As they made their way toward the pet shop, Mord quietly reviewed the recipe he had just unlocked.
[Recipe – Life and Death Wand]
Use potions and a Dark Ritual to strengthen a holly wand into the far more powerful Life and Death Wand.
Wand Effect: Increases the power of both Protective Magic and the Dark Arts by 100%.
Mord’s breathing caught in his throat.
At last, he had discovered something genuinely useful that could be purchased with Darkness Points.
The Life and Death Wand was incredibly powerful.
It could double the strength of both defensive spells and Dark magic.
Remembering Ollivander’s words, Mord realized the holly wand truly was well-suited for both forms of magic.
He glanced at his system panel.
He now had 20 Darkness Points.
Without hesitation, he purchased the recipe.
Fortunately, it only unlocked the recipe rather than giving him the completed wand.
Otherwise, even several hundred Darkness Points probably wouldn’t have been enough.
[You have obtained the recipe: Life and Death Wand.]
A flood of knowledge poured into Mord’s mind.
After digesting the information, he couldn’t help clicking his tongue.
Creating the wand would not be easy.
The recipe required the blood of both a Unicorn and a Thestral, along with several rare magical herbs.
In addition, he needed to perform a Dark Ritual.
Thankfully, the system had already taught him the ritual itself.
All he needed now was practice.
The real problem was obtaining the ingredients.
Both Unicorn blood and Thestral blood were classified as Class-A prohibited materials by the Ministry of Magic.
However…
Mord rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
If he remembered the original story correctly, Hogwarts would eventually provide opportunities to obtain both.
With that thought, his mood instantly improved.
“This is the place.”
Professor McGonagall’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
Looking up, Mord saw that they had arrived at the Magical Menagerie.
Hermione looked slightly conflicted.
She wanted a magical pet, but she worried that caring for one might interfere with her studies.
After all, she was only a first-year student and had no idea how demanding Hogwarts would be.
Still, curiosity won in the end.
She followed Mord inside.
The moment they entered, Mord found himself surrounded by countless magical creatures.
Large snails with jewel-like shells slowly crawled across the shelves.
Bright green lizards occasionally breathed tiny bursts of flame.
There were also ordinary owls, cats, and many other magical pets.
Originally, Mord planned to buy an owl.
After all, owls were the standard way for witches and wizards to send letters.
As he examined a cage containing a long-eared owl, the system suddenly chimed.
[Corruptible Familiar Detected – Long-Eared Owl]
Darkening Success Rate: 20%
Mord blinked.
Even pets can be darkened?
If wand enhancement was already this powerful, then a darkened familiar would surely be extraordinary.
But what exactly did the success rate mean?
The system immediately answered.
[Report to the Lord Demon King: Certain magical creatures with exceptional potential or powerful bloodlines can undergo Darkening. If successful, they will evolve into your personal familiar. If the process fails, the creature will certainly die.]
Mord’s lips twitched.
As expected…
The Darkness System showed absolutely no mercy.
With only a twenty percent success rate, he wasn’t willing to take the risk.
His luck had never been particularly good.
To him, a twenty percent chance was practically the same as zero.
He continued searching.
Professor McGonagall and Hermione simply assumed he was overwhelmed by the large selection of magical pets.
Meanwhile, the system continued to detect several creatures capable of Darkening.
Unfortunately, their success rates were all disappointingly low.
The highest so far was a spotted lizard with a fifty percent chance.
Eventually, Mord reached the section containing toads and frogs.
Honestly, he had never wanted a toad.
They simply weren’t very attractive.
Still, they were surprisingly useful, especially for testing potions thanks to their natural resistance to toxins.
Without expecting much, Mord casually looked over the display.
Then the system sounded once again.
[Corruptible Familiar Detected – White Jade Frog]
Darkening Success Rate: 90%
Ninety percent!
Mord immediately turned toward the display case.
Mixed among the ordinary toads were several elegant white frogs unlike anything he had ever seen.
