17. Glimpse of the Unknown

Arthur drifted in a soft haze, the world around him suffused with a warm glow, a familiar place he couldn't quite touch. Everything seemed softened, like a memory worn down by time. Voices echoed, light and comforting, filling his chest with an unguarded joy he hadn't felt in so long.

In the dream, he saw a small, sunlit kitchen. His mother's laugh rang through the air as she spun around, her apron dusted with flour as she hummed an old tune. His father leaned against the counter, watching her with a warm smile and eyes full of a love that needed no words. Arthur stood nearby, unable to move or speak, yet he felt no frustration—only peace, as if he was exactly where he was meant to be.

His father looked down at him with a grin, ruffling his hair, and Arthur could almost feel it, the rough, familiar warmth of his dad's hand. His mother's voice, full of laughter and tenderness, called his name, her face radiating a gentle joy that filled his whole world. In that moment, everything felt right.

The memory was fleeting, slipping away like sand through his fingers, but he clung to each second. It was a glimpse of something good he'd thought lost forever—a reminder of a happiness he hadn't known in this new life, yet had somehow carried within him.

…

When he awoke, Arthur lay still, letting the warmth of the dream linger around him. He hadn't felt such pure, uncomplicated joy in so long. He gazed at the ceiling, the faint smile on his face reflecting the hope and peace that the dream had left him with. Whatever awaited him, he now knew there had been something worth holding onto in his past life.

A soft chime sounded, and the familiar system screen appeared in his field of vision.

[System Notification: Level Up!]

[Current Level: 5 → 8]

[Core Break: Intuition]

Arthur's eyes widened as he read the details.

Name: Arthur Peterson

Role: Concierge (Multiversal Hotel Manager)

Level: 8

Core Traits:

Adaptability – 5/10

Hospitality – 6/10

Coordination – 5/10

Resilience – 5/10

Intuition – 4/10

Skills:

Guest Relations – Beginner

Basic Multiverse Navigation – Beginner

Conflict De-escalation – Intermediate

Basic Space Arrangement – Beginner

Beginner Cooking – Beginner

Mystical Maintenance – Beginner

Arcane Eyes – Beginner

Magical Skills:

Basic Charms {HP} – Beginner

Basic Transfiguration {HP} – Beginner

Current Status:

Physical Condition: Rested, Refreshed

Mental Condition: Uplifted, Peaceful

Notable Possessions:

Felix Felicis {HP}

Arthur took in the changes with a renewed sense of purpose, his eyes skimming over each detail. But as his gaze lingered on his core trait of Intuition, he froze, blinking in surprise. The stat had gone up to 4/10. That shouldn't be possible—he remembered Avalon's explanation well. Core traits could only increase every five levels, at increments of 5, 10, 15, and so on. But here he was, sitting at Level 8 with a bump to his intuition.

Still trying to steady his thoughts, Arthur took a deep breath and finally asked, "Avalon, how…? My intuition stat—it went up when it shouldn't have."

A soft chuckle sounded, Avalon's warm presence wrapping around him like a gentle breeze. "Every single aspect of the system, Arthur, reflects you. Your determination, your will—they can break limits. Sometimes, even systems can't account for a spirit pushing against the rules."

Arthur processed that, feeling a flicker of pride in himself. "So, I broke a limiter… by sheer will?"

Avalon hummed in agreement, his tone both encouraging and cautionary. "Remember the Pool of Reflection in the Arcane Training Room? You didn't recognize it for what it was, but your intuition pushed itself, subconsciously guiding you to sense its true purpose. That effort—though you weren't fully aware of it—was enough to increase your intuition stat."

Arthur recalled the pool, that strange moment of instinct nudging him to pause, to really observe it. He'd felt something there, a subtle understanding he hadn't questioned at the time. Now it made sense.

Avalon's voice softened, his tone carrying a note of caution. "While this is indeed a good thing, Arthur, pushing yourself too hard when your body and mind aren't yet fully synchronized can have consequences. It's why I haven't encouraged breaking limits. Forcing your growth prematurely could leave you strained, impacting your long-term progress."

Arthur nodded slowly, taking in Avalon's words, a new sense of respect for the system—and for Avalon—settling over him. "Thanks, Avalon. I can tell you've thought about this… that you've kept me from pushing too hard. I appreciate it."

