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Hi everyone !
Bunch of little jerks, I wake up and see that I already owe you a bonus chapter T-T;
Going to work, being a slave author isn't always easy...
Just kidding, enjoy, you deserve it!
So, I'm announcing it again! For every 100 power stones, I'll release a new bonus chapter! Let's start working towards our goal of becoming one of the top fanfictions!
Second announcement: I've posted a bonus chapter on my Patreon, so if you want more, go check it out!
In the meantime, you can contribute to the release of a bonus chapter on P@tre0n.
(PS: A friend suggested I create a P@treon account. If you'd like to see advanced chapters posted on Webnovel, that's where you can find them! I'll also mention all the supporters at the end of each chapter!)
Search : StoryLabo on the website or click the link on my bio
Happy reading !
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Aiden remained lying on the fresh grass, contemplating the Scottish sky that was beginning to take on the golden hues of the end of dawn. His body still vibrated with satisfaction after this revealing training session, but something else was now capturing his attention.
Almost invisible little whirlwinds were dancing in the air above him.
Wind elemental spirits, he realized with a smile. My little atmospheric companions. Always there when I need to be reminded that I'm definitely not in Kansas anymore.
Without really thinking, he began humming a tune that had spontaneously come to mind. Golden Brown by The Stranglers, that hypnotic melody that had always had something mysterious and timeless about it.
- "Golden brown, texture like sun..." he murmured softly, his voice carrying in the calm air of the lakeside.
The effect was immediate. The little air whirlwinds, at first discreet and erratic, approached with curiosity. They seemed attracted by his voice, by the melody, swirling closer and closer to him in a fascinating aerial dance.
Aiden suddenly felt his white hair being delicately ruffled, caressed by a breeze that existed only within a meter radius around him. The grass further away remained perfectly still—there wasn't the slightest leaf trembling but he was at the center of a personal and musical little cyclone.
- "Lays me down, with my mind she runs..." he continued, smiling, amused by this private concert he was giving to his elemental audience.
The wind spirits were literally dancing around him, their movements following the rhythm of his melody. It was like conducting an invisible orchestra, feeling their reactions to each note, each modulation of his voice. They seemed to understand the music, or at least be deeply touched by it.
Fuck, I'm doing karaoke with atmospheric entities. If that's not the definition of surrealism, I don't know what is.
When he finished the song, the little whirlwinds continued their dance for a few more moments before stabilizing around him, as if they were waiting for an encore.
Aiden sent them a gentle magical intention, imbued with nascent fatigue. The idea of taking a little nap with them, falling asleep lulled by their elemental presence.
But the wind spirits politely declined. Well, they seemed to decline through their movements, their aerial caresses. Aiden understood that they preferred to wander in the freedom of the air rather than remain motionless. They were movement by essence, how could they accept the immobility of sleep?
- "Bunch of cosmic hyperactives," he grumbled with a touch of affectionate disappointment. "Okay, I understand. Go do your celestial carousel tours, I'm going to sleep."
The wind spirits moved away in one last friendly whirlwind, leaving him alone with the calm of the lakeside. Aiden lay down more comfortably on the grass, closing his eyes and savoring this well-deserved tranquility.
He had barely laid his head down when the ground brutally transformed beneath him. Hard as rock, bristling with little pointed asperities that dug into his back, ribs, shoulders...
- "OW!" he cried, jumping up. "What the...?"
He looked around, perplexed. The grass looked perfectly normal, soft and welcoming. Nothing that justified this sensation of sleeping on a bed of nails.
Then he concentrated, his mind sharpened a bit more, and he saw beyond the visible.
Everywhere around him, in the grass, surfacing at ground level, there were dozens of little earth spirits. Tiny and compact, with small excrescences that resembled thorns or crystals. And they didn't look happy.
Aiden's face lit up suddenly and he burst out laughing, suddenly understanding the situation.
- "Oh fuck, I don't believe it!" he giggled. "You're jealous! The wind spirits had their little private concert, and you want your share of attention!"
The little telluric spirits indeed seemed a bit offended at having been ignored. Their compact forms vibrated with quite perceptible indignation.
Like kids pouting because we didn't play with them. It's adorable and slightly psychopathic at the same time.
Aiden sent them a magical intention filled with sincere apologies, accompanied by a proposal to take a nap together, to fall asleep in communion with the earth element, stable and comforting.
The effect was immediate. The little telluric spirits accepted with obvious joy, their forms softening, their asperities disappearing to make way for something softer, more welcoming.
When Aiden lay back down, the ground had become more comfortable than any bed he had ever tested. It was not only soft but also perfectly adapted to his morphology, hugging every curve of his body with millimetric precision. It was like sleeping on an orthopedic mattress designed especially for him by the world's best craftsmen.
Now that's five-star service, he thought with a blissful smile while letting himself go to this sensation of absolute comfort.
The earth spirits surrounded him with their warm and stable presence, creating a bubble of well-being that deliciously contrasted with the cool air from the lake. He felt their slow and deep rhythm, like a geological heartbeat, which gradually soothed him.
Lulled by this drowsy pulsation of the earth itself, Aiden quickly sank into restorative sleep, a smile on his lips and the impression of being exactly where he should be.
