Warnings: possible dark themes, psychologically dark-ish? (apathetic) Harry, no magic, virtual reality gaming AU
Pairing: TMR/HP (Tom Marvolo Riddle/Harry Potter)
Summary: Voldemort was just supposed to be the bored necromancer who had a slightly creepy obsession with the undead. Scarred was just supposed to be a berserker-but things never quite work out that way.
For one, he isn't a berserker. He's a bishop. For two, he isn't just anything-he's the renegade High Priest of Gryffindor. For three, well... let's just say Voldemort's slightly creepy obsession wasn't on the undead anymore.
Glitches were so inconvenient.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling; this story was also inspired by Legendary Moonlight Sculptor by Nam Hee Sung, a korean light novel about a virtual reality game called Royal Road and a main character who wants to conquer it all (for money). You can read it at:
(Vol 1-20): royalroadweed(period)blogspot(period)co(period)il(slash)2014(slash)11(slash)toc(period)html
(Vol 21+, WIP): jawztranslations(period)blogspot(period)com(slash)p(slash)legendary-moonlight-sculptor(period)html
Also, 1/2 Prince by Yu Wo inspired this story too! A Chinese VR-MMORPG light novel (adapted as a manga as well) about a girl who plays as a handsome male elven warrior. Read it now at princerevolution(period)org! The manhua can be read at mangahere or mangafox, or probably any of your favorite manga reading sites.
Third shout-out of inspiration to The Gamer by Sung San-young, a manhwa/web comic about a main character who gains the ability to live life as a game character. Read it at mangahere, or probably any of your favorite manga reading websites.
When Harry looked back at the Tree of Ages, he was surprised to see a similar faded white text on top of the bark. "Tree of Ages – Wolf Forest" it read. So there really must be more Trees like this.
None of the traces had their location listed in the white text—certainly it was to distinguish a Tree of Ages from another in a different location. Harry could probably sit there and hypothesize a theory for the Tree of Ages' existence, but it was probably much easier to Mana Read it and go from what information was available.
"Mana Read!"
Tree of Ages – Wolf Forest
A tree that has evolved from absorbing a great amount of mana; so much so that it radiates in astounding degrees. The evolution process takes hundreds of years.
The wood of a Tree of Ages is highly receptive to mana from any other source. This absorption ability makes it desirable to use in weapon crafting, as the weapon would likely take on magical properties. However, the Tree itself cannot be cut down by normal means—a single twig from a Tree of Ages is incredibly rare.
Because of its high mana emission, a Tree of Ages is likely to attract many monsters. The area directly in its presence is neutral grounds—all monsters instantly become nonaggressive to players due to the mana's calming nature.
This particular Tree of Ages is located in Wolf Forest. For some reason, there appears to be no monsters around…?
Harry frowned. As informative as that was, it wasn't enough. It didn't answer any of his most important questions! The description had a point—why were there no monsters around?
There were traces of monsters—tons. Different kinds of monsters that he hadn't seen at all in the forest. But as time passed, more and more wolf traces appeared while there was an utter lack of the other monsters coming and going. Why? What happened to them? And why were there no monsters around now? Harry thought back to the bird whose trace he had absorbed.
…Could it be possible that the wolves had something to do with their disappearance? Did they claim their territory and force all the other monsters to leave? While that didn't sound like a game's programmed behavior for monsters, it did make sense. But… where were the wolves now?
Harry sat down on the bulging roots and gave it a bit more thought. He tried to put all the clues he had together.
Forest. Different from plains—wolves travel alone. No real other monsters aside from the wolves… he hadn't even seen a bird. But the canines communicated with each other briefly, and then seemed to go back. Back where? Their programmed area? Their original spawning spot? Their… Their…
Wait a second. The only communication he had seen was between an ordinary wolf and a Sentry Wolf… Sentry. Scouts. Defensive mana rather than offensive… Sentinel. Protecting something. Protecting—
Communicating information. A Wolf traveling deeper into the forest for the express purpose of telling a Sentry Wolf something… and the Sentry Wolf's location was farther into the forest because that was closer to what it was protecting.
