Basil felt an extraordinarily strange connection form between his body and the black leather-bound book before his eyes.
This connection transcended bloodlines and was not simply a fusion of souls.
It was as though it had become another him.
The black leather-bound book flipped open by itself, revealing the first page.
ID: 000000001 Grimoire Level: 1 Name: Ryan Smith / Basil Granger Race: Wizard Enrollment Date: 1991/07/27 Health: 10+5 Magic: 7+3 Luck: 3~7 Family Traits: Plant Affinity (Awakened), Potions Mastery
In the upper-right corner was a three-dimensional image of a blond, blue-eyed boy.
"Hmm, that's it for the personal information, and there are changes too."
"Never mind everything else that disappeared for now. Attack has become Magic, and the Exploration stat is gone as well."
"Health changed the most."
"Luck has also become a dynamic value."
"There's an additional Family Trait too."
"That makes sense." Basil looked at the Devil's Snare growing in the corridor.
Before his memories had awakened,
he had only known that it was Devil's Snare.
But Devil's Snare was a dangerous plant.
It could extend snake-like tendrils to entangle anyone who approached, injuring or killing them.
Yet before the Grimoire awakened his so-called Family Trait, it had never attacked him.
And now, he even had the illusion that he could control it by pouring magic into it.
"And besides..." Basil touched his eyes.
His eyes seemed to have merged with the System Component Magic Camera.
It gave him photographic memory.
From now on, everything his eyes saw would be stored in the album that was his brain, like a series of photographs.
Spells, Magical Creatures, and magical items he saw could also be recorded first, then replicated into cards later by consuming energy.
Just like now, a camera shutter only Basil could hear clicked, followed by the rustle of gems decreasing.
Gems: 1000 (-500)
A moving image of Devil's Snare appeared on the second page of the Grimoire.
Magical Plant: Devil's Snare Level: 1 Magic Cost: 2 Summons Devil's Snare. When enemy units exist in the fan-shaped area ahead, Devil's Snare extends its tendrils to entangle enemy units and pull the bound enemy units toward itself. Health: 130 Damage: 10 Damage per Second: 2 Fire Weakness: -50 Attack Interval: 5s Attack Range: 10m Target: Ground Movement Speed: Unable to Move Grimoire Level: 1 (900/100)
"Summoning Card, get!"
Basil put his hands on his hips, feeling more confident about the future.
Besides, the game did not have only the Grimoire Component remaining.
The others had not been activated merely because they were incomplete, missing, or did not meet the requirements.
Namely, he had not yet officially become a Hogwarts student.
The remaining fragments could be repaired through energy.
As for the missing parts, Basil could spend energy to travel to their corresponding worlds and retrieve them.
And this energy was not limited by source or quality.
Sunlight from the material world, magic on the spiritual level, accumulated knowledge on the conceptual level, and deviations in worldlines on the level of worlds could all be converted into energy.
After the game became real, this act of collecting energy was essentially paying to win.
An increase in the number of gems represented an increase in energy.
It seems that as long as I'm alive, the number of gems will increase? Basil thought.
He had noticed the gems he had gained after the game became real in the upper-right corner of his mind.
Their number was gradually increasing with time.
Gems: 500 (+0.001/s)
"One minute makes 0.06, one hour makes 3.6, and one day makes 86.4 gems."
"That makes sense. If not for the System, I would have died."
"As long as I live for one day, the worldline will shift a little."
"Not to mention that although I'm in a cave, there's still light."
"The game—no, the System Component Grimoire can also collect some energy when exposed to sunlight."
"Then those 0.001 gems should come from worldline deviation plus energy converted from sunlight."
"But traveling between worlds requires 30,000."
"Gasp! Merlin's Beard! I'll need nearly 342 days to save enough!"
"No, I can't keep fantasizing." Basil shook his head.
Since the System could not offer him much help at the moment,
he needed to figure out how to live.
Especially with Fenrir Greyback lying in wait outside.
Basil left the living room and entered the winding corridor.
He spent an entire afternoon
taking stock of the storage rooms, dressing rooms, kitchen, wine cellar, recreation room—the room for eating, playing cards, and keeping books no one had read for centuries—and several bedrooms on both sides of the corridor, as well as the bathroom and toilet.
Basil discovered that the house only had some smoked meat, eggs, and flour left.
There were only 2 Galleons, 17 Sickles, and 40 Knuts remaining.
Although some hens were free-range outside the house, which looked like a small hill and stood within a cave, and some vegetables were growing there,
this Hobbit-hole-like dwelling was currently his only safe fortress.
"Food will last another seven days. There's purified water converted from groundwater."
"It's July 27 now. School starts on September 1."
"I come from a wizarding family, so no professor will come by."
"But if I don't reply, Hogwarts should send a professor over within seven days."
In the kitchen, Basil paced back and forth.
He considered the arrangements to come.
"No! I need to take the initiative!"
Before the sun had completely set,
Basil left the kitchen.
He opened the heavy cast-iron door
and entered the entry room, which contained nothing except a gilded book sculpture—the room housing the second, magically significant entrance to this cave aside from the main door.
Basil walked over.
With practiced ease, he placed his hand on the book's cover.
Blue light flashed, and the blond boy vanished from where he stood.
A mile away, warm light suddenly filled a treehouse high up in a redwood tree.
After placing the permanent Door Key—the book sculpture—on a stool,
Basil looked around the room, passing over the fireplace that had lit itself, a small basin of sparkling powder, and Snowy Owl Fenda, who was hopping about excitedly on the shelf, before walking to the desk.
He pulled out a piece of parchment, picked up a quill, dipped it in ink, and began writing furiously.
Dear Professor McGonagall:
There is something I need your help with.
I am an orphan. Both of my parents are dead.
My grandmother passed away a month ago.
She once mentioned a name to me—Fenrir Greyback.
She said he might have his eyes on our family.
I didn't take it seriously before, but when I went out today, he attacked me.
Fortunately, I made it back home in time.
Our home also has complete protective charms that prevent him from entering.
But there is not much food left at home.
I hope you can come as soon as possible and drive him away.
Your future student, Basil Granger
"Ha ha, take my righteous report!" Basil let out a sigh of relief.
He stroked Fenda's little head as it came over, then fed him a piece of dried mouse.
Then he had Fenda carry the letter away.
Before you continue