Edward's expression jolted at the words, a hint of disbelief on his face.
"My Lord, are you saying I can become a wizard, and use magic like you?"
As the Butler of the castle, Edward was accustomed to all sorts of wondrous magic: moving portraits, shifting staircases, Ashwinders in the fireplace flames, patrolling armor, and countless other things.
Edward felt deeply honored to be the Lord's Butler, but after witnessing so many miraculous sights, a yearning couldn't help but rise within his heart.
He was like a mortal who had stumbled into a fairyland; once he had seen the wonders of the fairyland, how could he be content to remain a mere mortal?
However, he also knew that magical talent was possessed by only a select few, determined by innate conditions and not something that could be acquired later.
And he himself was just an ordinary mortal, completely devoid of magical talent.
So he had always buried his desires deep in his heart, diligently managing the castle for the Lord.
But now, the Lord suddenly asked him if he wanted to become a wizard.
Edward felt as if he were dreaming, and then he became ecstatic and agitated.
Watching Edward tremble with excitement, Luke smiled and nodded.
"I have a magic here that can allow you to fuse with the bloodline of a magical creature, thereby gaining the ability to cast magic. However, the process will carry some risks. I wonder if you are willing to try it?"
"Willing! I am willing!" Edward said excitedly, without a moment's hesitation.
As long as he could become a wizard, and cast those wondrous spells like the Lord, even if there was only a sliver of hope, he was willing!
"Alright, in that case, prepare yourself. In a few days, we will conduct the bloodline fusion experiment for you." Seeing Edward's resolute expression, Luke also spoke.
A week later, Luke had gathered all the materials and began to prepare for the bloodline fusion magic.
Bloodline fusion is an extremely dangerous magic. Even close siblings can have different blood types, leading to incompatible blood. It's even more perilous to fuse the bloodlines of two different races, humans and magical creatures, as it can cause bloodline conflicts and severe consequences like genetic collapse.
"Edward, you must think carefully. Once the bloodline fusion begins, it cannot be stopped midway, and the process will be extremely painful, no less than having your sinews pulled and marrow extracted, as if all the blood in your body is being replaced. Are you sure you can endure it?"
Before the experiment began, Luke, with a serious expression, asked Edward again for confirmation.
But Edward didn't hesitate in the slightest. He nodded with a resolute expression: "My Lord, I am ready. To become a wizard, I am willing to risk death!"
Sensing the unwavering determination in his heart, a flicker of appreciation passed through Luke's eyes, and his serious expression softened slightly.
He patted Edward's shoulder, "Since your mind is made up, I won't say more. I hope you succeed. When you do, I will personally craft a wand for you!"
"Thank you, My Lord! I will definitely succeed!" Hearing Luke's words, Edward was already impatient, imagining himself as a wizard, waving his wand.
Luke led Edward to the Potion room.
In the spacious room, a huge cauldron, large enough to fit an adult, stood in the center.
Beneath the cauldron, a blazing fire burned fiercely.
Leaving Edward to wait nearby,
Luke looked at the liquid in the cauldron. At this point, the liquid in the pot had become a chaotic, hazy gray.
The Potion in this cauldron had been simmering for three days,
Ingredients such as Mandrake juice, dried nettles, moonstone, scurvy grass, and Ashwinder eggs had been added in succession, and the Potion was now in its final stages.
Seeing the color of the Potion in the pot, Luke took out a silver white tree fruit and dropped it into the cauldron.
Then, he stirred it thirteen times clockwise and seven times counter-clockwise with a large wooden stick.
The white tree fruit melted like silver, completely dissolving into the liquid and reacting with the liquid in the pot.
The liquid slowly turned as transparent as clear water.
Upon seeing this, Luke directly extinguished the fire under the cauldron, allowing the clear, water-like liquid in the pot to cool down.
Once the liquid had completely cooled, Luke retrieved a large barrel of dragon blood from the adjacent refrigerated room.
He poured all of it directly into the cauldron, filling the pot to about two-thirds of its capacity.
The clear, water-like Potion was dyed red by a barrel of dragon blood and began to boil.
Luke continued to stir with the mixing stick. The Potion in the cauldron boiled more and more intensely, emitting high heat, like scalding red magma.
Such a magical and bizarre scene left Edward, who was standing by, dumbfounded.
Luke, however, stopped and turned to Edward, saying, "Alright, Edward, now take off your clothes and get into the pot."
Get into the pot? Edward looked at the Potion, scalding like magma, and couldn't help but swallow.
If he jumped in like that, wouldn't he be cooked alive?
But seeing Luke's serious expression, he still mustered his courage, an expression of facing death with equanimity. Disregarding any shame, he quickly stripped off his clothes and then, without hesitation, jumped into the large cauldron.
With a splash, most of Edward's body was submerged in the liquid in the cauldron, with only his head still exposed.
The next second, Edward's face contorted in pain, and he couldn't help but let out a scream.
Edward felt as if he had entered molten lava. His body endured intense pain in the scalding Potion, feeling as if his entire being was melting.