Definitely, was his last conscious thought, being an elemental hybrid has its advantages...
Aiden woke up an hour later, in great shape and with the feeling of having had the best nap of his life. The late morning sun gently caressed his face, and his body felt perfectly rested despite the little time that had passed.
One hour of sleep and I feel like I slept ten hours. Definitely, earth spirits have exceptional sandman talents.
He sat up slowly, still savoring for a few moments this sensation of absolute comfort. Around him, the little telluric spirits were still present, their compact forms vibrating with quiet satisfaction.
- "Thank you, friends," he murmured with sincere affection. "Seriously, you just redefined my conception of comfort."
In a somewhat ridiculous surge of gratitude, he leaned toward the ground and planted a loud kiss on the grass, as if he were kissing the earth itself. The little spirits vibrated with joy at this gesture, their forms lighting up with gentle warmth.
There, now I'm kissing the ground. My transformation into a cosmic hippie is officially complete. All I need now is to start talking to trees... wait, I already talk to elements. Ship has sailed, as they say.
He stood up, stretched with delight, his muscles still responded with that supernatural fluidity—and headed toward the castle. A shower was needed before beginning the systematic exploration of Hogwarts he had promised himself.
The shower was quick but invigorating. Looking at himself in the bathroom mirror, Aiden noted that his custom nap had only improved his already striking appearance. His white hair shone with an almost luminous brightness, his orange eyes seemed more intense, and his skin had that perfect texture that defies the laws of dermatology.
After getting dressed again, he lifted his sweater slightly under his wizard robe, and he was already beginning to see again on his stomach the beginning of small lines that were drawing the start of a six-pack.
A small smile of satisfaction stretched his lips.
Good, now, mental mapping of the castle. Time to explore this magnificent clusterfuck of magical architecture.
The following hours were a pure delight of exploration. Aiden walked corridor after corridor, memorizing every detail, every shortcut, every architectural peculiarity. He methodically spotted all the classrooms where he would have classes the next day—for example, the dungeons for Potions with their charming atmosphere, perfect for seasonal depression; the Transfiguration room on the first floor; the Defense class on the third floor; and the Charms one on the second.
But the most fun, by far, were the moving staircases.
Oh fuck, this is Disneyland wizard version!
He amused himself like a ten-year-old by staying on purpose on the staircases when they began to move, letting himself be transported to impromptu destinations with a blissful smile. The main grand staircase was particularly spectacular, its marble steps pivoting majestically to connect to different landings.
- "Yeehaw!" he cried in a low voice during a particularly abrupt change that took him directly from the second to the fifth floor.
The coolest attraction I've ever tested. And to think that Muggles pay a fortune for roller coasters when here, it's included in tuition fees.
Struck by sudden inspiration, he took out his wand and tried to cast an acceleration spell on the staircase he was taking. "Acceleratio!"
Nothing. Not the slightest tremor crossed the great stone staircases.
He tried a more basic speed spell: "Velocitas!"
Still nothing.
Obviously, these staircases are probably protected by enchantments a thousand years old. They're not going to let themselves be tinkered with by the first student who comes along with ideas of improvised roller coasters.
His exploration finally brought him to the seventh floor, in a corridor he hadn't yet visited. An ancient tapestry caught his attention, its faded but still vivid colors telling a rather... particular scene.
He approached quite intrigued. The tapestry depicted a man in purple robes trying to teach dance steps to three particularly clumsy trolls. One of them had obviously just stepped on the man's foot, who was grimacing in pain while trying to maintain a dancing posture.
Aiden looked at the golden plaque at the bottom of the tapestry and burst out laughing.
- "Barnabas the Barmy's attempt to teach classical dance to trolls," he read aloud. "Damn, even in the Middle Ages, they had comic geniuses."
He contemplated this surrealist artwork for a few more moments, then his gaze turned to the wall opposite. A perfectly empty wall, ordinary, with nothing particular about it.
Hmm.
An idea crossed his mind.
Hmmm
He positioned himself facing the wall and began pacing back and forth, concentrating intensely on a very specific need.
I have an urgent need for a training course room to train my body. A place adapted to my abilities, with obstacles, physical challenges. A room that can allow me to push my limits safely.
First back and forth, and the wall remained obstinately... wall-like.
Come on, concentration. You know it's possible. You've read it a thousand times.
Second back and forth. He visualized more precisely—a spacious room, with pull-up bars, agility obstacles, surfaces of different textures to test his balance, maybe even targets for precision...
Still nothing despite everything.
Third time's always the charm.
Third back and forth, concentrating with all his strength on this urgent and specific need for a training place adapted to his new nature.
And there, before his amazed eyes, a door appeared on the wall.
A door of dark and massive wood, with golden hardware, that seemed to be waiting patiently for him, as if it had always been there.
Aiden's smile widened until it threatened to go around his head.
- "So it's real," was his only thought, his heart beating with excitement.
The Room of Requirement. It really exists. And it just manifested for me.
He reached his hand toward the golden handle, then stopped for a moment, savoring this moment.
Welcome to the next level, Aiden.