Harry Potter: The Mage's Path Chapter 10

Hi all,

Harry and co. go delving into the Dungeon. It’s hard confining it to one chapter when I like to get detailed with my fights, but I would like to balance it carefully between story and combat in the future.

Chapter 10

“Okay, this is weird,” Celeste said. “Why would Gryffindor be raiding a tomb? He is one of the founders of Hogwarts and is considered a hero.”

“I don’t know,” Harry shrugged. “But should we check out the first floor? We don’t have to go any further than that today.”

“Okay,” Celeste flew around in excitement. “Let's decide the loot distribution. I get ninety per cent, and the two of you can share the rest.”

“How generous,” Harry said dryly.

The skeleton had collapsed into a pile of bones after delivering its message. Harry thoroughly checked his supplies, and then he equipped the gear he received from the first Instant Dungeon.

Harry inspected them to see if they had revealed any new information since he first examined them.

=====

Potions Belt | Equipment | Rare | Grade: 1

Description: All potions can be conveniently stored in the Potion Belt for easy emergency access. When it’s worn, potions are weightless and indestructible. Increasing the Grade will add extra slots to the belt and may imbue the equipment with special enchantments.

• Capacity: 15

=====

Minor Energy Necklace | Equipment | Uncommon | Grade: 1

Description: A silver necklace with an enchantment etched on its nameplate. It increases the player's Energy reserves. Upgrade to the next level for further benefits.

• [Minor Energy Augment]: Energy + 20

=====

Shadow Aspen Jerkin | Equipment | Uncommon | Grade: --

Description: The Shadow Aspen Jerkin is a piece of equipment that is part of a set. The Jerkin looks rough and may not feel the most comfortable, but its defence and utility cannot be questioned. Equip all set pieces to get set bonuses.

• Durability: 30/30 • Physical Defence: 10 • Magical Defence: 5

• Slashing Defence: D • Blunt Defence: D • Piercing Defence: F

Set Bonuses

• [2/5] + 5 Defence, + 5 Magic Defence

• [4/5] + 20% Shadow Resistance

• [5/5] - Skill: Shadow Fade

=====

Shoes of Agility | Equipment | Uncommon | Grade: 1

Description: A pair of shoes that are light and comfortable. Raises the player's movement speed by fifty per cent. It can be upgraded with an Upgrade Stone.

• Movement Speed + 50%

=====

One of the most important pieces of equipment he owned was the Shoes of Agility. Even though he didn’t have an Agility Attribute, these Shoes increased his natural speed, which was comparable to something with twelve Agility.

The Shadow Aspen Spear and the Oathbreaker were still too heavy for him to wield effectively. He probably would never use them, so they were dead weight lying in his inventory.

“Celeste, is there a place where we can sell these?” Harry asked, showing her the heavy weapons.

“The Dwarves,” Celeste flew over and examined the equipment. “They would be interested in buying these if only to break them down and see how they work. The spear probably won’t garner much interest since it is made out of wood.”

“Where do the Dwarves live?”

“In the mountains, where there are deep underground caverns and plenty of ore,” Celeste said. “Dwarves have retreated from society ever since swinging a sword around as a maniac has gone out of fashion.”

“Interesting,” Harry placed the weapons back in his inventory. “I have a feeling that the Dwarves are going to see a resurgence if the Dungeons keep appearing. They probably are already planning on making a comeback.”

“Yep. If the non-magical government knows about the Dungeons, then they would be interested in what the Dwarves have to sell.”

“Why is that?”

“Because their equipment has a lot of powerful enchantments,” Celeste explained. “They can be used by anyone, as long as you have a Mana Crystal to keep them charged.”

Harry surmised that it was like a magical battery.

“Okay, before we go in,” Harry said. “Celeste, how much time do you have left on your Shadow Cloak?”

“An hour,” Celeste said after checking her Status.

“Then I want you to scout ahead for us, but do not engage the enemy.

Scope out the area and memorise the number of enemies and their location.”

“Okay,” Celeste said.

“Hedwig, use hit-and-run tactics. Keep the monsters distracted while I deal the main damage.”

‘Okay, hatchling.’

“Before I forget,” Harry took some food out of his inventory. “Let's eat some Breakfast Burrito to boost our Vitality temporarily.”

