Edward had no choice but to accept reality—the plot of Harry Potter had collapsed before it even began.
If this had happened before he transmigrated into the world of Lord of the Mysteries, he would've been depressed for three days straight. But now? At least he could comfort himself with the knowledge that as long as he chose the right potion pathway and successfully advanced to a mid-sequence, Voldemort wouldn't be a threat at all!
So, in the days that followed, he doubled his efforts in learning Hers.
By the ti Audrey could converse fluently in English, he had morized most common Hers vocabulary. By the ti she started researching ways to self-study magic, he had already grasped several simple Hers incantations and their corresponding rituals.
———
[Gryffindor Common Room]
Audrey, holding a copy of A History of Modern Magic, poked Edward, who was buried under a pile of books, muttering words to himself.
"Muda, Muda, Muda…"
"The book says that wizarding spells are mainly divided into regular spells and Dark Arts. Hogwarts primarily teaches regular spells, so where does one learn Dark Arts?"
Without even lifting his head, Edward replied, "Only Dark wizards study the Dark Arts."
"But Dark Arts are generally stronger than regular spells. If we don't learn them, how are we supposed to fight Dark wizards?"
"That's why Hogwarts has a subject called Defense Against the Dark Arts. It's ant to teach students how to defend against them."
"Just defend?"
Audrey leaned in closer, gazing directly into Edward's eyes. "So…do you know Dark Arts?"
Of course, he did. It would be shaful as a transmigrator if he didn't.
He had mastered most of the commonly used Dark curses—thanks to a Dark wizard who had once ambushed him in Knockturn Alley. After counter-cursing the man, Edward had extracted every bit of Dark magic knowledge from his mind before wiping his mory clean, reducing him to an empty shell.
However, since J.K. Rowling constantly emphasized that the Dark Arts could corrupt a person's character—and since he hadn't encountered any real danger afterwards—Edward had never actually had a chance to use what he had learned.
With a light cough, he replied, "When the ti is right, I'll teach you."
"Thank you~"
Audrey gracefully waved her wand, making her book flip through its pages on its own. Her composed, effortless deanour hardly matched soone who had only been self-studying magic for a single day.
The difference between people…really was bigger than the gap between a person and a pig.
While Audrey imrsed herself in the wonders of magic, Edward focused on a more crucial matter—his first real choice of potion pathway.
He wrote down all 22 Beyonder pathways.
"First of all, Prisoner, Criminal, Planter, Apothecary, and Marauder are all off the table. Fate-related pathways are best avoided too. As for Witch…yeah, no thanks."
"That leaves 15 pathways."
"If I were going purely by personal preference, I'd lean toward Secrets Supplicant or Apprentice. Both the Shepherd from the Secrets Supplicant pathway and the Scribe from the Apprentice pathway can obtain abilities from other pathways, which makes them highly adaptable—kind of like how I'm used to the variety of wizarding spells."
"But the Secrets Supplicant pathway…has the constant risk of getting turned into a lunatic by the True Creator."
"Apprentice, on the other hand, isn't bad. I'll put it on hold for now."
"That leaves…" Edward's pen tapped the parchnt. "Spectator—but Audrey's already on that pathway, so it's a lower priority. Lawyer and Arbiter are mostly controlled by the royal family and the military, but if I stick with Klein, once he gets the Black Emperor card, obtaining formulas wouldn't be an issue."
"Speaking of formulas—if I chose the Reader pathway, I'd be able to clearly recall all the original novel's details. That ans I'd know most of the potion formulas, right?"
"But what would I even do with those formulas? Sell them? Choosing a pathway just for money is way too short-sighted."
"…Wait, I forgot to consider divinity and ascension."
Edward quickly crossed out a few more pathways. "That leaves Hunter, Lawyer, Warrior, Seer, and Death…No, wait—Death is off the table too!"
Leaning back in his chair, he muttered,
"Do I really need to think that far ahead? Becoming a god isn't that easy. And it's not like the sky will fall on —Klein is the one carrying that burden. I just need to ensure my own safety."
"The higher the Sequence, the greater the danger. Honestly, Sequence 4 is already more than enough—a long lifespan, imnse power, and no need to worry about godhood."
At that thought, he slapped his forehead. "Am I being too much of a slacker? Wouldn't this be embarrassing for other transmigrators?"
Tapping his steel pen against his lips, he murmured,
"So, the formulas for these pathways…Damn it! I can't rember a single one!"
The Hunter pathway's formulas were mainly in the Intis Republic.
The Lawyer pathway was controlled by the Loen Royal Family.
The Warrior pathway's formulas could be obtained from Little Sun in the City of Silver.
The Seer pathway could be found through Old Neil and Klein.
Theoretically, of course, he could also try to purchase them at a Beyonder gathering.
"As for Apprentice…" He circled it again. "Let's keep it as a backup option."
———
And so, with studying as his daily routine, ti quickly passed, bringing them into the second week.
It was then that Dumbledore finally sought Edward out—to teach him Apparition.
"Apologies," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I've been busy dealing with the search for a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. You know…Professor Quirrell's death was rather unexpected."
Edward raised an eyebrow. "Professor, why won't you just give Professor Snape a chance?"
Dumbledore chuckled warmly but did not continue the topic. "I'll give it so thought. Now, back to Apparition."
"You've probably heard this before—when it cos to Apparition, the most important thing is to rember the Three Ds: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation."
"You must fix your mind on your destination, without the slightest hesitation or fear."
As he spoke, Dumbledore's figure disappeared with a sharp crack—only to reappear a few ters away.
"See? Quite simple, isn't it?"
Edward rolled his eyes. "...Yeah, right."
Dumbledore burst into hearty laughter. "Hahaha! Well then, let's start with the basics. Your first Apparition target will be…hmm, let's set it right behind Fawkes."
With a wave of his wand, he drew a circle on the floor behind the phoenix.
Fawkes, who had been dozing off, was startled awake. He flapped his wings in protest, ruffled his feathers, and then tucked his head back in, looking drowsy again.
Audrey, who was hugging Lilith in her arms, couldn't help but chuckle as she began to ntally go over the theory of Apparition.
"Now," Dumbledore continued, "focus your determination on occupying the space behind Fawkes! Let your desire to reach that spot flood every inch of your being! Then, spin in place to enter the void state—stay calm and composed! Begin!"
CRACK!
A loud noise echoed through the room. Edward was montarily stunned—he hadn't even started yet.
"I did it!"
Audrey's excited voice ca from behind Fawkes. Her face lit up with delight. "It really is simple."
"No, Miss Hall," Dumbledore's kind smile faded as he shook his head. "You were too impatient. Perhaps basic spells co easily to you, but never underestimate the complexity of advanced magic."
"Ahhhhhhhh!!!—"
A second later, Audrey let out a belated scream of horror—she had just realized that her right arm and left leg were still left behind at her original spot!
anwhile, Lilith was curled up comfortably on her detached leg, enjoying the sensation of fingers absentmindedly stroking her fur.
(´・ω・`)
The sudden scream startled Lilith awake. The cat froze upon realizing that only a leg and an arm remained in front of her, and then imdiately puffed up in terror.
ヽ(.>Д
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