Chapter 2: 02: Seer
"I don't know what the limit of attribute points is, maybe 7, or even higher."
The number 7 holds a magical significance in the Harry Potter world.
Voldemort created seven Horcruxes; there are seven Weasley siblings, seven Quidditch players on each team, seven years of study at Hogwarts, wands typically costing seven Galleons, and seven main courses taught at the school.
If 9 is considered a significant number in other worlds, then here, 7 is the emblem of magic and mystery.
"Assuming that the six major attributes can only be increased to 7 points each, I currently possess 16 attribute points, making me 26 points shy of the maximum 42."
In this light, careful consideration is needed regarding how to use the attribute points.
Ivan believes that it's better to have a bird in hand than ten in the forest. Rather than spreading potential points thinly across many attributes and becoming a 'jack of all trades, master of none,' it would be more strategic to focus intensively on a few attributes.
Having experience with gaming in his previous life, Ivan understands the importance of specialization.
"My highest attribute now is magic."
"Next are soul and thinking, both of which are at 3 points."
A 3-point attribute is rated as 'outstanding' by the system.
Ivan is uncertain about the benefits of an outstanding soul.
However, outstanding thinking has endowed Ivan with a memory, computational ability, and reaction time far exceeding that of ordinary individuals.
For instance, concerning memory alone, Ivan can generally recall everything he has observed in a short period.
He has tested this ability: he can read a 10,000-word document in a very short span and recite it verbatim.
The drawback is that this enhanced recall does not last long—it persists for only one day at most.
If the amount to be remembered is more extensive, the memories will become distorted.
Of course, Ivan can read materials multiple times or review them frequently to ensure the knowledge is firmly imprinted in his mind.
By comparison, if ordinary people can reach this level with only 3 points in thinking, then the value of this attribute point is truly extraordinary.
Indeed, the shorthand capability provided by 3 points of thinking is quite remarkable, almost comparable to the legendary eidetic memory.
"If I'm not mistaken, achieving 4 points in thinking likely grants the ability to remember everything you see."
This benefit applies just to memory.
For more extensive testing, Ivan knew he had to experiment himself to determine the exact effects. "System, add points."
Ivan decided to allocate the new potential points to the soul attribute.
He prioritized improving the soul attribute to better control the magical power in his body and address the lethal threat posed by his own unrestrained magic.
Among the six attributes, the soul is ranked first by the system, highlighting its significance.
[Add points successfully] [Soul: 3→4]
Ivan checked the feedback from the system.
He paused, feeling himself for any changes and found none as he had anticipated. "Strange."
Ivan opened his attribute panel to review:
[Attributes]
Soul: 4 (Rare)
Magic: 5 (Legendary)
Physique: 1 (Ordinary)
Thinking: 3 (Outstanding)
Mind: 2 (Excellent)
Will: 2 (Excellent)
Current Potential Points: 0
The 4-point soul attribute, rated as "rare" by the system, held promise for Ivan. He was confident that enhancing his soul talent wouldn't be without effect.
In any world, the soul is regarded as profoundly mysterious. This holds especially true in the Harry Potter universe, where the significance of the soul is undeniable.
Ivan speculated that his prophetic talent was likely linked to the soul attribute. The stronger the soul, the more acute the perception, enhancing both the accuracy and clarity of the prophecies.
Driven by a sudden inspiration, Ivan glanced at a small mirror on his bedside table, pondering which Hogwarts faculty member would be sent to assist him.
In the next moment, the image in the mirror shifted, and an old woman wearing square glasses and dark green robes appeared.
"Professor McGonagall!"
Ivan recognized her almost instantly. She was Minerva McGonagall, the professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts.
"Can I predict accurately?"
Surprise flickered in Ivan's eyes. His previous prophecies had been largely passive receptions, rather than deliberate visions of the future.
However, with the enhanced soul attribute, Ivan distinctly felt an increase in the controllability of his Prophecy Mage abilities.
Yet, this control was not without its limits.
Fate is not something to be glimpsed at leisure.
Predicting the future is akin to staring into the abyss; carelessness could lead to a backlash.
"Those who play with fate will eventually be played by fate."
A dark premonition struck Ivan, imparting a crucial understanding of how to responsibly use his ability for directed prophecy.
"First, the result of a prediction cannot be changed."
"Second, you must not recklessly disclose your fate."
"Third, exercise caution when predicting events related to your own future."
These guidelines emerged from Ivan's intuition or perhaps an inspired revelation, providing him with keys to avoid the perilous backlash of meddling with fate.