“When are you going to produce some more variety,” Celeste complained but started eating the food. Since they were his familiars, they also gained buffs from the food he cooked. Thankfully, they didn't need to eat everything, just until they were satiated. It was Harry's observation that eating more than one food at a time or being already full had no benefits. He would have stacked the buffs until he was indestructible otherwise.

Vitality Buff + 3; HP: 180

“Add it to the list of things that needs doing,” Harry replied before thinking of something else. “Have you reached level two yet?”

“Yep,” Celeste twirled in the sky.

“Have you spent your AP?”

“Not yet,” Celeste rubbed her hands in anticipation.

“Let’s look at what you need.”

=====

Celeste ~ Umbra Fairy ~ Legendary ~ Bond: 20

Level: 2 | Next: 4% | AP: 5 | HP: 30/30 | Mana: 200/200 |

STR: 2 | END: 7 | AGI: 8 | INT: 10 | MAG: 10 | PER: 7 |

Defence: - Physical: 1 | Magical Defence: 20 |

Status Resist: - Fear: 100% | Silence: 100% | Confusion: 70% |

Amnesia: 50% |

Weaknesses: - Slash, Blunt, Pierce: 90% | Fury: 50% | Provoke: 50% |

Affinities: - Shadow: 100% |

Description: The Umbra Fairy is considered to be long extinct. It possesses high intelligence and powerful magic, unlike its modern-day counterparts. The woods were corrupted because the Fairy was captured and used for experiments.

=====

The Endurance Attribute replaced Vitality in non-human races. It determined not only HP but also Defence. In contrast to Vitality, it wasn't a flat conversion. The conversion rate for HP and Defence varied among non-humans based on their size and composition.

In Celeste's case, her HP conversion was low, and her Physical Defence was atrocious due to her size and frailty. Her Magical Defence, however, demonstrated her extraordinary magical abilities.

Harry rubbed his chin as he eyed Celeste with interest. Against magical attacks, she would certainly make a great shield.

“Why are you staring at me like that? ” Celeste crossed her arms over her body in timidity.

Harry rolled his eyes. “We need to get you some armour for physical protection. You are too frail.”

“I am not a meat shield,” Celeste huffed. “Go find someone else to do the tanking.”

“Where do you want to put your Attributes?” Harry asked. “I suggest Endurance so that you can increase your survivability.”

“Being able to dodge attacks is important also,” Celeste pointed out. “Put some in Agility and Endurance.”

“Okay.” Harry put two points into Agility and three into Endurance, bringing them both up to ten, and her HP increased to forty-two.

“Oh, yeah. That feels great,” Celeste wriggled in excitement.

”We should be ready now.”

Harry pushed on the heavy stone door, and it swung open, revealing a corridor in front of him.

=====

The player has entered the 1st Floor of the Peverell Crypt.

1st Floor: Level Range 5-6

Find the key and unlock the gate to progress to the next floor.

=====

“It stinks down here,” Celeste held her nose.

The crypt appeared to have been left closed for a long time. The corridor was in disrepair, with piles of strewn rubble in places from collapsed walls, succumbing to the ravages of time. Above them, spiderwebs hung from the ceiling, and Harry felt his skin crawl when he imagined what was lurking inside.

Harry dimmed his wand until there was just enough light for him to see in front of him. On the Mini-Map, he could see small alcoves, each having the potential to hide something ready to ambush them.

‘We are communicating telepathically from this point on. Celeste, go ahead and scout ahead. Be careful.’

Celeste disappeared, but over the bond, she kept reporting her findings as she progressed. Thankfully, there was nothing lurking in the alcoves, although there was the potential that one of the sarcophagi would open and something would climb out to attack them.

{Celeste} ‘There’s an intersection at the end of the corridor. Should I go left or right?

‘It doesn’t matter. Go left.’

{Celeste} ‘Okay.’

A minute later, Celeste reported back with her findings.

{Celeste} ‘It is a dead end.’

‘What do you see? Describe it in detail.’

It is a medium-sized chamber with narrow depressions in the walls where wooden coffins are stored. Some of them are so shabby, and I can see some of the contents—gross.

‘Okay, stay there. We are coming to you. There is a chance that there is undead here, and they could be playing dead. No pun intended.’

Harry walked down the corridor with Hedwig purchased on his shoulders.

‘Hedwig, you have better eyesight. Keep an eye out for ambushes.’

