I had ignored it for months.
The system.
It had continued its silent work in the background—rewarding, calculating, observing—while I focused on what truly mattered: my research, my magic, my rise. But now… now I finally allowed myself to look.
With a flick of my will, the panel materialized before me.
And for the first time in a long time… even I was momentarily surprised.
Notifications flooded my vision. Dozens. No—hundreds. Rewards, achievements, milestones… all accumulated, waiting patiently for acknowledgment.
A slow, pleased smile curled across my lips.
"Accept all."
The moment the command left my mind, the world itself seemed to shift.
Power surged through me—violent, overwhelming, absolute.
[Reward Accepted: Recruitment of Gellert Grindelwald]Ability Acquired: Natural Seer
The first change was subtle.
Visions.
Fragments of the future flickered across my mind—disjointed, chaotic, incomplete… but undeniably real. I saw flashes of war, of destruction, of victory. Of Dumbledore… falling.
I exhaled slowly, stabilizing the influx.
So this was Grindelwald's gift. Not perfect foresight—but enough to tilt fate itself in my favor.
"Useful…" I murmured.
[Reward Accepted: Apprentice Acquired – Ariana Dumbledore]Item Acquired: Phoenix Egg
A burst of warm, golden magic manifested before me.
Resting in my hand… was an egg. Radiant. Alive with fire and rebirth.
A phoenix.
A creature of loyalty, of healing… of immortality in its own form.
My grip tightened slightly.
"Even fate itself seems intent on elevating me."
[Reward Accepted: Creation of the Philosopher's Stone]Passive Effect Gained: Double Magical Power
This time…
It was not subtle.
Magic exploded outward from my body in an invisible wave, cracking the stone beneath my feet, distorting the very air. My reserves—already monstrous—doubled instantly.
Doubled.
I could feel it. Every spell, every thought, every pulse of magic… enhanced. Amplified beyond what should have been possible.
I laughed softly.
"No wizard in history…" I whispered, "has ever held this much power."
[Reward Accepted: Wand of Ignotus Peverell]Talents Acquired: The Last Brother
Knowledge poured into my mind.
Enchantments beyond modern comprehension. The creation of artifacts that rivaled legends. Advanced transfiguration so refined it bordered on reality manipulation.
I saw it clearly—how the bridge had been made. Not merely conjured… but constructed through pure magical will, stabilized through layers of complex spellwork.
Creation itself bent more easily to me now.
[Reward Accepted: Wand of Salazar Slytherin]Talents Acquired: The Founder of Serpents
And then…
Darkness.
Not unfamiliar—but deeper. Older. Sharper.
My mind expanded violently as legilimency flooded my consciousness. Thoughts, emotions, intentions… I could feel them more clearly than ever before. Anyone around me would be an open book.
Parseltongue slithered effortlessly through my thoughts, instinctive and natural.
The Dark Arts…
Refined. Perfected. Elevated.
And more than that—strategy. Long-term vision. The ability to construct legacies that would last centuries.
Slytherin's mind was not just powerful.
It was eternal.
The chamber had gone silent.
No—wrong.
The world had gone silent.
Because I had surpassed it.
I stood there, unmoving, as the final remnants of power settled into place. My magic no longer felt like something I wielded…
It felt like something that obeyed me completely.
Naturally. Effortlessly. Absolutely.
A slow breath escaped my lips.
"This…" I said softly, "is what it means to ascend."
Not a Dark Lord.
Not a prodigy.
Not even a legend.
Something more.
Something beyond all of them.
And then…
I smiled.
Because now I understood.
Dumbledore was no longer my equal.
He wasn't even close.
Far below, I could feel Ariana's presence—her unstable, growing magic flickering like a distant star.
And for the first time since I had taken her as my apprentice…
I wondered.
How far could I push her now?
I turned, my cloak sweeping behind me as I walked toward the training hall once more.
It was time to test my new power.
And more importantly…
It was time to reshape hers.