Just as Marius Cloud finished his thought, the familiar system chime rang once more in his mind.
"Congratulations! [Survival Quest Completed! New skill unlocked: Mental Scan (Level 1).]"
"Congratulations! [For completing the Survival Quest in an unconventional way—outwitting and escaping from the ultimate boss of this world, Lord Voldemort—you've earned 100 Potential Points!]"
Marius blinked, then grinned from ear to ear.
There was only one word in his heart: Sweet!
"System," Marius said, "explain this new Level 1 skill: Mental Scan."
The system responded at once:
["Mental Scan (Level 1) allows the host to emit mental waves in all directions, like a living radar. It reflects everything in the vicinity back to your mind in real-time. Effective radius: 200 meters."]
Ah… Marius nodded. A human radar, basically. From now on, nobody could hide anything from him if they were within range.
Don't be fooled by the number—200 meters might not sound like much, but in reality, that's nearly two full football fields. A massive range!
"What about these 100 Potential Points?" he asked next.
He hadn't heard of those before—not once since acquiring the Archmage System. And to get them as a reward for a battle of beliefs with Voldemort—basically winning a war of words—that had to mean they were something special.
["Potential Points can be freely assigned by the host. They can be used to upgrade your three core attributes—magic power, mental strength, physical ability—as well as all skills you've acquired."]
Hearing that, Marius's eyes lit up. Until now, he'd been stuck relying on the system's randomized skill draws and tasks. That passivity annoyed him.
But now? With these potential points, he could take control of his own growth.
When Marius returned to his cabin, the first thing he saw was Hermione poking her head out from the door, looking around.
"What are you doing? Don't tell me you missed me already. I was only gone for a few minutes and you're already this desperate to see me again?" Marius crept up beside her and tapped her on the shoulder.
Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin. "Don't say things like that to mock me! And could you maybe make a sound when you walk?"
Still, she added, "But yes… I was looking for you."
"Oh?" Marius raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Well… this gentleman—Mr. Longbottom—he seems to need some help. I thought I'd wait for you to return before leaving the compartment," she said, stepping aside to reveal a chubby boy who was sniffling and wiping his nose with his sleeve.
"I-I lost my toad… His name is Trevor…" Neville stammered. "C-could you help me find him?"
Marius winced a little at the tearful, broken voice. "Listen, Mr. Longbottom, I guarantee you'll find your toad once we arrive at Hogwarts. For now, would you kindly return to your seat?"
"Marius!" Hermione shot him a disapproving look. "He looks so pitiful—can't you help him just a little?"
To her surprise, Marius replied without shame, "I am helping him. I'm saving him the effort of a fruitless search."
"And how do you know he'll find it after we arrive?" Hermione challenged.
Behind her, Neville's wails grew louder. "He doesn't like me… He always runs away…"
Poor thing. Maybe your toad just doesn't want to be your pet. Of course, Marius didn't say that out loud. Instead, he kept a straight face and said:
"I'll let you in on a little secret. My family has Seer blood, and I've already foreseen that your toad will be found at Hogwarts."
"Really?" Hermione asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "I think rather than relying on vague prophecies, we should try actually looking first."
"Fine, fine…" Marius sighed dramatically and turned to Neville. "Right, Mr. Longbottom—your name is…?"
"N-Neville. Neville Longbottom," Hermione added for him.
"Okay, Neville. First, stop crying. Then let's move. Tears aren't going to solve anything."
Hearing Marius's calm and commanding tone, Neville immediately tried to pull himself together. That quiet authority Marius had—it wasn't loud, but it resonated.
Hermione watched the exchange with eyes shining. Once again, she was reminded of their first encounter at Flourish and Blotts. There was something natural in the way Marius led people. Something magnetic.
Even if she was too young to fully understand it now, she felt it.
Marius led them out of the cabin. Honestly, finding a toad wasn't going to be difficult for him—not after acquiring his new skill.
"Perfect chance to test this out…" he thought.
After estimating their position on the train, Marius turned to Hermione. "You and Neville check the front half of the train. I'll look in the back."
His Mental Scan had a 200-meter diameter, which wasn't quite long enough to cover the entire Hogwarts Express. A few of the rear cars would still be out of range.
And those cars included the staff carriage, where Voldemort still lurked inside Quirrell.
No way was Marius going to use his scanning ability near that guy. He had no idea if Voldemort could sense it—and he wasn't about to reveal one of his trump cards just to find a toad.
"Got it," Hermione nodded, grabbing Neville by the sleeve and heading down the aisle.
The moment they were out of sight, Marius closed his eyes and stood still in the corridor.
"Mental Scan!"
At once, he felt a powerful surge of energy flow from within his mind, radiating out in all directions like a tidal wave.
It was a surreal sensation—every inch of space, every object, every movement within range... he felt it all.
And then, image after image began appearing in his mind. Passengers. Luggage. Scurrying animals. A rat under a seat. A kid snacking on pumpkin pasties. Malfoy whispering with Crabbe and Goyle like they were plotting mischief…
And then, in one far-off carriage, Marius's mind paused—something had caught his attention.
He opened his eyes, lips curling into a slight smile.
"Found you."
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T/N:
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