[You have unlocked the "Heart of Seven Apertures" talent. Claim now?]
Seeing this prompt, Rhine swallowed all the sarcastic remarks he'd been ready to hurl at the system.
Ah yes, of course—this isn't London. Obviously, this is Zhaoge(lol).
Who was he even talking to earlier? That wasn't his butler Flanders—it was clearly Prince Bi Gan, discussing matters of state with passion and flair.
System, you've got a sharp eye. Keep it up.
He glanced toward Flanders, who still looked on the verge of tears.
"Lord Flanders, go ahead and get some rest. I'll head to bed shortly."
Once Flanders had left, Rhine took a deep breath, locked the study door, and drew the curtains. Then, in his mind, he issued the command:
"Claim the 'Heart of Seven Apertures' talent."
Ding!
The system interface updated instantly.
[Current Connection: Prince Bi Gan]
[Connection Level: Life-and-death Bond]
[Reward Gained: Heart of Seven Apertures]
At the same time, a strange sensation washed over Rhine.
His mind felt sharper than ever, his senses heightened beyond belief.
It was as if a veil of dust had been lifted from the world—everything appeared clearer, brighter, more vivid.
"So this is the 'Heart of Seven Apertures'... the ability to understand all things, to grasp their very essence?"
"It doesn't feel too mystical right now, but I do feel noticeably smarter. Honestly, this might be even better than wearing Ravenclaw's diadem."
"With this feeling? Even a regular person could become a straight-A genius!"
Even more curious—Rhine now sensed a subtle energy flowing through his body. It felt like magic, yet far more intuitive.
He snapped his fingers on impulse, focusing his thoughts:
"Restore my fountain pen."
To his astonishment, the twisted pen on his desk began to straighten—slowly but steadily—under an invisible force.
Several minutes later, the once-ruined pen had mostly returned to normal. A few faint marks remained, but it was fully functional again.
"Okay, so it takes a while and it's not perfect, but that's basically a Reparo effect…"
"Was that… wandless magic?!"
Rhine's eyes widened in disbelief—and then it clicked.
"It's the talent."
"Normally, young witches and wizards need training to control their magical flow. But with the Heart of Seven Apertures, my grasp over magic is already precise—almost instinctive."
"This… this is what it means to 'understand all things and grasp their essence.'"
Joy welled up in Rhine's chest.
Even if his magical power wasn't naturally strong, with this kind of talent, he could excel in subjects requiring control and finesse—like Potions, Herbology, and Alchemy.
Then a voice interrupted his thoughts—high-pitched, surprised.
"Ooh, a wandless spell from a young wizard? You're a natural!"
Rhine turned to see the owl—the one that had delivered his Hogwarts letter—still perched atop the mantel clock.
He'd been so caught up with the system that he'd completely forgotten it was still there.
Wait a second… I can understand owl-speak now?
"Holy—this must be the power of that system again!"
"I hereby declare Parseltongue outdated. This is next-level! Do you even know what 'comprehend all things' means?!"
Just then, the system interface popped up again with a new prompt.
[You have encountered a spirit crane reared by an elder of the Chan Sect. Though a beast, its cultivation predates yours. Proper respect must be shown.]
[Attempting to bond with the spirit crane may yield benefits.]
[Acquaintance level: Gain Night Vision – see clearly in total darkness.]
[Close friend level: Gain Windborne Gift – enhances flying abilities and wind-based magic.]
[Life-and-death bond: Gain Sun and Moon Essence – greatly boosts energy absorption from natural sources, aiding magical growth.]
Rhine stared blankly.
So… Hogwarts' mail owl was now a spiritual crane?
Sure, why not. Let's roll with it.
He eyed the owl eagerly.
Even if those talents weren't quite as god-tier as the Heart of Seven Apertures, they were still immensely useful.
Night Vision would be a game-changer in places like the Forbidden Forest or the Chamber of Secrets.
Windborne Gift? If it enhanced broom control, he could dominate Quidditch—or at least escape danger faster when things went south.
Sun and Moon Essence… well, that one was harder to place. In a "Primordial World," it might be great for cultivating qi, but in the Wizarding World? Who knew.
Still, it couldn't hurt to have it.
Without hesitation, Rhine rummaged through his desk drawer and pulled out a bag of beef jerky—his go-to snack.
He offered it to the owl.
The owl had clearly been hungry. Though it sniffed at the unfamiliar Muggle food in disdain at first, it still gobbled up a strip after a moment.
Its eyes lit up instantly.
"What is this jerky?"
"Not as good as raw meat, but wow—this tastes amazing!"
Rhine grinned.
"Custom-made by a private chef. Top-tier flavor and texture—not some mass-produced junk."
"A bag like this costs at least a hundred pounds."
"If you like it, I'll give you more. Take some with you to Hogwarts—share it with a nice lady owl if you've got one. I won't judge."
The owl's eyes went round as saucers.
"Wait, you can speak owl?!"
"Wait—never mind that! Did you just say one hundred pounds?!"
"How much is that in Galleons?!"
Rhine waved a hand nonchalantly.
"Money's not the point. You can probably tell—I'm not short on cash. What I am short on… is friends."
Then he pulled out a thick roll of bills, stuffed it into the owl's mail tube, and patted it gently.
"You've flown a long way. If you consider me a friend, please accept this little gift."
The owl froze as it felt the heavy weight in its mail tube.
So many pounds… so much potential…
Should I open an account at Gringotts? How much food could I buy with this?
Oh right—what did the kid say again?
Oh yeah. He wanted to be friends.
Without warning, the owl flapped its wings in excitement and flew over to nuzzle Rhine affectionately.
"You've got yourself a friend, little wizard."
"I hereby declare—you are now my best friend!"
Ding!
[You have reached Close-Friend level with the Spirit Crane.]
[You have acquired: Night Vision]
[You have acquired: Windborne Gift]