Moreover, the blood-red Potion, scalding like magma, felt like millions of tiny insects, drilling into his body through his pores and entering his blood vessels.
In an instant, it was as if scorching hot magma flowed through the blood vessels in his body, as if his entire body was being cooked from the inside out.
And as the Potion entered his body, countless black blood seeped out from his pores, turning Edward into a blood-soaked figure.
Watching Edward's painful screams, Luke remained calm, seemingly unaffected.
Even when Edward, in his agony, instinctively tried to struggle out, Luke simply waved his hand, pushing him back into the cauldron, not allowing him to emerge.
Now, the bloodline fusion had entered a critical stage. If it were interrupted, the only outcome would be failure.
And the result of failure was only death.
Edward had done well in the castle; Luke didn't want to lose his Butler.
So he could only make Edward persevere. If he succeeded, the benefits would be enormous.
As time passed, Edward became too weak and exhausted to speak. The scalding Potion in the cauldron slowly cooled, and its color gradually faded.
Edward, on the other hand, was covered by the black blood expelled from his body, which grew thicker and thicker, eventually forming a blood cocoon.
Finally, when the entire Potion room fell silent, there was a sudden movement from the cauldron.
Two hands tore open the blood cocoon and emerged from within, followed by a naked Edward, like a newly hatched dragon, lifting his head and gasping for fresh air.
At this moment, he seemed to have been reborn, undergoing a transformative metamorphosis.
His body became more muscular, and his eyes turned golden, sharp like a dragon's eyes.
"My Lord, did I succeed?" Edward asked, filled with anticipation and trepidation.
Luke didn't answer him immediately. Instead, he watched Edward stand in the cauldron, covered in blood.
"Scourgify!" With a dismissive wave, Luke cleaned all the blood from Edward's body and the residual liquid from the cauldron.
Then, he summoned Edward's clothes and threw them into the cauldron.
"Put on your clothes first before we talk."
He didn't want to see a naked man climb out of the cauldron.
Once Edward was dressed and had climbed out of the cauldron, Luke noticed that the fellow had not only become stronger but also taller.
He watched Edward approach him hesitantly, looking anxious.
Luke took a wand from his pocket and handed it to Edward.
"Try it!"
Looking at the wand, Edward handled it with extreme care and reverence, as if it were an invaluable, fragile treasure.
With a mix of apprehension and unease, he held the wand and, following a specific tremor, waved it.
"Lumos!"
Luke raised an eyebrow as he watched Edward's perfectly executed wand movement.
The next second, a point of light glowed at the tip of the wand, but it quickly flickered and died out, like a bad connection.
Yet, this result thrilled Edward. His voice trembled, and he looked at Luke with tear-filled eyes, as if in a dream.
"Sir, did I succeed just now? Or am I dreaming?"
Luke looked at Edward's expression and recalled his own memory of first awakening to magic. He smiled and nodded.
"Congratulations, you just successfully cast a spell. You are now a wizard!"
In Luke's magical perception, Edward's body, due to the integration of the dragon blood, had formed a magical circulation within him.
Although his magic wasn't particularly strong, not even comparable to an ordinary elf, he was still a wizard with magic.
Hearing Luke's confirmation, Edward finally realized it wasn't a hallucation, and he burst into tears of joy.
He continuously waved the wand in his hand, casting the Lumos Charm.
As he watched the light repeatedly glow at the tip of his wand, the smile on his face grew wider and wider.
Then he tried another spell: "Incendio!"
As soon as he spoke, a surge of flames erupted uncontrollably, startling Edward. He tried to extinguish them but didn't know how.
Luke didn't mind. He casually waved his hand and extinguished the flames.
He looked at Edward, who seemed to have made a mistake, and shook his head, comforting him: "Don't be nervous. Your casting motion is very standard. It's just that this wand isn't suitable for you, which is why the magic was uncontrollable."
"Moreover, because you have integrated dragon blood, you now have outstanding talent in fire magic. In the future, you can continue to delve into fire-based magic, and it's not impossible to become a master of fire spells."
Hearing Luke's encouragement, Edward's heart swelled with excitement.
Then Luke clapped his hands, "Alright, now that you have successfully transformed, go to the Library and read the most basic standard spell books. And I also promised to make a wand for you, and now I probably know what materials to use."
"Thank you, Sir Luke, thank you! If it weren't for you, I would have been eaten by the Troll, let alone have the day when I could become a wizard!" Edward knelt before Luke, full of gratitude.
Luke saw that his gratitude and loyalty were genuine, and he was pleased. He raised his hand to help Edward up.
"Alright, no need for such formalities. I know your loyalty. Since you now have magic, continue to serve me well and guard this castle."
"Yes!" Edward replied very solemnly.
Over the next week, Luke also spent some time making a wand perfectly suited for Edward: a twelve-and-a-quarter-inch oak wand with a dragon heartstring core.
After receiving his own wand, Edward immediately plunged into a frantic study of magic.
