บท 58: 58: The Legacy
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[Ding, challenge task triggered: Gryffindor's Legacy Phase Three, The Brave of the Sword, reward: +1 AP, Blessing: Seeker]
The mountain vanished, returning them to the original training ground.
Gryffindor stood aside, clapping. "I didn't expect you to make it this far."
"This is the final challenge: Master Mode."
Master Mode?
John looked at Gryffindor. With his current strength, the outcome against Master Mode was uncertain.
However, he was confident he could easily pass the combination of difficulties he had faced before.
Gryffindor returned all the alchemical equipment to John. With the protection of the talismans, Master Mode was not out of reach.
Meanwhile, Master Mode began.
John thought he would face another puppet or something similar, but instead, Gryffindor walked to the center of the training ground.
"Come on," Gryffindor beckoned to John.
John was stunned. The opponent in Master Mode was Gryffindor himself?
Da fuk..?
"I protest, there's a referee entering the fight."
John's heart sank. Even though he was much stronger than he had been in his first year, he didn't think he could contend with one of the four founders of Hogwarts.
Especially not with Gryffindor, who was known for being the most skilled in dueling among the four.
Having struggled through the first two challenges, he couldn't stop now.
With heavy steps, John walked into the training ground.
Gryffindor stood there with just a wand that looked like a tree branch. He smiled lightly, "I admire your courage. Rest assured, I am but a fraction of my former self. Nowhere near as strong as you imagine."
Gryffindor was very pleased with John. Facing formidable challenges head-on was the true mark of Gryffindor courage.
Listening to the comforting words, John felt there was quite a bit of exaggeration, but it also gave him the confidence to try.
"Please wait a moment."
John took out his small bag and fished out a bottle of enhancement potion.
In front of Gryffindor, he drank the enhancement potion.
Gryffindor was indifferent. Although such behavior of drinking potions before a fight seemed overly cautious, he thought, 'He's just a young wizard. How much can he improve with these potions?'
Over the next half minute, Gryffindor watched as John gulped down bottle after bottle of potions.
Had John known how to brew Felix Felicis, he might have drunk that too.
Fire resistance potion, enhancement potion, restorative potion...
John drank every potion he had that could boost his strength.
"I'm ready."
Now brimming with power, John held his sword in his right hand and his wand in his left.
Looking at the figure before him, Gryffindor felt like he was looking into a mirror.
A slight smile appeared on his lips as he raised his wand to his chest and said, "I hope your teacher has taught you about dueling."
The mutual salute before a duel was essential.
After all, John had dueled before.
John raised his wand to his chest, the two saluted each other, then turned and walked away.
When the count reached ten, John turned around instantly and saw a flash of red light in his vision.
His amulet activated at once, and a Shield Charm deflected the attack.
Cold sweat broke out on John's back. That was fast.
"Interesting little item," Gryffindor praised, striking again. He showed John what it meant to be a dueling master.
Even with his strength reduced to a tenth, Gryffindor's vast experience still made John struggle tremendously.
The amulet on his body activated once again, and John knew he couldn't just stay on the defensive.
He began to counterattack, white and red lights flashing and intertwining.
"Ego sum draco." he shouted the incantation.
The sword in his hand ignited with flames, and John slashed through the incoming red light, his wand deflecting the next attack.
With both hands working in harmony, he became increasingly adept.
Gryffindor narrowed his eyes, his wand firing off a spell that John deflected, causing it to explode in the training ground.
The shattered table transformed into a large club, swinging toward John's back.
John's amulet activated just in time, but he was still knocked flying. Gryffindor seized the opportunity.
"Oppugno!"
The items in the training ground turned into a flock of birds rushing at John. He cast a Fire Spell to block them, but a few got through, striking his body.
Pain shot through his shoulder, but John gritted his teeth and held on.
With his left hand, he cast a Blasting Curse at Gryffindor, who easily blocked it and then transformed two chairs into lions that leaped toward John.
He rolled to avoid them, swinging his large sword. He kept dodging while Gryffindor hadn't moved a step.
"Pay attention to the coordination of your steps, your spells, and your frequency," Gryffindor advised, attacking while teaching. John, hearing this, cast a Shield Charm to block, then adjusted his offensive rhythm.
He panted heavily as Gryffindor's wand shot out lightning, transforming into a whip that lashed out.
