After leaving the Emerald Dream and returning to reality, Sam opened his pocket watch and found that although he had been in the Emerald Dream for almost an hour, less than ten minutes had passed in reality.
Even though it was still early, Sam felt he had gained too much tonight. So, after saying goodbye to Steve, he returned to the castle to sleep, as he wanted to take his time sorting through his thoughts.
Steve told Sam that the centaur tribe planned to clear out the eight-eyed giant spiders again soon. He hoped Sam could enter the Emerald Dream every night so he could leave messages for him.
After discovering the correct way to enter the Emerald Dream, Sam had already planned to go there once a day. The environment was soothing, and the dream world allowed him to maximize his time. He decided to dedicate his visits to studying magic.
However, what frustrated Sam was that, with his current abilities, he couldn't stay in the Emerald Dream for more than two hours per visit. Otherwise, he would gradually be assimilated by nature.
Steve was surprised when he learned of this time limit. In his experience, most novices could only last half an hour.
Sam suspected this was due to his soul being tempered by plane-crossing and the fact that the Liam Inheritance technique he had mastered emphasized soul training more than traditional magic in Britain.
After saying goodbye to Steve, Sam slipped back into the dormitory without any trouble.
For the next few days, he attended classes and completed his assignments as usual. At night, he worked in a study group in the common room. Notably, Plunket and Mulder were eager to join when they learned that Dr. Zombie Bruce was also part of the group.
Sam had to set clear rules for them: they could not pester others during discussions.
Senior students' persuasion proved effective, and even die-hard fans like Mulder left their cameras in the dormitory while attending study sessions. Sam had warned him that breaking the rules would result in immediate expulsion from the group.
Unlike the previous year, this time the group had new students. Each second-year student not only had to discuss their homework but also tutored first-years. While not mandatory, many second-years were happy to help, and Catholic was the most active. She found that tutoring helped reinforce her own knowledge.
Upon learning this, Sam concluded that true academic geniuses were terrifying. He desperately wished for a guest who could enhance his learning ability. Even though practicing the Liam Inheritance had improved his memory, analytical skills, and focus, he still couldn't match Catholic's natural talent for studying.
Additionally, Sam started returning to the dormitory earlier than before, using sleep as an excuse to enter the Emerald Dream for practice.
On Thursday, the moment he entered the Emerald Dream, a green light flew toward him. He reached out and caught it—inside was a letter from Steve. The letter informed Sam that the battle was set for Saturday and urged him to prepare.
Sam wasn't worried about catching the glowing message because he was currently in a protected space within the Emerald Dream, shielded from malicious forces.
The first time Sam entered the Emerald Dream from inside Hogwarts, he was surprised to find himself standing atop a tower, shrouded in a purple barrier.
Upon inspecting the tower, he discovered a nameplate explaining that any Hogwarts student who entered the Emerald Dream would find sanctuary there.
The most astonishing part? The signatures of Hogwarts' four founders were at the bottom of the inscription.
As expected from the founders of Hogwarts, their influence extended across planes, and they had created a secure place for future generations.
While exploring the tower, Sam stumbled upon an ancient stone tablet at the base. It contained records left by wizards who had visited the tower before him.
Most names were pseudonyms, but a few real ones stood out—most notably, Archmage Merlin.
The records showed that fewer and fewer Hogwarts wizards had accessed the Emerald Dream over time. In the early days, up to two students entered per year, but as civilization progressed, such occurrences became rare. In fact, the last recorded visitor before Sam was in 1861.
Sam pondered whether this was a good or bad sign. On one hand, wizards had grown stronger at manipulating nature. On the other hand, fewer understood how to live in harmony with it.
After multiple visits, Sam realized he always emerged from the tower upon entering the Emerald Dream. However, the purple barrier didn't restrict his movement—it seemed that any student officially admitted to Hogwarts was free to pass through it.
Beyond practicing magic, Sam spent the rest of his time in the Emerald Dream strategizing with the centaurs. Thanks to the dream world, their meetings remained completely private.
After refining the centaurs' battle plans, Sam grabbed a floating leaf and used his magic to inscribe messages on it. Then, with a snap of his fingers, the leaf folded into a paper airplane and soared toward the Forbidden Forest.
This was the first piece of natural magic Sam had learned—a spell that enabled communication between individuals within the Emerald Dream over short distances.
From their very first meeting, Steve had been subtly teaching Sam natural magic. This particular spell was one of the first he passed on.
Through his studies, Sam discovered that natural magic shared certain traits with dark magic. Both required inner strength and had a subtle influence on the user's mindset.
Sam suspected Steve had an ulterior motive in teaching him these spells. The centaurs might be trying to align him with their faction. However, Sam didn't mind.
Especially since Steve's philosophy was more moderate than that of other centaurs. Unlike extreme traditionalists, who shunned anything man-made, Steve believed that intelligent creatures were part of the natural cycle and didn't oppose artificial tools.
Compared to the rigid fundamentalists who relied solely on bows and arrows, Steve's faction was much more reasonable in Sam's eyes.
After handling these matters, Sam dedicated the rest of his time to magic practice. With Saturday's battle fast approaching, any extra training would be invaluable.
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