A soft beam of morning sunlight spilled through the window as Rock dragged himself out of bed, looking completely exhausted. Last night, the system that had vanished for an entire year suddenly came back online.
But this time, it didn't shut down immediately after he confirmed the login like it usually did. Instead, it kept ringing in his head over and over again, nearly driving him insane the whole night.
[System activated. Please confirm login immediately and begin your Path of Engraving!]
When that same voice echoed again, Rock finally snapped. He grabbed his hair with both hands, rubbing furiously, trying everything he could to drown out that annoying notification.
"Ugh! I'm seriously done with this!"
The entire night—seriously? Just give him a break already!
"Rock, you awake? What are you yelling for?" his grandmother, Tina, called from downstairs, sounding confused.
Right after that, he heard her walking up the stairs.
Rock ignored the voice in his head, jumped out of bed, and darted to the door. He poked his head out to look at Tina at the foot of the stairs.
"I'm fine, Grandma. I'll be down as soon as I get ready!"
"Oh really? Then hurry up. Your grandpa is waiting for you with your letter from Hogwarts." Tina replied casually before heading back downstairs.
"…Okay!"
Rock nodded quickly—then froze.
Wait.
Hogwarts acceptance letter?
Rock instantly snapped awake. Forget his messy hair—he bolted downstairs right behind Tina.
He sprinted like a wild horse into the dining room, grabbed the back of a chair, and stared at Newt with wide eyes.
"Grandpa! My Hogwarts letter is here?!"
"Hoo!"
The startled owl on the table shot into the air, flapping to a corner and scattering feathers everywhere.
"Oh—sorry, little guy. Didn't see you there." Rock waved awkwardly at the black-feathered owl.
"Hoo~"
The owl let out a soft hoot, then hopped over to Tina, who was holding some crumbs, tilted its head to check if anyone objected, and then began eating.
Newt set down his teacup and picked up a thick envelope from the table, waving it lightly.
"Right here."
Rock's fingers trembled as he took it. The wax seal—stamped with the Hogwarts crest—was perfect and elegant. Carefully, he cracked it open and unfolded the parchment.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class; Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot; Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Scamander,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…
The term begins on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st.
Deputy Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall
Sincerely
As Rock brushed his fingers over the words "Mr. Scamander," a strange ripple pulsed through him.
[System activation conditions fulfilled. Confirm login?]
…Huh?
The sudden notification made Rock freeze.
So the system's activation requirement…
was his Hogwarts acceptance letter?!
For a moment, Rock really wanted to slap himself. If he'd known that, he would've stolen one of Grandpa Newt's old letters just to try it.
But the ripple made it clear—
only his letter worked.
"What's wrong, Rock?"
Newt had been waiting to tease him once he got excited, but instead, Rock's face… was complicated.
A little annoyed, a little relieved?
Rock quickly pulled himself together and looked up at his concerned grandparents.
"I'm okay, Grandpa, Grandma. I'm just… too happy. You know, after all these years, the letter finally came…"
Seeing that Rock was practically trembling with excitement yet unable to express it, Newt chuckled softly.
"Yeah… it finally came."
This child had lost both parents the year he was born.
To keep him safe, Newt and Tina had agreed that Rock couldn't leave the manor until he went to Hogwarts.
It was necessary, yes—but it hurt them too. A kid who should've been running around and playing freely had been kept inside for ten years. Rock never complained—he was calm, obedient, too mature for his age.
And that only made them feel more guilty.
"Grandma, Grandpa, I'm gonna go wash up first!"
Rock steadied himself and ran toward his room.
As soon as he shut the door—
"Confirm login!"
[Logging in… Login successful.]
[Opening the Codex of All Enscribed Arts.]
A flash of light bloomed in front of him, spreading outward until a massive, ancient-looking book materialized before his eyes.
No title on the cover—only countless rune-like lines shining like tiny stars.
He wondered how to flip it open, but then a voice echoed in his mind:
"All magic can be quantified."
"Diligence breaks all limits."
"Knowledge is eternal."
The rules of the book revealed themselves—Rock's breath grew heavier.
Every study session.
Every attempt.
Every practice.
All of it would turn into experience points.
His understanding of magic and all knowledge would steadily grow.
The codex wouldn't give him power.
But it would record everything, permanently engraving every skill he earned.
This wasn't a book.
This was a grind-to-level-up skill panel.
As soon as he had that thought, the first page opened:
---
### [The Codex of All Enscribed Arts]
Author: Rock Theseus Scamander
#### [Foundational Chapter]
Mana Fountain Lv.1 (20/299)
Mental Scale Lv.1 (5/299)
Physical Hardiness Lv.1 (60/299)
#### [Spell Chapter] Pending
#### [Potion Chapter] Pending
#### [Daily Marks] None
---
"What a scrawny panel…"
Rock's eye twitched.
He knew his stats wouldn't be great, but he didn't expect them to look this pathetic.
Still, the three basic attributes were at least one silver lining—they weren't terrible.
He hadn't felt the thrill of "cheat powers" yet, but the gamer inside him was already itching.
He needed to fill out this panel.
Anything was better than staring at this sad, empty layout.
As he examined it, he noticed the Daily Marks section flickering nonstop.
---
### [Daily Marks]
Unconscious mana fluctuation — (Mana Fountain) +1
Unconscious mana fluctuation — (Mana Fountain) +1
Unconscious mana fluctuation — (Mana Fountain) +1
Strong mana fluctuation — (Mana Fountain) +10
Strong mana fluctuation — …
---
It was like a phone booting up and processing all the earlier notifications at once.
And with each line, the Mana Fountain stat climbed rapidly, eventually stopping at:
[Mana Fountain — Lv.2 (20/599)]
"…So this is all from my emotions last night? Or maybe the system was recording even when it couldn't activate?"
It matched:
The +1s were from his frustration at the system's nonstop pings.
The +10 was from the excitement of opening the acceptance letter.
Then another notification flashed:
[Calm mana fluctuation — (Mana Fountain) +2]
Rock's eyes lit up.
There we go!
He kept experimenting, and the stat climbed again and again—
Until:
[Warning: Mental state unstable. Stop immediately to prevent psychological damage.]
"…Uh."
So he could grind it,
but not too hard.
Still, watching the number stop at:
[Mana Fountain — Lv.2 (320/599)]
Rock felt satisfied.
From today onward…
with the Codex in his hands…
He finally had a way to stand tall in this world.
When magic becomes data—
even gods will bow.
"Rock? You ready yet?" Tina called from the stairs.
"Coming!"
He hurriedly closed the codex and headed to wash up.
Today was his birthday, after all~
And maybe, just maybe—
Grandpa Newt might be able to explain something about these mana fluctuations.
---