Hidden Grand Prize

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "So the safest place should have been on Headmaster Dumbledore himself. But he didn't keep that thing on him; he put it outside instead. He was deliberately waiting for someone to steal it. This should be Headmaster Dumbledore's plan."

Ron finally understood what Hermione meant. Rarely quick on the uptake, he caught the flaw in it.

"But what does that have to do with whether Snape is trying to steal something?"

"Yeah! What does it have to do with it?" Hermione looked at Brook.

"I'm touched by your thirst for knowledge," Brook said with a smile, "but what does this have to do with you?"

Harry opened his mouth, but said nothing.

He was utterly sick of Snape constantly targeting him, so he desperately wanted to catch Snape doing something bad and get him thrown out.

But he couldn't say that aloud, or it would make his judgment seem driven entirely by personal feelings.

"Fine, if you want to play detective, I won't stop you." Brook's expression turned serious.

"But I have to remind you: anyone worth Dumbledore's effort to set up such a trap for is definitely no simple character. There's a great deal of danger involved. Before you have enough ability to protect yourselves, safety must always come first."

He had no idea how much the appearance of a little butterfly like himself would alter the plot.

But with the system backing him, if he still couldn't beat Voldemort in a few years—

He might as well smash his head into a block of tofu and die.

At present, he had accumulated nine lottery draws.

[Pet Minerva McGonagall in her tabby cat form]

[Explore Hagrid's Hut]

[Have Severus Snape help with something]

[Skip class once]

[Ask Cuthbert Binns a question during History of Magic class]

[Brew a potion that satisfies Snape]

[Escape Argus Filch's pursuit]

[Earn 20 points for the house from Minerva McGonagall]

[Explore the headmaster's office]

All of these tasks had been completed.

Complete one more task, and he would have enough for a ten-draw pull.

Brook's gaze unconsciously drifted toward the Restricted Section.

One of the system's tasks was [Obtain a book from the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library].

It was the easiest task for him to complete right now.

If he wanted to do it, he would do it.

Brook had never been one to dawdle.

That night, after everyone in the dormitory had fallen asleep, he sat up.

He took out the Marauder's Map and lightly tapped it with his wand.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The lines on the map swiftly began to move, clearly showing the location of every person in the castle.

Dumbledore was on the Seventh Floor.

The other professors were all in their own rooms.

Filch and his cat were patrolling the sixth floor.

Snape was wandering around the fourth floor. It looked like he was on duty tonight.

The twins were in the kitchen. They had probably been unable to sleep in the middle of the night and had gone to scrounge food.

"Mischief managed!"

After confirming everyone's positions, Brook skillfully put away the Marauder's Map.

After casting the Disillusionment Charm on himself, he stepped through the Space Gate and arrived at the library.

The library was pitch-black at this hour, with an eerily strange silence.

It looked very much like the setting of one of those school ghost stories.

Brook's eyesight was excellent.

Even in this dim environment, he could clearly make out the titles of the books on the shelves.

He stepped over the rope separating the Restricted Section and entered it.

It was so easy that he felt a little unaccustomed to it.

The books in the Restricted Section came in all kinds of forms.

Some had covers that were badly decayed, giving off an ancient scent;

Some gleamed with an eerie light;

Some even had stains that looked like blood on them.

Other books seemed almost alive, and faint whispers drifted into his ears.

Brook's gaze quickly swept across the shelves before finally settling on a book in relatively good condition.

Its cover looked as though it had been forged from pure gold. It looked expensive.

He did not even carefully read the title before casually picking it up and placing it in the ring.

At the same time, the system's notification sounded in his mind.

[Congratulations, host. You have completed the task of obtaining a book from the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library. Reward: one lottery draw.]

With the task complete, Brook did not linger and left immediately.

Though he was curious about the books in the Restricted Section, the system's rewards were more tempting.

He would have plenty of time to read these books later. It was not like getting them would be difficult.

After returning, Brook took a shower as usual and even changed into a fresh set of clothes.

This was his first ten-draw pull!

He had to welcome it in the most solemn manner possible.

"Jade Emperor, Lord Lao, Tathagata Buddha, Taiyi Zhenren, Victorious Fighting Buddha, Third Prince Nezha, and Illustrious Sage True Lord Erlang, bless me."

Brook reverently bowed toward eight different directions.

This time, he had deliberately included several more deities.

The Shanhe Sheji Map was Taiyi Zhenren's treasure.

He was not asking them all to give him something.

Maybe if he worshipped a few more of them, he could keep getting equipment drops.

He had to fleece them hard.

After finishing his worship, he grandly waved a hand.

"System lottery, ten draws."

Yet what followed left him deeply disappointed.

[Thank you for participating]

[Thank you for participating]

...

[Thank you for participating]

Seeing eight consecutive [Thank you for participating] messages pop up on the screen, Brook's heart nearly sank to the bottom.

How could his luck with ten draws be worse than with five?

[Congratulations, host. You have obtained the special prize: Flying Pig]

Flying Pig (living creature): Capable of flight, can transform into various tools, can record images, and possesses master-level carving skills.

Brook's eyes instantly lit up.

This was good.

Flying Pig was quite adorable to begin with.

It could even transform into the Wind Fire Wheels beneath Nezha's feet.

Never mind its abilities—just that cool appearance alone made this ten-draw pull worth the price.

Suddenly, the roulette wheel before him erupted in a dazzling golden radiance, forcing him to quickly shut his eyes.

[Congratulations, host. You have obtained the hidden grand prize: Fetal Transformation]

One of the 36 Transformations.

Fetal Transformation: Allows the user to freely alter their appearance, transforming into other people, animals, or objects.

Based on the host's current circumstances, the magical power required to activate the technique has been converted to mana control.

The host may use it without concern.

Brook was startled. This system actually had hidden grand prizes?

Wasn't Fetal Transformation the ability Yang Jian and the Monkey King had used when they fought?

With it, he could transform into anything.

It was an absolutely god-tier skill for concealment and survival.

Brook could not help but fantasize.

The 36 Transformations!

If every ten-draw pull could yield one technique from the 36 Transformations—

Creation Manipulation, Yin-Yang Reversal, Star Shifting, Sun and Moon Restoration...

Every single one possessed the mighty power to reshape heaven and earth.

No matter which one he drew, he could become a god on the spot.

All right, maybe he was dreaming too big.

Even if he actually drew one, would he dare use it?

With the pitiful amount of mana in his body, he would probably die before he even finished casting it.

He was now very glad that he had included Nezha and Yang Jian in his worship.

Flying Pig had been given to Nezha by Taiyi Zhenren.

The 36 Transformations were even one of Yang Jian's signature techniques.

Just look at the things these two top-tier big shots had given him.

Then think of the Monkey King, whom he had sincerely worshipped every time, yet who had given him nothing at all.

What a disgrace to the Heavenly Court's three greatest rebels!