Harry Potter : Bloodraven-Chapter 76: Awakening (CH - 96)

The events of the Halloween Feast had left Maverick with a renewed sense of determination. The chaos had been a wake-up call, and he decided there would be no more waiting. It was time to push forward and achieve the breakthrough to the rank of Arch-Magus.

By September, just before the start of the school year, he had accumulated over 2,500 points, and his magical energy was nearing 8,000 units.

Now, two months later, when his points had climbed to over 3,100, giving him an additional 1,000 points to use even after breakthrough, there was no reason to postpone any longer.

But reaching the Arch-Magus rank was very different from advancing from Magus to Great-Magus. According to the system's notes on rank promotion, the process would affect every wizard below the rank of Arch-Magus over a wide range, and this meant the consequences could be devastating for those two ranks below—like the children at Hogwarts—due to the volatile magic that would inevitably leak during the process.

That was why he had chosen a remote location, one of the most isolated mountains in the world—Mount Khüiten. The tallest peak in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia, it towers over 14,000 feet and lies close to the border with China. Its glaciers, steep slopes, and extreme altitude make it one of the most inaccessible places on Earth, a challenge to reach without meticulous preparation.

It had been his choice for some time now.

So on that very same night, he left Hogwarts, and a few Apparitions later, he arrived here, though the sun was already up because of the different time zone.

He first scanned the area for any nearby climbers, and only after flying over the peak and scouting a radius of over ten kilometers to ensure no humans were nearby did he finally begin.

He found a large, stable rock free of snow to sit on and, without hesitation, began adding points to his magical energy, watching as the system processed each increase seamlessly. It wasn't until the system prompted him to continue from 9,999 units that he paused. With a nod, he selected yes, and the system did its work.

The sensation that followed was similar to the one he had felt when integrating the Philosopher's Stone's extraordinary characteristic—an itchy, irritating feeling as if his body was being altered on a cellular level. He knew his body was evolving into a higher form of life, but with each passing minute, the irritation grew more intense.

Thankfully, it wasn't unbearable, but that was only what was happening inside him.

As time passed, violent bursts of magic erupted from his body at irregular intervals, causing the thick layers of snow around the rock where he sat to shift with each surge. At times, the snow swirled in the air, lifted by unseen forces before being blasted away in an instant, or simply levitated, suspended in midair around him.

The magical energy around him was as wild as a storm, reacting unpredictably with the physical matter near him. And even if it didn't physically affect more distant areas, as the system had noted, there was still an invisible pressure within a dozen kilometers radius around him.

From a distance, he appeared like a wavering mirage, the energy radiating from his body distorting the air in ripples, as though the space around him had been trapped in the shimmering haze of a scorching midday sun.

Even the sky, once clear with barely a cloud in sight before his arrival, had transformed within an hour of the promotion process, as dark clouds gathered unnaturally overhead, now twisting into a spiraling vortex.

While all this was happening, Maverick sat firmly in his position with his eyes closed and brows furrowed, focusing solely on the breakthrough. However, the persistent pain and whatever changes were happening to him made it clear, from the beads of sweat covering his face despite the biting cold, that the process was far from pleasant.

Time stretched on, the sun climbed higher as the unnatural phenomenon persisted. But as it reached its peak, the swirling clouds above began to disperse. The snowstorm-like chaos stirred by the volatile magic around Maverick gradually subsided before fading into calm.

Maverick let out a long exhale.

...

That was... scary. Yes, scary. Maverick could safely say he had never felt that kind of pain in either of his two lives. He was powerful, yes, and one of the most formidable magic users in the world, but until now, he had never experienced such persistent pain.

And just before everything had calmed down, it felt like he was being pierced by countless needles all over his body, yet somehow, he had managed to stay conscious throughout it all.

But contrary to how tired he should have been—exhausted from enduring such agony for hours—he felt nothing like it. Instead, he felt invigorated, more rejuvenated than he had ever been.

He slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he noticed was the snow spread out over a large area, with him at the center like a crater.

He stood up on his feet and, like always, first conjured a mirror to check for any visible changes to his appearance. But there was nothing. No changes at all.

With a sigh, he dispelled the magic and then felt his body.

Powerful. Yes, that was the feedback his brain gave. It's common knowledge that the more magical energy you have, the more powerful the spells you cast will be. And he was someone who could see magical energy as a numerical figure, able to attest to this as a fact. Right now, he felt that his magical energy was far greater than it had been yesterday.

Finally, he focused on the multiple notification prompts from his system.

[ Body adaptation complete. ]

[ Rank up: Great-Magus — Arch-Magus ]

[ Name: Maverick Caesar ]

[ Class: Wizard ]

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

[ Rank: Arch-Magus ]

[ Magical Energy: 19,862+ ]

[ Points: 1,092 ]

[ Extraordinary Characteristic Points: 0 ]

[ Extraordinary Characteristics: ]

[ Excellent grade Spellcasting ]

[ Excellent grade Independent Expanded Dimension ]

[ Excellent grade Flight ]

[ Excellent grade Vitality ]

[ Talents: ]

[ Magical Energy Manipulation (Master +) ]

[ Magical Sense (Master +) ]

[ Spacial Rift (Advanced +) ]

[ Dominant Spirit (Advanced +) ]

[ Nature Energy Manipulation (Beginner +) ]

[ Transfiguration (Advanced +) ]

[ Alchemy (Advanced +) ]

[ Potions (Intermediate +) ]

[ Spells: ]

[ Aquired Master Proficiency: ]

[ Fiendfyre + | Illusio Lunam Lectorem + ]

[ Aquired Advanced Proficiency: ]

[...]

The system confirmed that he had now stepped into the rank of Arch-Magus, but upon taking a second glance at the magical energy value, he was truly surprised. When he had advanced from Magus to Great-Magus, the increase had been two or three thousand units of magical energy, but this time, the value had doubled, from 10,000 to nearly 20,000.

And he could feel that number in every fiber of his being. It wasn't just about becoming twice as powerful—it was an all-around improvement. Not only was his magic stronger, but his body and spirit also felt significantly more powerful. Right now, he felt as if he could take on five of his earlier self, and he had been no ordinary Great-Magus even back at that rank.

Next, he turned his attention to the other changes and observed that some of his talents had advanced in proficiency rank. As his teacher Edward had once mentioned, achieving the rank of Arch-Magus brought significant improvements in the control over mana, or Magical Energy.

The talents he had acquired upon advancing to Magus—Magical Energy Manipulation and Magical Sense—had now both reached Master proficiency.

Maverick decided to test his newfound mastery, spreading his Magical Sense to its maximum output. His eyes widened involuntarily as he realized the range had increased not just two or three times but many, many times. He could now sense the entirety of Mount Khüiten and even parts of the surrounding peaks in the Altai mountain range.

Before, he had to fly around just to cover a 15-kilometer radius with his senses, but now that range was easily encompassed from where he stood. Not only that, the level of detail was far sharper. There were no words to truly describe the difference, but to put it simply, it felt as though his perspective had been upgraded from 720p to 4K.

Incredible... he couldn't help but mutter, as a smile tugged his lips with the new found ability.

Then, just as he had with Magical-Sense, he tested the power of Magical-Energy Manipulation. It, too, had received a significant boost. He could now conjure or materialize pure magic with ease, just as he had seen his teacher do—like it was second nature.

Am I becoming a Dragonball character? he mused to himself, watching the ball of pure magic he had effortlessly materialized.

After a while of testing the two talents' new capabilities, he finally focused on the new talent he had acquired. Yes, it was only one, and unlike the last times he had ranked up and acquired two, this time there was only one.

A bug? he thought. Where's the button to contact customer service? Shouldn't I get two talents instead of one? He complained inwardly, but the system made no reaction.

Sigh.

He then refocused on the new talent, Nature Energy Manipulation, to see if he could understand anything.

Nature Energy? Nature Energy?

Is it another type of energy like magic?

Unfortunately, no matter how much he wracked his brain over it, the talent was at the beginner level proficiency, and he couldn't make heads or tails of it.

But this situation was nothing for a systematic cheater like him. Without hesitation, he brought up the system menu and decisively added 110 points to the new talent, advancing it from beginner to intermediate, then directly to advanced proficiency.

Immediately, his mind was flooded with the talent's information—everything from its nature to its various uses. But it wasn't just his mind; his entire being adjusted to it as if years of experience with the talent had been compressed into a single moment.

As a powerful Arch-Magus with a mind and body far stronger than any regular wizard, he felt no discomfort. There was only a brief tingling sensation for a second before his eyes opened, fully absorbing the knowledge and experience.

He hummed, tapping his finger on his chin, mulling over the newfound power.

Do I have to fight some evil firelord now? he thought with amusement.

Yes, the new talent, Nature Energy Manipulation, granted him control over the four elements—fire, water, air, and earth. Moreover, from the knowledge and experience he had just absorbed from the system, it seemed that this ability wasn't tied to magic. Instead, it felt more like a superpower, a natural force that operated outside the realm of traditional spellcasting.

What did this mean? Essentially, even if he encountered a situation where magic was suppressed—such as an enchanted space designed to block magic—he could still rely on this power.

Looking around, he slowly levitated off the rock where he stood and focused his attention on it. With a smooth gesture, he raised his hand and willed the change to happen.

The large rock, which should have weighed tons, floated effortlessly into the air, then began to dismantle and reshape like a Lego creation. With the sound of crunching noises, within seconds, the rock had transformed into a perfect cube, smooth as polished ceramic.

He willed the cube to descend, and with a loud thud, it landed back on the ground.

The changes resembled Transfiguration, but unlike Transfiguration, this transformation would be permanent. First, he hadn't altered the elemental structure of the rock, and second, he hadn't used magic to change the shape; he had manipulated the earth itself.

That meant he could control not just rocks, but also sand, mud, cement, and possibly even metal. There was so much for him to explore—not only with earth, but with the other elements as well.

The most important thing, however, was that with this talent, Nature Energy Manipulation, he would be the only Arch-Magus to possess such control. Like the other talents, it typically took an additional rank advancement for wizards to begin understanding the power of a newly acquired ability.

The smirk on Maverick's lips widened into a full grin. This new power, along with the other enhancements he had received from breaking through to Arch-Magus, was immensely satisfying. Moreover, he knew he would uncover even more about these abilities with time.

There should be no mage in this world who can take me down now—not if I play all my trump cards.

With that thought, Maverick vanished from the spot.

However, what he didn't realize was that his newly amplified magical senses had failed to detect five mysterious figures hovering above the mountain, watching his every move since the start of his breakthrough.

"The little guy left so quickly," a woman's voice said, calm yet laced with intrigue. She was tall and stunning, her beauty akin to that of a fairy. Long, jet-black hair cascaded down her back, and she wore a simple white top paired with black jeans. Around her neck hung a silver necklace, featuring the head of a raven with a gem embedded in its eye.

"Interesting how he managed to master the element of earth so quickly after breaking through," added a man's voice. He was clad in wizarding robes, but his wrist bore a silver bracelet shaped like a serpent, with the same kind of gem embedded in its eye. "Is it sheer genius?"

"Hah! Jealous he's more of a genius than you?" came a deep, mocking laugh, belonging to a bulky man with a commanding presence. Dressed in casual attire with a golden fur coat draped over his shoulders like a lion's mane, his golden hair gleamed under the light. A sword hung at his waist, its hilt shaped into a lion's head with a gem embedded in its eyes.

"Can you, for once, not turn everything into a contest?" another woman interjected with a sigh. She was dressed in a unique blend of modern and wizarding fashion. Like the first woman, she radiated beauty, but her necklace featured a simple gemstone without any additional designs.

"Let us leave," the final figure spoke, his tone authoritative yet calm. He stood at the front, appearing to be their leader. Though slightly older in appearance than the others, he exuded an air of command. His attire was a sleek mix of wizarding robes and a tailored suit, with a luxurious coat draped over his shoulders.

"Supreme, is it alright if we make contact with him now? After all, he is—" the first woman began, but the leader cut her off with a firm tone.

"It is not yet time. He's still far too weak and far too inexperienced. You may approach him, but under no circumstances are you to reveal your identities..." The leader paused, his expression turning contemplative, then added, "However, if he manages to figure it out on his own, that's another story."

The group nodded in unison at his command before vanishing into thin air, just as Maverick had moments earlier.

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Author's Note:

Just a quick update — up to Chapter 129 is already available on P AT r30n!

PAT r30n [.] com / RyanFic