Ten black cards materialised in response, each bursting into a radiant glow under Wayne's will.
Six white, three blue, one purple.
The white cards held nothing noteworthy—the most basic reward was a single Galleon, followed by various standard potion ingredients.
The quantities varied based on value, but all were materials easily found on the market. Wayne skipped past them without a second glance.
The three blue cards offered decent rewards—all spells: Shield Charm, Blasting Curse, and Expulso Curse.
Wayne had already mastered all three. After mentally assimilating them, he found his understanding of these spells had deepened further.
A glance at his panel showed they'd all reached Advanced level. Beyond that, there was only the Master tier.
Of course, reaching Mastery didn't mean a spell had hit its limit. Harry's ability to trade blows with Voldemort using nothing but Expelliarmus, with far greater power than anyone else, was proof enough.
The path of magic was endless—there was no such thing as an absolute limit.
Finally, there was the purple card.
As the violet light faded, Wayne studied its contents, his expression turning peculiar.
[Innate Sorcery: Manaflow Band]
'Manaflow Band? Wasn't that a skill from League of Legends? How could I draw that?' He then checked the description.
[Manaflow Band: Sorcery Path, Passive Talent. For every spell mastered to the Advanced level, it permanently and slightly increases total magical power and regeneration speed.]
'Now this is a treasure!' Wayne's face lit up with delight.
Magical power was an elusive concept, yet undeniably real.
To this day, the wizarding world has yet to discover any method to increase one's magical reserves actively—it only grows naturally with age and time.
Put simply, it all came down to innate talent.
Some wizards lived long lives, but without the talent, their magical capacity never saw significant improvement.
Even Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Moody, had once remarked that if a bunch of underage wizards hit him with the Killing Curse, the worst he'd suffer was a nosebleed.
Wayne's magical talent was SS-rank. His current reserves already rivalled most seventh-years on the verge of graduation.
But who wouldn't want to play Unlimited Mana mode?
As his talents merged, Wayne could instantly feel a measurable increase in his magical power.
As more spells reached Advanced levels, the benefits brought by the Manaflow Band would continue to expand.
It had truly limitless potential.
For a purple-tier card to have such an effect, he'd struck gold.
"Keep drawing!" Wayne commanded cheerfully.
Another ten cards. This time, the purple reward was the Imperius Curse, one of the three Unforgivable Curses. Useless.
The third ten-draw yielded an extremely powerful defensive spell: the Aegis Shield, also known as the Shield of Zeus.
In Greek mythology, Zeus possessed a shield crafted from the hide of the goat Amalthea, forged by Hephaestus. Not only did it contain Zeus's divine power, but later, the head of the Gorgon Medusa was added to it.
When Athena was born, Zeus bestowed this shield upon her, and she carried it into countless battles.
A spell daring enough to borrow such a mythical name was not to be underestimated. While the Shield Charm could block most spells, it couldn't defend against the Killing Curse. If the opponent's magical power was too strong, it could even send the caster flying.
But the Aegis Shield could even deflect the Killing Curse. As long as the caster had sufficient magical power, they would remain invincible.
With this spell, Wayne's safety was assured.
The fourth ten-draw granted him the Weather-Modifying Charm, capable of commanding wind, rain, and thunder.
The fifth ten-draw yielded an advanced potion recipe: the Mind Elixir, which could enhance thinking speed and mental activity.
Similar to the Wit-Sharpening Potion but more effective, it also lacked the post-use mental fatigue side effects.
Wayne's expression darkened. "I actually had to hit the pity counter for a gold."
He had been only sixty-some draws away from the guaranteed gold. He'd drawn once during the summer and twice more after starting school for fun. Now, he was almost at a hundred.
"System, another ten-draw."
A golden light flooded the screen before dimming. Among the other nine cards, there were two purples and three blues. Wayne eagerly opened the golden card.
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the advanced reward: Observation Haki. After localisation adjustments, it has been optimised into: Dynamic Perception.]
[Dynamic Perception: Can detect the presence of living beings nearby, greatly enhancing observational skills. At the Master level, it allows brief glimpses into the future.]
It wasn't a powerful offensive spell, nor was it a template to enhance his talents.
Instead, it was a support-oriented ability.
