Another year passed.
Viktor Ivanov was now six years old, and the passage of time felt less like growth and more like a prolonged, magical drought. He'd accomplished every ridiculous task his System had demanded, building an unnatural strength—he could now overpower an adult if he wished, his small muscles surprisingly dense—but no magic stirred within him. No spark of sorcery answered his desperate, silent calls. No fire flickered at his fingertips, no objects danced to his will. Just silence. A deafening, frustrating silence where magic should have been.
The grand hall of Ivanov Manor stretched around him, a cavernous space where even his own footsteps echoed. Its vaulted ceilings, painted with shimmering constellations, never seemed to align the same way twice, lending the vast room an unsettling, almost disorienting feel. Sunlight slanted through towering stained-glass windows, fracturing into dizzying prisms that danced across the cold marble floor. It was too quiet. Too still.
That was the first warning.
Radimer, the ever-watchful elf who usually materialized with a soft pop to enforce his daily drills, hadn't appeared. No stern corrections about his posture, no insistent prodding to finish his squats—just an eerie absence that prickled at the back of Viktor's neck. His parents, however, had decided on a far more experimental approach to his magical education.
From the shadowed hallway, two figures emerged, their presence filling the already vast hall.
His father, Alexei Ivanov, moved with the unshakeable confidence of a man who'd never encountered a problem he couldn't solve with either a well-placed curse or a well-aimed glare. His beard, a magnificent, bristling cascade of dark hair, was a masterpiece of intimidation, rivaling the fur of a winter wolf.
His mother, Natasha Ivanova, trailed behind him, her leopard-print robes rustling with a soft, predatory swish with every graceful step. Lightning bolt earrings glinted beneath her impossibly perfect curls, and her smile was the kind that made even the stoic family portraits lining the walls flinch.
Viktor knew that look. He braced himself. It never ended well for him.
"Viktor," Alexei rumbled, his voice like distant thunder echoing in the high ceilings, "we must address your magical stagnation."
Viktor swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "My… what?"
Natasha's long, perfectly manicured fingers drummed a light, rhythmic beat against her wand. "Sweetheart, at your age, most Ivanovs have already set something on fire. Accidentally or otherwise. We're concerned."
Alexei stroked his magnificent beard, his eyes fixed on some distant, impressive memory. "Your great-uncle Lev once turned a dueling opponent into a teapot at four years old. A sentient teapot, mind you. The man still whistles when he boils."
"That's… concerning," Viktor managed, trying to keep his voice steady despite the rising panic.
"That's legacy," Natasha corrected, her eyes gleaming. She snapped her fingers, and a heavy, aged scroll materialized in Alexei's grip. Unfurling it revealed bold, looping script, stark against the yellowed parchment:
MAGIC AWAKENING PROTOCOL: IVANOV EDITION
Viktor paled. This was going to be bad.
The balcony overlooked the manor's snow-laced gardens, pristine and serene as a painting. Which was why Viktor's instincts screamed danger the moment his feet left the solid ground.
"Why am I floating?!" he yelped, suspended midair by his father's casual levitation charm. The ground, so far below, suddenly looked very hard.
Alexei's expression was gravely serious, almost theatrical. "Desperation breeds brilliance, son. You will fall. In that critical moment between life and—"
He released the spell.
"—AAAAAGH—" Viktor shrieked, the air rushing past his ears.
THUD.
Viktor landed face-first on an oversized cushion that hadn't been there a second ago. The impact knocked the wind out of him. Natasha twirled her wand idly, a faint sigh escaping her lips.
"No magic. But your vocal range is exceptional."
Viktor wheezed, pushing himself up. "Was the screaming necessary?"
Alexei peered down at him from the balcony, a faint frown on his face. "Did you… wet yourself?"
"I decline to answer," Viktor muttered, trying to regain some semblance of dignity.
After a suspiciously lavish lunch (likely a bribe, Viktor suspected, given the amount of blini), Natasha squeezed his hand, her grip surprisingly strong.
