Chapter 7: Training Wand and First Spell
The Burrow
Ronald Bilius Weasley
July 4, 1989, Tuesday
"Alfred, let's go to the Workshop. After studying the entire Hogwarts curriculum, I want to put my knowledge into practice," Ron said.
[As you wish, Master Ronald.]
Then a door appeared before Ron and opened. Behind the slightly ajar door, he could see a white space.
Without hesitation, Ron stepped towards the door and, after a few steps, entered the white space behind it.
As Ron entered the Workshop, the door leading to it disappeared, and Ron was left alone in this Workshop where the floors were white marble, and the ceiling was the blue sky.
As Ron looked around, he realized he was in a large open area. And around this area were various buildings.
Looking at the signs on the buildings, he realized they were workshops and training areas belonging to different fields.
The Potions Workshop, the Enchantment Workshop, the Blacksmith's Workshop, the Gymnasium, the Magic Practice Hall, the Alchemy Workshop, and many more.
Ron had every kind of workshop and training area imaginable here. And considering the buildings behind them, there were probably even workshops for areas he didn't know about.
This was likely the perfect town for people inclined to hands-on learning.
Yeah, looking at the square, the open sky, and the workshops lined up one after another, it would be better to describe it as a town.
But what caught Ron's attention were places that supported physical development, like a gymnasium.
"Alfred, what's a gymnasium doing here? Right now, I am here with just consciousness, right? No matter how much exercise I do, it won't affect my body, which is currently sleeping."
[The workshop isn't that simple, Master Ronald. It's designed to support your practical training in the best way possible. If the dexterity, agility, and muscle memory skills you acquire here aren't transferred to your physical body, the effectiveness of the skills you develop here would be significantly reduced.]
"So, you're saying the physical abilities and development I gain here will be transferred to my real body, Alfred?"
[Yes, Master Ronald. Your physical development will be transferred to your body just before you wake up. But don't worry, the process is quite quick and painless.]
"So, if I work out here for a month, when I wake up, all the weight I lost and the muscles I gained will have been transferred to my body?"
[Yes, Master Ronald. All the developments deemed beneficial to your body will be transferred to your body before you wake up.]
"Merlin's beard. The system is starting to resemble a cheating tool more and more."
[I understand your surprise, Master Ronald. But remember, nothing is free. Although the potential rewards of the system are high, everything depends on the effort you put in.]
"Nothing is impossible, and nothing is guaranteed."
[Exactly, Master Ronald.]
"That suits me. As long as I get something in return, hard work is fine with me. Now let's go to the magic practice hall. I want to cast my first spell and receive my real wand as a reward."
Ron said, then began walking toward the magic practice hall he had seen in the distance. Although the practice hall seemed a short walk away, Ron realized he was at its entrance after just a few steps.
Apparently, this Workshop area even had a function to shorten the walking distance. Perhaps, Ron would one day work on the logic behind it. It would be a handy skill in everyday life and even in wizard fights.
As Ron stepped into the magic practice hall, a new panel appeared before him.
[Magic Practice Hall]
[This hall enhances learning speed, comprehension, focus, and inspiration in magic practices. To customize the hall to your liking, consider the practice you wish to undertake.]
This panel, like the Library's search panel, was an independent information panel that was not connected to the system interface.
When Ron considered conducting a wizarding duel to test it, the hall's interior immediately began to change, quickly transforming into a suitable area for a wizarding duel.
This transformation reminded Ron of the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. Their working principles were likely the same.
After satisfying his curiosity, Ron imagined a safe place for the spells he was about to learn, and then, after the dueling area disappeared, the hall returned to its empty state.
But this time, a large magical circle gleamed on the floor. Ron thought this was probably a security measure.
Then he set about his initial purpose for coming here and said, "Alfred, where is the training wand I got from the starter pack?"
There were two ways to obtain his own wand.
He either needed to somehow convince his family to buy him a wand from Ollivander or complete the first Achievement in the system and earn his wand as a reward.
And he didn't think his family was currently in a position to buy him a wand. After all, the original Ron Weasley had to start at Hogwarts with Carlie's old wand.
And even if he wanted to pay for it with the 1000 Galleons he'd earned from the system, and his family didn't question where he got the money, he doubted Ollivander would sell him a wand before he turned 11 and received his Hogwarts letter.