Their bodies were smooth and pure white, almost as though they had been carved from flawless jade.
Seeing his interest, the shop assistant smiled.
“These are White Jade Frogs, a newly imported rare species. They possess remarkable resistance to toxins and can even consume poisonous toad venom without any harm.”
“I’ll take that one.”
Mord pointed toward the smallest frog sitting quietly in the corner.
It was no larger than half a palm, with brilliant ruby-red eyes shining against its snow-white body.
The assistant carefully placed it inside a small cage.
“Rare breeds aren’t eligible for discounts. The price is 15 Galleons. The cage is included.”
Hermione leaned closer with sparkling eyes.
She gently poked the little frog with one finger.
“It’s so tiny… so white… and so adorable.”
Even Professor McGonagall looked mildly surprised that Mord had chosen a frog instead of an owl or cat.
Still, it met Hogwarts’ requirements for student pets, so she didn’t object.
Trying to hide his excitement, Mord accepted the cage.
“I’ll call you White Jade.”
The tiny frog quietly stared back at him, almost as though it understood that Mord was now its master.
With the pet purchased, only one task remained.
Books.
The three of them headed to Flourish and Blotts, where they each spent twelve Galleons on the required first-year textbooks.
After counting her remaining money, Hermione realized she still had more than ten Galleons left.
Unable to resist, she gazed longingly at the shelves filled with additional books.
Mord smiled.
“If you’re looking for recommendations, I’d suggest Hogwarts: A History and Thirty Things Every Muggle-Born Wizard Should Know. I also have several old books at home. If you’d like, I can lend them to you once school starts.”
Hermione’s eyes immediately lit up.
“Really? Thank you so much!”
After hesitating for a moment, she looked at him shyly.
“You can just call me Hermione.”
She paused before quietly adding,
“I mean… we’re friends now, aren’t we?”
Mord had helped her throughout the day and patiently answered all of her questions.
She had never met a wizard like him before.
Mord smiled warmly.
“Then you’ll be my first wizard friend as well, Hermione. Just call me Mord.”
For a brief moment, a faint blush appeared on Hermione’s cheeks.
“Mm.”
The system suddenly interrupted.
[Ding!]
The future Demon King is charming the heroine in an attempt to steal her heart.
Reward: Darkness Points +10
Mord nearly rolled his eyes.
System, that’s slander.
He wasn’t flirting with anyone.
His naturally gentle eyes simply made everyone think he looked affectionate.
Once their shopping was complete, Professor McGonagall prepared to return.
“Professor,” Mord said politely, “I’d like to stay a little longer. There are still a few things I’d like to buy.”
McGonagall nodded.
“Very well. Stay safe, Mr. Black.”
She had observed him throughout the day and found him mature, responsible, and dependable.
There was little reason to worry.
Hermione waved reluctantly.
“Goodbye, Mord.”
Mord smiled and waved back.
“See you on the Hogwarts Express, Hermione.”
After they disappeared into the crowd, Mord wandered into a nearby ice cream shop and ordered himself a cone.
The system chimed once more.
[Ding!]
The Lord Demon King has successfully deceived Professor McGonagall’s observation test.
Reward: Darkness Points +10
Mord laughed.
“I’ve figured you out.”
“You’re just a tsundere.”
As he enjoyed his ice cream, he realized something.
No matter what he did, the system always interpreted his actions as part of some grand Demon King’s master plan.
Ironically…
He liked that.
It made earning Darkness Points incredibly easy.
If the system had truly required him to commit murder and destruction, he would probably have died long before becoming any sort of Demon King.
The system answered immediately.
[The Lord Demon King understands the System’s painstaking efforts, and the System understands the burden carried by the Lord Demon King.]
Darkness Points +5
Shaking his head with a helpless smile, Mord opened the notification connected to his newly acquired White Jade Frog.
[You have obtained the familiar: White Jade Frog.]
Darkening process available.
New recipe unlocked: Medicinal Poison Frog Cultivation
Cost: 10 Darkness Points.
Effect: …