Chapter 310: Arming Wizards with Magic
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The Super Wizard Project was initiated by Nicolas Flamel and launched through the World Alchemists' Union as a massive global undertaking.
The project was officially established on April 23, 1981, with forty-two master-level alchemists participating. Over the course of twelve years, it reached completion in June 1993. The frontline caster corps stationed at the Abyss Battlefield successfully conducted live combat trials, and the project has since been introduced to major magical military academies worldwide. However, due to its exorbitant costs, widespread implementation will take time.
As one of the project's contributors, Durmstrang received an initial allocation of one hundred sets of equipment. It wasn't that Grindelwald didn't want more—he did—but until production costs came down, this initial batch was the most reasonable investment. Any more, and even he would feel the financial strain. Besides, the shared technical schematics were already in hand, and optimization efforts were progressing steadily. This initial batch served mainly to test the waters and facilitate further development.
The reason he allocated this equipment to Harry wasn't just personal favoritism—though he did like the kid. It was because, despite appearing makeshift, Harry's self-formed squad had received significant investment. Grindelwald understood just how much money Harry had poured into it. What seemed like a generous gift to Harry and his warband was, in reality, a carefully calculated decision—this group was simply a better batch of test subjects than other candidates.
Leaving aside their magical prowess, the warband's sheer physical capabilities already placed them at the forefront of European wizardry. While in a certain Eastern nation, nearly every university graduate could achieve a "Foundation Establishment" equivalent, that was far from the norm in the magical world. Their advancements in physical cultivation put them centuries ahead of other magical nations. Only the wizards of Uagadou, due to their unique magical system, managed to keep pace. But elsewhere? No contest.
Even the Soviet magical community, famed for its battle wizards, couldn't compare.
Their national wizard-conditioning program had only been running for a few decades. While their extreme investment had produced a select group of qualified combat wizards, the proportion remained too low. If the Eastern magical world had a success rate of five or six out of ten, the Soviets had only one or less.
As for the rest of Europe?
There was nothing. Nothing at all. The Pureblood Supremacist Party (Peucé Party) had spent a fortune enhancing their elite inner circle, but as for implementing a Soviet-style physical conditioning program for the masses? Grindelwald could only sigh at his empty coffers. Without fully uniting and integrating Europe's resources, there was no way he could implement such a large-scale enhancement program.
Yet strengthening individual wizards remained an urgent priority.
Magical combatants were inherently independent entities. Large teams—or even armies—could unleash devastating power, but at the cost of massive inefficiencies. A three-man squad might operate at full strength, possibly even exceeding the sum of its parts, but a hundred-man unit might only achieve eighty percent efficiency. For a thousand or ten thousand wizards, their effectiveness could be reduced to half or less.
Individual supremacy was the magical world's default. Talent dictated one's potential; effort determined the floor, but rarely the ceiling. A true prodigy could take on entire disorganized battalions alone. Take Dumbledore, for example—if he truly wished, he could storm the Ministry of Magic's Golden Hall, battle through every level, demolish Gringotts along Diagon Alley, and while resistance might slow him down, he would ultimately obliterate everything in his path.
In future warfare, ten-person elite squads would be the largest effective combat units. The most powerful combat teams would consist of three to five wizards operating in perfect synergy. Given this reality, strengthening individual wizards would directly enhance small-unit combat power.
Since foundational physical enhancements required over a century of gradual implementation, making it impossible to strengthen most wizards in time for imminent conflicts, alternative methods became a necessity.
The Super Wizard Project was conceived to address this gap.
While prohibitively expensive in its early stages, once adaptation refinements for various magical systems were completed and mass production improved, it would become the most cost-effective and widely accessible power-boosting solution.
The project wouldn't necessarily raise a wizard's maximum potential, but it would significantly increase their minimum power level—turning cannon fodder into competent soldiers, transforming competent soldiers into elite warriors.
Even for talented young wizards, joining the Super Wizard initiative would grant greater survivability, more versatile combat skills, and superior tactical capabilities.
---
"So, Captain..."
Cedric was the first to fully grasp what Harry was explaining.
"You're saying we're about to stop being human?"
"No. We're about to become superhuman."
"And you'll be joining us too, right?"
"I don't need to. The Super Wizard Project isn't designed for someone like me—an unparalleled genius among millions. Even if I joined, it wouldn't enhance me; if anything, it might hold me back."
