Chapter 168: Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, But Idealistic

The special enchantment contained within the crystal ball established a faint connection with Dylan.

If it weren't for Dylan's own keen sensitivity to magic, honed through constant learning and the stat boosts from the system rewards, allowing him to achieve a very high magical sense, he might not have even noticed this magical link and its fluctuations.

"Somewhat similar to the Fidelius Charm, it must be some kind of ancient contract magic – and a powerful one at that."

Just as Dylan was pondering this, the old goblin's expression flickered.

"Mr. Dylan, I must inform you that the enchantment is about to take effect. My memories of your manor, as well as the memories of anyone else who knows about your manor, will be completely erased once our transaction is complete."

Dylan blinked and nodded slightly. "Alright."

Watching the crystal ball continuously shimmer, Dylan suddenly asked the old goblin again, "By the way, this room should be able to ward off eavesdroppers, right?"

The old goblin nodded. "Yes."

"Then, what if someone suddenly used one of the Unforgivable Curses on us here?"

The old goblin looked rather surprised upon hearing this.

His expression became increasingly bewildered and dazed, as if some memories were being peeled away from his mind by the light of the crystal ball.

"Rest assured, no one would dare use an Unforgivable Curse on us here – unless they have a death wish and want to be jointly hunted down by Gringotts and the Ministry of Magic."

Dylan raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying that if we were attacked, there's nothing we could do?"

The old goblin gave a dry chuckle. "No one will break in. And even if they did, they certainly wouldn't be able to leave."

Dylan narrowed his eyes. "They only get discovered if they manage to leave?"

The old goblin nodded slightly. "But there are only the two of us here. Who would use an Unforgivable Curse? So, please be at ease –"

Dylan didn't reply, but his eyes flickered slightly, a cold glint passing through them.

In an instant, a subtle yet powerful magic erupted from his body.

He didn't even flick his wand, his lips didn't move, and no incantation was uttered.

Yet, he cast a chilling spell – the Imperius Curse!

The obsequious smile on the old goblin's face hadn't yet faded when he was struck by this magic, his expression instantly changing.

He tried to resist, but his body froze, completely beyond his control.

Dylan's eyes were covered by the spell, carrying a cold, emotionless gaze as he stared at the old goblin.

"You…"

It had to be said, goblin magic was indeed something else.

Even under intense resistance, the goblin still managed to utter a single word under Dylan's control.

But in the next second, the muscles in the old goblin's face relaxed, his expression gradually becoming fixed as he sat there stiffly, his eyes vacant.

Dylan tilted his head. "How much money do you have on you?"

"Ninety-eight thousand Galleons."

"Oh really?"

Dylan's interest was piqued. "It suddenly occurs to me that simply purchasing one property isn't enough. I wonder if I could trouble you to help me pay? I'd like to buy a few more houses."

The old goblin opened his mouth blankly. "Of course, no problem."

He mechanically began to draft contracts, while also pulling out his ninety-odd thousand Galleons.

Dylan casually asked, "Why do you carry so much money on you?"

The old goblin replied, "It's my bonus I just received today."

Dylan raised an eyebrow. "Quite a generous bonus."

He controlled the old goblin to fill out the contracts for five properties.

With less than a hundred thousand Galleons, yet able to exchange for five houses, the quality of these houses was obviously not going to be very good.

One of them was so dilapidated that it wasn't even habitable directly.

This house was in a Muggle neighborhood.

And it was the cheapest.

In addition to that, there was one in a wizarding community, and this property was the most expensive among the five.

The locations of the several properties were quite different.

Dylan planned to use all these properties as backup safe houses.

With only one manor, Dylan always felt it wasn't secure enough.

"If only I had Howl's Moving Castle, wandering around everywhere, but as soon as you open the door, you can directly reach your desired destination. That's a truly secure safe house."

Dylan waited for the old goblin to prepare all the property contracts, and couldn't help but click his tongue.

"I wonder if the achievement system will ever give out such a reward."

Dylan repeated this sentence silently in his mind three times.

The result, of course, was nothing happening.

With a soft hum, the old goblin had already filled out the contracts. After Dylan signed his name, the goblin placed the corresponding amount of Galleons for each contract on top of it, and then stamped them.

Soon, five more crystal balls appeared.

At this moment, Dylan could clearly feel that the old goblin's gaze was even more bewildered.

