Chapter - 5

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Chapter - 5: True knowledge is self-knowledge!

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[Miguel Da Costa Pov]

"869"

"2068"

"5000"

The echo of the numbers spurred me to action and provided a much-needed distraction from the growing tremors in my arms, which prompted me to do many push-ups.

Pushing through the pain, I pushed myself up, audibly exhaling the fatigue that clung to me. I had not only completed my daily quota, but surpassed it, and as I rose from the ground, I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with air to speed my endurance recovery.

Undeniably, I felt a newfound strength coursing through me. The flawless success of my potion was evident, with no adverse effects observed. In fact, I was confident that given enough time, I would uncover additional benefits of this potion.

I grabbed a towel I had prepared earlier and wiped the sweat from my body. My eyes naturally wandered to the two bracelets that adorned my wrists and allowed me to use alchemy. However, one noticeable improvement caught my eye, a modification I had skillfully made.

At that moment, my hands were wrapped up to my wrists by a pair of gloves. These gloves had been precisely and meticulously crafted to precisely and safely handle my alchemy.

To explain further, it had been a few weeks since I had developed my personal alchemical technique and I had found it necessary to perfect it given the flaw I had noticed in order to have a better chance of not dying during a tough battle.

This adjustment was intended to prevent my serious self-injury by relying less on my regeneration abilities, since it was a trump card that I could use. They were gloves made of a mixture of highly conductive materials that ensured perfect interaction with my alchemy, and at the same time I was pretty sure that wearing them would not result in me being completely incinerated.

In addition, these gloves are engineered with specially woven and cleverly integrated metal fibers to improve the efficiency of electrical conductivity, facilitating control and performance in the most complex applications.

To add an extra layer of safety and prevent the unfortunate outcome of a charred arm, the gloves also featured a strategically designed rubber outer layer. This outer layer acts as a robust insulator, preventing the direct transfer of electrical currents to the wearer and significantly reducing the risk of serious injury.

Not only is the rubber layer on these gloves highly durable, it's also surprisingly flexible, allowing for unrestricted hand movement and a comfortable, snug fit. The glove's design prioritizes a secure grip, with textured patterns on the palm and fingers that enhance traction and control.

This meticulous process was essential for me, especially if I wanted to advance my alchemy further in the future-a significant step, especially considering the opening of my Gate to Truth.

I had imagined ingenious ways to use my alchemy in various close combat scenarios. In this world, for some inexplicable reason, most mages were not skilled in physical combat, even though their wealthy origins gave them access to potions that could easily enhance their physique.

This perspective was not shared by all, however, giving me a strategic advantage that was exploited by most mages of the time, though I cannot help but admit that I helped my friends a bit indirectly to make them stronger.

Anyway, getting back to the important things, unlike many, I not only immersed myself in the intricacies of my alchemy, but also conducted a rudimentary study of my physical condition. I meticulously documented my findings and gained extensive knowledge to guide my future improvements.

The infusion of troll blood not only increased my physical strength, but also improved all other aspects of my body, giving me a remarkable medium to high level of regeneration - no small feat, as it could potentially be a lifesaver in the future.

On the other hand, upon closer examination using basic magical tools, the Dragon's Blood revealed a notable increase in my resistance to magic. With this new advantage, I couldn't deny that I felt more confident. I now believed that I could face older, more experienced mages without revealing my full potential.

But adjusting to these abilities in potential combat situations took some practice. Since I usually relied heavily on Transfiguration to analyze and control the flow of combat, I needed time to understand my opponents' abilities before making my own moves.

However, with the added benefits of my alchemy and increased magic resistance, I realized that I needed to take a bolder approach to combat or risk squandering the valuable advantage I had gained with enough effort.

Finally, there was the Basilisk Blood I had obtained from the creature I had defeated the year before. I had taken some material from the carcass, confident that it would pose no threat to anyone else. 

I couldn't help but remember that I had honestly been very glad for the opportunity that the creature's death had given me, and more importantly, I had seen it as an opportunity to rise even higher than my current dimension.

It gave me a myriad of abilities, from simple poison resistance to extraordinary cold predator vision. Thanks to his DNA, my vision has expanded to include the electromagnetic spectrum, especially infrared and ultraviolet.

The most important of these gifts, however, was the deadly gaze of the Basilisk, which had become like the mythical monster Medusa, capable of turning anyone who looked into my eyes to stone.

These new abilities positioned me favorably in this world, especially considering that I was still a mere Hogwarts student with plenty of room to grow. But I realized that claiming the title of the most powerful being in the world was still a distant goal.

With a sigh, I picked up my wand and looked at it wistfully. This wand had been my companion since I entered this magical universe. Carved from 12 inches of black ebony, with a surprisingly stiff Thunderbird feather core, it was the epitome of perfection, tailor-made for me.

From the first time I picked it up, I felt a deep connection, as if the wand was an extension of my own body. This deep bond fueled my intense dedication to the study of magic, from the moment I stumbled upon this hidden world to my acceptance letter to Hogwarts - a reality I still couldn't believe was anything other than a fantastic dream.