Cedric's expression twisted like a sulking kitten at Harry's blatant show of superiority.
"Will Fleur be joining?" Cho asked hesitantly. "If I'm the only girl..."
"I, Cedric Diggory, will always protect the beautiful Cho Cha—Ow, ow! I was wrong!"
Cedric had puffed out his chest, ready to declare himself Cho's gallant protector, only to be promptly pinned to the ground by her. Ever since their 'vacation' on Paradise Island, where Harry had taught them some combat techniques, the two had developed an unusual fondness for these kinds of sparring sessions.
"Fleur won't be joining either," Harry replied. "Her situation is unique. Due to her magical nature, participating in the project would cause... complications."
"What kind of complications?" Cho asked, intrigued.
"If Fleur were to unleash her full magical aura, every single person at Durmstrang—aside from me—would require a full-scale memory purge."
"Even just a glance at her in that state would be enough. Unless someone had extremely high magical resistance, no matter how powerful they were—even at Professor Grindelwald's level—they'd still fall victim to her supernatural allure."
"…Fleur?"
Cho turned to the part-Veela, moving closer. Having lived together in the same dormitory—sharing baths and all—she had never been concerned about Fleur losing control.
"When I was at Beauxbatons, I only dared to show my eyes," Fleur said, holding up two fingers. She blinked with a playful smile. "If I hadn't met Harry and been introduced to Daenerys, I'd probably still be covering up from head to toe—and wearing sunglasses, too."
"That sounds awful."
Cho looped her arm around Fleur's, pressing closer. "Good thing you met our captain."
"Yes," Fleur said softly, her expression warm. She had never imagined she would one day experience such casual, affectionate human contact.
---
"But, Captain..."
Marcus, the most slow-witted of the group, scratched his head. "So, do we have to go through some kind of training for this Super Wizard thing?"
"Training is just one part of it."
Harry spread open a sealed document filled with intricate diagrams and schematics.
"The core of the Super Wizard Project is the Implant Alchemy Armor—also known as Implant Gear.
"By extracting samples of your magical energy and physical attributes, a custom-made bio-alchemic alloy is crafted to perfectly integrate with your body, preventing rejection. This alloy is then forged into specialized alchemic armor, which is implanted through ritual surgery—completely modifying your body inside and out."
"Flesh is not a burden, but even machinery can lead to ascension."
"Speaking of which, you all should thank Fleur. She sacrificed a bit of her dowry to pull some strings for me. Your implanted alchemical armor isn't just standard issue. Originally, Durmstrang's standard version required six ritual surgeries to complete."
"But thanks to my order, Nicolas Flamel was more than happy to spare some of his afternoon tea time for a lucrative side job. Now, instead of six procedures, you'll only need a mere nineteen to fully integrate the customized Warband 1.0 model of the implanted alchemical armor. From that moment on, you'll transcend mere mortals, soaring through the skies and dominating the battlefield as unstoppable Astartes warriors—"
Before Harry could finish, a mob of furious teammates pounced on him. Their faces, twisted with overwhelming "gratitude" toward their beloved leader, seethed with barely contained emotion.
"Oh, we really appreciate it, Captain!!!"
Even the chair beneath them couldn't bear the pressure, its four legs snapping apart in protest. Meanwhile, pinned beneath the pile of bodies, Harry let out a wheezing laugh—more like a pig's squeal—before mustering enough breath to taunt:
"This? This is it? That's all you got? Not even a decent massage."
Fleur covered her mouth, stifling a giggle, while the only other person who hadn't joined in the "massage session" was Phoenix—the duelist Harry had picked up from the tournament. Though he had begun training in magical body refinement, he was still just a beginner—the physically weakest member of the warband. Sure, in a magical duel, he could wipe the floor with nearly anyone in the group (excluding Harry), but when it came to pure physical combat? That was another story entirely.
"Will the surgery leave scars? Or… will it turn me into one of those bulky, square-jawed muscle freaks? Captain, can I not do this? Maybe I can just support from the sidelines with Fleur? I could handle logistics! I even learned to cook from my dad during the holidays—ever had West Lake Vinegar Fish? It's delicious! You've heard of it, right?"
Having had enough roughhousing, Cho latched onto Harry's arm, giving him her best pleading look. Truth be told, she wasn't exactly thrilled about this whole enhancement process. Sure, boys might get all excited about turning themselves into walking war machines, but girls? Not necessarily. And right now, she was definitely having second thoughts.
