Chapter 248: The Protective Bracelet 2.0
Chapter 248: The Protective Bracelet 2.0
Unfortunately, wand-making was a technical skill.
Of course, if one was willing to learn, Albert was confident that he could master it as well. However, the wands he crafted would undoubtedly pale in comparison to those made by Ollivander, a renowned and experienced wandmaker with generations of expertise. Unless Albert was willing to invest a significant amount of experience and skill points into wand-making, it made more sense to purchase one from Ollivander for just 10 galleons.
Indeed, it was more practical to focus on creating defensive magical items.
Wizards were typically only wary of another wizard's wand.
Speaking of the protective bracelet, Albert opened his box and took out the partially completed bracelet. It was a wooden bracelet made from mandrake root, awaiting the engraving of ancient runes.
Albert had been waiting for his Runes skill to reach Level 3, but he was still nearly two thousand experience points shy of the goal. The closer he got to the next level, the harder it became to gain experience, much like a high-level character defeating low-level monsters for minimal experience.
Initially, Albert had intended to rely on his own abilities to reach Level 3.
"Time waits for no man," Albert sighed. If he depended solely on himself, it would probably take until next year, and by then, his plans would be stale. He didn't get discouraged, though. "But it's nice to have cheats," he mused.
With that, Albert upgraded his Runes skill to Level 3 on the status panel and closed his eyes, delving into the newfound wealth of knowledge about runes in his mind.
Level 3 was a significant milestone for skills.
Once Occlumency reached Level 3, many wizards would find it exceedingly difficult to probe his thoughts, and he could even fabricate memories to confuse those who tried to snoop.
As expected, reaching Level 3 in Runes unlocked a wealth of knowledge, mostly aligning with Albert's predictions, and it was closely tied to rune magic.
Casting spells using Runic characters differed from traditional wizarding magic, akin to the distinct magical systems employed by fairies and house-elves.
This was one of the reasons why the Goblet of Eternal Fire was considered an extremely advanced enchantment, and why many wizards, including Professor Flitwick, only briefly mentioned it in advanced-level Cursebreaking classes.
Hmm, the treasure of Ravenclaw...
Albert recalled what he had seen in the Chamber of Secrets and guessed how to unlock it.
"Interesting," he muttered, pursing his lips. He was tempted to return to Borgin and Burkes right away, but he managed to suppress his impatience.
He refocused his attention on the defensive runes he had designed earlier.
As he examined the runes in his notes, Albert couldn't help but feel a bit bemused, as if he were observing a child attempting to explain a concept far beyond their comprehension. It wasn't entirely wrong, just... immature, he thought.
Yes, somewhat immature.
However, once you truly grasped it, everything would fall into place.
Albert picked up his quill and began modifying the Runic characters, refining the content. He redesigned the runes for the protective bracelet and carefully engraved them with the ceremonial knife. After pricking his finger with a small knife and letting a drop of blood fall on the runes, he recited the activation chant, similar to what he had expected. The final step was to cast a spell on the protective bracelet.
He used Runes for the spell, and its effect was similar to the Ironskin Spell but more potent.
"Hmm, it doesn't feel much different," Albert remarked as he examined the newly crafted Protective Bracelet 2.0.
If he had to describe it, he felt that this item had become a magical artifact. Interestingly, its usage wasn't directly tied to the wizard, and while it wasn't disposable, there was a limit to how many times it could be used before its protective effect gradually weakened and required time to recover, reminiscent of cooldowns for items in games. Albert found this aspect particularly intriguing.
As for how long the cooldown period was, Albert had no idea.
"Heal."
Albert waved his wand over the small cut on his finger, and the wound closed, healing instantly.
Runic magic differed slightly from the magic employed by wizards. It often required a physical medium to enhance its power.
The Goblet of Eternal Fire was a prime example.
In fact, the reason the Goblet could burn perpetually was due not only to the enchantment but also to the materials used in its construction—wutong wood for the handle and phoenix feathers. Just like the answer to the eagle's riddle, the phoenix and fire were intertwined in a cycle, ensuring the everlasting flame of the Goblet.
"Devil's Fire doesn't seem easy to extinguish either," Albert murmured. "It's just hard to control. While Devil's Fire consumes everything in its path, the Goblet of Eternal Fire doesn't."
Now that he thought about it, if the Goblet of Eternal Fire could be considered a skill, could the protective bracelet he invented be considered one as well?
With this idea in mind, Albert opened his status panel and browsed through the skills. He couldn't find a skill specifically named "Protective Bracelet," but he spotted a new skill called "Talisman," which was close to reaching Level 1.
The "Talisman" skill was almost at Level 1.
"So, this thing can be considered a type of talisman, huh?" Albert mused, his gaze shifting between the status panel and the protective bracelet in his hand.
However, Albert didn't particularly care whether it was categorized as a talisman or a protective bracelet. He promptly upgraded the "Talisman" skill to Level 2 and continued studying the newfound knowledge in his mind with his eyes closed.
There were various methods for crafting talismans, and he was sure at least one of them would be applicable.
Albert stared at the recently crafted protective bracelet, then took out the unicorn statue he had intended to give to Isabelle. Without hesitation, he engraved the necessary runes onto it.
When it came time to add his blood, Albert hesitated for a moment, his face twitching slightly as he held the small knife and eyed his thumb. Ultimately, he steeled himself and pricked his thumb gently.
"If I have to do this every time, will I become anemic?" Albert muttered softly as he gazed at the finished unicorn statue.
Level 3 was indeed a hurdle.
However, it wasn't easy to reach Level 3 in skills solely through experience-based upgrades.
Albert glanced at his experience pool and skill points, then at his skills, and sighed. Experience always seemed to be in short supply.
What if he could get a skill to Level 4...
Albert quickly dismissed the thought. He didn't have nearly enough experience, and the only skill at Level 4 was "Wizard's Bloodline," which didn't seem to offer noticeable benefits at that level.
Although he was curious about the changes that Level 4 skills might bring, he didn't have enough skill points to spare, and at most, he could only afford to upgrade one more skill to Level 4. (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