Luke opened the Library's magic books to him and allowed him to ask him or his portrait if he encountered any problems he didn't understand.
Edward's progress was rapid. Within just over a month, he had mastered most basic spells.
Luke finally had a wizard butler.
Edward, the butler who now possessed magic, kept his wand constantly in hand. When directing the castle's attendants and servants, he always seemed to inadvertently display his wand.
He also became very eager to help. When he saw servants cleaning, he would always pull out his wand and wave it, clearing away dust and dirt, or lighting fireplaces, hanging high objects with the Levitation Charm, repairing broken items, and so on.
Thus, the news of Butler Edward becoming a wizard quickly spread throughout the castle and even down to the town below.
Many people familiar with Edward knew that he was just an ordinary person before and had no magic at all.
Now, his sudden transformation in a single day aroused a lot of curiosity.
And Edward, with Luke's permission, revealed the reason for his transformation into a wizard.
For a time, the fact that Luke could grant ordinary people magic shocked many people, while also making them yearn and long for it.
After all, possessing wondrous magic was something countless people dreamed of.
Many people longed for Luke's favor, so that they too could become wizards.
Especially mayor Luke and Ratch, the mayors of Hogsmeade and Bree City, who received the news immediately and became excited.
They also wanted to become wizards and wield those wondrous magic!
Now that they had developed their respective cities to their current state, they were already second only to one person and above tens of thousands. They lacked neither status nor power. The only thing that could move them and was beyond their reach was the magic of their Lord.
Every time they came to the castle, the wondrous magic deeply impressed them and filled them with longing.
They both understood the principle that magic is innate, which is why they had suppressed that longing and not pursued such an unrealistic fantasy.
But now, Butler Edward had, in one morning, leaped over the dragon Gate, transforming from an ordinary human into a wizard who could use magic.
This shocked them and, at the same time, gave rise to a shared longing.
"You also want to become wizards?"
Luke looked at mayor Luke and Ratch, who had appeared before him in unison, and said with a slight raise of his eyebrows, a little surprised.
Luke nodded earnestly, "Sir, I know this request is excessive, but I have no other desires now. I just want to experience the wonder and charm of magic. I am willing to pay any price!"
Ratch quickly echoed, "Sir, as long as I can become a wizard, I am willing to give up my current position as mayor and all my wealth. I only beg for your grace!"
Hearing Ratch's words, Luke was even more surprised.
As far as he knew, Ratch valued his wealth and power above all else in his life. He never expected him to be willing to give them up to become a wizard.
This was truly rare!
Looking at the two men kneeling before him, their expressions anxious, Luke calmly observed them, a slight smile playing on his lips as he said, "I can agree to your request."
But before they could fully express their joy, he added, "But to transform into a wizard, one must endure pain beyond what an ordinary person can bear, completely akin to having one's tendons pulled and marrow extracted..."
As he spoke, he waved his hand, displaying Edward's transformation process before them.
"Even with such pain, do you still wish to persevere?"
Watching the scene of the boiling, lava-like liquid in the cauldron, and Edward's agonizing screams and bleeding body, both men's eyes widened, and they couldn't help but shiver.
Was this really not boiling a person? That scorching, boiling temperature would surely strip off a layer of skin and then cook them!
Although startled by the sight, Luke was the first to recover, his expression still firm: "Sir, I am willing to take that risk!"
Ratch, despite a flicker of hesitation, immediately cut off his fear as he looked at the magical phenomena around him, and he stood tall, firmly stating: "Sir, as long as I can become a wizard, I am also willing to take that risk!"
Upon hearing their words, Luke dispelled the image and smiled.
"Since you are so determined, then I will grant your wish."
In a separate room, a large cauldron sat over a roaring fire, the Potion inside continuously boiling.
Luke extinguished the fire, waited for it to cool completely, then poured two large barrels of dragon blood into it, stirring constantly.
The dragon blood and the Potion in the cauldron reacted violently during the fusion process, becoming scalding hot and churning, emitting a scorching temperature like red magma.
It made one wonder if a pig were to fall into it, it would probably be instantly cooked and melted.
Watching the magma-hot Potion in the cauldron, mayor Luke and Ratch, who were waiting by the side, couldn't help but swallow hard, cold sweat breaking out.
Although the Lord had shown them images and they had made thorough preparations beforehand.
But now, facing it for real, it was still enough to make their hearts pound with fear.
"Alright, you two, take off your clothes and get into the cauldron together now," Luke said.
He had specifically switched to a larger cauldron this time, big enough to accommodate two people at once.
Upon hearing Luke's words, the two exchanged glances, then took a deep breath, looking as if they were facing death, and began to undress.
Luke had no interest in seeing two old men naked, so he turned his head away.
If not for the fact that clothes made of cotton and linen materials could easily cause complications if added to the Potion, even leading to the Potion's failure or turning it into poison, he wouldn't have made it so troublesome.
The two men quickly stripped, then approached the boiling cauldron, stepped onto a high stool, gritted their teeth, and jumped into the cauldron simultaneously.
