Chapter 30 - Level 17. First quest (1/2)

Christmas came. Snow, trees, and gifts were coming all around. Same as last year I made a few gifts for the trio via crafting. Thankfully with all the magic, I learned recently and so much more knowledge I was able to make quite good amulets. Moreover, I enchanted them to be trackable with magic, so if they wear them, I can track their location.

But then that's a big if. Mostly I made enchantments just for the sake of improving enchanting.

The trio and Granger's parents gifted me some nice trinkets and clothes. It's a small gesture, but still, I felt warm inside.

Anyway, all soppy things aside. Due to my free time I was finally able to finish my artifact. What I made is a new bracelet. Although there was a problem that whenever I used it, I need to raise the hand to the level of eyes. The reason being vision is a part of the system brain uses to locate the body in space.

Another problem was that the bracelet had to be visible to absorb light.

That's when the realization struck me. I was researching an artifact to stop worrying about my safety and walk safely, but in the process, I had to make so many modifications, that I forgot about this. In the end, the artifact doesn't help with this in any way. The only way it can help me if I fight basilisk (with eyes intact) and this artifact will help me see.

Moreover, the quality of a picture I see via the bracelet is something in a heavy need for improvement.

Now I understand why nobody researches artifacts seriously. I spend so much time, yet I achieved practically nothing. Damn.

'Well, at least I got a ton of skills improved and a level-up. Time is entirely wasted… I really hope this artifact will become useful. But I highly doubt it. After all, there is no reason for me to fight the basilisk and …'

[Deal with the monster in the chamber of secrets.]

[Reward depends on how exactly you will deal with it.]

'Interesting. I got a quest, right when I needed it. You are a really considerate system.'

[Indeed.]

'Also, I ȧssume I can't know what the reward is before finishing the quest?'

[Indeed.]

'Okay. At least, now there is some meaning to the artifact. But I think there is a lot of potential in the artifact made. Especially filtering magic…'

After finishing the artifact, I spent the rest time just resting my mind. In the meantime, the trio was busy making a potion. I tried advising them on the fact that Malfoys have no connection with the Slytherin, but they are a pretty biased bunch.

Well, I don't care much about them anyway. All I need for them is to be around me and be my plot armor until I become strong enough.

Anyway, I concentrated on 2 ideas. One was gravity manipulation. If I can learn how to manipulate gravity, I will crush any enemy. Especially, it will effective against groups of enemies. Second, was electromagnetism. Or to be precise a way to one-shot any being in this world and rail gun was the first thing that comes to my mind.

Overall, nothing interesting happened. Everything was progressing according to the script from a film. Except when those 2 went after spiders, I went with them. Thankfully, by that time I have already learned the spell against spiders, so it was a walk in the park.

Although, I have no arachnophobia, but giant spiders don't exactly inspire you to love them either. So, it was a bit trippy trip…

By the way, it was really satisfying to send spiders flying left and right. The spell works perfectly fine on the small spiders. Although, I bet it won't work on Aragog. After all, due to age, he should have developed some charm resistance.

Everything else was progressing the same way. Time for the final showdown was approaching and I had good progress with a rail gun spell (coil gun to be precise).

Somewhen along the way, I increased a level once, despite the fact I lost proficiency in so many skills. After all, more than 7 months passed, so even the best skills started dropping in level. Especially, cooking skills.

Potter and Weasley have reached the secret room, chamber or whatnot, after which Lockhart has obliviated himself with Ron's broken wand.

However, Ron and Potter were divided by the collapse and I ended up on the Ron side.

'System return me to the auto-save.'

At some point, Potter somehow summoned the phoenix with the sorting hat.

At that point, I put my wand back in inventory. And got ready to cast spells from both hands.

I used a sleep charm on bird and Potter. For Harry, I used a normal spell, but for phoenix, I used an empowered and concentrated version, in case it has resistance to charms. I checked information on them before coming here and found out only about their absolute immortality and nothing about charm resistance.

Fortunately, either it has a very weak resistance to charms, or I was too strong, so the bird fell asleep as well. From the sound around me, I already understood that basilisk has finished crawling from the water and will soon attack me. As for the dark lord, I decided to ignore him for now. Not like he is dangerous before he kills Ginny.

In preparation for this battle, I made a simple mask with no holes to make sure I won't accidentally into the eyes of the snake. Bracelet was already on my right hand, so all I needed to do, is to equip mask and unequip the robe.

'Who fights in robes anyway? Just walking in them is a hassle.'

Finally, I was ready.

”Who the heck are you? And what is that mask on your face? Hmpf, do you really think you can fight a basilisk without sight?” Tom said.

'What a moron, how else would you fight it? Either this Voldemort is stupid, or he intentionally tries to demoralize me. Plus, as long as I am not one-shot, I will remain immortal. Save progress.'

'Let's go!'

I put my hand up and activated the bracelet. I started seeing, albeit vaguely. It felt somewhat like this – if normal eyesight is HD, then bracelet shows the world in 360p quality. However, for me, it was more than enough because I was fighting a humongous snake.

The first thing I did was to attack it with a few charms to see its resistance and as expected its skin is near impenetrable to charms on my level. I need something on Dumbledore level to penetrate it. Obviously, I didn't have any experience fighting, so I had to return to the save I made more than a few times, when the snake got me with venom.

*After 5th return*

'I feel like a complete newbie. In novels, everything is so simple. MC just survives and becomes OP through fighting… How the heck does he do that? I was a normal average person. Evading snakes wasn't exactly my hobby *Sigh*'