The contract enchantment within the crystal ball, like a cloud of mist, seeped into the old goblin's mind.

Dylan, using the Imperius Curse to control the old goblin, also noticed that some of the goblin's memories were being devoured by this mist.

If he acted at this moment and directly dispelled that magical mist, he could preserve this part of the old goblin's memory.

But why would he do that?

Not only did Dylan not dispel the mist, but he even used his magic to surround it, comprehending the operating rules of this ancient enchantment.

It wasn't until all the contracts were signed that Dylan withdrew his magic.

The old goblin's expression flickered again.

There were six crystal balls on the table, but the old goblin completely ignored them, directly putting them all away.

Dylan had tampered with the old goblin's memory.

He made the goblin mistakenly believe that he had directly acquired five more properties based on his own substantial financial resources.

The old goblin still wore an obsequious expression, his mouth stretched into a grin that reached his ears, revealing a set of yellowed, pointed teeth.

He looked up, the tiny, beady eyes glittering with excitement as his thin, raspy voice spoke across from Dylan.

"Sir, you truly have excellent taste! Purchasing six properties at once, I must say, it's been a long time since I've seen such a generous and wealthy client like yourself."

The old goblin chuckled. "Your generosity has brought me a substantial commission. I must express my sincerest gratitude to you."

Dylan smiled and waved his hand. "No need to thank me. Of course, if you're willing to return this commission to me…"

The old goblin stood up. "Oh, sir, our transaction is complete. Finally, according to regulations, I must say one more thing to you –"

"Choose Gringotts! Whether it's rare treasures or top-tier properties, we can provide whatever you desire! Our security and quality are impeccable, and we will absolutely ensure you have no worries!"

"Sir, this way please."

The old goblin walked towards the door, opened it for Dylan, and then bowed, waiting for him to leave.

Dylan smiled nonchalantly.

That little commission was earned with the goblin's own money anyway.

Dylan wouldn't go so far as to deprive someone of the chance to earn their own money –

As a kind person, Dylan couldn't do such a thing.

Therefore, under the old goblin's respectful guidance, Dylan left the VIP room and was even personally escorted to the front entrance of Gringotts.

"Is it this late already?"

Looking up, the moonlight had already begun to spill down.

"Told him to pick a few more properties for me, but all he picked were ones he couldn't afford with his meager funds."

Dylan pursed his lips.

The time spent signing the contracts was short. Dylan spent more time deciding which properties to choose.

In the end, after careful selection, combined with the old goblin's pitiful ninety-eight thousand Galleons, he finally settled on the locations of the other five properties.

"Well, today's mission is successfully completed."

Now that the houses had been acquired, only he knew the specific locations of his six properties.

Therefore, Dylan wasn't in a hurry to inspect them. Going tomorrow would be the same.

It was just as well that he could go home tonight and plan in advance how he wanted to arrange his six properties.

Should he turn them all into backup safe houses, or choose one – like the manor he initially wanted to buy – as his future residence?

And what about his identity as Kelsas? Did he need to arrange a property for that identity as well?

In case he gained more followers in the future, and he happened to need his followers to do some things for him.

Like collecting Galleons.

He would need a place to summon his followers.

Dylan sat in the carriage and slowly returned home.

He originally thought that what awaited him would be the same warm scene as yesterday.

However, when he opened the door…

What he saw was a cold and empty space.

Dylan walked into the house.

He didn't see his parents at all.

Passing by the dining table.

Dylan saw a note held down by a candlestick.

Scoffing, Dylan walked over, picked up the note, and his mother's handwriting came into view.

"Sweetheart, your dad and I went out to play~ We might not be back tonight. If you get home and you're hungry, go to the kitchen and find something to eat. I've prepared some for you in advance~ Don't play too late, get some rest early."

The signature read – Maeve, your loving mom.

Dylan sighed helplessly.

"I only just came back a day ago, no, I only just came back and stayed one night, just went out for a day, and they've already run off again?"

Dylan went to his bedroom.

He huffed and puffed as he went to his desk.

With a wave of his hand, a crystal ball hovered above his palm.

This wasn't the Gringotts contract crystal ball.

It was Dylan's own crystal ball used for divination.

At this moment, the orb was emitting a soft, faint blue light in his palm.

"I'd like to see when you two will conjure up a little brother or sister for me!"