Avalon's presence brightened, almost as though he were smiling. "I look after you, Arthur. This journey isn't about rushing—it's about building you up, piece by piece. So let's go steady, hm?"

Arthur chuckled, reassured by Avalon's protective guidance. Feeling more centered, he stretched, readying himself for the day. As he headed to the bath, he noticed that his body did feel lighter, more refreshed, just as the system had shown. As he dressed, he mused aloud, "I do feel surprisingly energized. Is that because Taliesin's been holding back my 'unlimited energy supply'?"

Avalon chuckled warmly. "Indeed. Taliesin's been limiting the constant energy flow. It might seem contradictory but the unlimited energy supply has halted your synchronization between you and your new body, the recovery your body needs helping it adapt with your soul." Avalon explains. "And you'll learn more about synchronize management with Hecate's lesson today."

With a sense of excitement tempered by caution, Arthur finished dressing, gathering his thoughts and preparing himself. Today would be his first day training under Hecate, and he could feel the anticipation thrumming in his veins. There was a new day ahead, one full of learning, growth, and the mysteries of Avalon still waiting to be discovered.

Arthur stepped into the lobby, rubbing the last traces of sleep from his eyes. To his surprise, Hecate and Taliesin were already seated in the lounge area, deep in conversation. They looked up as he entered.

"Good morning, guys," Arthur greeted them with a small wave.

"'Mornin', lad," Taliesin replied cheerfully, nodding in his direction.

"Good morning, Arthur," Hecate added, her gaze as steady and calculating as ever.

Before Arthur could ask about today's lesson, Hecate spoke up, "There's a change of plan, Arthur. Avalon—Erebos—needs a stronger connection to sustain itself."

Taliesin leaned forward, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "So what better way to train you than to throw you straight into the deep end, eh?"

Arthur blinked, taken aback. "Wait… I thought the worlds just connected on their own when a guest stumbled into Avalon?"

Taliesin chuckled, shaking his head. "Aye, lad, but we can't just wait around and rely on pure chance. We're talking about building Avalon's strength here, making it sustainable."

Hecate nodded in agreement. "For today, we're focusing on mastering the Basic Multiverse Navigation skill. This is the foundation of everything you'll do from here on out. And fair warning—it's going to hurt."

"Like a lot," Taliesin added with a mock wince, though his grin remained unrepentant. "We'll start simple. You'll be setting a map."

"A map?" Arthur repeated, his confusion deepening.

Hecate gestured for him to come closer, her voice calm but firm. "You're going to see the multiverse—the potential routes between worlds. Today, we don't need all of them, just one. One anchor point that you'll remember and set as a route back to Avalon."

Taliesin leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a satisfied nod. "Once you master the map, lad, you'll have the power to navigate between worlds—not entirely alone, mind, but guided by Avalon."

Arthur absorbed this information, his mind racing. He hadn't anticipated jumping into something this complex. "Okay… but I've never done anything like this before. What if—?"

He hesitated, then suddenly remembered the small vial he'd kept tucked away in his pocket, a glimmering liquid gold—Felix Felicis. Arthur drew it out and looked at it thoughtfully, then glanced up at Taliesin and Hecate.

"Hold on a sec," Arthur muttered, uncorking the vial.

Taliesin raised an eyebrow, recognizing the liquid almost immediately. "Ah, lad, is that a bit of luck in a bottle? I didn't think you'd need a lucky charm."

Arthur shrugged, smiling wryly. "If I'm going to try something like mapping the multiverse, I figure a little extra confidence wouldn't hurt."

Hecate gave him a subtle nod, her approval silent but clear. "Wise choice," she said, her gaze steady. "Even a single drop of that potion could be the boost you need for focus."

With a nod to them both, Arthur lifted the vial and took a careful sip, the liquid gold sliding down his throat like warm honey. Almost instantly, a pleasant warmth filled his chest, a sense of ease and assurance washing over him as if everything he was about to attempt was entirely within his reach.

As the effects settled, he took a deep breath, the nagging nerves melting away into a calm clarity. "Alright, I'm ready."

Hecate explained the process in more detail. "For today, I'll anchor Avalon to the magical energy of the wizarding world while you map the path. But eventually, this anchoring is something you'll need to handle yourself."

