The blue radiance of the Primary Quest acceptance faded, leaving Harry curled in his cupboard in near-absolute darkness. His body ached, but the sting was less sharp, muffled by the new, subtle shield of [Pain Resistance Lv. 1]. Level 3, with boosted stats and five passive skills – it felt both profoundly real and utterly unbelievable. He had survived the week. The Quest: Survive the Week was archived, a triumph of grit and game mechanics over misery.
Now, a new path lay before him, stretching out into an unknown future of magic and wizards. The "Embrace the Unknown: A Wizard's Journey" felt vast, daunting, but also exhilarating in its promise. The first proposed step glowed softly in his awareness: 1. Investigate the Source of Magical Communication (Understand the message and its origin: 'Hogwarts').
Understand the message. Understand the origin. He knew the source – the thick parchment letter addressed to him in here. It was the key. And it was hidden under Uncle Vernon's armchair in the study, a fortress he'd only just managed to infiltrate yesterday.
He had to get it back. Now.
The house was silent around him, the deep, rumbling snores of Uncle Vernon barely audible through the thin wall, the soft snores of Dudley from his bedroom upstairs. Aunt Petunia made no sound he could detect. Night. This was the safest time. The most dangerous time if he got caught, but also the time when the active threat was at its lowest. Stealth and Situational Awareness would be paramount. DEX 9 and Stealth Lv. 1 were built for this.
Harry pushed open the cupboard door by an inch, easing it back silently. He slipped out, bare feet finding the worn linoleum floor with barely a sound. He focused his will, pushing his [Stealth] skill to its maximum effect. Every movement was deliberate, every breath controlled. His Situational Awareness Lv. 1 worked in the background, a constant radar picking up the faint creaks of the old house settling, the distant hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen, the precise direction of the snores. Nothing indicated anyone was awake or stirring.
He glided across the hall, a small shadow in the gloom, avoiding the noisy rug near the front door, making his way towards the living room. His heightened Dexterity made him unnervingly coordinated in the dark, allowing him to navigate familiar furniture and avoid bumping into things with practiced ease.
He reached the living room doorway, pausing to listen. Still just the sounds of a sleeping house. He crept inside, the carpet soft under his feet. His eyes scanned the room in the minimal ambient light filtering through the curtains, building a silent map reinforced by his Awareness skill. Over there was the menacing television, there the settee Dudley sprawled on, and there – the hulking shape of Uncle Vernon's armchair.
He moved towards it, quiet as moonbeams, ghosting around tables and chairs. He knelt by the side of the armchair, locating the gap behind the dusty skirt. He reached his hand underneath, feeling the thick dust ruffle, the cold metal leg, then—parchment. The letter was still there. Untouched.
He carefully angled his fingers, grasped the edge, and slowly, agonizingly slowly, slid the heavy envelope free. No rips, no crinkles, no noise. Perfect. He clutched the letter tightly against his chest, just the feel of the thick paper sending a tremor through him that even Gamer's Mind couldn't entirely smooth. This wasn't just a valuable item in a game; it was hope.
Now, the return. He backed away from the chair, reversed his silent steps through the living room, out the doorway, down the short hall. Stealth and Situational Awareness humming, guiding him in the darkness. He reached the cupboard door, slipped back inside, pulling the door shut just enough to block the hallway light but leave him enough room to manoeuvre.
Back in his space. Safe. He pulled the letter out from under his shirt, holding it gently in the dark. There wasn't much light inside, but the System seemed to provide a faint, soft internal illumination that allowed him to see the parchment, glowing faintly blue around its edges to his System-tuned senses.
He turned the envelope over in his hands, the thick texture real and undeniable. Mr. H. Potter. The Cupboard Under the Stairs. It still felt utterly impossible. He carefully unfolded the letter inside, pulling out the single sheet and the supply list.
He reread the letter, line by line, in the soft System light. Hogwarts. Witchcraft and Wizardry. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Term begins 1 September. Send an owl. And the list. Robes, hat, gloves, cloak. Books. The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1). A History of Magic. Magical Theory. Potions. Beasts. Dark Forces. And the equipment. A wand. A cauldron. Phials, telescope, scales. An owl OR a cat OR a toad.
