Playing With Magic

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Reality: Wizarding World (Harry Potter)

Location: Littletree Castle

Agnes, The Vampire Caretaker

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The air was thick with tension as Agnes stood outside the large oak doors, focusing her vampiric senses on the events unfolding within the dining room. What normal humans would consider muffled voices sounded clear to her ears as they were carried through the cracks, one deep and imperious—Lord Gilbert—and the other deep baritone, belonging to Lord Grey. She had been warned not to interfere should she fail to catch him off guard on the way here, to remain out of sight. Yet, her curiosity gnawed at her like an itch she couldn't scratch.

Agnes shifted her weight, the silence of the corridor not even interrupted only by her breathing, having not needed to do so in centuries. She toyed with the idea of pressing her ear closer to the door when an ear-splitting explosion suddenly rocked the castle. The force of it made the stone walls tremble, dislodging bits of dust and debris. Her dark eyes darted to the door, fully expecting it to splinter or burst open. Instead, the heavy oak remained eerily intact, as if the sound and force had gone only in the opposite direction.

Due to not being allowed certain types of education as a commoner, to make sure it wasn't used against the Lord, she had no idea what kind of spell to rattle a castle but leave the doors completely fine like that. But it would not matter in the end, not if the punishment for her failure was to be death.

Her sharp hearing picked up the chaos within—sounds of clashing metal and grunts of exertion. Panic gripped her unbeaten heart—the part that wanted Grey to succeed and deliver justice to her cruel Lord—when she heard her lord's voice bellowing the Killing Curse. But, the armoured challenger must have dodged or put something in the way of the curse, because everyone knew it couldn't be counted and Grey was clearly still alive, she could hear him, still tearing through her Lord's men.

But then came something unexpected—a series of sickening cracks, like dry branches snapping underfoot. Her lord's furious cries devolved into guttural screams of agony, echoing with the unmistakable sound of bones breaking. Then, after what clearly sounded like an agonising few minutes, the screams died down, replaced by a silence so profound it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Followed by a barely audible whisper through the heavy doors.

"For the Horde."

The words sent a chill down her spine, their quiet intensity ringing with finality. Before she could fully process what had happened, the door creaked open, revealing the victor, Lord Grey. Her new master or her executor.

He stepped out as if untouched by the chaos that had unfolded inside, his armour as pristine as it was before he stepped into the room. Not a single scratch marred its surface. The dull, almost bored eye behind the eye slits of his mask locked onto her, and she instinctively took a step back. Momentarily frozen as dread pooled in her stomach, waiting for the verdict that would dictate either the next century of her life, or the next few seconds.

"Agnes," He said in a calm but commanding voice. "Take me to the library."

Agnes blinked, momentarily stunned by his composure. "Y-yes, my lord," she stammered, bowing her head. But as she turned to lead the way, her curiosity overcame her caution. She glanced over his shoulder into the room to see a sight that would have caused her breath to hitch, if she could still breathe that is.

The once-grand dining hall was in ruins. Blood painted the walls in grotesque splatters, and the bodies of her species—those loyal to Gilbert—lay strewn across the floor. Broken furniture and shattered stone littered the space, but what truly made her stomach churn was the sight of what smelled like her lord. His unrecognisable flesh, blood and bones crumpled in an unnatural heap in the middle of the room.

'Maybe he should have used the Killing Curse on himself to avoid such a death,' Agnes thought as she tore her gaze away, swallowing hard, and focused back on Lord Grey. His mask betrayed no emotion, but she felt the weight of his gaze as he followed her unspoken cue to move.

"This way, my lord," She managed to say, steadier this time, as if to ward off any chance of being in the same position as the previous Lord of the castle. 

"Are the other Vampires in the Castle loyal to Gilbert?" Grey asked as the two moved through the winding corridors of the castle, Angnes' footsteps being the only sound echoing as they walked. 

"No, my Lord," Agnes responded as casually as she could, trying to ignore the sharp scent of blood that lingered in the air, only slowly diminishing as they got farther from the room where the massacre took place. "Only other caretakers of the castle. They will be willing to serve…like I am."

She didn't receive a repose.

Finally, they reached the library—a vast, cavernous room with towering shelves brimming with ancient tomes stolen from several raids conducted for sport over the centuries. Some were gifts to avoid being raided or to raid rival Houses, gifts that would come with slaves to be drained to 'feed the men for battle', as Gilbert would say.

Agnes opened the doors and stepped aside to let Lord Grey enter first. He did so without even checking for traps. At least it didn't look like he did. He surveyed the room for a few moments when he stepped forward. Then, with a wave of his gauntleted hand, the books began to levitate from the shelves to his hand and vanish into nothingness, one by one. She wondered why he didn't just put it in an expanded pouch or bag, but was too afraid to overstep her bounds by asking.

As the last book disappeared, a pop broke the silence. A small, well-dressed House Elf materialised next to Lord Grey. Her large, bulbous eyes shone with admiration as she looked up at him.

"Master Dragon, sir," The elf squeaked. "How may Poppy serve you?"

