The Return.

My return trip to Hogwarts was, in short, unimpressively dull. It was, in fact, much as the last day of my time away from Hogwarts had been. The bulls had been no big problem, because as it turns out, their hide was not at all resistant to explosions, and they’d been rather slow, if tough, brutes. I had taken down two within seconds - though there had been four. I had thought there would only be two. The other two were only a matter of shooting them in the head with arrows when they let out a cry of surprise - for the third - and then an arrow in the mouth again for the last one when it had gone to breathe fire upon my location.

I had sustained some burns - which seemed to ignore my resilience to such things - but still, I had killed four divine bulls, then they’d evaporated into golden light and my quest was complete. By the end of the hour of the whole day I had put into the endeavour, I had succeeded in killing them, and had 12 hours to muck about.

So I’d gone about planning what to do with my rituals. I completed my task of filling the orb by the end of that day - putting most of my mana on the task of filling the orb, and then I’d merely tested what I could do with the items.

It seemed that unlike other artefacts I’d made, these were entirely unique. I could be apart from them and retain the bonuses, I could summon them to me from seemingly any distance with a thought and I could even absorb them into my body and retain the effects as though I was holding or wearing them.

I considered that this was likely true for every divine artefact like mine were, and decided to test with Harry.

Then I’d spent a whole six hours doing basically nothing. I’d considered using the orb - but decided that I shouldn’t, because I may need it suddenly and didn’t want to waste a chance to use it at the perfect time, and even with my stupidly high reserves, it would likely take a good year or two of near-constant charging to get it to full, unless I could wire it to a ley line, but that seemed not just unlikely, but a poor idea.

So, I, in the end, had gone on a date with Tonks, then spent the night playing games with Jasmine. She had always been unnaturally organised - almost as much as I am - which is odd. I’m an ancient soul in a young body. She is just a young woman. Unnaturally keen of wit, to be sure - but that could be attributed to her perks. A natural born genius.

She saw my system - saw it was effective - and copied it.

I was not, in any way, keen to return to Umbridge's horror show. Who knows what she’d done over the two weeks of Easter break - a few days longer than normal due to various issues. Apparently increased so she could have time to finalise all of her reports with the ministry, along with likely setting up more power for herself in the castle.

I would be surprised if she didn’t try anything nasty by the end of the day. Like sacking a professor. Trelawny or Hagrid seemed most likely as options, though she would doubtless like to hit Liliana or some of the other foreign professors. Give them the sack before the trade of professors ends. It should come to a close this year - though from what Rickie had told me, it may be extended one year to give a viable excuse in the ICW for other nations to meddle with the growing dark wizard issue.

The opposite was equally likely, however. Those countries may well call their finest back to not risk them in the resurgence of a known madman. The chaos of war has many unexpected casualties, and the professors would be high priority targets.

Even if simply killing them would be a task nigh unto impossibility for most of his followers.

Ward inversion is a method I’ve discussed with Rickie, but she doesn’t think it’s likely that could be done to her without her - or Gaelin - becoming aware of it. She does admit ward inversion is something people can do if they’re strong enough, organised enough and have the right skills, though.

Presumably, Voldemort has those skills. It just requires he has the time - a couple of days - to set up the operation and execute it - and the skill to go unnoticed while doing that. This makes it decidedly harder to do against better witches and wizards.

Considering I have those skills - it is not hard to reach the conclusion that Voldemort likely has the same set of skills. He’s had more time in this world to figure out how to do it, and he’s had more time to figure out unique aspects of the magic that I may be missing due to the fact I have some preconceptions on magic and how to use it.

While this has mostly been to my benefit, I cannot say it has wholly been so. I’m pretty sure a normal person could figure out how to make a fog cloud spell which makes visibility basically nothing and make that fog cloud not look unnatural. I can’t figure it out to save my life. Even though I figure it should be easy.

At least compared to things which blow holes in people. Which I’ve made a few of. Variations on already used stuff, though, so maybe it’s just making things from scratch which is hard? I’ll have to try to make some other spells, I guess. Not just the fog bank one. A small sphere of fog isn’t too hard but making it something people won’t know is unnatural is the hard bit.

“You have that look on your face, the one which screams you’re thinking too hard.” Adrian comments dryly. I give him a bemused glance, before turning back out the window.