But Wayne felt this magic was no less valuable than an advanced template. Wizard duels weren't just about standing still and trading spells—dodging or countering an enemy's curses relied on experience and reflexes.
With Dynamic Perception, he could anticipate his opponent's every move, detecting even their slightest actions with perfect clarity.
Even Voldemort would be nothing but a Muggle if his spells couldn't land. If Wayne couldn't win outright, he could at least wear him down.
Closing his eyes, he absorbed the information on Dynamic Perception.
This was a state-based spell, similar to the Feather-light Charm, low in magical consumption but incredibly difficult to master.
Thanks to the system's direct infusion, Wayne's proficiency with this spell instantly reached the Intermediate level. But advancing it to the expert level would require diligent practice.
After casting Dynamic Perception on himself, Wayne could sense the direction of the wind outside the skylight and the clamorous voices of over a hundred students in the Common Room. He could even see the fluttering wings of a mosquito perched on Toby's suitcase.
His vision, hearing, insight, and sixth sense had all been significantly enhanced.
In a magical world where most wizards needed incantations to cast spells, his heightened perception was practically akin to foreseeing the future.
'What a steal,' Wayne murmured, inwardly ecstatic, before remembering the other cards he hadn't yet opened.
Out of two purple cards, one yielded a vial of Felix Felicis, while the other granted him the Dark Magic spell, Fiendfyre.
After sixty draws, his abilities had seen considerable improvement.
A dozen or so spells had advanced to the Advanced level, and the passive effect of the Manaflow Band had activated, so his total magical power had increased substantially.
He'd also mastered several advanced Dark Magic spells and the Aegis Shield, broadening his arsenal, along with the final prize, Dynamic Perception.
Eager to test how much his strength had grown, Wayne's eyes gleamed as he thought of the perfect place to experiment.
...
The Gryffindor dormitory.
It was already half past eleven at night.
Listening to the snores of Seamus and Dean, Harry lay wide-eyed and whispered, "Ron, are you asleep?"
"Course not. I've been thinking about how to deal with Malfoy later," Ron's voice came, accompanied by the rustling of clothes.
"How about punching him in the nose when his spell fails?"
"Why not aim lower? I'd give him a good kick."
"You're vicious. Old Malfoy would murder you for that."
Harry was also changing, both of them keeping their movements as silent as possible to avoid waking their other roommates. Soon, they crept out into the Common Room.
The usually lively space was now eerily quiet, save for the crackling of the fireplace, which cast a faint glow and warmth.
Relieved to find the Common Room empty, they headed for the door.
"Neville? What are you doing here?"
A figure huddled in the corner made Harry and Ron jump, nearly retreating in alarm.
Only after recognising him did they stop mid-step.
"Thank Merlin! Did you notice I wasn't in the dorm and come looking for me?"
"I forgot the Common Room password and got locked out."
The chubby boy on the floor scrambled up, teary-eyed, his words making Harry and Ron freeze in guilt.
'Sorry, we didn't notice.'
"The password's Pig Snout, but Neville, it won't help you now." Harry turned and pointed at the empty portrait frame.
"Fat Lady's probably out for a stroll. Even with the password, you can't get in."
"What do I do then?" Neville panicked.
"Come with us," Ron interjected. If Malfoy brought both his lackeys and decided to fight dirty, Neville could at least serve as backup.
Though he had doubts about Neville's spellwork, the boy would make a decent meat shield.
The chubby boy blinked blankly. "Where are you going?"
"No time to explain—we'll be late if we don't hurry." Harry grabbed Neville's arm and hurried downstairs.
Along the way, Neville's jaw dropped wide enough to fit a rifle when he heard they were off to a duel. "This is against school rules! I can't let you go, you'll be expelled!"
Harry hadn't expected the usually timid Neville to stand his ground now, causing him to pause mid-step.
Suddenly recalling something Wayne had once said to Hermione, Harry cleared his throat.
"Neville, you wouldn't want your gran to find out, would you?"
The mention of his grandmother made Neville falter. Compared to breaking school rules, nothing terrified Neville more than his gran.
By the time they reached the Trophy Room, Malfoy was already waiting with Crabbe.
Seeing three people arrive instead of two, Malfoy's expression darkened. "Potter, that's not fair! You said you'd only bring one second!"
Out of breath from hurrying, Harry panted, "Neville just happened to join us on the way. Ron's my second."
At this, Malfoy's expression eased slightly.
Then, the tension thickened as both boys drew their wands.
"I'll count down from three before you cast, got it?"
Having read up on duelling recently, Ron was familiar with the protocol and took on the role of referee.
"Three!"
No sooner had the number left his lips than Ron stopped short. Harry and Malfoy had already raised their wands in eerie synchrony.
"Densaugeo!"
"Rictusempra!"
Both spells hit their mark perfectly. Malfoy's front teeth shot past his lips, growing down to his collarbone, while Harry doubled over laughing, too breathless to cast another spell.
But their magical power was too weak—the effects lasted less than a minute before fading.
Harry recovered first. Seizing the moment while Malfoy was still disoriented, he lunged forward and delivered a sharp kick between the legs.
"Ooooh!"
Malfoy let out a strangled cry, his head smacking into Harry's chin and making him bite his tongue.
Chaos erupted. The magical duel was over—now it was an all-out brawl.
Worried Harry was outmatched, Ron took the chance to kick Malfoy twice, only for Crabbe to notice and jump in.
Crabbe was twice Ron's size, but Neville, sobbing, threw himself into the fray, using his weight to pin Crabbe down.
The five of them tumbled in a tangled heap, yelps and grunts mingling with tears and sweat.
Then, Filch's voice cut through the noise. "Who's there?!"
At the sound, all five froze.
Harry yanked his hand out of Malfoy's mouth and scrambled up. "Ron! Neville, run—it's Filch!"
Malfoy, too, forgot about revenge, shoving the door open and bolting.
The two groups split—one racing upstairs, the other down—as Filch bellowed, "Stop! I've seen your faces! Surrender now for leniency!"
No one listened. After a moment's hesitation, Filch gave chase up the stairs.
Those running downstairs were either Slytherins or Hufflepuffs. The dungeons were too close, and he feared they'd reach their common room before he could catch them. But heading to the towers meant a much longer chase.
Harry and his two friends naturally knew Filch was after them, sprinting headlong down the corridors before ducking into a random classroom.
Misfortune struck as they'd unwittingly chosen the very classroom where Peeves was loitering. The poltergeist had been scribbling nonsense on the blackboard when he spotted the three young wizards, immediately tossing his chalk aside in excitement.
"Well, well, what do we have here? Three first-years sneaking about after hours!"
"Please," Harry begged. "Filch is after us. Keep your voice down—"
"It's for your own good, you know?" Peeves said mischievously. "What punishment might you get if I fetched Filch right now?"
"Piss off!" Ron shoved him roughly—a grave mistake.
"Students out of bed!" Peeves bellowed, trying to draw Filch's attention.
The trio bolted from the classroom, hurtling down the corridor until they crashed into a locked door.
"We're done for!" Ron groaned in despair.
"Don't you know any spells? Open it!"
"The Unlocking Charm, but I can't do it!"
Footsteps grew louder, accompanied by Peeves' raucous shouting. Fear and desperation mounted among the three.
Neville was already imagining what he'd do after being expelled. Gardening at home didn't sound so bad.
Ron frantically twisted the doorknob, trying to force it open. To their shock, the lock clicked.
"Get in!" Harry yelled.
They tumbled inside, only to hear a weary voice say, "Honestly, if you're going to wander after curfew, must you make enough noise to wake the entire faculty?"
"No, we just—" Harry began automatically before realising the problem.
Why was someone here? And why did the voice sound so familiar?
"Wayne? What are you doing here?"
"Couldn't sleep. Out for a stroll," Wayne emerged from the shadows.
Harry and the others gaped. Not at Wayne, but at— "Wayne! Behind you!"
Looming behind Wayne was an enormous Three-Headed Dog, glaring at them menacingly.
Neville looked ready to wet himself.
"Relax, Fluffy's had enough exercise for today." Wayne snapped his fingers, illuminating the room. He studied the hapless trio with an inscrutable expression.
'Couldn't even manage a simple Unlocking Charm. Without Hermione, these two are hopeless.'