"Holy fuck," Harry whispered. His eyes went wide with the realization—the realization that— "The wolves are guarding the Tree of Ages!"
But… but why? Surely there was a reason. Did it have something to do with the Tree being the reason of their sudden population explosion? And if it was, how? Did mana encourage monster spawn rates or something? He needed more information.
If the wolves were instead a tribe of indigenous people, Harry would've probably hypothesized that the tribe was guarding the Tree of Ages for religious reasons—it would be integral to their religion, either as their God or the receptacle to their God. But animals didn't exactly do that… Well, did they? That was a ridiculous thought in real life, but this was a game…
Okay. First things first, find more information. He hadn't finished circling the base of the tree yet—maybe there was something on the ground on the other side, or fresher traces to Mana Read, or some kind of note.
Harry stood and continued his route along the trunk of the tree, finding nothing unorthodox on the ground through his sight and finding nothing unusual on the bark of the tree using his touch—actually, wait a second—
Harry's hand met the edge of the bark. It wasn't supposed to do that. The trunk of the tree had no edge; it was supposed to be circular! A full, complete, circle. He quickly pulled himself away from looking out into the distance and faced the Tree itself, rounding the arc and discovering, much to his surprise, a giant, gaping hole in the trunk.
…And came face to face with a Wolf.
It was like a scene from a movie, he mused. They both stood frozen there, gazes locked and breaths held. The wolf's stare was impassive, unimpressed, and it was such an unusual expression that Harry did not think to move away until a few seconds more. When he slowly backed away, eyes on the monster in front of him, the wolf stepped forward until it was out of the strange entrance of the trunk.
It turned to look at him then, just before it reached the pine trees of the forest, and in that moment Harry swore he would get mauled by a group of wolves or something—but nothing happened. The wolf turned away and headed into the distance. Harry never saw it again.
"Non-aggressive," Harry muttered to himself. "Right."
He turned back to the hole.
He was taller than it, but just barely by a head or so. It reminded him of the hole in the Whomping Willow, only this one wasn't as small or well-hidden. Whatever it was, the hole seemed to lead down in a small incline; the darkness left him unable to discern how far it went. And… Um… Well, a normal Wolf monster came out of it. Probably not as strange as Sirius Black coming out of a tree, but…
Honestly! Harry scowled. What was with this game and things living inside trees?! Was this some sort of reference or symbol?! He really didn't want to think there was a meaning behind, instead of tree houses, tree… tree holes. Or whatever they were called.
…Could he Mana Read it?
"Mana Read!"
Tree Hollow
A hollow in the trunk of a Tree of Ages. It appears to lead somewhere underground, and seems to be well-used. While not visible at the entrance, you can feel a certain sense of calm bleed through your mana.
There is a large concentration of mana radiation coming from the hole. It is highly possible that the mana will physically manifest closer to the source as light.
…
Your sensitivity to mana has increased.
Huh. He'd never seen that message before. A quick check of his skills showed him he received no additional effects to Mana Reader, but the percent experience had increased. Well, either way it sounded positive. Harry considered his options.
Option one: go into the hole.
Option two: cautiously go into the hole.
Option three: return to the old man, report his findings by repeating his theory, and then probably be asked to go into the hole.
…Looks like he was going into the hole.
Besides, the Tree's aura should keep any wolves he encountered nonaggressive, though he wasn't completely sure if they would be very happy with him entreating on their territory. He also had no idea what would happen if he attacked them first. Would they all attack him? Would he be chased out? Harry kind of felt like an assassin.
It wasn't like he was going in to kill things though! It was an investigation. He was just going to go in, look around, and then get out. And hopefully level up his Mana Reader. That was it.
