From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 577 Sharing a Mental Barrier
As a power originating from the mind, Ivy quickly discovered the commonalities between psychic energy and magic.

Or to be more precise, it is the discovery of the commonalities between psychic energy and wizarding magic.

The magic of wizards is also effective because of the power of their minds. Whether it is magic that requires chanting spells and wielding wands, or special techniques that require extremely high talent to master, such as Legilimency or Occlumency, it is always inseparable from the wizard's own beliefs.

Compared to the magic in the D&D universe, the wizards' magic is closer to psionic in many ways.

Wizards use the magic hidden within them to unleash spells, and psionic spellcasters also gain a psionic pool for manifesting their powers after activating their talents.

Moreover, before a psionic caster's psionic potential is activated, they will exhibit certain signs, including but not limited to inexplicable sound and light effects, small objects flying around, and even deformation of a part of their own body.

It was only after Ivy delved deeper into psionic abilities that she discovered that young wizards who had not yet reached the age to enroll at Hogwarts exhibited similar behaviors to those with psionic potential.

Research requires bold hypotheses and careful verification. After having an initial idea, Ivy quickly began to look for more evidence that wizards and psychic powers were inseparable.

Among wizards are prophets skilled in prophecy, and within psychic energy there is a basic energy system called the Mind Prophecy system; in addition, Animagus can be compared to the Mind Self-Shaping system; Apparition, which allows for long-distance movement simply by spinning, corresponds to the Mind Teleportation system; spells like Legilimency and Astral Projection correspond to the Mind Enchantment system; and there are countless spells and spells that can be categorized as Mind Transformation; apart from the Mind Creation system, which allows the absorption of astral matter to create new objects and creatures and has almost no corresponding wizard magic, Ivy is almost certain that wizards' magical and psychic abilities are compatible.

After a few simple attempts, Ivy's efforts were reflected in the Grimoire of Destruction.

The level 16 Wizard, which was not originally part of the D&D class system, has been changed to a hybrid spellcasting class with a psionic pool: Wizard/Psychic Scholar.

This means he can cast wizard spells using his own spell slots, or spend psionic points to create psionic versions of Manifestation. This flexible casting ability has many advantages. First, it makes single counterspells more difficult. Although counterspells can still succeed because psionic and magical abilities can influence each other, countering Ivy's spells usually comes at a greater cost when they originate from different sources.

Secondly, after the two professions were combined into a hybrid spellcasting profession, Ivy's psionic spellcaster level was greatly increased.

As the most flexible of all psionic spellcasters, the [Mind Scholar] is characterized by its ability to learn from all psionic characters and psionic stones that contain certain abilities, rather than being limited to its own psionic power. This means that the [Mind Scholar] possesses the broadest range of spellcasting abilities among all psionic spellcasters.

After receiving the class level bonus from the [Wizard], Ivy can even directly learn the most difficult level nine psionic power, which is the level of psionic power that allowed Orpheus, the comet prince, to shield himself from the power of the main brain.

While the new hybrid spellcasting class has many advantages, it also has disadvantages. When this class levels up, it only expands the existing psionic pool, but it does not gain any new known psionic powers, nor does it increase attributes or feats with level increases.

However, the lack of a limit to the professions Ivy can acquire isn't a major drawback. What Ivy needs more right now is to convert psionic energy into immediate combat power and learn the level nine psionic energy from Orpheus to counter mind flayers.

Orpheus was born with psychic power inherited from his mother, Gith, which was summarized in the Grimoire of Destruction as a shared mental barrier for level nine psychic powers.

A shared mental barrier protects all recipients from any spells, devices, and psychic powers that affect the mind and thoughts, and blocks divination spells, psychic powers, and devices with detection and probing effects. Even Reality Warp, Limited Wish, Miracles, Reality Reversal, and Prayer spells are blocked by the shared mental barrier, provided these spells are used to influence the recipient's mind or gather information from them.

After spending a lot of experience points and using the Prayer spell to speed up the learning process, Ivy mastered the talent belonging to the Comet Prince in a very short time.

