"Are there any other changes?"
Wandless spellcasting is indeed important, but for Ivan, it was more of a precaution.
The real reason he added to his physical attribute was to deal with the looming threat of the Obscurus within him.
Huh...
With that in mind, Ivan began to manipulate the Obscurus.
"Oh?"
Suddenly, Ivan noticed something different from before. He halted the transformation and frowned, "Something's changed."
This new feeling was hard to put into words.
Previously, when Ivan sensed the Obscurus inside him, it felt like a violent force surging through his body, as if he were submerged in an icy lake.
But now, amidst that coldness, Ivan could feel a small bit of warmth.
Yes, warmth.
It was like a lighthouse shining in the darkness, a bonfire at night providing the only light in the world.
"What's happening?"
Ivan was confused, but more than anything, he was filled with excitement.
Because he had discovered a way to manage the Obscurus—by improving his physical attribute!
Ivan had thought about this before.
Why would the Obscurus, a parasitic entity, harm the wizard who was hosting it?
Now, Ivan understood.
The wizard's body was like an ecosystem for the Obscurus.
The Obscurus could only survive if the environment within the wizard's body was suitable. If not, the Obscurus would leave the host.
And once the Obscurus completely left a wizard, it would take the host's vitality along with it.
"The improvement of my physical attributes allows the magic to transform my body into a more suitable environment for the Obscurus to exist."
"Not only that, it seems I can control the degree of the Obscurus' transformation now..."
Ivan set aside this newfound excitement, raising his hand and attempting to reduce the absorption of the Obscurus' power.
"Less... less..."
His palm turned into black particles, but Ivan knew there was no limit.
Previously, he wouldn't have been able to manage such fine control over the Obscurus.
This newfound control was thanks to the improvement in willpower brought about by the revival of the Fenix.
The role of will is twofold: first, to better control magic power, and second, to resist the side effects of magic.
This resistance not only helps prevent a wizard's own magic from spiraling out of control but also provides protection against external curses, such as the Imperius Curse or the Cruciatus Curse.
Of course, the Killing Curse is an exception.
Avada Kedavra is a rule-based spell: it either succeeds or fails, with no in-between.
Huh...
Thinking about this, Ivan felt a cold sweat form on his forehead as he continued to control the Obscurus.
Thankfully, Ivan had managed to find the single thread of warmth in the cold lake within him.
At that moment, his palm returned to its original state.
Instead, wisps of white mist began to rise from it.
"Damn.. What's with this feeling..?"
Ivan was stunned for a moment. He focused on the white mist, sensing that it was incredibly light.
It seemed invisible and intangible, yet it undeniably existed.
Most importantly, Ivan could feel an unprecedented sense of peaceful magic emanating from the mist.
Unlike the dark power of the Obscurus, this mist radiated a positive energy that Ivan had complete control over.
"You..."
Ivan stared at the floating white mist and felt its dependency on him, almost like a child seeking affection from a parent, longing for care.
"This white mist... it's connected to the Obscurus."
"But it seems to be much more compatible with me."
From the perspective of his magical sight, Ivan observed his hands transform into white smoke and black mist, respectively: "The magic in the white smoke feels like clean water, while the black mist is murky and full of negative emotions."
The most intriguing part was that Ivan had never seen such a primitive form of magic as the white smoke.
Yes, primitive.
"No, it should be called pure."
Ivan felt that the composition of the white smoke was incredibly close to what could be called magic in its purest form.
By magic, Ivan didn't mean the power wizards wield but rather a concept akin to the "Tao" of this world—the very source of all magic, the most fundamental essence.
"White smoke seems to be the product of raw magic, manifesting in the material world for the first time."
To use an analogy: magic, before entering the material world, could be considered nothingness—the zero.
And white smoke represents the one that emerges when this zero enters the material world.
"Tao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things."
With this thought, Ivan began to manipulate the few wisps of white smoke, which resembled the result of a cigarette being lit.
Boom!
In the next moment, the white smoke ignited, transforming into a bright red flame.
But that wasn't the end.
The flame then morphed into water, which solidified into ice before shattering into transparent wisps of wind.
Finally, a large amount of soil materialized from the wind, quickly forming a small mound at Ivan's feet.