“Of course I’m thinking hard. I have a lot to think about, you know. Next year is going to be important, and I need to make sure I’m ready. Also, it’s almost time for me to do what I’ve been planning since before I came to Hogwarts. Call in my debts.” I sigh, then lean back in my chair. “But I can’t help but feel that I need more time, and I just can’t get more time. It’s not possible. Not really - time turners or other methods of multiplying time are all limited in use and scope. But I need to use them to get the last drops of potential out of my plans. Or didn’t you hear about the fact that most of the house elves in the Malfoy, Tugwood and Gore families died or were dismissed?” I say, tapping my fingers on the sill of the window.

“Yes, it was quite the talk, do you know why?” He asks.

“Poison, from what I’ve been able to figure out. They were all poisoned and the only beings who touch the food in their houses…”

“Of course.” He replies, nodding. “Shouldn’t be possible though.”

“It is possible if you punish yourself. Say, by being the taste tester of the food?” I reply, coldly hiding the fact that I did this job. He can probably guess, given his solemn nod.

“I wonder why those households are still kicking, then?” He asks patiently.

“Either resistance to poison or something saved them. Either way, a pity. It is clear, however, that the war is about to kick off, factions are taking shots at each other in the dark and everyone is scared to admit the truth.” I complete the thought, then smile faintly. “We’re back.” I say, standing.

“Good luck with your business.” He murmurs, and lightly brushes my shoulder as I pass him, into the hall, and off to the castle.

Quite familiar for him. Perhaps he’s more invested in our group than I thought? I guess he might just be, given his family secretly siding with mine. Just enough to know it’s real and concrete, but not enough for the others to pick up on it.

Yet.

I have a solitary ride up to the castle in my carriage, and a silent walk to the common room. The halls are almost scared - shaking in fear and the silence trembles like a horrified creature. Reeling from some blow…

What happened?

I ghost into the common room to find most of the younger students staring at the wall - the bulletin board wall, and I give the board a glance over one shoulder, seeing three new items.

Educational Decree 26, 27 and 28. They are all to the point - like the other ones, and reading them is the matter of a few seconds.

I had been gone - not harrying Umbridge for two weeks and she got this much done? What the hell had gone wrong?

Teachers are only able to talk about their subjects - the ones they are paid to teach - and nothing else. That is basically criminal - because there are a number of things the professors do outside of teaching. They counsel, they run clubs, they provide advice and assistance.

Flitwick provides a sounding board and a safe space for every Ravenclaw who needs it. By this decree - he can no longer do that.

This is not the worst.

Banning the Quibbler is fine - expected - but also bad. It’s basically a vice. Controlling what information the Students have access to so they can only get propaganda approved of by the ministry is a very, very bad thing. I knew this would happen sooner or later, though. When Umbridge had time to catch up on the backlog of things and not have to deal with my destruction of her daily ability to do anything. Harry’s interview had been rather flagrant, and in-her-face as a form of rebellion against her. A very good move - but also one which he should have seen would restrict him and his ability to rebel in the future.

At least he’d made the punch land. Hard. So hard, that they had banned him from leaving the grounds for anything short of the end of Term.

Sirius had complained about that in the one Order meeting over the Spring break - loudly - and Dumbledore said he’d had no power to stop it.

Now I see why.

Educational decree 28.

The worst thing that could have happened.

“Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Albus Dumbledore as the Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

My brain quickly slammed into the two ways this could have happened.

One - Dumbeldore had been ousted for running an organisation which has a lot of witches and wizards who are actively rooting out the Dark Side. A number of them are in Fudges ‘donation’ box.

Two - The group Harry runs was found out. They call themselves Dumbledore's Army - which would have the exact same outcome as the Order being ousted.

Since this had not been in the Prophet, I can only assume that the second one is what happened - and that they’d failed to capture Dumbledore when it came out.

Because either option they would have tried and only said anything publicly if they could make a show of it.

But Umbridge - that stupid, daft, foolish woman. She took more responsibilities upon herself after she banned professors from being able to help her? She actually… actually had the audacity to remain professor for the Defence position, take the role of Head for the school while she maintains the position of Minister of Magic’s Senior Undersecretary?

She couldn’t keep up with having two jobs. And now she has to do three - more really - because she can’t fathom letting anyone else have any measure of control over anything.

I allow the cold, deadly smile to creep across my face as I turn to walk up the stairs - and I see, out of the coroner of my eyes, the younger students paling in terror of what the Queen of the tower might be planning behind that smile.

They would be cheering if they only knew. But, better that they don’t have a clue.

I have to stomp a hole through this regime. Ruin her utterly. I know just the pair of monsters to help me do it.

