Altair did not know who Professor McGonagall was referring to. The original story did not seem to mention anything like this, but he did not care much and simply asked,
"All right, Professor McGonagall. What time exactly?"
"Tomorrow at noon. We'll meet on Charing Cross Road."
Professor McGonagall calculated the timing. It would take time to get from Birmingham to London, and after arriving they still had to shop before returning home, so noon was the best choice.
"All right. I'll be there on time."
After receiving Altair's answer, Professor McGonagall nodded. She took a sip of black tea and said with a smile,
"A very good afternoon tea."
"I'm glad you like it."
A flattering smile appeared on Michael's face. He still wanted to ask whether his own son might have a chance to attend the school, but Professor McGonagall clearly did not give him the opportunity. With a wave of her wand, a burst of crackling sounds rang out, and then she vanished completely.
"This..."
Michael froze for a moment, then let out a bitter laugh.
"Jimmy, tomorrow you're responsible for driving Altair to London. I'm going to see my elder brother tonight. Hey, the Shelby family has produced a wizard. Birmingham can't hold us back anymore."
"The Shelby family will reclaim its glory and rise to the peak once more!"
Watching his two embarrassingly overexcited uncles sink into fantasy, Altair shook his head. Then he got up, bid the two of them goodbye, and returned to his room.
He needed to study his system properly.
If he had heard correctly, he seemed to have caught the words divine artifact just now.
"System?"
Lying on his bed, Altair tried calling out to his system in his mind.
A moment later, a light screen visible only to him appeared before his eyes.
The screen was divided into three sections.
On the first section was a bright silver sword embedded in a square block of stone, radiating a vast and majestic aura. A single line was written above it:
Only the true king can draw this sword from the stone.
The second section was far darker in tone, like a bottomless abyss. In the very center burned a cluster of crimson flames, and within those flames floated a dark golden ring, rising and sinking unsteadily while giving off a sinister and terrifying aura.
The third section was sea-blue. It seemed to exist in the midst of an endless ocean, where a blue trident shone with dazzling brilliance.
The moment he saw the three screens, Altair instantly learned the origins of the three items from the System.
The Sword in the Stone, the One Ring, and Poseidon's Trident.
They came respectively from the films The Sword in the Stone, The Lord of the Rings, and Pirates of the Caribbean.
And now, Altair had to choose one of them.
All three divine artifacts symbolized power.
The Sword in the Stone belonged to King Arthur, the One Ring belonged to the Dark Lord Sauron, and the Trident belonged to Poseidon.
Of course, these were not drawn from myth itself, but from their own fantasy worlds.
And considering that this world was the world of Harry Potter, the choice was obvious.
"I choose the One Ring!"
Altair made his decision.
At once, the middle screen trembled violently. A dark aura burst forth, and vaguely, Altair seemed to hear an enraged scream filled with boundless hatred.
"No!!!"
That voice seemed to carry incomparable malice, but a warm current immediately appeared within Altair's body, completely nullifying the effect of that dark aura on him.
The light screen vanished.
An ancient, unadorned ring appeared before Altair, then gradually faded and disappeared.
Yet Altair could clearly feel that the ring now seemed to be hidden within his body. With a single thought, he could summon it at any time.
Divine Artifact: The One Ring (Sealed)
Soul-bound.
Description: The One Ring, into which the Dark Lord Sauron poured his painstaking effort and the greater part of his power, possesses incomparable strength. Note: Sauron's evil will has been removed, and the One Ring has already been soul-bound to the host.
Unsealing Progress: 5%
Abilities:
Enter the Wraith Realm: Wearing the One Ring allows the bearer to enter a spectral dimension and become invisible in the main world.Necromancer: The bearer will possess the Dark Lord Sauron's extraordinary magical talent, especially in dark magic and necromancy, with a level of comprehension far beyond ordinary people. (Locked)Dominion Over All: Greatly enhances the bearer's leadership ability, granting an innate power of command over others, making it easy to win their trust and allegiance. The One Ring rules all rings, and can freely draw upon the abilities of other rings and control Ringwraiths. (Locked)The Undying One: Under the influence of the Ring's power, the bearer's lifespan will increase enormously, and the soul will not perish. After bodily death, a new body may be forged through other means. (Locked)Dark Supreme: The bearer's magic will be increased tremendously, allowing mastery and skillful use of all dark magic, while also granting control over any creature with a dark attribute. (Locked)
Altair closed the One Ring's information panel and asked the System,
"So the One Ring is still sealed, and only the invisibility ability is unlocked? Then how am I supposed to unseal it?"
The System's voice rang out in Altair's mind:
"The host has chosen the One Ring and has now unlocked summoning privileges for the world of the Ring!"
"The host may perform one free character summon and one free item summon each month. Summoning characters and items related to the One Ring will greatly increase the unsealing progress."
"At the same time, completing corresponding missions will earn World Story Points. These points may be used to purchase related characters or items from the System, accelerating the unsealing process."
After hearing the System's explanation, Altair felt much more at ease. At least from the look of it, it seemed fairly safe.
Then Altair checked his missions. At present, one main quest had already been activated.
Main Quest: The Path of the Supreme One
Current Objective: Enter Slytherin House!
Current Description: Slytherin is the breeding ground of Dark Lords, yet its reputation hardly matches the image people have of it. So let Slytherin give birth to the greatest Dark Lord in its history!
Reward: 100 Story Points
When he saw the objective, Altair let out a breath of relief.
The mission was not difficult. It could even be called simple.
Given his personality, he was practically guaranteed to enter Slytherin. Even if some accident occurred, Altair could still use the One Ring to subtly influence the Sorting Hat. If future missions were all at this level, then accumulating Story Points would be easy enough.
The One Ring itself was the symbol of power, strength, and Sauron's ambition.
The moment Altair chose it, he had already made up his mind.
So this main quest, The Path of the Supreme One, was really nothing less than a reflection of Altair's own heart.
He was extremely satisfied with it.
It would help him accomplish his own goals while also granting additional rewards to strengthen him.
It was, quite simply, perfect.