Taliesin added, "I'll be here to support the both of you, lad. I'll use my music to help stabilize the connection, keep your focus steady."

Arthur squared his shoulders, preparing himself for what lay ahead. Closing his eyes, he called upon his Basic Multiverse Navigation skill, reaching inward for a sense of guidance.

As he did, a faint hum filled the air, accompanied by the gentle strumming of Taliesin's harp. The sound seemed to reverberate through his mind, like distant stars aligning, and he felt Avalon's energy shift as Hecate anchored them to the wizarding world.

"Just follow the rhythm," Taliesin murmured, his voice a steady beat. "Feel it, see it."

Arthur took another steadying breath, allowing himself to be guided by their voices, focusing his senses on the connection forming between Avalon and the distant magical world. With the luck potion's warmth steadying him, he felt the paths before him unfold with more clarity, the multiverse's paths slowly taking shape like a map sketched in golden ink.

0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0

The classroom was dimly lit, shadows pooling in the corners. Glass jars filled with strange, preserved specimens lined the shelves, casting an eerie feeling over the room. Harry took his seat, nerves bubbling up inside him, but a quiet confidence simmered beneath the surface as he recalled his time in Avalon, where he'd spent hours flipping through potion books he hadn't fully understood at the time.

Professor Snape swept into the room, his black robes billowing behind him. His gaze scanned the students, cold and unyielding, and when his eyes fell on Harry, they lingered a beat too long.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began, his voice low and commanding. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic." His eyes flitted to Harry as he spoke, narrowing. "I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper in death... if you aren't as hopeless as the usual dunderheads I teach."

There was a tense silence, broken only when Snape's voice sliced through the air like a blade. "Potter!" he snapped, making Harry sit up straighter.

"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

The class turned to Harry, most of them expecting him to stammer or sit in confused silence. But Harry, remembering the precise notes he'd read, replied calmly, "The Draught of Living Death, sir."

Snape's eyes flickered with surprise, but he masked it quickly. His lip curled as he moved closer to Harry's desk. "And where, Potter, would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

"A bezoar is found in the stomach of a goat, sir. It can save you from most poisons," Harry answered smoothly, his voice steady.

A murmur rippled through the class. Snape's jaw tightened, but he didn't back down. He leaned forward, his gaze boring into Harry as though trying to unsettle him.

"Let's see if you're as smart as you think you are, Potter. What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"They're the same plant, sir," Harry replied without hesitation. "Also known as aconite."

Snape's eyes narrowed, clearly not expecting such a seamless response. For a split second, Harry saw something close to frustration flash across his face, but it was quickly replaced by his usual look of disdain. The rest of the class sat in stunned silence, all eyes fixed on Harry.

Snape cleared his throat, his voice colder than before. "Very well, Potter. Since you seem so well-versed in first-year material…" His tone dripped with sarcasm. "Perhaps you'd care to answer something a bit more advanced."

He paused, then continued with a question Harry didn't recognize from his reading. "Tell me, what is the primary ingredient in a second-year Shrinking Solution?"

Harry hesitated, his mind searching through the pages of potion books he'd read in Avalon, but he couldn't recall the answer. Snape's lips curved into a smirk.

"Not so confident now, are we?" Snape sneered, clearly pleased to have finally stumped him. He straightened, looking away from Harry as he addressed the class. "Clearly, some students think they know more than they do. Let this be a lesson in humility."

Harry felt a pang of frustration but forced himself to stay calm, letting Snape's words roll off him. He'd known the answers to most of the professor's questions, and that small victory was enough to keep him from feeling completely defeated.

"Eyes forward!" Snape barked, regaining his composure as he began a lecture on the properties of various potion ingredients. But even as he spoke, he occasionally cast a narrowed gaze in Harry's direction, clearly unsettled by his unexpected knowledge.

As class continued, Harry tried to absorb the new material, eager to learn as much as he could.

0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~0

Arthur closed his eyes, feeling Taliesin's steadying presence beside him. The bard's voice drifted through the air, soothing yet powerful, like a bridge between the world he knew and the vast unknown. Taliesin's magic pulsed softly, flowing like a current around him, guiding his focus.

