[Note: Read up to Chapter - 117 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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"Locality attribute… no other innate elements," Aris muttered, eyes fixed on the glowing array.
"The elemental bias is clear as day—wind's definitely dominant. We can push straight into the wind system from here."
As Cho's magic flowed into the detection array, a brilliant sky-blue glow surged through the pattern—pure wind affinity. A faint trace of earth element flickered beneath, barely noticeable and quickly overshadowed.
It was clear—her magical talent leaned heavily towards wind.
Fitting, really, for a Ravenclaw.
"So this is what elemental affinity looks like?"
Cho's eyes sparkled as she watched the dancing light in the circle, clearly intrigued. This was her first proper encounter with the theory of elemental magic.
Aris had only given her a brief explanation so far, but she already grasped the basics.
As expected from a Ravenclaw—curious and sharp-minded. She was clearly drawn to these long-forgotten branches of magical knowledge.
Or perhaps she hadn't fully realised yet what the re-emergence of elemental theory meant for the entire wizarding world.
"Aris, what's your attribute, then?" Cho asked suddenly, turning to him.
Hermione, who had been quietly fiddling with a magic crystal, perked up as well, eyes filled with interest.
Aris thought for a moment.
"I'd say… all of them," he replied casually.
While a few affinities weren't particularly strong, they were definitely there. He was attuned to all four of the core natural elements—earth, fire, wind, and water.
And on top of that, time and space.
In truth, even he wasn't sure what other affinities the system might grant him later on. New talents could very well appear as he progressed.
So rather than explain the whole mess, he figured it was easier to just say—
"Full attribute," he added with a shrug. "Saves time."
"All attributes?!" The two little witches exclaimed at once, clearly stunned.
"That's not common, is it?" Cho asked, eyebrows raised. "I mean, it must be pretty rare, right?"
"More or less," Aris nodded. "The upside is, I can study any elemental path I fancy. The downside is that choosing a proper focus for future development takes a bit more thought. But that's a problem for later. Right now, we need to dig into the characteristics of this magic crystal."
"If things go smoothly, it'd be brilliant if we could find a substitute material from within the wizarding world!"
"That way, we could actually make magic circles widely usable in day-to-day wizardry."
The magic crystals they were working with came from the system—precious, limited, and not something they could get in bulk.
If Aris truly wanted to revive elemental magic and see it flourish, he'd need a replacement—a material that was accessible and shared the same core properties.
But to find that substitute, they first had to understand the crystals inside and out: how they worked, what they were made of, and how they reacted under magical influence.
"So, what exactly do we need to do now?" Cho asked, her tone eager.
"Same as Hermione," Aris replied. "You'll start by practising magic control."
"Try channelling your magic into the crystal—no wand—and then pull it back out again. Over and over."
"Watch closely for any changes in the crystal's properties while you do it. That's key."
"Oh, and don't forget—we're also testing how long the crystal lasts under constant use."
"Got it!" Cho and Hermione both nodded with determination.
Each of them grabbed a shard from the quartered crystal and got to work, focusing on the task with all their concentration.
Aris, meanwhile, stepped aside, opened his system panel, and began checking through the stats and resources with a quiet hum of anticipation.
After redeeming three magic crystals, Aris was left with just over 3,000 academic points. Enough for three ten-draw combos.
He glanced through the system shop's redemption list. As expected, with his current point total, the available items hadn't changed. Same as always.
Still, the appearance of the magic crystal—and especially the little dragon—had sparked a thought in his mind.
Could it be that the system's lottery pulls were more likely to give rewards linked to elemental magic?
It was this hunch that made him hesitate to spend all his remaining points on more crystals. Instead, he decided to try his luck—maybe something new would turn up in the draws.
Summoning the lottery wheel, Aris didn't waste any time. He went straight for a ten-draw combo, burning through 1,000 points.
The roulette wheel spun rapidly.
A swirl of colours danced before his eyes as the lights blinked and shimmered.
Four white, three green, two blue—and one purple.
Not the best result.
The only thing of note was a purple-grade Epiphany Potion. Everything else was bog-standard—nothing he hadn't already seen in the shop.
Unfazed, he went in for another round—another thousand points spent.
The wheel spun once more.