Fred and George Weasley had better be ready…

To the Terror Twins,

If you’re amicable to it, then I’d like to make a deal, we need to make Umbridge’s life even harder on her. She has the audacity to make the life of the students as hard as she can, and I’d like to return her favour, with interest.

If you like, I will prove my intentions by thoroughly trapping her office with a variety of pranking items, so her work is harder to complete. I will also be tampering with her regular route to and from her class with a variety of fun distractions and issues for her to deal with. When you have my proof, feel free to leave a note for me in one of the secret passages no one else uses. No need to incriminate ourselves.

Yours,

The Queen of Shadows.

After writing my letter, I did a quick shadow jump to their room, put it neatly on their pillow, and then jumped back. I made sure to make my handwriting notably different from the norm - so no one could connect the person who wrote it to me, with just handwriting.

The rest of the letter is written in a way they should know it’s me, but really, it’s up to them to figure it out. I’ll have to carefully check the various secret corridors, but my normal routine takes me all over the castle, so I should be able to check most of every passage every day with no suspicion, and the others at night with shadow jumps.

All I have to do now is wait.

.*****.

The response Umbridge has to her first three days of concentrated, cooperative effort from myself and the Weasley Twins is to allow public whippings as a punishment. That hasn’t been allowed since 1823, when it was taken out as a punishment due to the fact that three children had severe mental breaks. They wound up, later in life, destroying a large portion of a few magical libraries, and set the research of magic in general back a few decades with that escapade.

So, whipping was banned. Paddling, and strapping were still allowed until 1876, when it was banned for a general understanding that physical punishments were just… harming the student body and the general crop of witches and wizards.

The only form of physical punishment that could - and was until now - still allowed was manual labour, which was generally levied upon 1st through 3rd years, since people above that can - and will - easily cheat the system if they have half of a brain.

At that point, the only effective punishment is really making them a social pariah by sacking their house points, and then making them take remedial lessons and/or otherwise making their peers pressure them.

Umbridge does not understand psychology at all, so she’s going the route of extreme physical punishments. Which is likely to result in making major enemies for the Wizarding Government down the line. Which, of course, means a fresh crop of Voldemort - or whomever will take his place - supporters.

Or the next Dark Lord itself, because abused children are easy to make fall to the dark side - or fall into it willingly so they have power over their lives where it has been ripped away by those who practise ‘good magic’ and whip children for breaking curfew, or playing a joke on someone.

Granted, some of what the pranksters do is bullying - the issue is the bullies in the school are about one-third Slytherin, and Umbridge never does anything - or let stand - and punishment more severe than lines or a few house points.

Which makes it very, very obvious who is winning the house cup right now.

Ravenclaw is in second - only two-hundred and thirty points behind, and any time that goes above 200 points of difference, suddenly Ravenclaw loses about one-hundred points for some reason.

Gryffindor is at zero, and Hufflepuff is barely holding around fifty.

The fact that Slytherin can’t clear five-hundred is a good show of how the rest of staff is dinging every Slytherin for anything that will stick. What Snape has done for years to everyone but the Slytherins is now being done explicitly to them by everyone else.

With cause.

I think the best part of all of this, is the fact that my traps, Shadow Magic and assorted stealth and combat magic skills are getting a thorough, practical workout. Increasing incredibly fast.

Every student - and probably over half of the staff - know who the Umbridge saboteurs are. They just can’t prove it worth a damn, and almost none of them want to. The fame of my abilities increasing sees the system award more xp for those skills than generic practice, which makes them better and more famous and the loop continues.

Of course, the student body not knowing I’m using Shadow Magic makes that thing shoot through the roof. Compared to how it was going before. Ten points in a few days is very impressive. Stealth and movement magic on this level is apparently very impressive and people whisper the Queen of Shadows title wherever I go.

Because I can’t be found doing anything wrong, and everyone knows I’m doing everything against the rules.

When a system is corrupt and unjust, it is up to the good people with the power to see change done force that change.

No matter the means.

The fact that the Wizengamot looked more like a zoo than a proper meeting, with people calling for Umbridge's head due to her having a son or daughter strapped, or a niece strung upside down in chains - in her dress - for hours, well. Umbridge has few allies and Fudge is going to get the sack harder than any minister in recorded history.

Only a few weeks to go.

.*****.

The time for my rituals arrives as spring fully begins, first of May. I’d been up for the whole of the night, setting up the rituals, all of them. The preparatory rituals then the sacrifice of the cup, The rituals Salazar set up for me - perfecting the body, mind and soul. Then, the ritual of the Dragon, which will tie all of it together and put a nice little bow on top of it all. First, though, I need to summon my Djinn ally, which I got back in third year, from Salazar’s prison/library where all of the knowledge Jr. hadn't been destroyed was stored.

