A.N. Okay, didn't make it as far as I wanted to. NEXT chapter will be a rap-up form here (but some of what happened will only be shown obliquely), the letter, Diagon Alley (very short), the train, and Hogwarts up to the sorting. Sorry, this one ran away from me. Still, I think you will like it!
Rec for this one will be A Third Path to the Future by Vimesenthusiast. AU HP makes his way to the marvel universe, and changes EVERYTHING, but for the better. It is a HUGE story (1.9 MILLION words, and it ISN'T DONE YET), but it is really quite good. It just might take a month to read!
Other than that, enjoy the story!
Not quite three years later
The night before Harry's eleventh birthday
Harry's POV:
All in all, the last two-plus years had been good for Harry. He had gained some stats, done some things that would set him up well for the future, and had one or two items in the works that would benefit him quite well. He had even picked up Alchemy as a subclass, mostly so he could turn the useless scraps of material he got from killing monsters into something useful. Most surprisingly of all, he had discovered he was a minor shapeshifter! Both had proven hard to level up because he had to make and identify unique potions and poisons for them to count, and shapeshifting took a LOT of concentration; but, as it turns out, throwing random ingredients, or random numbers of the same ingredient, into an alchemical matrix ALWAYS produced some form of new potion or poison, and minor shapeshifting could be used to alter his apparent emotions when dealing with monsters/businesses/politicians/his family. All that being said, he was still getting a little… bored.
With a thought, he pulled up his stats page.
Harry Potter
Race: Human (Wizard (Metamorphmagi))
LVL 33
Rank: Common
EXP: 28,583 / 72,000
Class: Rune Master (LVL 100 MAX (Special))
Smith (LVL 100 MAX (Special))
Golemancer (LVL 93.4/100 (Rare))
Subclass: (Wizard (Special))
(Leatherworker (Special))
(Alchemist (Legendary))
(Merchant (Legendary))
(Artificer (Uncommon))
(Elementalist (Rare))
Earth magic mastery: 64.1% complete
Fire magic mastery: 34.8% complete
Water magic mastery: 25.9% complete
Air Magic mastery: 23.7% complete
Electricity magic mastery: 9.8% complete
Magnetism magic mastery: 7.6% complete
Light magic mastery: 4.4% complete
Dark Magic mastery: 8.3% complete
Total mastery: 22.3%
Titles: Rogue (Legendary) (+50% dodge)
Paladin (Special) (+40% Holy dmg. & 20% necrotic res.)
Monk (Special) (+20% dodge, 200% CQC dmg., +40 spirit dmg.)
Weaponsmaster (Special) (All weapons at or below (Special) usable)
Metamorphmagi: (Rare) (Minor shapeshifting)
HP: 11,905
HP regen per sec: 107.5
Total time to regen: ~2 minutes
MP: 68,700
MP Regen per sec: 1104.8
Total time to regen: ~1 minute
STATS:
STR: 2206 (C)
VIT: 1108 (C)
AGI: 2564 (UC)
INT: 2580 (UC)
CHA: 3524 (UC)
DEX: 2378 (C)
WIS: 3960 (UC)
SPR: 2144 (C)
LCK: 4234 (UC)
PER: 2698 (UC)
Spendable Points: 165
Skills:
[???????] (Rare (Passive)):
A ???? ???????? of ??? ??????? ?????? (?????????), created when the ??????? ????? he cast was reflected by the protections created by the willing sacrifice of ???? ??????'? ?????.
-50% gain in mind magics. (Negated by Gamer's Mind)
-50% loss to physical stats. (Negated by Gamer's Body)
33% chance of ?????????? in cases of extreme stress. (Negated by Gamer's Mind)
+75% chance of mental breach by ??? ??????? ??????. (Negated by Gamer's Mind)
+50% chance to attract dangerous circumstances.
Attracting dark creatures.
+1 Extra Life (Skill lost on usage)
[? ??????'? ??????????] (Special (Passive)):
Created by the willing sacrifice of ???? ??????'? ????, this skill will help you find your place in life.
33% chance of good advice randomly coming to you.
Provides inherent understanding of all critical information regarding your inheritance.
Provides inherent understanding of social norms and requirements someone of your descent should have.
[? ??????'? ????] (Legendary (Passive)):
Created by the willing sacrifice of ???? ??????'? ????, this skill will help you in your greatest trial.
