My assumption was correct: the addition of non-magical bloodlines was simple and relatively safe. While it took a little time to achieve balance, I managed to integrate all the essences into Elise without the need for prolonged breaks to rest. She hardly suffered any pain, though she did experience some discomfort. The entire process was much smoother compared to previous times, partly because there were almost no noticeable physical changes—if any at all.
Elise ended up somewhat tired, but according to her own words, the discomfort in her body was tolerable, almost like that pleasant sensation that lingers after exercising.
I left her in her part of the forest, where she has her dwelling… well, our dwelling. I stayed with her through a clone, stroking her until she fell asleep and preparing her favorite salad for when she woke up.
Meanwhile, with another clone, I went to the archmage's tower and the market in search of a solution for my idea. However, the result was not what I expected. What would help me most at this moment is complicated and expensive—and when I say expensive, I mean crystal coins. For now, I had to give up and postpone it.
...
Back at Hogwarts, Hermione received visits from our group but didn't allow anyone else to see her.
Thanks to some potions and my powers, I managed to get her out of the infirmary within a few days, astonishing Madam Pomfrey. If it weren't for our past history and her efforts to avoid me as much as possible, she might have stopped me to get some answers.
My treatment was quite effective, though perhaps I was selective about what to heal first and what to leave for later. Hermione left the infirmary, but she still had some "side effects" that would take time to disappear: whiskers, ears, and a cat tail. To hide them, she shaved off the whiskers with some embarrassment and wore a cap along with a large coat, which didn't draw much attention due to the snowy weather.
Thus, little by little, we resumed our almost normal lives. The girls resumed their secret meetings, and I helped them from time to time. Though they occasionally teased Hermione, they were quite understanding. However, they insisted multiple times that she show them her ears and tail. They loved playing with her as if she were a giant cat. Much to my dismay, if I was present, Hermione would immediately cover herself, as if afraid that seeing her would make me act like that time again. The girls noticed her behavior and had their suspicions, but they couldn't get any information out of her.
And so, the days passed until Christmas arrived, and I had a lot to do. My dear "Hermipussy" had given me an idea for the gifts, so I had to get to work.
I had continued training my Occlumency and had more or less developed what I wanted by integrating my [Blood Pact] into the equation. Now I could seal parts of my memories and make them accessible if necessary, which I planned to take full advantage of.
I decided to finish the Marauders' mission to explore the limits of the rewards that could be granted at SS and SSS levels. I considered going to other campaigns, but since I was already deeply familiar with this one, I preferred to build on my previous work rather than start something from scratch.
As before, I would bring Andra and Eileen with me, making sure they were just as useful as last time.
Knowing exactly what I had to do, I was ready to solve every mystery, annihilate any obstacle in my path… and make the most of everything fuckable to reach those coveted SS and SSS rankings.
...
It took me two attempts to achieve an SS ranking, but at least that allowed me to test and refine my mental sealing technique. When I returned, I barely remembered what had happened; only a few interesting details remained in my memory, and if I wanted to recall everything, I had to actively search for it. However, that wasn't my priority at the moment. What really interested me were the rewards, which were mostly upgrades of those obtained the previous time.
["Marauders" Campaign Completed][Campaign Score: SS]
-Game saved at the last save point before death.
-Rewards for F, E, D, C, B, A, S, and SS-grade scores will be reduced for each subsequent run with that ranking in this campaign.
-Campaign character summoning cost reduced by 30%. [Current reduction: 40%].
Fief Bonuses:
>25% reduction in the difficulty of Animagus transfiguration (33% in the case of rat, stag, and dog). [Current reduction: 30% (general) | 40% (rat, stag, and dog)]>Minor enhancement to innate potion-making talent.>Minor calming effect on wild werewolves.>"Eternal Loyalty" (minor level) applied to lovers (maximum of 2).
Rewards:
>25,000 crystal coins.>Additional Animagus potion (Store updated).>Daily production of one random basic potion at no cost (Quality: 40% inferior, 30% minor, 20% average, 10% higher).>"Eternal Loyalty" (minor level): 3 individuals in love with you will permanently retain a certain level of affection, even after your death.
The improvements were significant. The summoning reduction wasn't something I planned to use right away, but it was still good to have.
The fief upgrades were interesting, though some weren't particularly useful at the moment. However, the enhancement to potion-making talent caught my attention. This benefit ensured that all members of the fief had at least a minimal base talent for potions. Previously, the lowest level barely surpassed having no talent at all, but now the new "minor" level was somewhat more noticeable. If I assume Snape has a "major" or "superior" talent—which is rare—then this means that while there could be potion-making geniuses within the fief, even those without the talent would at least have a minimum aptitude.
This benefit could also be applied to individuals outside the fief, as long as they had stayed in it and had my permission—or the permission of someone I authorized to grant it. It could even be a temporary authorization if I so decided. The same applied to the Animagus transformation bonus: everyone within the fief would receive the difficulty reduction.
