HP 7
Everything wasn't fine! My [Pain Tolerance] skill raised a level as a result of my first Apparition attempt. The process ended up in a partial success, I ended up faceplanting the floor when I arrived, while leaving my boots, socks, and a few fingernails at the starting position. The results weren't pretty, and now I was sitting on the floor, casting healing charms on my feet, and cleaning charms on the blood and vomit-covered floor.
However, even with all that annoyance, I was happy. Who wouldn't? I have achieved one of man's biggest dreams, as I could teleport now. That partial success, let's just call it a 95% success, was enough for the system to acknowledge that I learned the spell, and now it was available inside of my grimoire.
[Spell: [Apparition] learned]
Grimoire:
...
[Apparition lvl 1]: Teleportation to a known location.
Each additional level of the spell reduced the mana cost of the teleportation process by a small margin, while at the same time reduced the sound it made. Currently, it sounded like a loud crack of lightning hitting a nearby location, but in a few levels, I could reduce it to a manageable point. Thankfully I tested out the spell inside of my trunk, so the sound it produced, didn't disturb my neighbors. – Hurray for soundproofing!
Lastly, each level of the spell influenced how far one could teleport. On the first level, the spell only allowed teleportation to a location 23 kilometers away, while that was a pretty good range, at level 100 the range of the spell exceeded 2,300 kilometers, and that range only grew if I gained additional points in intelligence or wisdom.
With the systems guidance and the instinctual knowledge, it provided, I was able to quickly locate where I went wrong with my first cast of Apparition, and correct it with my second. I repeatedly teleported around the room, pushing the spell to higher and higher levels, till I finally reached a point where my head started to hurt, and my body started to burn up. I was certain, that what I was feeling was mana depletion or at least a product of it. As time passed by, could feel the headache slowly tickle down, as mana slowly but surely filled back up.
That actually raised an interesting question: where did mana originate from?
Was it some kind of byproduct the wizarding race created, or was it now an internal process of my body? To test it out, hyped myself up and prepared to feel some pain, then unequipped the Wizard race, and switched it to a normal human. A moment, then another passed, but nothing changed, not even my status. A sigh left my mouth and I gave it a good glance.
Status
[Global LVL: 46 XP: 72,390/79,180]
[Class: Wizard LVL: 0/50 XP: 0/440]
[Titles: [Zombie Slayer] | Race: [Human] | Tier: 1]
[WP: 1,911] [UC: 477.40]
STR: 4
VIT: 10
DEX: 58
AGI: 29
PER: 34
INT: 47
WIS: 49
Skills:
Defence:
[Sneak 16] [Muted Steps 18] [Dodge 44] [Pain Tolerance 6>9] [Counter 13]
Offence:
[Small Blade Mastery 32] [Large Blade Mastery 16] [Gun Mastery 5] [Dual-wielding 7]
Magic:
[Mana Manipulation 2>17] *[Charms 1>71] *[Transfiguration 1>74] *[Mind Arts 1>51]
Misc.:
[Deception 6>19] [Drawing 4] [Writing 2] *[Reading 1>19] *[Seduction 1>17] *[Acting 1>12]
Ultimately, without the knowledge and ability to look into it, I gave up, at least for now, and reequipped the wizard race, as it did provide some nice benefits towards the learning speed of skills. It was a small boost, but still larger than the normal human race I started out with.
Getting back on the topic of magic, I still had half a day remaining and after cooking myself a meal, which actually resulted in getting me a new class and a skill, I cracked open the potions year one book and decided to get back on trying to comprehend the process of potion brewing.
[Skill: [Cooking] unlocked.]
[Class: [Chef] unlocked.]
[Cooking LVL:1/100]
- Increases speed, efficiency, and flavor of prepared meals by 1%/LVL.
The topic of potion brewing was quite intriguing, the process of adding different materials to a magical brew, and extracting their magical properties to augment the potion was, in some way, ingenious. But I ultimately had to ask why?
