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N / B : YOY!! Guys Don't forget to check my other works : [ One Piece Ć Shadow Monarch.]
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Third POV:
The Great Hall slowly emptied as students finished their dinner, the grand space gradually losing its vibrant energy. The chatter died down from a roaring cacophony to a low murmur, until only the distant clatter of dishes being cleared by unseen magic remained. One by one, in groups and pairs, they drifted back to their dormitories, their laughter and fading footsteps echoing faintly in the long, torch-lit corridors that twisted through the castle like stone veins. Adam followed the flowing stream of green and silver, the Slytherin crowd moving as one entity down into the familiar, cool depths of the dungeons, his expression a mask of calm indifference, but inside, a restless, thrumming energy pulsed through him, a leftover current from the day's monumental events.
In the quiet, dim solitude of his dormitory, the gentle sway of the lake water casting shifting, greenish patterns on the stone walls, Adam slipped out of his school robes, letting the heavy fabric fall onto a nearby chair. He changed into more comfortable clothesādark, well-fitting trousers and a simple, long-sleeved shirt that fit snugly to his lean, muscular frame. He moved to his trunk, the lock clicking open, and retrieved a heavy, leather-bound book, its cover embossed with runes he didn't recognize but felt drawn to. Sinking onto his four-poster bed, he leaned back against the pillows, the flickering green light of the dungeon lamps through the window casting a surreal, underwater glow on the pages before him. Behind him, looming like silent, unwavering sentinels, stood Igris and Acheronāmotionless, statuesque, their shadowy forms rippling faintly with an almost imperceptible rhythm, as if breathing in time with him, tethered to his very life force.
The dormitory was utterly silent except for the faint, dry rustle of paper as Adam turned a page, his eyes scanning lines of text but his mind elsewhere, replaying the commands, the power, the feel of dominion. After a while, he stopped reading, lowering the book onto his lap, his fingers resting on the open pages. His eyes, sharp and calculating, flicked toward his two shadows, and his voice, though quiet, cut through the heavy, watery stillness with absolute clarity.
"I need to test both your power limits soon," he said, the words not a question but a statement of intent, spoken with a low determination. His eyes narrowed slightly, already plotting, strategizing. "It would be a big stepā¦ to grow stronger. But the question isāwhere can I do this without getting caught?"
Neither Igris nor Acheron moved a fraction, their dark, imposing forms simply waiting with infinite patience for his next command, their presence a constant, reassuring weight. Adam sighed, a long exhalation that carried the day's exhaustion with it, the weight of his new title and the physical toll of the punishment dungeon finally settling heavily upon him. His body sank deeper into the firm mattress, the book slipping slightly to the side from his loosening grip, and before he even realized the fatigue had fully claimed him, his eyes closed. The gentle lapping of the lake against the window was the last thing he heard as sleep pulled him under into a deep, dreamless void.
---
The Next Morning
The first sharp, golden rays of dawn spilled over the jagged towers of Hogwarts, painting the sky in hues of peach and rose. The ancient, weathered stone of the castle glowed with a soft, internal light under the morning sun, while thick, white mist rose from the depths of the Forbidden Forest, drifting lazily and silently across the mirror-still surface of the Black Lake like ghostly, searching fingers. Birds sang their faint, melodic songs from the high treetops, their cheerful calls mixing with the rhythmic, gentle splash of water against the rocky shore, a serene symphony for the new day.
Inside the Slytherin dormitory, the cool, greenish light of the lake water filtered through the enchanted windows, casting the room in a tranquil, aquatic ambiance. Adam stirred amidst his sheets, turning over with a soft groan. Then, a crisp, clear sound, devoid of any source, filled his ears, pulling him fully from the remnants of sleep.
[System Notification] New Quest Unlocked:Daily Mission ā Task of Endurance.
Run continuously across the grounds for 5 kilometers before first class.
Swim across the Black Lake for 15 minutes.
Rewards:
Experience +5000
Shadow Storage Expansion (capacity +5)
Random Skill Book (Rank: C ā B)
Failure Penalty:
Stats -20% for 24 hours.
Forced penalty quest.
Adam sat up abruptly, his hair tousled, the sheets pooling around his waist. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and read the glowing, blue letters hanging in the air before him, his gaze sharpening with each word. "Heh," he chuckled low in his throat, a sound of amusement and challenge, stretching his arms high above his head, feeling his muscles pull taut. "Now this feels like a funny gameā¦ but that punishment looks nasty." He swung his legs off the bed, his feet hitting the cold stone floor, and grabbed his wand from the bedside table, his eyes flashing with keen anticipation. "Let's go before I get slapped with that penalty."