33% chance of releasing a lethal attack in cases of extreme stress. (charge 2,430/10,000; lost once discharged)
Attracting light creatures.
[Metamorphmagic (minor)] (Rare (Passive/Active)):
A natural, if rare, talent of the ????? family, passed down through your father's grandmother, ????? Potter, nee ?????.
Allows minor shapeshifting of image, with no actual proportion changes beyond fat/skin/hair.
Naturally aligns body with personal image.
Can only be upgraded by Quest from individual of class (Legendary) or higher, teaching by someone of higher level, or appropriately attuned artifact.
[Gamer's Body] (Unique (Passive)):
The MOST AMAZING SKILL EVER!!! This skill lets you have unlimited potential, and makes it so you can do ANYTHING! No resistances are allowed other than those you earn through specific classes. Make you no longer need sleep, food, or water; makes you unable to lose limbs; and makes it so that sleep and food heal your health and restore your mana. Grants you the potential to use Extra Life items and Stat crystals. Can gift Stat crystals.
[Gamer's Mind] (Unique (Passive)):
An impressive mainstay of the gamer's being, this skill lets you stay calm in the most difficult of situation. Prevents ALL forms of mind control, mind reading, possession, and all permanent negative mental stat effects.
[Observe] (Unique (Active)):
The only base skill that scales to a stat, observe collates everything you CAN know about a person or object into text form. Proficiencies are required to learn health or status conditions, but anything you could figure out by studying said person, place or thing is instantly available, baring obfuscation charms, shape-shifting, or other forms of disguise. Ability to see through said trickery scales to proficiencies and/or PER stat.
[Sway] (Legendary (Passive)):
People, like pendulums, can be swayed with the lightest touch!
Command skills and spells gain a X4 boost!
CHA and SPR X2!
[Cleanse] (Legendary (Passive)):
Everyone under you enjoys the health that is your presence.
All Action stat gains of you and your allies X2!
Sickness, poison, and infect stat effects impossible for any type lower than Legendary.
Negative mental stat effects /2, positive X2!
[TD Create] (Unique (Active)):
Warp the world into a temporary dungeon, your very own fast-pass to quick gains, random trinkets, mob trash, and (potentially) an early grave. Description, duration, and effects of the dungeon vary based on where the dungeon is created. !WARNING! Be care where you set this up. The worse the history or use of the spot, the higher chances of you dying. The dungeon type, area you set up in, and dumb luck will determine if others can see/enter these dungeons. Natural dungeons do occur.
[Atlas] (Legendary (Passive)):
Strength-based challenges ado no damage.
Anything you can get under, you can pick up.
No armor or weapons have any type of STR-based drawbacks.
[Ki] (Legendary (Passive/toggleable)):
Your life-force is dense enough to shield you from minor damage.
Any attack that is less than your HPR is ignored.
Any Unarmed attack can have your HPR added to it.
[Slipstream] (Legendary (Passive)):
You, your clothes, and your items cannot be damaged by friction.
Your reaction speed is doubled.
+100 Vit
[True Analyst] (Legendary (Passive)):
Anything you look at, you can (as far as you can see them) truly understand them.
Requires basic proficiency to function properly.
Can upgrade a proficiency by examining an example X2 levels or less above your current proficiency.
Can upgrade a proficiency by watching a professional 1 level above you. NO HIGHER THAN 1!
[Suave Shadow] (Legendary (Passive/toggleable)):
If you desire it, anyone you meet will have a good opinion of you, even if they don't know you and will never see you again, baring (Legendary) meddling.
You are capable of avoiding recognition just by willing it from any detector lower than (Legendary).
[Untouchable] (Legendary (Passive)):
As long as you can sense a physical attack coming your way, you cannot be hit by it.
You will never run into anything unless it is on purpose.
You will always be able to fall in a safe manner from any height that is less that (Vit / 6) feet.
[Diviner of Truth] (Legendary (Passive)):
As long as you are not befuddled by a skill (Legendary) or higher, and the targets level is within 50 of your own, you will always be able to tell if they are telling the truth or not.
[Iron Spirit] (Legendary (Passive)):
As long as a person's level is less than fifty above yours, and/or their SPR is less than 500 above yours, you will never be able to be magically cowed.
[Golden Child] (Legendary (Passive/toggleable)):
Things go your way naturally, baring Legendary involvement.