"No more dropping, I promise," she said, her smile utterly unreadable.
Then the world twisted.
One heartbeat, they stood in the manor's grand hall. The next, Viktor was alone in a forest so dense the moonlight couldn't pierce it. A soft, constant glow emanated from his forehead—Natasha's idea of a "safety measure."
Growls rippled through the unseen underbrush. Low, guttural, and far too close.
Yellow eyes, like malevolent embers, blinked into existence in the darkness around him.
Viktor's pulse spiked, a frantic drumbeat in his ears. "Oh, come on—"
He ran. Branches lashed at his arms and face, leaving stinging welts. The wolves' snarls seemed to nip at his heels, their hot breath a phantom sensation.
"Lumos! Incendio! ACCIO PARENTS!" he screamed, desperate.
WHAM. He tripped, sprawling face-down in the cold, damp leaves.
Natasha's voice, clear and annoyingly calm, floated from nowhere. "Disappointing."
A sudden, sharp tug behind his navel, and he was back in the hall, sprawling on the polished floor like a discarded cloak. The scent of pine and fear faded, replaced by old parchment and stale magic.
Alexei scanned the scroll, a thoughtful hum escaping him. "Two failures. Next: hallucinogenic potions brewed in a cursed cauldron, or a controlled lightning storm in the ballroom?"
Natasha tapped her chin, a considering expression on her face. "The Vasilyevs swear by broomstick dives through active tornados."
Alexei nodded thoughtfully, stroking his beard. "Hmm. We do have that spare Hungarian Horntail… could strap him to its back mid-flight."
Viktor groaned, pushing himself to a sitting position. "Is any of this legal?!"
Alexei smiled, a slow, knowing grin that sent a shiver down Viktor's spine. "Magic, son. Laws are for the uncreative."
After vigorous debate (which, Viktor later learned, involved temporary possession by a Class-5 Poltergeist and exploding an entire wing of the manor), Viktor was granted a reprieve. He thought he was safe. Until Alexei reappeared, a triumphant, almost gleeful grin plastered across his face.
"New test," he announced. "Simpler."
They led him outside, to a sturdy oak table set in the courtyard. Seven mundane objects lay upon it:
A comb
A cup
A plate
A jug
A shoe
A rubber duck and
A bottle
"Choose one," Natasha urged, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Viktor hesitated. A trap, surely. After his parents' recent "methods," he trusted nothing. But curiosity, and a faint spark of hope for something less terrifying, won out. He picked the comb.
The world lurched.
Suddenly, he was falling, the wind screaming past his ears, a blistering heat rising to meet him. He could smell sulfur and ash.
A volcano. He was above a volcano. Its molten heart pulsed ominously below.
"OH, NOW THIS?!" he shrieked, the familiar surge of panic threatening to overwhelm him.
Then—
Ding.
A chime, soft as a whisper, echoed in his skull. Not just in his mind, but resonating through his very bones.
Something unlocked.
His panic, instead of consuming him, crystallized into an icy, exhilarating clarity. His body hummed, a deep, resonant vibration that started in his core and spread outwards.
[System Notification]
Quest Complete: Awaken Your Magic
Reward:+3 Intelligence
Magic Awakened
Skill Tree Activated
Warmth flooded his veins, a sensation unlike anything he'd ever felt. Power pricked in his fingertips, a tingling, almost electrical energy. The air around him bent, visibly shimmering. His descent slowed, then stopped. He hovered, heart pounding with a mixture of terror and elation, as the System unfurled before him, a new, complex menu blooming in his vision:
Choose Your Skills:
General Magic
Forbidden Knowledge (Not recommended for children)
Parseltongue
Practical Mischief
Viktor grinned, a wide, genuine grin that split his face.
Alexei and Natasha, still on the ground below, gaped. Natasha clapped her hands, a broomstick materializing under her feet with a soft thwump. "He's awakened!"
