2,326Sorry for the late update folks. On Friday, my account wouldn't let me log in and I could not for the life of me post this new chapter. When I tried on Saturday it was fine for a few hours, but then, as many of us know, Fanfiction went to hell because of a major migration bug that prevented many from seeing any story whether it was updated or not and could not review it either. It's all posted on the website's homepage and their Twitter account. In one hour I had gone from 1000 views and the following next hour I only got 90, and then less than 10. Never before have I hated a number as much as I do 503. I would have reposted this on Sunday but I wanted to go on the side of caution.
Anyway, to make it up to you all, I decided to add a bit more so instead of an 8K chapter like on Saturday, it's now 10.2K. And here it is now folks. Just so you know, some of the logic used in this is a bit flawed, but that's done purposely as Harry is still young and inexperienced. People in this story and universe aren't perfect, and I'm trying to convey that.
With that said. On with the story!
Chapter 8: Nothing is What it Seems
'It seems only yesterday', were the only words Harry heard from the man before he bolted from the store. How the man knew who he was, Harry didn't know. But the young boy's survival instincts kicked in and Harry felt it best he didn't stick around to find out.
After three minutes of continuous running and weaving through the holiday crowd, Harry ducked into a dark alley that many looked to be avoiding, and ignored the pop-up that appeared. Calming his breathing, but still moving just to be safe - never stop moving when being chased was something he learned from Dudley's gang - Harry looked around him and saw he wasn't being followed and decided fun time was over, "Fast Travel: Mine Dungeon Entrance!"
Harry was immediately gone the instant he finished the command and once again went into the first dungeon he ever entered in the hopes of eluding whomever may be looking for him.
Meanwhile, so distracted was Ollivander in searching for the proper wand for the Boy-Who-Lived that he only just realized Harry to be nowhere in sight, "Mr. Potter?" he called out but received no reply.
As he began putting away the boxes he had chosen, a voice rang out from behind him, "You've gotten sloppy, Garrick."
Many who knew Garrick Ollivander and were asked about him would always describe the wandmaker as an eccentric but welcoming man who was very dedicated to his trade and the lore behind it. Never before had anyone ever been able make a claim of seeing him in a foul mood, but the friendly disposition of the owner of Ollivander's swiftly changed upon recognizing the man.
"I thought I made myself clear the last time we spoke," Ollivander didn't even bother turning around to face the owner of the face, "Leave."
"Do you honestly think you could? Knowing what I can do?" was the response but no reply or acknowledgement left the wandmaker's lips, "Ever since the incident ten years ago, that boy has been of particular interest. We've been monitoring him for quite some time to see if another spectacular event would happen. And just when we started to believe it was no more than a fluke – Well, it goes without saying that boy is easily a future candidate."
"Leave. Him. Alone," was all Ollivander said before all noise in the store was drowned out by the sound of countless humming and vibrating wands.
"You don't get a say anymore," the sound got louder but the mysterious being remained unafraid, "You left, Wandmaster, and if it were not for your years of service, we wouldn't have allowed you to live out this mundane life. Honestly, exceptional as these wands are, this is a pale imitation of your former talents. For pity's sake, I only count three active wands, almost less than half your previous count. What happened to the man we believed could someday end up creating a wand matching the Stick of Death itself?"
"Gone. That path ended up costing me everything. Those days are over. Right now, I intend to make as many wands as I can before my time is up for those to come," was all he said.
"Ever since-"
"Not another word!" by now many of the boxes were practically rainbow of colours: flaming red, electric blue, snow white, a gaseous green, toxic purple, brilliant yellow, each one appearing ready to go off at the drop of a hat.
But the next sentence stopped that from happening, "⌌⌥⌍⌌ ⌏⌝ ⍎ ⌝⌜⌝⌌⌞⌟⌌⌞⌞⌍ ⌌⌞⌏⌟⎇⌏⌋."
To anyone else listening the strangely alien language would have made no sense. To Ollivander, it was as though the being had spoken in his native tongue, "...You're serious?" was the wand expert's response.
"In all the years you've known me have I ever taken situations like these lightly?" the voice asked, "And if you took the time to take your head out of your ass, you'd know I wouldn't be asking you without probable cause. Our numbers are significantly down. The old guard practically gone or incapable of doing what needs to be done any longer. Any potential successors we had in line all died or ended up worse during the last war against the Dark Blighter. His defeat means nothing if our suspicion of how deep he immersed himself in necromancy holds true. The level of bureaucratic horse shit involved in the British Ministry of Magic hasn't been this bad in a very long time. Dumbledore is doing what he can but there's only so much he can do and he has his own set of problems that prevents him from doing what needs to be done. We've had to scrape the bottom of the barrel and what few capable members we have are needed elsewhere. We're barely at operating level. We need an ace in the hole unlike any other now more than ever! We need you back."
Ollivander said nothing and did nothing for nearly a minute before suddenly taking a deep breath through his noise and audibly brought down his hands onto the countertop closest to him, "I want an oath. A magical oath and a contract. Last time I left, I believed we had an understanding. That my years of sacrifice would amount to something and I wouldn't have to resort to this. This is the very last time I get involved," all he wanted was to spend his remaining days in peace and be left to his passions and his craft. He was done with his past life, and those associated with it. He was done with the life of a young and foolish man that on bad nights Ollivander so desperately wished to talk some sense into. The life that had taken much from him.
"I'll see it done," was all that was said, "For now, do nothing but keep an eye out for him. He shows potential, much like his mother did, and I won't allow another wasted opportunity to slip us by," while Lily Potter was a once in a decade witch, the mother of the Boy-Who-Lived had chosen another path and it ultimately ended in her death. So much talent and potential gone in the blink of an eye.
"I've not been in the field for over half a century but I remember what needs to be done," Garrick Ollivander cut the individual off, "Now, if you don't mind, until I see a contract and get an oath of my own wording, leave."