Three white, three green, two blue… one purple again.
Still nothing fresh. The purple pulls were the same: another Epiphany Potion and a Magic Crystal.
Aris sighed.
So much for a guaranteed rare item with every ten-draw. Turns out his earlier jackpot—drawing the little dragon—had just been a stroke of blind luck.
Worse still, he'd now confirmed something else: gold and some purple-tier items didn't appear on the standard redemption list, even after being drawn.
That must mean they were unique.
Just like Iris, the little dragon.
Just like that meditation technique.
Neither could be found anywhere else in the shop.
And now… he only had one final shot left. Just a thousand points remaining.
Aris took a deep breath. If he didn't land something decent this time, all the points he'd saved up would have gone to waste.
Right then—no turning back. One last spin.
The wheel began to turn once more, the colours flashing in a familiar whirl.
Among the usual mix of white, green, and blue flashes, a purple light emerged... and then—suddenly—a golden glow burst forth!
Aris's eyes widened, his pupils dilating in shock. His heart clenched.
Gold. He'd actually pulled a gold-tier item!
He quickly scanned the results.
The white and blue items were nothing special—same old stock as always.
But the purple one caught his eye: a book titled Theory of Elemental Magic.
Aris beamed.
Just what he needed! A proper reference text on elemental theory—this alone made the entire draw worth it.
Still, the real prize was yet to come.
He forced himself to stay calm and turned his attention to the final item—the one glowing gold.
Magic Optical Computer: A device capable of storing and analysing magical data. It can autonomously process, deduce, and optimise research outputs.
This version comes installed with Intelligent Magic Spirit 3.0, designed to assist magical researchers by automating data analysis and improving efficiency across the board.
[This product is brought to you by Seagate Magic Tech. Since the launch of Magic Spirit 1.0, it has undergone three major upgrades. The current model is considered the pinnacle of Seagate's magical engineering and is widely regarded as a revolutionary tool by scholars and researchers alike.]
Aris stared at the golden light with barely concealed awe.
Floating within it was a small, fairy-like figure.
Its form was sleek and futuristic—metallic body with refined curves, tiny insect-like wings, and a silvery sheen that shimmered with a soft inner glow. It looked like something out of a sci-fi fantasy hybrid.
Elegant. Advanced. Magical.
And now… his.
It looked just like one of those little guide sprites that follow players around in video games!
If it weren't for the system's description, Aris would never have guessed that this odd little creature was actually a magic optical computer.
[Would you like to activate the Magic Optical Brain?]
The system's prompt chimed in.
Without hesitation, Aris responded, "Activate it!"
According to the description, this optical computer's primary purpose was to assist magicians in their magical research.
And by "magic," it clearly didn't mean the standard spell system used by wizards in this world.
No—this was something else entirely. Real magical science. Elemental magic engineering.
Aris had often thought that trying to revive the lost glory of elemental magic and magical technology all on his own—even with the freakish talent the system had granted him—would take ages. Possibly a lifetime. And there'd be no guarantee of success, either.
But now, with the Magic Optical Brain by his side, things felt completely different.
This was the most advanced magical computer from a world powered by magical tech—it would be an enormous help in researching and advancing elemental magic.
And to top it off, there was that book he'd just received: Elemental Magic Theory...
As that thought crossed his mind, the faintly glowing book flashed before his eyes again.
"Let's start with this," he muttered.
With a flicker of light, the knowledge within Elemental Magic Theory began flowing straight into Aris's mind.
In mere moments, the entire body of knowledge had settled into place—so seamlessly, it felt as though he'd been born with it.
A whole new realm had opened up before him.
It was almost like that first time stepping into Diagon Alley—when the hidden magical world had first revealed itself.
But this—this—was deeper. Stranger. Far more profound.
The insights within Elemental Magic Theory made Aris realise just how powerful the system truly was… and how much more there was still to uncover.
And its potential—its sheer scalability—easily surpassed anything the current wizarding spell system had to offer.
This wasn't just magic.
This was the foundation of a true magical tech civilisation.
[Magic Optical Brain successfully activated. Identity confirmed…]
[Initialising program. Please assign a name to the Optical Computer…]
"Moss!" Aris answered without hesitation.