But the darkness looked foreboding, and running into another wolf along the small tunnel was not on his list of top 10 things to experience again… especially in the darkness. Did he mention it was dark? While Harry wasn't scared of the dark so to say, small tight places with not very much light did have quite the connotation in his head. He liked space. And it seemed like there wasn't a lot of it where he was going…
Well, it shouldn't be too deep right? He had no idea how mana traveled as of yet, or any idea of how far the distance had to be to absorb it, but it couldn't be too far from the Tree, right? So not too far down.
Besides, it was an almost everlasting winter in Gryffindor territory. Farmers had it tough—having to have special barriers over their fields to specifically allow crops not native to the region to grow. Surely the Tree would meet the same issue—its roots couldn't go down that far. Right?
Full of hesitation but ultimate resignation, Harry entered the hollow. Darkness, the smell of nutrients and soil, warm even as he descended into the earth! This was the place he entered now. The tunnel went on for awhile—Harry did not know for how long he traveled until the ceiling slowly raised and some source of light broke the pitch blackness.
Thankfully he encountered no wolves—but that was little comfort with his Mana Reader on!
Mana Reader did not need light to See. Harry could see all the faded, transparent white text that covered the path, even through the darkness! The ground was covered in them! A well-traveled path indeed! He didn't want to think about what running into more than one wolf would be like, but it was constantly on his mind nevertheless with all the Wolf Traces!
However, as he got closer to the light, Harry found himself calming. Everything would be alright. Some part of higher knowledge imparted this understanding to him, a confidence only to be found in peace. He could see the soft glow of mana, a lot of it, and the familiar sight warmed him.
He did not know how long it took to reach it. Along the walls of the tunnel—that was truly what it was now—Harry could see some bulging roots every now and then, or some piece of rock or mineral. The closer he got to the light, more and more rocks covered the walls instead of dirt. And for good reason, too, for what he emerged into was a cavern.
"Prowl!" Harry called quickly. With the mode on he was able to slink along the walls unnoticed—better safe than sorry, considering the fact that there were wolves all over the place. They either loitered amongst themselves or were lying down on the cavern floor, resting and basking in the mana. There had to be at least thirty of them!
There were different kind of wolves too—Sentry Wolves and Wolves, of course, but also Wolf Pups and Juvenile Wolves, and as he carefully observed them all, he noticed two wolves that stood out—both with their size and their names.
Beta Male. Beta Female.
This was a wolf pack.
This is why the wolves are growing—they've formed a pack—
Wait. Then that means there's an Alpha Male and Alpha Female—
That was when he noticed them. A pair all the way in the back, overlooking all the wolves. They were resting on a soft bed of moss, elevated on a rock, and both their names were red. Harry focused on it a bit more, and noticed the Alpha Female's name was slightly more orange than her counterpart's.
They were also looking right at him.
Harry froze. His first encounter with a boss monster!
The battle of the gazes seemed to go on forever. Neither of them moved. While this was a good sign—they weren't attacking him!—it was somewhat more ominous than if they had stood. Harry knew he should probably leave and go back to the old man, but he also wanted to continue investigating. Where was all the mana coming from? It was not the mana of the wolves that was lighting the den! Was there a… was there a source if mana somewhere here?
Against his better judgment, Harry began to slink towards the back of the den along the walls. The Alphas' gaze followed him, but none of the other wolves noticed. Harry kept one eye on them and one eye on where he was going. There appeared to be an entrance to another space near the back, and a beckoning glow of concentrated mana pulled him in that direction. It took a long time to get there, but he hadn't been attacked yet, so Harry figured he was doing something right.
Only when he entered the side cavern did he look away from the Alpha pair.
You have discovered a source of mana.
Fame +100
All Stats +5
Maximum Mana +500
Maximum Health +500
Gained title: "He Who Follows Mana"
Your sensitivity to mana has increased.
Mana Reader has leveled up.
Harry's head spun with all of the system messages. Discovering a source of mana! What an unorthodox find so early on in his journey! To be placed near such a beginner area, and to never have been found before… a fortunate coincidence?
