Hogwarts starts with stealing power.

Neville returned to his Gryffindor dormitory.

Although it was late at night, the dormitory was still very lively.

Ron and Harry were completing their daily rune array task. Ron drew the tracking rune array, while Harry supervised him to make sure he didn't slack off and also gave him some pointers.

Mikel, who had been enjoying a leisurely time, suddenly became busy, glancing down at his watch.

He was slightly nervous, as he was about to hand it in to Professor McGonagall tomorrow, and he muttered to himself.

As Neville passed by him, he listened carefully and realized that Neville was reading the contents of a form.

Neville was a little puzzled. He had been nervous when he handed in his form, but Professor McGonagall hadn't asked him to memorize it.

Everyone was busy with their own things. Neville looked at the black bracelet in his hand, frowned, and seemed somewhat troubled.

But his worries this time were very different from those he had before.

In the past, he struggled with how to articulate his problems, but now he struggles with how to articulate the rewards he has received.

Before Neville could fully process this shift in his mindset, Ron, who had already finished drawing the tracking runes, noticed the black bracelet on his hand and exclaimed in surprise:
“Navie, where did you get this bracelet? Is it a gift from your grandmother? I’ve never seen you wear it before.”

Neville breathed a sigh of relief and felt somewhat grateful to Ron.

In crucial moments, Ron's big mouth is the only one who can be relied on.

Neville said, "This wasn't sent to me by my grandmother, but by Professor McGonagall. She said it was a reward for my diligence and fearlessness during my previous patrols."

This bracelet was one of the strange objects my companion and I encountered during our patrol. Its eerie phenomenon was that it transformed into a blood-soaked ghost bride, with a terrifying expression and body.

Ron and Harry both gasped in surprise upon hearing this.

They had received other strange items from the school before, but they were all related to assistance; they had never seen such an aggressive strange item.

Harry asked curiously, "Neville, did the professor tell you how to use it? What does this artifact do? Will it consume a lot of magic when used?"

Neville looked bewildered and said, "The professor seems to have said it, but I also think he didn't."

When I saw this was my reward, I was completely stunned. The professor said something else to me afterwards, but I didn't hear it clearly.

Ron exclaimed, "Why go through all that trouble? Let Neville try channeling his magic right now!"

The three of them looked happy and excited, but they didn't notice Mikel's complicated expression on the side.

He had previously accepted a mission from the system, which was to retrieve a magical artifact issued by Hogwarts. Only after retrieving it could the mission proceed.

Although he later received the artifacts from the school, those artifacts were related to resisting the whispers of evil gods and were not recognized by the system.

He attributed his narrow escape from the elite student test to the increased number of times he read forbidden books and to his research on the high-level artifact related to the desert that he had encountered.

He has not received a reply since he sent his message.

It's unlikely that the school would entrust such a dangerous and unusual object to a student who has only recently become an outstanding student.

Because a considerable amount of time had passed, the task automatically became invalid.

Thinking about this, Mikel felt somewhat discouraged.

The main characters are really lucky!

He struggles to complete a task, finding it incredibly difficult, unlike the main characters who don't even have the inclination, yet people readily deliver extraordinary items to their doorstep.

While Mikel was lost in his own thoughts, on the other side, Neville and the others were already pondering the black bracelet the professor had given them.

This was their first time encountering such an aggressive artifact, and they didn't know how to use it.

Ron simply had Neville channel all his magic into the artifact.

Neville did as he was told.

He was still figuring out how to channel his magic into it, but as soon as his hand touched the black bracelet and he tried to transfer his magic, Neville discovered that the magic within his body was constantly flowing towards the bracelet!
Moreover, he couldn't control this energy fluctuation, and he couldn't stop the black bracelet from draining his magic power!

Now, why would I need to pour all my magic power into it?
Nawi was somewhat panicked.

He felt that with the way the black bracelet absorbed magic, it probably wouldn't even have enough magic power to absorb from him.

As his magical power dwindled, a sense of powerlessness and weakness overwhelmed Neville.

Just as he was about to call for Ron and Harry's help, the suction on the bracelet stopped.

