"The game will be offline for a version update from October 31 at 23:30 to November 1 at 00:30. The details are as follows:"
"1. Main story update: after defeating the troll with Ella Thornwood's help and discovering how to use the Crystal of Time, you have been commissioned by the blacksmith to find out why monsters keep appearing in the mine. What is the truth behind it all? Let's wait and see."
"2. Tracing Time rate-up banner update: this banner's featured character is our newest addition, Hornless Demon Emeric. May you get two golds in a ten-pull and nail it in a single pull."
"3. Limited-time Halloween events will begin, including but not limited to Halloween check-ins, overworld drops, and raid bosses. Please log in when the events begin for details."
"4. Friends and chat systems are now available. Players can borrow friends' characters, give gifts, hold hands while farming monsters, chat in the public channel, send private messages, and more. Please mind your language. Using insulting language may result in a mute or, in more serious cases, an account ban."
Lorne had finally finished the friends system. A game without interaction was missing a little soul, after all.
After editing the announcement, Lorne merged the second storage component into the game itself.
"Now I can slack off for ages." Lorne stretched, feeling refreshed.
Once someone got busy, it was hard to stop. Lorne even wanted to spend a little more time reading that book about souls.
After studying it for so long, Lorne had gained something. At the very least, he could confirm that Quirrell's condition could be treated.
However accomplished Voldemort was when it came to souls, he could not compare with the comprehensive knowledge compiled in later years.
And judging by the book's descriptions, the Wizarding World seemed to have overcome the obstacle of ancient magic sometime in the 2010s. It was also during that period that the Wizarding World had developed rapidly, with advances springing up one after another in every field.
The book described Quirrell's current condition as soul parasitism. The host was essentially under the parasite's complete control, and the parasite could even peer into the host's thoughts.
But to save Quirrell, Lorne needed to prepare a special potion and have Quirrell drink it willingly.
Knowing Voldemort's personality, the Cruciatus Curse would probably have tortured Quirrell into insanity before the potion even reached his lips.
He had to temporarily sever the connection between Quirrell and Voldemort.
There was a spell for that, but Lorne could not learn it.
In fact, complete soul parasitism would show no outward signs at all. Lorne suspected that either Quirrell was still resisting, or Voldemort had yet to master the art.
So he still had a chance. He would find a way to make Voldemort briefly lose control of Quirrell.
It was worth mentioning that the book also covered how to make Horcruxes, using Voldemort as a case study. It described him as possessing "a little ingenuity, but no great wisdom." Lorne wholeheartedly agreed and dog-eared the page, intending to study it carefully later.
He checked the time. It was already eleven at night.
The three little ones had presumably made it back safely by now.
Lorne did not want to be a babysitter, but he did not mind giving them a little help through the game. For instance, he had chosen a troll when designing the first boss and had even specially designed an animation in which a purple-rarity character finished off the troll with the Levitation Charm.
It had taken little effort.
With November, winter came to Hogwarts.
Harry, who had promised to go to bed early, had not gone to sleep. He huddled beneath his covers, pulled them over his head, and opened his Magic Mobile Phone.
"One more minute."
Ron was a Wizard Legend player in spirit. He really wanted to witness the game's update with Harry, but others in the dormitory were asleep. Worried about disturbing his classmates, he could only stay in his own bed, going to bed early and getting up early.
Harry lifted his covers. Sure enough, a faint light shone from the bed opposite. It was Neville.
Neville raised his hand and made an OK sign in the darkness.
Harry flashed him a V sign in return.
He thought Neville was greeting him, but Neville meant that the game had finished updating.
Harry reduced his magical output, trying to dim the light as much as possible. His heart pounded like a drum. The last time he had been this excited was when he had been selected for the Quidditch team.
The familiar white light flashed, and even the login screen had taken on much more of a Halloween atmosphere. Once he entered the game, he found the village filled with jack-o'-lanterns. Children wandered around wearing ghost hats, and even the bat motifs looked cuter.
Harry first claimed the maintenance compensation in his mailbox. A whole two crystal fragments-enough to last a lifetime.
He opened the events screen. The first event was a check-in, and a casual tap earned him a Halloween outfit for the protagonist.
Monster drops-it looked as though he could team up with friends to farm them now. He would ask Hermione and Neville to join him tomorrow.
The raid boss turned out to be a scarecrow. Harry tried a round, and his opponent did not attack at all. Rather than a boss, it was more of a damage meter, with rewards distributed afterward according to damage rankings.
Since he was the first to fight it, Harry briefly held first place.
Just then, a little pop-up suddenly appeared on his screen.
[Hermione: You and Neville are both online]
Was that really Hermione?
Harry hurriedly exited the events screen. Above the mail section, friends and chat interfaces had appeared. He tapped them, and the screen displayed "People nearby."
Neville and Hermione were both right there on the list, each with a little green "Online" label beside their name.
He added Hermione as a friend.
[Hermione: Chatting like this is so convenient] [Harry: Yeah, if everyone had a Magic Mobile Phone, Hedwig would probably be out of a job]
In fact, Draco had not gone to sleep either. His location was simply too far from the Gryffindor Common Room for Harry to see his status.
Draco ignored all these flashy features. His first priority upon logging in was to progress through the main story.
After farming the same monsters day after day, his Ella Thornwood had long been thirsting for battle.
He controlled the little character as he accepted quests and advanced step by step. The village chief had commissioned someone to pick flowers again. What a vain little old man.
Magic circles had been carved inside the cave? No wonder monsters kept spawning endlessly.
About an hour later, Draco finally encountered the final boss of this story update.
It was none other than Hornless Demon Emeric from the gacha banner.
After a bloody battle, Ella lived up to expectations and defeated Emeric. Even after his defeat, he did not forget to make a threat: "This is far from over. We will return from hell."
"So it was the temporal turbulence caused by the Crystal of Time that brought all the wizards from history and legend together?" Draco muttered to himself. "Interesting. But whoever they are, Ella will help me."
Draco yawned and checked the time. It was already very late, and he reluctantly put down his phone.
If only there were a game update every day.