If there is a chance of success, you can choose to win, to lose, or to play fair.
[Clear Eyes] (Legendary (Passive)):
You cannot be tricked by any skill lower than Legendary.
You cannot be distracted by any skill lower than Special.
You can see through any level of concealment lower than Mythic.
[Depths of the Oceans] (Mythic (Passive)):
As deep as the ocean, so is the mind of the wise.
Any non-racial skill you see, if you desire it, you can you automatically gain a common proficiency in.
Anyone trying to overcome your mind will find themselves feeling like they are fighting their way through the depths of the ocean.
You are preternaturally able to control your emotions, but when they break loose, they are far worse than an average person's.
+200% boost to water-based magic.
-75% damage from water-based magic.
[Height of the Mountain] (Mythic (Passive)):
To the mighty, the mountain is a brother. Anger not him who is kin to the bones of the earth.
To others who are your enemy, attacking you directly seems and impossible feat.
Anyone trying to attack you physically will feel as if they are directly beating on a mountain.
You have near-limitless reserves of strength, stamina, and vitality. Any attempt to kill you less than (Legendary) only has a ((STR + VIT + AGI + DEX) - (enemy's STR + VIT + AGI + DEX))/100 chance of success.
Does not prevent damage, just death.
+400% boost to earth-based magic.
-50% damage from earth-based damage.
[Breath of the World] (Mythic (Passive / active)):
As the world turns, many know their place in it is in their end. Thus, is the power of man, in the breath of the world.
You can meditate to boost the MPR / HPR of any one person by the sum of all your stats per minute.
Passively grants you knowledge of the world around you, within ten feet, at all times.
Makes it so you can move HP to MP and vice versa, at will.
+100% boost to healing magic.
-90% damage from necrotic damage.
As your soul now knows its place in the world, direct soul attacks nullified/ do reg. damage.
[Melee Weapons Mastery] (Special (Passive)) (5,529/10,000 hours)
Melee damage X 8
Melee actions cost no stamina!
Melee special attacks have no drawbacks!
You instinctively are able to use all previous knowledge, experience and skill on any new weapon you pick up.
[Unarmed Fighting] (Special (Passive)) (5,214/10,000 hours)
Unarmed damage X 8
Unarmed actions cost no stamina!
Melee special attacks have no drawbacks!
Any new martial art you pick up will rapidly and smoothly be assimilated into your previous knowledge.
[Summon Golem] (Rare (Active)) (3,382/5000)
Cost: (100 X (Rarity LVL per golem)) MP
Duration: HP of golem (LVL X rarity X 25)
MP of golem: (LVL X rarity X 100)
Permits you to summon a golem you have already created, or to summon a temporary golem.
Temporary golem's level max is (Skill LVL X 20)
Element of temporary golem available are:
Common: Stone (no req.)
Uncommon: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Stone (req. sample of element)
Rare: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Stone, Electricity, Magnetism, Light, Dark (req.: UC cost and a statue)
# of temp. golems: ((LVL / 10) + (SPR /100) + ((WIS + INT)/ 1000)/ rarity) (31 C, 15 UC, or 10 R)
[Read Runes] (Mythic (Passive)) (898,442/500,000 read) {5/3}RM
[Write Runes] (Mythic (Active)) (90,971/50,000 written) {5/3}RM
[Design Rune Scheme] (Special (Active)) (587/1,000 designed) {3/2}RM {3/4}G
[Make Artifact] (Uncommon (Active)) (???/???)
[Smith] (Special (Active)) (1,339/6,250 forged) {3/1}RM {3/3}Sm {3/3}G
[Engrave] (Special (Active)) (5,462/6,250 engraved) {3/2}RM {3/3}Sm {3/3}G
[Drain Runes] (Mythic (Active)) (103,941/100,000 drained) {5/3}RM {5/4}G
[Power Runes] (Mythic (Active)) (101,096/100,000 drained) {5/2}RM {5/4}G
[Leatherworking] (Special (Active)) (1,347/2,500 worked) {3/2}Sm
[Craft Statue] (Special (Active)) (165/625) {3/3}G
[Identify Poison] (Legendary (Active)) (392/500)
[Identify Potion] (Legendary (Active)) (377/500)
[Craft Poison] (Legendary (Active)) (3,396/5,000)
[Craft Potion] (Legendary (Active)) (4,452/5,000)
[Transform Material] (Legendary (Active)) (7,794/10,000)
[Identify Material] (Legendary (Active)) (8,453/10,000) {4/2}Sm
Most of his new titles and subclasses were pure accident, like Elementalist. He had just tried making the most iconic wizard attack of all time (by rolling fireball, duh), and THAT had appeared. As it turned out, wizards just… DO stuff with magic (like making a fireball appear AT the target), while an elementalist could actually CONTROL a given element. Ironically, this had given rise to a MASSIVE boost in golemancy by allowing him to mold statues out of the ground using earth magic and summon the bits of the element he needed using the required proficiency, so it turned out to be good. Still, he wished things wouldn't just appear like that.
