HP: The Arcane Thief

Chapter 186: Another Attack

Chapter 180

In the Organisation's Hideout.

The Higher Ups of Kraken were currently having Meeting.

"Are the preparations complete?"

"Yes, 1st. I already had my men do it a year ago."

"Good. We've been hiding for too long. 'Master' finally has enough power. Today, a significant amount will be spent, but we'll gain more when 'they' break out. We can now start revealing our cards." Said the entity called the first in an aged voice. "How is Sixth?"

"Still recovering. Kyrin truly did a number on him."

"Hm...Kyrin... We'll have to deal with her. For now, order sixth to stay put in the base. It would be troublesome if we lost his relic."

"Yes, 1st. But he never listens to…"

"Discard him if he disobeys. We can "enlighten" others to wields his Relics."

"Yes, 1st."

"Is there any news about the Seventh and Eighth?" Someone else asked.

"No updates, but it seems that the British Ministery is involved. We've heard that their minister had led a huge force into Hogwarts on the day of their disappearance."

"So the variable…?"

"The Variable is reported missing. The British Ministry is also trying to find him. Our estimate is that those idiots at least did their job and killed him before they died."

"The orders… were to bring him to me." The first said at this moment, causing the rest of the members to flinch.

"This matter is not over yet. But we'll temporarily suspend it till the end of war, which won't be a long time. Especially after the disaster that will take place today."

…..

The Biopark of Atlantis. It was built after the end of the Last Atlantian war, which resulted in Kraken's defeat.

It's an old place that has been in existence for quite a few centuries. Externally, it spans over a vast space, but that can't hold a candle to how big it is from the inside due to the space extension magic. It's almost as big as a small country.

It's the only place in Atlantis where these sea-dwellers can experience the nature of Earth. That's why it's quite a popular visiting spot among the Atlantians.

Many elderly people come here regularly, schools hold educational outings here, and it's a perfect picnic spot for families.

Axel and Akiko were currently standing in the plaza, waiting for their turn. Around them, they could see the catalogue of animals they could see.

"There is an aquarium too…" Akiko's attention was attracted by the mesmerizing glimpses that were shown of the aquarium.

"Well, it's Atlantis. You can't really be surprised," Axel said with a no-shit look.

But he could understand why Akiko was surprised. Even though it's being publicized for its wildlife sanctuary, but from what he could see, the aquarium was far more impressive.

The reason is still the same: It's Atlantis. Everything related to the ocean is overused here. On the other hand, even the normal day to day creatures of the outside world seem 'exotic' to them.

When they got the ticket and finally entered, they were taken aback by the view.

They were on an elevated place. In front of them, vast greenery stretched as far as the eye could see. Birds could be seen the flying in the sky, and a gentle breeze of fresh was blowing, ruffling the trees.

"So… real." Akiko was only expecting some kind of zoo with animal cages, but clearly, this was not it.

Axel whistled. As it happened, he had never been to a fucking zoo, so he had nothing to compare it with. But still, this place was beautiful. It was the kind of place Daphne would like.

Only, there was one problem. The power increase he had been feeling while being in Atlantis had lessened upon entering this space. It was because they no longer had water over their heads, but simulated a sunny sky. But oh well, why would he even need it here?

He wouldn't, right?

"Everyone, please board the train. We hope you have a pleasant experience." An announcement was made at this moment, as they heard a horn.

"What… is that?"

It was only then did they see it. A train was stationed not far from them, which the people were currently climbing into. They hadn't noticed earlier, because it was transparent, and there were no visible tracks.

"Well, let's go."

The two of them boarded the train and sat on the see-through seats. The interior was Luxurious and much more spacious from the inside. But one thing was weird: Almost everything inside was transparent. It was odd, but

this type of train was indeed perfect for a wildlife safari. The train set off, its acceleration extremely fast and smooth, and his e-brace chimed.

{The Atlantian Wildlife Sanctuary was to send you a file.}

{Accept/Reject}

Axel accepted the file, which turned out to be a complete guide of the place, along with the summarised version. Axel flipped through it and found out more about the place.

The Biopark was partitioned into three separate zones. Zone 1 contained all types of non magical attractions, zone 2 contained magical creatures and plants, and zone 3 had the aquarium.

The train will take you through these zones one by one, and there are a few safe spots where you can alight if you want to and look around on your own.

Along with the guide, there was also a map feature. When Axel accessed it, a complete 3-d map of the whole place was projected from the bracelet. Upon zooming in, you could see the live location of the creatures, and the safe area boundaries were also highlighted, which you could travel if you desired.