Lord Grey inclined his head slightly. "I have succeeded in obtaining a new home. This castle is now mine, Poppy. I will be travelling to work on another project over the next few days. Leave a few House Elves to clean up and restore it to its proper state."

The elf, Poppy's, ears perked up with excitement. "Of course, Master Dragon, sir! Poppy is so glad Master finally has a proper home. Poppy will see it done!" She clapped her hands before disappearing with another pop.

"Now, as you heard. I will be leaving for a few days," Lord Grey started, turning his full attention to Agnes. "You and the other vampires will need to be on your best behaviour in my absence. No exceptions."

Agnes bowed her head quickly, clasping her hands in front of her to hide their trembling. "Of course, my lord."

Lord Grey's armoured hand moved to the gauntlet on his opposite arm, unfastened it, and removed the heavy piece of armour, revealing his unnaturally youthful arm, which didn't suit his voice. The sight of the arm itself immediately pushed Agnes's vampiric hunger, having been continuously starved as a way to maintain obedience. She could only allow her eyes to dart to it instinctively as she forced herself to remain in control like she had trained herself to do over the centuries.

"I will ensure you have enough sustenance to last until my return," he said, raising his hand toward a chair and coffee table at the far corner of the library. Agnes watched as the chair lifted into the air, transfigured into a large dragon-encrusted metal bowl and glided smoothly toward him along with the table. Settling the transfigured down on the table between them, a conjured, ethereal blade materialised in his free hand and without hesitation, he dragged the blade across his palm.

Agnes had to try harder to keep her composure than normal due to the intoxicating scent of the crimson blood pooling in the bowl as he held his hand over it. She heard healthier people had better smelling and tasting blood, and a person's magical power added to that as well, but she had never been allowed to taste the… finer delicacies. Now she knows what the late Lord Gilbert meant. If the smell alone was anything to go by, then tasting Lord Grey's blood would spoil any other she would ever taste. 

Lord Grey's voice cut through her reverie. "This should last you until the end of the week." He gestured to the blood-filled bowl, which was nearly brimming. "Divide this into vials. Each of you will have your share, and it is to be used strictly for feeding. You must ration it, manage your thirst, and ensure none of you lose control."

Looking her dead in the eyes in a way that seemed to sear into her very soul as he stepped closer, voice dropping to a menacing growl. "If even a single drop is stolen, wasted, or used for anything other than sustenance for those loyal to me, I will end your lives personally."

Agnes gulped audibly, the feeling of fear and thirst mixing together as she recognised the threat and test of loyalty for what it was. "Understood, my lord. It won't come to that. I swear."

"Good." He clenched his wounded hand, reversing the flow of the blood still in his hands and healing it with magic. Slipping his gauntlet back on, he continued. "There will be construction crews—dwarves and elves—working to repair and improve the Village and the land near it while I'm gone. My personal House Elves will also be cleaning around the castle—which you already know. You are not to disturb them."

"We will stay out of their way," Agnes said quickly, then added, "or assist them if needed, as best we can."

Lord Grey inclined his head slightly. "Good to hear. That will make their work more efficient."

Agnes bowed deeply. "Yes, my lord. I understand completely. It will be done as you command."

Without another word, Lord Grey turned and strode out of the library, his dark grey cape flowing behind him like a dark shadow. Agnes remained frozen in place for a moment before she forced herself to focus on the task at hand, heading straight to the closest potions room to retrieve the necessary vials.

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Jonathan Grey

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[Kill Dark Lord Gilbert: +7,000 SP] 

[Killed Vampires: +500 SP] x38

'Well, that was fun.' I thought as I searched through the [Dimensional Hopscotch] upgrades. I knew I could afford the best versions of it with my current saved-up points, but for now, I stuck with improving the time dilation to 24:1. 

[Dimensional Hopscotch - Upgrade]

[Dimensional Hopscotch - System Ability]

[I'd like to go travelling, just to see the multiverse.]

[Description: The ability allows the user to teleport to other dimensions/realities at random with a return ticket that can be used to return to a dimensions/realities they have been before. The user is allowed to know where they will be going before activation. When the user travels using this ability, they are given the option to experience up to 24:1 time dilation between worlds.]

[+ 2 Dimension ticket a year (365 human earth days)]

[+ 2 Dimension return ticket a year (365 human earth days)]

[Purchased for 10,000 SP]

As for the fight, well, when a person has an enhanced physique like mine, fighting hand-to-hand is more fun when the opponent is at least close to their level. Now I've felt a sliver of how Saitama felt. But luckily it'll never stop being fun...hopefully.

Next, I turned to upgrade [Gifted Backstory], or at least the gift it would provide me when I got to where I was going. So far, after admittedly only one world jump, the back story it seems to provide suits me just fine. But the gift was garbage, and I refuse to keep getting things I could purchase from a store down the road. The upgrade may cost more than the initial payment of the ability, but I was hoping it would be worth it, like all the other purchases I had made thus far.

[Gifted Backstory - System Ability]

["You can't change the past, but I can change mine…kind of."]