With two splashes, most of their bodies were submerged in the Potion, only their heads remaining above it.
Both their faces instantly changed dramatically, revealing expressions of pain, as if they had fallen into magma and were being cooked alive.
Luke could still clench his teeth tightly, letting out painful groans.
But Bree City's mayor Ratch let out a pig-like shriek directly, his voice echoing throughout the empty room, even reaching outside.
Edward, the butler busy in the castle, heard it and immediately showed a schadenfreude smile, feeling a sense of satisfaction that others were finally experiencing the hardships he had endured.
Arwen, who was watering flowers in the garden, also heard the screams with her keen hearing, paused for a moment, shook her head, and continued watering.
She was very surprised by this method that could grant ordinary people magic abilities and knew that her husband was cultivating more wizards; she fully supported this with both hands.
And she silently continued to collect more Potion ingredients for Luke, supporting him from behind.
Returning to Luke's room,
In the cauldron, Luke endured the pain in the Potion, while Ratch shrieked and tried to escape. After all, the scalding Potion not only felt like it was melting a person, but it also seeped into their bodies through their pores, occupying their blood vessels, flowing to their hearts, and deep into their bones... The scorching temperature felt like it was burning all their internal organs, and countless black blood was continuously forced out from within, gushing from their eyes, ears, nose, and pores, causing them immense pain.
Seeing Ratch still had so much energy to try and escape, Luke waved his wand, conjuring a wooden mallet out of thin air, and like playing whack-a-mole, he tapped Ratch back into the cauldron to continue cooking.
As time passed little by little, the two in the cauldron were wrapped in thick blood cocoons, completely still.
All the Potion was absorbed by the two, leaving only bloodstains and diluted liquid.
Finally, both broke free from their blood cocoons, emerging from them, gasping for fresh air.
"I, I've become younger?!" Ratch exclaimed in surprise, touching his skin, somewhat disbelievingly.
Ratch was an elderly man nearing sixty, originally with a face full of wrinkles and age spots, but now he was not only stronger, with fewer wrinkles, looking twenty years younger, like a middle-aged man of about forty.
And Luke, who was originally middle-aged, also looked much younger now, appearing to be only in his early thirties.
The two were thus surprised in the cauldron, looking at themselves and then at each other, completely oblivious to their nakedness.
But Luke couldn't stand such a strange sight, so he immediately waved his hand with a Scouring Charm, cleaning all the waste and stains from their bodies and the cauldron, then threw the clothes they had taken off into the cauldron.
"Alright, stop staring blankly in the cauldron, put on your clothes and come out first."
"Ah? Oh!" The two quickly came back to their senses, immediately picked up their respective clothes, haphazardly put them on, their faces still beaming with uncontrollable joy.
They hadn't expected to gain such a huge unexpected harvest this time, actually becoming twenty years younger—this was a tremendous surprise.
After the two came out, Ratch immediately and eagerly asked, "Lord, have we become wizards now?"
Luke also looked at Luke with anticipation and apprehension.
Luke smiled and shook his head, and as the two's hearts sank, he said, "Not yet. You don't have suitable wands yet, and you haven't learned magic, so you can't be considered true wizards. At most, you can be called quasi-wizards."
"Phew! Lord, your words are too scary!" Ratch and Luke rolled their eyes inwardly. The Lord's half-and-half way of speaking made their hearts go up and down, and they almost thought they had failed.
Luke didn't tease the two any further, pulling out two wands from his pocket and handing them to them.
"You can use these two wands first. You can go to the Library to look for standard spell books, or consult with Butler Edward. He mastered basic spells earlier than you and can give you references and guidance. If all else fails, you can also ask my portrait, or come to me when I have time."
These two wands were made by Luke using maolong tree branches, with cores of Elf hair.
They were a type of universal wand, made by Luke in his spare time previously, and now he let them use them for now to practice ordinary spells.
The two, upon receiving their wands, were immediately overjoyed, holding the wands in their hands like treasures, deeply afraid of accidentally damaging them.
At the same time, their gratitude towards Luke was immeasurable, and their loyalty became even more unwavering.
After receiving Luke's permission, the two eagerly went to Luke's Library.
Looking at the huge room, filled with vast books like a Library, both were deeply shocked.
The room, expanded by the Undetectable Extension Charm, was as large as several football fields, with rows of neatly arranged bookshelves piled high with dense books.
Many of these books were collected by Luke from various parts of Middle-earth, including books from Elves, Dwarves, Númenóreans, and even Orcs and Mordor.
Secondly, Luke had compiled all the knowledge and books from the Harry Potter magic world that he had obtained through check-ins, organizing them into books and placing them in this Library.
This included books and knowledge on spells, Transfiguration, Potions, Astronomy, Herbology, Runes, Alchemy, and more.
Only the most dangerous Dark Arts magic books, such as "Secrets of the Darkest Art" and "Curses and Counter-Curses," were all categorized and placed in one area by Luke, designated as the Restricted Section, accessible only to himself or with his explicit permission.
