Chapter 235 : Rewards, Devouring, and Magic Books
From the moment Phineas took her in and gave her hope, he had become everything to her. She no longer considered herself important—she only wished for him to live a good life.
The battle had ended, and word quickly spread through the magical world. Many pure-blood families received startling news.
"What? You're saying that the young Black boy defeated a vampire ancestor alone?"
The head of the Rich family was stunned. He demanded the information be confirmed again, unwilling to believe such a claim.
Kneeling before him was a wizard from a cadet branch of the Rich family—his mother had been born into the main bloodline.
"Yes, sir," the wizard affirmed. "Phineas Black defeated and killed a vampire ancestor. Many have confirmed this. Although few saw the battle firsthand, all agree it was Phineas Black who faced the ancestor alone."
At these words, the expressions of the Rich family elders changed dramatically.
"Are you certain it was an ancestor? Niklaus? Elijah? Edward? Rebecca? Or perhaps Jonathan, the one who once taught at Hogwarts?"
Na Waizhi shook his head.
"No, sir. According to our reports, the vampire Phineas defeated was not one of those."
The patriarch narrowed his eyes. "It couldn't be... Lilith? She's been in eternal slumber. If the Black heir really defeated her, then even our Rich family, the Lestranges, and the Elder Council itself would be forced to rally behind him."
Lilith. The name alone sent chills down the spine of the wizarding world. She was no ordinary ancestor—she was the progenitor, the so-called Goddess of Vampires, one of the founding beings of the entire vampire race. Her power had reached the demigod level long ago. But vampires had no need to ascend further; their longevity was assured through long periods of hibernation.
If Phineas had truly defeated that Lilith, then his rise to demigod strength before even reaching adulthood would be undeniable. It would force the entire magical world to reconsider its loyalties.
"It wasn't Lilith," the branch wizard said. "The one he defeated goes by the code name Dracula. Few know his real name, but among the vampires, he's feared as a legendary ancestor."
"Dracula? The Archduke Dracula?" the patriarch repeated in disbelief. "Are you telling me this vampire was a true ancestor, on par with legends?"
The wizard nodded again. "Yes, sir. His strength was equivalent to a legendary wizard."
"Then you're saying this Black boy has reached the level of a legendary wizard... before even becoming an adult?"
It sounded impossible. As implausible as the idea that he could have killed Lilith. But looking at the sincerity in the subordinate's eyes, the patriarch realized it wasn't a joke. Phineas Black had become a force to be reckoned with. He wasn't officially a legendary wizard—yet—but his power had reached that threshold. And without the Elder Council's constraints on recognized legendary wizards, Phineas had freedom to act on his own terms. The Rich family would need to revise their political strategy accordingly.
In the magical world, strength was everything. When you reached a certain level, many of your former concerns simply ceased to matter.
Phineas now stood at that threshold. Following his successful assault on the vampire reformist stronghold, many families would shift their stance. Even if they didn't side with House Black, they would, at the very least, adopt a neutral position.
With the reformists defeated, Phineas finally had the chance to submit a system task that had been lingering for years.
Task: Vengeance Against the Vampire Clan
"A wizard who aims to be the strongest must not be provoked. Let the world understand the price of offending you."
Reward calculated by degree of vengeance completed.
Current Completion: 80%
Submit task?
"Submit," Phineas said at once. He hadn't checked the full task details—he assumed eliminating the reformists' base and defeating the ancestor counted as 100% completion.
But as soon as he confirmed—
"Wait—!"
Too late.
Task submitted.
Rewards: Bloodline sublimation +10%, magic power increase, magic book materialization ability (one-time use).
Phineas winced. Only 80%? That meant this wasn't the reformists' main base—or that Dracula wasn't the only key leader. Something deeper was going on.
Still, the rewards weren't bad.
The 10% bloodline sublimation raised his refined bloodline from 50% to 60%, granting him a new innate talent.
Unlike previous painful transformations, this one happened silently under the system's guidance—no suffering, no side effects. And the talent he awakened was powerful:
Devour.
This ability allowed Phineas to absorb the blood of magical creatures to heal his injuries—and potentially gain their abilities. Wizards, being magical creatures themselves, were included.
The most tantalizing possibility? Drink Dumbledore's blood, and he might gain the ability to summon a phoenix.
However, the system had outlined key limitations:
Probability: The chance of acquiring a new talent was very low.
Uniqueness: Each creature could only be used once. If no talent was gained, it couldn't be tried again.
Lineage Matters: Creatures were categorized by bloodline, not species. For example, the Blacks possessed Tengu blood, while Dumbledore's family had Phoenix lineage.
As for magic absorption, while he couldn't absorb ambient magic from spells cast at him, he could absorb magic during close combat, draining an opponent's power temporarily. This opened new strategic avenues—sustainability, counters, and pressure.
The second reward, increased magic power, was straightforward but critical. For certain advanced spells—like the Killing Curse—raw magic power determined the destructive scale. Add to that Slytherin's Snakewood Wand, which amplified magic without limit, and a spell like a basic flame could become an inferno.
Between bloodline upgrades and this boost in power, Phineas could now stand alongside adult wizards. Once he completed his inheritance quests and acquired Occlumency and Legilimency, he would be a great wizard in every sense.
The third reward, however, gave him pause: magic book materialization.
It was a one-time option to turn a system magic book into a physical object. Once transformed, it would no longer be updatable through the system. That was both a blessing and a curse.
Pros:
All research, understanding, and techniques from the system would be imprinted into the book.
It could serve as a magical item—like his enchanted gloves—and be used for spellcasting.
Magic could be stored within and cast independently via mental commands.
Cons:
It became a static item. Future spells wouldn't be added automatically.
Improvements in Phineas's magic wouldn't update the book's contents.
Adding new spells manually required rare materials—like soulstone powder, a costly and dangerous component.
In short, once materialized, the book became a powerful tool—but no longer a learning aid.
Still, Phineas valued battle utility and aesthetics.
Because—let's be honest—being strong was temporary, but being stylish? That was forever.
He hesitated. Once he completed Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets and finalized his mastery over his magic system—including ancient spells, Occlumency, Legilimency, and the Fire Curse—he would have little further use for a dynamic book. At that point, converting it into a weaponized artifact would be the better move.
Having made up his mind, he set the thought aside for now.
After reviewing the battle spoils Lisa and the others had catalogued, and taking a moment to rest, Phineas stood and turned to the werewolf wizards nearby.
"Brothers," he called, voice clear and proud, "we've won. Now—go home."
With that, the group began contacting the nearby enchantments before Apparating away, returning to the Silvermoon Potion Shop in London.
Phineas, however, did not follow.
Instead, he and Lisa headed for the hidden manor registered under her name—a property protected by the Fidelius Charm and known only to him.
It was there that the books taken from the vampire reformist stronghold—and older volumes Phineas no longer needed—were stored safely.
After Sirius's return from Azkaban, Phineas had quietly begun separating his assets and influence. While he had acted as the de facto heir of House Black for years, the rightful heir—Sirius, the eldest son—had returned. And though the ancient legendary elders of the family rarely involved themselves, the future of House Black's leadership was now uncertain.