Bronze Skin and Iron Bones, Eight-Nine Arcane Arts Cultivation Method!

"???"

Rhine looked at the system's suggestion that he kneel and beg for mercy to save his life, utterly speechless.

You damn system, could you have a little dignity?

Was Yuan Hong really that strong? He was a dignified disciple of the Chan Sect, with a proper lineage. Yet in the system's eyes, encountering Yuan Hong meant certain doom?

But when Rhine recalled Yuan Hong's performance in Fengshen, he suddenly felt that the system's advice to beg for mercy did seem reasonable.

After all, this was someone who could fight Yang Jian to a standstill. A white ape who had attained the Dao, possessed Bronze Skin and Iron Bones, and knew the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts.

Yang Jian had needed numerous helpers to capture him alive, and in the end, they had still needed the Immortal-Slaying Flying Knife to truly kill Yuan Hong.

He was an absolute monster, not someone a newly initiated "disciple of the Chan Sect" like Rhine could compare to.

Then Rhine's heart began to burn with excitement.

What could he gain if he befriended Hagrid?

"System, could you dream a little bigger and let me see?"

Rhine murmured in his mind. Dense information immediately appeared across the light screen before him.

Achieving casual acquaintance with Yuan Hong grants: Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Talent. Impervious to blades and spears, immune to water and fire, untouched by evil influences, and prolongs life.

Achieving Close Friendship with Yuan Hong grants: Staff Mastery Talent. With a One-Qi Water-Fire Staff in hand, even Immortal Gods must lower their heads!

Achieving Life-and-Death Friendship with Yuan Hong grants: Eight-Nine Arcane Arts Cultivation Method. An invincible physical body that can elevate the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Talent into an indestructible body, while also allowing one to transform into all things in the world. Wonderfully profound.

Rhine's eyes widened.

Fuck!

The easiest relationship to achieve, casual acquaintance, could already grant the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Talent?

Impervious to blades and spears, immune to water and fire, and it even prolonged his life?

Wasn't that safety rating completely maxed out?

Although he was not some mutant white ape like Yuan Hong and definitely would not be as absurdly powerful, ordinary curses would probably feel like nothing more than a scratch.

The key was that this thing prolonged life!

Voldemort had gone through all that trouble to make Horcruxes for the sake of immortality.

Yet he was the one who died early.

If he knew that simply making friends with Hagrid could grant a talent capable of extending one's lifespan, his eyes would probably turn green as he roared, "What the hell are Horcruxes good for?!"

Besides that, the Staff Mastery Talent seemed pretty good too.

It might not sound all mystical and impressive, but any talent that let him beat people up was a good talent.

Was the Thousand-Year Basilisk formidable? Was its magical resistance something ordinary?

Yet it had not died to any magic in the end. Harry Potter, a second-year student, had stabbed it to death with one sword.

Was Nagini formidable? She had a whole pile of Voldemort's protective spells on her.

Yet Neville had still killed her with one sword.

This showed that sometimes blades, spears, and staves were a damn sight more useful than magic!

If he got this staff-fighting talent from Yuan Hong, it would not be unreasonable for Rhine to call himself invincible in close combat, right?

These two talents were already exceptionally good, but compared to the reward for achieving Life-and-Death Friendship with Hagrid, they were worlds apart.

Rhine's gaze burned.

Eight-Nine Arcane Arts Cultivation Method!

It was a top-tier cultivation method even in the Primordial world. If he could cultivate this, why the hell would he need to learn magic?

Bring over the Hogwarts Four Founders, Merlin, Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Voldemort.

Rhine would fight all ten of them!

Then Rhine looked at Hagrid before him as though he were some priceless treasure.

Kneel and beg for mercy?

System, go sit at the children's table.

He was definitely making Hagrid his friend. Not even Voldemort could stop him!

At that moment, Hagrid felt rather strange.

He was already used to people looking at him with odd, frightened eyes.

After all, even in the wizarding world, a Half-Giant's bloodline drew unusual looks.

But Hagrid had truly never experienced the way Rhine was looking at him.

Why did it seem as though he could not wait to swear brotherhood with him?

After a moment, Hagrid suppressed his discomfort and spoke to Rhine.

"Professor McGonagall, the deputy headmistress, was supposed to come get you, but she's been far too busy lately. I'm helping her out these past few days, so I'll take you to the wizarding world."

"My name is Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."

"Where are your parents? Parents can come along the first time you visit the wizarding world."

Rhine extended a hand toward Hagrid.

"My name is Rhine, Rhine Snow."

"I don't have parents. I'm an orphan."

Hagrid froze at those words.

In his eyes, someone living in a manor like this and attended by so many servants had to be some kind of Muggle aristocrat. He had never imagined Rhine was an orphan.

He hurriedly said, somewhat at a loss, "Sorry, I didn't know..."

Rhine merely waved a hand and replied calmly.

"It's all right. I grew up in an orphanage, and later, I had a little talent for writing, which let me buy a mansion like this."

"Oh, right, Hagrid. You're Hogwarts' groundskeeper?"

"Does Hogwarts have hunting grounds?"

Hagrid froze again, not expecting Rhine to ask such a question.

He scratched his head.

"There are hunting grounds, but hunting isn't allowed. They're actually for raising magical creatures for the school."

"My main job is patrolling the Forbidden Forest. Well, you probably don't know what the Forbidden Forest is. Anyway, young wizards aren't allowed in there, but there are plenty of adorable, furry animals inside."

As soon as Hagrid finished speaking, Rhine's eyes lit up.

"Magical creatures?"

"Are they species unique to the wizarding world?"

"To be honest, I especially like animals. The bigger and fiercer they are, the better."

"Big is beautiful, fierce is adorable, and animals that are both big and fierce are the most adorable of all!"

Hagrid's eyes lit up as well, as though he had met a kindred spirit.

"You think so too?"

"Exactly. Some of the animals I keep often frighten people, but I think they're incredibly adorable."

Rhine inwardly sneered.

Yes, adorable. Extremely adorable.

The Forbidden Forest was full of Acromantulas you raised. Ron had nearly died of how adorable they were.

But now that he had gotten Hagrid talking, Rhine took the chance to press on.

"Hagrid, have you ever heard of dinosaurs?"

Confusion appeared in Hagrid's eyes, along with curiosity and a hint of eager anticipation.

"Dinosaurs?"

"Dragons?"

"Merlin's beard, I've wanted to raise one for ages! But what kind of creature is a dinosaur? I've never heard of it."

A smile appeared at the corner of Rhine's lips.

"Dinosaurs aren't dragons from the wizarding world. They were creatures from the Muggle world sixty-five million years ago. They were once the rulers of this world, but later, they may have gone extinct because of climate change or some enormous catastrophe."

"Now, the only things left to see are fossils that have been excavated."

"As it happens, I have several specimens here as collectibles. Would you like to see them?"