Chapter 239: The Achievement!
The scent of Christmas hung in the air of Hogwarts Castle.
After saying goodbye to Harry and the others, Dylan, along with Seamus, Neville, and Dean, walked toward the station together.
The sky was a sight to behold. Fluffy snowflakes drifted leisurely down from the heavens, looking as if a fairy grandmother was sprinkling handful after handful of powdered sugar over the ground. But, despite the light snowfall, the sun in the distance was remarkably bright. Sunlight streamed through the thin clouds and painted the snowflakes a faint gold. Under the brilliant light, the snow on the ground shimmered with flecks of silver.
The world was blanketed in a beautiful, silvery white. As Dylan walked, the snow beneath his feet crunched and squeaked with every step. He looked around, his mood lifting with the sheer beauty of the scenery.
That's when Neville pointed to a snow-laden bush by the side of the road and started telling them about a recent embarrassing incident with a Mandrake in the greenhouse.
"I've been taking care of those plants for ages, but when I repotted that one the other day, it screamed so loudly I thought it was going to mutate or something! It scared me so much that I accidentally dumped the soil all over my head. It felt just like this!"
"Hahaha!" Seamus laughed so hard his sides ached. "I hate Mandrakes. They're so ugly, they're poisonous, and they just won't stop screaming."
The group chatted and laughed. Dylan walked along, listening to the sound of his friends. Even the cold wind on his face didn't feel as biting. The warm sun shone down, making them feel snug and cozy.
The journey from the school to the station was neither long nor short. They soon saw the station ahead.
A considerable number of students were heading home for the holidays. Although the situation this year wasn't as dire as previous ones, with so many terrifying Dementors lurking around the school, it was still a good idea to go home for a few days if you could.
The steam train was billowing white smoke as it waited on the platform. The mist and the falling snowflakes mixed together, creating a unique and picturesque scene.
Dylan and the others found a corner compartment in the crowded station. The four of them perfectly filled the space. After stowing their luggage, they sat down and pulled the compartment door shut. The deep green velvet seats felt soft and comfortable to the touch.
As soon as he sat down, Dylan pulled a bulging cloth bag from his system panel. Inside were fresh fruits that he had packed: bright red apples and plump little tangerines.
"Help yourselves," Dylan offered.
"Dylan, you're so thoughtful," Dean said. "It's a long journey, and it'll be nice to have some fruit on the way!"
Dean wasn't in the same dormitory as Harry and Dylan, but he and Seamus were very close. Because of this, Seamus spent far less time in the dorm than Ron and the others. It wasn't convenient for Dean to look for him otherwise, so Seamus usually hung out in the common room when he didn't have classes.
Once everyone was settled, Dylan pulled out a book titled Curiosities of Magical History. He didn't feel the need for every book he read to have a powerful, game-changing function. Dylan believed that as long as a book could provide him with new knowledge and insights, it was worth a look. And although the Hogwarts professors' way of teaching magical history was quite dull, it didn't mean that the events of real magical history were as monotonous and boring as Professor Binns made them out to be. If he read more magical history, he'd uncover all sorts of unexpected and interesting stories.
Just like the one he was currently reading, Curiosities of Magical History—a truly fascinating and bizarre look at history.
"Tsk! Leave it to an unofficial history to be so bold."
The part Dylan was reading was quite exaggerated. It talked about the custom of men and women bathing together in the open air in medieval England. When Hogwarts was first founded, the Great Lake became the favorite bathing spot for all the students and faculty. The book even claimed that "tentacle splashing" and "suction cup massages" were all the rage. Witches and wizards came from all over the country, drawn to the spectacle, with the clear intent of turning the safe haven of Hogsmeade into a resort destination.
But that wasn't even the best part. Dylan turned the page and saw that it was written that the other three Hogwarts founders laughed at Salazar's choice of an unlivable location for his dormitory for a very long time.
That is, until they were having a bath in the open air and saw a window from the Slytherin common room that looked directly out onto the Great Lake. They finally realized that no matter when a Slytherin student looked up from their demanding studies or gazed out of their dark and gloomy common room, they would see a captivating, springtime view.
Dylan shook his head in amazement. Hogwarts certainly didn't have any open-air co-ed bathing customs now. But he really didn't know if England had such a custom back when the school was founded. The fact that an unofficial history like this was even written probably meant that something similar had actually happened. Otherwise, Dylan found it hard to believe that such a bizarre historical account could be concocted purely from imagination.
"Besides, this wild history has some basis in fact. Salazar set up the secret entrance to his deepest secret in a girls' toilet. For a weirdo like that to then place his dormitory underground where he can always watch others bathe—I can't imagine a more reasonable explanation!"
Neville and the others saw that Dylan had picked up a book, so their conversation quieted down. Soon after, Neville also took out a book to read.
Seamus blinked. "Reading already?"
Neville chuckled. "The professor told me to read it. I want to finish it early so I can learn more about Herbology."
Dean gave Neville a thumbs-up. "Go on and read then. Seamus and I will keep our voices down."
After reading the unofficial history for a while, Dylan's attention shifted to his system panel. He had received Ravenclaw's Diadem yesterday, which should have unlocked a new achievement.
Sure enough.
He clicked into the Achievement panel. Dylan first claimed the other miscellaneous achievements. A bunch of stat points for Spirit, Stamina, Strength, and more were added to Dylan's body.
Dylan inconspicuously clenched his fingers. He felt even more powerful.
"I feel like if I keep this up, I won't even need to research how to achieve immortality. I won't have to eat the emotions and souls of others just to survive. With this many points, at a certain stage, won't I just become immortal?"