Merchant and weaponsmaster had appeared out of nowhere as well, the first time he had used skills related to them (the first time he used (Sway) while selling something and the first time he picked up a new kind of weapon and one-shotted a monster), while monk needed him to use ki to attack an enemy while watching his six with Breath of the World. Artificer had proven the annoying lovechild of smith and runemaster, mostly because he couldn't figure out how to make an artifact higher than uncommon grade. He was glad he had gotten strong, though, and his new classes were awesome; but truth be told, he was finding it harder and harder to figure out what he was supposed to do with himself. Still, making dungeons, clearing dungeons, and practicing magic was fun, and the Loot was awesome. BTW, if anyone mentions loot, correct them. The correct form of that word is Loot, or LOOT.
Anyway, Harry had picked up a few pieces that fit the bill, and made a few more.
[Drake's Long Coat] (Special)
An absolutely BEAUTIFUL coat created from the skin of a chameleon drake, this bit of armor has multiple uses.
Enchantments:
Variable Reality: Permits the wearer to change the color and style of the coat as much as he wishes, as long as it stays a form of long coat.
Continued Growth: As long as the coat isn't completely destroyed, it will grow back to the way it was before in a matter of time. Prevents the coat from ever being too small.
True Belonging: At will, the user can activate enchantments built into the coat so that it makes them impossible to detect by any means but the user's own will. Disabled as long as the coat isn't whole.
[Bound Gloves] (Uncommon)
Not the most epic gloves; but still, quite good. As soon as the gloves bond with an owner, they will never leave them again. Created by Harry Potter.
Enchantments:
Evercall: As soon as you want them, they will be there.
Truly Bonded: When the user bonds with these gloves, he will find that they are unable to be stolen or destroyed until he dies or gives them away.
No Weak Owner: These gloves require you to go through an intense trial to gain their loyalty. Wearing them is a status symbol that no fighter would miss.
[Belt Pouch of Holding] (Rare)
Tricky to make, expensive to buy, but once you got it, you don't need another. Made by Harry Potter.
Enchantments:
Deep Pockets: As long as you can get it to fit though the opening, you can put anything you want in here, and it will never strain, bulge, or snap (unless you put a bomb or a dragon in. Not recommended by maker. HP).
For Your Hands Only: When you buy it, drip three drops of blood onto the clasp. From then on, only you, or people you approve, can access the contents of that bag.
Ever-Neat: Self-organizes, and provides bonded owner with inventory.
[Dragon's Sash] (Rare)
Useable as a belt, a bandoleer, or a ribbon, this piece of fabric is the best available of its weight-class.
Enchantments:
Variable Reality: Permits the wearer to change the color and style of the belt as much as he wishes, as long as it stays a form of a belt.
All the Space: If you need it to fit on your belt, it will fit here.
Dragon's Call: Grants access to a Dragon Call, a challenge where the user is allowed to challenge said dragon to a combat of its choice. Lose, and you die. Win, and you can summon the beast at will. WARNING! Does NOT make the Dragon obey. Summon at your own risk. (Unused)
[Quick Steppers] (Legendary)
Ya know how flight spells can be hard to cast and use? Well, with theses boots, you end up with a handy, high-speed alternative for when you gotta go FAST!
Enchantments:
Longstrider: Lets you cover up to twenty feet with one step. The more you push, the farther you go!
Iron Soul: These boots CANNOT take damage. Your feet may suffer, but they will not. Prevents the boots from ever being too small. Lets you change the style and color at will, as long as they stay footwear.
Light-foot: These boots have the unusual ability to run on ANYTHING, from water to shadows, from light to air; and, naturally, on the walls and ceilings, too!
