The Free-Range Chicken Wizard

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Regulus stood still, his mind racing with deductions.

During the two-second cooldown of the Sidestep Charm, use the Swift Charm to maintain your movement speed.

When encountering a straight path, use the Sprint Charm to accelerate; if you need to turn or stop abruptly, switch back to the Swift Charm.

When encountering obstacles or needing a high vantage point, activate the Levitation Charm to cross them, and immediately follow up with the Sidestep Charm to adjust your position after landing.

The key lies in the connection.

Switching between different spells takes time, and even a fraction of a second can be fatal in battle.

He needs to train the switching process to become instinctive, so that his body can begin to guide the Magic Power of the second spell before the effect of the first spell ends.

This isn't about creating new Magic; he's simply combining several old tools into a workflow.

It's like having a wrench, screwdriver, and hammer at hand; you can grab whichever you need, but you have to be quick and precise.

He suddenly remembered the Voldemort's Non-broom Flight Magic.

That thing flew like smoke, without Broomstick or Thestral, completely violating the principles of conventional flight Magic.

When Voldemort first used it, the members of the Order of the Phoenix were shocked, as it went against their understanding of Magic.

Moody had been on the front lines fighting the Dark Wizard, so he was certainly knowledgeable, but he was also shocked, and then he died.

All Death Eaters, even the core Death Eaters like Bellatrix and Barty Crouch Jr.., can only fly on Broomstick and cannot use Voldemort's Non-broom Flight Magic.

The official dictionary states that only a small number of core members were taught and controlled by Voldemort, but in reality, only Snape was among them.

Voldemort deliberately monopolized this Magic, treating it as an exclusive privilege for his core confidants. Snape's ability to learn it was partly due to his talent, and partly a reflection of Voldemort's trust in him.

Regulus had no doubt that he could learn it; if Snape could do it, there was no reason why he couldn't.

The question is how to get Voldemort to teach him, or how to get Snape to teach him.

Thinking about these things now is too far ahead, but they might be possible in the future.

Or he could develop it himself.

Regulus snapped out of his thoughts and raised his wand.

On the first attempt, the Sidestep Charm ended, and the body appeared ten meters away. The Magic Power was only just about to activate the Swift Charm when the body landed. That half-second delay was enough for the opponent to finish casting a Killing Curse.

The second time was better. While the Sidestep Charm was still active, he had already begun to prepare the Magic Power for the Swift Charm, and his speed increased the instant he landed.

But when he tried to turn, he wanted to use the Sprint Charm, but his Magic Power couldn't keep up, and he almost crashed into the wall.

The third, fourth, and fifth time.

The Magic effect itself is not difficult to achieve.

The Swift Charm makes you run fast, the Sprint Charm makes you glide and accelerate, the Sidestep Charm makes you teleport short distances, and the Levitation Charm makes you float at low altitudes.

The difficulty lies in using the correct spell at the right time, and in switching between them without any flaws.

But this wasn't difficult for Regulus.

His perception of Magic Power was precise enough that he could clearly grasp the critical point at which each spell took effect and faded.

The brain can simultaneously process three things: predicting movement paths, preparing for spell switching, and adjusting Magic Power output.

It's just like playing three games of Wizard's Chess at the same time; what others might find difficult is just routine practice for him.

An hour later, he was able to move smoothly around the Training Ground.

Use the Sidestep Charm followed by the Swift Charm to dash, then switch to the Sprint Charm to change direction. If you encounter a simulated low wall, use the Levitation Charm to jump over it, and the moment you land, use the Sidestep Charm again to create distance.

The movements became faster and faster, and the spells switched more and more smoothly.

A flash of white light on the body is the Swift Charm; feet gliding in an arc on the ground is the Sprint Charm; a blurry yet clear figure is the Sidestep Charm; and the body briefly leaving the ground is the Levitation Charm.

The four effects alternated almost without any pauses.

However, this tactic has its limits. If you are completely surrounded like in the Astronomy Tower passage, with narrow spaces and nowhere to hide, even the most agile movements cannot avoid all attacks.

It improves mobility, which is sufficient as long as you don't get into that situation again.

After all, wizards' battles are mostly against humans.

Regulus stopped, his breathing steady, showing little exertion.

He realized that wizards who specialized in combat must have studied these things.

Professor Flitwick was a dueling champion; did he rely on his two legs to move around?

Those Auror and Hit Wizard cannot possibly rely solely on Apparition when facing Dark Wizard.

Anti-Apparition Charm are not uncommon; to survive in actual combat, one must master multiple means of movement.

He had indeed overlooked this part before, focusing too much on advanced Magic and forgetting that the foundation of actual combat often lies in these ordinary techniques.

His father, Orion, didn't remind him, perhaps thinking it was too early, or perhaps wanting him to discover it himself.

Fortunately, he filled in the gap himself.

I exited the Room of Requirement and came back in, this time thinking about a real-world scenario.

