Hogwarts Card System Chapter 279

Chapter 279: Ron: Huh?!

The second beta test of the magic board game concluded perfectly. Although many issues were still found, the general framework was solid.

Everyone was very satisfied, brimming with confidence and anticipation for this new creation.

Many young wizards who participated in the internal testing would come over to Ted and the others during lunch and dinner, implying: “Be sure to call me for the next test! I’ll bring my own food!”

Even more young wizards who had only heard about it but hadn’t seen it were scratching their heads, urging Ted to release it soon. “Why keep testing? We can help you test!”

In response, Ted quickly issued a notice: “Students whose year-end exam scores do not rank in the top third of their grade will not be invited to participate in the next test, as we are concerned about the impact on their academic performance.”

Ted didn’t want to face Professor McGonagall’s scrutiny.

He needed to motivate the students’ enthusiasm for learning, right?

As for the internal competition it would ignite, hahaha, 996 is a blessing~

Ted took the time to meticulously review the development of this magic game, and he was surprised by how much they had gained.

The various challenges the development team encountered during this process were unimaginable.

In reality, they charged forward with pure enthusiasm. When Hermione later organized the technical data, she was somewhat stunned—they had actually overcome dozens of large and small technical difficulties. There were twelve papers alone that could be published in professional journals.

When Ted strutted into Professor McGonagall’s office with that stack of parchment, each with a different title, the swagger in his heart was indescribable. He practically walked in sideways!

Professor McGonagall was also stunned after reading them—it was more cumulative achievement than all the students she had taught in ten years combined!

In addition, there were also some small inventions, such as magic items, magical materials, potion improvements, and spell transfiguration…

When Ted brought the potion improvement formulas to Snape, Snape, though still scowling, was uncharacteristically not sarcastic.

He even helped them secure an entire page in Potions Today for the students, detailing the entire research and development process.

At the end, he even wrote: “After teaching students for so many years, I finally feel like I haven’t been wasting my time.”

Dumbledore, there was no need to mention him. Although Ted hadn’t sought him out, in the current situation, how could anything happening at the school escape his notice?

After learning about how the entire project had benefited the students, he even seriously considered for a long time: should he organize similar development projects every year to stimulate students’ self-study and research enthusiasm and enhance their abilities?

Ted always had a habit of smilingly appraising others’ attributes, coupled with his superhuman memory, so he knew the data changes of everyone in the project team.

The person with the least progress still had two skill levels increased, with individual spells gaining two or three levels.

And the one with the greatest gains even had their wizarding profession level up twice!

Originally, the students in the project team were all top students or those with special talents. After this experience, they far surpassed ordinary students.

Magic, after all, is a subjective thing, and the young wizards’ tireless research greatly promoted their magical advancement.

To be honest, Ted really hadn’t expected this situation. He had only initially intended to get a free ride…

Now, the team members were discussing whether to give the magic game a formal, exclusive name.

As a result, just settling on a name took three hours without a decision.

Names like “Merlin’s Flowery Undies,” “That Thing,” “The Non-Existent World,” and “Second Life” were discussed. The young wizards’ naming abilities were either too mundane or too far ahead of their time.

Finally, Ted proposed a candidate that received ninety percent approval and was ultimately adopted.

Since it was in Great Britain, it would be called—Arcadia!

Further development and refinement of Arcadia have temporarily come to an end.

After all, high-intensity work for too long is not good; efficiency will decline.

Those who don’t rest can’t work.

It’s not like they’re slaving away for a black-hearted capitalist; why bother? Time for tea first~

Everyone will rest their minds during this period and resume in half a month.

And they also need to start reviewing their lessons, as the exams are only two weeks away.

If they still wanted to have a comfortable Christmas, it was best to face the year-end exams seriously.

…

During this time, Ted sealed off the entire research classroom. No one was allowed in, enforcing mandatory rest.

You could ponder on your own, seek inspiration, and plan future research directions and methods. But no internal competition during this period!

So, everyone who had become addicted to the game had nowhere to go during this time.

Ted and the others used this time to push another wave in Book of Adventures. After clearing four levels, they got stuck again.