[Ancient Staff] (Special)
Alright, it might not be original, (heck, it's a hand-me-down), but the older the staff, the greater the power; and this one just so happened to be Merlin's.
Enchantments:
Unbreakable: Feel like breaking a rock with a stick? Well, with this, you can. Warning: does not prevent damage done to the wielder caused by smacking it hard against objects that shouldn't break.
Mage Potential: Lets magic be cast by staff with no issues or cost boosts.
Treewind: This staff has an ancient connection to wood. So much so, in fact, that it can be used to cause trees to move at will, and can even affect their age.
Trait:
Ancient Honor: Any revered elder magician, as well as anyone who is familiar with Myridan Lore, will recognize this staff and honor you for using it.
[Book of Magic] (Rare)
About as mundane a primer of magic as you could hope to get.
Enchantments:
Magic Pages: Each page contains a spell to such an extent you can use it to cast said spell. Results vary.
Indestructible: As each page contains what is tantamount to actual destruction magic, this book had to be indestructible, just so that you can read it!
Multi-elemental: This Book contains several spells from each of the twelve primary elements.
The grimoire and staff were nice, as they let him practice foci magic as well as his foci-less magic. His studies had boosted their numbers a little, but really, he had no drive there. After all, what would he do with it besides slay monsters he himself summoned? Though he did notice his study with other magics boosted his wand magic a bit, which was nice, 'cause he couldn't find or make a functioning wand, no matter HOW hard he tried.
Wandless magic mastery: 48.75% complete
Wand magic mastery: 71% complete
Staff magic mastery: 46.25% complete
Grimoire Magic mastery: 28.5% complete
Total mastery: 48.6%
Above all, Harry had one thing he was proud of. In order to round his Smith class off to 100%, he needed to make a masterwork. The result was… awe inspiring. Four hundred hours total of plotting, scheming, analyzing, and hunting for materials; three full days to make the sword itself, another three to rune it, three more for the enchantments and spells, and an extra three to power up the enchantments. The finished product?
[Abyss Ragnarök: Sword of Nightmares and Judgement] (Mythic)
There may be another sword this powerful in all of creation, but I would doubt it. Truly a work of art, no sword will every compare to this one. Masterwork of Harry Potter.
Enchantments:
Undeniable: When this sword is summoned, the one who summons it will have their cause tested. If they summoned it for evil, they will die. If they did not, they will find that every evil thing they set the sword against will fall, no matter what. WARNING!! Does not assure the user's survival, nor the survival of the user's allies, nor the survival of bystanders.
Fog of Dreams: The only limit this sword knows is the strength, honor, and imagination of its wielder.
Face of Judgement: Those who have done wrong will see, in the reflection of this blade, the pure manifestation of their fear. None who face it escape unscathed, but the evil will find that its image hounds them to death and madness, or repentance and restoration.
Frowning to himself, he shook his head lightly as he tried to figure out what he should do in the future. After about a minute, he gave himself another shake. Whatever the future may hold was for the future him. Now's problems were for now, and that meant it was time for Harry's birthday gift for himself (he knew what the Dursleys were getting him. A mop, and secondhand from a rubbish bin at that). With the thought of 'Happy birthday to me!', he activated the Dragon Call and disappeared in a flash of light.
Same time
Scotland
? POV:
Harry Potter was coming to school this year. That was bad, and was almost certain proof that he was going dark. It was just as Severus had told him. He trusted Snape completely.
His bird had been acting odd around him, trying to steal from him, or something. It was probably bewitched by Potter again, like the time it refused to fly Harry into the mouth of a volcano to see if he really was a dark wizard. After all, only a dark wizard to survive that, and Harry probably was one, so it fit!
Ah well, soon he would be here, and he would steal the stone and plant it in a teacher's possessions to frame them, and then there would be proof that he was dark. He would leave the stone in the teacher's stuff of course. It would be rude to take anything out of it. He knew that. Snape had told him so.
Of course, Harry had been growing strong at an unprecedented rate of late, most likely by killing muggles, which was concerning, but Snape said only to tell him if something was going wrong, and this was a problem because it was going right. Him getting stronger was a bad sign. Only a dark wizard would grow stronger in an abusive household. And, just now, he had left this reality again. Very bad. He was probably off to his secret tower made of muggle bones to plot Snape's downfall and his evil dogfather… er, godfather's release again. Very bad.
That being said, it wouldn't do to bother Snape with something so mundane. The wall behind his chair had said so, and he trusted that wall just a little less than he trusted the chair. That chair offered some good advice every now and again. Like three nights from now, in fact!
On that night, it would suggest that he should send… Moldvorts? Volderum? Dark Thingy's sleeper agent to meet up with him. Does that mean he would have to wake him up first?
Anyway, he would come back with… Whatever-His-Name-Was, and that person would, as dark wizards are ought to do, fight Harry for the stone. Then, both of them would die, right after Harry hid the stone in a teacher's stuff, where it would stay. Snape would be so glad that both the dark wizards in his life were gone. He would be so happy, he would probably torture a random student to death again! Maybe, Snape would even torture him again! Not that he liked it, but it was a good way to build trust. Snape had said so, and he believed him entirely.
This whole plan was being set up just so Snape would know how much he trusted him. Wouldn't he be so surprised?!?
Back to Harry
Somewhere else
3rd person POV:
Harry found himself… somewhere else. Where, exactly he couldn't say, but he was somewhere else. After all, his closet didn't have a forest in it! That, and the massive cave behind him, were all it took for him to realize he wasn't in Surrey any more. That, and the loud rumbling and scraping that was coming from the cave, interspersed with the thuds of giant feet.
thud…thud
Harry began to get himself ready, the enchantments on his Quick Steppers springing to life as he went up on his toes, an ice spell forming in his hand.
thud…thuD…thUD…THUD
Now the ground was shaking, and Harry, despite his massive skills, was having trouble keeping his balance. That being said, he wouldn't let this cow him. He would face it, HEAD ON. Or, more accurately, from the left. After all, most weapons are carried on the opponents right, his left, and that would make it harder for him to be hit.
THUD,THUD…THUDTHUD
By this point, a silhouette had formed in the gloom of the cave, more than forty feet tall. Each step made the ground rock, and the nearby trees were rapidly divesting themselves of birds in a manner which reminded Harry of tossing away articles of your clothes when they are on fire (he was a runesmith, of COURSE that had happened to him before). Finally, from out of the cave, stepped a giant, powerful…
Elephant.
Harry blinked. "Um, excuse me. I seem to be at the wrong cave. Could you direct me to the dragon?"
The elephant looked at Harry like he was an idiot. Harry kind of felt like one, for the massive combat-like buildup and for talking to an elephant.
"Dude, you are, like, so lost. There ain't no dragons around here, but there is a draconim living nearby. And by nearby, I mean, like, four hours south-east. Just follow the bluff right until you hit the second three-foot-wide path. That leads straight to his door. You wouldn't happen to be the pizza man, would you? I ordered a jumbo supreme, like, twenty minutes ago."
Then the elephant talked, and he felt less dumb, and more weirded out.
"No, sorry." Harry said with a shake of his head. "I'm here on a Dragon Call. Are you sure that the pizza guy can even find you out here? We are probably several realities from the nearest pizza place."
The elephant was back to looking at Harry like he was braindead. "Minsky's ALWAYS delivers."
With that wise rebuttal delivered (the veracity of which even Harry couldn't deny), Harry thanked the elephant (or its back, anyway) and made his way east. Whatever else may happen, at least he had gotten something for his troubles.
So, as it turns out a four-hour walk by a giant elephant work out to a three-hour grueling cross-country run for an eleven-year-old super-powerful adventurer. At the end of it, Harry was gasping and sweaty. To be fair, he would probably have been in better shape had he not run full-out the whole way, but the fact stood, nonetheless.
After catching his breath, Harry looked up at what was supposed to be the home of the draconim. Harry, however, had to wonder if he had gotten misdirected. After all, he really didn't expect ANY type of dragon to live in a three-story tower. Still, his best bet (after coming all this way), was to knock and ask. If he had found the right spot, good. If he hadn't, at least he could get directions. Hopefully, whoever lived here wouldn't try to eat him. One such experience was quite enough for one lifetime, and Harry had experienced it dozens of times in various dungeons. Could he understand the various creatures whose homes he wrecked and robbed and whose allies and servants he drove off, knocked unconscious, or re-deadified being mad? SURE! Could he understand near-lethal, or even lethal, force being brought against him? Not at all! Did he have a grudge against these nasties? Not at all. Was he tired of almost getting eaten? H*LL, yes!!!!