{Hedwig} ‘Naturally.’

They turned left at the intersection, and soon the chamber appeared in front of them. Celeste landed on his other shoulder, and Harry examined the chamber carefully with Observation. He released a involuntary gasp as something hideous was revealed, clinging to the wall to his right.

=====

Imp Minion | Level: 5 | Normal | HP: 70/70 | Mana: 40/40 | STR: 10 | END: 8 | AGI: 14 | INT: 7 | MAG: 2 | PER: 4 |

Physical Defence: 12 | Magical Defence: 10

Resistances

Poison: 70% | Fear: 70% | Sleep 100% |

Weaknesses

Blind: 90% | Slashing: 50% | Light: 70% |

Loot: 30 pounds (100%); Imp Gall (50%).

Harvesting: Imp Gall (100%); Imp Poison Gland (35%)

Description: Imps are servants that can be found in catacombs or ancient crypts. It is usually contained within an orb and summoned when they are needed to defend the location. Its tail ends in a scorpion-like stinger that will pierce its prey and inject it with a potent poison.

=====

The Imp turned its head at the sound, revealing its ugly visage. It shrieked, then launched itself off the wall and dived at Harry.

Hedwig flew off Harry’s shoulder and met the Imp in mid-air, talons flashing as she scored a hit on its head.

Imp takes 4 damage

The monster tumbled in the air for a second before regaining its light and turning towards Hedwig.

However, Harry and Celeste had not been idle. Harry put his wand away, conjured two fireballs, and threw them at the Imp. Celeste cast Shadow Spike from atop his shoulder. Her physical defence was abysmal, and she may get killed with a simple swipe of its claws, so she needed to hang back.

Shadow Spike pierced one of its wings, halting it in mid-air momentarily, and the fireballs landed a moment later.

Imp takes a combined total of 21 damage.

The Imp continued his pursuit of Hedwig, seemingly having been offended by the owl for some reason. Hedwig had a hard time evading its attack in the confined space. Not only was it faster, but the Imp’s build was more adept at turning sharply.

Harry produced two more fireballs.

‘Hedwig, fly towards me.’

The owl obeyed without question, turning as quickly as she could and heading straight for Harry.

Harry waited a moment before calling for Hedwig to dive—revealing the Imp flying behind her; a split second before it got a face full of flames, and Celeste followed up perfectly with another Shadow Spike.

Imp has taken a combined 23 damage.

The Imp shrieked; the attack hadn't affected its flight as it dived at Harry again, its tail poised to deliver a jab.

{Celeste} ‘Watch out!’

Harry summoned his wand from his holster and cast the strongest Wand Lighting Charm directly into its eyeball when it was a breath away from attacking.

The Imp has been blinded.

The Imp wailed, and Harry stepped back as it wildly swung its tail, trying to find its target. Harry summoned another pair of fireballs and, combined with his familiar's help, soon brought the fight to a close.

Imp Minion has been defeated!

Battle Report:

Harry Potter: 60% (36 exp)

• Wand Lighting Charm ➝ Level 4

Hedwig: 20% (12 exp)

Celeste: 20% (12 exp)

• Unable to gain experience in the usual manner; Shadow Essence created from experience.

Imp Minion added to the Bestiary: Data + 10%

=====

“Man, what a rush!” Celeste danced on his shoulder.

‘{A short but brutal fight. You did well to remember its weakness, hatchling}.’

Harry shook his head. “I should have done it from the start.”

“It probably wouldn’t have been as effective from a distance,” Celeste said, looking down in shame. “Besides, I made the mistake of not seeing the Imp in the first place.”

“Maybe,” Harry shrugged. “But you don’t have the skill to see details as I do. It was a mistake, but it didn’t cost anything, and now you know better.”

“Right,” Celeste cheered up immediately.

‘{Hedwig} Maybe Celeste wanted to help the Imp? I read in one of Harry’s books that Fairies and Imps were distantly related in the past. Concern for your brethren, perhaps?’

Well, that was pretty savage.

“You take that back!” Celeste exclaimed. “How would you like it if I compared you to your distant relative?”

‘{Hedwig} Like who?’

“A feather duster,” Celeste giggled.

“Alright, enough bickering,” Harry said. “I noticed that spells seemed to level faster in the midst of combat, or am I imagining things?’