Or maybe an astounding degree of luck!
The source of mana was a large, clear crystal floating above a pond. The pond water itself was completely clear—Harry could see the clean stone of the bottom—and behind it was a miniature waterfall that explained the water's presence. Around the stone, the Tree of Ages' roots formed some sort of cage. Harry could see the direct mana flow back and forth between the Tree and the crystal—no wonder it became a Tree of Ages if it was directly linked to a source!
"Mana Read!"
Primordial Mana Crystal
A mana crystal formed in the depths of the earth. It is unknown exactly how it is formed, however due to the size, it is possible to conclude that it has grown undisturbed for centuries. Because of this, it has a connection to the earth and is able to generate mana continuously.
It is the ultimate mana regeneration crystal.
With Advanced Level Mining, it is possible to harvest the Primordial Mana Crystal. With Advanced Level Crafting, it is possible to create accessories and equipment of the highest grade. A master class Shaman with Advanced Level Imbue can successfully imbue a piece of Primordial Mana Crystal into equipment. With Advanced Level Sculpting, it is possible to sculpt despite its high hardness level.
What were the game developers thinking when they put such a high level item in a beginner area? It was an end-game level encounter! Harry was more confused than anything—what were the chances he would encounter something like this? Why was it in such an easily reachable area? All one had to do was explore the forest!
The tree hollow wasn't difficult to find either! The tunnel was straightforward. The only issue would be the darkness, and it didn't last too long—soon enough, the player would see light. Honestly, what was an end-game level object doing here? And it was only guarded by the Wolf Pack, something a higher level player could probably handle easily! Harry didn't understand at all, and it made him a little suspicious. Why—
You feel an ominous chill.
Harry shivered. He spun around to look the way he came, but there was nothing there. He looked around the room, trying to spot what evil presence he felt, but nothing was there that he could see. And just when his eyes turned to look back at the crystal, he saw it.
It was a sword, stuck in the roots.
In transparent white text above it, it read rather anticlimactically, "Old Rusty Sword."
But Harry was sure that was the source of the ominous chill. His Sight scanned the flow, trying to see any abnormalities, but the light from the crystal and roots were too bright—they dominated his vision, and he couldn't adjust his focus to view only the sword's mana.
Harry squinted. "M-Mana Read…"
Old Rusty Sword
Because of the mana radiation coming from the surroundings, you are unable to get a clear view. It appears to be a rusty sword that was lost here a very long time ago. You feel something ominous about it…
Durability: 1/50
Requirements: None
Attack +1
Harry frowned. Really no information at all… Maybe if he got closer…? It couldn't be a normal sword—not if it was stuck right next to such a high level item. Could someone have left it here, forgotten or unwanted, and it rusted over time? Maybe it was possible to repair it. Advanced level blacksmithing was as formidable skill, he heard.
Or maybe it was a quest item! Maybe whatever aura coming off of it had incited the wolves! Maybe an effect of the ominous presence meant a higher spawn rate for monsters! There were many possibilities this game could choose to use. Harry was learning this—always keep an open mind.
The only thing he could do was try to approach and find out through Mana Reader what it was!
Ah, but first, he should check his skills and stats. There was that strange title he'd gained...
Name: Scarred ~ Level: 15 ~ Race: Human
Faction: Gryffindor ~ Class: None
Title: He Who Follows Mana ~ Fame: 155
Health: 1000 (+500) ~ Mana: 605 (+600)
Strength: 60 (+20) ~ Stamina: 31 (+10)
Intellect: 30 ~ Wisdom: 31 (+10)
Luck: 20 ~ Agility: 34 (+1)
Stealth: 9
Attack: 0 (+3) ~ Defense: 0 (+4)
Fullness: 45 ~ Fatigue: 30
Oh. Fullness was at 45. No wonder he was feeling a tad hungry. He'd have to eat soon, but Harry was determined to do this first. But back to that title—
Harry tapped the "Title" word on the screen. Instantly a small description and a drop down box appeared, though the latter did not have any other options other than "None" and "He Who Follows Mana".
