Dinosaur Fossils, Talent Acquired

At Rhine's words, Hagrid's eyes instantly widened into perfect circles.

Sixty-five million years ago?

Merlin above, how long ago was that?

Hagrid had not even finished studying the History of Magic. The oldest figures he knew from the wizarding world were probably the four founders of Hogwarts.

Oh, right—Merlin, whom people constantly cursed under their breath, counted too. But that was only a few thousand years ago, nothing compared to the antiquity of dinosaurs!

Faced with such temptation, even though he had the task of taking Rhine to the wizarding world, Hagrid still could not hold himself back and followed Rhine toward the collection room.

When the door to the collection room opened, several restored Dinosaur Fossil specimens appeared before Hagrid across the dozen-meter-long space.

"Merlin, what are these?!"

Looking at these fossils he had never seen before, Hagrid's eyes were filled with fascination.

A smile appeared at the corner of Rhine's lips as he introduced them to Hagrid.

"This is a Triceratops, a herbivorous dinosaur. But its temperament could hardly be called gentle. Its massive size and weight were enough to trample most attackers into pulp."

"This one is a Pterosaur, a flying carnivorous dinosaur—the ruler of the skies."

"And these are Velociraptors, pack-dwelling carnivorous dinosaurs. Though small, they are cunning and vicious. They capture prey through skilled teamwork, and a pack of Velociraptors can often bring down prey much larger than themselves."

At that, Rhine shook his head rather regretfully.

"The Dinosaur Museum even planned to give me a Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil specimen to thank me for writing them a novel."

"But that thing was too big. My collection room simply couldn't fit it."

"If you're willing, Hagrid, I can take you to see it next time. It's the ruler of carnivores, the largest land carnivorous dinosaur."

Hagrid gulped, his mind reeling.

Just looking at these fossils filled him with happiness.

These "adorable" dinosaurs made him want to hug them to sleep at night.

There was a giant like a Tyrannosaurus Rex besides these?

The Triceratops was already huge. How big would a Tyrannosaurus Rex be?

It seemed the Muggle world had plenty of adorable animals too. I've missed out on far too many treasures!

After Hagrid came back to his senses, he could not stop praising Rhine's fossil collection.

"Beautiful. Truly beautiful."

He stared fixedly at those Dinosaur Fossils, looking as though he wanted to wrap them in his arms and kiss them.

Seeing that the atmosphere had been set just right, Rhine spoke directly.

"Hagrid, whichever fossil you like, just take it home."

Hagrid jumped in surprise.

"How could I do that?"

He was about to refuse, but Rhine said seriously, "These fossils only take up space here. Besides, I'm about to go to Hogwarts, so I won't be able to come back often to admire them."

"But if you're willing to look after them for me, they'll have an owner who understands how to appreciate their beauty. When I'm at Hogwarts, I can visit you to see them too. Wouldn't that be better?"

"Besides, I'm very curious about the magical creatures of the wizarding world. I'll give you fossil specimens, and once we get back to Hogwarts, you can show me some interesting magical creatures."

"It's rare to meet someone with such similar tastes. Hagrid, if you consider me a friend, don't refuse."

At those words, Hagrid's eyes reddened slightly. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away his tears.

He truly did not have many friends, and his fondness for dangerous magical creatures was not understood by others.

Meeting Rhine this time had truly struck a chord with him.

"All right, then. But my Gamekeeper's Hut isn't very big either, so I'll just take a Velociraptor fossil."

"Rhine, once you get to Hogwarts, you must come visit my hut. I have to give you something."

"I've also got plenty of little fellows full of surprises to show you."

"Let me tell you a secret: I've got connections all over the Forbidden Forest. Centaurs, Unicorns, and even more adorable creatures—I can take you to see them all."

As Hagrid spoke without pause, delight appeared on Rhine's face.

Because the information on the system screen had refreshed.

Your relationship with Yuan Hong has reached Casual Acquaintance.

You have obtained the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Talent. Blades and spears cannot harm you, water and fire cannot invade you, External Evils cannot afflict you, and it extends your lifespan.

Success!

He had finally successfully established a connection with Hagrid.

What Rhine found somewhat regrettable, however, was that although Hagrid was straightforward by nature, he would not treat a like-minded young wizard as a Close Friendship upon their first meeting.

Of course, Harry Potter and his friends were exceptions. That was a Life-and-Death Friendship passed down from the previous generation; Rhine naturally could not compare to that yet.

His relationship with Hagrid had now moved beyond Casual Acquaintance, but it had not yet reached the level of Close Friendship. He would not be able to obtain the Staff Mastery Talent this time.

But on second thought, he would have plenty of chances to deal with Hagrid after going to Hogwarts. Raising their relationship to the level of Close Friendship should not be difficult.

He had no immediate danger to deal with, so there was no need to rush to obtain that talent.

With the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Talent, his safety was already sufficiently guaranteed.

Claim reward?

Seeing the message appear on the system screen, Rhine took a deep breath.

How could he possibly hold back?

But he did not know whether claiming the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Talent would cause any changes.

To be safe, he should go somewhere without people.

He called out to Hagrid.

"Hagrid, my stomach feels a little upset. I'm going to the bathroom first."

"You can take your time looking and choose which fossil specimen you want to take. Once I come out, we'll head to the wizarding world."

Naturally, Hagrid had no objections. His eyes remained fixed hungrily on the Dinosaur Fossils.

Rhine hurried to the bathroom, locked the door behind him, and only then spoke to the system.

Claim reward.

The information on the screen refreshed in the next instant.

Current connections: Uncle Bigan (Life-and-Death Friendship), Spirit Crane (Close Friendship), Yuan Hong (Casual Acquaintance)

Current rewards: Seven Orifices Exquisite Heart Talent, Night Vision Talent, Wind Riding Talent, Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Talent

As Bronze Skin and Iron Bones appeared in the rewards column, Rhine instantly felt a vast torrent of heat surge from within his body, washing through all his flesh and blood.

Crack, crack. He felt as though his skin, flesh, and bones were continually becoming denser and sturdier.

He looked into the bathroom mirror and saw a faint bronze-gold sheen flowing across his skin, carrying an indestructible quality.

He tried flicking his skin with a finger and could vaguely hear the sound of metal striking metal!

But soon, that bronze-gold sheen sank back into Rhine's body.

That made him breathe a sigh of relief.

Otherwise, if he went outside looking like that, who knew how much attention he would attract? Now, he was far more inconspicuous, with no visible sign of anything unusual.

And at that moment, aside from the powerful sense of security—as though nothing in the world could destroy him—Rhine also felt a strength capable of tearing tigers and leopards apart growing within his bones and flesh!