“…This is impossible…” Orpheus looked as if he had seen a ghost. “Who are you…no, what are you…I’ve heard that some scholars who study psychic abilities diligently can learn new psychic abilities from other psychic users through long-term study and summarization…but the power my mother left me is different. It’s not just a kind of psychic ability, but a talent…”

For the other adventurers who had witnessed Ivy's extraordinary abilities on numerous occasions, Orpheus, the comet prince, was the one who was making a fuss over nothing.

“Great, our win rate has increased again!” Gale interrupted Orpheus’s shock. “Weren’t we going to test if the shapeshifting Mind Flayer had any amplification effect? ​​Let’s do it now!”

"Let me catch my breath..." Ivy rubbed his temples, feeling his brain throbbing from being bombarded with so much knowledge. "Everyone can start lining up now. Once we reach the top of Nether's head, I will open a portal right in front of you. You must pass through in an orderly and quick manner."

Ivy's polymorph naturally worked on Orpheus; the original Mind Flayer in the Astral Prism turned into ashes, while the bound Githyanki prince became the new Mind Flayer.

The Mind Flayer transformed from Orpheus is very different from the Sovereign. His head is much larger than the Sovereign's and appears more rounded, rather than the long oval shape of other Mind Flayers. In this form, Orpheus also does not have the brain tissue that protrudes from the sides of his head like breathing windows.

However, Orpheus in Mind Flayer form is just as thin as in his Githyanki form, as if a gust of wind could blow him away.

"Did it work?" Ivy asked curiously, putting down her staff.

“Not very obvious, but enough,” Orpheus said, opening and closing his palms and waving his tentacles. “We should set off now.”

"Roar—" Ansu let out a deafening roar, transforming back into the massive bronze dragon. "Get on my back, and I'll take you at full speed!"

The moment Ivy burst out of the Astral Prism, she saw the Baldur's Gate in the flames.

The Netherbrain, tearing apart the city, floated above it, constantly stimulating psionic fluctuations and guiding the long-dormant Mind Flayer tadpoles to undergo metamorphosis.

Newborn mind flayers of varying shapes rise from the streets and alleys, driving away the people and indiscriminately slaughtering anyone still alive.

Their four tentacles on their snouts will firmly grasp the victim's head, use their mouthparts hidden beneath the tentacles to pry open the hard skull, and then suck clean the tenderest, still terrifying brain tissue.

"Look! It's the Nautilus!" Orpheus pointed beyond the clouds, where a giant tentacle, tens of meters long, pierced through the clouds, revealing a massive hull indistinguishable from a nautilus. The living ship roared across the city, unleashing wave after wave of purple psionic shells upon the fire-lit streets. A new portal opened near the Nautilus, and red dragon riders of the Gith Yankees tumbled past it.

The red dragon's figure was extremely conspicuous in the air. Its massive body moved nimbly with the help of its powerful wings, dodging cannonballs while launching counterattacks with its blazing dragon breath.

The writhing flesh and blood of the hull ship were quickly charred. Ivy even saw several burning Mind Flayers fall off the ship as it rocked, leaving long trails of black smoke in the air before plunging into the sea of ​​fire at Baldur's Gate.

The Netherbrain has already spotted Ivy riding the bronze dragon. Its telepathic abilities are completely blocked by the shared mind barrier, but the many mind flayers linked to the psionic network still transmit the information it can see with its naked eye.

Immediately, several shell-hulled ships disregarded the Red Dragon's attack and turned around, weaving a sparse net of purple cannon fire.

After all the gunners on deck were killed, the hulled ship, unable to fire, even launched a suicide attack.

A dazzling bolt of lightning shot out from Ansu's massive maw, instantly blasting the hulled ship that had crashed into it from the side into two pieces.

The ship's rotation threw out most of the passengers from the snail-shell ship. Those Mind Flayers who were still alive and able to maintain their position in the air still launched their attacks fearlessly.

The red dragon snapped its sharp teeth shut, turning the mind flayers, who preyed on other intelligent life forms, into its snacks.

The silver-armored Gith Yankee knight leaped high from the dragon's back, channeling his psionic energy to execute a tricky maneuver in mid-air, cleaving another Mind Flayer in two.