Nothing else was said and no sound was made, but Ollivander knew his former associate was gone. But he knew they'd be back. Even after all this time, Garrick knew very little of the being who only made themselves known when contact was required. Each time they met their size and sex was different, but it was the same individual. But there was one constant about them, "They'll be back. And I'll be back in the thick of it, again," the words echoed into his mind and reached the haunting thoughts he believed he had long since locked away.
(Sometime Later)
"Lumos!" Harry shouted and light bounced off the cavern walls and pushed away the darkness that had a tight grip on the surrounding environment. The echo of many shrieks and screeches soon followed but many were silenced by the ball of fire that set a few of them alight.
Lumos Harry concluded was the bane of Kobolds. With their sensitive vision the small creatures couldn't stand to look at the brilliant illuminating ball that floated above his hand.
As he approached the weakened dwellers of the underdark, many back-pedalled while the braver or stupid ones – given then INT score, Harry believed it was stupidity rather than bravery – released a series of uncoordinated war cries and charged.
"Lumos!" once again the brilliant spell brightened the cave and had the charging Kobolds trip and run into one another. Dog-piled and ripe for the picking, Harry flung fireball after fireball onto the lizard-like creatures. With how close they were to one another; it pretty much caused an AoE like effect on the spell. The spell-caster happily watched as the spell did its job and what few Kobolds that remained were left at the mercy of Harry using Dudley's discarded sporting equipment. A few moment later, there were no Kobolds left for him to fight in the area but in their place was plenty of desirable loot.
"Finally, weapons," having lost his pickaxe in the river, Harry was forced to go back to using the [Child Size Aluminum Baseball Bat]. It was only a small step up from the poor-quality stone knives the Kobolds dropped, but it didn't hold a candle to the pickaxe, nor did it have a modifier like the knives. The knives were also speed-based weapons that allowed for speed-based skills, which was enhanced by his Púca form and levelled up more quickly.
"Now I just have to learn some," were Harry's thoughts. While fragile and their flaw caused them to lose one point of durability each time it was used, along with the risk of the weapon ending up destroyed, Harry had a skill that restored a piece of gear's durability. It was limited given its level and the cost of the spell was dependent on its quality. Fortunately, the stone knives were classified as [Poor] and therefore only cost him 10 MP per spell, a very minimal cost.
For the next little while, Harry went into a routine that enabled him to make quick work of whatever stood in his way. Being better prepared, mentally and in terms of having better skills compared to his first run of the dungeon, Harry fared much more easily against the foes that came his in the dungeon. Because of the benefits bestowed onto him by [Goldtooth's Goldtooth], the wand-lighting charm wasn't required for every single moment. What Harry dubbed the Bane of Kobolds served him well nonetheless.
The boy would quietly stick to the shadow of corners and other out of sight locations, taking down any traps that he came across – their locations having changed from last time apparently – Harry would make a head count determine the best course of action.
Amazing as his Púca form was, even better were the attributes he gained as a result, its inability to use magic – or at least the magic he currently knew – meant he couldn't neglect his other set of skills. Harry wouldn't allow himself to fall into that trap others had before. Who knew if down the line there would come a time where he couldn't access the ability? Be it a dungeon or a spell or whatever it may be that prevented him from using it or certain skills, Harry wanted to ensure he at least had something else to fall back on just in case.
And when his MP got low, Harry would backtrack a ways, find a secluded area out of sight, and then use his [Meditation Skill]. With the skill's low level, and its mastering speed being on the lowest rating, Harry would need to wait a decent amount of time to recover well over half of his MP. God bless whoever came up with the [Softening Charm] that transformed hard surfaces into soft pillow like ones, "Not doubt my butt would have lost all feeling. Well, at least I got it to level up a few."
It was a simple, yet effective routine that caused major damage to his enemies and minimized any damage Harry received. On more powerful foes and dungeons, it was doubtful such a pattern would work, or at least work effectively. But in a low-level dungeon with low level creatures such as this one it was perfect. Certainly, it was slow progress, but it was progress still.
"Not like I can go back out there anytime soon," and unlike last time, Harry didn't need to go back to the Dursleys' at a certain time.
"Pretty sure I wouldn't be welcomed there either," not like he had any intention of going back. With his current skills and abilities, if Harry had to choose between living in a burrow or dungeon versus the Dursleys', the currently without a home young man believed he'd need a CTscan to see what was wrong with him if he needed to think twice on the matter.
Pushing himself away from those unwanted thoughts, Harry desired nothing more than to grind his skills and farm for better loot and equipment," Should take a look around and see if I missed anything. Another spell would be nice, maybe even a focus, too."
While part of him believed he should have grabbed a wand, even if it resulted in a missed opportunity, Harry didn't want to steal if he could help it. Taking things from monsters was one thing, but to steal from people who didn't deserve it was another. When the opportunity arose, Harry had every intent on returning the clothing he stole.
As of now, Harry could only hope Lady Luck would smile on him and he'd be able to find a focus in a dungeon. While Harry had a preference for a magic gauntlet – if such a thing actually existed – it didn't matter if it was a wand or even a staff at the moment
Using magic without a focus wasn't difficult and he'd continue to try and improve it. But since they were designed to be used in conjunction with a wand, there was a penalty towards their effectiveness, speed and power and their MP cost. The penalty would go away once he had a focus or once he mastered them, whichever came first, it had said but those few extra precious seconds could make all the difference.
Fortunately, the penalty wasn't too bad since his spells were basic, and the penalty didn't apply to the [Fireball] skill. Most weren't even combat oriented either except for [Lumos] and [Incendio]. The [Wingardium Leviosa] skill worked well, too, but was better served in causing confusion and a distraction given it caused objects and even the Kobolds to float in mid-air.
And while one of the newly learned spells was fire-oriented like the other one, [Incendio] was much more versatile and served better as a means of afflicting the target with the [Burning] debuff than causing explosive damage.