Using the wand felt like second nature, a seamless extension of my magical abilities. The temptation to cast every spell within my reach every year proved irresistible. Having friends from noble lineages certainly played a key role, giving me a slight advantage through access to their family libraries.

While I couldn't be called a magical prodigy, unlike a certain green-eyed girl, my wand felt as integral to me as a second heart, pumping life into my spells.

With a thunderbird feather at its core, replacing the usual phoenix feather, my wand signaled a departure from the mainstream wands typically associated with Ollivanders. Its origins could be traced back to another store, purchased before my first year.

According to the information I received, my wand was more temperamental, its magic not for the faint of heart. Much like thunder itself, a wand with a thunder core would likely choose a witch or wizard who was considered "powerful" and "intelligent.

As a result, I found myself excelling in Weather and related spells, as well as offensive magic, which is crucial for dueling. Not to mention Transfiguration, a subject in which my extensive knowledge of the alchemy of another universe objectively positioned me as the very best.

The house points I earned by revealing only a fraction of my true abilities to Professor McGonagall added a great deal of pleasure to the feeling of not being able to be defeated. It amused me to watch Hermione's attempts to surpass me fail, her expression a mixture of frustration and failure.

Even the girl Bones, though incredibly innocent, could not escape my amusement, especially when she could not match my grades on school exams.

As for my progress in wandless magic, I had to admit that I was still far from satisfied. Although it was recognized as a learnable skill, Dumbledore and wizards below his level had demonstrated various feats.

But that didn't make it any easier for me. In the wizarding world, especially in Britain, the norm was to channel and focus magic through wands. Most lacked the willpower, concentration, or creativity to discard this tradition and explore alternative paths without relying on a wand.

I wasn't much different from the masses in this regard, if not worse due to my heavy reliance on the wand for transfiguration. Fortunately, my mastery of alchemy made this weakness less noticeable than it was for many other wizards who had lived for centuries.

It was fascinating to note that children often effortlessly displayed powerful, wandless, Obscurial magic-perhaps because they lacked preconceived notions about the limits and uses of their own magic.

As I completed the necessary push-ups, sit-ups, and squats, a resolution solidified within me. Mastering wandless magic became my primary long-term goal upon my return to Hogwarts.

I affectionately scratched Athena's head before leaving my room for the final segment of my daily training. Unlike some wizards - especially Weasley - I had an obsessive desire for self-improvement.

She dismissed me imperiously with a flick of her ear, standing taller and more powerful than ever. Frankly, I couldn't shake the thought that she possessed a royal bloodline; otherwise, I couldn't explain her behavior, even if it only made her more delightful to pet.

On a long 10 kilometer run, I ventured beyond my familiar neighborhood. When I reached a secluded alley nearby, I switched to an intensity run.

Endurance was perhaps my strongest characteristic, as my habit of walking long distances was now ingrained. The countless stairs at Hogwarts had certainly contributed to my growth in endurance.

As I alternated between slow and fast steps, my mind had plenty of time to wander and identify areas for improvement that I had somewhat neglected while focusing on other activities.

Occlumency immediately emerged as a favored candidate. Although I was self-taught with information drawn from a single reference source, I recognized considerable room for improvement. 

I suspected that the bottleneck stemmed from my approach and the limited scope of my learning. However, with the increased recall and thought processing that came from organizing my memories, the need to delve deeper into this discipline had never been stronger.

Occlumency, I readily admitted, was one of the disciplines in which I excelled. However, the lack of material in the Hogwarts library, with virtually nothing on the subject beyond fleeting mentions of the Art of the Mind, led me to seek the assistance of friends. 

While jogging, I tried to hone my Occlumency skills. As a purely mental discipline, it offered ample room for improvement in a relatively short period of time - it was all about maintaining focus and avoiding distractions.

In the realm of Occlumency, I had chosen to sift through my memories, constructing a mental landscape reminiscent of a computer. Various files were neatly organized into folders, each with its own name. 

This approach allowed me to make significant progress in rearranging the acquaintances I had acquired in this new life. The ultimate goal, not too far in the future, was to take the next step - an additional layer of defense with robust mental shields to thwart any attempt to infiltrate my mind.

How many times did I fail during a simple hour-long run? I'd been working purely off of instinct, twisting my awareness this way and that in pursuit of fleeting glimpses of my magic, without thought to the consequences. Who knows how many times I did something actually dangerous by accident, saved only by the propensity for hard work.

I shook off those thoughts. They were ultimately fruitless, a waste of mental effort on something that didn't happen. Instead, as I apparated back into my house room with a muffled crack, I turned my focus to the reason I was searching for my magical in the first place.

Putting one foot in front of the other, the physical world around me blurred as the rest of my mind delved into the mental landscape, aiming for significant improvements that would shape my future.

