Balzar's Lightning

On Wednesday night, in a familiar empty classroom on the eighth floor of the castle, Silas was carrying out his "daily training." He had just successfully stabilized the release of a new spell from the third tier of his skill tree—Balzar's Lightning. A crackling bolt of greenish energy precisely blasted a straw dummy in front of him into charred fragments. Its power was indeed a notch above the LV5 Claws of Denak.

He clapped his hands in satisfaction but immediately felt the magical energy consumed within him, and couldn't help but complain, "The power is greater, but this magic consumption is too harsh, isn't it? It feels like I'll be wiped out after casting it a dozen times."

[That's only natural,] the System's voice chimed in, with a hint of "you finally noticed." [Advanced spells naturally require more energy to drive them. However, host, haven't you noticed? The speed at which you've mastered this new spell is much faster than when you were learning Claws of Denak.]

Silas froze for a moment, recalling. It was true; from unlocking Balzar's Lightning to being able to release it stably, he had only spent a few nights practicing. Back then, it had taken him quite some time to level Claws of Denak from LV1 to LV5.

"Huh? Now that you mention it... it seems so! Why am I learning faster?" Silas also felt a bit strange.

The System explained in a tone of "you've finally gotten it": [You need to understand that Claws of Denak and Ring of the Ragaddor, though basic skills, are essentially making you repeatedly practice and master two of the most core principles of Vishanti Magic—energy burst and energy shaping.]

As the System explained, the skill tree interface in front of Silas automatically expanded. The nodes for Claws of Denak and Ring of the Ragaddor were highlighted and extended countless tiny streams of light, connecting to higher-level spells.

[See,] the System continued its analysis, [Balzar's Lightning, despite its different form and properties, is still an extension and strengthening of the 'energy burst' principle. You have already mastered the art of 'how to release energy efficiently and powerfully' through Claws of Denak. Therefore, when you learn Balzar's Lightning, which is also based on the 'burst' principle but has a more complex manifestation, it's naturally twice the result with half the effort, a natural progression.]

[Similarly,] the System highlighted Ring of the Ragaddor again, [when you start practicing Seraphim Shield or Vishanti Holy Sword, which are also based on the 'energy shaping' principle, you will find that because you have a solid foundation from Ring of the Ragaddor, the learning process will be much smoother.]

Silas suddenly realized: "So that's how it is! It's like learning math; once you're proficient with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, learning more complex equations and functions becomes easier because you have the foundation! So I'm not just 'grinding skill proficiency,' but building a foundation and understanding the principles!"

[Bingo!] the System affirmed, [This is the meaning of the skill tree. It's not just a list of spells; it's a path guiding you to understand the essence of magic and to gradually master higher powers. Your solid (though a bit lazy) foundational practice from before is now beginning to pay off.]

Silas immediately felt energized, the tedium of practicing basic skills vanishing. He understood that every seemingly repetitive practice was paving the way for greater power in the future.

"That's great! Then I need to put in more effort and learn Seraphim Shield soon!" He rubbed his hands together, ready to continue practicing.

However, at that moment, he inadvertently glanced at the magical clock on the wall displaying the real time.

"Oh, my Astronomy class!" Silas let out a wail, "There's still half an hour until class!"

He finally remembered that he had Astronomy class at nine tonight! One of his least favorite classes!

"Why do wizards need to observe the stars?" Silas grumbled indignantly as he frantically tidied up the scene (mainly repairing the shattered dummy with a Reparo charm), "Is it for fortune-telling? Or for navigating flying broomsticks? It's probably something Rowling just made up to fill the class schedule, right? Utterly impractical!"

[There's a possibility,] the System chimed in, [After all, the wizarding world doesn't even have GPS (satellite positioning), so navigating by the stars does sound a bit primitive. But speaking of which, your third-tier spells...]

"I know, I know! Practicing spells is important, but being killed by Professor McGonagall for skipping class is worse!" Silas interrupted the System's "sales pitch," sighing helplessly, and conjured a Portal to Ravenclaw Tower. "Forget it, I accept my fate, I'll go to Astronomy class. I hope the clouds are thick tonight so it ends early..."

He muttered to himself as he stepped into the Portal, heading to what he considered the "most boring" class. The System, meanwhile, silently noted: the host's level of dislike for Astronomy class might become a new motivation to urge him to practice Portal spells (to quickly escape the classroom).

Astronomy class was held in Hogwarts' tallest tower. The cold night wind blew through the frameless arched windows, making many students shiver. Professor Sinistra was guiding students in observing the night's constellations with brass telescopes, explaining the characteristics of Saturn's rings.

However, in a relatively sheltered corner of the tower, a scene that was out of place with the classroom atmosphere appeared.

Silas Cyril had, at some point, given up on operating his expensive telescope. He was sitting directly on the ground, leaning against the cold stone wall. His head was tilted to one side, his eyes closed, his breathing even and deep, emitting faint snores.

"ZZZ..."

Even more remarkably, his dark red Levitating Cloak was currently spread out like a living blanket, covering him snugly. Even the collar was carefully tucked in, revealing only his peaceful (or rather, soundly sleeping) face. Illuminated by the cool moonlight and the faint glow from distant telescopes, he looked... very serene, as if he were there to meditate rather than attend class.

Hermione Granger, sitting nearby, was the first to notice his unusual state. She was diligently recording observation data when she turned her head and saw Silas like this, startling her. She quickly put down her quill, squatted down, and gently nudged Silas's shoulder, calling out softly:

"Silas? Silas? Wake up! Class is in session!"

Silas showed no reaction, only smacking his lips as if dreaming of something delicious, his snores continuing.

Harry Potter, sitting not far away, also noticed the commotion. He leaned over, looked at Silas's "serene" sleeping posture, and asked Hermione with some concern, "Is... is he okay? Did he faint?"

Hermione glared at Harry, her tone tinged with nervousness, "Don't jinx it! He's just sleeping!"

Their commotion attracted Professor Sinistra's attention. The gentle astronomy professor walked over and was stunned by the scene. She looked at Silas sleeping soundly on the ground, then at his magical cloak that was clearly "taking care" of him, and a wry smile appeared on her face.

She seemed to recall something, sighed softly, and with a tone of understanding and helplessness, waved her hand at Hermione and Harry, lowering her voice:

"Uh... never mind, let him sleep. I think, regarding Saturn's rings and basic celestial navigation knowledge... he probably heard it here once a few years ago."

Hermione and Harry looked at the professor in surprise. Hermione recalled that Silas had indeed lived at Hogwarts for four years, so it was entirely possible he had taken some courses in advance. Harry, on the other hand, was confused, not understanding what "a few years ago" meant.

Professor Sinistra didn't explain further, merely gesturing for Hermione and Harry to return to their telescopes and not disturb Silas. She continued to patrol and guide other students, only occasionally shaking her head with a helpless sigh as she passed Silas, a forgiving smile on her lips.

And so, in Hogwarts' highest astronomy tower, while other students craned their necks to observe the stars and take notes, Silas Cyril slept soundly under the protection of his magical cloak, becoming a unique and peaceful sight in that Astronomy class.