All that aside, standing here hoping not to get eaten wasn't going to help anything, so he took the only option available to him. He knocked. Much to his surprise, a six-foot man with HORNS and SCALES answered the door almost immediately.
"You the pizza guy?"
Harry smiled ruefully. "Nope, 'fraid not. Believe it or not, that isn't the first time I got that question today! I am here on a Dragon Call. Are you the… person I am supposed to be challenging?"
The… man in the doorway looked up with interest on his face, taking time to glance down and see the sash on the boy's waist.
"Here for a Dragon Call, are you? Well, ain't that somethin'. I haven't met someone on a Call in… whew, must a' been a millennium now, give or take a few centuries. Back then, they'd pop up every other year, lettin' themselves in and just trying to attack me, like attacking a draconim mage in his tower is a good idea, and then they'd go whining away when they'd lose. I haven't been summoned to the real world since my last student stopped needing my help, back in the early sixteen-twenties! Ah, well. At least you had the courtesy ta knock, so I guess I'll give you the test. After all, the only three things to do around here are research, talk to my neighbor (he's a nice enough guy, but he keeps picking up a new habit every five decades, talking about them non-stop, then dropping them and leaving others to clean up after him), and nothing. This, at least, is a break from research, and isn't nothing." With that being said, he stood back from the doorway and gestured for Harry to come in.
"Say, your neighbor wouldn't happen to be the giant elephant to the south-east, would he?" harry said as he made his way inside.
"Yup, that'd be him. I suspect that he didn't do any blathering when you saw him, given that his new fad is doing nothing, which is, apparently, all the rage in the US; but, believe it or not, that jungle out there is all his."
"What, really? It's HUGE!"
"Yap. About, oh, a century, a century and a half ago, some nation conquered the nation that he is a minor god in. Major wars were fought, dumb things were done by people (like normal)… anyway! The invaders loved tea. For them, it was tea, tea, tea, tea; tea all the time. It was a BIG deal. Also, it had to be a particular tea, or prepared in a particular way, or whatever, with each person having their own unique desires and what have you. So, Hathi gets caught up in the tea crazy, and makes a bloody tea plantation as far as the eye can see, filling all the land in between us with plants, bushes, and trees in an attempt to make 'the perfect tea'. I says to him 'Hathi, you and I both know that this won't last. I'm okay with it for now, as this place is dull, and you really can't hop back and forth too easy between the two worlds (poor guy can leave whenever he feels like it, but he can only spend five hours every ten years in the world he is worshiped in). That being said, I want you to clean this up when your fad changes.' He swore tea was the last thing, the greatest thing, and it would never happen. Jump forward twenty years, he has a third new hobby since tea, and he hasn't done a thing about the trees. And now, an area that was saleable, high-quality real estate (not that anyone has ever really been interested in buying it), is a bloody tea jungle!
Anyway, now that you are here, we will need to do the test. The way it works, is, I test your schooling and your learning with a paper test and an interview. Impress me, and you get my help, in exchange for me GETTING THE HELL OUT OF HERE for your lifetime. Honestly, I NEED MORE PAPER AND PENS!!! If you don't, I kick you out, no harm done. I will be lowering my standards just a little as I am desperate to go somewhere, but I CANNOT associate with anyone who is dumb, impolite, or lazy. It is bad for my being in a very literal sense. Any questions or comments?"
"Well,' Harry began, "I am looking forward to seeing what you can teach me, and I have no problem taking a test; but my schooling has been… eclectic. Another thing you need to know is that schooling has changed since then. Like, a lot! Back in the sixteen-hundreds a student couldn't graduate sixth grade without knowing three languages pretty well, and being able to do their own insurance. Nowadays, a student can graduate college without knowing how to spell their own name, and unable to make change at a cash register! It's rare, but it can happen."
"You don't say?" the draconim said with a frown. "That is… concerning. I will have to test you the same, but I will be sure to look into your education standard during the interview. Don't worry, meals will be provided, and you will have ten hours off every twenty-four to browse the library, eat, and/or sleep as necessary. The whole testing shouldn't take more than, oh, about three weeks."
At that, Harry turned a little green. "Eh, three weeks? I'm sorry, sir, I didn't budget my time appropriately, I only can stay for another two hours, or five at the max. If I get home later than that… well, I might not have a home waiting for me."
