Let Your Dad Switch Your Roommate

Andros reached out and tapped his own temple.

His tone carried a hint of frustration: "Knowledge is important for a wizard, but remember this: throughout history, even after I'm long dead, no wizard has ever become the strongest by just burying their nose in books."

He paused, then suddenly threw out a question: "What do you think is the most essential thing for a wizard?"

Tom didn't even hesitate, blurting out, "Magic power and willpower, obviously. Is that even a question? Put those two together, use a spell as a trigger, and you can reshape reality."

This was the most basic of basics; which book hadn't written that?

Andros shook his head, his tone smug: "You missed the most critical one—emotion."

Tom was stunned on the spot, scratching his head: "Isn't willpower just emotion? I've scoured every book I have, and no one has ever separated the two."

Andros didn't waste words. He slid his rarely used wand from his sleeve, raised it above his head, and shouted in a deep voice: "Expecto Patronum!"

A giant-like Patronus erupted into existence, carrying an oppressive aura.

As Andros spoke, the giant's voice resonated, buzzing through the space: "Powerful magic, firm willpower, and abundant emotion."

"Magic is the root, the foundation of your spellcasting; willpower governs whether the spell succeeds—the firmer the intent, the smoother the magic flows. But emotion? Emotion determines how much power a spell can unleash."

"Remember this, Tom: magic is, at its core, idealistic. The heart can be infinitely vast, but it needs something to anchor it. That anchor is emotion."

"Talent is important, but those with enough emotion can often kick through their own ceilings and soar to heights you can't even imagine. The trouble those Slytherin kids are giving you is a trial, a way for you to find that perfect balance between willpower and emotion. Treasure it, kid; not everyone gets this kind of luck."

Andros's words struck Tom's ears like a bell toll.

He stood frozen, unable to process it for a long time. The words sounded simple, but upon reflection, they pierced the very heart of magic, too profound to digest all at once.

For the first time, Tom voluntarily activated his Transcendental State, clearing his mind of everything else just to etch these words into his memory, wasting not a single syllable.

Ten minutes passed in a flash. The boy's unfocused eyes slowly brightened, an indescribable aura settling over him, his gaze growing sharper.

He mimicked Andros, raising his wand high, and gritted his teeth: "Expecto Patronum!"

Silvery-white mist surged out with a "poof," slowly molding into a human shape according to his intent.

But compared to Andros's Patronus, which had clear features and a terrifying build, Tom's was barely a silhouette, only a size larger than himself.

Even so, it made Andros's eyebrows fly up in shock, nearly causing him to lose his footing.

In truth, Tom had been able to manifest a corporeal Patronus by the third day of learning the charm, but Andros had personally swatted it away.

Simply put, once a form was set, the effort required to change it into his unique style was enough to make one cough up blood.

Andros himself had practically shed a layer of skin to achieve it back in the day, so he naturally didn't want Tom to take that unnecessary detour.

And this initial shaping was precisely the hardest hurdle.

Andros had only intended to adjust Tom's mindset so he wouldn't just rot away in books, but he hadn't expected this pleasant surprise. His grin stretched nearly to his ears.

[Teacher 'Andros' recognition of Host reached 50%, reward drawing... Complete.]
[Congratulations to Host, obtained talent 'Absolute Justice'.]
[Absolute Justice: When Host uses non-Dark magic attack spells, power is amplified; the degree of amplification increases with magic power growth.]
[First private teacher recognition reached 50%, unlocked 'Physical Practice' function.]
[Physical Practice: Teacher can use Host's body to cast magic, improving teaching efficiency. Time limit: 5 minutes. For every 1 point of recognition gained, duration extends by 10 seconds. Cooldown: 24 hours. (Host can end the state at any time to reclaim body control)]

As soon as the reward arrived, Tom's Patronus ballooned like a balloon, growing to two meters tall, its outline becoming significantly clearer.

Andros remained in the dark, unaware that Tom wasn't just reaping his teachings but also pilfering his talents.

He sighed repeatedly: "Damn, this kid's talent is even more monstrous than I estimated!"

Tom savored the mystical sensation of summoning a humanoid Patronus before slowly cutting off his magic output.

Though the Transcendental State had faded, a lingering spark of inspiration remained. He grabbed Andros and began firing off questions that had just popped into his head.

These were questions that even elite Aurors might not be able to answer, as most Aurors only knew how to use "techniques" and lacked deep theoretical foundations.

But to Andros, this was child's play; he could answer them with his eyes closed.

In his era, the system of "techniques" hadn't yet solidified; if one wanted to make magic flourish, these theories had to be pondered and perfected bit by bit.

Despite his berserker appearance and explosive temper, Andros was, strictly speaking, a true academic heavyweight—he just didn't like to show it.

An hour later, the two finally stopped. Andros taught Tom two more spells—nothing fresh, just "ancient" magic.

Fortunately, they weren't difficult: one could detect if food was poisoned, and the other was a trap-trigger spell that would automatically deploy a protective shield if someone ambushed him.

Tom memorized the incantations until they were second nature before exiting the Study Space.

The three in the dormitory were already snoring thunderously, but Tom lay with his eyes wide open, unable to sleep.

He had truly tasted the power of the Transcendental State; in critical moments, ten minutes could equal half a month of grueling practice.

He stared at the three hundred or so credits in the system and couldn't help but sigh: "When will I ever be wealthy? This life is impossible..."

Many things only happen zero times or infinite times. Having used the Transcendental State once, Tom's mind began calculating the second and third time.

But reality dealt him a heavy blow—his financial strength didn't allow it.

In the month since he awakened the system, he had been grinding every day just to save these few hundred credits.

It wasn't for lack of effort; the daily expenses were the problem. Using the Study Space for three hours, or sometimes six or seven, was incredibly draining.

Over these days, by learning spells and achieving various minor milestones, his achievement points were nearing a hundred, but his credits were accumulating slower than a snail.

However, seeing the achievement point total, Tom's mind stirred: what if he recruited another teacher?

One hundred achievement points could summon a King Realm wizard as a teacher.

Andros was great in every way, except he wasn't familiar with the modern magical system, meaning Tom usually had to learn the basics first before asking him for guidance.