“Probably not,” Celeste flew to the ground to check out the loot. “Danger seems like it's a facilitator of growth, so facing tough enemies will increase them faster.”

“So it's faster than just grinding spells in a safe environment,” Harry mused. “However, the Empty Dungeon provides more time, so it probably evens out quite a bit.”

“Yes, but it’s so boring, and there is no loot,” Celeste emphasised that last point. “You need to find more Instant Dungeons. You get the benefits of both worlds.”

Harry grabbed the money and kneeled next to the corpse. He took out a skinning knife he had purchased for the purpose of harvesting monster parts. As he lowered the knife, faint lines traced over the body in an elaborate manner, showing the optimal way to dissect the corpse.

“Totally gross,” Celeste turned her head as he started cutting. Harry tried to remove the poison gland first, but his skill level was still too low, and he pierced it, releasing a vicious poison. Harry leapt back as it seeped into the floor.

The only other useful thing was the Imp Gall. Harry swallowed his nausea as he removed the gallbladder from the corpse. He retrieved a small jar and pierced the organ, letting the nasty liquid pour inside. The smell hit him like a sledgehammer, a sour, acidic odour that burned his nostrils. Thankful that the task was over, he stored the jar away.

“Is that really necessary?” Celeste asked with distaste.

“All for the sake of progress,” Harry said unconvincingly.

They searched around the area but didn’t come across any loot. Disappointed, they retraced their steps to the intersection, and Celeste went ahead to scout the area ahead.

{Celeste} ‘The next chamber is identical to the last, except it has an open entryway on the opposite side, leading into a much larger chamber.’

‘Can you see any monsters?’

{Celeste} ‘There are two Imps hanging off the walls. One is waiting by the entrance I came through, and the other is closer to the other side.’

Harry thought for a moment. ‘Could you lure one here? I don’t want to deal with two of them at once.’

{Celeste} ‘It's possible, but the Imp is faster, so it might catch me before I reach you.'

{Hedwig} ‘It’s simple. Celeste will attract its attention first, then go invisible, and I wait halfway down the corridor so the Imp can see me. I will lure it the rest of the way.’

The plan went off without a hitch, and Harry repeated the tactic of blinding it but then had a different idea. He wanted to take away its flying ability, so he tried cutting one of its wings with the Severing Charm.

Harry missed the first two attempts but got a hit on the third. The combination of the Imp’s speed and the time it took actually to cast the spell made it a difficult target.

The Imp cried out as half of its wing was sheared off and fell to the ground.

Critical Hit! Imp takes 31 damage.

The Imp is crippled and grounded; Agility is reduced by fifty per cent.

It was able to walk on its legs, but it looked awkward as if it hadn’t used them in a long time.

Harry smirked as he conjured fireballs. His team made short work of the Imp after that. They repeated the tactic for the following Imp, and Severing Charm increased to Level 2.

They returned to the second chamber and began searching the area for loot. A small urn with a strange stone inside was tucked away in a corner.

“What is it?” Celeste asked eagerly.

“Hold your horses.”

=====

Level 1 Upgrade Stone | Consumable | Uncommon | Grade: --

Description: A consumable item that can upgrade a piece of equipment to the 2nd Grade. Simply hold the stone to the item and say or think, ‘Upgrade.’ Vanishes after use.

=====

“This is amazing,” Harry's eyes glinted behind his glasses.

“What are you going to use it on?” Celeste poked the stone.

“Is that a rhetorical question?” Harry snorted. He took off his Shoes of Agility and held the stone against them.

‘Upgrade.’

Harry turned away from the bright light that engulfed the shoes and waited for it to die down. Looking at them, they didn’t even look any different from before, taking on the appearance of ordinary sneakers. However, when he examined them, they showed a difference.

=====

Shoes of Agility | Equipment | Uncommon | Grade: 2

Description: A pair of shoes that are light and comfortable. Raises the player's movement speed by a significant amount. Has been upgraded once; Level 2 Upgrade Stone needed to strengthen it further.

• Movement Speed + 75%

=====

Harry did some quick calculations and figured his movement speed was comparable to fourteen Agility. He re-equipped them and tested them by running to the other side of the chamber. It felt incredible to move faster, like having wings attached to his feet.

“Let’s get going,” Harry said.

