Harry Potter: The Arcane Thief (Litrpg)

Chapter 26: A Troll Might be Easy, but…

As Axel turned around to look at the kill stealer, he was surprised to find Martina Valentino standing in the doorway with her wand raised. Judging by the power of the spell, he was expecting some professor or something. Certainly not a student who's barely two years older than him.

"Are you alright?! Are you hurt?!"

Before Axel could even think of what action to take, she was already advancing toward him. He was quite intimidated by her graceful and noble bearing as she walked toward him with no sign of fear or hesitation.

Overtaken by her momentum, Axel considered running away from this powerhouse who had casually blown away a Troll's head just moments ago. At least this time, his chances of successfully running away were much better than last time.

Just as he was pondering this, he saw her stepping on the area of the ground that was affected by his Lubricous Nitorem spell and... fall to the ground on her posterior.

"..."

"..."

Axel looked at the girl who had fallen in front of him in an embarrassing position.

All of her mighty image had been effectively shattered into pieces with this.

Now he was rather worried that she might blame him for it. After all, that spell beam was no joke. It blew the magic-resistant troll's head apart.

During the past two months, Axel had researched this girl who seemed to be special enough to have her information restricted on the system. And the results seemed to be in his favor.

Despite her family's infamous reputation, and having more than a 100 times the money and influence than the Malfoy family, she hasn't shown any sign of negative behavior at school, nor has she shown hostility towards him. And Axel wanted to keep it that way. He knows how to differentiate between someone like Draco Malfoy and her. So, as he looked at her lying on the floor, he was at a loss whether to just run away, help her up, or just keep standing here and enjoy the view presented to him.

Though he wasn't given much time to think as Martina quickly got up and coughed awkwardly. Her cheeks had a red dusting on them, showing her embarrassment.

"Ahem, pardon my ungainliness... that was rather inelegant of me," she said in a tone that seemed much more mature than her age and Axel could guess she was using Occlumency.

"But right now, we need to get out of here. The professors would be coming here at any time and it would be troublesome to explain how one first year and a third year fought a troll and destroyed its skull. Are you injured somewhere? Can you walk?"

'Wait a minute... The professors are coming?!' Axel skipped the rest of her words.

He only now realized that having a Troll in the school seemed to be a bigger problem than he had thought. Indeed, having that thing enter a classroom full of students might turn the classroom into a meat grinder. So, it does make sense for the staff to take action.

But, if they find his things here, they'll know that he'd been staying out of the dormitory and breaking curfew for all this while… And in that case, he's sure to get punished.

"Uh...I can't leave right away. I need to collect my things," said Axel as he rushed off and began filling up the rest of his belongings into his bag. If the teachers found his things here, they might think these things belong to the person who head-shotted the Troll.

?

Martina looked at Axel filling up his bag with things in confusion. She couldn't understand why he'd have so many things in here.

"What things? Hurry up! We need to leave!" She said as her attention shifted to the things he was packing. Books, uniform, a toothbrush, a mattress, a pillow, clothes, etc. She frowned. Why would he have these things here?

'Wait. Don't tell me…' There was only one conclusion she could reach.

"You… have you been actually living here?" She asked in disbelief as she looked around at the destroyed room.

"Yeah,"

Axel just shrugged. It was so obvious that he couldn't even deny it. Though he couldn't understand how the hell here and why the heck she is being so nosy. Wasn't the Mafia Prodigy supposed to be an aloof and unapproachable existence at Hogwarts?

Of Course, he didn't know that behind her imperial persona, Martina was just a recluse with very low social skills to speak of.

Hearing his answer, Martina was appalled.

"Seriously? How can someone stay here? How can you even fall asleep in this place?"

This is one of the very few corners of the castle that isn't lit at all at night since no one really comes here or passes through here. Even she has only ever dared wander in the lighted areas at night. So, she couldn't comprehend how someone could sleep peacefully at night here while there was no living person in the vicinity.

Axel gave her an annoyed look,

"I had been sleeping here well enough until a Troll decided to rudely disturb me tonight,"

"..." Martina looked at the destroyed doors as the picture became clear to her. That… isn't that even more terrifying? Imagine sleeping alone in a creepy place and an ugly Troll suddenly breaks your door open and charges at you… Martina was sure that her scream would have woken up the entire castle.

"But...why would you stay here? Why not just stay in the Slytherin Dorms?" She asked, though she could guess the answer.

Axel shrugged, "Didn't like the residents," he said shortly.

Martina surmised that her assumptions might not be too far off. His case reminded her of the case of another one of her favorite characters, Luna Lovegood, who had been alone for her beginning years. This is why, she wanted to help.

This boy has been sleeping alone in this gloomy part of the castle. And if that wasn't enough, even that place isn't available to him anymore. She would have told him about the room of requirements but she'd seen Umbridge going there once so that place can't be safe anymore.

"If you really need a different place I could talk to–"

"No need," said Axel who had checked the notifications by now. Sometimes, the rewards of the system are based on his needs. And that was the case this time as well.

[You managed to survive against a troll. Congratulations.

-2% approval.

-Information on a secret room]

'Good work, system,' he praised. He's realized the power of information many times over by now.

When Axel was done cleaning up all the cases of his presence in this place, with some magical help from Martina, he looked at the room with a complicated expression. This had been a nice place for the past two months.

But, it seems like he wouldn't even be given the time to reminisce as Martina's owl hooted and they heard rushed footsteps coming from the way they had come.