[Description: Allows the system to manipulate the reality/dimension the user travels to for the first time to create a random backstory of a life in the new world that may fit the user's knowledge, skills and abilities. Provides an increased chance to get a valuable random gift upon arrival in the other reality/dimension.]

[+ Random backstory for every new dimension the user travels to.]

[+ Random gift upon arrival.]

[Purchased for 25,000 SP]

Exiting the castle's front doors, I headed straight for the Zorinn, who was leaning heavily on a large war axe, having probably lost his sword during the battle. The dwarf's armour was dented and scratched all over the place, with dried black blood streaking across his chest plate. A few cuts and bruises marked his stout face, but his tired but jovial demeanour and that of the men that accompanied him told me all I needed to know.

As I approached, I conjured [Mage Light] to stick on either side of the main gate to illuminate the area, showing more of Zorinn's battle-worn appearance for all to see.

 "Ah, Lord Grey," The dwarf greeted me with a tired but proud smile. "A good fight we had. Glorious, truly."

"I heard…all the way from here." I couldn't help but smirk under my helmet as I gave him a shallow nod, looking him up and down. "I take it you gave as good as you got?"

"That, and more, isn't that right, lads!" Zorinn shouted, looking over his shoulder with a bark of laughter as his men all hollered along with him. "The damned creatures put up a fight, but none stood long before our axes, swords and spears. And you, my lord? How fared your battle?"

I allowed my eyes to glow faintly as I replied. "The vampires that would stand in our way are all dead, of course. The ones left will assist in rebuilding the castle, as they value their lives more than their loyalty to their former master."

Zorinn chuckled, his beard shaking with the motion. "I had no doubt of your victory. Vampires, strong though they may be, are no match for sunlight after all."

"…Sunlight?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion. Zorinn did the same, just as confused as I acted. "I used no sunlight. Only Unrelenting Force and a Dragon-Silver sword, which had made contact with Basilisk venom at some point."

"Bwahahaha!" Zorinn and his men burst out laughing, taking it to mean I killed them all with just a sword.

After they got most of that out of his system and quietened down a little, I nodded and got down to business. "I'll be setting up the wards for the castle immediately to ensure no outside threats can interfere. While I'm gone, your people can begin construction of the bank. I'll return in a few days to finalise the wards for it once the building is complete."

"Aye," Zorinn said, extending a gloved hand. "We'll see it done. The village cleanup should be done by first light, and by week's end, the bank's foundations will be laid."

"Good to hear," I said, taking the dwarf's hand in a firm grip. "I trust your efficiency and craftsmanship. I will most likely commission your services for the town once we have finished the main points of business."

"As you should," Zorinn replied with a wink. "When you return, you'll see the finest work a dwarf can offer, hahaha!" As we released each other's hands, Zorinn tuned and roared. "Alright, You lot! Clean up the damned village. I want it to look better than it ever has by morning! And you, Borrik, gather the tools—we've got a bank to build!"

The dwarves sprang into action, not even caring that it was damn well past midnight and they had just been in a fierce battle with a village full of Vampires.

Meanwhile, I turned my attention back to the castle, getting started with the Wards, making them as powerful as I could. I knew there was a huge chance vampires in other colonies would be plotting revenge for their brethren, so I went all out to make sure anything they tried would result in their disintegration. As for the spell they used to keep the area dark and without sunlight, well, that was just child's play.

With the twenty-first and final Ward locked into place, the castle shimmered faintly before going back to normal as if there was nothing there. Then, I made my way back into the castle, walking around its corridors and placing [Golems] in place of some display suits of armour and around a few hidden corners in case of a worst-case scenario. 

Putting my hoarding behaviour aside for now, I navigated the [System] to buy something I've had an eye on for a while, and knowing the reality I would be heading to, I knew it could be used as a safe place for persecuted witches until I got to somewhere like Kear Moren to drop them off. Constantly wasting time with wards on a bunch of ungrateful witches was beyond me.

[Essence of the Home]

["A man's house is his castle."]

[Description: You gain a personal, indestructible home that exists beyond reality, impervious to intrusion even by supreme beings. It can be custom-designed or auto-generated to fit your needs and grow to accommodate changing requirements. The home handles utilities autonomously, supplies infinite food and drink, and ensures basic needs, no ageing or illness for you or your guests. The home is utterly loyal to you, unaffected by outside influence. It can travel through the multiverse with the owner, creating portals or just inserting itself anywhere.]

[Purchased for 1,000,000 SP]

Why teleport home every time when you can take your home with you? The best part was that there were upgrades there to increase the size from a village to a solar system, essentially giving me a solar system that fully sustained those who resided in it and was completely blocked off from attackers. By the time I am done, it will look like a much better Asgard.

Without wasting any more time, I used [Dimensional Hopscotch], vanishing just before Agnes could approach from beyond a corner.

[Current SP: 4,377,025]

[P]-[W]-[M]

"I offer you my blood. Take it, and you will walk as a lion among sheep. Men will tremble at your approach, and you will never fear death again."

—Harkon, Skyrim

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Autor Here

It is time to go and learn how to create portals….for free.

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