The Witcher: Ascending Beyond Marvel

Read 15 Chapters ahead on Patreon

https://Patreon.com/rez540

I will be putting out a chapter every alternate days from now. :)

--------

"Wes, do the students get along well?"

Dumbledore smiled warmly, offering a small candy. Wes merely waved a hand, declining the treat with little interest.

"If the headmaster has something to say, please get to the point. I'm quite busy," Wes muttered, running a hand through his slightly disheveled hair.

Dumbledore chuckled. "On Wednesdays, you're the most leisurely professor at Hogwarts."

Wes sighed, spreading his hands helplessly. "Fine, fine. Just tell me what's going on."

Without further ado, Dumbledore reached under his desk and retrieved a transparent glass bottle filled with a bright, silvery liquid.

At a glance, Wes knew exactly what it was.

The bottle exuded a mesmerizing, soft glow—a sacred and rare radiance.

"This is...!" Wes's eyes widened instinctively, his fingers itching to snatch the bottle. His expression flickered with brief greed, though he quickly masked it with a neutral face.

Dumbledore, however, had already caught that fleeting desire in his gaze.

"This is the blood of a unicorn," the headmaster said gravely.

Wes's excitement vanished instantly.

His expression darkened as he stared at Dumbledore in alarm. "Are you saying someone has been hunting unicorns in the Forbidden Forest?"

Unicorns were some of the most powerful, pure, and noble magical creatures. They had no natural enemies.

For someone to collect an entire bottle of unicorn blood, it meant that a deliberate, ruthless hunt had taken place.

"The situation is worse than you think," Dumbledore replied, his brows furrowed. He tucked the bottle back under the table, and Wes's reluctant gaze followed it.

"Someone didn't just kill a unicorn… they drank its blood."

"How wasteful," Wes muttered under his breath.

Dumbledore's sharp gaze snapped to him, piercing through his careless remark.

Realizing his mistake, Wes coughed awkwardly and corrected himself. "I mean—it's utterly despicable."

Dumbledore studied him for a moment before continuing. "You know as well as I do, Wes… While unicorn blood possesses tremendous healing properties, it comes at a terrible price. Killing such a sacred creature—one blessed by the gods—places a curse on the drinker, dooming them to a half-life."

Wes nodded. "Even the most ruthless dark wizards wouldn't do something so extreme unless they were truly desperate— on the verge of death with no other options left."

"Precisely," Dumbledore said, removing his glasses and carefully wiping them. "That's why I need your help, Wes."

"Me?" Wes blinked in surprise.

Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Yes, you."

Wes didn't hesitate. "Of course, Headmaster. I'm part of Hogwarts. It's my responsibility to protect it."

"I'm glad you think that way," Dumbledore said, nodding approvingly. "The Forbidden Forest is vast, and Hagrid can't patrol it alone. I'd like you to assist him."

"Hagrid is my good friend. I'd be happy to help," Wes said sincerely.

"Thank you. And remember—should you encounter danger, send a signal immediately. I'll arrive as quickly as possible."

Wes smirked. "Don't underestimate me, Headmaster. Four years of experience have made me quite the explorer."

With that, he stood up confidently and strode out of the office.

----

For the next week, Wes and Hagrid searched the Forbidden Forest, but found nothing out of the ordinary.

Yet, Hagrid refused to lower his guard. He clenched his fists, vowing to catch the culprit and avenge the slain unicorn.

Wes suspected Hagrid's persistence wasn't just about justice.

Perhaps… this was his way of channeling his frustration over Norbert, the Norwegian Ridgeback dragon he had been forced to give up.

That night, Wes arrived at Hagrid's hut as usual, preparing for another patrol.

Just as they were about to set off, they spotted Argus Filch leading Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy toward them.

Wes arched a brow. "Detention?"

Filch smirked cruelly. "Yes. The two little troublemakers got themselves caught sneaking around."

"Alright, Mr. Filch, that's enough. No need to scare them any further. They're already unlucky enough as it is," Wes said.

Filch scoffed but relented. "Fine, Professor Irwin. But don't say I didn't warn you…" His lips curled into a knowing smirk. "I hope you all make it back from the Forbidden Forest in one piece."

His tone made it clear that he wasn't being sincere.

At the mention of the Forbidden Forest, Draco's face turned ghostly pale. His body trembled visibly.

Wes patted him on the shoulder. "Relax, we're going in together."

Draco clung to Wes immediately. "You're the new professor, right? You have to protect me! My father is on the school board—he can get you promoted!"

Wes let out a chuckle.

He didn't hate Draco.

To him, Draco was just a spoiled child—nothing more, nothing less.

"Then I'll be counting on your father, Mr. Malfoy," Wes teased.

Draco puffed out his chest, shooting a smug look at Harry.

Harry rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed.

The group split into two, entering the Forbidden Forest from different directions.

The towering trees loomed above them, blocking out the moonlight.

Only the dim glow of their lanterns illuminated the twisting paths ahead.

Draco clung to Wes's robe, on the verge of tears.

Wes sighed. "I should've prepared better."

With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a bright lantern, dispersing the darkness around them.

Draco exhaled in relief.

Wes handed him the lantern.

Draco frowned. "My father says only servants hold lanterns for others."

"I've placed protective enchantments on it," Wes replied casually.

Before he could finish, Draco snatched the lantern, his face flushed. "W-Well, you're a professor and I'm a student! It's natural for students to hold lanterns for their professors!"

Wes smirked. "Well said. If this were class, I'd give you extra points, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco grinned smugly.

As they continued patrolling, Wes casually collected rare herbs, slipping them into his pocket.

Gradually, Draco relaxed.

What had once been a terrifying punishment was starting to feel like an adventure.

But then—

A wail pierced the silence.

Draco froze. "W-What was that?!"

Wes's expression darkened. He drew his wand. "Stay close, Mr. Malfoy."

With swift steps, he hurried toward the sound.

Draco stumbled after him, his short legs struggling to keep up.

When they reached a clearing, Wes abruptly halted.

Draco peered around him—and his heart dropped.

A unicorn lay on the ground, its pure white body stained with blood.

A mysterious figure, cloaked in black, knelt beside it, drinking greedily from the wound.

Draco clamped his hands over his mouth, choking back a scream.

Wes wasted no time.

He raised his wand—

"Expulso!"

The cloaked figure was blasted backward, slamming into a tree.

Wes stepped forward, wand at the ready.

"Playing dead won't work, Mr. Poacher."

Wes unleashed a lightning spell. The mysterious man rolled away quickly, the place he fell blowing up with the spell's power. The man stood up quickly and took his own wand from his robe.

A fierce battle was about to begin.