The room responded to his request, Training Ground was transformed into a scene of ruins, with broken stone pillars, collapsed walls, and potholes and obstacles on the ground.

Sixteen Training Dummy were positioned in the corners; they were mobile and held fake magic wands, the tips of which began to gather Magic Power.

The first dummy emitted a red light, Repelling Charm.

He activated his Sidestep Charm, moving his body three meters to the left, the spell just brushing past him.

The Swift Charm activated the instant he landed, propelling him toward the nearest stone pillar.

The second dummy's spell followed, and he activated his Sprint Charm, gliding and changing direction in the narrow space. The spell struck the stone pillar, sending up debris.

The third dummy intercepted from the side, activated the Levitation Charm, lifted the body half a meter off the ground, and flew over a low wall.

The fourth dummy spell shot in from the air, and just as his Sidestep Charm's cooldown ended, he vanished and reappeared behind cover five meters away.

The spells Accio from all directions.

He kept moving, shifting and maneuvering.

Sidestep Charm dodge fatal attacks, Swift Charm close the distance or retreat, Sprint Charm traverse complex terrain, and Levitation Charm cross obstacles.

The four spells are used in rotation, and the rhythm gradually stabilizes, forming a routine.

There is indeed a physical burden; high-speed movement generates inertia, and sudden stops and turns impact muscles and joints.

However, his body, tempered by the Star Orbit Meditation, was strong enough to withstand the strain, and his Magic Power consumption was within a controllable range. After moving continuously for forty minutes, his breathing became slightly rapid.

The dummy stopped attacking, Training Ground returned to calm.

Regulus put away his wand; the strategy was set.

Although it's not perfect yet, it's already usable. The rest is about refining it in actual combat and adjusting the order and timing of spell usage according to specific situations.

But Regulus was well aware of the limitations of this combination; after all, it was still a team made up of free-range chickens.

The Levitation Charm would allow him to leave the ground, but at the speed of the spell, he dared not fly too high.

With no cover in the air and slow movement, they become easy targets if focused by concentrated fire.

This type of flight can only be used to cross obstacles and cannot be used as a primary mode of transportation.

He needs real flying Magic, the kind that doesn't rely on Broomstick or Magical Creature, but allows him to move freely in the air using only his own Magic Power.

Voldemort's Non-broom Flight Magic is the preferred choice.

That Magic was so unique; it drifted like smoke in the wind, moving quickly, turning nimbly, having a long range, and could even hover in the air.

His first appearance was on the way to 12 Grimmauld Place, Regulus's house, when the Order of the Phoenix escorted Harry Potter there.

Voldemort used that Magic to kill Moody and Hedwig owl while they were still moving.

Amazing results!

But Regulus had no reason to know of the existence of that Magic, much less to express a desire to learn it.

It was too dangerous for Regulus to show his need to Voldemort, Regulus was completely convinced that Voldemort would be happy to teach him if he wanted to.

Then, knowledge becomes valuable, and he has to pay a price.

Regulus couldn't help but ponder the principles behind that Magic.

Why can it fly?

Is it Dark Arts?

may be.

Voldemort mostly used Dark Arts spells, or to be precise, apart from his youth, few people have seen him not use Dark Arts.

But that's not necessarily true; some powerful Magic is just difficult, not necessarily evil.

Even Voldemort must possess legitimate Magic other than Dark Arts, and his mastery of it must be extremely profound.

Perhaps he fused several different systems of Magic to create something new.

Regulus did not know the answer.

He doesn't even have the right to guess. He hasn't seen the actual effect, doesn't know the spell's structure, and isn't even sure if the Magic has a fixed casting gesture.

He could only suppress these thoughts in his heart.

At this stage, mastering the Chicken-Run Tactics is the actual goal.

But the seed of that thought had already been planted.

As he left the Room of Requirement, he was still refining the details in his mind.

Can the two Sidestep Charm be used together?

Can the cooldown time be masked by other spell effects?

Back in the Dormitory, Avery and Alex were already asleep, their even breathing coming from under the bed curtains.

Regulus lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.

Tomorrow, Saturday, at 10 a. m., I need to go to the Headmaster's Office to see Dumbledore.

Their last conversation at the Astronomy Tower was brief; this is their first formal dialogue. What will Dumbledore ask?

Let's talk about ideals, paths, the future, and choices.

He didn't know, but he wasn't too worried.

In the Astronomy Tower Incident, and through his frequent visits to the Forbidden Section, Dumbledore's attitude was clear: he chose not to interfere, but would provide guidance when necessary.

He remembered the glimmer of light at Dumbledore's fingertips.

The kind of excessive vigilance and harsh guidance applied to Tom Riddle is unlikely to be used on him.

What Dumbledore saw in him, Dumbledore's reflections over the years, should be enough to make him adjust his strategy.

After all, Regulus performed very well.

If Dumbledore truly wanted to control or limit him...

Regulus silently twitched the corner of his mouth in the darkness.

There was nothing he could do; he couldn't just drop out of school.

But the possibility is very low.