Under Dylan's gaze, layers of mist gradually appeared inside the crystal ball, becoming hazy and unclear.

As his magic continued to pour in, the mist gradually dissipated, and a scene began to appear.

Dylan's figure was a bit blurry, but he could see that only his parents were sitting on the living room sofa with him.

Apart from that, there was no sign of any new member joining the family.

After getting this answer, Dylan slowly withdrew his magic, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

Actually, he wasn't sure what he thought about having younger siblings.

It would be fine if it happened, and fine if it didn't.

However, the fact that his parents hadn't managed to "hit the target" before he graduated Hogwarts did indeed surprise Dylan somewhat.

Could it be that they were really getting old?

Was his dad's "tadpole" quality not up to par anymore?

Dylan clicked his tongue.

"Maybe I should research some potions in this area. They might even sell really well."

Dylan tidied up a bit, then lay down on the bed.

He looked at his achievement page.

——————

**[Achievement]**: Property Tycoon!

**[Description]**: Who says I only have one house? I have two, three, four, five, six!

**[Unlock Requirement]**: Own more than five properties.

**[Achievement Reward]**: Full-Level Spell Gift Pack (Household Edition)

**[Note]**: The gift pack comes with ten spells.

——————

Dylan raised an eyebrow.

The latest and fastest novels are on \[website address]!

This time, the achievement reward surprised him a bit.

It was actually a spell gift pack!

When he first obtained the system, the newbie gift pack he opened rewarded him with the three Unforgivable Curses.

And this gift pack contained a full ten spells!

Unfortunately, though, it was just a household edition.

If it were a Dark Arts edition…

Dylan couldn't even imagine how much he would gain!

However, even if it was just the household edition, it was still pretty good.

After all, he basically spent most of his time researching Dark Arts or more advanced magic.

Dylan had only dabbled in household chores-related spells.

According to his previous learning philosophy, no matter how proficient he became, he would always go through everything once, just to learn it first.

This had allowed him to understand quite a few household spells, but while his proficiency wasn't too low, it wasn't particularly high either.

Now, having ten full-level household spells would actually allow Dylan to make up for some of his shortcomings in this area.

At the same time, having one full-level spell would allow him to learn by analogy and connect it to other household spells.

By then, even if the gift pack only rewarded him with ten spells, Dylan's understanding of other household spells would inevitably become deeper, thereby further improving his proficiency.

Dylan stared at the system panel in front of him, where a large gift box wrapped in golden threads and inlaid with gemstones was displayed.

Dylan reached out and opened the box.

Instantly, the gift pack exploded, and spells transformed into golden fragments, swirling out.

They moved and intertwined in the air like living things.

In the next moment, Dylan felt a sudden jolt in his mind, and he found himself in a messy room.

Dylan raised his wand and quickly cast a spell, his arm sweeping through the air.

Magic spread out from him as the center, and the thick dust on the ground was swept up, gathering in mid-air, and then flowing out of the room through the crack under the door.

Those scraps of paper and miscellaneous items also automatically returned to their places, and the dirty floor became as clean as new.

Another flash.

Dylan raised his wand again.

A broken wooden chair nearby had its severed leg automatically reattached under the spell's effect, and the crack instantly healed.

Even the scratches on the surface gradually disappeared.

Then, looking at the weeds growing in the corner, Dylan tapped his wand.

The weeds quickly withered, turned into powder, and dissipated into the air.

"Squeak, squeak."

Suddenly, a faint rustling sound rang out.

A mouse suddenly scurried out from behind a sofa.

Dylan quickly raised his wand high.

In a flash of light.

The mouse's frantic fleeing steps faltered, and after circling the room a few times, it dashed towards the door.

It soon disappeared from Dylan's sight.

In addition to that, some cockroaches in the room also fell down, as if being chased by some terrifying creature, fleeing out of the house in a panic.

After dealing with the insects and rodents.

Dylan circled the entire room with his wand.

Instantly, exquisite murals appeared on the walls of the room.

Colorful light flowed within the room.

The originally plain curtains became colorful and vibrant, and delicate tassels gently swayed in the breeze.

Uniquely shaped chandeliers slowly descended from the ceiling, their soft light illuminating every corner of the room.

The house, which had just been incredibly messy, was now completely renewed.

Arriving in the kitchen.