This left him with no choice but to accomplish the "First Spell Casting" achievements in the system and obtain his wand.
And if he wanted to start his projects and craft new things in the game and toy field as planned, it was almost impossible to do so without a wand.
[Your training wand and 1000 Galleons obtained from the starter pack are waiting in your inventory, Master Ronald. To access the items in your inventory, you only need to think and summon them.]
Ron followed Alfred's instructions and realized that when he thought about his inventory, he could completely sense everything inside.
And when he wanted to summon his training wand, the wand instantly appeared in his hand.
Being able to access his wand in this way was better than even having the fastest quick-draw wand holster.
When the training wand appeared in his hand, Ron felt a strange sensation, and when he focused on this sensation, a new panel suddenly appeared in front of him.
[Training Wand]
[A modernized version of the ancient training wands. Anyone can use it, but all spells cast will have only a maximum of 10% of the user's magic power. Also, since the primary purpose of this wand is teaching, spells will take effect more slowly.]
"Alfred, is the reason I can see this information panel because the training wand came from the starter pack, or is there another reason?"
[This is a side feature of your Inventory, Master Ronald. Any item you put in your inventory, if it's not beyond the system's comprehension, can have its information recorded and observed by Master Ronald through information panels.]
"Oh, another useful feature. I'll need to experiment with this later. But even though this training wand makes spells weaker and slower, it seems quite useful for learning. I don't understand why nobody, especially wizarding schools, uses them."
[Although training wands were used for training purposes in ancient times, their crafting knowledge has been lost over time, Master Ronald. You can't find such a wand today, especially a modernized version.]
"I see... What do you mean by modernized version, Alfred?" Ron asked.
[When crafting training wands, the crafter needs to record the spells and charms that will guide the user. Even if an ancient training wand were still in the possession of someone, it would be nothing more than an antique since the spells recorded within it are no longer used in this century. But Master Ronald's training wand is optimized by the system to support all modern spells.]
"So, this training wand is quite valuable, and if malicious individuals learn that I possess it, they could do anything to get their hands on it."
[That's right, Master Ronald. I suggest you be careful who you show this wand to.]
"After the information you gave me, I have no intention of showing it to anyone anymore. At least not for now. Perhaps in the future, if I figure out how it's made, I can mass-produce it and sell it at a premium. Until then, I'll only use it in the Workshop area."
Then Ron gripped his training wand tightly and took his stance to cast his first spell.
The first spell he would attempt was one of the simplest: the Wand-Lighting Charm.
Ron mentally reviewed the spell and the wand's movements one last time, then, feeling ready, he waved his wand decisively and said, "Lumos."
And at that moment, Ron felt the training wand he held activate, forcing the magic in his body to move. However, it also significantly suppressed the magical power he wanted to unleash.
But all this wasn't hindering the spell; on the contrary, it was guiding it. It was like someone holding his hand as they ran, making him run alongside them.
But this was a strange feeling for Ron, and because of it, he quickly lost focus, and the spell failed automatically because it was left unfinished.
But instead of being upset, Ron was quite happy. As the training wand guided his magic, Ron could clearly see the path the magic in his body followed, moving towards his right hand.
He didn't know if the reason was the training wand, the magic practice hall, or both, but if he could clearly feel the path the magic traced through his body, didn't that mean he could later perform this spell without a wand?
If so, it would be a massive advantage for him. Wandless Magic was a high-level skill in the wizarding world and offered a solution to one of the wizarding world's two most fundamental weaknesses: Dependence on the wand.
This was a weakness that only wizards and witches who used Wandless Magic could overcome.
The other fundamental weakness, of course, was their frail bodies and their inability to fight in close combat. But Ron was thinking about improving in that area, too, but that was a topic for another time.
Now that Ron knew the sensation the training wand gave him, he prepared himself and performed the spell again.
This time, without losing focus, he followed the path the training wand directed the magic through his body, and after about five seconds, when the magic reached the training wand, the tip of the wand glowed with a faint light.
Just as the information panel stated, the spell's power had significantly decreased, and the casting time was much longer than usual, but that didn't change the fact that Ron had just cast his first spell.
And then Ron heard a notification sound.
-Ding
[Congratulations, Master Ronald. You have completed an Achievement: First Spell Casting.]
End of Chapter 7.