Spell Upgrade

"Acupunct Internus!" The student from Newmontgard showed no disdain for Sean, who was learning for the first time. Although he had acted nonchalantly before, he instantly cast the spell after it began.

"Acupunct Internus!" To his surprise, the handsome Hogwarts freshman opposite him, who made him somewhat unhappy, also used it!

How could that be? He had only seen a demonstration once... The tall student's eyes widened, and he barely dodged the curse with a rather clumsy roll.

"Mori, no way, no way?" Laughter from the Newmontgard students came from behind.

Mori ignored his gloating classmates and stared intently at Sean across from him.

Fortunately, I remembered the professor's teachings to never underestimate an opponent... Mori became increasingly calm.

Sean simply shifted his body to the side to dodge the spell, and a sense of unease crept into his mind.

These elites of Newmontgard don't seem that strong...

Before this, Sean had never fought a wizard of his own age, so he remained vigilant and did not launch an attack right away.

Looking at the tall man whose posture wasn't very graceful but whose expression suddenly became serious and alert, Sean suddenly understood something.

He had been underestimating his opponent, hadn't he?

Then I'll give it my all... Sean's wand swiftly traced the spell's path in mid-air.

"Acupunct Internus!"

"Acupunct Internus!"

A strange situation arose in the classroom: Mori was completely overwhelmed by a young wizard who had just started his first class.

He didn't even have time to fight back; he was only concerned with rolling on the ground to avoid the curse.

Sean's expression grew increasingly serious: Was the other party planning something big?

Thinking of this, he moved even faster.

Mori barely dodged a spell, his forehead already beaded with sweat. He finally understood what it meant to be in agony. His wand hadn't even finished tracing its path before the spell came hurtling towards him, giving him no time to catch his breath.

Is this person Merlin's illegitimate son?! Mori roared inwardly, dodging another curse.

A sense of powerlessness and humiliation welled up inside him. Given his opponent's skill level, they could have easily hit him to end the practice, yet he had only managed to...

Sean, however, remained highly focused. He realized that his skill level was still far behind; the other person's dodging ability was incredibly strong!

Suddenly, he felt his movements quicken.

The Stinging Hex has been upgraded.

"Acupunct Internus!"

The spell finally struck Mori after the practice had progressed to this point.

"Aaaaaah—!" Mori collapsed to his knees, letting out a heart-wrenching scream.

Everyone was startled by the sudden sight. Mori was kneeling on the ground, veins bulging on his forehead, eyes rolled back, and his whole body was trembling violently.

The piercing screams emanating from his mouth told everyone the extent of his suffering.

"Practice over!" Riddle narrowed his eyes slightly and stood between the two.

However, the Stinging Hex was not the Cruciatus Curse after all. Mori wailed for a while, the effect of the curse finally wore off.

He collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his eyes vacant.

The Hogwarts students looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Professor Riddle said this spell can be used... for pranks?"

"He'll probably be locked up for a semester..."

Riddle checked on Mori and found that he was only exhausted from the pain and was otherwise unharmed. He stood up and looked at Sean with a strange expression.

Sean spread his hands innocently. "Professor, I just released the spell according to your instructions."

Riddle smiled slightly, "Yes... it was just an accident. I think Mr. Mori might be a bit sensitive to this curse."

"Do wizards also have allergies to spells...?" Sean thought to himself.

He knew very well that this was the effect of his upgraded Stinging Hex.

As Riddle turned around to let everyone continue practicing, Sean narrowed his eyes slightly.

He had been wondering how the system could classify something as Dark Arts when it was just some stinging effect, but now it seemed that the spell could be considered a weaker version of the Cruciatus Curse.

"Acupunct Internus"

Inside the classroom, the students who had started practicing became hesitant and timid. Those from Hogwarts were alright; they weren't skilled to begin with, and after what had just happened, they couldn't even unleash their abilities.

The students of Newmontgard were different. It wasn't the first time they had used this spell, nor was it the first time they had practiced it on each other. However, Mori's screams just now made them all uneasy.

Some people have started deliberately prolonging the incorrect intonation of the incantation, "Acupunct Internus."

After all, the Mori lying on a mat made them feel a little guilty.

Sean stood there somewhat bored, noticing that everyone else was looking at him with strange expressions.

Riddle doesn't seem to be planning to arrange another practice partner for him.

He glanced at the crowd, then walked toward the Newmontgard.

"Can I join you?" Sean gave a polite smile.

"No... I'm busy right now." The two men wanted to refuse Sean bluntly, but then Mori on the mat let out a soft gasp, and they forced a smile and politely declined Sean.

Sean looked at the other students of Newmontgard, but the first-year students all avoided his gaze.

That's no fun...

Bored, Sean glanced at Riddle, who was leaning against the podium staring at everyone, but a closer look revealed that his eyes were unfocused, as if he were lost in thought.

He quietly opened the system panel and took a look.

Acupunct Internus (Dark Arts) Lv1: Proficiency 30/5000

This was the first curse that allowed Sean to level up in just one class.

Dark Arts Talent 10 is really useful...

After standing there bored all morning, the first lesson on Magical Attack and Defense finally came to an end.

"That's all for this lesson. I won't assign any homework. Remember to review on your own during your free time," Riddle announced with a smile.

It was as if nothing unexpected had happened during the lesson just now.

"Alright, class dismissed. Oh, I almost forgot, Ravenclaw twenty points." Riddle smiled at Sean.

Amidst the complex gazes of those around him, Sean put his wand away.

He gave a friendly greeting to the pale-faced Mori, and then left the classroom.

After everyone had left the classroom, Riddle stretched his neck, his smile gradually fading, and stood alone by the podium for a long time.

The box by the wall started shaking again, and Riddle went over and grabbed the noisy Gnome.

The little creature bared its teeth and claws, constantly emitting sharp cries.

"Oh, oh, poor little thing, I forgot to feed you, didn't I?"

Riddle smiled again and pointed at the Gnome.

"Avada Kedavra"

These past few days, due to work and also because I've been constantly thinking about how to make sure the plot is flawless, the update time has been much later than usual. I apologize in advance. However, although the update time is delayed, I will still guarantee two chapters per day. In addition, because of the lateness these past few days, I will add an extra chapter after the book is published as an apology. Please remember that.