After a while, the train slowed down to around 10 kmph as they heard an announcement.

[We have reached the non-magical forest. On your right, you can see the exotic animals called cows. In the outside world, these animals are known for their milk, which contains high nutritional value.

On your right, you can see the animals called Monkeys. The tree they are sitting on is the extremely rare apple tree, whose fruits are luxury goods in Atlantis.

Since you have chosen the premium ticket, you will be served with the fresh servings of the fruit.

"…." Akiko and Axel felt their grasp with reality slipping.

Watching people get excited upon seeing cows and eating apples was a bizarre and funny experience at the same time.

The ride continued, and even though Axel and Akiko didn't find the non-magical plants and animals much interesting, the delicacies which were provided from time to time kept them occupied.

Soon, another announcement was made. [The non-magical area is about to end. The tourists who have applied for the indepth experience, please alight. Those who did not can still upgrade their ticket.]

The 'in-depth' experience, as the announcer put it, is just a tour into the forest on foot or some open air vehicle in order to experience the nature more closely. While getting their tickets, they hadn't opted for it.

Axel and Akiko looked at each other and both shook their heads.

it seemed really foolish to be spending so much money just to be able to go through a normal forest.

When they entered the magical forest, the atmosphere instantly changed. Suddenly, the trees were taller and thicker, and the light coming through lessened, creating a darker vibe.

[We have now entered the Magical Forest area. To your right, you can see the creatures called Hippogriffs. These magical creatures have the front legs, wings, and head of a giant eagle and the body, hind legs and tail of a horse.]

To their right, they could indeed see Hippogriffs, but...

"I didn't know they could be violent," said Akiko. That was the case. The Hippogriffs were currently breaking into violent scuffles.

Axel had already seen Hippogriffs plenty of times in the Forbidden Forest. But none of the ones he had seen were fighting among each other.

"They do seem much more aggressive compared to the ones in hogwarts," Axel shrugged.

Since he hadn't had the Care of Magical Creatures yet, the creatures they saw from then on were all new to Axel. Bowtruckle, Demigods, Augreys, Billiwigs, Murtlaps, there were a lot.

But then,

[Now, we're about to proceed into the Territories of the Dangerous Magical Creatures.]

It was from then that they started to notice something fishy.

[The creatures you see on both sides are called Griffins. They are powerful creatures which are extremely rare in the outside world.]

They indeed saw the Griffins, but these Griffins were also fighting among themselves, just like the Hippogriffs.

"Mommy, why are they fighting?"

"I... don't know honey."

"Hey, staff! Why are these creatures so aggressive today?!"

This time, not only Axel and Akiko, but many of the other tourists also found this odd.

[The animals are indeed experiencing some emotional changes right now, but please be assured that your safety, and the safety of the animals is guaranteed.]

It was true. As one of the Griffins tried to charge at the incoming train, it couldn't even come near it, blocked by an invisible force field. This forcefield was covering the entire track, and the safe zones, so that no animal could cross them.

The animals were installed with tranquilizers that can be activated any time, and they could see a lot of them calming down one after another.

"Hey! Don't stop them! This is a fun event! I've never seen anything like this before!"

"Haha! I'm already streaming it live. This is jackpot!"

"This is also fun to watch!"

Of course, many people had nothing to complain about. In fact, they even found it enjoyable. How many times can you see magical beasts fight? For these people, this was indeed an exciting development.

And, they weren't disappointed. A lot of creatures they encountered after that were showing signs of aggression or agitation.

The Nundus, the Cockatrices, the Chimeras... seeing these XXXXX Level threats fighting among themselves was enough to entertain them and get cause a sensation online.

By now, it seemed that the matter had reached the attention of the Biopark's authorities, and most of the animals had become sluggish or fallen asleep due to the sedatives.

The problem became serious when there were still a number of creatures who didn't show any signs of stopping.

[We're about to enter the Drakonian Territory now. Dragons are territorial creatures, but please be assured of your safety.]

A giant column of fire was shot at them, fizzing the protective shield around the track.

"What the—"

They saw a huge dragon glaring down at them for entering it's territory. Its size was so huge that it could cover the Quidditch pitch.

[What you are seeing is a Ukrainian Ironbelly Dragon. These creatures, now extinct in the outside world, are the biggest known dragon species on earth.]

"So, that's a dragon..."

