{18th July 1992}
{Rigel's POV}
"Rigel! Are you awake yet?" Sirius's booming voice echoed impatiently from behind the closed door, jolting me from my deep contemplation. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, I blinked as reality rushed back in, my thoughts reluctantly shifting away from the different gestures that, when used with the staff, were compared to a wand.
"Yeah," I called out, a faint hint of exasperation slipping into my tone. "I'll be out in a minute."
But my mind lingered stubbornly, still caught on the differences I'd begun noticing between wand-based and staff-based magic. It had been plaguing me since yesterday, ever since I first tested the staff at Jyoti's shop.
Theoretically, converting the Parseltongue spells based around staff to a wand should be an achievable goal. After all, magical scholars frequently adapted spells between systems, allegedly. But Parseltongue spells, already rare and intricate, complicated matters.
'There just aren't many wanded spells designed to be used with the language. Sure, I can use normal spells and chant them in Parseltongue, and that usually makes the spell more powerful, but that doesn't make it a Parseltongue spell.' I thought with a frown, the only other person who would have done research in this area is someone who I don't think I can casually chat about this.
'Without first having him place a mark on my hand... ew, that just sounds disgusting,' I thought as I shook that thought away.
Yesterday's attempts left me understanding how frustrating it was to map the similarities between the two systems, with limited progress. With the system offline, I couldn't get any help from that front.
I could clearly sense how mana moved differently when channeled through my wand... it was quick and used precise bursts of mana, but with the staff, it felt slower, more deliberate, and I could push more mana into a spell.
'I will have to figure it out somehow. First, I would need to start with something simple, maybe a simple spell like the levitation charm for the staff and-'
"Rigel!" Sirius bellowed again, his voice slightly muffled through the door. "Are you coming, or do I have to drag you out of here myself? We've got to leave soon."
...
I sighed, reluctantly pulling myself back away from my new research topic. Traveling to the northern part of India was part of our cover, carefully crafted by Sirius and me. Rather than our journey directly to Allahabad, our most suspected destination, we planned to move gradually northward. It would give me time to master the new magic and keep prying eyes from getting suspicious.
"Yes, Sirius! I said I'm coming," I replied loudly, slightly exasperated at his impatience.
Sliding off the bed, I gently placed the ebony staff down, marveling once again at its craftsmanship. Yet, despite its beauty and power, the staff presented logistical problems for our journey. While the system was offline, some of its functions were still working, which was a relief. As I focused on it, the description of the staff appeared to hover over it.
...
[Rigel's Staff {Compatibility – 98%}]
[Staff wood: Ebony]
[Inlays: Silver-mithril runic veins]
[Staff length: 34 inches]
[Staff flexibility: Rigid]
[Carved from the heartwood of a single ebony trunk, this staff is polished to a deep, lustrous black, its surface cool to the touch yet resonant with hidden power. Silver-mithril inlays spiral organically from base to tip, each vein embedding protective runes that guide and amplify mana. At the head, twin serpents of carved mithril cradle a richly faceted amethyst gem, whose violet depths glow when mana flows.]
[Ebony's natural affinity for deep, ancient currents of magic makes the staff a formidable channel for large-scale charms. The mithril channels ensure stability and precision, while the amethyst focus gem allows it to maintain efficiency even while overpowering spells.]
[+5% spells' efficiency.]
...
Like wands, staffs couldn't be shrunk without devastating their delicate runic pathways. It was clear now why India's magical community had so swiftly abandoned them in favor of rings. Staffs were cumbersome and impractical for any wizard accustomed to frequent travel.
Thankfully, Jyoti had anticipated this issue. Pulling the polished box from beneath the bed, I carefully placed the staff inside. The box itself had space-stabilization runes installed and could easily withstand shrinking charms. A quick tap from my wand, and it reduced effortlessly in size, fitting neatly into my palm.
Tucking the miniaturized box securely into my trunk, my gaze drifted to the other remarkable acquisition—my newly acquired magical ring.
A polished silver band, sleek and simple, a dark green diamond sat on top, intricately etched with impossibly fine golden Sanskrit runes. This smaller diamond, Jyoti had assured me, could channel mana just as effectively as my wand, once I mastered the slightly different gestures of course.
It was an easy substitute for the staff. Thankfully, the reference book I'd acquired offered some guidance. Mastering ring-based gestures promised to be simpler than translating spells directly to wand-based magic.
'Though it's still not so easy. I can still cast the levitation charm with it.'
...
[Rigel's Focus Ring {Compatibility – 92%}]
[Ring band: Silver alloy]
[Focus gem: Black diamond]
[Ring size: Self-adjusting enchantment]
[Responsiveness: Extremely high]
[The ring's sleek silver band is both elegant and durable, its interior auto-adjusting to the wearer's finger with a gentle warmth. At its center rests a flawless black diamond, each facet etched in glowing Sanskrit runes that channel and refine mana with pinpoint accuracy. The diamond core absorbs ambient magical energies and, guided by the wearer's intent, redirects them into precise, controlled patterns ideal for subtle charms and low-powered spells.]
[The pairing of a pure silver vessel and a rune-inscribed diamond creates a focus that responds instinctively to charms.]
[+5% charms.]
...
Taking my gaze away from the ring, I quickly surveyed the room to ensure I hadn't forgotten anything important. Satisfied, I pointed my wand at the trunk and shrank it to a convenient size. I pocketed that as well as I stepped toward the door.
Finally exiting my room, I stepped into the suite's common area, prepared for Sirius's exaggerated irritation or Fred's friendly teasing. Yet the room stood completely empty. Not a single soul was present, much less ready to travel.
'Oh, you've got to be kidding me'
I paused, glancing around in confusion as faint sounds of muffled voices drifted from behind other bedroom doors.
Suppressing an urge to sarcastically remind Sirius of the urgency he'd repeatedly declared, I exhaled softly and sank onto the sofa. Leaning back, I silently amused myself by imagining everyone hastily shoving clothes into their suitcase or Harry panicking over misplaced socks. I tried not to sink back into my contemplation over the two different magic systems, or the ticking clock.
Shaking my head, I stretched lightly, settling into the comfortable cushions. My mind, though, inevitably wandered back to the clock as the floating screen once again appeared in front of me, quietly ticking down and filling me with anticipation.
I didn't know what the system meant by tutorial phase. I didn't know whether I had screwed myself over with this trip, or that the world's difficulty would now dramatically increase. It was another distraction I buried away for now as I leaned forward and the last seconds trickled down.
[!System Upgrade in progress...Time remaining 00:00:04]
'Let's see what changed, shall we?'
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AN: New changes coming in. Who's ready?
P.S.- 54+ extra chapters on P.atreon!