Why go through all that hassle to create a potion, when you can replicate it with magic? Why create a potion that could turn you invisible, if a simple spell can do the same? Why bother brewing a potion for weeks to make you look like someone else for a few hours, when you could just use magic to do the same?
You'd probably think that the potions would be harder to detect and that's why, but no, that wasn't the case. There is an anti-potion for anything and almost everything, and even spells that could detect their effect. If they suspect you're disguised as someone else, law enforcement could easily make you drink it and reveal who you actually are.
There are, however, some interesting potion effects, for example, Skele-Gro and Pepperup Potion, but even their effects could be reproduced with magic, probably even with the same spell. The only truly interesting potions, however, were the Everlasting ones. Hopefully, by the end of my journey in this world, I'll learn how to create them, and maybe, if I force myself, even combine the everlasting effect with a few boosting potions. Even if I didn't want to bother with it, I still understood the usefulness of the craft.
[Skill: [Alchemy] unlocked.]
[Alchemy LVL:1/100]
- Grants the ability to perform alchemical transmutations.
- Increases speed of brewing by 1%/LVL
- Increases the chance of successful alchemical creation by 0.5%/LVL
I had no cauldrons, alchemical flames, or magical ingredients, and truthfully I didn't want to bother with all of that. I just couldn't imagine myself sitting next to a cauldron for hours just to stir it in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction depending on the lunar phase. So I made a plan, I was going to learn all the magic I could, and create a spell that could do all of it for me, maybe even add a bit of time manipulation to the mix to finish the brewing process in a blink of an eye. But all of that had to wait for later, I was still only at the first book of potioneering and had six more to go, not counting the two alchemy ones, by the end, hopefully, they will answer some of my questions.
With the power of [Reading] skill's reading speed augmentation, I breezed through the remaining first-year potions book in a single evening. After a short chat with Olivia, and a quick peck on her lips as thanks, which made her blush and scream from happiness internally, I returned her plate and went to bed. Tomorrow was a big day, and I needed to be sharp.
The Monday morning started early, and after a light breakfast, and went down my mental checklist for my outing into the dark part of Britain's Magical world. Teleportation leaned, defensive and offensive spells acquired, mind shielded, I was finally ready to visit the Knockturn Alley, the gathering spot of the scum of the wizarding world. I donned my wizarding robes, transfigurated them to another style and color, then made my hoodie long enough to cover my face, while at the same time applying a sticking charm to it and finally, teleported into the alley.
I was momentarily disoriented by the abrupt shift in the environment, but I soon regained my bearings. The streets of the alley were already crowded, with people and kids running around, preparing for the start of the new school year.
Unleashing my Mind Arts, I probed the minds around me, searching for any unprotected ones to navigate my way to the notorious part of the alley. Much to my surprise, out of the hundred or so people whose minds I scanned, only a few possessed mental shields. While I was aware that this skill was uncommon, the lack I encountered was far beyond my expectations.
As I previously stated, wizards were crazy. They created spells and abilities that could easily manipulate people's minds but failed to shield themselves from such effects. I couldn't help but shake my head at their foolishness as I followed the newly gained mental map leading to the infamous part of the alley.
From memory of a gray faction wizard, I already knew which shops to visit and which ones to avoid at all costs. Some establishments were under constant surveillance by the Auror Office, the Ministry of Magic's peacekeeping organization. Anyone leaving these shops was immediately arrested.
Some shopkeepers had struck deals with the Auror Office, allowing them to sell illegal wares while arresting anyone attempting to buy them. Thus, a constant game of cat and mouse played out within Knockturn Alley, with wizards attempting to acquire forbidden materials, while the authorities tried to catch them.
Although this practice seemed absurd, it did have some merits. The authorities could track the acquisition of illegal goods and capture those attempting to acquire them, while the shopkeepers could sell their wares and make a profit. However, in the event of a fight, the mundane population strolling through Diagon Alley, only a narrow street away, could be put at serious risk.
The first shop I visited, was a whitelisted book vendor, selling second-hand books. From the memories of the wizard belonging to the gray faction, however, I knew the Hag, who owned the shop, had a storage filled with books of the illegal kind.
