Although it looked like Harry was just staring blankly up at one of the thick wooden beams of the ceiling, his reality was completely different. Floating right in front of his eyes was the translucent system screen, tinting the dim room with a soft, bluish glow.
[Mission accomplished: Timeline alteration.
Hermione Granger, one of the most brilliant witches of her generation, has selected a house different from her original destiny.
Reward: 500 sc]
[Mission accomplished: Ruin Dumbledore's plans.
The headmaster had preselected the host for Gryffindor house to kickstart his prophecy plan.
Reward: 500 sc]
[Mission accomplished: Timeline alteration.
Ronald Weasley's life has changed drastically; by not being part of the golden trio, his destiny has shifted completely.
Reward: 500 sc]
Harry let his lips curl into a small, satisfied smile. He glanced over at his system points counter: 7,452 sc in total. Not bad at all.
'System,' he called out mentally, adjusting the pillow under the back of his neck. 'How many templates can I integrate at the same time?'
[Maximum 3, host.]
He lay there, thinking about it. For the past few days, he'd been noticing something weird with Shin's template. His magic level was totally stuck, way below what the warrior's memories showed. It was frustrating. It felt like his current body just wasn't strong or durable enough to handle that massive, runaway power. No matter how much he tried using Shin's methods to force his energy up, he kept hitting a brick wall. He needed to upgrade his physical vessel, and fast.
'System, show me the warrior catalog,' he ordered.
[Pure Warriors Catalog in the System Shop
* * Jon Snow — 1,000 sc (World: Game of Thrones)
* * Daemon Targaryen (Promotion) — 1,500 sc (World: House of the Dragon)
* * Maximus Decimus Meridius — 1,600 sc (World: Gladiator)
* * Ivar the Boneless — 1,650 sc (World: Vikings)
* * Inigo Montoya — 1,700 sc (World: The Princess Bride)
* * Leonidas I — 1,950 sc (World: 300)
* * Barristan Selmy (Young) — 2,000 sc (World: Game of Thrones)
* * Miyamoto Musashi — 2,050 sc (World: Vagabond)
* * Arthur Dayne — 2,100 sc (World: Game of Thrones)
* * Kenshin Himura (Battousai) — 3,250 sc (World: Rurouni Kenshin)]
Harry swiped his finger through the air, ignoring the rest of the massive list until his eyes locked onto the second name. He stared at it. 'Does the shop have seasonal sales or something?'
[Affirmative, host. Every month, 3 selected items are put on a special promotional discount.]
'Then stop making me waste time and show me this month's deals.'
The screen flickered and switched interfaces instantly.
[Special Promotion of the Month:
* Special Pack: Daemon Targaryen (Template + Dragon Egg) — 1,500 sc
Description: Seasonal discount! For the same base price as the pure swordsmanship template, this month includes the royal bloodline package. Daemon brings implacable tactical aggression in close combat and an innate mastery over Valyrian fire. Includes full dragon scale plate armor, the longsword Dark Sister, and a bound dragon egg.
* Template: Rock Lee — 4,000 sc
World: Naruto Shippuden
Description: The pinnacle of pure Taijutsu and human effort. Possessing no ninjutsu or genjutsu, his body has been trained to break through biological limiters, reaching hypersonic speed and massive destructive impact force. Includes full combat suit, hand bandages, and high-density ankle weights.
* Breeding Lot: 10 Pokémon Eggs (Farm Specialized) — 900 sc
Description: Optimized pack for mass production of raw materials (high-quality wool, multi-functional honey, and milk) ideal for the settlement's trade or sustenance.]
Harry rubbed his chin. Rock Lee's template was exactly what he needed to break the physical bottleneck blocking his magic. And Daemon... well, Valyrian fire and a dragon of his own weren't things you just turned down.
'System, can I buy multiple copies of the same item?'
[With the exception of templates and mythic-grade objects, yes, host.]
'Perfect. Buy the Daemon template, the Rock Lee template, and two lots of pokemon eggs.'
[Consuming 7,300 sc. Acquired templates for Daemon Targaryen and Rock Lee, plus 20 Pokémon Eggs. Do you wish to proceed with immediate integration?]
'Do it.'
Harry didn't even have time to brace himself. The second he gave the green light, a brutal surge of pure heat and raw energy slammed into his chest. It felt like his muscles were being ripped apart and woven back together with steel threads, while a strange, burning sense of wild ferocity flooded his veins. The toll on his body was so heavy that his eyelids dropped like lead, plunging him straight into a deep, heavy sleep.
The next morning, the sun was barely starting to peek over the Hogwarts grounds.
Up in one of the high towers, Professor McGonagall was holding a piping hot cup of tea, taking small sips to wake herself up while looking out the window toward the main courtyard. Her brow was furrowed, a look of genuine confusion plastered across her face.
She had been watching Harry Potter for exactly two hours now.
The boy had spent all that time sprinting at a ridiculous speed around the stone pillars, wearing nothing but sweatpants and a light shirt, completely immune to the chilly Scottish morning air. But what made Minerva almost choke on her tea was what the boy did next.
Harry skidded to a halt, dropped his weight forward, and, balancing perfectly on his palms, kicked his legs straight up into the air. Without missing a single beat of his rhythm, he started sprinting at full speed on his hands, doing laps around the grass like it was the most normal thing in the world.
McGonagall made a strange face, pinching the bridge of her nose. The northern wind carried a distant echo up to her, an enthusiastic shout that sounded suspiciously like the word "Youth!". The professor blinked a couple of times, about to set her cup back on the table, and she could have sworn that, for a split millisecond, the boy's teeth flashed with a blinding white glint under the morning sun.
She decided she'd had quite enough strange magic for one morning and turned around to head back down to the Great Hall, muttering under her breath about the bizarre genes of the Potter family.