Turning a corner, Harry saw nothing more than a dead end and just as he was about to turn back, Harry blinked and looked around him. Unlike the other cavern walls that were all asymmetrical and shaped by nature over countless centuries, here the walls looked man-made and upon closer inspection, Harry saw faded stone carvings.
"If video games have taught me anything, this is definitely a secret wall or hidden room," sure enough, a series of taps on the wall made a much different sound that the others.
Pushing against the wall left his efforts unrewarded though as the stone surface didn't budge. Changing into his Puca form likely wouldn't do much of a difference either since it was geared towards speed rather than strength, and Harry didn't have enough MP or mastery over its [Shapeshift] to allow for something stronger or bigger.
"Not like I'd be able to do much with how narrow this place is," thinking on the matter, if this place was a door and old, then perhaps it simply needed to be repaired?
With nothing to lose, Harry put his hand on the wall and concentrated, "Reparo!"
Nothing happened for the first few seconds and Harry followed up with another resounding 'Reparo'. Harry felt a small vibrating sensation go across his hand and bore witness to the stone carvings becoming more pristine. Their shape and form still hard to discern but it was an improvement regardless.
Harry repeated the incantation a further three times before his actions bore fruit. Rock and stone groaned and came to life and dust shifted and danced in the air while harsh cracking sounds were heard on the opposite side. Stone torches formed above and began to banish the darkness away while the carved transformed into snarling figures, like hounds guarding their master's home.
Either way, Harry thought it was bloody fantastic and saw it as a chance at potentially finding something very good. But the boy should have realized it wasn't going to be so easy. Repaired though it was, the restored door wouldn't budge no matter how hard Harry pushed or tugged. But like hell was he going to be deterred.
Putting his hands back onto the door, Harry prepared to use another recently learned: Alohomora spell, better known as the Unlocking Charm or the Thief's Friend. Unlike before, it took Harry several tries before a reaction was felt.
"This is gonna take a while," just brilliant.
—}x|X|x{—
Regrettably, and Harry hated being right at the moment, the act of unlocking the door had taken quite some time. Coupled with the fact that his repeated attempts forced him to use [Meditation] to recover what MP he had lost, a little over eleven minutes had passed before a ready to quit Harry heard a different sound.
It was akin to when the entrance to the dungeon boss began to open: a deep rough sound that didn't exactly put one at ease. Harry prepared himself by having a knife in one hand while summoning a ball of magical flames into the other. Who knew what would happen, but Harry would rather not die like the last time. Once the door was done opening, Harry moved cautiously; his eyes scanning the room for anything that might be a trap, his feet lightly testing for anything on the off-chance something was preventing [Observe] from seeing anything.
Finding nothing, Harry became less anxious but remained alert all the same. The hidden room he entered was spartan, virtually empty except for some carvings and a large stone chest two times taller and wider than he was in the middle of it.
A quick use of [Observe] had already revealed that it was safe, and Harry didn't bother pushing the lid that likely weighed hundreds of pounds. It would have been an exercise in futility. Instead, Harry once more put his hands on the lid and cast the unlocking charm. Nothing happened and after six other failed attempts that also had no reaction, Harry tried a different tactic, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
The lid floated, wobbled was a more apt description, off the stone compartment a good inch before it fell back down with a resounded thud that echoed well into the distance. Harry repeated his use of the spell again, and again, and again, until finally on the fifth go when the lid fell it was angled in a way that there was a big enough gap for Harry to reach in and grab whatever was in there.
"Please don't let a corpse pop out. Please don't let a corpse pop out," Harry repeated over and over again, not in the mood for a jump-scare. Looking instead, a skeleton – big surprise! - with a missing jaw and old decayed armor was present in the casket. Reaching in, and once again hoping it didn't suddenly come to life, Harry felt his hand brush against something that was not stone but didn't feel like bone either.
Harry pulled on the object as best he could while also making sure he didn't damage it either. When it was finally free from its confines, Harry realized he was holding a broken sword scabbard. Excitement overtook Harry as he gazed upon his prize. Which soon turned into complete disbelief and disappointed as he took the blade out.
"Bloody well rusted," however, a smile appeared and Harry concentrated
|Warning! Warning!|
|Your [Mending Charm] skill level is not high enough to repair this particular item.|
"Oh, blast it all," so much for that. What was he going to do with it? Make his foes laugh to death at how ridiculous it looked.
Saying the blade had definitely seen better days was putting it lightly. What was most likely once a deadly blade was now nothing more than a rusted, dull, and falling apart antique that wouldn't help him all that much in a fight. In its current condition, Harry believed it would be destroyed if used on anything and a quick use of [Observe] proved his suspicion to be on the mark.
"What a load of tripe," all that time wasted for a useless weapon? Items that were magical in nature were much more costly to restore and repair depending on the quality. Even then there was no guarantee and whatever it might have been may never become it once more.
For now, Harry placed the blade, if it could even be called that, into his [Inventory Box] as maybe he'd come across an antique collector who'd be interested in it. Going back to the coffin, Harry looked inside at different angles to see if he could spot anything else of value before he spotted a glint to his left around the skeleton's neck, "What's this?"
Reaching in and pulling it, unintentionally decapitating the rotten corpse, Harry found a small, dull, greyish colored object that fit neatly in the palm of his hand. What was even more curious was the shape of it, as it resembled the decorative motifs found inside and outside the tomb.
"Is that… a wolf?" whether it was a wolf or dog medallion he was not certain given that the upper right half of it was missing.
The medallion's creature certainly looked canine-ish, a gaping maw that showed off its wicked teeth, one of which was broken, and one tiny ruby red eye. Using [Reparo] earned him the same message as before, so Harry simply began looking to see if he could find anything else that was hidden. To optimize his chances, Harry practically submerged half his body inside the coffin and dug around like a mole. His efforts rewarded, as he found a few old coins and a tattered old tome that looked ready to fall apart.
"Reparo! Oh, thank God," unlike the door, or the medallion and weapon, the spell worked its magic and the old and torn book was now replaced by a slightly used one instead.
