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Tom had always been lucky when it came to gacha. Every reward was either exactly what he needed or at least something useful.
And people with good luck tended to get a little superstitious. He was no exception.
As a firm believer that he was "chosen by Destiny" (not in the Thanos kind of way), Tom was convinced his pre-draw ritual played a crucial role.
So after fussing around for half an hour, he finally tapped the gacha draw.
A burst of dazzling golden light exploded outward, flooding the entire Meditation Room. Out of nowhere, a thick, ancient-looking purple book appeared midair. Its surface was covered in intricate patterns that seemed almost alive, slowly shifting as they emitted a faint violet glow. From time to time, streaks of gold flashed across it.
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained: Glyph]
[Ancient Glyph (Beginner Level)]
[As a supreme mystery that leads directly to the origin, Glyphs are divided into Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Complete. Future draws have a significantly increased chance of yielding higher-tier rewards.]
"World of Warcraft glyph…"
Tom stared blankly for a long moment before finally processing what he'd just received.
This draw was a massive win.
According to the system, this was just the beginner level. There were still three more stages beyond it. Just estimating the total value, it already exceeded the limits of the system's current version.
Tom reached out and placed his hand on the spellbook.
The ancient tome instantly dissolved into a streak of violet-gold light, slipping into his forehead like a living serpent. A torrent of information followed, flooding into his mind.
Prepared in advance, Tom immediately activated his turbo mode, rapidly processing the incoming knowledge.
At the same time, the study space quietly shifted into accelerated time. The flow of time was pushed to its maximum. He had no intention of letting this delay tomorrow's entertainment—the upcoming tournament.
...
After a while, Tom rubbed his aching temples, pressing his fingers lightly against them as he took a short break.
Even with the system's enhancements ensuring he remained in peak condition, abruptly dropping out of that high-speed mental state, combined with the sheer volume of information, left him slightly disoriented.
Then—
A soft buzz. And a small orb of light appeared in his hand.
It shimmered with faint rainbow hues.
This… was his Glyph.
A fusion of magical power and strange energy, compressed to a level he couldn't yet fully comprehend.
The orb was about the size of a fist. Its surface shimmered with shifting rainbow light, bright and dim in turns. A faint energy fluctuation pulsed from within. Clearly, it was still just a shell. The actual energy contained inside was pitifully small.
Tom stepped into the training room and unleashed a barrage of attacks, testing the Glyph's power until his magic was completely depleted.
Only then did he stop, shaking his head with a sigh.
The efficiency was just too low.
He'd have to study it gradually. Once his understanding deepened, it might finally become useful. With that thought, he stopped worrying about it. There was no rush. He could figure it out later.
Now was the time for a new teacher, a Wizard King.
With a thought, Tom sent a notification to everyone in the space.
Ariana, who had been having tea with Dumbledore, suddenly brightened. 'A new member's coming?'
"Brother, I'm suddenly a bit sleepy. I'll head back and rest. I'll have tea with you again tomorrow."
Without waiting for a reply, she stood up and left the office at a brisk pace, almost breaking into a run, leaving Dumbledore sitting there in confusion.
Since when did drinking tea make people sleepy?
In Berlin, Grindelwald was in the middle of a meeting with several core followers, planning another purge of dissenting wizards within his territory.
The moment he received the message, he waved his hand and dismissed his bewildered subordinates, then entered the space without hesitation.
Andros and Ravenclaw had arrived even earlier, already waiting in the arena.
They had known for some time that Tom's next teacher would be someone even stronger than a legend like Ravenclaw. They had speculated endlessly in private, throwing out guesses about the newcomer's identity.
Now, the moment of truth had finally come.
Once all four had gathered, Tom appeared, holding Jeanne's hand.
Without wasting a word, he initiated the summon.
A blinding white light erupted across the sky of the study space. Everyone instinctively narrowed their eyes, raising their hands to shield themselves.
Andros even had the leisure to comment, "As expected of someone stronger than Lady Ravenclaw. Even the entrance is on a whole different level."
Grindelwald let out a short laugh. "Can't hold back that battle-loving urge of yours? Thinking of challenging her already?"
Andros snorted. "Gellert, I like a fight, not suicide. The gap's too big. Charging in blindly wouldn't teach me anything. I'd just get beaten senseless."
"Fair enough. At least you've got some sense."
While the two were bickering, the new teacher didn't appear.
Instead, an angry female voice rang out from the sky.
"Merlin! Even in eternal slumber, you still won't leave me alone? Fine, you started it."
At those words, everyone except Jeanne immediately realized who it was.
The light gradually faded.
A woman descended from the sky, clad in a black gown, anger still lingering on her face.
Yet that sharp, almost ruthless expression did nothing to diminish her breathtaking beauty. Red hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, framing icy blue eyes that seemed almost inhuman. Wherever her gaze fell, the air itself seemed to freeze, and the temperature in the surroundings dropped noticeably.
"Hm?" The woman glanced at Tom and the others, raising a brow slightly. "Trying something new this time?"
"No, you've got the wrong idea." Tom shook his head, studying her with a hint of confusion. "Didn't you receive the information just now?"
He frowned inwardly. The system was getting less reliable by the day. Not only did it fail to give him details about his teachers, now the teachers didn't even seem to understand their situation.
The woman gave a cold laugh, completely ignoring Tom as she addressed the space itself.
"A new trick?"
"Merlin, I'll admit, this one's creative. Fabricating a world this realistic to try and fool me into handing over my knowledge."
"But don't you think it's a bit ridiculous? Even I can't do something like this. What makes you think you can?"
Tom pressed a hand to his forehead. The others wore equally speechless expressions.
Case closed. She was scaring herself.
And seriously… just how many awful things had Merlin done to make her react like this?
Tom let out a sigh and explained, "You've misunderstood. Merlin isn't here, and this has nothing to do with him. The information you received is real. This space belongs to me. It has no connection to Merlin."
Morgan's eyes sharpened. "Still trying to deceive me? Then I'll tear apart this illusion and force Merlin out!"
She raised her hand to strike—
But before she could act, an overwhelming force descended from above, pressing her down to one knee.
Morgan's eyes widened in disbelief. Her magic had been completely sealed. Even her control over the surrounding forces had vanished without a trace.
"Believe me now?"
Tom walked up to her step by step and crouched down in front of her.
"Do you think Merlin could pull this off? If he could… you'd probably have been dead a long time ago, Miss Morgan le Fay."
Daring to attack him inside the space… Tom had to admit, she might just be the most reckless teacher he'd ever summoned.
.
.
.