Celeste went ahead once again to check out the large room. It took her longer to explore, so Harry restored some Mana while he was waiting. He took out two of the Mana Potions that he had created and tipped them into his mouth, grimacing at the taste. His creations weren’t as good as the potions he found in the previous Dungeon.

Mana has been restored by 100 points.

Toxicity has risen to 20%

If he were lucky, none of the created potions would reverse their effect and cause him to lose Mana instead.

{Celeste} ‘The room is three times bigger than the previous two chambers, with two exits and a small antechamber. From the entrance, the closest exit is to my right and leads to a dead end similar to the first chamber. The antechamber is to my left, but a Skeleton is guarding it.’

‘A Skeleton? Why am I not surprised?’

{Celeste} ‘The Skeleton is dressed in leather armour and is equipped with a sword and shield. Besides him, there are six Imps roaming around the place, but they seem to have a set pattern. I have memorised a route to avoid them if you wish. The last exit is ahead of me and leads down a long flight of stairs.

Harry pondered his options for a moment. It looks like he had to kill the skeleton to get to the antechamber. As much as he wanted to avoid the fight, the antechamber may hold the key to the second floor. But he couldn’t kill it until he got rid of the Imps, or else they might get mixed up in the fight. That would be a recipe for disaster.

‘‘How much time do you have left on your Shadow Cloak?’

{Celeste} ‘About twenty-five minutes. If I knew we were going Dungeon diving, then I would have saved the perk for when he arrived here.’

‘Don’t worry about it. That’s my fault. Okay, can you lure the Imps here one at a time?

{Celeste} ‘Yep. One moment.’

Over the next fifteen minutes, they eliminated the six Imps without any trouble. He got levels in both Severing Charm, Basic Fireball and Dual Casting. Besides that, he raised his Magic by one from all his spellcasting.

Hedwig levelled up and followed the same AP distribution as Celeste. He wanted to ensure that they had the best chance of surviving.

After restoring his Mana to full, Harry strode into the larger room.

The Skeleton seemed to have low awareness because it didn’t see Harry initially. Unfortunately, Harry had to get close to examine the Skeleton and see any potential weaknesses.

At some point, the Skeleton looked to be a human soldier dressed in faded leather armour. It appeared to have crawled out of its grave after spending a couple of decades decomposing. Nearly all of its flesh was gone, but some had adhered to the bone, presenting a nauseating sight.

It turned to Harry when he got close enough to Observe the Skeleton, giving him a huge macabre grin with half its teeth missing.

=====

Hungry Skeleton Soldier | Level: 6 | Elite | HP: 220/220 | Mana: 20/20 | STR: 17 | END: 12 | AGI:10 | INT: 5 | MAG: 1 | PER: 5 |

Physical Defence: 18 | Magical Defence: 7

Resistances

Poison: 100% | Charmed: 100% | Exhaustion: 100% | Piercing, Blunt, Slash: 50% | Dark: 80% | Shadow: 40% |

Weaknesses

Fire: 50% | Light: 50% | Divinity: 80% |

Loot: 100 pounds (100%); (50%) Bone Meal; Dark Essence (25%)

Harvesting: ---

Description: One of the Gryffindors soldiers that was left behind to guard the first floor. Trapped inside the Crypt, the soldier slowly starved to death. He has now returned from the grave to resume his duty and is consumed with an incredible hunger. Wields a sharp one-handed sword and a targe shield.

=====

Harry didn’t like the sound of the hungry part. Was it going to try and take a bite out of him? He shuddered with revulsion.

The fight seemed to be in his favour, but he wouldn’t be complacent. It was an Elite Monster, after all.

“The two of you stay out of this fight,” Harry said. “You won’t be able to deal much damage to it, and one swing of its sword could kill you.”

{Celeste} ‘Be careful.’

{Hedwig} ‘I’m entering the fight if you are in serious danger.’

The Skeleton banged its sword against its shield and approached Harry. With his Shoes of Agility, he should be able to stay ahead of the Skeleton.

Harry conjured two fireballs and threw them at the Skeleton, but it raised its shield and blocked the projectiles.

Damage was mitigated partially.

Skeleton takes 4 Damage.

Conjuring another two fireballs, Harry used his speed to manoeuvre around the Skeleton and fired them at its back. Quickly, the Skeleton turned its body and blocked the attack again.