Slowly, Arthur opened his eyes. The room dissolved, shifting and stretching as if he were gazing into infinity. Stars and galaxies expanded before him, weaving together in intricate patterns that seemed both impossibly vast and intimately connected. He was no longer in Avalon—he was standing at the threshold of the multiverse itself.

"Stay with it, lad," Taliesin's voice murmured, grounding him.

Arthur took a step forward, and the pain hit—a searing, relentless ache that shot through his temples and seemed to grip every nerve in his body. The feeling was like being pulled apart at the seams, each movement stretching him further beyond his limits. But he gritted his teeth, breathing through it. He couldn't give up. Not when Avalon needed this.

Then, through the haze of pain, he felt a tug—a subtle pull, calling him. He focused on it, following the sensation as it drew him closer, each step an effort against the crushing ache that threatened to break his focus.

As he chased the tugging sensation, images began to take shape. He saw a sprawling city on a rocky planet, its golden buildings glistening in the starlight. Pale, shining towers stretched toward the sky, while blue-skinned beings bustled through the streets, clad in attire both ceremonial and futuristic. The city felt rich with purpose, its energy pulsing like a living organism.

Just as he tried to focus on the city, it shifted, slipping away like sand between his fingers. He was floating before an enormous, ancient structure—a hollowed-out skull of some godly being, transformed into a bustling space station. Lights glinted from every corner, casting intricate shadows across the structure. He could feel the chaotic energy within it, a pulsating mixture of life and industry that hummed with an almost overwhelming intensity.

The vision flickered again, switching erratically between uninhabited planets. Desolate landscapes, some barren and cracked, others covered in strange, alien flora. As each place shifted in and out, Arthur struggled to hold on, his grip on the connection slipping under the mounting pressure.

"Mark it, lad," Taliesin's voice cut through the haze, sharp and commanding.

Arthur's body felt weaker, the edges of his vision blurring as the pain gnawed at his focus. But he pushed forward, struggling to ground himself as the flickering images resumed.

He glimpsed people—figures that seemed at once familiar and foreign. A young man in red and blue, leaping effortlessly between towering structures, the faint glint of webs trailing behind him. Another figure suspended in mid-air, encased in a shining red and gold suit, a radiant blue light glowing from the center of his chest. A third figure, wearing a worn leather jacket, with a masked face and twin blasters in hand, dancing to a tune only he could hear.

"You can do it, Arthur!" Taliesin's shout broke through again, his voice full of conviction.

Just as Arthur felt himself on the verge of losing his grip, the visions steadied, clearing with sudden clarity. He saw a man sitting at a desk in what looked like an old army camp, surrounded by soldiers in uniform. But this man stood out, his outfit emblazoned with stars and stripes, the white of his helmet reflecting a glimmer of soft light. He appeared to be drawing, pencil in hand, an expression of calm concentration on his face.

Arthur's mind locked onto this image, a surge of strength flooding through him as he focused on it. The faint tug he'd felt before solidified, anchoring within him as he carved this world into Avalon's memory.

A sudden surge of energy rushed through his body, and everything around him collapsed back into darkness.

When his senses returned, he was in Avalon's lobby once more, with Taliesin standing beside him, a look of pride in his eyes. "You did good, lad," Taliesin said, his voice warm.

Arthur blinked, still reeling from the strain. Pain radiated through his muscles, as if they'd been wrung out. His breaths came shallow and quick, his body feeling almost disconnected from itself.

Seeing Arthur's exhaustion, Taliesin held up a hand, murmuring an incantation. Arthur felt a gentle, replenishing warmth seep through him, the ache fading slightly. "I'm giving you a bit of Avalon's energy, just enough to take the edge off," Taliesin said with a grin. "But if I gave you all of it, lad, your mind couldn't handle the strain."

A flicker of amusement crossed Arthur's tired face. "Thank you… I think."

Just then, Hecate stepped forward, her presence like a stabilizing force wrapping around him. "Hold on, Arthur. Let the energy settle."

Gradually, the sharp ache faded, replaced by a steady, grounding warmth. Arthur exhaled slowly, feeling the pieces of himself fall back into place.

A chime sounded, and he glanced at the familiar system screen in front of him.

[System Notification: Multiverse Marking Established]

Arthur smiled weakly, the weight of his accomplishment settling over him. He had marked a new world for Avalon—a place filled with unknown energy, unfamiliar people, and possibilities he couldn't yet understand.