He focused intently on the words, on the meaning. School. A magical school. It wasn't just an abstract concept the System detected. It was a place. A list of things needed. Things that sounded outlandish and wondrous.
As he absorbed the information, consciously processing what it meant, the System responded. It wasn't just analyzing the item's magic now; it was processing its information for the User's benefit, specifically for the Primary Quest step.
🔔 [Information Acquired & Processed: Magical Communication Contents.]
[System identifying key data points related to Primary Quest Objective 1.]
[Identity Extracted: "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" - Categorized as [Primary Educational/Social Hub: Magic].
[Required Acquisition Points Identified: "Diagon Alley" - Categorized as [Resource Node: Magic/Commerce].
[Time Benchmark Identified: "1 September" - Categorized as [Event Marker: Academic Commencement].
[Entry Prerequisites Outlined (Partial): UNIFORM, COURSE BOOKS, OTHER EQUIPMENT - Categorized as [Acquisition Sub-Objectives].
The System broke down the impossible letter into logical, quantifiable pieces. It took the vague sense of 'magic school information' and gave it structure. It named the pieces, identified their categories within this new 'Magic' world it was building within his awareness.
And as the analysis concluded, his Primary Quest updated.
🗺️ [PRIMARY QUEST PROGRESS: Step 1 Updated!]
Title: Embrace the Unknown: A Wizard's Journey
Step 1: Investigate the Source of Magical Communication (Understand the message and its origin: 'Hogwarts').
Status: ACHIEVED!
User has successfully accessed, retrieved, and processed the core information from the Magical Communication artifact, identifying its nature (Invitation) and origin (Hogwarts School).
Rewards Claimed for Primary Quest Step 1:
+30 EXP (Applies now: Current EXP 157 + 30 = 187/400 towards Level 4!)
+1 MP Regeneration Rate (Passive Boost)! (Applies now!)
📊 [STATS Update!]
Name: Harry Potter
Level: 3
HP: 75/75
MP: 15/15
STR: 5
DEX: 9
INT: 10
WIS: 9
LUK: 18
CHA: 11
Experience: 187/400
MP Regeneration: 1 MP per hour --> 1.2 MP per hour (+0.2 per hour boost)
Thirty EXP felt significant for completing just one part of a Major Quest step. And MP Regeneration increased! That was incredibly practical. It meant more [Observe] uses, more mental tasks the System could perform per day. It was a small, constant gain.
He looked at the letter, then at the list. Hogwarts. Diagon Alley. Wand. Could he really go? How? The Dursleys would never allow it. How would he even find Diagon Alley? How would he get any of this?
Step 1: Investigated. Done.
Step 2: Navigate Prerequisites (Acquire Supplies). This felt impossible right now. But the System had just laid it out, naming the challenge. Diagon Alley was a Resource Node. Wands and Cauldrons were Acquisition Sub-Objectives. It made the daunting list slightly less abstract, framing it as a goal within his 'Game'.
He still couldn't keep the letter in his cupboard. The Dursleys rooted through his meager belongings sometimes, especially if they suspected him of having anything remotely interesting. It had to go back to the safest spot he knew, the spot he'd found with Stealth and Observe: under Vernon's armchair.
With profound care, he refolded the letter and the list, sliding them back into the thick envelope. He knew where it belonged now. It was safe there, waiting for him. It was no longer a mysterious object; it was 'Item: Magical Communication (Hogwarts Invitation)', logged and understood by the System.
He would return it tonight, performing his silent retrieval-re-hiding in reverse. He had skills for this now.
Curling up with his worn blanket in the cold, dark cupboard, the glow of the System now overlaid by the specific details of magic, schools, and shopping lists, Harry felt a quiet resolution. He had accepted the Journey. He had completed the first step, even if it was just accessing the map. He had skills and stats ready for whatever came next. Diagon Alley and Hogwarts felt impossibly far away, across years of life with the Dursleys. But now he had a path, structured and clear within his mind. His silent, secret growth had a purpose.
He closed his eyes, the concept of a 'wand' and 'spells' swirling with his Level 3 stats and unlocked skills. The journey had just begun.