"Please be a spell I can learn!" he prayed but once again his luck worked against him. He immediately knew why when he began to flip the pages and couldn't understand a word that was written in the old leather-bound article. The detailed pictures of various creatures made Harry guess it was some kind of bestiary, but it did little good if he couldn't understand the alphabet really. Harry was about to believe everything was all for nothing when something happened.
[QUEST ALERT!]
The Case of the Mysterious Tomb
Main Quest: Found out anything you can about the medallion, the tome, the rusted sword and the coins!
Main Quest Completion: 1500 EXP, [Unique Chain-Quest], 1 AP
Failure: 125 EXP, Unable to undertake [Unique Chain-Quest]
Accept (YES/NO)
Hint: The language used in this book is ancient and magical in origin.
The moment the pop-up appeared did Harry feel better. He had gotten a quest out of all this so it wasn't a total loss, "Better lead to something good, though," Harry liked quests due to their rewards but if he had to put too much effort into one of them only to get a pittance in the end then it wasn't worth it.
The problem, however, was that Harry would be forced to go back to Diagon Alley if he wanted any chance of succeeding. Perhaps there were others like it?
"Oh, wait, someone did say it's the only place in Great Britain," kind of inconvenient when he thought about it.
So, going to another hidden magical marketplace was out of the question. Which only made his situation less easy. Even with his disguise, without even trying did the man know who he was at first glance. Harry didn't want to get caught, for fear of what might happen to him. No way was he getting sent back to the Dursleys, and he certainly had no intention of going to an orphanage.
For now, the quest could wait a bit. At the moment, Harry made it his prerogative to lay low. To stay out of sight, to enjoy the freedom he never truly had, before going back and seeking out answers to the countless questions he had. Who was he? Who were his parents? What was this secret world like? Why did he have powers that let him live life like a video game of all things? Harry wanted actual honest to God answers instead of guesses and assumptions.
But before that, Harry decided to go and teach a certain dungeon boss a lesson: payback was its name.
(Months Later; March 2011)
"Incendio!" Harry watched dispassionately as the rotting corpse ignored the fact it was on fire which did it little good since it was weak to flames and soon turned into nothing but ash. Not that he was surprised. In almost every game or story, zombies weren't exactly the smartest of monsters. Well, at least they were easier to deal with compared to the non-corporeal inhabitants of this dungeon.
A bright ball of light appeared in his hand and a series of whines and whelps were heard as a result, "Damn mongrels! Piss off!"
In this case, Harry referred to the Gytrash, dog-like specters native to the forests of Great Britain, but not an uncommon sight to be seen on burial grounds. Harry just counted his blessings he hadn't come across anything worse and that Lumos was pretty much mastered and could be used to defeat them. The ghost-like dogs were very much afraid of the magical light.
But, in all honestly, Harry shouldn't have been surprised that the last dungeon to be discovered ended up being a cemetery. The boy also realized that the dungeons had a theme to them: elements of the dark, foreboding and forbidden. Essentially, they were aspects associated with dark magic. Why that was still remained unclear. Were the dungeons trying to teach him to accept these things? Or were they used as a means on how to fight against them? Harry honestly hoped it was the latter.
But, unlike the first two, the final dungeons of Little Whinging hadn't exactly been easy to find. One was discovered when he went out looking in order to kill time.
Harry had been less than pleased to discover the dungeon before this one to be a sewer. Harry was glad that ordinary sewers didn't had giant rats that came at you in swarms, decomposing slimes that blend so well into the background you never knew where they'd strike, some Drowners of all things, and snails-like creatures the size of a large dog called Veelkeks that that spat globs of unforgiving acid and could split in half to show off countless rows of deadly teeth. When Harry was done in that dungeon, he honestly believed he wouldn't be able to look at snails the same way again after seeing that Lovecraftian horror.
Unlike the other dungeons, the sewer one was a maze and made navigation difficult and more than once had he gotten lost. The horrible smell didn't help either, and neither did the boss: a horrible and large creature known as a Zeugl, another Lovecraftian horror-like creature similar to the Aboleth from Dungeons and Dragons. Fortunately, the creature was described as being the equivalent of an adolescent, as the adults were far larger and deadlier and very resistant to magic, and neither did it possess the psionic abilities of the imaginative creature. At least, he hoped it wasn't real.
Defeating it still hadn't been easy due to its very tough hide and high tolerance towards both magic and weapons. The creature primarily fought with its tentacles and kept the rest of its body safely submerged. The tentacles as well as the interior of the Zeugl and its eyes didn't have the same tolerance towards magic and bladed weaponry, but not only did Harry have to sever the tentacles to get it to come out, but he also had to endure being drenched in the blood that splattered all over. Decent drop at the end or not, it remained Harry's least favorite dungeon and the only one he hadn't returned to after being forced to spend nearly an entire day trying to get rid of the smell at an inn in Knockturn.
Finding the last dungeon hadn't been easy, even after realizing the theme the other three dungeons shared and deducing it might be a burial ground. Ǣrest Cemetery was one of the oldest cemeteries in Surrey but not a very well-known one that was soon to be demolished and its contents moved elsewhere. Which explained the time limit on the [Where there be Dungeons?]quest making sense. It had been the last dungeon to be located and unlike the other dungeons, this one only allowed access at night.
"Should have known," had been Harry's thoughts at the time.
But he was here now, and he was also looking for the necessary ingredients to summon the boss, a new feature. The sewer dungeon required him to find a key, which wasn't exactly easy in a complex underground network, and now this place required him to find, of all things, missing body parts. Luckily, he had been given hints and clues as to where they could be found. Two of the three parts had been found: a hand and a jaw. And from what Harry saw, the last missing piece of the rotting puzzle was a foot. Rather macabre but not unexpected for a place associated with death.