“Dammit,” Harry swore. The Skeleton was slower than him, but it seemed to have recalled some of its training as a soldier, as it had amazing footwork that took advantage of all the Agility it had at its disposal.

If this continued, it would be a test of endurance. He couldn’t imagine how many fireballs it would take to kill the thing. He still had the five Mana Potions he received from the Instant Dungeon and the batch he created. So, it wasn’t like he was going to run out of Mana. But it was going to be a huge waste.

The Skeleton stepped forward, raised its sword and aimed a horizontal slash at him. It wasn’t in range; what was it―a thin blade of dark energy flew out of the blade, and Harry dodged to the side. The energy blade bit into the wall, carving out a thin wedge.

Harry danced around the Skeleton and produced fireballs, slowly whittling down its HP. While fighting, he tried to think of a way to improve his situation. He had to use four of his Mana Potions to restore his Mana, and the Skeleton was only at seventy per cent health. The bastard was patient, seemingly in no rush as it tried to tire him out, occasionally sending out energy blades to keep him on his toes.

Getting rid of its shield was the most obvious solution. How was he going to go about it, though? Harry recalled all the Charms Spells he had learnt and wondered if they were applicable in this situation.

Harry had an idea. He summoned his wand, pointed it at the shield, and chanted the incantation: “Spongify."

The Softening Charm has lowered the Wooden Targe Shield’s durability by one.

Not exactly what he was expecting, but he would certainly take it. How much durability did it have anyway? Could he Observe the Shield? Harry tried and failed five times, as he had just kept getting the Skeleton’s parameters, but as he focused more, he managed to get the desired result.

Examining the shield, he first noticed that the shield was considered a part of the monster. He expected once he got its complete Monster Data, it would become part of the loot pool, but for now, it would disappear when the monster died.

The shield had eleven durability left after receiving a barrage of fireballs, but it wasn’t as effective as the Softening Charm. Besides, it was much cheaper to cast, saving him Mana in the long term.

Harry whittled down the shield's durability until, finally, it crumbled to the ground in pieces. Grinning, Harry proceeded to bombard with fireballs until the Skeleton reached fifty per cent health.

The Skeleton let out a huge roar, causing Harry to stumble briefly. The Skeleton proceeded to rip out a rib and began crunching on it. Furthermore, as if adding a seasoning, it picked at the remaining flesh and stuffed it in its mouth. What the hell?

The Hungry Skeleton Soldier has activated Self-Cannibalism.

HP has decreased by half; Agility has been raised by 100% for two minutes.

Harry cursed and began frantically running away as soon as he finished reading the notification.

{Celeste} ‘Harry, are you okay?’

‘Stay away. This thing is really dangerous.’

Harry ran toward the corner, trying to put as much distance from the Skeleton as possible. He considered returning the way they had come but realised he would be an easier target in the narrow corridors.

Heavy rattling steps pounded behind him as the Skeleton chased him, gaining on him swiftly. Harry turned quickly and fired off a pair of Fireballs, but the Skeleton swiftly dodged them.

Harry executed his skill — Running— but the skill barely added anything to his top speed, with the skill being too low. As much as he tried, it was inevitable that he was going to get caught. The sword flashed and struck his arm, causing him to cry out in agony and fall backwards.

Harry Potter has taken 43 damage.

Energy: 83 | 120

Hedwig came swooping down and clawed at its face, only to receive a backhand that sent the owl flying with a screech.

Hedwig has taken 38 damage.

“Hedwig!” Harry cried, seeing the bird lying on the ground.

Celeste entered the scene, conjuring a Shadow Spike and striking its shoulder. The damage didn’t even register as it had locked onto Hedwig, who was struggling to get up.

Harry watched in horror as the Skeleton rushed the downed owl. “No!”

Once again, accidental magic came into play — the ground beneath the Skeleton turned into a pit of mud. Its momentum carried it a bit further before its legs began sinking into the mud until it was waist-deep.

Harry felt dizzy, black dots appearing in his vision as he started to succumb to unconsciousness.

“Harry, Hedwig needs you!” Celeste shouted.

Harry snapped out of his dizzy state, slapping himself harshly to remain awake. He took out a couple of Mana Potions and drank them quickly. One of them failed and reversed the effect, but he merely took out another two to make up the difference.

Mana has been restored by 100 points.

Toxicity has risen to 60%

“Finish off the Skeleton,” Celeste urged. “It’s gone back to its normal state. I will take care of Hedwig.”