Ivan understood the rationale behind the second and third points:
Predicting the future is akin to fortune-telling; naturally, one must not casually reveal such insights to others.
Moreover, fortune-tellers typically avoid reading their own fortunes—similar to how doctors generally do not treat themselves—because doing so can lead to undue stress and panic.
"Although the second and third rules come with limitations, they are not absolute."
"Not easily" implies that predictions for others might be permissible under necessary circumstances.
Avoiding personal predictions means that in critical moments, Ivan might foresee and thus evade impending calamities.
However, what truly concerned Ivan was the first of these rules: "The predicted results cannot be changed!"
"Indeed, time in the Harry Potter world flows only in one direction."
Ivan recalled the Time-Turner from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which underscored this principle: "When you travel through time, no matter what alterations you make, you're merely fulfilling a segment of history, not altering the past."
Similarly, the grip of fate is formidable. Consider how Voldemort's obsession with Harry persisted until his demise.
Fate decreed that one would ultimately fall at the hands of the other.
Both Harry and Neville were prophesied as possible vanquishers of Voldemort.
However, in Ivan's view, it seemed more accurate to say that Voldemort met his end as dictated by fate, rather than being defeated by someone else.
"Reflecting on it this way, the influence of fate is indeed daunting."
Ivan refrained from delving deeper. With his current level of knowledge and power, he felt unprepared to wrestle with such profound mysteries of fate and time.
Fortunately, Ivan is not one to stubbornly resist the immutable laws of the world.
Understanding that the rules of this universe are fixed, he has no intention of recklessly challenging them.
"With the soul upgraded to level 4, I can now predict the future more precisely," Ivan mused. Yet, he was not convinced by the notion that such predictions could not be altered. In his view, any limitations were simply challenges to be overcome by gaining greater strength. "Perhaps with further enhancements to the soul, I might even glimpse the true nature of fate."
As he contemplated this, Ivan noticed something peculiar—strange, dust-like particles floating in his field of vision. "Huh?"
He paused, taken aback.
Looking closer, Ivan saw many tiny fluorescent lights suspended in the air, where previously there had been nothing. "What is this? Magical elements?"
His mind raced to the elemental forces described in every Western fantasy novel he had read.
When Ivan focused more intently on these glimmering spots, his vision zoomed in as if through a microscope, revealing their true form. They were not mere particles but tiny creatures with diaphanous, butterfly-like wings.
However, these beings bore little resemblance to the charming elves of folklore; instead, they looked more akin to butterfly-like mosquitoes. "What are they?"
Ivan attempted to wave them away, but found his actions had no effect. Each time he dispersed them, another wave would appear to replace the last.
Among these peculiar entities, Ivan also spotted a small creature with curved horns and a fur-covered body, from which bubbles continuously emitted. The sight of it strangely induced a feeling of drowsiness in Ivan, prompting him to avert his gaze swiftly.
"???"
Ivan was certain these bizarre creatures were a consequence of his soul's enhancement to level 4.
He closed his eyes and tried to calm his mind as much as possible.
"Haah~~"
Taking a deep breath, Ivan opened his eyes once more, and the fantastical visions before him had vanished.
"Just as I suspected, I can control this kind of sight," he mused, deciding to call this enhanced perception the "soul perspective," which allowed him to see scenes imperceptible to ordinary eyes.
"So, could those creatures I saw be akin to microorganisms in the magical world?"
Ivan felt confident in his hypothesis: "Since there are magical creatures in this world, it stands to reason that, beyond humans, other entities might also possess magical powers."
The diversity of life forms surely extends beyond just animals and plants to include various microorganisms.
Building on this, Ivan wondered if, analogous to the mundane world where humans have discovered bacteria, viruses, and tardigrades, there might be corresponding magical counterparts inhabiting the unseen realms of the wizarding world.
"The tiny butterfly-like insects, and the small creatures with curved horns and bubbles issuing from their noses."
There were undoubtedly more entities, but Ivan had only glimpsed a fraction of this hidden magical ecosystem.
The magic in the Harry Potter universe might not always boast immense destructive power, but in other respects, its depths were profound. Transfiguration defying the law of conservation of mass, spells that nearly grant any wish, the Time-Turner from his third year, and the Undetectable Extension Charm altering spatial dimensions...
These were merely the phenomena documented in novels and films.
Now, living in a real magical world, Ivan understood that what was depicted in books and movies was merely the surface. The true expanse of magic was vastly greater.
"Heh, there is more to this world then depicted in the books indeed."
Watching an owl diminish into the distance, Ivan's lips curled into a smile: "I'm looking forward to discovering more and more."
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