As he looked around, Harry sighted a familiar foe and hid himself behind a large stone angel effigy. Not a dozen meters patrolling a series of graves was a spectral monster wielding a long dagger, almost a short sword, in one hand and an unholy lantern in the other. A ghostly apparition known as a Wraith. Its nasty habit of quickly disappearing and then reappearing in his blind spot made it a real nuisance and a single blow from its lantern had him suffering from the [Dazed] debuff. But its presence was a good sign as well, for the monster appeared in every single pot where the parts would be located. So, Harry knew he was close.
Brandishing his weapon, and while its length was small compared to the one used by the Wraith, Harry prepared his next move. Given that ordinary weapons were pretty much useless against spectral related monsters, Harry found himself fortunate enough it could be used against such a foe.
Will-O-Wisp was an enchanted magical dagger Harry acquired after defeating the boss of the forest dungeon. Acquiring the item had been a joyous moment for him, even more when its quality ranking was revealed to be Very-Rare. The blade of the dagger was an incredibly pale purple that was nearly white with a noticeably lustrous edge while the handle was shaped like the Folglet it came from with its claws acting as the guards. Not the prettiest weapon but certainly a welcoming one regardless of its appearance.
Will-O-Wisp was almost twice the length of the [Kobold Stone Knives] but with a much finer edge and lacked their flaws. Its base attack power was almost six times greater and its critical modifier was at twenty-five percent. But what truly made it shine were its boons. For one, [Unseen Killer: Lv 1] enhanced stealth-based skills and increased or granted a critical hit modifier of five percent.
The others were [Fogbolt] which conjured a ball of condensed low visibility fog that blanketed the area once it struck its target. [Illcebra] which created illusionary duplicates used to allure, entice or deceive nearby enemies, allowing for a sneak attack or quick retreat if needed, though it could only be used while under cover of a fog, smoke or mist. And the last one was [Cold Fire Slash], which caused those afflicted by the skill to believe they were set aflame and suffer from the [Panic] debuff, enhancing the possibility of landing critical hits and affected them with a debuff.
While the last spell singed clothing and plants, living beings and creatures affected by the spell were left unharmed for the most part. The spell also went by the name Bluebell Fire but it might as well be called Faerie Fire given its function. However, unlike its original variant or Faerie Fire, [Cold Fire Slash] only worked if the weapon made physical contact with its target and became injured by the blade.
Harry first followed up with two well placed Fogbolts to create some additional cover, and when one struck in front of the floating spectre, the dagger wielder made a dash and conjured up a couple of decoys with [Illcebra] while he went for the closest tombstone. Fortunately for him, Will-O-Wisp passively allowed him to see through his own spell and watched from his hidden location as the Wraith was busy chasing after his doppelgängers.
With its back turned to him, Harry used [Sprint] and then quickly struck the preoccupied phantom, "Backslash!"
An inhuman wail washed over the haunted grounds, its unnatural and paralyzing sound would have normally rooted Harry to the spot were it not for [Gamer's Mind] circumventing it. As it was, all the noise did was make him cringe but that was it. Harry didn't slow down, having learned that not constantly moving against this foe wasn't a good idea, and followed up with another skill.
"Biting Wind!" Harry was the wind and his dagger became an extension of his arm as he lunged and cut his foe one way, did it again another way and now stood on a different side of the Wraith, and then finally once more for a total of three quick strikes.
The Wraith wailed and swiped at him with its long arm and dagger that he managed to block, but his enemy followed up with a spin that transformed the arm carrying the lantern into a flail, effectively turning both its arms into a spinning if gnarled spear. The Wraith was fast and unpredictable in its movement, its DEX greater than his own, but because of his perks and the skills he benefited from, Harry was just able to keep up with it.
Quickly using another Fogbolt, Harry took the opportunity to take cover behind a nearby statue. While no longer living, a common misconception was that Wraiths and ghost-type enemies were as dumb or driven to the same instincts similar to zombies or other undead creatures. While they were certainly limited in their capabilities, lacking in intellect – to a certain extent and depending on the type of apparition they were – wasn't one. And as predicted, instead of searching for him within the confines of the fog, the Wraith left the obscuring opaque mass and began looking. But, as mentioned before, while Wraiths weren't as stupid as zombies, they weren't as smart as living beings... Well, except maybe Dudley and his friends.
"Firebolt!" with a fair distance between, which was necessary given the spell's kick, a ball of condensed flames the size of a softball shot out of his hand with the force of it being as though it had been thrown by a professional pitcher.
The spell struck home, causing a small but loud explosion, and Harry watched as the deadly ghost was thrown back. Wraiths were semi-corporeal and had the ability to shift between either state, which was why only magical weapons worked on them, but the best way to deal with apparitions with similar abilities was through magic. With the Wraith down, Harry used [Sprint] to quickly close the distance between him and his target to finish it off before it had a chance to disappear once more. Harry used [Biting Wind] and Will-O-Wisp slashed at the target, but met nothing but dirt and dissipating green dust.
"Damn. Should have used Firebolt," while [Firebolt] was easily his strongest spell, it was still a relatively new one; Harry honestly believed he would have reached the downed dungeon enemy in time.
Firebolt was an upgraded version of [Fireball] he earned after he mastered the spell, and it packed quite a punch but it couldn't be used at close range without the risk of getting caught in the backlash, nor was it the most accurate of spells when it came to long range and it currently took him about three seconds to conjure the dangerous ball of flame. Even more, much like [Fireball] was in the beginning, [Firebolt] was not a cheap skill to use. As he was now, Harry could only use the spell seven times, less than half that amount right now as a result of previously used spells. With him now being level fifteen and lacking the [Malnourished] debuff, the [Tutorial Mode] was now gone and with it the MP reduction that came with the special perk.
"I should really invest some points into SPI to help out with that," thought while he searched for the missing appendage. But putting some points in SPI would have some benefits.
Through a combination of training and levelling up, his DEX had long since crossed the fifty mark and Harry now benefited from the [Dexterous Affinity: Basic Rank] perk. Tempting and curious as he was to do so to his other attributes, Harry decided it was best to wait until after he conquered the last dungeon and acquired the final key.
