Chapter 208: Nearing the Top

Spells flickered across the battlefield in dazzling succession, leaving onlookers overwhelmed by the spectacle. Most of the magic used by Alex and Dumbledore was performed with silent casting. Yet even these silent spells carried far greater power than those cast by ordinary wizards.

Occasionally, the two would chant incantations for particularly powerful spells. For example, Dumbledore's Flame Curse engulfed the entire central area of the Quidditch pitch. Considering the pitch had been expanded to the size of a small city using the Extension Charm, this meant that Dumbledore's Flame Curse could effectively blanket an entire city!

As the battle progressed into its middle stages, the fight moved from the ground to the sky.

The Flaming Phoenix and Magical Dragon tore into each other with ferocity, while Alex and Dumbledore stood atop their respective creatures, casting spell after spell. They aimed not only to destroy each other's transformations but also to strike directly at each other. Some less observant wizards couldn't even see the casting process—only flashes of light followed by devastating magical clashes.

As the fight continued into its late stages, Alex began to overwhelm Dumbledore.

Both wizards' strongest techniques centered on Alex's newly invented Advanced Transformation Spell. However, Alex's deeper understanding of the spell gave him a clear edge.

The Flaming Phoenix was covered in deep wounds inflicted by the Magical Dragon, and its life force was rapidly waning. If nothing changed, the phoenix would inevitably fall.

Seeing this, Dumbledore sighed softly, realizing that his defeat was inevitable.

If he were to use the Killing Curse or other forms of Dark Magic, he might still stand a chance. But this duel wasn't a fight to the death; it was a sparring match. Dumbledore would never use Dark Magic against his own student, even if that student had grown stronger than himself.

What Dumbledore didn't know was that Alex had yet to unleash the true power of his original form. With his mastery of fusion techniques, refined magical strength, and his increasing grasp over the world's governing rules, Alex could already channel a fraction of his original form's power.

If Dumbledore had resorted to using Dark Magic, Alex would not have hesitated to unleash his full strength. And if that happened, Dumbledore's defeat would have been even more crushing.

Even a mere fraction of Alex's true power would render him invincible in the Harry Potter universe.

Accepting his inevitable loss, Dumbledore didn't feel any sorrow. Instead, he smiled warmly.

"To think that in less than a year, you've grown to such heights. What an extraordinary talent!

I'm just getting old. The future belongs to you young people.

Now, let's go all out—one final spell to decide the outcome!"

Alex nodded in agreement, and the two began chanting in unison.

This incantation was unlike the others before it. It was longer and far more profound. Knowledgeable wizards among the spectators quickly recognized it as Ancient Magic, something only wizards with rare, special talents could perform.

Ancient Magic far surpassed modern spells in power. Even the residual effects from their previous duel had affected the audience—let alone the effects of Ancient Magic!

In response, Professor McGonagall led the adult wizards in casting Protego Totalum, creating a massive barrier to shield the younger wizards from the aftermath of the upcoming clash.

The stage was set for the final, earth-shaking conclusion.

Ancient magic differs significantly from modern magic. Instead of relying solely on one's own magical power, it harnesses the magic of the natural environment, invoking the forces of nature itself.

This reliance on natural magic results in a longer casting time but also produces far greater power.

As Alex and Dumbledore chanted their spells, the skies began to shift.

The sky over Dumbledore's side turned a fiery red, with intense flames engulfing the Flaming Phoenix, burning fiercely in the heavens.

On Alex's side, the sky glowed blue and white, crackling with dazzling lightning that seemed capable of obliterating everything.

When the ancient magic was finally cast, both wizards activated their spells simultaneously.

The searing flames and blinding lightning collided at the center of their battlefield, creating a radiant explosion of light that shone as brightly as the sun.

Alex maintained his ancient magic effortlessly. After a year of deliberately absorbing chaotic magic, his magical reserves had grown far beyond the imagination of ordinary wizards. With his mastery of the Fusion of Chaos Power skill, his magical power had multiplied several times over, now far surpassing even Dumbledore's.