It’s a very simple thing, in truth.

“I call upon the favour owed. Answer the summons by the pact made.” I call, and in a small puff, the Djinn - Abir-Razahal is there. He gives me a smile.

“Good to see you again my friend.” His voice is much richer and more pleasant than before. I suppose three years - or more perhaps if he has some way to mess with time - has done him well.

I point at the ritual circles, and give him a smile.

“While I would love to catch up, business comes first. Can you check and modify the set of rituals if needed for greater effect upon my person? This is the limit that the mortals I’ve been able to consult have come up with.” It takes a few minutes of conversation - making sure we know what the goals of each ritual are - before he gets to work. Meanwhile, I go about setting up the final circle, the simplest circle, to tie Heltana into this whole thing. I get immediate confirmation from the circle, and the silver I lay out turns to dust and a massive influx of Heltana’s mana floods the room.

She clearly is giving me the full blessing for being a very, very useful summoner.

My helper looks up, and his brow wrinkles, before he smiles and begins rapidly changing things by millimetres. Then he sighs happily, as he gets to the last circle, and then, he unexpectedly speaks.

“I can change this to be much better for you. However, this ritual, if I alter it, will change the base element of the ritual from fire - which you mortals seem to think is most powerful - to that of a neutral base. It means you’ll have less direct power but vastly more potential for what the powers can do for you. Instead of generic fire all over, and control of fire and so forth, you’ll have a lesser control over all magics. Would you like that?” He asks, studying the circle.

“Yes.” I reply simply, he nods, and sets seven gems at the corners. Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Positive, Negative and… Magic? I think. It’s hard to identify, and Observe refuses to tell me anything other than it is a core of an elder elemental beast.

Then he puts three items - a section of armoured hide, a feathered crest and a pile of hairs. Those are all from named creatures - scales of the Devil Dragon, Feathers of the First and Hair of The Cerberus.

Other than Cerberus I cannot comprehend the names, other than their literal meanings. Devil Dragon is the dragon's name. First is the bird's name. Cerberus is Cerberus. They all reek of the energy of the Underworld - where devils live.

“Are favours worth this much?” I ask, concernedly.

“For what you did, yes. You saved my life - technically - so I must pay what I think is worth my life. All of my wealth being spent here is nothing compared to the value of my life. To repay the debt fully with these rituals, I’ll give extra from myself. Then, we are even.” He explains, and I nod. I can use the rest of the week with him to catch up with him, and see about getting an invitation to visit wherever he stays.

It is said that all of the Djinn do not like being in debt, and pay pound for pound. A bed and heated blankets for a man freezing to death is worth all the money in the world. So he is giving me what he equates to salvation from insanity or worse.

I watch as he extracts a core from his own chest, sighs, and puts it in the circle.

Observe tells me what that is. KInd of. It covers the whole ritual.

Ritual of the Primordial Dragon.

The Ritual of the Dragon, which has been enhanced to work especially well with the ley lines, and using items attuned to the Ritual’s intended target - along with balances to equate the mana to be most like that of the one who is participating in the ritual.

This ritual is done to the level of the immortal masters, and will have maximum possible effect upon the one whom it is done for.

This ritual must be done before the one it is done to turn 17.

Projected outcome -

Bonus to int.

Bonus to Wis.

Magic-Related perks.

Increased affinity with magical skills.

Increased connection to the Draconic and Devil Magics.

This will, invariably, also agitate a number of pantheons. Should you use this on yourself, expect a number of assassins in short order.

There are other drawbacks to this ritual, as well. Be warned.

“How long have you cultivated that?” I ask.

“My whole life.” he responds, and I give him a slow blink of understanding.

His life’s work, along with some of the most valuable things he has in exchange for his life. As an immortal he can do it again, of course, but it’ll take many years to do again.

He may have the time, but…

I give a bow of thanks.

“I would request, then, that you please tell any pantheons you have connections with that I do not seek violence. I seek peace and would rather avoid divine warfare.” I explain. He nods.

“The Chinese will be most upset about this turn, sadly for you. The Egyptians are already sending assassins after you. Expect them when you are somewhere fighting will be hard - not your house or school or government buildings, but, still. Expect them. They will be coming.” I nod slowly.

“I will, thank you. Will the two groups work together to kill me?”

