Chapter 28
[Warning!]
[Host has entered the Microscopic World!]
[Please proceed with caution. The Microscopic World involves indescribable existences!]
Devero sat in his chair, drenched in cold sweat.
At that moment, his classmates were fervently practicing transfiguration, completely oblivious to Devero's strange behavior.
"The Microscopic World? Indescribable existences?"
Devero's mind was in chaos.
Thump! Thump! Thump…
The lingering terror of his recent experience still gripped him, his heart pounding rapidly.
Taking deep breaths, Devero tried to calm his racing pulse. After a while, he finally steadied himself enough to reflect on what had just happened.
He had entered the Microscopic World—a feat made possible by a tremendous enhancement of his perception through meditative techniques. As his magic and senses converged, he accessed a space where he could perceive the fundamental connections of matter: the so-called Microscopic World, according to the system.
And in that world, there existed indescribable, terrifying beings!
Devero recalled seeing this phrase twice in the system's descriptions. The first was just now. The second was when he first bound to the system, which noted that Devero was a transmigrator blessed by a "great existence."
This implied that, beyond the realm of magic and dark wizards like Voldemort, there were even more powerful, terrifying entities in this world.
Reflecting on his reckless venture into the Microscopic World, Devero felt a shiver of fear. His body had nearly collapsed under the strain, but fortunately, he'd escaped in time.
Determined not to explore that realm further until he understood it better, Devero refocused on the classroom.
The lesson was nearing its end. Among the students, only Hermione had managed to half-transform a matchstick into a needle. Professor McGonagall, clearly pleased, awarded Gryffindor five points.
Devero glanced at his own matchstick. Despite the complex operations he'd performed in the Microscopic World, from a macroscopic perspective, it remained an ordinary matchstick, unchanged in appearance.
He pondered for a moment, replaying every detail he'd perceived in the Microscopic World—the arrangement and combination of every atom.
Gently picking up the matchstick, Devero closed his eyes and focused—
In an instant, the matchstick shimmered with a strange fluctuation and transformed into a slender needle.
[Ding!]
[New Spell Acquired!]
[Please check the panel for details!]
Hearing the system's prompt, Devero didn't pause. His gaze sharpened with focus. The needle in his hand shifted again, reverting to the familiar matchstick.
A glint of disbelief flashed in Devero's eyes. He had performed Transfiguration without a wand!
Not only was he stunned, but his classmates were equally shocked. They remembered Devero previously only managing to turn a matchstick into a fireball. Now, he was effortlessly transfiguring objects!
"Well done, Alexander. To transform an object and then restore it to its original form shows you've grasped the principle of caution… Wait, you didn't use a wand?"
Professor McGonagall's voice carried clear surprise.
"Truly astonishing! In all my years of teaching, I've never seen a first-year perform wandless magic."
"Remarkable, wandless casting—an outstanding performance. Twenty points to Slytherin!" McGonagall praised.
Devero earned his first points at Hogwarts. He immediately checked his spell inventory and found a new entry:
[Microstructure Transfiguration (Proficient/Wandless): Allows arbitrary transformation of the properties and forms of objects whose microscopic structure has been mastered.]
Arbitrary transformation of properties and forms?
Devero's pupils contracted. He picked up the matchstick again, and with a thought, it transformed into a smaller quill!
Professor McGonagall, standing nearby, marveled. She felt she was witnessing the most gifted student she'd ever taught.
In the wake of Devero's repeated transformations of the matchstick into various objects, McGonagall awarded him another thirty points.
In his very first class at Hogwarts, Devero earned Slytherin a whopping fifty points!
McGonagall even called him the most talented student she'd ever encountered and warmly invited him to discuss any questions after class.
Devero basked in the praise. See that, system? he thought. A Transfiguration master recognizes my talent, even if you don't!
Of course, that was just a fleeting thought. Devero was eager to see how powerful his Transfiguration talent would become once he unlocked and copied the "Transfiguration Prodigy" trait.
But then, a question struck him.
He had mastered the microscopic structure of this matchstick, enabling its arbitrary transformation. But what about other matchsticks? Could he do the same?
Curious, Devero took another matchstick from the box, held it, and focused—
Boom!
A fireball shot into the air!
Devero had once again become the "Blasting Mage."
Professor McGonagall, her face darkening, deducted ten points, refusing to believe it was due to poor skill. After all, Devero's earlier Transfiguration had been flawless—no one would believe this was an accident.
The deduction confirmed it: Devero couldn't yet apply Microstructure Transfiguration to objects other than the matchstick he'd studied, as he hadn't observed their specific microscopic structures. Applying the same technique to unfamiliar objects led to unstable transformations, like fireballs with destructive potential.
Drawing his wand, Devero successfully turned another matchstick into a needle, combining insights from Microstructure Transfiguration and McGonagall's teachings.
For now, without entering the Microscopic World again, he had no quick way to master Transfiguration. He'd have to wait for his trait-copying ability to refresh.
Another thought occurred to him. If he could explore the Microscopic World, surely others in the wizarding world could too. Did Professor McGonagall know anything about the terrifying entities there?
Devero decided to discuss this with her privately after class.
Soon, the Transfiguration lesson ended. Devero joined the group heading to Professor Flitwick's Charms class. Though he felt he didn't need to attend, he went for the experience and to learn about the curriculum progress for each year.
There was certainly a lot to do!