Title: He Who Follows Mana
[Basic Tier]
A title gained by a player who has followed the traces and call of mana all the way to its source.
Mana Recovery +10MP/10sec
Maximum Mana +100
Wisdom +10
Harry checked back with his stats. The title stats seemed to be listed like a buff—he could see the increase to his mana and wisdom inside the parentheses.
Now that he thought about it, his stats were far above what a level 15 would have—mostly because of the buff, but his base stats were high too because of the extra he'd been gaining by finding things or observing them. 1000 base HP at level 15? Definitely not normal! But looking at everything now—Harry huffed.
For a warrior who usually raised his intelligence and wisdom a grand total of zero, Harry had an abundance of these stats! He even had some LUK! It looked like he was an all-round type character, which was never very efficient in any of the games he'd played before. It was better to be very focused with your stat points in most MMORPGs, as that would allow you to kill things faster than they could kill you.
And because it raised the rate of hunting, focusing on damage also increased the rate of EXP gain! Unless you were a tank, it was always more profitable to focus on the stats that gave you damage. But looking at his stats now, the extra stats he had wouldn't give him any damage unless he became a Mage class! A true shame.
Harry wasn't complaining about having extra stats, he was thinking it was a waste to become a warrior if his skills and extra stat point gain focused on INT and WIS! Mana regeneration was useful for both types—long and melee range—but it was ultimately the long range that profited more. Melee range usually needed health regeneration more than mana regeneration.
Focused characters always won out, in the end. Parties were easier because they could do their job extremely well as a specialized character, believing the other players could fill in their holes. Harry didn't know if he would find an agreeable party in the future, but who knew! Berserkers were usually solo players, but what if he needed to team up with others in the future?
To maximize his character's ability, wouldn't it be best if he became a Mage class? Their play style wasn't much to his liking, but they were powerful characters nonetheless…
…No. He would continue on the path he was walking now. If that led him to a hidden Mage class, so be it—honestly it looked like that now. But if he was able to become a Berserker—there was nothing that would make him give up that class! For someone like him who had periodic moments of restlessness between his moments of dull peace, Harry knew the Berserker class was a perfect fit for him. He was loathe to give it up for any one thing.
Besides, intelligence and wisdom gave other advantages besides stat-wise. Upgrading success rate, as long as it was through the NPC upgrade shop and not a blacksmithing forge, was influenced by INT—if he gained enough extra stats, he wouldn't have to hire a Mage class to upgrade his equipment for him, and if he ever got a pet, his pet's AI and experience gain would be boosted in respect to his intelligence.
Wisdom, as far as he knew right now, raised the chance of success of learning a skill through a skill book.
It was all very mentally straining planning that went into a character. Harry sighed. If he took one of the basic main classes when he was level 10, then he wouldn't have to worry as much. But he was classless, and had no idea when he'd get his class—he needed to plan to raise his stats appropriately.
But this was neither the time nor place for that. Harry looked back at the sword. Maybe if he got closer to it, he'd be able to read the mana properly? If he tried at this distance, it appeared to be the same as a low level Observe—it was seeing the mana that made the difference for his skill. Just a little closer…
Harry approached with due caution. One would assume he would have been attracted to the Primordial Mana Crystal, but instead it was the sword he was interested in! A warrior indeed! Or perhaps it was because with every step forward, Harry became more and more aware of something… wrong in the air. But as they say, Gryffindors were notorious for their bravery—and Harry continued.
One step. Two steps. Finally, a distance of a meter away! Harry squinted, but it was still not close enough to override the brightness of the crystal and the roots. He got even closer, and finally at a half meter distance—
A growl sounded behind him. Harry spun around.