Even without his magic, his physical prowess alone already far surpassed that of an adult. It was just that Dylan rarely had a reason to use his physical strength.
"Maybe one day, I won't even need magic. I'll just smash my wand over someone's head and they'll explode on the spot."
Dylan suddenly thought of a term.
—A muscle wizard!
"I bet that would unlock an achievement, too, right?"
Dylan gave a soft 'tsk' and turned his attention back to the system panel.
[Achievement]: What's Wrong With Rummaging Through a Few Relics, Anyway? (I) [Description]: Only the relics of giants have value! And if something valuable isn't wanted, what's wrong with rummaging for yourself? [Requirement]: Own one of the four founders' relics. [Reward]: Random Max-Level Spell +1, Ravenclaw's Portrait, Treasure Map (Ravenclaw's Treasure Edition)
Dylan held his book, appearing to be reading, but in reality, he was staring at the system's achievement rewards. This time the rewards seemed particularly good. Each one made his eyes light up.
Sitting across from them, Dean and Seamus saw Dylan's excited expression and his air of having learned some precious knowledge from the book. They couldn't help but sigh in their hearts. A good student is a good student! He even gets happy from reading. They just couldn't compare.
Even Neville, who was sitting next to Dylan, also reading, noticed his expression. He glanced at Dylan, then at the book in his own hands, and a new resolve suddenly took root in his heart.
"Even if I can't become as knowledgeable as Dylan, I'll still try to learn as much as I can so I don't hold myself back later in life!"
After hearing what Dylan had said about him potentially becoming the Herbology professor at Hogwarts when he grew up, Neville had found a goal and had become even more motivated and studious. Once again inspired by Dylan, Neville felt as if there was a powerful soundtrack playing around him, even though the compartment was silent.
Work hard!
You can do it!
Neville immersed himself in his book, carefully studying the knowledge of various magical plants.
Dylan was completely oblivious to his friends' thoughts. He was too busy checking his three rewards.
"Another max-level spell? Let me see what it is this time!"
After he claimed the achievement reward, the world around him instantly changed. He entered a realm of consciousness.
Suddenly, the space around him twisted violently, constantly deforming and reforming like melting wax. A flash of light burst forth. When the light faded, Dylan found himself in a space floating with countless semi-transparent bubbles. Dylan raised an eyebrow, sizing up his surroundings. All at once, the bubbles around him began popping one after another.
Pop-pop-pop!
The scene instantly changed again. He appeared in a dark, damp basement. A tall man was mechanically organizing various杂物, his eyes empty and tired. Dylan saw his own hand raise a wand. He then took a deep breath and shouted:
"Fabrica Sogni Maxima (Construct a Grand Dream)!"
Whoosh!
A flash of blue light erupted from his hand. The basement walls crumbled, and in an instant, they were standing in a magical cloud sea with floating islands. The shattered bricks reassembled in the air, transforming into glowing stairs. The tall man watched in shock as his old clothes were replaced by magnificent robes. A path leading to a castle in the clouds appeared at his feet.
Dylan waved his arm, and the magical light sketched out a series of fantastical scenes in the air. A dense forest first sprang from nothing, with glowing lightning bolts streaking across the sky. Then, a calm lake began to roil violently, and a gigantic, gem-encrusted toilet leaped out of it.
Dylan froze for a moment.
Was this... a dream?
The 'Dylan' in the vision continued to move, endlessly adjusting the spell's intensity. The entire dreamscape was being reshaped according to his will. The tall man eventually put on a crown and accepted the cheers of a crowd of toilet citizens. Finally, he commanded a magical fleet—also made of gigantic toilets—to fly into the blue sky and sail away into the distance.
When the spell stopped, the cloud sea and the castle gradually faded. The tall man reappeared where he stood, but the numbness in his eyes had been replaced with confidence and ambition.
—A new belief had been somehow successfully planted in his consciousness.
Dylan slowly opened his eyes. He had only been frozen for a moment, yet he had already mastered a max-level spell!
"Fabrica Sogni Maxima?"
As he felt the knowledge of the spell take root in his mind, Dylan carefully sensed its function. He now fully understood what the spell did.
He could take a pre-planned memory or image and project it like a movie into the dream of a person he designated. And when they awoke, the person's mind would retain a message or the reasoning behind what Dylan wanted them to do.
This spell...
"It doesn't just involve changing someone's consciousness, it also involves twisting their soul!"
However, unlike the Imperius Curse, the harm done by this Grand Dream spell was minimal, very low, extremely low. The Imperius Curse could also manipulate a person's soul, but it would cause great damage, possibly turning the person into an idiot or a simpleton after their magic was stripped away.
The Grand Dream spell was different. It allowed Dylan to sneak into someone's dream without a sound. If Dylan wanted them to do something, he could plant a hook. When the person woke up, as long as they encountered the right trigger, whether seeing or hearing something, they would be influenced and unconsciously steer themselves toward the direction Dylan wanted.
If Dylan wanted to be even more direct, he could use the dream to simply tell the person what he wanted them to do. Of course, if the person was already close to Dylan or even trusted him, they would not have any doubts and would be willing to follow his instructions when they woke up. But if their relationship with Dylan was poor, such a direct command could have the opposite effect, making them feel like they just had a disturbing dream.
But the spell's function was not limited to this. Dylan could also leave information for others by invading their dreams. Or, putting all of that aside, he could even change someone's personality. Just like in the demonstration he'd just seen, he could create images and scenes in a person's dream to turn a numb, ordinary person into someone confident and ambitious!
"The value of this spell... is just too great, isn't it?"
Dylan's eyes lit up again!
............
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