New chapter! Thanks for all the support!
x
"Achievement mission: first confrontation with Voldemort. Reward obtained: Alchemy (Fullmetal Alchemist) LV1."
The system notification, which hadn't appeared in quite a while, left Dudley slightly stunned, and his expression turned a little strange as well.
Alchemy?
'Fullmetal Alchemist?'
That was a series that could rightfully be called a classic.
A moment later, an image appeared before Dudley's eyes: a short kid and a suit of steel armor, that classic tall-and-short duo.
That was a world in which alchemy had developed to an extraordinary degree. And the alchemy of that world was completely different from the traditional alchemy of the Harry Potter universe. It was about understanding, breaking down, and reconstructing matter according to its underlying laws.
For example, if you gave iron to an alchemist from that world, he could use a transmutation circle to turn it into an iron sword. A broken mirror could be restored. Even an apple cut in half could be returned to its original state.
However, in that world, alchemy absolutely had to follow the law of equivalent exchange. If you used only iron, then you could only transmute it into an iron sword or something else made from iron itself. You could not create something nonexistent out of thin air, because alchemy was incapable of generating matter from nothing.
So-called equivalent exchange meant that, in order to obtain something, you had to pay an equivalent price. If the price was not enough, then some part of yourself—part of your body, your memories, and so on—could be taken to make up the difference.
Things like the Transfiguration in Harry Potter, where a button could be turned into a beetle, were impossible there. But that did not mean alchemy was inferior. In theory, as long as you understood the nature of the thing and had enough material, you could transmute anything. In theory, all you needed was 65% oxygen, 18% carbon, 10% hydrogen, 3% nitrogen, 1.5% calcium, 1% phosphorus, 0.35% potassium, 0.25% sulfur, 0.15% sodium, 0.15% chlorine, 0.05% magnesium, 0.0004% iron, 0.00004% iodine, plus trace amounts of fluorine, silicon, manganese, zinc, copper, aluminum, and arsenic, to transmute a human being.
Of course, human transmutation was taboo.
And even that was only theoretical.
On the other hand, by correctly adjusting the proportion of carbon within a block of iron, it was possible to transmute it into steel.
In a way, the alchemy of Fullmetal Alchemist was something for academic geniuses.
If your brain did not work well enough, then you simply could not handle alchemy.
"To understand the internal laws of matter and move closer to the truth is an inevitable step for anyone who wishes to become a mage."
As always, the system's explanation continued to make sense.
The inheritance of alchemy was not merely a single isolated skill.
It was an inheritance.
An inheritance of knowledge.
Dudley closed his eyes and silently absorbed all the knowledge that had suddenly appeared in his mind.
Only after a long while did he slowly open them again. A different glimmer passed through the depths of his eyes. After receiving that alchemical inheritance, he felt as though the world around him had changed.
Then, first, he drew several symbols on the floor.
After that, he casually snapped off a piece from one corner of the wooden bed and placed it in the center of the design.
A transmutation circle.
The first step of alchemy.
Then something astonishing happened.
Accompanied by a faint glow, that piece of wood turned into a wooden sword.
When he saw that, Dudley did not seem satisfied.
The circle then emitted a faint glow once more, and the wooden sword broke apart with a dry crack, transforming into countless white, transparent crystals.
Diamonds.
Wood was a substance composed of carbon.
And diamonds were also composed of carbon.
To understand, to decompose, to reconstruct...
That was the alchemy of the world of Fullmetal Alchemist.
Dudley picked up one of the diamonds from the floor and let it slide through his fingers. The crystalline stones fell back onto the ground, producing a sharp, clear sound.
Only then did he nod in satisfaction.
First test of alchemy.
The result, it seemed, was excellent.
It was a power system that lost almost nothing to the magic of the Harry Potter world.
Very good indeed.
A faint smile appeared on Dudley's face.
At last, he had a truly special ability of his own.
Then, one moment the diamonds in the circle turned back into wood, the next into a wooden sword, then back into diamonds again. He entertained himself quite a bit just playing around with it.
But the surprise the system had brought him was far from over with just alchemy.
Ding.
The system alert rang out again.
"After successfully repelling Voldemort, reward obtained: Assassination Techniques of the mysterious Zoldyck family — LV1."
Now it did not even bother with a lottery anymore. It just handed out rewards directly?
Alchemy was still understandable.
But why this?
The Zoldyck family, from the eternal bottomless pit known as Hunter x Hunter, was the number one assassin family in that world. Every member of that clan, even the ones guarding the gate, was absurdly strong. They lived on Kukuroo Mountain.
Which, incidentally, was a famous local tourist attraction everyone knew about.
Without question, obtaining the assassination techniques of that family was an incredibly powerful reward, but...
If it was already Hunter x Hunter, then why not just give him a Nen ability?
Nen was one of the defining features of that universe. It was a technique that, as long as you studied it with enough dedication, anyone could learn, and it allowed one to reach an unimaginable level of power.
To give an example, powerful Nen users could take a rocket to the face.
And there was a crucial point there.
Hamon and Nen both belonged to the category of life energy.
If the two were fused together, then it would absolutely cause a qualitative transformation.
If he got Nen, Dudley had complete confidence that in just a few years, he would be able to bulldoze through that entire world through brute physical strength alone.
So what were assassination techniques supposed to be good for?
Dudley's expression turned dissatisfied.
He had never had much affinity for that kind of sneaky technique.
He had always preferred open, direct methods of fighting.
Like boxing.
Or just slamming into someone shoulder-first.
That sort of thing.
But after giving the Zoldyck family's assassination techniques only a rough look, Dudley's eyes began shining brighter and brighter.
Now that was more like it.
Dudley slowly closed his eyes and began adjusting his own body according to the knowledge he had just acquired.
In the next instant, his body visibly began to shrink.
From nearly 6'6, he returned to somewhere around 6'2.
Muscle control.
The most basic ability of the Zoldyck family.
It allowed one to adjust the muscles of the entire body and remodel one's physical form, changing someone from a hulking brute into looking completely harmless.
It also allowed the opposite, turning a thin arm into one packed with muscle.
In Hunter x Hunter, Killua was capable of making that sort of adjustment.
Of course, that transformation had limits.
And body weight could not be changed.
At the moment, Dudley could only return his body to the state it had been in a few months earlier.
But that was already more than enough.
After all, he had been quite troubled by his increasingly exaggerated build.
"A mage must maintain a cautious posture at all times. Hiding oneself is indispensable."
Dudley nodded, once again agreeing with the system's explanation.
"That actually makes sense."
The assassination techniques of the Zoldyck family were very far from being limited to muscular alteration alone.
Each one of them was capable of greatly increasing Dudley's overall strength.
The Zoldyck family's assassination style was different from the traditional image of a sneaky assassin.
Their style reminded Dudley much more of another character from his memory.
King Hassan.
If he had to explain it in one simple sentence, it would be this:
"What is perfect assassination? Killing every living being inside."
That was why, even though the Zoldyck family residence was a tourist attraction, any photo of one of its members could be sold on the black market for one hundred million.
After receiving all that knowledge, Dudley was certain of one thing:
The next time he met Voldemort, he would give him an unforgettable surprise.
x
x
x
If you're enjoying the story so far, consider supporting me on Patreon ❤️
You'll get weekly early access to chapters, along with some exclusive content:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheDevotedReader