It was a bottle of Pumpkin Juice, one of the most popular drinks in the wizarding world.
Black couldn't rember an occasion when the Malfoys hadn't served buckets' worth of pumpkin juice at their parties, balls, and celebrations. It could go with breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just about whenever and wherever you liked.
Darcie didn't like the bottled one, though, as it was too sweet for her taste. Kai also didn't like it for the sa reason.
So when Black saw the Tiline holding an entire bottle, his heart really did give out.
"Don't worry," the old witch said, smiling amiably. "It's cold."
The corners of Black's mouth twitched. "The Price?"
The Trolley Witch pressed her brows and squinted her nose. "It..." she drawled, "... ca out too sweet..."
Black almost gagged, the bitterness still lingering in his mouth and every perceivable part of his body. Yet, there was no other choice.
The lure of a Heroic Item was just too much to pass upon, especially after witnessing the reality of the Chocolate Frog Card; now already placed in the Inventory.
Black took the bottle and opened it.
"You must drink it in one go," the Tiline warned.
Black threw the nastiest look at the old witch and then down the bottle, making a loud gulping noise.
Tink!
The glass bottle fell out of his hand and struck the compartnt's floor.
Sweetness from the deepest parts of hell overwheld Black, his teeth and gums itching beyond comprehension.
"Ah-gh-uh!" Black let out an inhumane growl before clawing at his mouth.
Teeth, tongue, and gums ca falling out as his nails sharpened, digging deep and ripping off flesh.
That didn't seem enough to hold back the itch, though.
The Ad Infinitum could, theoretically, block any sense, mory, or thought, but it failed to counter the sweetness.
Moreover, Black had Biokinesis, but it failed to do anything, too.
Black's long nails reached up, shredding his facial features as his knees buckled. He dug out his eyes, first. Then, in chunks, he pulled out his hair, ripping the skin off his scalp along with them.
That wasn't enough, either.
Black threw his head left and right like a mad beast.
Then, out of nowhere, his hands pushed together, compressing his head.
With a squelching pop, Black's head exploded, brain matter splattering everywhere.
Seeing the bloodbath, the Tiline shook her head. She waved her hand and the bloody filth disappeared.
On the floor, flesh squird like a filthy mutation over ssy gore.
In the next mont, Black stood up, his vision going in and out of focus. The dull-gray notification couldn't be anymore clearer, though.
...
[Quality: 98% (-1%)]
...
Black didn't say anything to the old witch.
He just crouched and picked the empty bottle up, making hundreds of promises to himself anwhile, in case the Item didn't turn out to be Heroic grade.
Fortunately, the planet had nothing to fear... for now.
...
[
Item: Pumpkin Juice Bottle
Grade: Heroic (Consumable)
Sub-Grade: Low
Specification: A wizarding beverage made from pumpkins and was usually served iced
Requirent: NA
Attributes: Capacity - 750 ml
Effect:
— Regenerate 10 HP per ml
— HP Regeneration Rate: 5% per ml
— HP gained and the Regeneration Rate remains the sa regardless of when and how much the juice is consud
Quality: 100%
]
...
Black threw the Item into his Inventory, simultaneously trying to contact Kai through it.
Yet, no matter what he or the AI did, they just couldn't reach out to him.
He must know sothing's not right, Black reflected. No way he didn't pick up on the sudden appearance of two Heroic Items.
[... It's advisable to give up on the Homunculus in such a scenario, instead of facing the Tiline directly] The Ad Infinitum beeped, squashing Black's thoughts.
Black wasn't so sure about the AI's suggestion. He shared the sa Source as Kai and, thus, he knew how truly he abhorred others toying with the things that belong to him.
There's one way... Black's sweetened eyes narrowed as his body shook, rembering the itch. The Reality Marble... Let's hold onto it for now...
"How was it?!" the old witch asked inquisitively, smiling.
Black's lips twitched. "Sweet..."
"Well, let's not waste ti, then..." The trolley witch's hand swept behind her back and she took out a bundle of papers, with moving images.
It was a rolled copy of Daily Prophet!
Black went quiet, all emotions ceasing to exist. Still, he was Kai's Homunculus. There was little he dared not to do. Much less needed to say about asking the question, "What's the Price?"
Fortunately, or unfortunately, the Tiline didn't ask him to eat the newspaper as Black had feared. She just lifted her hand and gestured for him to take it.
"You will not make applaud for you in my own world," she said, smiling.
"No." Black and the AI flatly rejected.
They knew what the old witch had asked for the Price.
Tiline's Applaud...
It was a Skill Kai could use to bypass a Tiline Backlash or prevent one from coming if it already existed, once in a Mission. There was no way they could agree to not use it.
Who knew when harming Harry Potter beca too necessary for their plans? In such a case, Tiline's Applaud was exactly the Skill they needed.
Even the lure of Heroic Item wasn't enough to give up on using it.
"I knew you would say that," the old witch said grumpily. "How about this? Sa Price... for the Item and the spatial coordinates of Avalon."
Black stared into the old witch's eyes.
It was one of the most tightly kept secrets of the Order of the Immortal Lotus.
Not even Madam Villanelle knew how to reach the mythical place other than using the Port Key, Excalibur.
Not to ntion, Kai needed it.
DEATH hadn't asked him to deal with rlin, but HE had indeed directed him to assist the Lord of Azkaban in the ordeal.
Moreover, Kai had already survived one Tiline Backlash. There was no comparing his self of then to his self of now.
If push ca to shove, he was sure he could handle himself against a Backlash.
Black nodded silently as the witch bead and took the Daily Prophet off her hands.
Whoa... The Item's black eyes dilated as he saw the Stats because this one was not a Consumable!
...
[
Item: Daily Prophet
Grade: Heroic
Sub-Grade: Low
Specification: A wizarding newspaper based in London, England
Requirent: NA
Attributes: Range - 1 Celestial Body
Effect:
— Generate fresh Content every morning in a tiline
— All Content is published on their respective pages and corresponding sections
Note: Content includes, but not limited to, the following -
— Articles
— Editorials
— Columns
— Obituaries
— Advertisents
— Classifieds
— Cartoons and Comics
— Listings
— Sports
— Miscellaneous
Quality: 100%
WARNING: The Item has living characteristics. If the Contestant fails to read it thoroughly, once used, the Content published next ti may deviate from the truth.
]
...
Black took a deep breath.
This was it. Information. With his ability to Switch Random Worlds, this newspaper would beco one of the greatest trump cards.
The Tiline noticed the newspaper vanishing, looked outside through the window, and turned around to return to her position as the trolley witch.
It was as if all she had co to do was to give Black the three Items, of course, at a Price.
Black couldn't and wouldn't let her go like that, not with the AI bombarding his mind with beeps.
"What does it an..." Black asked with all Calm he could muster, "... to be poisoned by Luck?"
The old witch chuckled without looking back. "Exactly as it sounds, young man."
"But I am already lucky."
The Tiline put her hands on the trolley, the Honeydukes Express, and looked at Black, her smile becoming a grin. "When did I say it's your Luck that has poisoned you?"
Black's heart thumped.
As if that was a cue, the world shook, regaining its montum.
Black was still standing, but now he found himself sitting by the window, his eyes heavy.
"I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..." Ron was saying.
"Hey, you woke up?" Harry asked, looking at Black. "I thought you gonna sleep all the way. Anyway, look, Ron's doing magic."
Black looked around and couldn't believe it. Was that... a dream?
No. It wasn't.
Because a supre bloodlust had taken over the entire train, yellow bolts of lightning snaking around it like windy gusts.
Kai had finally picked up on Black's presence!
**************
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