In his past life, after watching the sci-fi film The Wandering Earth, he'd always thought—how brilliant would it be to have his own artificial intelligence?
Now that fantasy had become reality.
Well, the Magic Optical Brain wasn't exactly AI from the tech world—but it was far better.
Cooler. Smarter. Way more magical.
[Name assigned successfully.]
[Initialisation complete.]
[Magic Optical Computer 'Moss' is now active.]
As the system's voice faded, the floating sprite-like fairy hovering in Aris's mind slowly opened its eyes.
"Master!"
A smooth, confident voice echoed inside his head—a woman's voice, rich and poised, almost regal.
It caught Aris off guard for a moment.
He hadn't expected something that looked like a dainty, glowing pixie to speak like an elegant queen.
He blinked. Then smirked.
"Wicked."
"Moss?"
"I am here, Master," the voice replied warmly.
"Do you always exist in my head?"
"Yes, Master. Though you may summon me into the physical world whenever you wish," Moss replied, voice smooth and tinged with quiet reverence.
"My core program is bound to your soul. Any projection you summon into the real world will merely be a clone."
"You may also choose between a real magical projection, which others can see, or a phantom projection, visible to you alone."
"Got it," Aris nodded thoughtfully.
So a real projection would appear to everyone—while the phantom one was like casting an image straight onto your mind's eye. Just for him.
How neat was that?
Aris grinned. This was just the beginning.
It had to be said—this bit of tech alone was more than enough to prove just how powerful magical technology could be.
The thought made Aris all the more curious. What exactly was Seagate Magic Technology? Did a magical world truly exist—one he didn't yet know of—where such an advanced magic-tech company operated?
"Aris? Are you even listening?"
A voice suddenly rang in his ear.
Blinking, Aris came back to himself. Hermione was standing right in front of him, eyes full of curiosity.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Cho's just managed to channel her magic into the crystal," Hermione explained with a slight frown. "But the storage capacity of the crystal's miles beyond what we imagined. Even after draining all our magic into it, it barely made a dent."
"These small crystals seem to hold way more magic than we can put in," she added. "So... what should we do next?"
Aris paused, nodding thoughtfully. "Hmm. That's about what I expected."
He then closed his eyes and summoned Moss with a thought.
The moment the shimmering fairy-like figure appeared, both witches gasped.
"It's a—fairy?" Cho whispered in awe.
"Sort of," Aris said with a smile. "It's a kind of summon—magic I cobbled together using a blend of time and space elements. Basically, it calls forth magical spirits from Otherworld to help us handle elemental forces."
He'd casually skirted the truth, avoiding any mention of the system, while giving just enough of an explanation to satisfy their curiosity.
And judging by the stunned looks on Hermione and Cho's faces, they'd bought it.
"Is this... elemental magic, then?" Cho muttered to herself, still staring at Moss in wonder. "She looks a bit like a house-elf... only more... ethereal."
"Totally different! Their shapes aren't even close—she's so dainty, so adorable, absolutely stunning…"
"This is an fairy from the Otherworld!"
"It's unreal…" Hermione murmured, eyes sparkling with excitement.
By now, the image of Moss had undergone a notable transformation.
First, her body's metallic surface had softened into something resembling lifelike, bionic skin. Her wings fluttered gently as she hovered beside Aris, her form shifting into that of a delicate young fairy clad in a soft green dress.
Now, stripped of most of her mechanical edge, Moss looked almost entirely like a magical creature—charming, enchanting, and beautifully surreal.
Just one glance was enough to make someone want to scoop her up and cradle her like a porcelain doll.
No wonder the two girls were completely taken in—both looked as though they had stars in their eyes.
"Alright," Aris chuckled, "Moss'll record the data. All you need to do is keep channelling magic into the crystal."
"Right—we've got to keep the crystal topped up with magic, keep it charged properly!"
With that, Aris turned and made his way to the octagonal cage tucked in the furthest corner of the lab.
Now aided by Moss and armed with the knowledge from Elemental Magic Theory, he felt more confident than ever.
He was no longer just tinkering with magic detection arrays—he was about to refine and elevate the legendary spellwork left behind by Merlin himself.
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Drop power Powerstonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 117 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]