"England may be a culinary wasteland, but I can't deny the truth." Harry sighed, glancing at her solemnly. "Do you even know what the four great dishes of Hangzhou are? They're KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Dicos."
"That's a lie!"
"That's on par with fish and chips. So no, I reject your temptation."
Harry's response was firm and unwavering. Though he hadn't visited Hangzhou in this life, he had studied there in his previous one. Dongpo pork with rice? Tolerable. West Lake Vinegar Fish? The more authentic it was, the more inedible it became.
"The surgery won't leave scars, and you won't turn into a muscle-bound meathead," he reassured her. "This is a fusion-type alchemical implant. It's based on Animagus Phase Two Alchemical Armor Fusion, just simplified through alchemy. When not in use, it remains fully integrated within your body. You won't Hulk out or burst out of your clothes when activating it—magic isn't that impractical. The only downside? You'll need to wear tight-fitting or form-fitting clothes most of the time. Loose robes aren't ideal."
"I approve!"
Cedric's eyes lit up. If he had one complaint about Cho, it was her habit of drowning herself in baggy clothes, hiding her figure underneath. But he knew the truth. She might be younger than him by a year, but she was not flat. Quite the opposite.
"Hmph."
Cho shot Cedric a glare and crossed her arms. She already knew what he was thinking. But ever since she had started sharing a bath with Fleur, she had stopped feeling any sense of pride in that department. Fleur was only a year older, but she had at least two cup sizes on her.
"Cho," Harry said, stroking his chin as if deep in thought, "you don't want Cedric to overpower you in the future, do you?"
"Girls need to learn to protect themselves," he added, shaking his head. "Self-defense classes and so-called 'anti-assault' techniques are useless against real threats. When I visited Taishi Tianchao, I saw true warrior women—elegant, commanding, absolutely legendary. If I had to describe them in two words? Peak badassery."
Cho hesitated. Her mind conjured up images of battle-hardened, heroic female warriors, and a flicker of admiration crossed her face. Then, she looked at Cedric, evaluating him from head to toe. Slowly, she nodded.
"You're right, Captain. A girl needs to know how to protect herself."
"Why are you looking at me like that?!" Cedric whined, his expression one of sheer injustice. He slumped against the wall, feeling an unexplainable sense of loss.
"Alright, now that we're all decided, I won't nag any further. Phoenix."
"Yes, Captain?"
Despite being the oldest member of the group, Phoenix had integrated surprisingly well. Unlike the backstabbing, cutthroat world of his past, his current companions were straightforward, honest students. No schemes, no manipulation—just genuine camaraderie. He cherished it. And at Durmstrang, he was truly learning. The top-tier faculty here made the third-rate instructors at Arkham's "private institution" look like amateurs. In just over a month, he had unlearned more bad habits than he ever thought possible.
"I'll be busy preparing for Animagus Phase Two Alchemical Armor development, so I won't have time to personally train you," Harry explained. "Go see Professor Snape. He'll brew a set of potions tailored to your current body-strengthening regimen."
"If you want to catch up to the others, you'll have to work harder than anyone else."
Phoenix nodded firmly. "Understood, Captain."
A brief pause.
"Oh—one last thing. Snape's potions? I wouldn't drink too much if I were you."
The surrounding warband members shuddered in unison, their faces pale with shared trauma.
Harry reached into his pocket, handing Phoenix a dark green vial.
"This is Mare Herb Concentrate. It's a highly distilled spice extract. Add two drops to your potion before drinking—it'll make the experience slightly less unbearable."
Phoenix glanced at his teammates' expressions, then clutched the bottle a little tighter.
"Alright! Dismissed! The Super Wizard Project officially starts next week. Until then, specialized instructors will train you in mana control, body enhancement, and other fundamentals. I already beat him up for you guys— he took two punches and stayed conscious, so he's sturdy enough. Follow his lead. If you run into any issues, just mention my name."
A chorus of grumbles and groans followed as the team dispersed, leaving the room finally empty.
"...So, Harry," Fleur purred, stepping closer. "Shall we have a little chat about those 'badass warrior women' you found so impressive?"
"...I swear, I made that up!"
"Really?"
"Fleur, listen! I never actually saw any legendary female warriors—I just made it up on the spot—AHH!!"
(End of Chapter.)