Chapter 7: A Magical Night
Chapter 7: A Magical Night
In the dead of night, the lights were still on in the second-floor window of the residence on 19 Thibeau Avenue. Albert was engrossed in rapidly reading a book, casually upgrading his Quick Memory skill to Level 2. His memory had improved significantly; no ordinary person possessed such an ability, and Albert was certainly exceptional in this regard.
Just then, Albert discovered a strange new skill: Wizard Bloodline, Level 0. This skill couldn't be upgraded with regular experience points; it required skill points.
This was a first for Albert, but after some hesitation, he decided to upgrade Wizard Bloodline to Level 1.
After the upgrade, Albert noticed an improvement in his magic learning efficiency, or rather, his magical power had increased. He found it easier to grasp the Lumos spell, and after just over ten minutes of practice, he managed to level up the skill to Level 1.
This indicated that Albert had a preliminary grasp of the spell and could now cast it effortlessly without needing to concentrate.
Should he invest all his skill points into it? Albert hesitated. Skill points were hard to come by, and he needed to keep some for later.
However, after much deliberation, he decided to invest his remaining 2 skill points. To his dismay, he could only upgrade it by one level? What a rip-off! Albert felt a bit dejected as he didn't notice any further changes after upgrading Wizard Bloodline to Level 2. Could it be a passive skill?
Nonetheless, he didn't regret his decision. He stepped out of his room and began experimenting with the Alohomora spell. With his wand in one hand and the 'Standard Spells, Elementary' book in the other, he attempted the hand movements described in the book—a backward S-shape that felt awkward.
After a few more tries, Albert turned the doorknob and cast Alohomora. He twisted the doorknob a few times, but it didn't open.
Failure was expected, but there was a silver lining—a new Alohomora spell appeared on his panel, although no experience was gained this time.
"Albert, what are you doing?" A girl's voice rang out from behind, and Nia appeared at the end of the corridor in her pajamas.
Albert turned to look at his sister, knowing exactly how she felt—like a thief caught red-handed with a snack.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Albert asked.
"I can't sleep!" Nia complained. "You're so sneaky, practicing magic behind my back."
Albert felt a bit embarrassed, but it was true. He was caught red-handed, just like... ahem, stealing snacks.
"I want to try too!" Nia said, her eyes fixed on Albert's wand.
"This is not a toy!" Albert shook his head. He wouldn't let his little sister use his wand.
Children lacked self-control and might end up causing trouble if they acted on their whims.
Of course, this was assuming Nia was also a witch or wizard. Given that Albert was one, the chances were high that Nia was too, but he wasn't about to let her try using his wand, not anytime soon at least.
"You're the sneaky one, playing with it behind my back!" Nia pouted like a child whose toy had been taken away.
"Why don't you go back to sleep?" Albert tried to change the subject.
"No, I can't sleep."
"Then let me tell you a story!" Albert took out his key, reopened the door, and walked back into his room.
"Albert, you're so sneaky!" Nia muttered, but she still picked up Tom and followed her brother into his room.
As soon as Tom entered, he started sniffing around, seemingly looking for an owl. He had strong opinions about the birdcage by the window.
"Alright, Tom, Sheela's out hunting!" Albert picked up the short-haired cat, rubbed its belly, and then remembered to put his wand back in the drawer, locking it and pocketing the key as if guarding against thieves—he knew his sister's temperament all too well.
"Ugh, do you have to be so paranoid about thieves?" Nia pouted unhappily.
"Do you think I don't know you?" Albert rolled his eyes at Nia. "If you got your hands on my wand, you'd probably blow up our house."
"I wouldn't!" Nia insisted stubbornly.
"How can I be sure? Don't forget how you got that scratch on your arm. Don't make any promises to me. I don't want you to suddenly lose an arm or, worse, your life one day." Albert shuddered at the thought.
"I won't," Nia said, a little guiltily.
Indeed, there had been a similar incident in the past. When Tom had first arrived, Nia had treated him roughly and ended up getting scratched. She remembered how angry Albert had been and how he'd scolded her.
That was the first time Nia had seen her brother so angry.
"Don't forget the lesson." Albert asked, "Do you still want to hear the story?"
"Okay!" Nia leaned against the cushion, stroking Tom's fur, and quietly listened to Albert's fairy tale. He was already quite proficient, having practiced his oral English and improved his language skills. After all, his core wasn't that of a native British person, and although he had been immersed in the language since his transmigration, there was still room for improvement.
It was worth mentioning that he had also picked up a foreign language—French—and upgraded it to Level 1 using his experience points. There were indeed reasons why Albert was considered a genius.
"Albert, do you think I'll be able to use magic in the future?" Nia suddenly asked.
"Probably. If I can, you should be able to as well." Albert offered reassurance.
"That's because you're a genius and pick things up quickly."
"It has nothing to do with being a genius or not!" Albert was speechless. "We're siblings. If I can do it, you should be able to as well."
"But Grandpa can't. He says everyone in his family can except him," Nia mumbled, "and Dad can't either."
Mr. Herb suddenly became an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire.
"Even if you can't use magic, there are other things you can do." Albert tried to comfort her.
"You're so sneaky! You're already able to use magic, and yet you're saying these things to comfort me. Tom, hit him!" Nia grabbed Tom's paw and placed it on Albert's face.
As the night deepened, Nia fell asleep without realizing it.
The bedroom door was pushed open, and Daisy and Herb, both in their pajamas, walked in, looking helplessly at their sleeping daughter.
"She's finally asleep." Herb picked up Nia and carried her back to her room.
"Good night, Albert. Don't stay up too late. You can read the book tomorrow." Daisy kissed Albert's face lightly and whispered, "Your father and I support your decision."
"Good night." Albert stifled a yawn and pushed Tom gently. The lazy cat merely rolled over, showing no intention of moving from his cozy spot.
"Never mind, good night, Tom." Albert pushed the cat aside, fluffed his pillow, and settled into a comfortable position, ready for a well-deserved rest. He, too, was feeling exhausted.
Magic was indeed a fascinating thing.
(End of Chapter)
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