NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 203: Rewards
In the stillness of the Room of Requirement, there was a sudden crack—the unmistakable sound of apparition.
Cael landed on his feet, a little off balance, the ancient door key clutched tightly in his hand. The magic around him shimmered briefly, reacting to his presence, before fading back into silence.
He let out a breath and moved toward one of the familiar armchairs, sinking into it slowly. The world around him was quiet once more, but his mind was anything but. He thought about the events that had just unfolded—the hidden mountain castle, the enchanted paintings, the forgotten history, the spell gifted by a boy who had once belonged to a long-dead magical council.
Most importantly, he thought about the clue he'd discovered for the next stage of his journey. A castle in Gallia—modern-day France. Château de Gisors. It was a start.
He took out his wand and attempted the spell he'd just learned—Veyarum. He traced the triangular motion just as Myrddin had shown him, uttered the incantation, and tried to channel his magic through it.
Nothing.
The spell failed to take form. But this time, Cael didn't feel frustration. Instead, he smiled to himself. He had learned it. That was what mattered. He would master it, with time.
His thoughts shifted then—unexpectedly—to his mother.
At first, when he had taken over this body, he'd felt no attachment to her. She wasn't his mother. But after everything he'd uncovered… he felt differently now. The more he dug into her past, the more tragic her life seemed.
She had been betrayed by someone she loved. Killed. Raised in the Black family under the cruelty of Walburga Black. Bullied, tormented, broken.
Cael's chest tightened. In some strange way, her pain mirrored that of his own mother from his past life. His real mother—gentle, kind, once trapped in a home filled with domestic violence. But when she married, she had found peace and joy. She created a beautiful family, and Cael—her youngest—had always been the one she spoiled the most. She had loved him dearly.
Now, standing in this world, in another body, Cael found himself wishing—just once—that this world's mother had known such warmth. Perhaps that's why he felt drawn to her memory.
And then something occurred to him.
"System," he said aloud, "why didn't I have magic before? Both of my parents were wizards—purebloods, I think. My mother, definitely. And the man in the Department of Mysteries… I'm sure he was pureblood too."
He frowned. "I wasn't even a squib. Just a Muggle. A total one. Squibs can perceive magic. They're resistant to repelling charms, they can see spells, and potions work on them. But me? I was nothing. Why?"
After a pause, the system answered with a calm, matter-of-fact tone.
"One of the most critical components of magical ability… is the soul. The original soul that inhabited this body had magic. But you, Host, are foreign. Your soul came from another world. Because of that, your magic was not present. That's why you were seen as a Muggle—not even a squib."
Cael sat in silence, absorbing the truth. It made sense. Magic wasn't just blood—it was deeper. Rooted in something older, more personal.
He exhaled and muttered, "So that's why…"
Then he straightened. "Well, System," he asked, "I've completed the quest. Where's my reward?"
The system answered with a familiar chime:
Ding!
"Host, congratulations for completing the Quest: Legacy of the Six – Part I."**
Quest Objective: Infiltrate the Ministry of Magic – Department of Mysteries. Locate and steal the Door Key to the hidden legacy of one of the Six Founders of the Old Magical Council. Use the door key to access the first hidden sanctuary.
Reward:
+20 Magic Power
+10 Intelligence
Ancient Spell: Veyarum – Veil of Truth Hidden
Spell Function:
• Creates a magical concealment field—not just invisibility, but complete erasure of magical presence.
• Casters hidden by Veyarum cannot be sensed by magical detection, wards, or tracking spells.
• Exceptionally useful for espionage, infiltration, or evading magical traps.
Cael's eyes lit up as he saw the increase to his stats. "Nice," he muttered. The added magic power and intelligence were exactly what he needed. He was growing stronger—and quickly.
But as his gaze landed on the spell reward, his brows furrowed.
"Wait a second," he said. "System, I already got this spell from Myrddin. Why are you giving it to me as a reward now? Shouldn't it be something new?"
"This was the intended quest reward," the system replied. "Ancient spells are exceedingly rare, Host. You're fortunate to receive even one."
Cael rolled his eyes. "Sure. So basically, you're taking credit for something I earned myself."
Still grumbling, he opened the spell entry in his log and reviewed the notes on Veyarum. The mechanics. The usage. The inscriptions. It was complex, but understandable.
Then he stood up and stretched.
"System, show me my status window."
⸻
[ SYSTEM INTERFACE – STATUS WINDOW ]
Name: Cael Vale (Black)
Designation: Reincarnated Host
Age: 13 years, 11 months
Race: Human
Class: Young Wizard
Titles:
• [Model Student]
• [Cabbage Slayer] (…don't ask)
• [Star Boy]
• [Mister Precise]
• [Shameless]
• [The Avenger]
Attributes:
• STR: 9
• INT: 43
• CHR: 39
• MAGIC POWER: 83 (Young Auror level)
⸻
Cael grinned at the numbers. Eighty-three magic power. That was enough to rival a young Auror. For someone in their third year at Hogwarts, this was beyond impressive.
"Not bad," he whispered. "I'm officially ahead of the curve."
He gathered his belongings—books, artifacts, and the door key—before making his way out of the Room of Requirement.
⸻
When he stepped into the Gryffindor common room, the fire was low, but familiar faces remained. Ron looked up from the armchair and immediately stood.
"Cael! Where the hell have you been?" Ron demanded, storming toward him. "You've been missing for five days! I didn't tell Professor McGonagall—Fred and George thought maybe you were off doing something. But even Hermione said we had to report it soon."
Cael held up a hand. "No, no—don't worry. I was just practicing some magic. Got a little… absorbed. That's all."
Ron looked like he wanted to yell again, but settled for a tired huff. "Well, if you hadn't shown up today, we were going to the professors. We thought maybe something had happened to you."
Cael gave a small, sheepish nod. Thank Merlin I got back in time, he thought.
He headed up to his dorm room, where Fred and George were tinkering with a pile of charmed joke items.
"Oi!" Fred grinned. "There he is. Gone for six days without a single prank? We were getting worried."
"Yeah," George added, "we thought Peeves had finally dragged you into a toilet pipe."
Cael chuckled. "Nah. Just locked myself in some serious spell practice."
They chatted casually, the twins recapping their recent experiments. It was January 5th, and the rest of the students would be returning to Hogwarts in a few more days. Classes would resume soon.
Cael ate some food he'd brought up from the kitchens, then curled up in his bed. He was just drifting off to sleep when—
Ding!
New Quest Available: Legacy of the Six – Part II
Objective: The trail continues. Investigate the next clue discovered in the Sanctuary.
Target: Château de Gisors – France
Mission: Locate the castle. Uncover the secrets. Find and contact the second member of the Old Magical Council.
He smiled to himself as sleep began to take him. One founder down. Five more to go.