“Not at first, and with my blessing, unless they start with all of the force they can muster, I doubt they will succeed. You are deeply veiled in the shadows of magic, you have complete control of what you have, divine favour from a number of gods who will be obstructing them and other boons. Of course, you will still be beset by demons, elementals and dragons aligned with the more aggressive of the gods. The ones who can be summoned here though - they can be no more powerful than I, and that gem gives you equal power to me, at least. Which you have, seemingly, attained. Therefore, you will just be vastly more skilled, powerful and capable in general, which with the rest of these rituals, well…” he trails off, and I nod, understanding.

I’ll be much more dangerous magically, and the other rituals see to my body and spirit/ This ritual also gives me some of the skills to back that power up. The issue is, I think, that I’ll be fighting things which probably equal the Red Dragon Dumbledore and I fought together, except they’ll probably be smarter and more able to resist what I can do.

Assassins which have gear and abilities to counter me, but at a level with that dragon.

I’ll need that power.

But why give me this much when Voldemort seems to be the biggest concern? What’s coming after him that means I need to be what amounts to Dumbledore in his Prime before I’m even 17? I assume it’ll be very, very bad.

Apocalypse level bad. The dimensional membrane breaking kind of bad, where devils and stuff get to run freely in our world, kind of bad. Or the Dragons trying to take over the world kind of bad. I know there are some really ancient and powerful dragons out there which make that Red look like a toddler.

I thought I needed to be a nuke, but if this keeps up, I’ll need to be - as they’d say in sci-fi - the orbital space cannon.

But in single target damage. Because I’m not going to blow up so much as a city block, let alone a mountain or whatever. Though, I’m sure if I made a ritual for it I could, I’m sure not going to. I’m going to focus on killing whatever it is that’s coming to destroy this world thoroughly dead.

Then dancing on its ashes.

You were Promised an interesting life. I wonder if you’ll be the first to actually survive being a protagonist? Everyone else died because they didn’t realise we scaled to them, which you clearly have, preparing for the worst by your standards of ‘the worst’ as opposed to what you can see is the worst. Dying because you didn’t get to the point you could and should be with the time and powers you have. You’re doing well - better than expected - but even still, you are in danger. Voldemort is just the… warm up. A wake up call for the people who don’t figure out they’re in trouble in time. Voldemort, the Appetiser before you see the other six stages to the meal.

Good luck with that plan you have though. Most people don’t think about single target elimination.

Thanks, game.

.*****.

In the end, my stats go through the roof - as expected. Though my Int and Wis go up much more than I thought they would. Abir-Razahal, when asked, explained.

“The ritual of the Dragon, Phoenix or otherwise would all do one thing. They bring out the latent potential in someone, which adjusting them to be more like the ritual’s namesake. If you were actually able to become smarter or stronger or whatever, or had been but there was a later damage inflicted, reducing the potential you reach, then this removes it. That was the original purpose of the ritual. The version today is less effective because it was designed to work on anyone anywhere. Not on ley lines on the cusp of your majority.” He concludes, and I nod.

My potential. What I could be before damage.

Like what I was before I was chucked into this body? Well, whatever it is, I’m happy with the outcome.

Very, very happy.

Aubrey Hawthorne

Titles - Queen of Ravens and Shadow, Morgana, Dragon of the Wall

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Level 130

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Age - 16

Race - Half-Human/Draconic Lustkin - 4 Wings.

Sex - Female

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Str -  503

Dex - 575

Agi -  555

Con - 569

Int - 1,000

Wis - 865

Luk - 700

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HP: 815,924 (3,323,691)

MP: 3,588,393 (27,394,420)

STM: 618,120 (5,181,379)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stat Points - 0

Skill Points - 0

Perk Points - 2

Diplomatic Visibility - 10- DR

Perks -

The Flesh of Dragons.

Your Health, Mana and Stamina all gain an additional multiplier.

The Hair of Cerberus.

Your hair, at will, can become a weapon. Anyone who touches it will be paralyzed for 1 second, if you wish for them to be. This can only work once every 10 minutes on someone.

The Wings of the First.

You can fly at speeds up to Mach-3, and you wings look much more majestic, gain feathers which are strong enough to block bullets and, of course, you will now gain an extra set of wings every 50 levels you gain. This caps out at 12, but you can choose to manifest however many sets of your wings you desire.

Most beings never do more than 2, except to show off they have more - and prove they are more powerful than whoever they’re talking to.

Current number of wings - 4.