Because ancient magic uses one's magical power to control the natural magic around them, Alex's higher magical reserves also granted him a higher magical ceiling than Dumbledore.

The only reason the battle appeared evenly matched was Alex's deliberate decision to give Dumbledore some dignity, allowing the revered old wizard to withdraw from the duel with grace.

If Alex so wished, he could defeat Dumbledore at any moment.

But then, Alex's expression shifted subtly. He noticed that the surrounding natural magic seemed to take on a will of its own, surging toward Dumbledore.

Initially, Dumbledore could only amplify his spells tenfold by using his magical power to channel natural magic. But now, he could amplify them twenty or even thirty times!

The scales of victory began tipping in Dumbledore's favor as the radiant collision of flame and lightning edged closer to Alex's side.

The audience gasped in astonishment, and Dumbledore's supporters began to cheer excitedly:

"Hahaha! I admit Alex is strong, but he's still too young. Give him some time, and he might truly surpass Dumbledore. But for now, he's just a first-year student—he doesn't have enough experience to win against the greatest wizard of the century!"

"Exactly! As expected of the most powerful white wizard of the last hundred years—Dumbledore's strength is still unmatched!"

What no one expected was that Dumbledore, instead of being thrilled at his apparent victory, frowned deeply.

Moments earlier, Dumbledore had felt himself lose control of his body. Then, an overwhelming surge of natural magic began flooding toward him, strengthening his ancient magic to unprecedented levels.

This bizarre phenomenon left even Dumbledore—despite his century of experience—unable to understand what was happening.

His concern grew as he realized that his enhanced ancient magic was now barreling toward Alex. Instead of weakening, the spell continued to grow stronger as it neared, threatening to obliterate Alex entirely.

Panic filled Dumbledore's heart. How could a promising young wizard like Alex meet his end at his hands? He couldn't bear the thought of another loss, especially one as tragic as this.

He struggled desperately to regain control, but no matter what he did, he couldn't change the situation.

Alex, watching this unfold, immediately understood what was happening.

Since the incident with the dragon horde, the world's governing rules had once again begun to interfere.

It was now evident that when Dumbledore cast his ancient magic, the world's rules had seized control of him. Using their authority over the natural magic, they amplified Dumbledore's spell, intending to use him as a tool to eliminate Alex.

Under the influence of the world's rules, the power of Dumbledore's ancient magic had far exceeded his normal limits.

If Alex had no means to counter it, he would have been forced to despair as Dumbledore unwittingly killed him, leaving the elder wizard consumed by endless regret.

But how could Alex, of all people, lack other options?

He activated his Authority, redirecting a portion of natural magic to his side, amplifying the strength of his ancient magic.

The lightning surrounding Alex grew even more intense, each bolt as thick as a one-meter-wide pillar of pure electricity.

Using this boosted ancient magic, Alex managed to push back against the world's rules. The central collision of light slowed significantly in its approach toward him, but it still crept forward ever so slightly.

Alex, however, remained calm. He reached out to his True Form, akin to a sorcerer in the Marvel Universe calling upon a dimensional lord.

A surge of power from outside the Harry Potter world tore through its barriers, bypassing the interference of the world's rules. Though much of it was weakened along the way, a portion of this overwhelming energy still poured into Alex's body.

BOOM!

The moment Alex's true form's power merged with him, his strength skyrocketed geometrically. Blue-white lightning engulfed the entire area, turning his surroundings into an ocean of electricity.

Even the magical dragon beneath his feet transformed, becoming a 300-meter-long Lightning Elemental Dragon composed entirely of crackling thunderbolts.

Instantly, the radiant light at the collision's center surged like a meteor, hurtling toward Dumbledore.

In the midst of the crowd's shocked cries, Alex executed his Absolute Control skill with pinpoint precision. The lightning struck Dumbledore, rendering him unconscious without causing a single injury—Alex even managed to give the elder wizard a relaxing magic spa in the process!

As Dumbledore fell unconscious, the Flaming Phoenix he had summoned slowly dissipated, and his body began plummeting from the sky.

Before he could fall far, Alex caught him mid-air and used magic to revive him.

