forbidden Forest was teeming with magical creatures: three-headed dogs from Greece, manticores from Persia, occamies from East India—not to mention trolls, mountain trolls, unicorns, thestrals, centaurs, and hippogriffs. Rumor had it even a sphinx from Egypt lived here.
There were whispers of werewolves and vampires too, though those were unconfirmed.
If you could imagine it, it probably existed here.
Dudley sometimes wondered if the Forbidden Forest was less a forest and more a private zoo built by the Hogwarts founders, each tossing in their personal collection of magical creatures. How else could you explain such a diverse gathering of beasts from across the globe, most of them coexisting peacefully?
It was downright bizarre.
Of course, these powerful creatures were fiercely territorial. They rarely left their domains, but step into their turf, and you'd face a ferocious counterattack.
Yet, as Dudley crossed their territories, not a single creature bothered him. They all collectively ignored him.
Magical creatures were sensitive, and most were far from stupid. With the scent of Acromantula blood clinging to Dudley, no one was keen to mess with him.
Not every creature was as stubborn as an Acromantula.
Before long, Dudley navigated through layers of obstacles, crossing half the Forest to reach his destination: a clearing deep within.
Two magical creatures called this place home.
A Norwegian Ridgeback and a unicorn.
"Long time no see, Charizard, My Little Pony," Dudley greeted them warmly.
"Roar!"
"Neigh!"
They responded just as enthusiastically, especially the Ridgeback, which eagerly nudged its head toward the bag at Dudley's waist.
If it were any smaller, it'd look like a puppy begging for treats.
"Alright, alright, I got you," Dudley said with a laugh, shaking his head as he pulled a bag of feed from his pack.
The Ridgeback let out an excited burst of dragon fire into the sky before chomping down happily.
Then Dudley felt a gentle nudge at his back.
Turning, he saw the unicorn gazing at him with big, pitiful eyes.
"You too, you too," he said with a sigh, pulling out another bag of feed.
Too bad he couldn't tame creatures like a Norwegian Ridgeback or a unicorn—they'd make for some serious firepower.
A Basilisk versus a Ridgeback? Now that would be a showdown.
But facing a thousand-year-old Basilisk and Voldemort's Horcrux required preparation. That's why he was here.
"My Little Pony," Dudley said, turning his attention to the unicorn. It was the key.
He reached out slowly, brushing his hand along the unicorn's neck, toward the mane and its shimmering horn.
Normally, unicorns rejected any male—especially human males—unless they were pure maidens.
Dudley was an exception.
His magical creature feed was irresistible to any beast.
Gently stroking the unicorn's horn, Dudley grinned with satisfaction.
The unicorn gave him a brief glance before returning to its meal.
How low could a creature stoop for a snack?
Even a male unicorn didn't protest being called "My Little Pony," a name leaning distinctly feminine.
Unicorns were smart. They understood human speech.
Not content with just the horn, Dudley eyed the unicorn's hooves. He lifted one of its front legs and began inspecting it.
Yes, he'd come all this way specifically to touch a unicorn's hoof.
Legend had it that touching a unicorn's horn and hoof brought good luck. That was his goal.
Dudley had reflected on his past failed draws. As a self-proclaimed "unlucky" guy, washing his hands wasn't enough to change his fate. He needed something with real luck-boosting power to channel some serious fortune.
So, he'd held off on drawing for a while, saving up. Now, he had ten draws banked, including two earned from straightening out the school.
Time for a big one.
With the lucky hoof and horn boost, Dudley felt his luck overflowing.
He activated draw mode.
"Here we go—ten-pull time!"
The old-fashioned lottery machine whirred to life, spinning as the draw began.
First pull!
Eight Extremes Fist LV1!
Not a bad start. A pretty practical skill, especially since his only LV5 skill was a variant of this.
Second pull!
Taizu Long Fist LV1!
Uh… okay, not terrible?
It was the move used by a certain hero who swept through a manor with a boombox blaring. Honestly, Dudley would've preferred the boombox itself.
Play the right BGM, and you're unstoppable.
Even a god would get pummeled.
Third pull!
Street Fighter Fist LV1!
This one… let's not dwell on it.
Fourth pull!
Hung Gar LV1!
Pass.
Fifth pull!
Wing Chun LV1!
Another fist technique? Dudley's face started to darken.
Wing Chun wasn't bad, but it was a bit underwhelming. If it had a Hong Kong flair, maybe he could've shot lasers or something.
Still better than "Unbent Spoon," though.
Did he stumble into a fist technique loot pool or something? All punches? Did the system think his boxing skills were that weak?
Sixth pull!
Volleyball Fist LV1!
Seventh pull!
A Tasty Green Onion!
Finally, something other than a fist technique. But still, it felt like he'd landed in a martial arts card pool.
Dudley stared at the green onion, as thick as a baby's wrist, lost in thought.
(A very long and sturdy stem. As a weapon, it could easily hit an enemy's weak points.)
Wasn't this the weapon of some duck Pokémon?
Eighth pull!
Den Den Mushi Crafting LV1!
Ninth pull!
Not a fist technique either.
Joint-Locking Hand (Eighteen Tumbles) LV2!
(As long as there's a bone, I can dislocate it.)
One pull left.
"Come on, luck, explode!" Dudley prayed.
The slot machine slowed to a stop.
A dazzling golden light filled his vision.
A surprised male voice seemed to echo in his ears: "Whoa, a golden legend!"
It was still a fist technique, but not just any fist technique. This was a top-tier skill from another world.
Cosmic Beast Fist—"Titanic Ox-Breaking Fist" LV1!