Meanwhile, Neville's magic was on the verge of collapse.

If he continues to be sucked, he will faint on the ground.

Neville suppressed the feeling of weakness and powerlessness in his body and stared at the black bracelet on his hand.

At this moment, the bracelet emitted a warm, misty glow, somewhat like it had been recharged.

Ron exclaimed in amazement, "I think the bracelet looks even prettier now, it's like it's glowing!"

Harry murmured, "It's not your imagination, it's glowing now, even more dazzling than before."

Ron urged, "Neville, hurry up and give it a try!"

Neville held the bracelet higher, a little nervously asking, "How do I use it? I've never used a magical artifact before, how do I use it?!"

He waved the bracelet in a panic.

I don't know which switch was pressed or which direction was pushed, but the bracelet suddenly shot out a ghastly green light in front of me, as if casting a spell.

A moment later, a bride covered in blood appeared before everyone. The bride was wearing a pure white dress, which made the blood on her body appear dark red.

The bride glared at Ron and Harry with a ferocious expression, then slowly walked over.

Ron and Harry were startled and took a few steps back. Ron shouted anxiously:

"Tell it to go somewhere else, don't let it come towards us. We're not enemies, Neville. Quickly, take it somewhere else."

Neville trembled with fear and said in a panic, "How do I control it? I don't know how to move it!"

He continued waving his bracelet, but the Ghost Bride remained steadfastly heading towards Ron and Harry.

Mikel then said, "Nawi, command it to stop! Give it the command!"

Without thinking, Neville said, "Stop, stop, stop right now!"

Urged on by him in a panic, the ghost bride finally stopped.

It turned its head and glanced at Neville, letting out a ferocious growl as if to ask:

You tell me to come out and you tell me to stop and you tell me to stop, what do you take me for?!

Although the ghost bride was purified, she was transformed into a strange object because she harbored strong resentment and bitterness.

The black bracelet documented the ghost bride's entire tragic experience.

Every time the ghost bride is summoned, her tragic past is repeated endlessly, so she always exudes a strong sense of resentment. This time was no exception.

Despite the purity and gentleness of the magic Neville imparted, the Ghost Bride remained consumed by her resentment and bitterness.

Forced to stop by the rules, it swung its claws forward with all its might before disappearing, leaving behind a resentful roar, and slowly vanished into the air.

Neville looked up sharply, and there was his bedside right where the ghost bride had just been waving her arms.

The headboard is made of wood and is very sturdy.

The claw marks left by the slam were very solid, with several deep claw marks etched into the wood, and thick white smoke was rising from them.

After the initial shock, Ron looked at the deep claw marks, gestured to them, and shuddered.

"Why do I feel that the depth of its transferred claw mark is somewhat comparable to the 'Four Shatters' technique I used?"

Ron's Fragmentation technique wasn't strong enough.

The intensity that the professor used is something that most students can't achieve; it requires a lot of practice and also has to do with talent.

Harry put his hand into the paw print. It was deep inside, and when he touched the wood, he felt a slight numbness and heat, as if it were electrified.

He immediately withdrew his hand, saying warily, "This claw mark wasn't just sharp; it must have also had a paralyzing and burning effect."

As Mikel listened to their analysis, he felt even more envious. He said, "Ron, you're not skilled enough at controlling it yet."

Once you can control the ghost bride and make it obey your commands, it will become your powerful weapon.

"Then you and the ghost bride will each take one side. You'll be in charge of casting spells from a distance, and the ghost bride will handle melee combat. That would be perfect."

Neville then came to his senses, and tried to say something in a daze, but his body went limp and he collapsed to the ground.

Everyone watched this scene in astonishment.

Ron rushed over and quickly helped him up, only to find that his hands were very cold and his face was gradually turning pale.

“Neville, what’s wrong with you?” Ron asked.

Neville smiled wryly, "I didn't have time to tell you earlier, but this black bracelet almost drained all my magic."

If it absorbs any more, I'll faint. So, Mikel's suggestion to control it with an extra helper is completely impossible for me; summoning it has already exhausted my strength.

