"So your next class is teaching the little wizards how to defeat a Boggart? That thing even needs defeating?" Kasenhis asked, pointing to the trembling cabinet in the corner.
"Well.. Kasenhis, you're not like everyone else. Not everyone's first instinct upon seeing their greatest fear is to grab it by the collar and beat it senseless. Besides, some people's fears aren't even concrete—sometimes it's an abstract moment, or even the corpse of a loved one… You can't just go around corpse-beating, now, can you?" Lupin explained earnestly.
"Mm, I could.. but oh well, fair enough," Kasenhis nodded, finishing the last of his tea and getting ready to pat his butt and leave.
"Where are you going?"
"Magic research," Kasenhis replied casually.
"Take me with you," Lupin said as he gulped down the rest of his scalding tea in one swift motion and stood up to follow.
He hadn't forgotten what Dumbledore told him when tricking him into taking the professor job: to keep an eye on any magical experiments Kasenhis did, for the dual safety of the alchemy professor's life and the structural integrity of Hogwarts.
"Uh… sure, whatever. Come on."
Not long after, the two of them opened the door to the Alchemy Office, and Lupin, all too familiar with the routine by now, casually pulled over two boats.
"Where's Bruce today?"
"No idea. But he's a dog—full of energy. Understandable."
Soon, the two of them docked the boats. Lupin stood there dumbly, utterly confused as he stared at the new desk and the strange machine that had appeared in the work area.
In the corner was a square platform with nine neatly arranged slots.
He just stood there, wide-eyed, as he watched Kasenhis pull out his [Advanced Arcane Art Magic Book] and place it in one corner.
Then came a ridiculously large diamond, an ominously dark black rock, some kind of glowy magical stone, and two Blaze Rods that looked like they were still on fire.
"I don't know the first damn thing about alchemy… but I have a feeling that.. Dumbledore really dumped the worst job on me," Lupin muttered blankly.
Meanwhile, Kasenhis was happily flipping through his upgraded Arcane Magic Book. The previous one was a beginner's version, but this one was a mid-tier model called the Mage's Magic Book.
There were three levels of glyphs used for Arcane Art magic books. The beginner book only supported Level 1 glyphs, but this new one could use Level 2 glyphs.
And unlike the Level 1 glyphs, which were mostly useless gimmicks—basically magical fart noises—Level 2 glyphs were legitimately powerful.
One glyph in particular had had Kasenhis drooling for a long time: the Power Glyph.
Just the name alone—Power Glyph—sounded like it oozed style and prestige.
Kasenhis flipped open the manual to take a look: it required Exceptional Clay, an anvil, and a glyph press…
What the heck is Exceptional Clay?
That was the question mark that popped up over Kasenhis's head.
He kept flipping through the manual…
"I can make it. Awesome."
He let out a sigh of relief. As for the method—also pretty simple: magical clay and a magical gem, both of which could be crafted using the infusion altar. Then you just slap those two magic items together with a bunch of vanilla Minecraft materials, and voilà—Exceptional Clay.
"What's this thing used for?" Lupin asked at just the right time.
"You can think of it like a mold," Kasenhis said as he placed the clay and anvil into the machine. The next second, the Power Glyph popped out all shiny and glowing.
"Whaaat the heck? That's not scientific!" Lupin stared at the scene in shock, his entire worldview rocked by this so-called alchemy. He was already stunned earlier when Kasenhis pulled out a massive anvil with his bare hands.
But now—how did putting an anvil and some clay together and pressing them… do that?
"Heh heh heh~ Such is the power of universal magic, dear Lupin—do study harder!" Kasenhis said as he slotted the Power Glyph into the groove in his magic book.
"So strictly speaking, would you call this an alchemical item or a magic spell?" Lupin quieted down for a moment before asking.
"A bit of both. In fact, I don't even need the magic book to use magic." Kasenhis closed the book and tilted his chin toward a wine glass on the nearby coffee table. The next moment, a sudden pressure crushed the wine glass into powder.
"Wow… but your control's kinda sloppy. You just dented your table," Lupin walked over, chuckling as he inspected the mess.
"…Aren't you good with the Repair Charm? Help me out," Kasenhis said awkwardly.
"Speaking of which, if you can research all these bizarre spells, why can't you just pick up a proper spellbook and study it seriously for a few days?" Lupin asked while repairing the table.
"That's because I really don't have much talent in that area… Do you think I'm cut out for learning the Patronus Charm? Dumbledore says it needs a happy memory. I thought it'd be easy for me, but the truth is… I don't have any." Kasenhis shrugged.
"Yeah.. Actually, having happy memories yourself and bringing happiness to others are two completely different things. Want me to teach you?"
"No thanks."
Lupin shrugged and didn't press the matter. "By the way, are you only doing these small experiments now? I haven't seen you using any of the big machines lately."
"Those things are too dangerous. I just want to mess around with some casual projects for now," Kasenhis replied as he continued flipping through the manual.
Before long, he had crafted two more glyphs: Fireworks and Featherfall.
"What do those two do?" Lupin asked.
"Try it and you'll see." Kasenhis pulled out a small remote, and the floor-to-ceiling window in the distance slowly lowered itself, transforming into a massive open terrace.
"Come on."
The two of them stepped onto the terrace. Kasenhis edited the spell, combining Fireworks and Featherfall, then aimed it straight at Lupin and fired.
Boom!
"Ayooo—!!??"
The next second, a red beam hit Lupin, and with a whoosh, he shot up into the sky. In no time, bursts of glowing sparks bloomed all around him like fireworks, and then—he began drifting back down, slowly and gracefully.
"Wowowo... fuck...."
"Haah.. haah..." Lupin sat on the terrace for a good while before reaching out a hand toward Kasenhis. "I seriously want to punch you right now. Like, for real."
"Just don't hit the face, okay?"
Lupin rolled his eyes, gave Kasenhis a solid punch in the shoulder, then pushed himself up with a grunt. "And of course, you didn't even think to come help me up… Anyway, that firework spell of yours is completely nuts. A regular wizard wouldn't even have the concentration to keep hold of their wand at that height and velocity."
"If it weren't for the Featherfall spell afterward, splattering on the ground would've been the only possible outcome."
Kasenhis stroked his chin, "Mmhmm… So if I launch an enemy into the air with Fireworks, then slam them down with Gravity right after—think that'd deal massive damage? Worth a try—"
" Hey, hey, hey, stop looking at me like that! I'm not playing with you anymore! Go find Bruce." Lupin said, still panting.
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