Some unprocessed ingredients were placed on the cutting board.

Picking up a potato.

Dylan softly muttered, "Deflate and de-eye."

As he moved the wand in his hand, the skin and eyes on the surface of the potato instantly and automatically peeled off, falling into the trash can next to it.

Then, Dylan placed the potato on the cutting board.

He tapped his wand again.

"Slice evenly."

Under the effect of the spell.

That potato turned into uniformly thick slices in almost the blink of an eye, neatly arranged on the counter.

Finally.

As he cast the spell again, hot oil heated up in a pot nearby, the potato slices went into the oil, and before long, they turned into golden and crispy potato chips.

Scenes flashed before Dylan's eyes.

Until Dylan opened his eyes again.

The system prompts also sounded one after another.

Dylan glanced at them.

These ten household spells.

Were respectively –

Scourgify, Reparo, Herbifors, Decorating Charm (no direct canon name, but conveying the meaning), Vermin-Banishing Charm (similar to *Deletrius* but for pests), Peeling Charm (no direct canon name), Slicing Charm (no direct canon name), Heating Charm (for the pot), Quick-Fry Charm (no direct canon name), Deep-Fry Charm (no direct canon name).

Clearly, the system had categorized cooking spells under household spells.

"Mrs. Weasley did teach me a few food charms. I didn't expect I'd directly max out my skill level in one go."

Many dishes at the Hogwarts feasts were made according to recipes left behind by Helga Hufflepuff, the founder of Hufflepuff.

Food charms weren't just about conjuring food out of thin air using magic.

In fact, food was the first of the five principal exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration.

And Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration stated that wizards could transform objects or create some things, but there were five exceptions.

First.

Food.

Wizards cannot conjure delicious food out of thin air, but if they know where the food is, they can summon it.

At the same time, if wizards have some food on hand, they can also cast spells to change or increase it.

Second.

Magical artifacts.

Transfiguration cannot create magical artifacts.

For example, Auto-Answer Quills, Self-Stirring Cauldrons, etc.

These things exist, but they cannot be directly transfigured.

In addition to this, the currency circulated among wizards – Galleons – cannot be conjured out of thin air either.

Third.

Cannot change quantity or essence.

That is, one cannot change the quantity or essence of an object through magic. For example, things created with the Geminio Curse are just worthless copies.

Turning a stone into bread still results in eating a stone.

Fourth – cannot bring back the dead.

Magic cannot resurrect dead creatures.

Fifth – cannot create something from nothing.

Unless it has been prepared beforehand.

Otherwise, things conjured out of thin air will disappear before long.

In short, wizards cannot conjure delicious food out of thin air, nor can they turn other things into food.

Therefore, food charms are not spells for transfiguring food, but spells for cooking food.

Just like Dylan saw in the illusion, once the ingredients are prepared, all that's needed is a flick of the wand.

One doesn't even need to loudly chant the spell, and soon a sumptuous and delicious meal can be served.

Of course, in Dylan's opinion, this so-called Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, while true to a certain extent, didn't mean that it was impossible to achieve what the law forbade through other methods.

Just like Dylan could directly summon things like milk tea and cola with a Summoning Charm.

The Summoning Charm was a branch of Transfiguration, but not entirely equivalent to it.

Therefore, since Transfiguration couldn't directly conjure food.

What did that have to do with the Summoning Charm?

Of course, the reason Dylan could conjure milk tea was indeed based on certain real ingredients.

Like milk and tea.

So, this law essentially still limited many things.

This was certain.

But even if Dylan prepared milk and tea, it was only a little bit. The so-called creating something from nothing was basically the same as not being able to change quantity or essence.

Yet, Dylan could still use this small amount of milk and tea to create an almost endless supply of milk tea.

Why was that?

Of course, it was a matter of idealism!

Dylan wanted to drink milk tea, and under the intense desire, the spell naturally appeared in his hand.

And then there was turning stone into gold. Although it couldn't be done directly with Transfiguration.

But by using Transfiguration combined with various other methods, it was possible to create something like the Philosopher's Stone, which could both grant immortality and turn stone into gold.

Therefore, it wasn't that the limitations of the law were necessarily absolute. It was just generally true, possessing a certain regularity, but not absolute.

As long as one dared to delve into it, one could always find a way to break the law.

(End of this chapter)