Lo and behold, it was the Alpha Male! No longer lying down, Harry could clearly see its size—huge, as if it were a werewolf instead it stood on two hind legs, barring its sharp white teeth in a clear sign of threat. But why? It hadn't reacted earlier, so what—
The crystal.
Harry looked at the Alpha Male's name, bleeding the shade of deepest red possible.
It growled again, pulling back its arm in preparation for a large swipe. Harry knew there was no getting out of this now—there was not enough space to dodge forever, and the boss monster's form practically blocked the entire entrance. Even still, his eyes strained to read its mana. If he was going to die, he was going to die after he learned something useful!
That was Harry's mindset as he played a game.
Mana swirled about its legs and pulled arm, like a rapid tornado of wind about to be unleashed. That was going to hurt. Harry lunged to the side in a fit of desperation as the claw slashed air where his torso had just been. His body scraped against the hard stone ground as he scrambled to get back on his feet, but again all the Alpha Male did was prepare for another attack.
You are paralyzed by fear.
Violent! Powerful! Superior! This was the feeling Harry got from watching the Alpha Male's mana. It permeated the air, weighing it down like a block of iron! An oppressive fighting aura! Filled with an aged experience, a durability that could not be broken! Harry found he could not move, even as the boss monster raised its paw once more and extended its claws.
…Even for a boss monster, Harry didn't think this was normal. No, it was the exact opposite—because the reason why the game's programmers felt safe in putting an end-game item in a beginner area, the reason why he could be here now, the reason why they didn't think twice of whether or not it would lead to a ridiculous game breaking character if they put such valuable resources in one place—
"Mana Reader—"
[Boss] Alpha Male
Level 999
The guardian of a Primordial Mana Crystal.
Harry disappeared in a flash of white light.
Harry woke up sweaty and out of breath. It took a few moments to regain full control of his hands in order to open the latch keeping the game visor on his head, but he managed, and when it was finally off he tossed it lightly onto the cushions of his couch.
The house was dark. His throat was parched. He wondered what time it was.
Harry shuddered. His body trembled, cold and sticky as if he'd just ran a few miles without pause. Suddenly the air of his apartment was too cool for his liking, and he wanted to get up to turn on the heater but when he stood, his legs felt uneasy and his head spun. It forced him back onto the couch to rest for another moment.
Dying felt terrible. There was no mistake that the pain was dulled—it had felt more like falling on the ground than getting ripped to shreds—but it wasn't the pain that got him. It was fear—a familiar friend he hadn't spoke to or even seen in awhile. Certainly the game didn't want to traumatize any of its players, so there were measures in place to dull the realism, but for Harry it was just a bit of helplessness that made it… an experience for him.
It had been a long time since he had been helpless.
Before, he had once promised himself that he'd take all measures to never feel such a thing again.
Now, sitting here, he realized that promise was really just a child's desperation bleeding through. He wasn't strong enough to make such promises—not yet. Being helpless drove him, fearing fear itself was a reluctant admittance of his. Fear made you wild. Being wild made you rash and impulsive. Being rash and impulsive made you unable to defend yourself.
Harry believed this.
He stood up.
His legs were still shaky, but he could walk. That was what mattered. In the kitchen, the constant ticking of the wall clock made a steady beat to synchronize his breathing with, which helped. Eventually his heartbeat also calmed. He wondered what time it was.
Ah, he had work tomorrow.
Harry decided a quick shower, and then bed. Sleep sounded like the gift of the gods right now.
…He wouldn't swear he would never die again—in all likelihood, that was a promise he knew he couldn't keep. Instead, he swore to never let death affect him like this ever again. It was an ugly feeling—and being weak, helpless, and shaken all at once was probably the most distasteful combination Harry could think of for himself.
Not again.
Through Witches and Wizards, maybe it was possible to conquer his fear of fear itself.
