Chapter 157: Locked!

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He shouldn't have been surprised, yet he was. And adding to that was the change of their clothes. It seemed his mother still hadn't noticed this.

"Mum, you're looking lovely." He smiled, eyeing her up. 

Her clothes had turned into a black silk sleeveless dress. A beautiful silver chain was wrapped around her waist from where the dress flared into an ankle-length skirt. And hanging from the chain was her wand holster. 

Her radiant crimson hair fell behind her back and around her shoulders in waves. And the plunging neckline of the dress showed more than an appropriate amount of her cleavage. She indeed looked smoking hot.

She finally glanced at him, ceasing her examination of the strange white trees.

"What happened to your clothes?" She asked with surprise. Harry's eyebrows twitched when he saw his own clothes. It wasn't anywhere close to the quality of hers.

He had on a plain white tunic and faded brown trousers. Normally, even these simple clothes would have looked good on him, but unfortunately, there were dozens of small tears on them. And if that wasn't enough, there were dirty old stains marring the fabric.

"According to the quest, you're my master and I'm your servant. Hence the difference in the quality of our clothing." He explained with a displeased frown.

Lily took out her wand and tried to repair his outfit. But no amount of reparos did anything.

"Leave it. This costume is assigned by the Creator. Nothing would change it." sighed Harry.

"Your quests are weird." she chuckled briefly. "So what now?"

"Now, we follow this holographic arrow. It'll lead us where we need to go." he answered, pointing at the hologram hovering before them. "But first let me take out my sword. I'm not taking any risks with you present here."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence." She responded, her words dripping with sarcasm.

"It's not that I don't think you're capable. It's just that your levels are too low and this is a special quest where anything might happen." He smiled softly, trying to placate her.

She just glared at him. "And who's responsible for my low levels?"

Not deigning her comment any reply, he tried to access his Inventory, so he could take out his Black Sword. Emphasis on tried.

[Unable to reach the system. All the Perks and Skills are locked for the particular quest.]

He stared at the blue system text box before his eyes. He didn't comprehend it for a second before the realisation sunk in.

"Isis!" he called desperately. And out loud in panic.

But Isis didn't console him back. He didn't hear his friend's voice in his mind.

There was only silence.

A well of dread formed in his stomach, his hands shaking at his sides. It seemed even his Gamer's Mind had been locked.

"Harry? What happened?" Lily moved in front of him, cupping his face.

"All my powers are locked for this quest. I can't use any skills or perks. We're screwed. We're in terrible danger, mum." He whispered in fright.

Lily's eyes widened in apprehension before she nodded at herself and patted his cheeks. "So what? You're a wizard, Harry. Your wand is all that you need."

Harry perked up before slumping again. "My wand is in the Inventory and I can't access my Inventory. Meaning, I'm neither a wizard nor a gamer right now. And even if I'd the wand, I wouldn't have been able to use it since I'm not using the Mage Class. And because Perks are locked, even Mana Manipulation wouldn't have worked."

Lily pinched his cheeks, annoying him and annoyed at him "Don't make that loser face. Don't throw in the towel before the match has even begun. You can do something, right?"

"Well, I'm still level 450. I still have inhuman strength and speed. I still can punch someone to death." He muttered thoughtfully, the panic settling down.

"See, that must count for something." She cheered, pulling his cheeks so his lips stretched into a goofy smile.

"Fine. This will be our simple strategy. Let me be the tank since I can take damage. I have got an abundance of health points anyway. You concentrate on giving support from the back. You still have your wand. And it gives you versatility."

He nodded slowly, getting hopeful again after the abrupt crippling dread he felt when all his weapons and powers were taken from him.

"Good. Now let's get this show on the road." She smiled, kissing his cheek and stepping back.

They followed the hologram further into the forest. Harry was in the forefront while Lily was behind him with her wand ready. The air was humid in this forest. Their skins were soon covered with unwanted sweat.

The first opponents came in the form of half a dozen giant spiders. So tall that their heights were triple of Harry's. 

Usually, he would have used [Observe] on them to see how strong they were. But now he had to go in blind. As he prepared to run and engage, his mother jumped into action.

Without any loud cry, she snapped her wand at them. The ray of black light hit the ground before the arachnids, and the earth parted with a loud rumble. Two of the spiders fell into the crevice while the others scuttled back.

She didn't give them any chance to flee.

The eerie blood-red leaves blanketed the entire forest ground. With a flick of her wand, some of it rose in the air as if a soft wind blew underneath them, and they turned into metal. 

With another twist of her wrist, the red metal leaves lurched toward the remaining spiders. The monsters screeched in pain, their bodies bombarded with sharp projectiles.

Within a minute, all the behemoth spiders were dead. Harry gaped at the carnage before looking at his mum who stood alert, her eyes cold and unforgiving. 

He gulped, for a brief moment getting scared of her until he realised she wouldn't ever hurt him. 

Damn it, he needed [Gamer's Mind] which always diluted his weak negative emotions. He wasn't used to feeling this instinctive fear.

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