— — — — — —
Inside the pocket world.
The liquid in the vessel gradually turned clear, and the patterns on the golden-red sphere completely solidified, sharp and distinct.
"Almost done."
Tom added another bucket of nutrient solution. When the sphere stopped absorbing it, he knew the two "embryos" were finished, nearly perfect.
"Let's do it."
He called Andros out first. They had already discussed it. Once the embryos matured, Andros would go first and test things.
If anything went wrong, Tom would immediately intervene and send him back to the study space.
"Tom… after I revive, I won't turn into a ball, right?"
Andros had originally been excited, but seeing that Tom's so-called "perfect form" was still just a sphere made him a little nervous.
"Don't be scared. You're Andros. Worst case, you blow up and we start over."
Not exactly comforting, but it made sense.
Andros was the reckless type anyway. Once he got permission, his soul floated straight out of the study space.
Tom waved his hand and shattered the vessel on the right. The remaining nutrient fluid spilled across the floor, but the golden-red sphere continued floating in midair.
Andros's soul merged into it without any resistance.
Seeing this, Tom suddenly laughed.
With Andros and Jeanne revived, they were bound to turn the world upside down.
shlurrrk—
The golden sphere in the air began to squirm, shifting from solid into a viscous liquid. It stretched, then formed a head, limbs, and… more detailed parts.
Each section grew slowly. It took a full two hours before the vague outline of a human figure appeared.
Tom didn't try to contact Andros. He knew that at this moment, Andros was fully focused on merging with the body.
The physical embryo possessed every excellent trait and foundational condition, but how far it could develop, and in what direction, depended on the soul controlling it.
This influence wasn't a one-time thing either. It was a long-term process.
Over time, both sides, body and soul, would subtly adjust until they achieved perfect compatibility. Only then would the fusion truly be complete.
...
A full half day passed before Andros finally gained preliminary control of the body. Even Tom was surprised by how long the fusion took.
Andros finally opened his eyes, sharp light flashing within them.
"Tom… I..."
"Pfft… hahahahaha!"
The halting syllables coming out of Andros's mouth made Tom burst out laughing.
Andros had always been the very definition of a real man. Deep voice, body like a perfect ancient Greek sculpture, built so powerfully he barely looked like a wizard.
But now, he looked no more than eighteen or nineteen, freshly come of age.
His youthful face had only a faint layer of downy stubble, and paired with that boyish cute voice, it was impossible to connect him with the former Andros.
Andros himself looked confused. After all, the voice you hear inside your head isn't the same as what others hear. And he had no idea what he looked like now.
Only when Tom conjured a full-length mirror did Andros's old face flush red.
"Tom… clothes…"
He still couldn't speak smoothly, so he could only ask Tom for help.
Tom took out the ancient Greek–style linen clothes he'd prepared in advance. Just putting them on made Andros stumble several times before he barely managed to control his limbs.
"Looks like you'll need some time to adjust."
Watching Andros walk stiffly, same arm and same leg moving together, before finally sitting down on the sofa, Tom laughed loudly. Who would've thought a century king couldn't even walk, worse than a toddler?
Andros pulled a bitter face. "Tom… you and Miss Morgan's technique needs improvement."
"Can't be improved." Tom shook his head. "Even the most perfect body can't match the soul perfectly right away. The point is for both to grow together and gradually… adapt during the process."
"So Andros, don't rush. Practice more over the next few days. Move around a bit. You'll recover to normal soon."
"No, no, not just normal. Stronger than ever. With this body, plus all the effort you put in at the study space, you'll become a legend in no time."
"So just adapt for now. First, learn how to talk, then how to walk. Take everything one step at a time."
Andros sighed and accepted his fate.
Then, Tom went to comfort Jeanne in depth, telling her not to worry. After observing for a few more days and confirming there were no rejection reactions, he would arrange her revival as well.
Soon, Andros successfully divided his consciousness and entered the study space. Seeing him, everyone came forward to offer their congratulations on the successful revival.
But one person was an exception. Grindelwald.
After hearing Tom say that Andros's mobility was currently worse than that of a two- or three-year-old child, Grindelwald rushed from Berlin to Hogwarts overnight.
This uninvited arrival startled even Dumbledore, who thought something serious had happened.
Grindelwald made up an excuse about being bored in Berlin and fooled Dumbledore. The next day, he secretly found Tom and insisted on going to the pocket world to "visit" Andros.
When he saw Andros trembling as he tried to cut steak with a fork, he laughed. Completely shamelessly.
"Andros! I challenge you to a duel!"
Tom was dumbfounded. Was that something a human being should say?
He could barely hold a fork. And Grindelwald expected him to hold a wand?
"Gellert, you have no shame!" Andros was furious too, loudly condemning this disgraceful behavior.
"Don't worry about whether I have any shame. Just tell me if you dare. People call you Andros the Invincible. I just want to see if that's true."
"But if you don't dare, then you're free. Just shout three times: 'I, Andros, admit Gellert Grindelwald is someone impressive, much better than me. He is my role model.' Do that, and I'll let you off."
.
.
.