That night before going to sleep, Ted Epiphany looked at the number displayed in his experience pool:
462.
One hundred of those points had come from the quest [Explore Diagon Alley (Green)].
Earlier that very day, he had finally managed to complete the last bit of exploration.
The reason was simple—the Floo Powder Authority Headquarters had finally opened.
Ted had wandered inside pretending to be curious, taken a quick look around… and then promptly been asked to leave.
Ted snorted to himself.
Today you ignore me. Tomorrow you'll wish you could reach my level! Hmph!
Still, the quest was completed. That last 1% of exploration progress had finally been filled in.
The reward included a random card.
When Ted claimed it, three cards appeared before him, and he was allowed to choose one.
The first card showed a small owl with distinctive "ear-like" tufts on its head, holding a letter in its beak.
[Magical Postman: Long-Eared Owl Jimmy (Green)]Summon Card
Jimmy is a small owl messenger. Although it cannot carry large parcels, it is extremely fast and excellent at delivering letters.
Uses: 1/1, Permanent
Once used, the card would disappear and Ted would gain a magical owl.
The second card showed a thick spellbook with a pitch-black cover. The title was written in blood-red letters, and dark smoke seemed to drift from its pages.
[A Guide to Seventeenth-Century Dark Magic (Green)]Item Card
A magical tome recording the dark magic that was popular during the seventeenth century. Be careful not to let others know you possess it. The author's reputation is… questionable.
The third card depicted a firecracker bursting open, from which a large, vicious wild boar charged forward. Motion lines were drawn beside it to show how fast and aggressively it ran.
[Boar-Burst Banger (Green)]Item Card
A prank toy. Throw the firecracker onto the ground and it will produce the illusion of a charging wild boar that chases people.
Duration: 30 secondsCooldown: 5 hours
In the end, Ted chose [Boar-Burst Banger (Green)].
While it couldn't actually harm anyone, it was excellent for scaring people.
And more importantly—it could be used repeatedly.
The dark magic book had also been tempting.
But Ted wasn't willing to take the risk.
He was about to start Hogwarts. There were countless spells and theories waiting for him to study.
There was absolutely no reason to risk being caught dabbling in dark magic.
The Hogwarts library contained the most comprehensive magical collection in Britain.
Why rush to study dark magic?
What—was Dumbledore dead already?
Better play it safe.
Don't get reckless.
Looking at the 462 experience points in his pool gave Ted a comforting sense of security.
Tomorrow wasn't just the start of school.
It was also the day when his Otherworld Knowledge talent refreshed.
With experience points saved up, there was no pressure.
Time to sleep.
The next morning, the moment Ted opened his eyes, he sensed a notification from the system.
"Ding~ Talent [Otherworld Knowledge (Gold)] activated. Discovered:[Dalaran Beginner (Cannon-Fodder Mage—crossed out) Combat Mage Training Manual (Green)]."
[Dalaran Beginner (Cannon-Fodder Mage—crossed out) Combat Mage Training Manual (Green)]
Training materials used by apprentice mages in Dalaran.Cost: 310 experience points.
Ted paused for a moment.
Dalaran?
Of course he knew Dalaran.
Ten years of playing World of Warcraft weren't a joke.
But what the heck was "cannon-fodder mage" supposed to mean?
Oh, you crossed it out and replaced it with combat mage, so suddenly I'm supposed not to recognize it?
Nice disguise.
I still know exactly what you are.
Still, Ted didn't really have much choice.
At the very least, it was related to magic.
That was far better than something like chakra training.
He made his decision.
Exchange!
310 experience points vanished.
A flood of knowledge poured into his mind.
After carefully reviewing the information now in his head, Ted gradually understood.
What exactly was a Beginner Combat Mage?
Simply put—a spellcaster who only mastered a handful of low-level combat spells.
Which meant…
They were basically cannon-fodder mages.
Real archmages would never limit themselves to such a narrow range of spells.
Frostbolt, Frost Nova, Fireball, Arcane Missiles…
True mages studied the fundamental mysteries of magic, not just battlefield tricks.
And they certainly wouldn't lack everyday utility spells.
But judging from the contents of this training manual, the system described something else entirely.
These mages trained for two and a half years before being sent straight to the battlefield.
They were magical technicians.
Disposable soldiers.
Just another cog in the war machine.
No one intended to cultivate them into elite talents.
They simply needed workers who possessed a little magical ability.
Still…
Something was better than nothing.
According to the manual, there were sixteen spells to learn.