Dumbledore gradually regained consciousness. Seeing Alex unharmed, he let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"What just happened to me?" he asked, perplexed.

Alex responded with a calm smile, "Perhaps you overexerted yourself, and the ancient magic spiraled out of control."

Dumbledore frowned. He doubted such a duel could push him into losing control, but since it had already occurred, this explanation seemed the most plausible.

The kind-hearted elder sighed deeply.

"It seems the ancient wizards had good reason to seal away ancient magic. Even I lost control while using it. If such magic were to spread, the consequences would be catastrophic."

When the two descended to the ground, reporters immediately surrounded them. One of them asked eagerly:

"Did Alex win the duel?"

Dumbledore stood tall, a kind smile on his face, as he handed his Elder Wand to Alex. Turning to the assembled crowd, he proclaimed:

"Yes, Alex has won this duel. From this moment forward, the title of the greatest wizard no longer belongs to me but to our rising star, Alex!"

---

After the battle of the century, Alex brushed off the reporters with a few vague replies and returned to his dormitory.

Once inside, he immediately destroyed the Elder Wand, a powerful artifact coveted by countless wizards.

Upon doing so, Alex felt his influence over the world increase dramatically. At this point, his Authority within the Harry Potter universe was almost equal to that of the world's rules themselves.

With just a bit more progress in consolidating his Authority, he wouldn't need to claim 100% control. A dominance of 70–80% would suffice for him to coordinate with his true form and completely consume the Harry Potter universe!

When that time came, he would ascend to a status comparable to the One-Above-All—a being of unparalleled greatness!

The destruction of the Resurrection Stone and the Elder Wand granted Alex a significant boost in Authority, enough for him to unlock and merge a new skill.

He wasted no time and threw the essence of his remaining skills into the Chaos Energy Forge. These skills included:

RCT Lv5: Perfect control over flesh and the ability to evolve it to its peak.

Infinite Void Lv5: Manipulation of memories and thoughts.

Multi-Shadow Clone Technique Lv4: Creation of eternal clones with physical forms.

Mystic Eyes of Death Perception Lv5: The power to directly perceive and end life.

Root Lv4: The ability to modify the world's rules.

Game Rules Lv3: The capacity to impose one's own rules onto all things.

As these abilities fused, they gave birth to a brand-new skill: Authority of Creation.

Shortly after, the new skill transitioned from a vague concept to a well-defined power. As Alex perfectly absorbed the massive influx of information into his mind, he fully understood its capabilities.

Authority of Creation Lv6 (12,734/50,000): A powerful skill forged from the Reversal Technique, Limitless Void, Multi-Shadow Clone Technique, Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, Root, and Game Rules. It grants the power to create life, modify life, and rewrite rules at will.

To test this, Alex lightly tapped his desk. Instantly, the water glass on the table transformed into a blue slime.

Unlike his previous Custom Transfiguration, this slime was a permanent entity, unaffected by magical exhaustion. It was an entirely new species, complete with a soul and the ability to self-reproduce asexually.

This—the creation of soul-bearing life—was the core ability of Authority of Creation!

After experimenting with his newly fused skill, Alex turned his attention to his system interface. The previously cluttered and chaotic skill panel was now clean and organized. Most of the old skills had disappeared, leaving only three new ones:

Absolute Control Lv6

Dimensional Sovereign Lv6

Chaos Power Lv6

These three skills encompassed all of Alex's current abilities. Each one alone could elevate an ordinary person to the level of a multiverse-tier powerhouse. Together, they placed Alex firmly among the ranks of the top

At this stage, Alex no longer had to fear anything in the Marvel Universe. Even if the One-Above-All were to kill his form within Marvel, Alex could simply resurrect in the Harry Potter world!

A brilliant smile spread across his face as he headed to the Room of Requirement.

Now, with his newfound powers, Alex could bypass the world's rules and forcibly destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes.

"I wonder," Alex mused, "if the Authority gained from destroying all of Voldemort's Horcruxes will be enough to allow me to completely consume the Harry Potter universe?"