The person is at Hogwarts, but the system is in Middle-earth!

Chapter 82 Job Change Ceremony, A Crossroads of Fate!

The March wind carries a hint of spring.

Since that night, Rowe has begun preparations for his "Dark Forest Expedition Plan." However, before that, he faces a more pressing challenge—or rather, a fate-determining "class change ceremony."

In the last week before the Easter holidays, Professor McGonagall gave each second-year student a parchment after her Transfiguration class.

"You need to choose your elective courses for your third year," Professor McGonagall said seriously. "This is related to your future career plans, so please be careful."

To the average student, it's just a regular course selection sheet, listing courses like Arithmetic Divination, Ancient Runes, Divination, Protecting Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies.

But in Rowe's eyes, the world went dark the moment the parchment fell onto the table.

[System Notification: Key Plot Node Triggered]

[Mission Name: Crossroads of Fate]

[Quest Description: The expedition's ranger has reached a growth plateau. You must choose a new skill tree to prepare for the impending shadow of Mordor.]

[WARNING: Once the contract is signed (course selection form is submitted), the career path cannot be changed!]

Luo Wei took a deep breath, took out his quill, and stared solemnly at the options on it.

"What do you think, Lo Wei?" Susan leaned closer, her course selection form still blank. She chewed on the quill pen, her eyes constantly glancing at Lo Wei's form.

"This is a question about positioning, Susan."

"What role do we play in the team? Are we warriors charging into battle, or mages chanting forbidden spells from the rear?"

"Uh... I just want to pass the 0.WLs exam," Susan whispered.

“It’s not just about exams.” Rowe shook his head, his gaze becoming profound. “Think of Gandalf. He was the greatest Maiar in Middle-earth, but he was more than just someone who could wield a glowing staff. He knew the Lost Language, could unravel the mysteries of the Gates of Turin, could speak with eagles, could ride shadows faster than the wind, and could even take on Balrog alone.”

"So?" Susan was completely confused, but she found Rowe's focused expression incredibly charming.

"Therefore, I want to become that kind of mage." Luo Wei's pen tip landed heavily on the [Ancient Magic Runes].

[System Analysis: Ancient Demonic Runes]

[Job Mapping: Sage/Grey Wizard]

[Skill Description: Proficient in Sindarin, Quenya, and variants of the Dark Language.]

[Key Use: This is a prerequisite skill for solving the mysteries of ancient ruins. If you want to shout "Mellon!" at a stone door to make it open, or decipher the fiery inscriptions on the One Ring, this course is essential.]

"This is a must-select." Luo Wei checked the box. "Knowledge is power. When physical attacks are ineffective, we have to rely on our brains."

Susan looked at Lowe's determined profile. Although she had originally wanted to choose the easier option of taking the get out of class, her pen inexplicably landed on the [Ancient Magic Runes]: "Then...then I'll choose this one too. I also want to...understand those puzzles."

Lovi nodded approvingly, then his gaze shifted downwards, locking onto [Protect Magical Creatures].

[System Analysis: Protecting Magical Creatures]

[Class Role: Lord of Beasts]

[Skill Description: Learn how to communicate with, tame, and even control magical creatures.]

[Key Uses: Gandalf can summon a giant eagle and soothe Beorn. In this dangerous world, being able to ride a hippogriff or avoid being eaten by the eight-eyed spider is crucial for survival.]

"This is also necessary." Rowe checked it. "If we ever need to bombard Mordor, I need to learn how to ride a mount."

"Air raid...what?" Susan paused for a moment, but then quickly checked the box as well. "Okay, I'll choose this one too. As long as it's not one of those slimy Flobber caterpillars."

[System Settlement]

[Establishing a Career Plan: The Path to Myarity]

[Core Skills: Ancient Wisdom + Wild Beast Affinity]

[Teammate Bonus: Susan Borns (Admirer) has been selected]

After doing all this, Lo Wei put away the quill pen with satisfaction.

At lunchtime, he found Harry and Ron scratching their heads at the long table in Gryffindor. Hermione, meanwhile, was sitting among a pile of books, comparing three different timetables.

"This is impossible, Hermione." Ron looked at Hermione's densely filled form with despair. "You've circled every single class! There's only so much time in a day, unless you can be in two places at once!"

"That's my problem, Ron," Hermione said without looking up, her tone brimming with the fervor of a top student. "I've calculated it; if I run fast enough, or make a slight adjustment..."

"Never mind that Time Lord." Rowe sat down opposite them, picked up a steak, and said, "For you, the choice is simple."

"Really?" Harry looked at him hopefully. "You also think we should choose divination like Hermione did? She said it's very challenging."

“No.” Rowe shook his head. “Listen, Ringbearer. Hermione is the sage of the group,” she said, covering all the areas where knowledge was lacking. “But your mission is to fight the Dark Lord, which means you need to focus all your energy on survival and combat, not calculating planetary trajectories.”

He pointed to Harry's course selection list: "Choose the easiest, most relaxed classes. Save your energy for more important things—"

For example, practicing disarming spells, or figuring out how to get off a broom without falling off.

"for example?"

"Divination class," Rowe pointed to that column, "Although most of the prophecies are nonsense, the good thing about this class is that all you have to do is have nightmares. Or, during the exam, tell the teacher you saw an ominous sign, and you'll usually get a high score."

"Sounds good!" Ron's eyes lit up. "What about the other door?"

"Protecting magical creatures," Rowe said. "I've taken this course too. Trust me, while Hagrid might bring in some dangerous little cuties, dealing with wild beasts is much simpler than the brain-draining torture of arithmetic divination. And if we encounter any out-of-control trolls, I'll shield you from the first wave of attacks."

"Hagrid?" Hermione keenly caught the key word. She finally looked up from the pile of books. "You mean Hagrid will teach this course?"

But Professor Kettleburn is still here...

"Intuition," Rowe smiled mysteriously. "I think Professor Kettleburn might want to retire and enjoy his later years with only one hand and half a leg. And Hagrid... he's the most suitable candidate."

"Since Rowe also chose this course..." Harry and Ron exchanged a glance and quickly checked Divination and Protecting Magical Creatures on the course selection form.

"That's fantastic!" Ron exclaimed excitedly. "We'd still be debating if it weren't for you. Hermione kept pressuring us to choose the Ancient Runes."

Hermione rolled her eyes and closed her notebook. "Fine, since you've all decided to be 'savages,' I'll reluctantly continue being the one responsible for reading maps and solving puzzles. But Rowe, why did you choose to protect magical creatures too? I thought you'd choose divination."

"Because I want to be Gandalf." Rowe stood up, straightened his robes, and looked out the window towards the Forbidden Forest. "To be able to decipher ancient spells and ride a giant eagle into battle. That is the true wizard."

Hermione paused for a moment, then shook her head helplessly: "You're saying those weird things again. But... it sounds kind of cool."

Luo Wei smiled but offered no explanation.

His gaze traveled through the windows of the Great Hall and landed on the edge of the Forbidden Forest in the distance. The trees there swayed in the wind, as if beckoning to him.

"Spider..." he muttered to himself. "Now that the team setup is complete, it's time to go meet up with an old friend."

""