---
Outside, the morning air was crisp and cold, biting with the promise of autumn. Adam tightened the laces on his boots, took a deep breath that fogged in the chill, and without further ceremony, began to run across the vast, dew-soaked Hogwarts grounds. The air was sharp, stinging his lungs with each deep, measured breath he drew. His muscles, still warm from sleep, quickly began to strain as his legs pumped, his feet pounding a steady rhythm against the wet grass, every beat of his heart a strong, echoing drum in his ears.
The castle loomed behind him like a silent, stone guardian watching his progress, its windows dark and watchful. He passed by the large, glass-paned Greenhouses, the rich scent of damp earth, fertilizer, and night-blooming herbs filling the air around him, then curved his path toward the dark edge of the Forbidden Forest, where the shadows stretched long and ominous in the low angle of the dawn light. Sweat beaded on his forehead and trickled down his temple despite the cold, his simple shirt soon clinging to his back with a damp chill.
Halfway through the designated distance, a deep fatigue began to claw at himāhis legs burned with a building fire, his chest tightened, making each inhalation a conscious effort, but Adam gritted his teeth, his jaw set in a hard line. "Notā¦ stoppingā¦" he hissed to himself, the words a ragged breath. His determination, fanned by the system's rewards and the ever-present fear of its penalties, burned hotter than the pain coursing through his body. On the last stretch, heading back toward the castle, his speed inexplicably increased, his stride lengthening as if some internal barrier had snapped free, granting him a second wind fueled by pure will.
[System Notification] Quest Complete:Task of Endurance ā Stage 1. +5000 XP Level Up!ā Lv. 9 Reward Unlocked:+5 Stat Points
Adam slowed to a heavy, panting jog, then finally stopped, bending over with his hands on his knees, breathing hard but wearing a wide, triumphant grin. "Heheā¦ that was easy. Let's jump to the rest."
---
Standing at the water's edge, the morning cold now seeping into his heated skin, Adam stripped down to just his pants, his breath pluming in thick, white clouds in the frigid air. His body, now on full display, was sculpted like it had been carved from marbleāmarked with lean, defined muscle that spoke of relentless training rather than bulk, a perfect balance between raw power and agile grace. His skin glistened faintly with a sheen of sweat from the run, steam rising off him in the chill like a horse after a race.
He stood at the very edge of the Black Lake, the water before him dark, still, and impossibly deep, whispering unspoken promises of ancient secrets and cold dangers lying below its placid surface. Adam cracked his neck to one side, exhaled a final, steadying breath, and leapt in.
The cold was immediate and brutal, a shocking, painful embrace that gripped his entire body like icy chains, stabbing into his lungs and making each subsequent breath a sharp, ragged battle. The water, black and heavy, closed around him, the profound silence of the lake pressing in on all sides, muffling the world above.
He kicked hard, his muscles protesting the sudden, intense effort, swimming forward with strong, rhythmic strokes that cut through the dark water. His mind, pushed to its limits, sharpened to a single point of focus: survival, endurance, completion. The minutes dragged on endlessly in the numbing void; every second felt stretched and distorted by the oppressive, mind-numbing cold. His chest ached with the need for air and the cold, his arms screamed with fatigue, but he pushed through, stroke after stroke, a machine of pure intent.
A mental timer flickered in the corner of his vision, the numbers a lifeline: 14:58ā¦ 14:59ā¦ 15:00.
With a final, explosive kick, Adam's head broke the surface with a loud, gasping suck of air. He dragged his leaden body out of the water, collapsing onto the rocky shore, shivering violently, his entire frame wracked with tremors, teeth clattering together uncontrollably as the morning air, now feeling like a furnace compared to the water, bit into his frozen skin.
[System Notification] Quest Complete:Task of Endurance ā Stage 2. Level Up!ā Lv. 10 Rewards:
Shadow Storage Expansion (+5 capacity)
Random Skill Book (Rank: C)
Bonus: Resistance to Cold +10%
Adam, moving stiffly, pulled his dry clothes back on over his wet, freezing skin, the fabric offering little warmth, his body still trembling, but a victorious, fierce grin stretched across his face. "Hahā¦ done. Just in time."
So focused was he on the completion of the quest and the need to get to class, he did not notice the figure standing at a distance, partially concealed by a large, gnarled willow tree, watching his entire performance with sharp, intensely calculating eyes. As Adam jogged toward the castle, eager to reach the warmth of the stone walls and his first class before the bell rang, the observer's gaze lingered on his retreating back, unreadable and deep, as the chapter closed.
[ End of Chapter. ]
N / B : I know this one was boring but all I can say is stay tuned !!
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IF YOU WANT TO READ MORE ABOUT MY WORKS OR JUST TO SUPPORT ME THEN HERE IS MY PATREON:
š Patreon.com/Doflamingo4
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