"Earth, water, wind, and fire—the four basic elements!"
Ivan was extremely excited, though he managed to suppress his surging emotions. "Just as I suspected, this white smoke is the embodiment of pure magic in the material world."
In fact, the Obscurus could also be considered the magic of the "one."
However, it was far too chaotic and violent to complete the task of evolving all things.
"The Obscurus is a magical entity, and it can merge with other forms of magical energy," Ivan thought. "The flesh and blood of matter become the black mist of energy, and the Obscurus is also a magical creature."
There was no doubt in Ivan's mind that he had touched upon the realm of magical transformation.
"Even Animagus transformation can only change a wizard into a non-magical animal, but the Obscurus bypasses that entirely."
As for the white mist, it wasn't exactly a separate entity, but more the result of the Obscurus reaching a state of peace.
Unfortunately, the small mound of earth Ivan had formed only lasted for a brief moment before vanishing.
It became clear that this wasn't a permanent transformation, merely a temporary shift—still at the level of general transfiguration.
But Ivan had a hunch.
The reason he couldn't achieve permanent transformation was because he didn't yet have sufficient control over the white smoke.
Perhaps with further mastery, he would eventually be able to use this white smoke to create real, lasting matter.
"The amount of white smoke is probably only about one-thousandth of the total Obscurus," Ivan estimated, noting the significant difference between the two.
But that wasn't a bad thing.
One-thousandth—that should also indicate that the potential of the Obscurus is enormous!
"No!"
Ivan suddenly realized he might have been thinking in the wrong direction. "I could merge with the Obscurus before and transform into a black storm. What about now?"
With that thought, Ivan immediately shifted his focus.
He concentrated much of his energy on suppressing the Obscurus, while using the extra energy to control the white smoke, preparing to merge with it.
Then, something magical happened.
The white smoke spread from Ivan's palm, soon enveloping the surface of his skin.
"...This"
At that moment, white mist floated around Ivan's body, and even his hair changed from its original golden color to silver.
Wisps of white mist rose from his shoulders, waist, abdomen, and knees.
Most importantly, Ivan realized that the white mist wasn't emanating from inside his body but was instead completely transforming from his skin.
"My skin… turning into pure magic?"
Ivan was momentarily stunned, then he pressed on the skin beside him, creating a small cut.
Blood dripped from his arm.
However, with just a thought, the misty white gas appeared over the wound, and in the blink of an eye, the cut healed without even a trace of a scar left.
"What the...!"
Ivan's eyes widened in shock, and a memory from a comic he had read in his previous life surfaced in his mind: "Isn't this like the Qi transformation technique from the Xianxia cultivation stories?"
Researching the Obscurus, but ended up discovering a fucking cultivation technique?
Ivan's shock at this revelation was overwhelming. My skin has turned into pure magic, and that's why the wound was able to repair itself.
But then, something felt off.
Ivan looked down at the blood that had dripped onto the flowers at his feet.
There was no doubt—it was the same blood that had just fallen from his arm.
"Is this... real?"
Through his magical sight, Ivan could see that the blood didn't contain any magic, meaning it wasn't simply a magical transformation. It was real blood—actual flesh and blood, not an illusion created by magic.
"Permanent transformation?!"
Ivan's shock was justified.
If this were just a simple magical transformation, the moment the blood left his body, it should have turned back into magic and dissipated.
But the blood remained.
Which raised an important question—where did the additional flesh and blood in Ivan's body come from?
"Magic!"
Ivan realized the truth, exclaiming in astonishment, "The white smoke can reshape my flesh and blood—and it's not temporary, it's a permanent transformation!"
And not only that.
Ivan's body was now fused with magic itself.
This meant he was no longer merely a mortal—he had become a magical creature!
"In this way, the white mist not only allows for permanent transformation but also magical transformation!"
"If I continue—starting from the skin, then to the limbs, and eventually to the internal organs—everything within me could eventually turn into this white mist!"
At that point, Ivan would become an embodiment of magic itself.
He would be magic.
"If I could really achieve that..."
Ivan couldn't help but recall a phrase from a comic he had once read: "This is the path to immortality!"
Magic is eternal, and the mist indestructible...