"A quest like that usually has some hidden reward even if it's not mentioned," earning the second key had started the [Key Collector] quest and much like [Where there be Dungeons?], there was a time limit. Depending on what he got, Harry didn't want any regrets after allocating his hard-earned AP. With [Tutorial Mode] gone, it was going to become much harder to level up even with the [Daily Quests]. The EXP he earned from the mine and forest dungeon monsters were practically non-existent due to the level difference.
"And no way in hell I'm I going back to the sewer dungeon," Knockturn had areas that weren't exactly rose gardens, and the Nail Cat Inn was far from first class, but the smell he exhumed almost had them show Harry the door if he hadn't paid almost twice the price for a decent room with a shower.
And who knew how long this dungeon would be around for. And then after that and completing the quests, what else was he to do? The dungeons would still be around, at least he hoped they'd be. On the off chance they went away, going to Hogwarts where young magical children went to learn was one such option. But how wasn't exactly known to him. Heck. Was it one of those schools where he had to pay? Would he even be allowed to go after what happened three months ago and him performing his disappearing act? This only caused more questions to the list of things he wanted answers for.
"Best focus on the now and figure all that out later," even with the thought put aside for the moment, Harry realized he'd have no choice but to deal with it sooner or later. But the how still eluded him, "Found you."
And, sure enough, it was a foot.
"Oh, jolly good," was his sarcastic drawl. Putting it away, Harry spotted the other object that was left with the body parts and put it away, too. Making his way towards the dungeon boss location: a secluded area with a lone unkept and broken grave underneath an old gnarly looking tree whose branches stretched out over it like a withered old crone's fingers.
Upon arriving, Harry took out the required items and placed them inside the open casket and did what needed to be done. And what needed to happen was something Harry never would have thought of in his wildest dreams.
"Incendio!"
The casket and the its contents were set alight easily and quickly, as though it were heavily soaked in highly flammable oil. The smell and the fumes coming from the body had Harry crinkling his face and scrunching up his nose. Discomforting smells and odors were another set of reoccurring features in the dungeons.
|Dungeon Boss Requirements Met|
"Well, obviously," Harry didn't need a pop to know that. The young Potter decided to meditate and recover his lost energy before agreeing to the next pop-up window almost twenty minutes later. When he did, Harry watched as a deep fog magically began to encompass the perimeter of the area until only the top of the disturbingly haunted looking trees remained visible.
From the magically conjured cloudy body did a form take shape. To Harry's confusion he saw the Wraith he had been encountering throughout the dungeon. But suddenly it took on a different shape that he initially believed it to be a woman. If she was a woman once, however, it would have been a very long time ago. Ages and ages ago. Her skin the color of curdled cream looked uncomfortably tight like an ill-properly fitted corset; her hair a writhing black mass floating and flowing in the air in a matter more akin to be seen underwater.
The clothing she wore might have been quite a sight like herself, but now was no better than a ripped and tattered rag clinging to her bony emaciated frame. Eyes as white as a cloud covered moon; teeth yellow, rotten and missing; gnarled and mangled hands replaced by claws; and a ridiculous long saliva covered tongue came from her mouth, lolling and writhing so often it could be mistaken for a snake. Her lower half floated above the ground but no feet were visible, either covered by the long dress she wore or missing entirely.
Nightwraith of Ǣrest: The Moonlight Lady– Lv 21
HP: 1900
STA: 875
MP: 1750
STR: 44
VIT: 46
DEX: 79
END: 25
INT: 19
WIS: 24
CHA: 31
SPI: 60
LUK: 22
DEF: 15
Specialization
None
Special Perks
Dungeon Boss [Lv 2]: All attributes and defense increased by 15, +25% Power, Speed and Effectiveness towards all skills, +750 HP, +250 STA and MP
Night-Owl: +25% towards all attributes, +25% towards [Tolerances/Resistances], 25% towards Movement Speed, and Effectiveness, Power, and Speed towards Skills (active from dusk until dawn and increases by an additional 10% for one hour at midnight)
Perks
Undead Witch: Immune to [Psychological Debuffs], [Bleeding Debuff], and [Poisoned Debuff], Capable of using [Rudimentary Magic Skills], -150% Resistance towards [Holy-Based Skills], Immune to [Fatigue-Related] debuffs
Corporeal-Shifter [Lv 3]: Grants the [Phase-Shift] skill, Grants the [Invisibility] skill +60% Resistance towards [Weapons] when incorporeal, +30% Effectiveness and Speed increase towards [Evasion-Based Skills] and [Stealth-Based Skills]
Wicked Dancer [Lv 3]: +60% increase towards Movement Speed, +30% increase towards Effectiveness, Power, and Speed towards [Martial Arts]
Slugger [Lv 3]: +30% chance of causing [Dazed] related debuffs when using [Martial Arts]
Titles
Master of the Cemetery: Grants the skill [Summon Allies], Allies gain +15% towards Attributes, Movement Speed, and Effectiveness, Power, and Speed towards Skills when in same area
Flaws:
Night-Owl: -25% towards all attributes, -25% towards [Tolerances/Resistances], -25% towards Movement Speed, and Effectiveness, Power, and Speed towards Skills (from dawn until dusk)
Description: Nightwraiths, also known as Północnica, due to the fact they usually appear at midnight when they are at their absolute strongest, are women who died horrible or undeserving deaths. In the case of the Moonlight Lady, some say she was killed for refusing a local man's hand, others due to the fact that she was rumored to be a witch. Despite some truth in the latter – she was a witch – it is unknown if she was a witch who helped the locals or brought them subtle misery. Either way, it matters little, and while she may have held some form of emotional sentience once, all that remains now is an intense desire to ensure that those who had a role in her death, as well as their descendants, never have a peaceful afterlife. While much of her magical repertoire, similar to her appearance, has faded away over the course of time, the Moonlight Lady still possesses a few skills up her torn and faded sleeves. And while far from the strongest of her kind, even seasoned and successful hunters of the supernatural know better than to take this creature lightly.