A familiar Gate materialized before me - a pair of doors resembling large stone tablets etched with a mural, suspended in a vast white expanse that stretched beyond the limits of my vision.

[Picture ----> Gate of Truth]

The standout feature of this Gate was undoubtedly the drawing on the front—a depiction of a tree, specifically the Qliphoth, the Tree of Evil. It felt like a reflection of my true self or perhaps my comprehension of "Truth." (All engravings, in one way or another, served as representations of the Universe and the Cosmos.)

[Picture ----> Qliphoth, the Tree of Evil]

Approaching slowly, I extended my hand to touch the gate, fingers tracing the lines of the drawing. "I came seeking knowledge, hoping for divine guidance..."

Yet, receiving no response to my words, I decided to loosen my grip, not wanting to leave empty-handed. After all, I was determined to test the limits of this body and see how far I could push myself.

"3, 2, 1! The total is 6! Gimel, Beth, Aleph! I, the fool who doesn't belong to this world, seek above the gray mist! Yearning to hear the whisper of the Yellow King and the Black that brings good fortune, whisper to me the truth! Here, gazing into the unknown, guide me with silent curses!"

[Picture -----> Yellow King]

As if responding to the spell, the Gate of Truth trembled before me, its first three positions bathed in a demonic red glow. Slowly, it opened a little, revealing a large purple eye inside, focused on me. 

At that moment, the whispers of demons flooded my brain and merged with reality. The red glow expanded, enveloping the surroundings and forming the illusion of a tree in a spectacle of incredible proportions.

In my mental landscape, it felt as if this information was being transferred directly into my brain - a whole new source of knowledge that had the potential to take me much further.

The sensation I experienced at that moment could best be described as if the Gate held celestial knowledge, and the whispers were an abyss of wisdom trying to swallow me whole.

The Truth gave me a flood of knowledge, and I willingly absorbed it, eager to expand my understanding and forge a path that would bring me closer and closer to the unfolding abyss in my mind.

I delved into realms beyond the spells I knew, which introduced me to the greetings of demons. But I seemed to have a tolerance for Qliphoth that was considerably higher than Sephiroth's; when I was bombarded by the Tree of Evil.

It was the most nebulous endeavor I had ever undertaken - trying to maximize the knowledge that infiltrated my brain and make it my own. I had no instructions, no teachers, and no clear idea of what to do.

In the midst of this new knowledge, I sensed something. It was ancient, powerful and dark - an essence befitting a being of the abyss. Yet it also felt undeniably familiar, a sensation I couldn't deny. Though fleeting, the impression imprinted itself on my brain.

A wave of intensely familiar energy engulfed me, gently pushing me out of my mental landscape. But the sensation of my magical essence permeating my entire being remained, refusing to fade completely.

The darkness felt inherently natural, as if this newfound knowledge had altered my magic, reshaping it into its intended form. It wasn't the corrupting darkness often vilified in books about the Dark Arts, but something else entirely.

I seemed to be doing well and, unlike before, my magic now lingered at the edges of my consciousness, enveloping me without the possibility of escape as before, it was an indescribable feeling.

The very nature of my magic seemed to have undergone a transformation, probably the source of the fascinating sensations I was now experiencing. It was as if a new path had opened up before me, teeming with new possibilities.

Trying to touch my magic source again was a gradual process. Numerous attempts brushed against it, each one tantalisingly close, yet just out of reach, promising something intriguing.

I refused to be discouraged by repeated failures. Again and again I delved into myself, trying to harness the newfound knowledge. Echoes of demonic whispers surrounded me, a constant presence close to my ears.

Shaking off these distracting thoughts, recognising their fruitlessness, I decided to return to my room. As I made my way, I pondered how best to use this new knowledge of Qliphoth to its full potential.

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A/N: This chapter is quite extensive, and I hope you find it interesting! If you enjoy the story, please consider leaving a review to show your support.

In this chapter, I delve deeper into Mc's alchemical abilities, highlighting his potential and illustrating how he can evolve over time under the right circumstances.

Furthermore, I provide explanations for various aspects, ranging from the abilities Mc acquired through his successful experiment in the initial chapter to the unique nature of his magic wand, which, while distinct, remains integral to the overarching narrative.

Most notably, we explore Mc's proficiency in magical skills such as Occlumency, delving into how it is applied and structured within his mindscape. Additionally, we touch upon the Gate of Truth, revealing a new knowledge Mc can access, promising utility in future developments.

On the other hand, if you want to see something specific in the next chapters, or even just have some good advice for the story as a whole, I am always willing to read a comment if it is constructive criticism.

If you see any mistakes, I would be grateful if you would point them out to me, so that I can correct them when I have some spare time, and make the story as complete as possible for myself and especially for you.

To facilitate a clearer understanding, I've retained pictures of the respective characters. Your feedback is always valued, and if you have any suggestions for the upcoming chapter, please feel free to comment—I'll be sure to respond as usual.

Please leave a review if you like the story.

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