Tom carefully studied the long-overdue system.
The Strongest Learning System—true to its name—was a system designed to assist him in studying and becoming an unparalleled academic prodigy.
Any action related to learning that produced tangible results would earn Credits. This was the system's most fundamental mechanism.
Credits had multiple uses, with the primary functions being:
Hiring Private Tutors
Credits could be spent to hire private teachers for instruction.The first hour each day was free.Every additional hour cost six Credits as tuition. Entering the Transcendent State
Credits could also be spent to enter a Transcendent State, greatly increasing learning efficiency and cognitive processing speed, allowing the user to surpass their own limits—similar to a "minor enlightenment" effect.Each activation cost 100 CreditsDuration: 10 minutesThe duration could be extended at the cost of 10 Credits per additional minute
In addition to Credits, the system had another important currency: Achievement Points.
Whether in life, academics, or other fields, achieving certain milestones—or completing system missions—would reward Achievement Points.
At present, Tom could only see one use for Achievement Points:
Summoning Teachers.
Depending on the teacher's level, the Achievement Point cost varied:
Ordinary Adult Wizard (B): 1 pointOutstanding Wizard (A): 10 pointsPeerless Talent of an Era (S): 100 pointsKing of the Century (SS): 1,000 pointsImmortal Legend (SSS): 5,000 points
Just from the pricing alone, the massive gap between the tiers was obvious.
Thirty years made up a generation. A Peerless Talent of an Era meant one of the most outstanding figures of that generation.
A century defined an era—only the single most powerful wizard of a hundred-year span could be called a King of the Century.
Old Dumbledore definitely qualified.
As for an Immortal Legend, such beings could no longer be measured by time alone. Throughout the entire history of the magical world, they were exceedingly rare.
Returning to the system interface, Tom saw a gift box appear in the very center—the Newcomer Gift Pack.
Upon opening it, the system rewarded him with 100 Credits, along with one free teacher summon, guaranteed to be at least a Peerless Talent of an Era.
So… how exactly did the system's so-called private teachers get "hired"?
Filled with curiosity, Tom used his mind to claim all the rewards at once.
A dazzling golden light flooded his vision. It felt like violently shaking his head—he grew dizzy for a moment. When he came to, his consciousness had already arrived in a mist-shrouded world.
This world felt so real that Tom briefly thought he'd been physically transported—yet he could still clearly sense his body lying on the bed.
At the same time, the system transmitted information about this place to him.
This space was called the Learning Space.
The flow of time here was identical to the outside world, but the mental energy expended while studying inside would not affect the real world.
In other words, Tom could study here all night long and still wake up refreshed the next morning.
The space could also manifest teaching tools and any books he owned, making it an almost perfectly realistic virtual environment.
However, simply entering this space consumed Credits—essentially activating the "elite tutoring" feature. The system's gifted 100 Credits wouldn't last long.
After understanding the nature of the space, Tom looked around, searching for his first teacher.
"Hahahahaha!"
A bold, hearty laugh rang out from within the thick mist.
The fog before Tom thinned considerably, doubling his field of vision. From deeper within the haze, a tall figure emerged, striding toward him.
A man broke through the mist and came into view.
He wore a diagonally draped robe from ancient Greek Athens. His well-built physique was largely exposed, muscles clearly defined. A laurel wreath rested on his head, and his sharp, resolute features made him look like a classical Greek statue stepped out of history itself. His entire body radiated powerful masculine vitality.
The man curiously surveyed the misty space, then fixed his gaze on Tom, the smile on his face growing even broader.
"You must be the little wizard who summoned me, right?"
"What astonishing talent—to awaken a soul that has slumbered for so many years, and with such a firm contract… Child, your luck makes even me jealous."
Jealousy was clearly audible in his tone, yet Tom felt no concern whatsoever.
The system description had been explicit: within this space, no one could harm him. Any summoned teacher would impart all their knowledge without reservation—there was no risk of academic fraud, nor of being ambushed.
And besides…
Even without those restrictions, Tom didn't believe this man would do anything malicious.
The man's presence was simply too upright—almost like an incarnation of light itself. Compared to him, even Old Dumbledore could be called a scheming rogue.
"Sir," Tom said calmly, "shouldn't you introduce yourself before asking questions?"
The system had deliberately kept things mysterious—it still hadn't told him who this teacher actually was.
"Hahaha!"
The man laughed even more heartily. "You're right. That was my lapse as your private tutor."
"My name is Andros. I'm an ordinary wizard from Greece. I have some experience with wandless magic and the Patronus Charm. As your introductory teacher, I should be more than sufficient."
Andros.
Information about him flashed instantly through Tom's mind.
Back in Diagon Alley, Dumbledore had given him two Chocolate Frogs to stave off hunger. Each Chocolate Frog came with a Famous Wizard card—and one of them depicted the very man standing before him.
Andros the Invincible.
That wasn't self-aggrandizement, nor a nickname born of wordplay.
The title Invincible had been bestowed upon him by the wizarding world itself.
Andros had never known defeat in his lifetime. As he said, he was especially adept at wandless magic and the Patronus Charm—capable even of conjuring a giant-sized Patronus without a wand.
Even in the modern era, no one else had ever achieved such a feat.
He was truly—without question—the King of the Century.
No wonder Tom had felt such immediate goodwill toward him.
Casting a Patronus required powerful positive emotions and joyful memories, and it was often used as a benchmark to judge Dark Wizards.
Andros's positive energy was practically overflowing.
His entire being screamed Righteousness.
"Mr. Andros, my name is Tom Riddle."
Tom introduced himself with a bright smile. "From now on, I'll be your student. If I do anything wrong, please point it out—I'll correct it immediately."
Even with the system's binding rules in place, Tom was always polite and humble toward those who helped him.
His attitude immediately won Andros's favor.
The man slapped his chest with a resounding thump. "Say no more. I'll do everything I can to help you become an outstanding wizard."
Then, with professional seriousness, he added, "Using such talent must come at a cost, right? We shouldn't waste time—let's begin immediately."
Tom naturally didn't refuse. He thought about Hogwarts' teaching methods for a moment.
"Mr. Andros, I haven't entered a magic school yet. Let's start with the basics—the Lumos Charm and the Levitation Charm."
Andros looked at him in confusion.
"Levitation Charm? Lumos Charm? What are those?"
Tom: "???"