EXP Earned: ?
Drops: ?, ?, ?
Rare Drops: ?
Guaranteed Boss Drop: ?, ?
"Could be worse," Harry had half-expected a vampire or something similar. Landing a hit on her was going to be trouble certainly. At least, as he was now, "Shapeshift: Puca!"
The young boy's form shifted until it was replaced by a were-hare like one instead. Ironic given a full moon was out and shinning down on the both of them. Now well over one foot taller and benefiting from greater speed, Harry placed Will-O-Wisp into his mouth and made his move the exact moment the dungeon boss made hers.
With his enhanced speed, Harry reached the ghostly woman in a matter of seconds but found himself passing right through her. Quickly turning his head around revealed she was no longer present, and if she was anything like the Wraith he fought before, Harry knew standing still wasn't a good idea.
A near blow to the head proved that theory when she reappeared. Her arms and fist acting like flails as she danced in the air; Harry felt the wind brush against his fur covered face from every miss. Currently his speed was greater than the creature he fought, but it was also clear to him that she had greater evasion. Each time he moved in for a strike, Harry could barely land a blow with how quick she was with her disappearing act. Yet at the same time, she couldn't land an effective hit on him either. This fight was going to be a battle of endurance, and with the Moonlight Lady already dead it was one Harry wouldn't win.
"Darn it. I wanted to save this," grabbing an item from his inventory, Harry produced a small spherical glass object. Throwing it in front of her, Harry watched from a safe distance as it exploded in a shower of emerald green mist. The Moonlight Lady released a wail so loud and powerful that the dust was pushed back and had him cringing due to his newly sensitive hearing.
|Moonlight Lady has been affected by the effects of the Dimeritium Bomb!|
|All magical skills and innate ability have been temporarily Nullified for one minute!|
|Time: 0:59 Secs|
Hoping that was all he'd need, Harry cursed the undead spectre for taking its sweet time. While the effects of the bombs he found in this dungeon were great, they could also just as easily affect him. Whether this meant that he'd turn back into his true form or remain as he was without being able to use his skills he didn't knew, but he didn't want to find out at such a critical moment.
When she finally moved away at a reasonable distance, Harry used [Cutting Wind] the enhanced version of [Biting Wind] to close the distance and began striking at the vulnerable malevolent spirit. Each slash and blow landed with Will-O-Wisp served to bring down the enemy's HP bit by bit. But while the effects of the bomb neutralized her skills it didn't slow down her reaction time and speed, nor the strength of her blows. The cursed undead was a veritable tornado of blows and each strike caused him to grunt when he believed he couldn't dodge them in time and was forced to block. She was merciless and unpredictable in her approach. Whirling one way, arm over head and then moving in the opposite direction. Her patterns never the same.
Dagger skills were great but Harry's current fighting style was very much like the common trope found in video games: a DPS fighter. Dagger skills served mainly in dealing damage be it from landing incredible critical hits or due to the overwhelming speed in which they struck, or the negative debuffs they caused over time. However, rarely if even were there any defensive skills associated with them, and even then their degree of effectiveness wasn't up to snuff compared to most other weapons.
Because of that, an error on Harry's part ended with him in the woman's embrace. But this was no loving or friendly exchange of affection, "Arrghh!"
While not as strong as his current form, she was by no means weak and she also benefited from a boost towards any martial arts skills she had. Limited though he currently was, Harry wasn't by any means defenceless. Shapeshifting into a small creature to escape her hold and then hiding somewhere out of sight was one option but that had its own risk and left him without skills. So, that left him with another tried and true option.
"Hare Quill!" Harry grunted upon landing at an awkward angle when the countless hairs on his body turn into rows of sharp spines forced the ghost to let go. While the skill didn't last very long, it was very effective when grappling or being grappled by another. It had certainly served him well when wrapped up in the Zeugl's tentacles and also had a chance of causing the [Bleeding] debuff.
"Too bad she's immune," but at least he was free and the boss had suffered a decent amount of damage that brought her close to the half way point. Strong, resilient and fast as she was, Harry's opponent had significantly low HP compared to the other bosses he encountered.
|Warning! Warning!|
|Moonlight Lady no longer affected by the effects of the Dimeritium Bomb!|
|Access to all magical skills and innate ability have been restored!|
|Warning! Warning!|
|Moonlight Lady about to use the ancient spell Aerfrigeld!|
"Oh, crude," the area became an incredibly uncomfortable cold that even with him being protected by fur did nothing to keep it from seeping into his bones and causing an unpleasant shiver to course through him. Copious amounts of snow so white and thick that he couldn't see through it began to cover her form from head to toe. The area beneath her turned to ice that began to spread like a growing puddle of water. Nearby, Harry could see rime beginning to form on tombstones, the ground, and the branches of the tree closest to his opponent as the temperature continued its rapid descent.
Just when it couldn't possibly get any colder or egregious, the world became an explosion of hellish white that blinded everything within the vicinity.
—}x|X|x{—
Dumbledore had many deep regrets in his long-lived life. Thinking lesser of muggles and muggleborn during his youth because of what a group of boys had done to his late sister, and the punishment placed upon his father for trying to protect his only daughter. Getting involved and falling for Gellert Grindelwald's honeyed and silver-tongued words like so many others would later on, and being blinded by the faults of who he believed to be a kindred spirit only to discover he was being used by the man instead. Had he not, then perhaps the three-way duel between him, Gellert and Aberforth wouldn't have ended in Arianna's death and his already strained relationship with his brother souring even further.
Not taking further action with a young Tom Marvolo Riddle, later rechristened Lord Voldemort, that it might have steered him towards a better path instead of the dark one that caused such untold pain and misery to countless others was another. While Dumbledore kept an eye on the young orphan whenever he could, Tom's magical aptitude and personality reminded Dumbledore so much of Gellert's own and the past memories associated with them that the then Transfigurations instructor unintentionally kept himself at arms-length, preventing any truly effective action. By the time his true nature had come to light, and Albus could no longer deny what he had become, any notion of redemption was but a mere fantasy the moment Tom began calling himself by his new name and title and the actions associated with it.
