The Forbidden Forest, true to its name, was a dangerous woodnd strictly off-limits to Hogwarts students. The deeper oured into its depths, the greater the perils that awaited.

  While the forest harbored numerous dangerous magical creatures, it also sheltered beings friendly to humans. These benevolent creatures typically dwelt he forest's edge, closer to civilization, while the most dangerous ones lurked in the uncharted depths.

  These dangerous beings would breed prolifically, expanding their territory through sheer numbers. Among them, the Aantus - cssified as "XXXXX" magical creatures - maintaihe rgest y.

  Hermione had shared this information from her books, sternly warning Glenn to never veo the Forbidden Forest.

  Yet here Glenn was, targeting these notorious "XXXXX" creatures - the Aantus, beings as renowned for their valuable biological materials as they were for their ferocity.

  "If Hermione knew I was sneaking into the Forbidden Forest at night to hunt Aantus, the pirl would probably have a heart attack," Glenn mused while methodically cheg his equipment.

  His strategy was clear: locate isoted spiders and ehem in close bat using cold ons, initially with all enha spells active. If it proved tohtforward, he would gradually remove the enhas to maximize training effectiveness.

  Using firearms would defeat the purpose - dispatg spiders would be far too simple that way.

  In magical duels, footwork and dynamic vision were paramount. Glenn, having mastered these skills in his previous life, was even more determio recim and perfect them in this world of magic.

  After all, even the most powerful spell was useless if it couldn't find its mark.

  His current e and dagger were far superior to their inal forms, having been refed through alchemy at siderable cost. They now carried a hint of mystical energy, awaiting further enha as Glenn's alchemical skills improved. For now, they possessed the simple yet effective property of "Hardness."

  The "Phantom Form" was his own variation of the Disillusio Charm, perfected through sultations with Dumbledore during Hermione's visits. Though still far from the Headmaster's mastery, his version had notably improved, requiring only time and magical power to reach such heights.

  Tapping his e lightly, he explored the surroundings. Several kilometers ahead, the harsh scratg sounds of arthropods reached his enhanced senses - Glenn had reached the outer territory of the Aantu .

  After firming the movements of all nearby creatures, Glenn swiftly asded a tree. His earlier sensing had detected an Aantu that would soon pass through this area.

  Waving his wand, Glenn began casting enha spells: "Hypersense, Wind Walk, Light as Feather, Silenuscle Amplification, Adrenaline, Protego, Phantom Form, Presence Elimination."

  As faint lights flickered with each spell, Glenn stowed his wand. He gripped his e in his left hand, and with a thought, extes cealed bde. His right hand held a dagger in reverse grip. He crouched on the branch like a statue, ready to strike.

  "Rustle... rustle... rustle." The sound of arthropod legs moving through dead leaves reached his ears. Through his enhanced senses, Glenn spotted a horse-sized spider covered in coarse bck hair, casually fing, unaware of the impending danger.

  "What a lovely day for hunting~" The Aantu hummed in spider-nguage, boldly traversing the forest's main path, mentally browsing its imaginary menu.

  Suddenly, its hair bristled - an instinctive warning of danger!

  The spider raised its eight thick legs, expanding its form, desperately sensing its surroundings.

  Aantus were renowned for their keen senses.

  But it detected nothing, as Glenn's multiple cealment spells proved too sophisticated to pee.

  Glenn seized his moment, ung himself like an arrow toward the massive creature below, targeting its head with his readied dagger.

  The bde struck true.

  The Aantu's eight eyes dimmed as it stumbled forward, though not pletely incapacitated. It thrashed desperately, trying to dislodge Glenn from its head.

  Following the bde's trajectlenn sshed sideways and withdrew the dagger, while swinging his e with his left hand.

  A silver fsh, and the spider's head rolled to the ground as Gle clear of the bleeding corpse.

  Ohe blood flow subsided, Glenn collected the venom iy vials. Afterward, he used an improved version of "Indio" - a spell he called "Total Iion" - to destroy the evidence.

  "Scify." After extinguishing the fmes, he scattered the ashes, eliminated all odors, and covered the area with dead leaves, leaving no trace of the enter.

  Glenn frowhe ambush had proven too simple for effective training. Besides testing his cealment spells against the spider's sehe brief bat had barely challenged his other entments.

  After a moment's sideration, Glenn decided to fa Aantu head-on for a prht.

  His steps were light and graceful. Uhe effects of "Silencio" and "Light as Feather," only the slightest disturban the air marked his passage through the dark forest. He left no trace, truly embodying the saying "leaving no footprints in snow, no tra the wind."

  He materialized before an Aantu at the y's edge. Dropping his Disillusio Charm, Glenn immediately dove forward, evading the spider's sharp, hair-covered legs that had already sensed something amiss and attacked. His dagger sliced through the leg's shell effortlessly, causing the Aantu to shriek in pain as it unched a simultaneous attack with its fangs and front legs.

  The creature was furious - how dare this presumptuous prey wound it?

  Glenn blocked an ining leg with his e, using the momentum to retreat, dodging the spray of venom. His left arm tingled from the impact.

  The strength difference was immense.

  Yet fear was absent from his expression. Instead, a hint of wild excitement flickered across his face, his lips slowly curving upward.

  "Not enough."

  He decisively celled all entments except for Hypersense and the Shield Charm, having already gauged his limits against the Aantu.

  The battle intensified, being a deadly dance of precision and timing. Though slower now, his movements were more fluid and uable.

  As the fight reached its climax, Glenn's expression transformed pletely. His bck curls flew wildly as his mouth stretched into a predatrin, breathing heavily like a beast.

  He even dropped his Shield Charm.

  The forest echoed with the symphony of bat - clig mandibles, sshing bdes, and spraying venom. Glenn moved like water through the storm of legs and poison, eaent precise and deadly.

  The Aantu, ohe hunter, found itself being the huerror spread through its body as the tiny human before it transformed in its perception into an apex predator.

  Every cell in its body screamed for retreat, but it discovered too te that its legs were already in tatters. The massive spider colpsed.

  It realized it had bee like its own prey - ed by despair through cruel py.

  "So, don't py with your food," Glenn thought with a dark smile.

  Through its remaining eyes, it could only watch helplessly as the figure approached, its venom depleted, life slowly ebbing away.

  Glenn stepped forward, raising his e.

  His face split into a maniacal grin.

  The Number 13 of his past life - bck-cd, white-masked assassin - would always end such deadly dances in blood. Had anyone ever seen the expressioh that mask?

  No one had.

  Not even himself.

  The Aantu's head fell to the ground in its final moments of terror, while Glenn stood bathed in moonlight, feeling a long-fotten thrill course through his body.

  Who was truly the prey?

  Whether others were frightened remained unknown, but the dying Aantu and the Disillusioned Dumbledore watg from nearby certainly were.

  The headmaster was so shocked, he fot to chew his Cockroach Cluster, dropping it with a soft thud.

  Oh no, Glenn thought.

  Ah, but I used Silencio.

  Never mind then.