promotion

Ciaran pondered for a moment and decided to give the Fire Spell a try.

No matter how precious Force points were, he wouldn't risk his life. Even if the ring and resurrection stone were truly destroyed, he'd prepare for alternative special magic items.

Magical items with profound significance and great influence were exceedingly rare in the wizarding world, but they could be found. Hogwarts alone housed several such items.

He invoked the Fire Spell, a particularly sinister form of black magic. The flames it summoned were equally malevolent. In an instant, numerous fiery beasts appeared: fire dragons, salamanders, and more, encircling the already burning old Gaunt house.

There was no billowing smoke, only pillars of fire soaring into the sky. The surrounding woods caught fire, yet Ciaran refrained from using the Clear Water Like a Spring Curse to douse the flames. Such intense fires couldn't be quelled by mere water; they required a specific counter-spell, one he happened to know—the breaking spell of the Li Fire Curse.

After all, he was the combat professor at Hogwarts, and it had been nine years since he graduated.

In a haze, he heard a distant scream emanating from the raging inferno. It sounded agonizing, as if enduring the most horrific torture imaginable. He recognized it as the cry of Voldemort's fragmented soul.

"It should be nearly finished. Continuing could attract the residents of Little Hangleton, and both the ring and resurrection stone would be at risk." Ciaran murmured to himself, waving his wand.

It was done!

Ciaran cast the breaking spell of the Severe Fire Curse, and witnessed the rapid cessation of the inferno—the hellish flames extinguished within moments, leaving a white wasteland in a radius of one or two hundred meters.

"There's a fire in the woods! The Gaunt family ruins are ablaze!"

"Hurry, put out the fire!"

He heard villagers' shouts carried by the wind and knew he had to hasten, leaving no trace behind.

Whoosh—

Ciaran cast a Clear Water Spring spell, conjuring a stream of running water from his wand. The ruins of Gunter's old house retained intense heat, necessitating cooling before he could approach.

"Oh, right! Muggle-repelling spell! Confusion spell!" Ciaran cast a charm into the woods, ensuring any nearby Muggles would be deterred. Should they venture close, they'd suddenly remember pressing matters at home, a precaution to prevent them from discovering the woods' secrets.

To divert Muggle attention from the fire, he cast an illusion spell around Gaunt's old house. Muggles would see a dilapidated wooden structure instead of a white ruin.

"Huh? Why's it dark?"

"Is Gunter's old house still there?!"

"Oops, got an emergency at home, must dash!"

He watched as Muggles near the woods promptly turned and departed, diverted by the spells' effects.

Ciaran returned to Gunter's old house ruins. The once mysterious black gemstone ring now lacked its luster.

Ciaran's heart raced. Had the Force points vanished with it?

Though mentally prepared, hope lingered. He hurriedly retrieved Marvolo Gaunt's ring. The fire's destruction had eradicated all black magic spells on the ring, rendering him impervious to harm.

[Found Marvolo Gaunt's ring, Force points: 20 points. Absorb?]

[The Resurrection Stone, one of the Three Hallows, found. Force points: 50. Absorb?]

Ciaran exhaled in relief, seeing the prompts. The Force points remained intact.

"However, the ring has only 20 Force points, while the Resurrection Stone has 50—a 30-point difference!"

Ciaran pondered, "The original Ravenclaw's Diadem had 35 force points. Leaving aside the Resurrection Stone, the ring seems to have sustained damage beyond Voldemort's soul fragments. Were it not for their belonging to ancient powerful wizards, both might have been lost."

Clutching the ring with 70 Force points, Ciaran felt a newfound excitement.

"Time to head back."

Focusing on Fremont Manor, he vanished from the ruins and reappeared outside the manor.

Entering, he settled on the sofa, seeing the system prompts in his mind's eye.

"Absorb!"

Cool energy surged as his Force points increased.

0, 10, 20... until stabilizing at 70.

[Force points: 70.]

"First, enhance magical power." Ciaran focused, upgrading from level 4 (advanced) to level 5 (elementary), consuming 50 points.

Unable to further upgrade, he shifted focus to other knowledge.

"Let's boost Charms."

Charms upgraded from level 4 (advanced) to level 5 (elementary), leaving 6 Force points.

"Can't continue transformation technique; let's raise other knowledge to level 4." Ciaran turned to potions and herbology, using the remaining 6 points.

Force points depleted, his status displayed:

[Name: Ciaran Fremont.]

[Age: 26.]

[Magic: Level 5 (elementary).]

[Force points: 0.]

[Transformation: Level 4 (advanced).]

[Potion Science: Level 4 (elementary).]

[Charms: Level 5 (elementary).]

[Herbalism: Level 4 (elementary).]

[Flying Technique: Level 3.]

He had ascended, his strength now among the upper echelons of the magic world—level 6 being the peak for most, with level 7 reserved for the very strongest.