Chapter 285

When the castle was empty, the wind seemed to soften.

Behind an orange-gold stained-glass window in Ravenclaw Tower, Wizard Sean watched Bai Yi fly farther and farther, carrying the letter. The empty talisman rested against his chest like a necklace, and he felt a firmness and pride—the fullness of a messenger’s zeal.

Wizard Sean seemed to understand something. As he looked down, an animal shaped like a branch crawled out of his bag and headed toward a nest illuminated by warm light, perched on a bookshelf.

Tila had always had a place in Ravenclaw dormitory. When Tila met Wizard Sean’s gaze again, Wizard Sean felt even more.

Saturday.

Headmaster’s office.

“Yes, you already know… Some people need a long time to understand, others never will. Only those with virtue and courage dare to feel it. Such people are lucky—and rare.”

Headmaster Dumbledore slowly guided Wizard Sean toward the direction he hoped he would think.

“In songs and legends spanning thousands of years, the Borderlands have always held many lost souls. They refuse to become ghosts, for that would strip them of feeling; they also refuse to descend into the depths of death, for they believe they must still wait…”

“Wait… for love to redeem them. Can you imagine that, child?”

“Endless, boundless waiting, for a faint possibility. This is the key to why souls linger in the Borderlands—wizards who carry love in their hearts are always more resilient…”

Sunlight spilled through the open window, casting rainbows that decorated the office. Even within Hogwarts, Headmaster Dumbledore’s office was undoubtedly most fascinating.

If young witches and wizards weren’t terrified of being expelled, they would all be delighted to have the chance to visit.

It was a spacious, beautiful circular room, filled with all manner of whimsical little sounds. On slender-legged tables sat strange silver objects, spinning and puffing out thin streams of smoke.

Portraits of past headmasters lined the walls, men and women alike, each gently snoring within their frames.

Amid the snoring, Headmaster Dumbledore spoke softly to teach Wizard Sean.

The headmaster’s meaning was clear.

In the Borderlands, whether the dead or wizards’ souls brought by empty talismans, becoming lost was perfectly normal. The difference was that the dead would be reborn, while living wizards would return to the real world.

And love was like an anchor, guiding souls not to wander.

That night, Wizard Sean naturally stayed a little longer in the Borderlands. After understanding certain things, the hazy mist had thinned somewhat.

In his dream, he heard the interface constantly chiming:

【You practiced Soul Transformation at the standard of a skilled practitioner in the Master realm. Master-level proficiency +10】

【You practiced Soul Transformation at the standard of a skilled practitioner in the Master realm. Master-level proficiency +10】

【You practiced Soul Transformation at the standard of a skilled practitioner in the Master realm. Master-level proficiency +10】

It chimed three times in total.

Wizard Sean reasonably suspected the interface’s chime was one reason his own wandering was so slow.

Morning.

The first rays of sunlight fell upon blue silk; the flowing curtains were drawn back slightly, illuminating the open pages of Dream Tales, revealing some text:

【He dreamed many dreams. At first, he was an eagle, pecking at wild rabbits on the grasslands; sometimes he failed to hunt and went hungry. Later, he became a wild rabbit, and then he pitied the rabbits, trembling and struggling in fear.】

【He journeyed across grasslands, mountain gorges, and deserts, until he realized the forest suited him best—for here, there were the most animals.】

【He was their family, and the forest’s eldest son. And so he found he could stay longer and longer.】

【At first, his sweet dreams shattered within seconds; later, he remained for seven hours. By then, night had fallen, stars blanketed the sky, and the priest told him the stars here were brightest… and from them, he learned the art of divining the future…】

Seven hours…

Wizard Sean silently memorized the number. His current maximum time in the Borderlands was still under two minutes.

Coming down from Ravenclaw Tower, Wizard Sean naturally opened his interface:

【Transformation Categories:】

【Material Transformation: Beginner (10/300);】

【Magical Transformation: Beginner (30/300);】

【Soul Transformation: Beginner (10/300)】

【Evaluation: A wizard newly entering the Master realm of Transformation, with combat strength exceeding five among Masters.】

Soul Transformation was progressing rapidly, but it was not Wizard Sean’s first choice to complete his plan.

In truth, Wizard Sean relied most on Magical Transformation at the Master level—such as fire drakes, snowmen, and so on. Of course, there was also the little stone Dun .

But for a creature as tough as a basilisk, Wizard Sean’s Magical Transformation likely still lacked the power to overwhelm it, since magical creatures like basilisks, fire drakes, and giants possessed magical resistance.

To break through magical resistance, one either needed to apply stronger magic, or use a clever trick.

The first method was common among dragon tamers; The Monster Book of Monsters recorded: Every dragon tamer would draw their wand at this moment and cast the same spell together:

“Stupefy!”

Then, the Stunning Spell would shoot like a rocket toward the fire drake, sparks raining down upon its scaled hide—only then would the dragon fall.

By this standard, Wizard Sean would need the spell power of at least four adult wizards to pierce its defenses.

Wizard Sean thus easily found the second method: using physical means.

The Monster Book of Monsters recorded another method wizards once used to capture fire drakes: “They dug a massive pit, placed delicious raw meat inside, and the fire drake would leap in without hesitation. Then the wizards would wave their wands and transform stones to block the entrance.”

“After several days of hunger, the fire drake would lose its strength—then came the perfect moment to capture it.”

This was the function of Material Transformation.

To be cautious, Wizard Sean decided to push both types of transformation to the “Skilled” level.

Now, he was heading to the Transformation office to study Material Transformation.

Soon after, the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

An endless green lawn became Wizard Sean’s training ground; Professor McGonagall stood beside him, watching as he swung his wand.

The lawn rippled like waves. Suddenly, Wizard Sean and Professor McGonagall heard someone shouting:

“Merlin’s beard—it’s an earthquake—”

Hagrid burst out running, clutching Fang in his left arm and several Thestrals in his right hand—these magical creatures were attacking his hands for being forcibly dragged away from the trees.

“Glad to see you, Professor McGonagall, and you, Wizard Sean, but no time to explain—there’s been an earthquake—”

Hagrid panted.