Axel looked at the creature with interest. If he had to name the one magical creature about which he had heard the most, it would be Dragons. While alive, a dragon is a force to reckon with, and while dead, they are a treasure trove of resources. And he was seeing so many of them outside.

He had to admit, Dragons had a different kind of majesty to them compared to other creatures.

The Ukrainian Ironbelly was just the beginning. They saw at least 6 different species of Dragons, all of which looked quite intimidating.

Since they were trespassing, they were of course attacked by many Dragons, and many, like the giant Ironbelly, had started chasing them. But that was just one of the Main attractions of the tour.

After a while, they arrived at the safe zone of the Magical Forest, and a lot of passengers who had applied for the In-depth experience began getting up from their seat in order to alight.

"Let's go! I want to see it up close!"

"Quickly! Before they all go to sleep under the tranquilizer!"

Axel looked at Akiko. "Do we go as well?"

The magical forest turned out to be much better than expected, and there were still many creatures on the catalogue that they hadn't yet seen, either due to their rarity here, or their habitat and territories not being in the track.

And even if he didn't tell Akiko this, he also wanted to alight in order to check something.

While Akiko was hesitating about whether to go or not, someone else made the decision for them.

"Hm? Why is it not stopping?"

"Hey! Stop the train!"

"The safe zone is already left behind!"

[Dear passengers. Due to a situation, the in-depth experience has been cancelled for today. We are sorry for the inconvenience. Those you have applied for it, will all be refunded]

"What?!"

"No!"

"I wanted more!"

"Go back!"

While the people were still complaining, Axel, who had already began to have an ominous feeling, frowned.

"Was that Ironbelly always that big?" He noticed that the Dragon that had been following them since the beginning now appeared even larger and vigorous than it had appeared in the beginning. The fire it breathed seemed to have a hint of blue colour in it, which was causing slightly more fluctuations in the shield.

While he was still pondering this, their train sped up again, leaving the dragon behind. In the last glimpse he caught of the dragon, Axel felt like he saw a hint of something blue glowing on the dragon's skin.

'What is that?'

"Something is wrong," murmured Axel, sitting up.

"I feel it too." Akiko also had an uneasy expression on her face.

"We are now entering the third Zone, the deep sea area."

Axel saw that there was water up ahead. Without any warning, their train plunged into the water. Instantly, Axel felt empowered. The water buff had returned, and this time, much more pronounced.

They felt no impact as the train moved seamlessly into the water. After travelling for a while, it slowed down and they saw the scenery outside.

The first thing that captured your attention was the vibrant coral reef. It was like a bustling metropolis of marine life: delicate, branching corals in shades of pink and orange, massive brain corals with intricate patterns, and waving sea fans that rhythmically dance with the currents. Tiny, brightly colored fish darted in and out of the coral's nooks, their scales shimmering like jewels.

Schools of different fishes swan by them, the description of each coming onto their interface.

On the seabed, they could see small and large clams with their mouths open, glittering pearls testing in their mouths. Soon, they were replaced by different types of crabs, prawn, octopuses, and then more.

It was like watching a kaleidoscope, with the scenes shifting into different type of beautiful patterns.

Axel just sat in his seat, feeling a strange sense of the connection with the water. He had already decided to ignore the earlier disturbance. After all, it was none of his business. When he closed his eyes, he could actually sense the creatures swimming the water.

But he soon sat up, his eyes staring up ahead.

[Now we have entered the Magical Sea range.]

Up ahead, the scene of violence was once again there. But unlike the last time, the situation had taken a turn for the worse.

Large creatures were creating chaos up ahead. Fighting among themselves, moving erratically, or attacking the track.

But...

Axel's eyes were drawn to the glowing blue patterns on their skin and their rapidly increasing size.

'Fuck.' He cursed under his breath. He understood now. Those creatures which are showing erratic behaviour. They have been actually going through a transformation.

And he knew the exact reason behind this.

'Kraken.'

If the animals outside had also gotten like this, then he was truly fucked. He now understood why the system had given him the casual mission. To think he actually thought of the possibility that the system might have given him the mission to let him enjoy his day.

'System, I hate you.'

*ding*

As if to respond, he got a special Mission at this moment.

...

A.N.: Action in the next chapter

….

POWERSTONES! I have extra on Pàtreon so, Extra chapter this week if we're #1 by a landslide.

NNext: Terrifying Water Affinity

NNNext: Dire Situation

NNNNext: Axel vs (Spoiler)

NNNNext: Savage goes at it again

N....next: Fighting (Spoiler) and New Skills Unlocked

Read /Snollygoster

Edit: new cover->