After landing back on his companion's back, the red dragon rider also spotted Ivy riding a bronze dragon, along with the mind flayer beside him.

"Coward!" Centurion Voss of Keslarak yanked on the reins, and the red dragon beneath him immediately veered towards Ansu. "The future of an entire race is in your hands! How dare you steal our prince? How dare you parade this bastard through the streets?"

"Vos!" Orpheus, transformed into a mind flayer, recognized his dear friend and quickly uttered a long string of Geth words, "May the light of Geth guide us."

"What?" Voss, who was about to draw his sword, froze.

"Don't attack, Ansu!" Ivy quickly reassured the dragon beneath her. "That's Orpheus's close friend, and a warrior who can be of help to us."

“You heard me right, Voss.” Even facing the high-altitude air currents, Orpheus put his hands behind his back, striking a pose that was quite regal. “The true heir of Giss is speaking to you.”

"No...this is impossible!" Voss could not accept that the prince she was so determined to save had become a mind flayer.

"It's just the effect of my spell. Your prince will turn back in an hour," Ivy quickly explained. "Time is of the essence. We need to land on Netherhead quickly and end the fate of the Supreme God. Please cover our advance!"

“That is indeed the case, my friend.” Orpheus pointed to Ivy beside him. “Lord Doom holds the key to ending the Great Blueprint. You must protect us as we reach the top of Netherhead. As for catching up, we can do that after our victory in battle.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” The legendary mind warrior seemed to accept the situation quickly. He commanded his red dragon companion to flap its wings and ascend. “Let Netherbrain be the first casualty of the Sky War!”

Seeing Voss's red dragon disappear into the distance, Ansu finally dissipated the lightning that had been gathering in his mouth: "By the Platinum Dragon God, I never imagined that I would become an ally with a red dragon that reeks of sulfur."

"This is a fight for the future of each other's worlds, and your god will not blame you." Seeing the red dragon circling around him tear apart another shell-hulled ship, Orpheus bent down again to reduce his windward position.

“God?” Ansu spun around to dodge a shell fired from a snail-shell ship. “Bahamut is more like our king. We will respect him, but we will not blindly worship him.”

"Let's put the religious issue aside for after the war. We're getting closer and closer to the Nether Brain!" Ivy raised her mithril staff high and chanted a spell. After a few syllables, the huge diamond once again flashed with brilliant rainbow light, sweeping away all the mind flayers that were attacking from several directions.

The closer one gets to the massive body of the Ness Brain, the stronger its defenses become. Countless newly formed Mind Flayers, like sesame seeds floating in the air, guard the enormous flesh and blood brain from multiple directions.

Wave after wave of Mind Flayers swooped down, attempting to block the Bronze Dragons' path with their physical bodies. For the Netherworld, these cannon fodder, completely under its control, were exactly what it needed.

While a single Mind Flayer is no obstacle to Anzu's massive body, the situation changes when a Mind Flayer casts a Force Wall spell in the path of the Bronze Dragon.

A slender green lightning bolt shot out from Ivy's pupils, shattering the completely transparent force field wall. Arcane vision granted him the ability to see these transparent walls clearly, so he reacted the instant the force wall was formed.

"Watch out!" Ivy plunged the mithril staff in her hand into Ansu's shoulder blade. The pain made Ansu twitch his wings and slightly change his flight path, avoiding a collision with another force field wall.

"A mind flayer using magic?" Orpheus stretched out his palm, his powerful psychic energy crushing the mind flayer who was casting another force wall spell into a mangled mess. "This doesn't make sense!"

"Don't forget the Kal'thus Crown on Netherhead's head! It's not surprising it has some magic!" Ivy shouted a reminder, while simultaneously waving her hands rapidly in the gestures for casting Arcane Vision. "I'll cast a detection spell on you, so you can see the force field walls in the air! Mobility is up to you, Anzu!"

"I can see it clearly!" Ansu suddenly folded its wings, and its massive dragon body swooped down a short distance, a violent feeling of weightlessness enveloping the two passengers. "Hold on tight! We're about to make a hard landing!"

(End of this chapter)