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Chapter 81 - 81: Not Enough

In the classroom that the Room of Requirement had transformed into,

Ron sat deep in thought after listening to Lucien.

As a Weasley, everyone in his family was a wizard capable of using magic.

No one in his family considered the mere ability to use magic to be anything remarkable.

His older brothers were accomplished curse-breakers or talented Quidditch players…

The twins were masters of mischief, loved by their classmates for their pranks.

Among the Weasley sons, Ron always felt like the most ordinary one.

He had never thought that simply being able to use magic was something extraordinary in itself.

"Is learning itself a kind of blessing?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," Lucien replied with a firm nod, his expression serious.

"Learning quickly or slowly doesn't matter—what's important is the act of gaining knowledge."

"And to be honest, you have a real talent for Alchemical Mechanics. You grasp the theories quite fast."

"As for Transfiguration," Lucien added, "I'm confident I can teach you."

Hearing Lucien's words, Ron was stunned.

"You—you said I have talent in Alchemical Mechanics?"

It was the first time Ron had ever heard anyone tell him he had a talent for something.

The very first time.

Seeing Ron's bright, almost disbelieving expression, Lucien knew that encouragement was indeed effective.

However, encouragement alone wasn't enough. At his age, a child also needed proper discipline and motivation.

"You're learning Alchemical Mechanics and studying Transfiguration for its sake," Lucien said firmly.

"This is your interest—your chosen goal. So don't give up so easily. I don't want to hear you say, 'I'm not learning anymore,' ever again. Understand?"

Startled by Lucien's sudden serious tone, Ron immediately straightened up.

"I—I understand!"

"Good. Now, back to Transfiguration," Lucien said, snapping his fingers.

"When performing Transfiguration—or rather, any kind of magic—you must never hesitate. Don't think about what will happen if the spell fails. Don't worry about whether your wand is suitable or not."

"Magic is certainty. It is belief—the belief that you can cast it."

"Forget your worries, forget your doubts, and focus your entire mind on shaping the spell."

Ron listened closely to Lucien's guidance as he attempted the Transfiguration.

Even Harry, who had already finished his test paper, was listening attentively nearby.

This was a fundamental principle of spellcasting—something no wizard could afford to overlook.

As Ron continued to try, the matchstick in his hand slowly began to take on the sheen and shape of a silver needle.

Lucien gave a small nod of approval. In truth, Ron's innate talent couldn't be changed, and replacing his wand wouldn't be easy either.

But what could one do when magic itself was rooted in idealism?

A wizard's emotions and beliefs had an enormous influence on their spellcasting.

Someone who constantly doubted themselves—hesitant, insecure—could never become a great wizard.

Magic wasn't like Muggle mathematics or physics. If you didn't understand something there, believing in yourself wouldn't change a thing.

But with magic, simply believing you could do it actually made a difference.

That was why Lucien wanted to help Ron build confidence—using his interest in Alchemical Mechanics to guide him toward learning and experimentation.

Hmm, though the influence of the wand was still considerable.

The incompatibility between Ron and his wand couldn't be changed for now, but if the wand's damage could be repaired to lessen the effect…

If Ron could quickly master Transfiguration, he'd be able to move on to creating Alchemical constructs sooner.

And once he showed real progress to his brothers and family, he would earn their recognition and approval.

With that trust, he might even be able to borrow some of the Weasley family's more valuable books and expand his magical knowledge.

One step at a time—one goal at a time. That was the plan.

After a bit more teaching, seeing that it was getting late, Lucien told Harry and Ron to head back and rest.

When the Room of Requirement was quiet again, Lucien pulled out a small booklet with a cover decorated with scales, feathers, and spines.

The Chimera Handbook.

He flipped to a page filled with biological information and anatomical diagrams.

Lucien read for a few minutes.

Then he took out his wand and pointed it at the podium.

The features and structure of the creature flashed rapidly through his mind.

Pop—

The brown podium instantly twisted and reshaped.

"Meeeh~~"

A soft bleat followed.

The podium had vanished, replaced by a white sheep.

As it walked, its loose, fluffy wool shook with each step.

Hmm, transforming inanimate objects into living creatures really wasn't that difficult.

The key was having a clear understanding of the biological structure of the creature being Transfigured.

It had to be said—the Chimera Handbook was an enormous help.

The level of detail recorded within it was astonishing.

Truly, when it came to achieving their goals, wizards—especially powerful ones—possessed an extraordinary degree of initiative.

It was easy for them to acquire the experimental subjects they wanted—whether inanimate or living.

Especially in ancient times, during the age of swords and cold steel, Muggles had no way to resist a wizard's magic.

In some regions, even entire kingdoms and dynasties were established and ruled by a single wizard or a group of them.

No wonder that in those early days, when wizards didn't have to hide, Muggles both feared and worshipped magic—resisting it yet yearning for it at the same time.

As Lucien flipped through the records in the Chimera Handbook, he studied and memorized the contents simultaneously.

The material came from the research notes of an ancient wizard, containing not only experimental results but also spells, potions, and alchemical techniques used for observation and dissection.

The precision of these magical methods was entirely comparable to modern Muggle science.

This was what it meant to be a wizard—this was the true convenience of magic. Without being bound by the rules of technological progress, they could leap directly to results beyond imagination.

Finishing one of the notes, Lucien tapped his wand again.

The sheep's body twisted once more, reshaping into a large white pig.

This was Transfiguration Overlay — Transforming the same object multiple times.

With each additional layer of Transfiguration, the difficulty multiplied several times over.

However, Lucien carried out the Transfiguration Overlay with ease, showing no sign of strain.

Letting the pig snort and wander around the classroom, he flipped through the information for the next species.

With a flick of his wand, the white pig transformed once again—this time into a lowing buffalo.

Lucien read the handbook for a moment, then cast another Transfiguration.

He repeated the process several times.

After five layers of transformation, the final result was a massive python, quietly coiled in the corner.

Hmm, the biggest challenge in creating a chimera must lie in Transfiguration Overlay.

The loan task required him to Transfigure a "chimera" that contained at least five distinct biological traits—which meant at least five transformations.

Perhaps directly Transfiguring a living creature could reduce one of the transformation steps?

Either way, as long as five biological characteristics were present, the initial creature's traits only needed to be preserved.

Lucien turned his wand, guiding the flow of magic according to the method described in the handbook.

Almost instantly, the giant python's body began to undergo a dramatic change.

Horns sprouted from its head, its nose morphed into a pig's snout, wool grew in the gaps between its scales, and a pair of bat wings unfolded from its back.

Lucien frowned at the twisted, hybrid creature lying on the ground.

It did indeed combine the traits of several species, but…

It was only superficial.

Not enough. He needed to push it further—alter more details.

From the bones to the muscles, then to the skin, the scales, the fur, even the structure of its limbs…

Lucien flipped through the pages of the Chimera Handbook again, feeling as though there was still knowledge hidden between the lines—something he had yet to grasp.

The true limit of a Chimera shouldn't be this simple.

Not enough…

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11 Advance Chaps- P@treon/DarkDevil1

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