Harry nodded and took great pleasure in bombarding the Skeleton as it struggled out of the mud pit. It was on its knees before Harry as he cast the last Fireball into its chest.

“Go to hell.”

=====

The Hungry Skeleton has been defeated!

Battle Report:

Harry Potter: 100% (120 exp)

• Player: Level 5 ➝ 6

• Basic Fireball: Level 6 ➝ 8

• Softening Charm: Level 1 ➝ 3

• Observation: Level 8 ➝ 9

• Dual-Casting: Level 6 ➝ 7

• Accidental Magic: Level 4 ➝ 5

• Perception has increased by 1.

Title: Elite Hunter has increased to 4% ( Attributes increase when facing Elite Monsters.)

Hungry Skeleton Soldier (Elite) has been added to the Bestiary: Data + 100%.

Soldiers Targe Shield (10%), Level 2 Grade Stone: (5%) added to the loot pool.

=====

Harry rushed over to Hedwig and picked her up in his arms. “Are you okay, girl?”

{Hedwig} ‘Still alive and kicking.’

“Would the Energy Potions work on her?” Harry wondered, seeing how close she had come to dying.

“I don’t think so,” Celeste said from beside Hedwig, the two bonding in temporary comradeship. “The wording seems very specific. Energy is different from HP.”

“Dammit,” Harry slammed a fist on the ground. “I’m so stupid. Why didn’t I think of this before? Hedwig almost died because of my carelessness. Why did I even come down here?”

“Remember the skeleton at the front entrance? It said you are a descendant of Peverell, which means something is happening beyond our understanding. Don’t beat yourself up too much; it was a mistake, but we all survived, right?”

Harry nodded before standing with Hedwig in his arms. “Let's take a break. Hedwig is out of the fight. No more heroics, you silly owl.”

Harry set her down in the corner and told Celeste to look after her. Harry approached the door to the small antechamber the Skeleton had been guarding. He conjured a Fireball and cautiously opened the door. After a quick inspection revealed no monsters, Harry sighed in relief and went to retrieve Hedwig.

Inside were a few wooden pews facing a tall stone tablet, in which names were etched into the surface. Harry placed Hedwig down and walked forward, and began browsing the names. He was initially confused, as he thought they would be Peveralls, but many of the last names were different. Then he read the text at the very top and realised it was the Peverell servants who were inscribed here. Those that had served with distinction were allowed to be buried here. The first floor was devoted to them, and this tablet was the registry.

“Harry, I found a key!” Celeste called.

Harry turned and hurried over to where Celeste was pointing. Along the wall was a lengthy recess that was lined with candles. A few other items were scattered across the surface, including some etching tools, scrolls of parchment and scraps of linen. Harry spotted the bronze key and grabbed it.

You have found the key to the second floor.

Harry sighed in relief and turned to Celeste. “Enough exploring. We head straight for the exit.”

“Then we need to take the stairs down.”

After a cursory search, there was nothing else to find, and so Harry picked up Hedwig, and they made their way to the stairs in the large chamber.

“I have a bit of Shadow Cloak left,” Celeste said. “Let me go ahead first.”

Harry stroked Hedwig's feathers as he waited anxiously. Hedwig didn’t take any physical damage, but the pain was still real. Also, if her Hp hit zero, then it was over for her. Unlike when his Energy depleted, where he came vulnerable to damage.

His girl had come so close to dying. Harry hugged her closer.

{Hedwig} ‘I’m fine, you silly human.’

Celeste returned. “Good news. The stairs lead to the gate and the teleporter. It seems the first floor isn’t so sizable.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Harry unlocked the rusted iron gate, which swung open with a creak.

=====

Congratulations!

The player has conquered the first floor of the Peverell Crypt.

The player can now access the second floor.

2nd Floor: Level Range: 9-10

Gaia approves of your actions! A Treasure Chest has spawned!

The teleporter to the entrance has been activated.

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Harry turned as a golden chest appeared beside the now-activated teleportation circle. Looks like he was going to get rewarded for his trouble before they left.

“Loot!” Celeste shouted, flying forward.

Harry followed her. What kind of rewards did Gaia give out?

So what do you think? What treasure does the team get for their effort? The next chapter is going to be a small time skip, and Harry is heading to France.

Thanks for reading.