The Gamer: Multiverse Travel

After discovering a few more spells he could learn, Daniel returned to the common room. When he walked in, he found his friends huddled in the corner with books scattered around them. With a teasing smile, he approached them.

"Hey, I see you got up," he said, leaning casually against the wall.

They glanced up from their books. Anthony raised an eyebrow and replied, "Yeah, we aren't freaks like you."

Terry joined in, "Who wakes up at 6 A.M. on weekends?"

They laughed, the sound light and easy. After a moment, Daniel leaned forward.

"Wanna do something today?"

"We already are," Michael said, lifting the book in his hands to show it to Daniel.

Daniel chuckled. "Yeah, but we read all the time. How about we explore Hogwarts or maybe go outside?"

Everyone thought it over, and after a few seconds, they agreed. Daniel's smile widened as he pushed himself up from the wall. They got up and made their way toward the door.

As they exited the common room, Terry looked around. "So, where are we going?"

Daniel shrugged. "I don't know. Where do you want to go?"

Anthony grinned mischievously. "Maybe the Quidditch pitch. I think the Ravenclaw team's practicing right now."

That suggestion got everyone's approval, and they headed toward the pitch.

The Quidditch pitch was a vast, oval-shaped field surrounded by towering spectator stands. Three golden goal hoops stood at each end, gleaming in the sunlight. The grass was trimmed short, with boundary lines barely visible.

When they arrived, two teams were in the middle of a scrimmage, one decked out in blue robes, the other in green.

"We have the pitch reserved for today, Flint," a tall, lean man with piercing grey eyes said, his dark brown hair neatly combed and his posture radiating quiet authority.

Daniel used Observe on him:

[Sebastian Everwood – Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain – Lvl 54]

[Sebastian Everwood is a tall, sharp-eyed student with a keen strategic mind. As Ravenclaw's Quidditch captain, he excels at precise passes and analyzing opponents' weaknesses. He values intellect over brute force, drilling his team on complex formations.]

Marcus Flint, the Slytherin captain, sneered. "I wonder where, when I have Professor Snape's signature on my reservation paper," he said, holding up a piece of parchment with a smug grin.

Sebastian looked ready to snap but took a deep breath. His expression shifted as he read the paper, his features hardening. The two captains exchanged heated words, their voices low and tense, enough that the first-years couldn't hear much beyond a few sharp exchanges.

A minute later, the Ravenclaw team, led by a clearly furious Sebastian, left the pitch.

As the group walked past, Terry raised an eyebrow and asked, "What happened?"

One of the Ravenclaw players glanced at them, shrugging. "Slytherin overbooked us. We're going to Professor Flitwick to see what we can do." He quickly turned and ran to catch up with his teammates.

"So, are we watching the Slytherins practice?" Damian asked, clearly uninterested.

Michael shook his head with a grin. "Let's head to the Black Lake. Maybe we'll spot the Giant Squid."

The idea caught on quickly, and they agreed. The rest of the day passed in a blur of sunlight, laughter, and fresh air by the lake.

The next day, Daniel woke up early again. After his usual morning routine, he descended into the common room, grabbed a book, and settled into a quiet corner to read. When he finished, a notification popped up:

[Congratulations! For getting 100 Intelligence points, you unlock the skill [Beginner Magic Affinity] ]

Daniel blinked, feeling a subtle shift as the mana around him seemed to hum more closely, more intimately. A smile tugged at his lips, and he opened the description of the new skill.

[Beginner Mana Affinity (Passive) Lvl Max]

[- Makes the user more sensitive to mana and handle it better.

- 10% increase in MP recovery rate.

- 5% increase in total MP amount.

- 5% increase in magic damage.

- 5% increase in magic defense.]

'Nice, and it's only at the beginner level. I can't imagine what the later levels will be like,' he thought, feeling the excitement build. With a stretch, he got up and put the book back where it belonged. 'Time to grind some levels. I skipped all day yesterday.'

He left the common room, scanning for a place to enter the Gnomes ID. After finding it, he slipped inside and resumed his usual routine: sneak up on gnomes and take them out with a quick shot to the head. He tested a few new spells, including the Freezing Charm, but the magic arrow still proved to be the fastest way to clear them. He was getting better each day, dispatching the gnomes faster and more efficiently.

Just as he killed the last gnome and was about to exit the dungeon, a new notification appeared:

[Due to the user killing 100 Gnomes in under an hour, the BOSS MONSTER will spawn in 30 seconds.]

Daniel's eyes widened, and he tried to exit "What's going on? The ID Escape skill isn't working!"

[You can't escape during the Boss Fight.]

He sighed. "Great..." His fingers tightened around his wand as he readied himself. The countdown ticked down. In 30 seconds, the boss appeared.

The Boss looking like a burly gnome with bark-like skin and glowing amber eyes, stomped out of the tunnel. His beard, wild and cluttered with trinkets, bounced as he moved. His iron crown twisted in bizarre shapes, and his gnarled wooden scepter crackled with energy. His robes, ragged and patched with pieces of stolen wizarding cloaks, fluttered behind him.

[King Grimbuckle, Boss Monster, Lvl 20]

Before Daniel had time to read more, the boss waved his scepter, sending a surge of blue magic racing toward him. Daniel rolled to the left, narrowly dodging the blast. He retaliated by launching a mana arrow.

With a stomp, Grimbuckle slammed his scepter into the ground, causing the earth to shake. An earth wall erupted between them, effortlessly blocking the attack.

Seeing his vision blocked, Daniel darted into the shadows, activating his sneak skill. He crept around, carefully positioning himself behind the boss.

When the earth wall collapsed, Grimbuckle fired a blast of blue magic at the spot where Daniel had been. Realizing he was no longer there, the boss let out a furious roar and stomped the ground once more, causing the earth to tremble.

Daniel almost lost his balance but recovered quickly. He'd made it behind the boss. Taking a deep breath, he aimed for Grimbuckle's head, his magic arrow glowing brighter with every ounce of energy he poured into it.

He fired.

The arrow shot forward, faster and larger than before. Grimbuckle noticed something out of the corner of his eye and turned, but it was too late.

The arrow hit him square in the eye, sinking deep into his skull and ending the fight.

[+2000 EXP]

Relief washed over Daniel. He walked to the spot where the boss had fallen, scanning for any loot. As expected, he found an iron crown and some money.

He used Observe on the crown:

[Grimbuckle's Twisted Crown - Grade: Rare]

[Grimbuckle's Twisted Crown is a jagged iron circlet, its edges curling like gnarled branches. Faint amber gems pulse with dark magic. Cursed, it offers power at a price, draining the wearer's vitality while granting a magic regeneration boost.

Ancient Curse: Increases wearer's mana regeneration by 15%, but the crown also slowly drains 5% HP every 5 minutes of wear.]

"Ugh, a cursed item," Daniel muttered to himself, eyeing the crown. "I don't think I'll use it much... but it might come in handy someday."

He shrugged and placed it in his inventory.

"Now, let's get out of here," he said quietly to himself. He left the dungeon, making his way back to the common room to relax for the rest of the day.