When Tom woke the next morning, he opened the system panel and was surprised to find his credits had not decreased but increased by 18, along with 3 achievement points.
Checking the system log, he discovered the reason: he had completely mastered the Levitation Charm, the Illumination Charm, and the Blink Charm, earning 30 credits and 3 achievement points for learning three spells.
Tom fell into deep thought.
This learning space seemed like a perpetual motion machine—the credits earned from learning fully covered the costs, and he could even turn a profit. This meant he wouldn't have to worry about point consumption in the future.
However, he knew most credits would likely be spent on the 'Extraordinary' buff. Currently, he only had enough points for ten minutes of it, and he hesitated to try, fearing to waste them.
What would that feel like?
Imagining the extraordinary state's effects, Tom got up to wash but didn't enter the study space immediately.
Yesterday, after exiting the space, Andros could choose to sleep or move freely and, while consuming points, even communicate with Tom and observe the outside world through his eyes.
What was this? Like a Jinchūriki?
This gave Tom an idea: he could buy all the teaching materials first and place them in the learning space. After Andros learned the materials, Tom could enter the space to study, saving significant points and time.
So early that morning, Tom took a bus to the city center, entered Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron, and headed straight to the bookstore.
Though Tom didn't know which textbooks upper years used, the clerk did.
Tom went directly to a free clerk and explained his needs.
The clerk was surprised. "All the textbooks, kid? Are you sure? You look like a first or second year, you don't need to buy everything at once."
"Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers change every year. You never know which books they'll pick, so buying all at once could be a waste."
Such wisdom from a young boy made Tom sure the clerk must be a Hufflepuff.
"The knowledge I learn is mine. Even if textbooks change, I won't lose anything. It's better to invest in books than waste money on toys or snacks. I can always resell old books."
The clerk looked at Tom in surprise—he hadn't expected such practical reasoning from a child.
Since the customer wanted to buy, he started gathering books. Upon learning Tom was a freshman, he confidently said, "You'll almost certainly be sorted into Ravenclaw, though I think Hufflepuff is the best house."
Tom nodded. "I think Ravenclaw suits me. I want to be the top student, maybe even a god of learning."
Ten minutes later, the cart was heavy with books, including textbooks and some Tom had chosen himself.
At the counter, Tom checked his money—and realized he didn't have enough.
Yesterday, he spent only fifteen Galleons on books, averaging two per book. But upper-year books were costlier; a copy of High Magic Power: Self-Defense Guide cost seven Galleons.
Textbooks were just like in Muggle Britain: ridiculously expensive.
Armand had complained that her son's university books cost dozens, even hundreds of pounds, more expensive than robbing a bank.
Tom went to Gringotts, withdrew another 200 Galleons, and spent ten Sickles to have an owl deliver the books to his door.
After buying the books, Tom didn't wander. He simply bought some fruit snacks from the nearby Waitrose—a high-end UK supermarket known for top-quality, fresh food—and returned home.
Though poor in the wizarding world, Tom's Muggle-world money afforded him a high-quality lifestyle. He would never compromise on this.
His appetite was larger than most peers', mainly because he expended more energy exercising.
He could protect himself without magic, with his fists—and occasionally collected protection money from unruly students.
At three in the afternoon, three owls flew in through his window, delivering books. Tom placed each one into the study space but didn't enter it himself immediately.
He wanted to test the difference in learning efficiency between inside and outside the space.
...
"Phew, this is really tiring."
At ten o'clock that evening, Tom lay on his bed, eyes closed from exhaustion.
Generally, a person's focused concentration seldom exceeded fifteen minutes before declining and mind-wandering began.
Studying beyond two hours often caused irritation and fatigue, further lowering efficiency until concentration failed altogether.
Except for lunch breaks, Tom studied from three to ten. His most efficient session was a solid two hours before dinner. Evening reading was more mechanical, not focused learning.
The learning points he gained totaled only thirty, about the same as the previous night's three-hour session.
He decided to save the extraordinary state buff for when he had more credits. For now, he preferred to use the learning space efficiently without rushing.
With a plan made, Tom quickly fell asleep.
For the next month, he didn't return to Diagon Alley and studied magic daily at home.
He spent five hours each day in the learning space with Andros, practicing freely in the real world the rest of the time.
Time flew, and soon it was the day before school started.