The next instant, the Five-Colour Stone Method appeared in Theo's System rewards.
A distinctive set of instructions poured straight into his mind.
Thanks to his Seven-Apertures Heart, he parsed the core in moments.
"So that's why Deng Chanyu's five-colour stones could smack gods and immortals and never miss. Beyond a unique throwing form, the key is how to make the stones."
The material wasn't special—any ordinary pebble would do. The crux was evenly refining all five elemental qi into the stone.
Stones forged that way would gleam with five hues, contain the full cycle of the elements, and fly by the logic of five-phase circulation, hence the "never miss." Their raw power wasn't colossal, but because they embodied all five phases at once, they were hardly countered by any art—even Kong Xuan's Five-Coloured Divine Radiance couldn't simply sweep them away, and he famously got a face full of rock more than once.
Grasping that principle, Theo's brows knit.
Right now his only source of ambient qi was Dining on Wind & Drinking Dew. What he drew in each day barely covered toughening Copper Skin & Iron Bones and raising his magic power—there was nothing left to "stuff" into stones, let alone balanced five-element qi.
He exhaled. The thrill of obtaining the method dimmed a notch.
Not living in the Honghuang had made these rewards easier to earn—but the lack of ambient qi also throttled how far he could push them. Give and take.
He reset his mindset quickly. Power-wise, he was already comfortable; nothing at Hogwarts' Year One could truly threaten him. He didn't need the stones as a combat crutch right now. He could take his time. Besides, even without the infused stones, Deng Chanyu's throwing form alone was a jewel.
Theo scooped a handful of river pebbles and, just to test it, snapped through the form and flicked one.
Air shrieked. The pebble ripped away in a mirage blur and pinged a streetlamp dead-centre with a crisp clang.
His eyes brightened.
Compared to brute flinging with Copper Skin & Iron Bones, this form multiplied both force and accuracy to something ridiculous.
He threw again. And again. Pebbles cracked out like bullets, and streetlamps up the block shattered one by one. By the time the last stone left his fingers, the far end of the street lay in darkness.
A quick estimate said the last throw had flown at least two hundred metres—and that was without going all-out. Full power, good visibility, and a touch of Windriding? He was fairly sure he could push four hundred metres.
That already out-ranged most spells he knew.
"At that range, whoever gets clocked might never figure out where the stone even came from…"
His earlier disappointment melted into a grin—and then another idea landed.
"Baseball would be illegal with this arm.
Wait—Quidditch has throwers too, right?
Chasers. They handle the Quaffle and score through the hoops."
The corner of his mouth kicked up.
Using Honghuang-grade technique to toss a Quaffle… was that bullying? Never mind the Hogwarts intramurals; even the Quidditch World Cup might end up calling him a legendary Chaser.
Quidditch was the wizarding world's favourite sport; star players were far more famous than "noted scholars." For network-building, that path looked juicy.
And the qi shortage wouldn't last forever. As soon as he reached Hogwarts and bonded with Owl Roberts for the Sun & Moon Essence talent, most of the pressure would ease. Truly forging Five-Colour Stones—the kind that "never miss"—might not be far off.
And Hogwarts term? One day away.
Sun & Moon Essence. Staff Mastery. Eight-Nine Arcana. All waiting for him.
He couldn't help wondering, too—what would befriending Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall yield? Surely the Headmaster's reward wouldn't rank below Voldemort's. P'an-T'ien Seal? Three-Treasure Ruyi? Taiji Diagram? Heaven-Earth Xuanhuang Pagoda?!
He almost laughed out loud.
"I've grabbed every talent I need before term and—hold on. Missing one?"
His gaze slid to the Enemies pane.
Xiao Sheng & Cao Bao were still lit up crimson. He'd already taken the first-tier reward. For tier two—Chess-Mastery Aptitude—he had to give them three thrashings. A month ago, bored, he'd snuck into St Mungo's and laid both goblins out twice more. By now, recovery time should be… about done.
Leaving a talent unclaimed? For a collection-maxer like him? Unthinkable.
He hopped onto his Owlblade and arrowed toward St Mungo's.
Inside the hospital, Griphook and another goblin lay swaddled in bandages, vibrating with excitement.
"Gringotts needs manpower—all vaults must be re-audited!"
"Overtime—endless, glorious overtime!"
Griphook shrieked, tried to rip his dressings off, and tumbled halfway out of bed. "I refuse to miss this! It's been a month since the music of coins! My skin itches—work! I must return to work! Nothing will stop me—not even the Dark Lord!"
They were beside themselves.
High above the window they didn't notice, Theo stood on the Owlblade, watching.
Before, he'd had to sneak into St Mungo's to thrash them. Now? Much simpler.
He palmed a pocket of pebbles, sighted on their beds… and let fly.
Glass popped in a chain. By the time both goblins flinched, stones had already thudded across their bandages. They groaned and slumped back into unconsciousness.
Chess-Mastery Aptitude slid into place.
Theo exhaled, satisfied. "All the red exclamation marks—cleared. Bliss."
Only then did he leave St Mungo's.
—
September 1st, 8:00 a.m.
After a nearly sleepless night, Hermione hustled out the door with her parents, lugging bags half her size. She could hardly wait to meet Theo and head to Hogwarts together.
They stopped, blinking, at the curb.
A stretched luxury car—the kind reserved for public figures—idled by the house.
Theo stepped out and waved.
Hermione froze. Mrs Granger covered a smile with her hand and nudged her daughter. "Mr Ashbourne has come to fetch you, dear. Seems your month of 'just studying' did wonders."
Crimson from ear to ear, Hermione hesitated only a heartbeat before stomping once—in surrender—and loading her luggage into the boot.
Theo drew a breath, excitement bright in his eyes.
"Let's go."
"King's Cross Station."
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