"Morning." I greeted the Hag, the magical creature standing before me. Her skin was wrinkly and covered in boils, her hair was a mess and her fingernails were too long to be practical. She gave off a bad odor, keeping me a few feet away from her.
"Morning to you too, customer!" She says with a wide smile, displaying her razor-sharp yellow teeth for all to see. "What can I do for you?"
"I came with a recommendation of Mr. Gray." My answer makes her rise her crust-covered eyebrow. "I was informed that you possess books covering subjects of a darker nature."
"Who are you, boy?" Her demeaned instantly shifts, into an aggressive one, and my mental shields block a full-on assault of her mental probes. Causing me to give her a wry smile.
"Could we keep this interaction polite? I don't intend to cause any trouble. I'm only here to purchase some books." I explain, but her mental attack intensifies, while she reaches for her wand. Despite my desire for a peaceful resolution, I've had enough. If she insists on being inflexible, I won't shy away from a confrontation. With a sudden burst of energy, I unleash fifty-one mental threads, each like a spear, easily penetrating her mental barriers and causing her to faint from the pain and shock of the sudden attack.
I delve deep into memories, picking up knowledge about the dark arts here and there, and locate her stash of rituals and dark magic, hidden under a floorboard in the back of the shop. Before I go, I alter her memories of our meeting and I pluck a hair from the mess she calls hairstyle, then convert it into a race card.
[Race: [Night Hag] gained.]
[Night Hag] [HP] [F]
+1 INT, +1 WIS, -3 CHAR, +1 M. Res per Global Level.
- Gain the skill [Hunger], requiring the consumption of Human flesh on weekly basis, while granting you eternal youth.
"Yeah, let's just forget we have this race and move on." Fortunately, racial skills only become available to the user once they equip the corresponding race, and once acquired, they remain with the user until they can either evolve the skill or merge it with another. However, both of these processes are currently beyond my means, as they require quite the expensive system upgrades.
Additionally, the big F next to the race name, reminded me that Hag's are a single-gender race, requiring them to copulate with other races to keep up their numbers. Didn't that mean the racial system can shift me into a female form? While that seemed intriguing, the drawback of this race had overshadowed any benefits it offered by a large margin. So I wasn't going to experiment with it.
I moved to her storage area and located the correct floorboard, tapped it in the correct sequence, and lifted it up. Her stash was not only expertly concealed, but also enchanted to deter any unwelcome visitors. Nonetheless, her memories provided the necessary information for disarming the curses, so the process of obtaining the books was not as difficult as I expected. After using a detection spell to check for any cursed ones and removing the ones deemed useless, I placed the remaining books into my trunk and departed from this dubious establishment.
The next, and at the same time the last shop, I not only wanted but needed to visit, was a notorious place. I was sure that if someone even glanced at the shop, he would end up on some kind of watch list. Now the problem was, I didn't only need to look in its way, but also enter the shop that was well known for not only selling information about dark arts, but also dark and cursed artifacts.
I took a deep breath and turned towards the shop, the moment I did, like a well-oiled machine multiple pairs of eyes immediately focused on me. Ignoring their attention, I maintained my composure and pretended not to notice them. With confident strides, I entered the shop and was greeted by a friendly attendant with a wide smile.
"Welcome, welcome! It was a while since I had a customer!" He says spreading his arms wide. "How may I help you, my good sir? Do you need information, interesting books, or some strange artifacts?"
"Hi, I need everything you have on rituals, dark magic, and obscure charms."
"Oh, ho, ho! I bet it's for research purposes, am I right?" He says giving me a knowing look.
"Yes. Nothing more, nothing less." I agree with a nod.
"Sure, sure, I understand." He says nodding sagely. "But I'm afraid this whole transaction will be quite pricey. Would it trouble you, good sir, if I confirmed that you have the required funds?"
"How pricey are we talking about?"
"Around a thousand galleons, no more, no less."
"That's acceptable." I nod to him, and with a wave of my hand convert and extract 1,000 galleons from my system coin pouch. He rises his eyebrow, surprised by the money appearing out of nowhere, then picks up and bites into one gold coin, checking it for its authenticity. Satisfied with whatever he found he turns around and disappears into the back of the shop for a few moments.
Moments later he reappears levitating multiple stacks of books. After giving them a quick glance, and casting a few detection charms, to my utter surprise all were genuine, and non were cursed. I gave the shopkeeper a look of surprise and he just chuckled.
"Even if I sell stuff like this, I need to have a good reputation. Selling stuff with tracking spells and curses that would kill my patrons would be bad for business." I nod in agreement and pack everything; The moment I turn around and exit the door his cheerful voice resounds behind me.
"Thank you for your patronage, and good luck."
I didn't need to ask why he was wishing me luck, the moment my body was thought the doorstep, the door shut behind me and shutters closed over the doors and windows, not only on his shops but all surrounding ones as well.
"HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM!" shouts out one of the ten Aurors surrounding the shop.
I raised both of my hands, in a clear view of the peacekeeping unit, pretending to comply. A collective sigh leaves their mouths as their bodies pick up a more relaxed stance. Wandless casting wasn't a common thing, so by spotting my empty hands, they thought I gave up.
But the relaxed atmosphere didn't last for too long, as one of their fellow officers chooses that moment to fall face first to the ground unconscious and frothing from his mouth. The first one was followed by another two before someone decided to fire off the first spell.
Protective shields appear surrounding me before moments later they shattered like glass. I wave my hand and rise the terrain, creating a cover for myself, while attempting to apparate away, but the spell fails miserably, not only did the onslaught of spells not help while concentrating, but something was also interfering with the spell.
Cursing aloud, I retaliated with a series of stunning spells, taking out one of the attackers before a Bombarda destroyed my cover. Rolling to the side, while rising the terrain around me I apply the disillusionment charm on myself and dodge the next few spells then transfigured the ground into a spiky pit, eliminating two more enemies from the fight.
'They can see me.' It only takes a moment for them to adjust and locate me. To keep my mana from depleting too fast I cancel the invisibility spell and return fire. Firing off multiple banishing spells I hit one of them, making his head split open on a nearby wall.
Yellow, white, and red, multicolored spells are sent my way, but my augmented dexterity and agility made it easy to dance between them. Aguamenti fired off in the direction of the closest target and is kept abbey only for a split second before the spell not only cuts through his shield but also his meaty bits. He drops to the ground screaming in agony, but his pain is quickly resolved with a cutting charm aimed at his neck.
That's when something comes to my mind, transfiguring the debris around me into swords, I levitate as much as I can and banish them in the enemy's direction, while at the same time sending Accio's their way.
Two out of the three didn't react in time as their bodies are flung straight into the direction of the sword. The third one attempts to help his fellows, but an Incendio sent his way, requires him to focus on defense instead. The swords pass through those two and embed themselves deep into the wall on the opposite side of the street.
Increasing my assault on the sole surviving member of the group, I fire off Bombarda after Bombarda his way, not allowing him any time to recover. It was not long before his shielding charm give up, and he is unceremoniously bisected by a vertical cutting charm.
I give a glance at my surrounding, checking for any additional backup, but when I notice none, I disillusion myself and run as fast as I could. Reaching the Diagon Alley, I find myself out of the range of whatever disrupted my teleportation attempts and I focus on a location I've previously been in London and apparate away.
Appearing in a dark alley, I quickly cast diagnostic charms on myself, checking for any tracking spells applied on me, and find two. I curse aloud, dismissing both spells and just as I apparate away, the tell-tell sign of multiple apparitions could be heard.
"That was a close one," I mumble, at my new location. Without canceling the disillusionment, I launch myself off the ground and grab onto the ledge of a five-story building with the help of [Ascendio], and as soon as my feet touch the ground I cast a cleaning charm on myself, before canceling the transfiguration on my clothes.
Another two apparitions later, just to make sure I lost my pursuers, I apparate two streets away from my apartment and choose to walk.