Mikel then said something meaningful: "Just because you can't do it now doesn't mean you can't do it in the future. I still have high hopes for the offensive power that this artifact can bring."

-

The next day, Lin Xia was somewhat surprised to see a Navea who had been drained of his life force.

"What did you do after you went back to the dorm? I don't remember anything strange happening last night. Did you have a nightmare?"

Neville whispered about how Professor McGonagall had given him a strange object the night before.

Lin Xia has used many strange objects, but no matter what kind of strange object she uses, whether it is for assistance, attack or other purposes, her body will feel slightly hot every time she uses it.

This is the "Nine Heavens Mysterious Yang Secret Record" helping her resist the pollution of the evil god's ramblings brought by the strange object.

According to her tests, the amount of cryptic ramblings from auxiliary artifacts is relatively small.

Aggressive artifacts do not cause much pollution when they are first used, but the pollution can worsen with increased intensity of use.

When used excessively, it can be as serious as reading banned books in a restricted area.

Seeing the blank looks on Neville and the others' faces, Lin Xia couldn't help but wonder if Professor McGonagall hadn't mentioned the side effects of using artifacts.

She probed a few times and discovered that not only Neville, but also Ron and Harry were unaware that using artifacts could very likely lead to contamination by the delusions of evil gods.

Only Mikel seemed to know some of the inside story.

Lin Xia thought about it and realized that the artifacts she had used before were probably auxiliary types and not very dangerous, so she hadn't mentioned them.

But this aggressive strange object still needs to be mentioned.

“Navie, from your description, this black bracelet is a strange object with strong offensive capabilities. Since the school purified it, someone must have specifically tested it.”

You can ask Professor McGonagall for the relevant test report, which will show how to use the bracelet, the usage time limit, and the intensity of use.

You can use the report to figure out how to use this bracelet effectively.

Lin Xia's reminder ended there. She remembered that these test reports all included tests for the use of the evil god's ramblings, which would explain how much evil god's ramblings were generated when using the bracelet.

Neville asked the professor for the test report. If the professor also produced the test results related to the god's ramblings, it would mean that the professor might have simply forgotten to mention it at the time.

But if the test report the professor produces doesn't include the page about the evil god's ramblings...

Lin Xia's eyes flickered slightly. Perhaps Professor McGonagall had discovered something special about Neville and wanted to test him.

They have a transformation class in the morning.

After the Transformation class, Neville mustered up the courage to ask the professor for the test report.

Professor McGonagall was somewhat surprised and asked, "Who told you they needed these reports?"

Neville whispered, "Lin Xia reminded me to ask for it."

McGonagall spoke with admiration, “This child is always so meticulous, considerate, and thorough in everything he does.”

She changed the subject, "Navie, now that you've joined Lin Xia's lab, you should follow her closely and learn how to do things and how to be a person. She's an excellent role model for you."

The professor said, "Even if you hadn't come to me today, I would have come to you. I was in a bit of a rush to give you the artifact last night, and I didn't tell you how to use it or how dangerous it was. I'll tell you all about it this time."

The professor pulled out a thick stack of documents and pointed out the most important key points.

Neville then realized that even using magical artifacts could be dangerous.

This danger isn't just from interference by the whispers of evil spirits; when the master is weak, the artifact can also backfire, breaking free from its master's control.

After the professor finished speaking, he added, "I deliberately didn't tell you how to use it last night. You're not going to be silly and summon it after you get the artifact, are you?"

Neville's lips twitched, and he stiffly shook his head: "No."

Sensing his tone was somewhat weak, he emphasized it again: "Not used, Professor."

Neville didn't tell the professor that the strange object seemed to be even more intelligent than she had said.

His hand was simply placed on the bracelet, and with a thought, the magical object automatically drained his magic power, even more autonomously and nimbly than the professor had described.

However, Neville did not experience any interference from the ravings of the evil god that the professor mentioned when using it.

Not only him, but he felt that Ron, Harry, and Mikel didn't seem to have noticed anything either.

Could this be what the professor meant when he said their constitutions were relatively strong, allowing them to resist mild forms of divine incantation? (End of Chapter)