! x2

Both Axel and Martina got startled by that. Both didn't want to be found here. Axel's reasons were clear and Martina's reasons were…a little complicated.

She didn't want everyone to know that she had so much power since she had read too many scenarios in her previous life that could go wrong. Heck, she didn't even know if this was a good Dumbledore or a dark and manipulative Dumbledore world. Thus, she only wanted to be a genius within the bounds of reasoning, not someone who could blow off a troll's head with one spell.

Thus, when they heard the footsteps, both of them hurried off in the opposite direction of the footsteps.

"Search the whole area!" They heard Professor Longbottom's voice. That was it for Axel. He took out a broom he had 'borrowed' from the broomshed and started to fly since his legs couldn't quite run yet. When he eventually stopped, he was surprised to find Martina right behind him.

"Why did you follow me?" He asked her, trying not to show his annoyance. She had tried to read his mind without permission. So he obviously didn't have any favorable impression of her.

He had planned to find the place which was in the system's information after ditching this girl. But surprisingly during all those different paths he took during his flight, she had still managed to follow him. Axel wondered how she followed him. She didn't have any broom in her hands.

Martina frowned,

"I just panicked and followed you. Is that a problem?"

When the professors came, she panicked and started running on foot along with Axel, but then she saw him calmly moving, while glancing back, almost phasing in and out of her view like last time, and then he took out his broom. Suddenly, she remembered that she can also fly, making her curse her muggle-mindedness. After that, she just followed him wherever he went since he seemed so calm and composed, as if he knew what he was doing.

Axel shook his head,

"Not a problem. Now, why don't we go our separate ways?"

shiver*

It was getting quite cold. Axel wanted to quickly find the new place system recommended and sleep but he couldn't go in her presence. In the first place, where the fuck were they right now? Axel had no idea. He had just flown randomly wherever. He took out his wand and lit it up, only making their immediate surroundings visible.

Martina also shivered. She shook her head,

"No. I can't leave you here alone; It's Halloween, I can't just let you find another place to crash. It's not safe," she said as she looked around to identify where they were.

Axel stopped walking as he looked at her.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but we're just strangers. I don't understand why you are going so far to help me out. Is there something you want from me?" He asked clearly. He wasn't feeling good right now, so he was having difficulty having this girl barely two years older than him being all nosy and bossy on him.

"I…"

Martina grew dazed as she realized that her actions did really seem abnormal, especially considering the usual persona that she usually uses to avoid people. But, she can't just tell him that she had seen his memories without his permission, could she?

hoot* hoothooot*

At this moment, Rowlet, who was on perched her shoulder suddenly started hooting urgently, making her confused,

"What is it?" she asked.

Martina was exasperated at first; they had just escaped from one danger, and there was another danger approaching already? Though the urgency and fear she felt from their bond told her that the situation was not to be taken lightly.

Wrapping her arms around herself due to the cold, she turned to Axel.

"Axel… where e-exactly are we? She asked as she lit up her wand, and was surprised to find that her breath was misty due to the cold. There were no lights here and she was getting very cold and desolate vibes from this place. Unknowingly, she had moved closer to Axel for some warmth.

Axel shrugged.

"No idea. We might be somewhere around the second or the third floor," he answered with a frown as he realized something. He was feeling cold because he wasn't wearing the enchanted clothes. But… Martina should be wearing the enchanted ones, right? Similar to the ones Andromeda had bought him.

Martina paused.

"Wait, d-did you say we might be on the t-third floor?"

!

At this moment, the red system alerts from earlier suddenly popped up again, making him startled.

[Axel, you need to run. Now.]

"What the Fuck?"

[It's Dementors. The system is not able to protect you from soul attacks.]

Axel realized that the system was not playing around right now. But, before he could do much, he heard a rattling breath, coming from somewhere above him.

?!

An intense chill went down his spine as he quickly moved his wand upward, making more of the area above them visible.

And what he saw made him catch his breath in his throat.

Two towering figures, wrapped in dirty and tattered black, hooded cloaks were swooping down towards him.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" From right beside him, Axel heard a piercing scream coming from Martina but he couldn't pay it any attention since the creatures' target was not Martina, but him. She didn't even have to be so scared since she can just run while these creatures are busy with him.

Axel was suddenly feeling very cold. The cold seemed to pierce his clothes, penetrate his skin and go right through his very heart.

Suddenly, images were flashing in front of him, images of being tortured, being beaten. It was as if he was reliving his worst. Though the images cleared as he heard the ding from the system, giving him some clarity.

His other wand slipped into his hand from his sleeve.

"Electrica… Impulsa…" What the fuck? Why was he feeling so hopeless? Why does struggling seem so futile? "Electrica Impulsa…"

Why is he even living anyway? What's the purpose of his life? Who would even care if he died?

…..

But then, a voice from inside his mind spoke up

'Fuck I'm living for myself, damn it! I don't give a fuck whether anybody cares or not!'

Yes! He was living for himself. Is that too insignificant for others? What was his goal? Well, it was to be the Greatest Of All Time and give a giant middle finger to everything that had tried to bring him down.

So, even if he has to die, he has to at least give a memorable middle finger to his attackers.

"ELECTRICA IMPULSA!"

Crackle* *Crackle*

Axel's dazed eyes snapped back into focus as two glowing blue rods were impaled into the two Dementors who were looming over him.

"E-Expecto Patronum!"

He dimly heard a voice beside him but his consciousness was already phasing out as he fell to the ground.

The gloomy feeling was gone and all he was feeling was... weak. So weak and pathetic...

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