Looking at the dazzling array of books, and some flying around in mid-air like birds, Luke and Ratch were momentarily at a loss.
Then they saw a quill rapidly writing on a blank book on a golden desk directly facing the entrance.
The two were like inexperienced greenhorns, unsure how to find which books to study.
Just then, the butler Edward walked in from outside the door. Seeing their flustered expressions, a smile flashed in his eyes.
"mayor Luke, mayor Ratch, are you looking for books?" Edward asked.
Upon seeing Edward, the two immediately felt like they had found their anchor and rushed over to him.
"Butler Edward, it's so good to see you! Lord Luke allowed us to come and search for magic books to study, but we didn't expect there to be so many books here. We have no idea how to find what we need, so we'll have to trouble you to give us some guidance."
Edward shook his head when he heard this: "Guidance is too strong a word. I just started learning magic a bit earlier than you. When I first came here to look for books, I was just as clueless as you are now. I only slowly figured things out later."
He then led the two to the desk.
"This is your first time encountering magic. You won't be able to master the profound magic for now, and the more profound the magic, the more dangerous it is. One careless mistake could lead to irreversible magic accidents. So, I recommend you start by learning the most basic magic."
"Among them, you can read books like 'Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1', 'Magical Theory', 'The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection', and 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration'."
"If you are interested in Potion-making, you can also read 'Magical Drafts and Potions' and 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi'. However, do not attempt to brew them yourselves without guidance, as it is very dangerous."
The two nodded, without any doubt, "We have no experience at all. We will listen to everything you say, Butler Edward."
Seeing that the two were willing to listen, Edward's attitude softened. After all, if they were unwilling to listen and immediately wanted to learn powerful magic, such people would not be worthy of learning magic and would betray the Lord's grace.
After more than a month of learning and exposure to magic knowledge, Edward truly realized how profound magic was and how shallow he himself was. He also developed a sense of awe and caution towards magic.
At the same time, he also became even more reverent towards the Lord's magical prowess.
Because they were able to transform from mere mortals into wizards with magic, Edward, after encountering magic, knew how difficult such an ability was.
Moreover, all the magic knowledge they were learning also came from the Lord.
Even the quill that was continuously writing on the counter was the Lord injecting his knowledge and memories into the quill, thereby constantly creating new magic books and increasing the number of books in the Library.
Reining in his wandering thoughts, Edward respectfully addressed the writing quill: "Lord Quill, we need to borrow 'Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1', 'Magical Theory', 'The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection', and 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration'. Thank you!"
The writing quill paused, then floated to a piece of parchment on a nearby table, quickly writing down the names of these books, and then flew back to the blank book, continuing to write from where it left off.
The next second, the distant bookshelf seemed to respond. Several magic books left the shelf, flapping their pages like birds, and flew to the table, closing themselves and stacking up automatically.
mayor Luke and Ratch watched this scene with surprise.
Edward did not go to the stack of books. Instead, he pulled out his wand, cleared his throat, and, under their astonished gaze, tapped the books with his wand, loudly incanting: "Geminio!"
A white light entered the magic books, and the books instantly duplicated themselves.
The two mayors, who were also magic novices, gasped in astonishment, their eyes wide with shock as they watched this scene, looking at Edward with a hint of adoration.
Edward was quite pleased with such gazes. It was worth his hard work practicing this spell; now he could finally show off in front of others.
He unconsciously puffed out his chest and cast the duplication spell again, creating another copy of the magic books.
Then, he used the Levitation Charm to float the two duplicated magic books in front of them, deliberately suppressing the upward curve of his lips, and said:
"The books here are all very precious, and many are unique, one-of-a-kind items that cannot be easily taken out of the Library. So, you had best learn the duplication spell so you can copy the books and take them back to study."
"Of course, duplicated books cannot exist indefinitely. With my current ability, they can only last for a month at most. So, you had best master the knowledge within the magic's Validity period, otherwise next time you will need to duplicate them yourselves."
The two mayors each hugged the several magic books in front of them and nodded obediently.
Their gazes were fervent as they looked at the magic books, especially after seeing Butler Edward demonstrate magic. They couldn't wait to immediately open the books and learn magic on the spot.
However, they also knew that they couldn't rush. Furthermore, they were mayors of two cities and needed to manage government affairs, so they couldn't devote all their energy and time to learning magic.
After all, the Lord had transformed them into wizards, granting them such great honor and grace, as a reward for their management and development of the cities.
If they abandoned their cities and only focused on learning magic, they would be betraying the Lord's original intention.
So, they took their magic books and wands, said goodbye, and excitedly returned to their respective cities through the fireplace.
As for Butler Edward, he waved his wand to erase the book names from the parchment on the desk, making it blank again.
The several magic books that had been quietly stacked on the desk reopened, flapping their pages, and flew back to their original positions on the bookshelf.
Seeing this, Edward turned and left the Library, closing the main door... As for Luke, after his two subordinate mayors, Luke and Ratch, transformed and gained magic abilities, Luke was not content with just these few.
He wanted to create a wizard race of his own in Middle-earth.