At this, the draconim gave him a searching look, but Harry was to nervous to notice. After a few seconds of silence, and no reaction from the kid, he relaxed and answered the concern.
"Don't worry to much about it, kid, in here, a year is like a second out there. That means, instead of five hours you can safely spend here, you have half a DECADE!"
Hearing that, Harry visible perked up. "In that case, I daresay you would be able to TEACH me everything I would need to know to pass the test. Could we do that, instead. That way, at the very least, I would be able to spend that long learning from someone who knows his stuff!"
The elder mage frowned at the boy. "I… don't mind the idea. Indeed, if you are willing to learn, and you seem to be, it almost sounds FUN. But there is a problem. Once you commit to it, you won't be able to leave for the next five years. The issue is, that every solstice, equinox, new moon, full moon, blue moon, and any other astronomical or calendrical day of note, this realm gets attacked by monsters. Now, you seem a nice kid, and you obviously have a gift for adventures, if your robes are anything to go by; that being said, it is a HUGE fight for survival twice a month, minimum; and any other date of importance is a MASSIVELY huge fight for survival. I can keep myself alive, Hathi can take care of himself as well; but neither of us will be able to guarantee your survival. Are you sure you want to do this?"
Harry POV:
"…Are you sure you want to do this?"
He was. He was very sure. Five year's tuition with an AWESOME human-dragon hybrid, who was also a mage, who owned a tower full of BOOKS!!! Hell, YEAH!!!
PING!
Quest Alert!
Train under the Dragon Mage!
Use your time with the legendary Dragon Mage to round out your repertoire and make sure you are ready for the world!
Objectives:
[X] Upgrade Alchemist to Legendary.
[] Upgrade Elemental Mastery to Legendary.
[] Upgrade Wizardry to Legendary.
[] Upgrade Golemancy to Legendary.
[] Upgrade Rune Mastery to Legendary.
[] Upgrade Artificery to Special.
[] Get background training and actual training in all masteries.
[] Get INT to 5000.
[] Get CHA to 5000.
[] Get WIS to 5000.
[] Get SPR to 5000.
[] Get PER to 5000.
[] Get LVL to 100.
Bonus Objectives:
[] Get all stats up to 2500 (6/10).
[X] Get an extra mastery to Legendary.
[] Get 3 or more extra masteries to Legendary. (2/3)
[] Discover secret behind ??????????.
[] Discover secret behind ????????.
[] Discover the origin of your hidden perks.
[] Impress the mage.
Rewards for ALL reg. objectives:
Title: Dragon Mage.
Title tier upgrade: Elementalist.
Title tier Upgrade: Rogue.
Access to Wardcrafter class.
Access to Runic Warrior class.
+25 levels.
1,000,000 galleons.
10 GATCHA tokens.
Companion: Dragon Mage for your manservant slot.
Rewards for bonus objectives:
[] X5 boost to HP and MP.
[X] X2.5 boost to HPR and MPR.
[] 1 random piece of legendary gear per legendary class.
[] Loyalty of the ???? perk.
[] Lord of the Night perk.
[] Knowledge of the hidden perks, their uses, and a tier upgrade to each of them.
[] 250,000 galleons, 5 GATCHA tokens, 2 pieces of legendary gear.
TIME LIMIT: 5 YEARS.
Okay, now he REALLY wanted to do it. In all the time he had had the Game, he had only gotten two quest, and the rewards for quests were SO worth it. the first two had been tiny quests after the first week, but the had added +100 to every stat, and 10 levels, respectively. He only wished he could get more of them!
"I will be honest with you, sir. I doubt, at all, that I will be able to get up to your level or requirement. Let's be honest, I am rather behind. That being said, I am more than willing to try! Let me train under you, please. I will take care of my own food, room, and safety if you would teach me that which I don't know, and I will endeavor, to the best of my ability, to pay you back for this kindness."
PING!
Quest Update Alert!
Train under the Dragon Mage!
Bonus Objective:
[X] Impress the mage.
Has been completed!
Reward:
[X] 250,000 galleons (money pouch), 5 GATCHA tokens (inventory), 2 pieces of legendary gear (received at the end).
And with that fortuitous start, things really began to look up for Harry. For the time he was out of the real world, at least. He still wished he knew what those galleons were, though. He already had over 25,000,000 of them from various raids!