Chapter 14: New Cards
By: I'm Just a Pigeon
Since it was impossible to recruit only one person for hard labor, the prisoners on site weren't overly tense.
With so few people currently present, at most they'd conduct a review and eliminate a few; there was no need for such a big fuss. Recruiting just two prisoners for hard labor would be a joke; did they think this was a job fair for the Ministry of Magic?
It was only because the Hit-Wizards in the room wouldn't allow it, otherwise this bunch of prisoners would have already thrown a party to celebrate.
Just as William was savoring the feeling of holding a wand, a sudden noise startled him from that wonderful sensation.
[A Magical Creature has acknowledged you, obtained Treasure Chest x1]
"What a broken system."
William cursed inwardly. The sense of security from holding the wand was nowhere to be found. Having no mind for other things, William simply opened his system panel and activated the new Treasure Chest.
A pine wood box inlaid with silver edges suddenly burst open in mid-air. Three cards with silver edges slowly flew out of the box and appeared before William.
[Transfiguration Master McGonagall (SR): Even if the scope is expanded to the entire world, Ms. Minerva McGonagall's transfiguration can still rank in the top ten. She is a well-deserved Transfiguration Master. When she holds her wand, please keep your distance from her.
Skill: Permanent Transfiguration; Tear this card, your next transfiguration will become exceptionally easy, and the transfiguration effect cannot be restored – be careful, even the most brilliant wizard has lost his nose.]
[Animagus McGonagall (SR): There aren't many Animagi registered with the Ministry of Magic, but Ms. Minerva McGonagall successfully achieved this accomplishment. So, you should know, don't provoke cats, and don't try to feed every cat you see with a dried fish snack.
Skill: Animagus; Tear this card, for the next 24 hours, you can transform into an animal at any time and anywhere without the aid of a wand, just like an Animagus. While in Animagus Transformation state, you are immune to most magic curses.]
[Transfiguration Master McGonagall (SR): A true Transfiguration Master excels at turning decay into wonder, not to mention transfiguration is already a great academic subject. Humans have limits, but transfiguration does not. First, use transfiguration to achieve a small goal – for example, create a 1:1 Gundam figure?
Skill: Transfiguration · Puppet; Tear this card, transfigure any material that does not exceed the specified mass limit into a puppet. The maximum mass and combat power depend on the puppet's materials and the magic power of the creator.]
Two cards with the same name but different effects made one wonder if "Transfiguration Master" was a collective term for a series of cards.
But William couldn't bother to complain about this. The three cards before him made him want to shout that classic slogan.
Unfortunately, he couldn't. This three-way choice truly made him a victim of "choice paralysis" – did he want a Gundam or transformation?
The first one, while powerful, had no appealing skill effect and was directly discarded by William. He was conflicted between the second and third.
After struggling for a long time, he finally reluctantly gave up the third card – he didn't have the capital to splurge on creating Gundams right now. He was still in prison, and his wand had been confiscated upon his incarceration. Compared to the distant Gundam, a transformation that didn't require a wand was much more practical.
Minerva McGonagall: Magic 2, Transfiguration 2, Learning 1, Quidditch 1, followed by a string of skills that William didn't even bother to read.
Then came a series of unlocked cards.
William exited the system interface, feeling somewhat bewildered – out of nowhere, how did he suddenly become friendly?
Meanwhile, in the room, the newly arrived prisoner was practically banging on the table in front of the two Professors.
"That's research, that's academia, that's my normal work!"
His tone carried a hint of a roar, completely unrestrained by his imprisonment.
"I admit, the Centaurs were unhappy with my research, but those studies were only conducted with their consent! The Centaurs who are chasing me because of my essay and my research collaborators are not even from the same tribe! I simply don't understand why they're angry!"
"Yes, I know, Hogwarts has a Centaur tribe, but I can coexist harmoniously with them, and I will forgive their violent actions stemming from misunderstanding, but I refuse to abandon my research!"
"Alright, Headmaster Dumbledore, I've read many of your essays. Although they contain various studies involving the persecution of Magical Creatures, such as Dragon Blood Research, I still believed you could understand a researcher's persistence in their work, but I was wrong."
"My partners are figuring out how to get into Azkaban; I will never give up my research, even if I'm in Azkaban!"
He stormed towards the doorway, then sat down silently under the gaze of William and the others.
The Hit-Wizards were also stunned. It took them a while to remember to bring in the next prisoner – there was no helping it; even the current Minister for Magic was polite when facing those two in the room, let alone them. Slamming the door was completely unimaginable.
William simply gave up on guessing, collected himself from the newly drawn cards, and simply closed his eyes to review the potion he had studied yesterday.
Although a system had abruptly appeared, this system neither granted stat points nor cultivation methods. It was merely for drawing cards. While seemingly powerful, it was only for critical moments, and each card drawn was one less. Ordinarily, he still had to rely on his own effort.
The system wasn't called Deep Blue; he couldn't just spam the plus sign with his effort. If he didn't properly learn everything about the Wizarding World while in Azkaban, he wouldn't starve upon release, but surviving well in the Wizarding World would be too difficult.
Other wizards at least had a Hogwarts graduation certificate. If someone like him, a self-taught individual, couldn't even make a living in his most proficient field of Potions, then there really was no other way out. After being released from prison, was he supposed to rely on the connections he made in Azkaban to engage in smuggling?
What a joke! He had finally transmigrated to an era with extraordinary power. If he constantly hovered on the boundary of whether to enter or leave prison, he might as well just stay cooped up in Azkaban. Such waste was a crime!
It was only after William had thoroughly digested the potion in his memory that he realized a lot of time had passed – the best-lit room in Azkaban was already getting a bit dim.
As the door closed again, Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall walked out with the last prisoner.
"Alright, today's review is over," Dumbledore said with a smile to everyone, then turned to face the Hit-Wizards.
"Bart, you and your friends worked hard today."
"Not at all, Professor Dumbledore, we only helped a little."
"Please take them to rest first. Minerva and I have some things to discuss with Bodhi, Jill, and Mr. William."
The three named prisoners were left behind, while the remaining prisoners were led away by the Hit-Wizards, bearing their disappointment.
(end of chapter)