The crystal coins were extremely useful. They would allow me to continue upgrading the mission board, increasing the number of missions and their rewards, maintaining a steady cycle of earnings.
As for the additional Animagus potion, it functioned similarly to the secondary Animagus potion. It allowed adding a new Animagus form an indefinite number of times, progressing from a second to a third, fourth, fifth, and so on. However, they had to be taken in order: I couldn't obtain a third form without first acquiring the second. In the store, these potions were available at any level, but each one was more expensive than the last.
The daily potion production had also improved, increasing the probability of obtaining a higher-quality one and reducing the chance of getting a lower-quality one.
Finally, the "Eternal Loyalty" ability, while interesting, had yet to be tested.
Well… I think it's time to finish this, one last time.
...
Four attempts. It took me four attempts to achieve the final ranking, and wow, it was tough. I always ended up with an SS rating. Fortunately, I received a reward each time, even if reduced; otherwise, I would have cried over everything I lost to get this far.
[Campaign "Marauders" Completed][Campaign Score: SSS!]
-Game saved at the last checkpoint before death.
-All rewards for a score obtained in this campaign will be reduced in future attempts.
-Campaign character summoning cost reduced by 50%. [Current reduction: 90%]
Feudal Bonuses:
>50% reduction in Animagus transformation difficulty (55% for rat, stag, and dog). [Current reduction: 80% (general) | 95% (rat, stag, and dog)]>Innate talent for potions improved (medium level).>Moderate calming effect on wild werewolves.>"Eternal Loyalty" (medium level) applied to lovers (maximum 3).
Rewards:
>75,000 crystal coins.>Magical Animagus Method.>Free daily production of a random simple potion (Quality: 20% inferior, 30% minor, 30% average, 15% greater, 5% superior).>"Eternal Loyalty" (medium level): 5 individuals in love with you will permanently retain a certain level of affection, even after your death.
[All rankings for the "Marauders" campaign have been completed]
Additional Reward:
>+10% ??? permanent (Only campaign characters).>10,000 crystal coins.>Feudal territory expansion and automatic generation:
-Fauna and flora: Various plants, Whomping Willows, rats, stags, and dogs.
-NPCs (allies, neutrals, and enemies): Muggles, wizards, Hogwarts students, illegal Animagi, Order of the Phoenix, Death Eaters, werewolves. (1960-1980)
-Resources: Potion ingredients and potions.
-Zones and dungeons: The Shrieking Shack.
>Unlockables to be discovered.
When I finished this last campaign, a golden glow appeared in the loading screen box, congratulating me and displaying the additional rewards.
I must say, I'm satisfied with what I obtained. Now, in my fief, Animagus transformation is much easier, and later, I would discover that this also reduces the price of Instant Animagus Potions. Additionally, all inhabitants now have a minimum talent for potions at a medium level, equivalent to that of a common potion-maker.
Then there's the Magical Animagus Method, which was an interesting surprise. It's an improved ritual-based version of the Animagus transformation, though with certain restrictions. Luckily, since I hadn't yet become an Animagus, it was an easy choice. It's possible to have one magical Animagus form and multiple normal ones through potions, but adding more magical forms is incredibly difficult.
Daily potion production also improved, unlocking a superior quality level and further reducing the chances of getting a bad result. As for Eternal Loyalty, I still haven't figured out what to do with it.
Now, regarding the additional rewards, the mysterious "???" appeared once again, just like when I finished the Philosopher's Stone chapter. But for now, there's not much I can do about it.
The extra coins are welcome; with them, I can almost unlock the annual mission if I want to.
And the best part: the feudal expansion. I was surprised to see the fief's boundaries expanding, giving me much more space. I'm not great at estimating by sight, but I think its radius increased by about 1 km. Additionally, I felt that, apart from this main area, other separate zones were added, similar to what I wanted to do with the Quidditch field. I need to investigate further.
As for automatic generation, a configuration menu appeared for each area. As its name suggests, creatures or objects will generate periodically.
Upon activating it for the first time, the effect was immediate.
In the forest areas, groups of stags and does appeared. I'm sure my spider daughters will love this, but I hope it doesn't bother Elize. In the city, I think I heard one or two barks. And, well… the scream of a girl yelling "Rat!" confirmed that part was working too. I also noticed plants growing that I hadn't planted and a Whomping Willow in the distance.
The combat NPCs, whether allies or enemies, I configured to appear in additional zones outside the main area. However, in the future, I want to allow them to occasionally enter so my people can train by fighting them. The neutral NPCs have a chance of appearing in the main area.
As for resources, I found a bag nearby, and upon opening it, I discovered some cheap potion ingredients.
With all this, the fief feels much more alive than before. It still has video game mechanics, but now it's more dynamic and full of potential.
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