And then there was his most recent of biggest regrets. Not listening to Minerva and allowing Harry to stay with his aunt and uncle. Suffice to say, what ultimately led to the incident three months ago spoke for itself on how badly he misjudged the situation. And now, three months later, and after multiple searches and attempts their endeavours remained fruitless. And not just their attempt in finding Harry.
Though Fudge had nothing against muggleborns and other magical beings unlike most past ministers, he had bit of a bigoted attitude nonetheless. And with how deep in the pockets of others he was, it had taken someone – likely Nicolas or Mad Eye – going to the Daily Prophet and leaving an anonymous folder of just how bad the situation was as well as educating them on how far muggle technology had advanced. When the bit about a supporter of Voldemort still continuing his master's work was mentioned, public outcry was torn between skeptical and convinced, more so the former since none wanted to go through it again, but the latter was enough that had it had left Fudge with no choice but to assure them that action would be taken. Minimal as it was.
While it hadn't exactly resulted in the desired results they wanted, it remained a start as even some skeptics began to question if the decision in cutting the funds in the Auror department was such a smart idea in the first place. Naturally the blame game had occurred, some of whom shifted the accountability squarely on Amelia and those who were meant to train the Aurors, much to the woman's frustration. Though the situation was marginally in their favor, for now at least, it could easily tiptoe in any which direction. Only time would tell if the desired results would occur down the line.
"Come in, Minerva," the man knowing she was at the door. Schooling his features, Albus watched as the witch stepped into his office bearing a perplexed look on her usually schooled features, "Yes?"
"Mr. Nicolas Flamel is here to see you, Headmaster," having already met him, Albus already knew that wasn't the reason why the witch was bemused, "He has brought someone else with him... a man..."
The Hogwart's headmaster was curious by her hesitation to use the word, "Has he done anything?"
"Nothing. However … Albus, be wary if I were you. There is something off setting about him but I can't seem to think of any reason why I'd have such thoughts," was the best way she could describe it.
Taking her judgment into consideration, very rare and seldom were the times when his deputy headmistress was like this, Dumbledore instructed her to let them in and to join all three for good measure if it would put her at ease. A moment later, both men came up the stairs and just as Minerva entered, Nicolas waved his arm and the door slammed and locked behind her, and erected a Privacy Ward.
As though he were reading his thoughts, Nicolas spoke first, "Trust me, Albus. Just seeing him is bad enough. I'd rather not anyone else know what he can do. Personally, I'd not have your deputy involved. Too many risks."
"Then why come through the front door, of all things?" the woman asked.
"I insisted. Never did care for apparition or portals or teleporters. I prefer taking my time, enjoying the sights and views that pass me by. And truthfully, I still marvel at the splendour and abundant energy of this castle. So few of the old world are left, regrettably," said the bald-headed man.
With his current attire, both Hogwarts instructors would have initially misidentified him as Mundungus Fletcher when the ginger haired man shaved his head. But the unknown individual before them stood tall and straight and had a confidence and practically fearless look about him that the much shorter thief lacked.
"You've been to Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked curiously. Perhaps a former student he couldn't recall? By wizard standards, at best the man couldn't be seventy or eighty.
"Indeed, I have. A very long time ago," had the situation been different Minerva might have made her displeasure known. Dealing with one cryptic man was already a pain, dealing with three of them simultaneously required a stiff drink, as her grandmother would say.
"Right, backgrounds done and all that, are you certain you want her involved in this, Albus?" Nicolas asked.
"I've the utmost trust in Minerva. Both of us would be more than willing to make a vow or an oath?" Albus reassured the alchemist.
"Sorry. But there'll be no vow making while I'm involved. Any promises made outside my own choosing and I walk and you can find your missing young lad yourselves," the man interrupted with a smile.
Eyes narrowing, Dumbledore would have looked at Nicolas accusingly had he not known the man better. Minerva, however, did not, "You told him!"
"I said nothing. But I did learn that someone else is looking for him. Who and why remains uncertain, but now we have another problem on our hands. For three months our attempts in trying to locate the Boy-Who-Lived have remained unsuccessful. How it reached him of all people, I can only imagine. But I do know that if we involve him we'll be successful... for a price."
"And does he have a name?" curious as to what this price was, Minerva noticed that the man had yet to be introduced and his name never mentioned once.
As though he read her mind, the enigmatic man looked at her, "I do. Just a little trick of my own doing. I'm a fan of flare. Fortunately, for you three, finding your Boy-Who-Lived will be a snap. All you need to do is ask."
"Then why haven't you done so?" what possible reason prevented him from finding a lost child when he had the power to do so. Or so he claimed.
"In my line of work, my dear, if you're good at something never do it for free. In brief, I give folk what they ask for. For a price, you might say I simply grant their wishes. Gaunter-O-Dimm, Master of Mirrors, at your service," the man introduced himself.
Now, some of you might be wondering two things. One, why is Fudge taking action against a supposed supporter of Voldemort when he did nothing more than create a smear campaign against Harry and Dumbledore when they said that Voldemort was back. Believing a supporter capable of doing this is one thing, believing Voldemort is back and about to continue his previous work is another. Don't forget, Sirius Black was believed to have been a Death Eater or supporter of Voldemort and Fudge ordered a manhunt on him when he escaped.
The other question you might have is who is Gaunter O-Dimm? Well, as it is marked in the summary this does have The Witcher references and elements. For those familiar with the series (games, books, and tv shows) you know him. For those who don't look him up. Just so you know, I wouldn't call him a nice guy. He will play a role here and there sporadically but don't expect a Gary Stu. Things about him will be revealed down the line. A hint is in his title.
Anyway, rant over! Review and give me feedback and the next chapter will be up in a week or two before I move on to one of my other stories. Already have about +6K words going. Enjoy!