Alexei nodded sagely, stroking his beard, a smug expression on his face. "The Protocol works."
Viktor exhaled, a shaky, relieved breath. "Sure. Let's call it that."
As his parents immediately launched into an enthusiastic debate about whether to frame his awakening picture (snapped, no doubt, while he was plummeting towards the volcano) in gold or hire a bard to compose an epic ballad of his bravery, he sank onto a velvet divan that silently appeared beside him. His mind raced, processing the incredible surge of power, the dizzying implications of the System, and the bizarre, terrifying journey he'd just endured.
Magic: unlocked. System: online. Sanity:… debatable.
He pulled up his Skill Tree, already plotting. The possibilities were endless.
But first—he'd demand one crucial amendment to future tests:
No more wildlife. Or volcanoes. Or dragons.
That night they celebrated like no other. Viktor kept using magic to pull and push everything and anything around him which usually ended up in him flinging whatever it is across the room Radimer and Borris the two house elves made a mountain of food to celebrate. Alexei kept chugging entire bottles of wine while Natasha kept refilling it for him.
At night time he was finally left alone. In the privacy of his room he activated the system. It showed him his previous notification
[System Notification]
Quest Complete: Awaken Your Magic
Reward:+3 Intelligence
Magic Awakened
Skill Tree Activated
Choose Your Skills:
General Magic
Forbidden Knowledge (Not recommended for children)
Parseltongue
Practical Mischief
He deeply looked at the options. He wanted to see what kinds of skills are available so he selected practical mischief out of curiosity.
Practical Mischief Spell list
Impervius – Make a classmate's parchment ink-repellent right before they take notes.
Evanesco – Vanish a chair, a hat, or a fork just before someone uses it.
Switcheroo– Swap two objects. Teacup with a cactus. Or their shoes with ice skates. On stairs.
Tarantallegra – Forces someone to dance uncontrollably. Bonus points if you shout "ENCORE!"
Rictusempra – Tickling charm. Makes enemies giggle helplessly in serious situations.
Tripping Curse – A subtle stumble here or there.
The list was endless. His curiosity sated, he looked at the forbidden knowledge but he was unable to open it. He diverted his attention to the General Magic option. After all, Parseltongue is useless and impractical. If it was speak to animals he would be impressed but speaking to snakes didn't appeal to him at all.
General Magic Spell List:
Lumos — Creates light at the tip of your wand.
Nox — Extinguishes light from your wand.
Wingardium Leviosa — Levitates and moves objects.
Alohomora — Unlocks doors and containers.
Reparo — Repairs broken objects.
Accio — Summons objects to the caster.
Scourgify — Cleans objects or messes.
Colovaria — Changes the color of an object.
Silencio — Silences a person or object.
Muffliato — Prevents others from overhearing conversations.
Locomotor — Moves a named object (e.g., Locomotor Trunk)
The list goes on and on.
He looked at the magical abilities dazzled. He couldn't decide on what to learn first. After a bit of contemplation he decided to learn occlumency. The reason is simple. He is a reincarnator. He has knowledge of what is to come as well as some secrets. It would be really bad if someone could find out unwanted information from him. Worse yet, some information he couldn't explain like how to create a horcrux. So he decided to learn this skill first. What's more this is one of the very few skills he can use without a wand.
[Reward selected: Occlumency]
Daily task Generated: Mental Fortification
Mindful Breathing
Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 6. Repeat.
Visualize a fog lifting from your mind.
Emotion Check-In
Ask: What am I feeling? Why?
Detach and name each emotion—then let it go.
Memory Sorting Drill
Imagine a shelf, drawer, vault, or library.
Store memory in it and lock it.
Bonus: Practice replacing it with a fake or mundane memory (e.g., brushing your teeth).
Looking at the system task he just remembered he didn't do the daily task as well immediately he started doing one handed push ups. The daily task exercises has increased both in quality and quantity. he now has to do 100 one handed push ups for both hands, 100 sit ups, 10km run,100 dig ups …