Just like the wizarding World in Britain, a magic civilization with its own society and culture.
And to create such a wizard society, the number of wizards could not be small.
Coincidentally, the population of the two cities under his command, according to the latest statistics, had reached over thirty thousand.
Adding the Wild Men of Isengard, that would be over forty thousand people.
Such a number, if all of them became wizards, would be enough to recreate a wizarding World!
However, Luke merely thought about it.
To transform an ordinary person into a wizard, in addition to various rare Potion ingredients, a barrel of dragon blood was also required.
In the last Battle of Isengard, the number of Dragons killed or injured by Mordor and Luke was over fifty, and the collected dragon blood amounted to several hundred barrels. Even with the Gram's blood added, there were only nearly a thousand barrels.
Excluding the quantity of other Potion ingredients, just the required dragon blood would only be enough to transform nearly a thousand people.
If he wanted to collect more dragon blood, he could only draw blood from the Dragons living in the dragon farm.
But if he didn't want to exhaust the resource, he couldn't draw much dragon blood at once, at most enough for fifty people to transform.
More importantly, if he had to brew Potions one by one for so many people, he simply wouldn't be able to handle it.
Thinking this, Luke began to consider how to allow a large number of people to complete the transformation simultaneously.
He suddenly thought of the 'dragon Transformation Pool' from cultivation novels.
Although it was fantasy, perhaps he could use it as a reference and create a magical version of a "dragon Transformation Pool," allowing ordinary people to enter it and emerge as wizards.
This would avoid him having to complete each transformation one by one, which was time-consuming and laborious.
Thinking this, Luke felt a stir of excitement.
Inside Hogwarts Castle, in a spacious, empty room, a massive seven-sided bath filled with gold and Mithril runes and magic circles occupied almost the entire floor space.
Piles of Potion ingredients automatically and orderly entered the bath, which heated up from the bottom and stirred itself continuously, both clockwise and counter-clockwise.
The entire bath looked like a giant cauldron embedded in the floor... Finally, barrel after barrel of dragon blood was poured into the bath, until all of Luke's stored dragon blood was completely used up.
A violent reaction occurred in the bath after the dragon blood was added; the water boiled and churned, emanating a scorching heat like lava.
The blood-red, scalding liquid resembled a pool of blood.
This was the 'wizard Transformation Pool' that Luke had spent more than half a year constructing.
Essentially, it was a giant alchemical cauldron, with the process Luke used to make bloodline fusion Potions inscribed within it, allowing it to automatically create bloodline fusion Potions, stir them, and accelerate their reaction and fusion.
It could also accommodate one hundred people at a time for bloodline fusion.
Luke felt a great sense of accomplishment looking at his creation.
His wizard training program could finally begin in full force!
He walked out of the room and called for his butler, Edward.
"Sir, how may I be of assistance?" Edward asked respectfully.
After more than half a year of diligent study of magic, Edward's magical knowledge was now comparable to that of a third or fourth-year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and wizardry, and the spells he had mastered were beginning to include intermediate and advanced levels; he could no longer be considered a magical novice.
Since gaining magic, Edward's management of the castle had become even more proficient.
Luke also began to confidently entrust the herb garden, the Ashwinder room, and the Acromantula room to Edward.
For instance, the Mandrake in the herb garden, with its cries, was extremely deadly; it was very dangerous for non-magical people to enter the herb garden, so Luke had primarily been responsible for its care himself.
Now that Butler Edward knew magic, Luke handed this task over to him.
Other tasks that were previously dangerous for ordinary people were now also thrown out en masse.
He became a hands-off boss.
Luke looked at his butler with satisfaction and instructed him, "Go now and organize the loyal and outstanding citizens within the territory, select five hundred people, and bring them to the castle. I will give them an opportunity to gain magical abilities."
"Of course, you should also explain the pain of the transformation process to them beforehand. If they cannot endure that pain and are not firm of will, they should not waste this opportunity, as they might even die!"
Luke's words were not alarmist; one needed to maintain a clear consciousness throughout the transformation process.
However, the excruciating pain of muscle spasms and bone-piercing agony was enough to make those with weak willpower fall into a coma directly. At best, they would become idiots; at worst, their magic would go out of control, leading to an explosion and death.
The three who had succeeded so far had all possessed strong willpower. Not to mention Butler Edward and mayor Luke, even mayor Ratch of Bree City, who seemed to have the weakest willpower, though somewhat greedy for money and persuasion, could not be dismissed as weak.
When he previously jumped into the cauldron for transformation, his loud screams echoed throughout the entire castle; his vitality was even stronger than Luke's, who had persevered alongside him.
Upon hearing Luke's words, Edward was first shocked, then delighted.
Was the Lord going to train another five hundred wizards? The thought of their Weathertop gaining an army of wand-wielding wizards filled Edward with excitement rather than urgency.
"Yes, Sir, I will definitely select five hundred of the most loyal and excellent people!" Edward solemnly promised.