Immortal, everlasting!
"I am magic, and my thoughts are magic!"
As he envisioned such a future, Ivan couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
Fortunately, with a will score of 3, he quickly suppressed his rising emotions.
"It's too soon for such thoughts. Being overly ambitious can be dangerous."
For now, Ivan could only turn the most superficial tissues of his body into magic. "A magical incarnation, a state of reverse life... different paths to the same goal."
The two concepts were indeed very similar: transforming from the limbs to the internal organs, and finally turning the entire body into Qi, achieving complete reverse life.
However, the protagonist in the comic failed—the third level never reached immortality.
But Ivan was different!
Magic is magic, and Qi is Qi.
Qi is one, but magic is a force that does not belong to this world.
This doesn't mean that innate Qi is inferior to magic.
Ivan's point was that even if one's entire body were transformed into Qi, becoming innate Qi, it would still be going from one form of existence to another.
How much acquired Qi one had cultivated would be equivalent to how much innate Qi they possessed after the transformation. It's merely a change in state and quality.
In contrast, magic power isn't something that can be acquired through training, nor does it need to be cultivated.
Magic is created from nothing, and it is infinite by nature.
It's as if Ivan had an endless energy source behind him.
If he wanted to, he could create a mountain, a river, an ocean, or even an entire world!
Of course, that was only theoretical.
Whether Ivan could reach such a level—or even if the idea of turning his entire body into a magical form was feasible—remained to be explored.
"But in dreams... If I can't achieve it in reality, can't I have everything in my dream?"
The concept of cultivating his obscurus magic and attaining immortality was just a theory, much like Ivan's current magical incarnation—it all depended on him in the end.
Ivan decided not to conduct any further tests for now.
You must know that too much is as bad as too little, and Ivan had plenty of time, so there was no need to rush.
"Let's go back."
Returning to the dormitory, Ivan re-sealed the wardrobe.
To ensure no one accidentally opened it, Ivan not only physically locked it but also cast an anti-unlocking charm.
Time quickly passed, and the next day arrived.
"You seem really happy."
In the Great Hall, Hermione noticed Ivan's unusually good mood, as he had been smiling all morning.
"Is it that obvious?"
Ivan was indeed quite happy; after all, he had solved his biggest problem.
"Is it because of Harry?"
"Huh?"
Ivan was caught off guard, not expecting Hermione to say that. "No, I'm happy because I found a way to immo—Ehm to heal my body last night."
"Healing your body...?"
Hermione quickly realized what he meant. She lowered her voice, but the excitement in her tone was unmistakable. "Really?"
"Yes," Ivan confirmed with a nod.
"That's wonderful! We won't have to worry about it anymore. It's fantastic!"
"Yeah."
Ivan smiled and nodded but then changed his mind and asked, "You just mentioned Harry? What's going on with Harry?"
"It happened last night," Hermione explained. "Remember, before you returned from Dumbledore's office, Harry was telling everyone that you had defeated him."
"Huh?"
"Now the whole school knows."
Hermione seemed troubled by this. She felt that Ivan should keep a low profile for a while.
Of course, she wasn't upset with Ivan personally.
The young witch just believed that Ivan had enough strength, and fame could easily follow. She thought he should focus on immersing himself in study rather than drawing attention.
"Hmm.. This is definitely a problem."
Ivan could accept being seen as a leader at Hogwarts, but he wasn't eager to start battling dark forces outside of school just yet.
It was one thing to face Voldemort. After all, Voldemort was currently weakened, without a physical form, and less of a threat.
The real challenge lay with the pure-blood families, the Ministry of Magic, and the entire British wizarding world.
"I'll clear things up."
True to his word, Ivan found Harry and had a quick conversation with him.
Harry wasn't foolish, just a bit too excited the night before. He hadn't realized the kind of chaos that could follow from mentioning something like "Voldemort's resurrection."
They were still young, and having a stable environment for their development was particularly important.
To be honest, Ivan even hoped that Voldemort would stay alive a bit longer.
Ideally, Voldemort could continue drawing the attention of the entire British wizarding world, allowing Ivan and his group the chance to quietly grow and strengthen their own team under the radar, while the Death Eaters remained the primary focus.
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