Even Ted failed three times in a row—an extremely insidious Dark Wizard (level 13), with a dozen Dark Creatures (levels 8 and 9) under his command, occupying a strategic position, and their own side had two liabilities…

Everyone agreed that they probably couldn’t continue this year. It was even questionable if they could ever clear it!

Ted, however, was quite happy with it, as he could still gain experience. Each time, he would violently kick open the door, rushing to kill as many as possible before the liabilities were taken out.

He recently planned to grind for more experience to level up his Mind Mage to level 8. First, he could draw a talent card, and second, his psionics could be upgraded to level 9!

According to the system’s description, level 9 was maxed out.

At least for the system, it was maxed, or rather, for this world, level 9 was the peak.

He imagined that the power of psionics would be beyond imagination then!

Psionics was different from magic power. Level 9 magic power just meant an enormous amount of magic power and enhanced control.

But it was just a form of energy! Its specific manifestation depended on your related skill levels and the specific spell levels.

Magic power level was the baseline, guaranteeing the minimum effect of your spells. The final effect still depended on your mastery of skills, spell proficiency, and so on.

But psionics was different; it wasn’t just about the quantity of psychic energy, but also its intensity!

According to Ted’s understanding, level 9 psionics should be able to reverse reality!

Mainly, Ted planned to use the most powerful psionics to bless the game when Arcadia officially opened, so he could get the most positive feedback.

He now felt that this thing had great potential and was worth investing heavily in.

…

Although Arcadia was off-limits, the friends still had ways to entertain themselves.

They had plenty of “toys.”

In the secret base, Jerry was playing chess with Didi.

Yes, it was Neville’s pet dog, Didi.

After several months, Didi was now the size of a medium-sized dog, with long white fur spotted with black, and a large broom-like tail that, with a gentle wag, created gusts of wind. On her chest was a red marking that looked like a natural magic pattern.

Neville took great care of her, taking her through the castle, the greenhouse, and the Forbidden Forest every day.

Didi was incredibly intelligent, so intelligent that Neville sometimes worried she would look down on him.

So intelligent that she could play wizard chess, and was currently playing against Jerry, having already gained a huge advantage.

Though she couldn’t speak, she didn’t need to speak to command the chess pieces.

Now, Ron’s ancestral wizard chess pieces were practically rebelling, urging Ron: “Why don’t you give us to Didi? You’ve basically given up on wizard chess anyway.”

Ron always felt like he was being cuckolded!

He tried to persuade Neville: “Neville, why don’t you let Didi go outside for a walk? Staying indoors playing chess all the time isn’t what a proper dog should be doing, is it?!”

Didi turned her head and gave him a glance, precisely conveying her meaning: I advise you to mind your own business!

Just then, Holly walked in with a stack of cards: “What’s everyone doing?”

Ron glanced at the notebook in his hand and sighed: “Exams are coming soon, and I haven’t even reviewed Transfiguration yet!”

Holly nodded: “Is that so? Then how about a game of Wizard’s Card?”

“Haha!” Ron leaped up, tossing aside his notebook, “Come on! No one in Gryffindor is my match!”

This was why the ancestral wizard chess pieces said it was useless to stay with Ron.

He hadn’t touched those pieces in three months.

He had a new love!

Although Ted had locked the magic chessboard, the magic card game project, now officially called Wizard’s Card, spearheaded by Hermione, didn’t require a board.

The grand stage of magic, wizards, come quickly!

Each of them had 30 cards, which they assembled into their own decks, and then they began their battle.

When these cards were played, they would form three-dimensional animations on the table.

Ron: “Finally, I’ve gathered enough magic crystals! Come forth, Global Shared Brain, Malphite the Golem!”

He threw down the card, and a clumsy golem lumbered into existence, then triggered its Battlecry: Unstoppable Force!

It immediately transformed into a meteor, performing a devastating ground slam, crashing into the several minions Holly had summoned on her field.

With a “click” of an unlocking sound, the face-down card in front of Holly flipped over. It was a magic card: Chaos, which confuses the target of the opponent’s skill.

Holly’s voice rang out from the card: “A mere trick, daring to show off before an expert.”

Hearing this, Malphite the Golem turned in mid-air and crashed headfirst into Ron’s own minions, wiping out several of his low-level followers.

Ron: “Huh?!”

Jerry: I really like something Ron says: Huh?!

(End of this chapter)