Edward thought about contacting mayors Luke and Ratch immediately and then diligently and carefully selecting candidates. The most crucial thing was that they must be loyal to the Lord; absolutely no one with ill intentions could be allowed to join.
As if knowing Edward's thoughts, Luke directly threw him a top that looked like it was made of glass.
"This is a Sneakoscope. If there are suspicious people nearby, it will glow, spin, and make a sound. The closer it gets to a suspicious person, the brighter and louder it will be. You can use it to screen for any suspicious individuals among the personnel. It's yours."
Edward carefully caught the Sneakoscope, and after hearing Luke's explanation, his eyes lit up, and he was even more delighted.
"Thank you, Sir!" Such an item that could detect suspicious people was a treasure, and the Lord had just given it to him. Edward was very pleasantly surprised.
Luke waved his hand. This was just a small alchemical tool he had casually made, referencing the ability of Legilimency. As long as there were people with ill intentions nearby, and the Sneakoscope detected a hint of malice, it would sound an alarm.
This was in light of the previous situation where Gollum, the Ringwraiths, Saruman, and others had approached the castle. So Luke had made a batch of Sneakoscopes, which were now placed throughout the castle and Weathertop. If anyone trespassed into the castle, it would trigger the Sneakoscope's alarm.
Moreover, giving Edward a Sneakoscope this time was also to prevent disloyal individuals from mixing among the chosen personnel.
Most of the citizens of his two cities came from various parts of Eriador, seeking refuge and peace, so Luke could not guarantee that everyone was truly loyal and devoted to him.
When selecting people to become wizards, he naturally had to choose those citizens who were loyal to him.
As for those who were not very loyal, only wishing to attach themselves and seek refuge, as long as they did not violate the law or commit any harmful acts of betrayal, Luke would not expel them or anything similar.
After all, people's hearts are different, and he could not force everyone to be loyal to him from their hearts.
But similarly, these people would only be ordinary citizens within the territory and would not have the opportunity to transform into wizards.
---
Our attention turns to Amon Sul and Bree City.
After receiving Luke's instructions, Edward immediately contacted the two mayors, Luke and Ratch.
Hearing that the Lord wanted to train five hundred wizards, both mayors were greatly astonished and immediately began to organize candidates.
They both wanted to secure more wizard slots for their cities.
Thus, the two began a new round of competition.
Over the past half year, both mayors had shed their identities as magical novices and become beginner wizards who knew magic.
Especially the more vain mayor Ratch of Bree City, he was even more inseparable from his wand, constantly displaying the ten and a quarter-inch cedar wood and dragon heartstring wand that Luke had made for him.
He also enjoyed publicly demonstrating small magic tricks, and after eliciting gasps from the Bree residents, he would revel in the atmosphere of being the center of attention.
mayor Luke of Hogsmeade, on the other hand, was more low-key, but he also greatly liked the twelve-inch fir wood and dragon heartstring wand that Luke had made for him.
Outside of work, he would hold his wand in his office and constantly practice spells.
He would also, at the children's request, demonstrate some amazing magic.
The news that both mayors now knew magic spread quickly and was known by everyone when they first left the castle to return to their respective cities.
This caused many people to be envious and curious.
And with the announcement of the selection of five hundred wizard slots posted on the bulletin boards of both cities, it instantly ignited a huge uproar.
Everyone was shocked by the news and immediately erupted with immense desire.
After all, no one could refuse such an opportunity to possess magic; everyone yearned to gain magical abilities through the Lord's grace, just like the two mayors.
Everyone actively signed up, hoping to seize the opportunity to rise to prominence.
After discussing with the two mayors, Butler Edward did not reject anyone's chance to sign up.
However, he set up several assessments to test courage, willpower, and loyalty, in order to select the final candidates.
Butler Edward, having the highest level of magic, set up a fire wall in the squares of both cities.
It was stipulated that only those who passed through the fire wall could proceed to the next stage of candidacy.
Feeling the scorching heat of the flames, some even tried to pass a wooden stick through the fire wall, only to see that section of the stick instantly reduced to ashes, which immediately caused everyone present to gasp in cold air.
They were certain this was real fire, not an illusion.
Immediately, nearly half the people were scared away.
They were originally just ordinary humans with no great ambitions, feeling that the wizard was too far removed from them, and were now just joining in the excitement with a tiny glimmer of 'what if' hope in their hearts.
But faced with this fire wall, they immediately got cold feet.
Where there were those who retreated, there were naturally those who dared to try.
In Bree City, the Militia Captain, who had originally guarded the city gates against the wight, was the first to enter the fire wall, causing a stir among the crowd.
However, the fire was fierce, and behind the fire wall was another room, so others couldn't see what was happening behind the fire wall, nor did they know how the Militia Captain, engulfed by the flames, was faring?
But with the first person to 'eat the crab', other brave individuals also began to try; several militiamen who had also faced wight before, gritted their teeth, closed their eyes, and rushed directly into the fire wall, disappearing from sight.
