Chapter 445: Rune Codex
Chapter 445: Rune Codex
The pages of the book glowed with a faint light, illuminating the surroundings just enough to allow reading even in the darkest places.
Felix casually drew a "Light" rune on the page, and the Rune Codex flipped to a certain position. More symbols appeared, like fish sensing bait, connecting with the initial rune in sequences of three to five, or even ten to twenty.
These were all incomplete runic circuits or rune sequences.
He randomly selected a string of connected symbols from the book. They were just silver shadows, but when Felix infused them with his magic, they transformed completely, becoming indistinguishable from the runes he drew in the air.
Felix felt a surge of interest and refocused on the Rune Codex. Following his thoughts, the book displayed a complete rune sequence. When his magic entwined with it, it immediately turned into a soft, milky-white light orb.
Luminos.
Felix, as if discovering a new toy, continued experimenting. The Rune Codex seemed to be programmed to arrange rune sequences according to his will.
At that moment, a thought crossed his mind, making him feel a tingling curiosity.
He glanced out the window; it was already dark, but it was definitely worth a try. He left his office, walked out of the castle, and the silver cloak he wore shimmered, gliding silently across the grounds. Soon, he found himself in a clearing in the Forbidden Forest.
The Forbidden Forest was pitch black at night, with only the sound of the wind rustling through the trees breaking the silence. Occasionally, strange noises from living creatures would break the stillness.
Felix waved his hand, and the Rune Codex appeared, floating in front of him.
His finger tapped the book, and he murmured, "Black Lightning... can be used as a first strike. Um, let's try two." As he spoke, two ethereal shadows flew out from the Rune Codex and hovered before him.
Felix stared at them for a moment and continued, "Golden Flame would also be good." Another ethereal shadow emerged, shifting between the rune and a specific magical image, just like the Black Lightning.
"A bit more light would be better."
"Add some defensive capabilities."
"How about visual interference?"
Felix, wrapped in his silver cloak, selected a dozen satisfactory options as if ordering from a menu. When he closed the book, there were already a dozen faint shadows in front of him. In the cold night, he seemed to be surrounded by a dozen ghostly flames of different colors.
"This state is truly fascinating... these are just ethereal runes, but they can instantly become real and unleash thunder." Felix muttered, unable to resist reaching out and infusing magic into the two dark shadows.
The ethereal shadows quickly solidified into two black lightning bolts, crackling and sizzling the air around them. When Felix tried to control them, the black lightning became docile, like flowing water.
"So, the limit depends on how many spells I can control?" Felix pondered, dismissing the magic with a wave of his hand. He had a rough idea, and various tactics could be refined accordingly. However—
"What's happening?" Felix furrowed his brow, staring at his hand. His index finger was merging with an ancient rune, glowing faintly.
He confirmed it twice; the rune wasn't embedded in his fingernail but in his skin, as if the skin on his finger had undergone a unique change, allowing it to absorb the rune.
He stood in the cold wind, thinking cautiously, almost blending into the surroundings.
After a while, he exhaled deeply, his brows furrowed even more. He confirmed that only a small patch of skin on his right index finger was affected, with no visible changes from the outside, but Felix knew the difference.
He could only think of one similar example—Dumbledore had once demonstrated how to deflect spells with bare hands. It was similar to what Rowena Ravenclaw had told him about magical creatures.
"Am I nearing that state?" Felix thought in astonishment. "Nearing the level of the four founders of Hogwarts and Dumbledore?" He couldn't accurately gauge who was stronger or weaker, given the vast time gap between them, but one thing was certain: these people's understanding of magic was undoubtedly far beyond his own.
Was this change brought about by the Runic Script Codex? Felix couldn't help but speculate. He had chosen Runic Script as the path and stepping stone for his understanding of magic. The first time he saw Salazar Slytherin's manuscript in the office at Hogwarts Castle, he felt both bewildered and resolute. Later, by sheer coincidence, he completed the Runic Script Codex.
Did this mean he had already come a long way on this path?
"A sign of transformation?"
Felix believed this was a manifestation of his increased affinity for Runic Script, which might also enhance various resistances. However, he didn't know to what extent this change would ultimately reach or how long the process would last.
"Magical creatures? Or Runic Script creatures?"
Felix pondered the difference between these terms, a slight smile playing on his lips. The numerous illusions behind him vanished, and he looked forward to the day when he would fully realize his potential.
The next day was the weekend, and the young wizards were still buzzing from the previous day's competition. Everyone's conversations revolved around the thrilling performances. Harry and his friends had planned to use the weekend to catch up on homework or speculate about the third task (Hermione's idea), but the common room was too crowded and the enthusiasm too infectious. People would often pass by their corner, pat them on the shoulder, and say, "Well done!"
Or they would suddenly sit down next to them, their faces filled with wonder, asking for more details.
"Could you hear sounds in the Black Lake?"
"A little", Harry mumbled.
"Didn't your hand hurt when you punched the salmon?"
"There was magical protection", Hermione said dryly.
By mid-morning, Harry couldn't take it anymore and gave Ron and Hermione a meaningful look. They slunk out of the common room and headed to an abandoned classroom, their usual spot for practicing magic and the dueling study group's territory.
"Actually, I don't mind telling the story, but they know more about what happened to me than I do", Ron said, conflicted. He thought the downside of the projection screen was that it robbed him of the ability to embellish the story.
Think about it: he had just been vividly describing how terrifying the giant squid was—“It was much bigger than me!”—when someone immediately commented that using a wand as a spear was too odd.
Or when he tried to build suspense—“Guess what I saw?”—the serious answer was “The Merfolk Camp.” Some said “Red Hair” or “The Bubble-Head Charm,” and the audience quickly sidelined him, debating which answer was more plausible.
Ron yawned, his eyes watering. "Ah—maybe I should go back and catch up on some sleep. I stayed up too late last night."
"I want to go see Hagrid", Harry said.
"Then I'll meet you in the library later. It'll be much quieter there today", Hermione said decisively.
Hermione went to the library alone. Her two roommates had been pestering her all night about the magic that could "knock out a salmon with one punch." She rolled her eyes and handed them a Runic Script card.
Parvati and Lavender stared at the card, which depicted a charging bison.
"Is Hermione's temper related to this?" Lavender whispered.
Parvati tugged on her sleeve and gave her a meaningful look. They glanced over, and Hermione was peering out from her bed, her furry head poking out, glaring at them.
Lavender quickly chuckled, "Maybe... I'll lend you the book for a couple more days?"
(End of Chapter)
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