Harry worked at a bookstore along a fairly high traffic street. Due to the store's large inventory, the amount of customers there were in a day was a relatively high amount, all things considered. Florish and Blotts also sold other things, like a very good cup of tea—or coffee, should the customer genuinely prefer—and that part of the store was particularly high traffic as well. Of course, to keep up with technology they offered eBooks, and every now and then there would be a book signing.
The job was, of course, rather low pay, but it was comfortable and his coworkers (and employers) were nice people. Harry had his fair share of investments going on to compensate the rest he needed, his starting budget having come from the inheritance he'd received on his seventeenth birthday. And he was single and young—he didn't need much to live off of.
Harry had gone to school—done his years of high school, done his years of college—and ended up with a bachelor's in Web Design. While hunting for a job in his field he'd ended up at the book store, found he preferred it to his major, took a more active interest in playing the stock market, and had simply never left.
He didn't have any plans to marry, or to really date. While some mild interest was there, he'd never worked up the effort to sort through the problems it would bring. After high school and his first year of college—which had some various failures in the relationship department—he'd just never tried again. It was a bit troublesome—and Harry both loved and loathed the peace he had now.
No one should have to deal with his problems. It was his own business—and having a significant other would mean that his business was, in effect, theirs as well.
A customer walked in just as Harry finished labeling the pick-up-at-store orders. Harry recognized him as a man who came by rather often, every once in a blue moon stopping for some tea but more likely to buy a single book. He'd bought a few books on anatomy before, and Harry had first assumed he was a type of doctor with his austere dress and aloof manner, but he wasn't all too sure.
His last two or three visits, the man had bought books on life after death, or near death experiences, or something in that range. Harry didn't think the man was religious, or seeking reassurance with the death (or soon coming passing) of a relative or friend, so it must have been purely from his own interest that he'd sought the books out.
To be honest, Harry was somewhat stirred by the subject as well. But not as much as the customer seemed.
Life After Life, the title read. Harry mentally shrugged as he rang up his customer. He kept a mental list of his regular customers—those that preferred to speak, those that didn't. This one in particular didn't much like talking at all, so Harry left him to his silence.
"I also have a book to pick up," the customer noted.
Harry looked up from the cash register. "Which book is that?"
"Thus Spoke Zarasthustra, Nietzsche. German text."
Undisturbed by the cold manner he was answered by, Harry turned around and looked through the small shelf for the correct order. Surprisingly, there were two. Odd. He didn't think that book was trending at the moment. Harry checked the author. Both the German text. Even stranger.
"Name?"
"Riddle."
Ah. "This one, then. Here you are."
The man nodded, paid for his purchases, and left.
Harry thought it was rather odd—did he really have to order that book? And usually he didn't buy more than one per visit… Well, he wasn't one to judge. He was just curious.
At least, now he had a name to a face. Riddle, Harry mused. One name, but better than nothing. If he orders again I won't have to ask. Then again… even stranger.
He didn't put his first name on the order.
Name: Scarred ~ Level: 15 ~ Race: Human
Faction: Gryffindor ~ Class: None
Title: He Who Follows Mana ~ Fame: 155
Health: 1000 (+500) ~ Mana: 605 (+600)
Strength: 60 (+20) ~ Stamina: 31 (+10)
Intellect: 30 ~ Wisdom: 31 (+10)
Luck: 20 ~ Agility: 34 (+1)
Stealth: 9
Attack: 0 (+3) ~ Defense: 0 (+4)
Fullness: 57 ~ Fatigue: 15
Hi guys! Here's a new chapter for y'all :P
Sadly we didn't get Harry's job advancement this chapter (AGAIN?!), but don't worry it'll be soon! Next chapter, I hope! It's 'cause Harry had to die in this chapter, so _" No dying next chapter!
And then the chapter after that we should get some Tom. Maybe. Hopefully. -crosses fingers- No promises!
Thanks for all your support :) If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or leave a review (with a signed-in account, PLEASE! I don't usually answer questions in the A/Ns, so if you ask as a Guest I can't help you)!
Sincerely,
R.R.