Some quick-witted people, after not hearing any screams, immediately had a thought; they decided the flames must be an illusion, so they walked slowly towards the fire wall with an expression that conveyed they had seen through it, under the gaze of everyone.
But as he walked to the fire wall and felt his skin getting progressively hotter, he became hesitant again.
Could this fire be real?
No, that's not right, it must be fake, this feeling must also be fake, it's just meant to scare people.
So, the clever person, as if self-hypnotizing, rushed towards the flames with a forced bravery.
But the next second, a flame shot out, directly singeing a lock of his hair.
Feeling the stinging pain on his scalp and the smell of burnt hair, he slammed on the brakes, falling backward in terror, scrambling desperately on the ground as if seeing a fierce beast.
This scene directly amused the onlookers, but it also deterred many more people.
After all, this could be a life-threatening matter if one was not careful, since even the mayor had not guaranteed that the fire wall would not burn people to death.
Behind the fire wall, mayor Lachi stood with Butler Edward, and beside them were several people who had successfully passed through the fire wall, but whose faces still showed lingering fear.
mayor Lachi, seeing this scene, curiously asked Edward, "Mr. Edward, is there a specific purpose for this fire wall you've set up? Why are those who pass through unharmed, but that fellow's hair was directly burnt off?"
The few people nearby also perked up their ears, listening intently for an explanation.
Edward's lips curved into a smile, and he said with a slightly smug tone:
"This is an improved version of the Flame Charm, taught to me by Lord Luke, and it can be used to test courage. If one has enough courage and rushes quickly into the fire wall, although they will feel the heat of the flames, it will not cause them harm.
But if one lacks courage, hesitates, they will be like that person just now, and it will be no different from real flames, feeling the intense pain of burning."
Ratch heard this and immediately expressed some concern, "Will this cause harm?"
Edward shook his head, confidently saying, "No need to worry, this is only temporary; once they leave the fire wall, the pain will quickly disappear, and it will not cause serious burns, at most it will just burn off their body hair."
Ratch immediately felt relieved, and at the same time, he became even more curious and envious of this magic.
He truly was worthy of being the Lord's personal Butler; they say a prime minister's gate has seven-rank officials, and aren't the benefits of personally serving the Lord evident now?
Although they were mayors, holding power over a city, compared to them, Butler Edward had a closer relationship with the Lord.
While they had to visit the castle periodically, he had always stayed by the Lord's side, able to consult him about magic at any time, and was even taught such advanced magic by the Lord.
Sensing the mayor's envy beside him, Edward said, "Mayor Ratch, if you are curious about this magic, I will teach it to you after this assessment is over."
mayor Ratch's eyes immediately lit up, "This, is this possible?"
"Of course it is," Edward said generously, "This is originally magic taught by Lord Luke, everyone has the right to learn, and besides, the Lord said that magic can only progress through mutual exchange and discussion, so let's consider this mutual learning and discussion."
Upon hearing this, Ratch immediately felt a sense of shame and admiration for Edward.
He truly was worthy of being someone trusted by the Lord; his ideological awareness was indeed high.
It should be known that when he first heard that the Lord wanted to cultivate five hundred wizards, his first reaction was that his status as a wizard seemed to become less valuable.
After all, with so many wizards, he, the only wizard Lord of Bree City, would not seem so dazzling.
However, this command came from the Lord, so even if he was somewhat unwilling deep down, he still carried it out diligently and tried to secure more wizard slots.
After all, since the advantage of his wizard status was about to disappear, he might as well strive for more wizard slots for Bree City, so that his side would have a numerical advantage and successfully beat his old rival, Luke, in a round.
Thinking this, mayor Ratch looked at the citizens on the other side of the fire wall with anticipation.
He hoped that more people would pass the assessment, which would allow them to occupy more wizard slots.
By then, he might even be able to transform Bree City into a City of wizards.
Outside the fire wall, among the tens of thousands of citizens, there would always be no shortage of courageous people.
Most of them were militiamen, along with some young people and a few women, all gritting their teeth and rushing into the fire wall.
Some people successfully passed through the fire wall, completing the first stage of the assessment.
But there were also some who, after entering the flames, developed fear, and the intense burning pain instantly surged over them, causing them to scream in agony, scrambling out in a desperate and pathetic manner, failing to succeed.
Although there were no burn marks on their bodies after they came out, the pain of being burned still lingered in their memory, making them lose the courage to try again.
And this situation also scared off many people.
Most of those who bravely rushed into the fire wall were young people; older people had lost their enthusiasm and were content with the status quo.
After all, not everyone could be like mayor Ratch, who still possessed a vitality no less than that of young people.
Of course, not every elderly person was like this.
For example, Butterbur, the owner of the Leaping Horse Inn, directly showed the courage of an old warhorse with a thousand-mile ambition, walking fearlessly into the fire wall and smoothly passing through to the other side, even happily greeting mayor Ratch.
The fire wall test lasted for a day.
By the time it ended, over a thousand people had successfully passed through the fire wall, with an elimination rate of over ninety percent.
On the second day, these more than a thousand people underwent the second assessment once again.