John dodged and parried, but Gryffindor fired another red light, hitting John's wrist.
The Ironwick Sword flew out of John's control, and just before it fell into Gryffindor's hand, a glint of determination flashed in John's eyes.
His wand pointed, and the Ironwick Sword changed direction, falling away.
Gryffindor was forced to step back and dodge, breaking the relentless rhythm of his attacks.
John stood up and launched a counterattack, quickly putting points into his Transfiguration skills.
With Transfiguration at level 3, he felt more in control. His wand pointed, transforming into a small dog that bit Gryffindor's calf.
Gryffindor turned and blasted the dog away, but John's next attack was already coming.
"Levicorpus!"
John slid under two lunging lions, casting a spell at Gryffindor.
"Oh!?" Gryffindor's body flew backward, hanging upside down as if a pair of invisible hands grabbed his feet and lifted him.
As expected of a dueling champion, Gryffindor reacted quickly, unhesitatingly casting a spell at John's legs.
John's legs immediately froze, but he made a split-second decision to launch a final strike.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Petrificus totalus!"
Red and white lights collided and confronted each other in the air, like a lightning-like attack.
Red and white beams clashed mid-air, fiercely pulling at each other like lightning in a fierce storm.
John's eyes turned to slits, and he raised his right hand, focusing on the Ironwick Sword.
A wave of magical energy pulsed from his hand, summoning the Ironwick Sword as if it had been struck hard, flying straight towards Gryffindor.
Gryffindor, immobilized, aimed his wand at the sword, deflecting it. However, he was struck by the spell and frozen in place.
I'll kill you while you're sick.
Seizing the opportunity, John extended his left arm, swinging his wand to fire spells at Gryffindor.
Gryffindor was knocked out of the air, his wand flying from his hand.
The lion behind John, ready to bite, reverted to two chairs that fell to the ground.
"Alright, you win," Gryffindor said, still immobilized and acknowledging his defeat.
Though his strength was a mere fraction of what it once was and he had only used his wand for the duel, a loss was a loss, and he would not deny it.
"That Levicorpus spell was quite amusing," Gryffindor remarked.
(Levicorpus was created by Snape, a spell Gryffindor had never seen before.)
As the Petrificus Totalus spell was lifted, Gryffindor stood up as if nothing had happened.
On the other hand, the winner John was exhausted. He looked at his right hand, still recalling the scene of controlling the Iron Wick sword just now.
"Interesting. I didn't expect someone your age to use wandless magic. I underestimated you," Gryffindor said, clapping. John himself was unsure how he had managed it. In that instant, it felt like he had returned to his previous state of magical overflow.
Scratching his head, John couldn't figure it out and eagerly asked, "Did I pass?"
Gryffindor nodded, which excited John immensely. The legacy of the Four Founders—just thinking about it was exhilarating.
Gryffindor, somewhat smug, said, "You will receive an extremely powerful sword, the weapon I used."
"Uh..." John looked at Gryffindor's confident demeanor and, after holding it in for a long time, finally said, "Um, the sword you're talking about, it wouldn't happen to be the Sword of Gryffindor, would it?"
"Of course!" Gryffindor replied, his eyes gleaming. That sword was his favorite, a powerful blade specially crafted by the Goblin King.
John felt like crying but had no tears. After all this effort, it turned out to be the Sword of Gryffindor. That sword was indeed formidable, but it was in Dumbledore's possession.
There was no way he could just take it, could he?
He wasn't Harry; taking Gryffindor's sword would be considered rebellion. John now felt Gryffindor had truly set him up.
He sighed and said helplessly, "I've seen that sword. It's in Headmaster Dumbledore's possession."
"Hmm?" Gryffindor paused, recalling that he had indeed entrusted the sword to Hogwarts for safekeeping.
Seeing John's resentful expression, Gryffindor felt a bit embarrassed.
"How about... I teach you to forge your own sword?" Gryffindor suggested.
Despite his seemingly careless demeanor, Gryffindor was actually a master in the art of forging.
As compensation for the Sword of Gryffindor, Gryffindor waved his wand, and the surroundings changed once more.
This time, it wasn't a forest or a mountain that appeared but a comfortable room.
This was Gryffindor's room from his lifetime, known as the Greffindor's Chamber of Secrets.
Inside it lay all the knowledge he had left behind—his most valuable legacy.
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12 Advance Chapters- Patreon.com/Dragonel
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