Frost Spells
Frostbolt
Frost Armor
Frost Nova
Fire Spells
Fire Blast
Fireball
Flamestrike
Arcane Spells
Arcane Intellect
Arcane Missiles
Conjure Water
Conjure Food
Polymorph
Slow Fall
Spell Suppression
Blink
Evocation
Teleport: Dalaran
Three frost spells.
Three fire spells.
And ten arcane spells.
According to the manual's training plan, completing the course would roughly place a mage at Level 20 in Azeroth terms.
Right at the stage where one was about to taste the privileges of being a proper mage.
Clearly, this "Beginner Combat Mage" program wasn't meant to cultivate promising apprentices.
It was designed to mass-produce magical cannon fodder.
Only after learning Blizzard could someone barely qualify as a respectable mage.
And only after mastering Presence of Mind + Pyroblast would they truly begin to take shape.
Still—it didn't matter.
Even if these spells were designed for cannon fodder, the sixteen spells were incredibly valuable to Ted.
After all, the spell system in the wizarding world contained far fewer combat-oriented spells than Azeroth.
Azeroth faced world-ending crises every year.
This world didn't.
Although the training manual was only Green-rank Otherworld Knowledge, it was nearly as useful to Ted as the thin Psychic Ability Manual he had obtained earlier.
Especially the Arcane spells.
Those were absolutely worth studying in depth.
Old Tom watched Ted standing in front of him with a suitcase, ready to leave.
For a moment, he felt strangely dazed.
It seemed like only yesterday that the skinny boy had asked him about the cheapest room available.
Two months had passed in the blink of an eye.
Ted had gained a bit of weight.
He had grown noticeably taller as well.
Fortunately, the second-hand wizard robes he had bought earlier were a little oversized.
Otherwise they probably wouldn't fit anymore.
And now…
He was heading off to school.
Old Tom wondered if he was getting old.
Why else would he suddenly feel sentimental?
"Kid," he said, "study hard. Come back and visit when you have time."
Ted waved goodbye to him.
Then he pushed open the door of the Leaky Cauldron and stepped onto the street.
The crowd at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters in King's Cross Station was bustling.
People in strange robes wandered about, looking rather secretive.
Ted dragged along an old suitcase and carried a small leather case.
He wore second-hand wizard robes, his wand tucked safely on his person, and a one-way train ticket in his pocket.
He found the third pillar between Platforms Nine and Ten.
He reached out and touched it.
Solid.
Which meant he needed a little running start.
Walking calmly through wouldn't work.
You had to run straight into it.
The train was scheduled to depart at 11:00 a.m.
It was now 10:40.
Ted had left early enough.
But unfortunately the city buses hadn't been cooperative.
Luckily he wasn't late.
He charged forward and crashed straight into the pillar.
In the next instant—
The world before him changed.
Wizards and children wearing robes filled the platform.
Owls hooted everywhere.
Cats darted between people's legs.
This was Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
Beside the platform stood a red-and-black old steam locomotive.
The number 5972 was painted on the front.
If it had been 9527, that would have been legendary.
This train definitely wasn't built by wizards.
They probably didn't even understand how steam engines worked.
Most likely they had simply "appropriated" it from Muggles.
Ted boarded the train.
A corridor ran along the right side.
On the left were rows of small compartments.
The decor felt extremely nostalgic, like something from decades ago.
Ted walked past several compartments before finally finding Hermione—thanks to Ansu.
"There! Ted, over here!"
Hermione was standing at the compartment door, waving at him.
Ansu sat proudly on her shoulder.
"I thought you were going to be late!" she complained.
Ted chuckled.
"I underestimated the effects of a bus driver strike."
When Ted stepped inside, he saw that Hermione wasn't alone.
There were two other children already sitting in the compartment.
One was a chubby boy who looked shy and somewhat awkward.
He gave Ted a polite nod and an embarrassed smile.
The kind of smile that said social anxiety, but still tried to remain courteous.
The other boy was smaller than most children his age.
His eyes were sharp and lively—especially compared to the shy boy beside him.
On top of his head were two round ears, the same chestnut color as his hair.
Mouse ears.
He was clearly a demi-human.
During the past two months, Ted had seen demi-humans in Diagon Alley once or twice, but never spoken with one up close.
He hadn't expected to see one on the Hogwarts first-year train.
A mouse-ear tribe member.
That was a huge change.
A demi-human among this year's new students?
That was rather unbelievable.
Hermione excitedly began introducing everyone.
"This is Neville—Neville Longbottom. You know him, right?"
Oh yes.
I know him very well.
How could I not?