500 Str - Physicality.

You gain the ability to control how your body grows muscle mass, aesthetically, at any rate. This has no direct benefit other than letting you shape how your body looks! You’ve earned it.

550 Dex - No Bar

You can get past any lock or wall or similar with this. Even magical ones. Though this does not stop things from detecting you doing it - after all - the only way through might be very loud, but it’s guaranteed not to hurt you.

And yes, this does work on shackles.

550 Agi - The Limit

The limits of bodies are pretty severe. You can only survive so many G’s of pressure before you die, you can only accelerate so fast, you have to calculate for wind resistance.

Well, not you anymore. Now, you only have to worry about having been prepared to handle those strains. Going fast enough to strain wind resistance will set you on fire, and right now you can only handle about 5 G’s for a long period without damage.

With time, you can increase these numbers and ignore the limitations, though.

550 Con - Weakness

Everyone has a weakness, and now, you do too!

You can choose to “rest” any amount of stat points and Perks from any source for however long you want. The more you rest, for the longer, the more powerful you’ll be when they come back. You can also cut the weakness out at any time. This will lose you the rewards, but will make it so you can ignore your self imposed weakness until you decide to re-apply it.

Benefits can range from increased stats to minor perks.

800 Int - Bend the Flows

You can now steal other people’s spells from them. You can bend them from the others control, and use them against the caster. This is most useful for summoned, conjured or otherwise slow spells, but with time you can learn to do it in an instant!

This also comes with the added benefit that if you turn someone’s spell to your service, you can then absorb the mana of that spell.

900 Int - Shape the Flows

You have absolute authority on magic around you, or that you cast. If someone tries to cast a spell upon you, it must have an amount of mana in it equal to 1% of your mana pool or it will fail. (with notable exceptions being spells which ignore everything after they are cast.) This means unless they put 273,000 mana into the spell, it will fail.

If you fight someone else with this perk, then whoever has the higher int will retain it, and the other will lose it while they are within the domain of the other.

1000 Int - Master of Magic

You are the first entity in this reality to reach 1,000 int by 17. This was by design - reincarnates who use powerful rituals would be the only way this could be done. We hard capped int at 1,000 though. Still, you’ve done it. So, you get the prize.

+100 points to any 7 schools of magic of your choice.

You may have up to 7 Magical disciplines reach 1,000 skill points, and they will not count against your maximum number of skills allowed at that level.

750 Wis - The Omega

You can now choose to access Quay! (Shadow Mana + Stamina)

800 Wis - The Apex

You can now access Origin Mana. (Health+Mana+Stamina) This is the highest order of energy any being short of a god can unlock.

650 Luc - Unbendable

Your luck or skills cannot be syphoned, stolen, broken or otherwise altered by any force outside of your own will.

700 Luc - Bad Luck

You can alter the luck of yourself and others around you to be lower, if you will. This is good for avoiding suspicions about cheating while gambling - and helps keep you looking more normal in usual situations

Of course, I begin training with Origin Mana - with the aid of Abir, immediately.

The benefits of that - gained only an hour after we started, are very nice, indeed.

In short, Origin Mana acts as a buffer around you, so it absorbs damage or anything else which you don’t want, up to a certain level. The level depends on how much control you have on the Origin. The amount you have is 1% of your health, mana and stamina, added together.

Since I’m a novice, it’ll do direct damage and things which I recognize as dangerous actively. With time, it’ll start passively blocking more and more,

Apparently Djinn, Demons, Devils and Angels all start with this stuff. Which, he explains, is why they tend to run over the other, lesser races. Only Primordials can match them, but they have something similar, whereas humans and such did not.

The best among them did, but those were easy enough to orchestrate the deaths of. Every supernatural race, back when we shared the world, would remove anyone who had Origin Mana. Devils did it to Angelic Sympathisers, the Angels did it to Devil sympathisers and the Primordials did it to anyone who came near their domains.

Djinn didn’t care, and demons tend to kill everyone, so in the end, it was picked on by the mortals. Then the more powerful had been separated by the Elves and the mortal races were allowed to flourish.

Until everyone decided they should be the dominant race on the planet, and decided to kill the elves.

What a damn shame. The elves’ spell is the only thing keeping the world from going back to how it was when humans, dwarves, gnomes, goblins and more had no say in anything.

No one can repair it. So if another mortal - on this side - were to destroy it… well…

That would be ‘the end of the world’ wouldn’t it? I see no other reasonable threats. But who, and why, would someone try to do that?

Thoughts for later, to be sure. For now, training.