Everyday Life of a Top Student at Hogwarts

Chapter 274 Breakthrough in Communication Networks and Underwater Preparation

Chapter 274 Breakthrough in Communication Networks and Underwater Preparation

After a preliminary exploration of the ancient nodes at the edge of Black Lake and the Forbidden Forest, Karen couldn't stop thinking about the faint stream of magic flowing into the depths of Black Lake. The underwater environment was different from the land, full of unknowns and risks, and he needed to be more fully prepared.

After briefly organizing the research materials at hand, he contacted his teachers, Nico and Castor, who were in France, through the two-way mirror.

"Good evening, Professor Nico and Professor Castor!" Karen greeted them respectfully before getting straight to the point, briefly reporting on the discovery of a possible ancient surveillance network in Slytherin, and highlighting the peculiar, faint magical flow that led to the center of the Black Lake node.

"—Therefore, I suspect that there may be another part of that system, or something else related to it, hidden at the bottom of the lake, and it seems that some of its functions are still intact. I would like to conduct further exploration, but the underwater environment is relatively unfamiliar to me, so I came to you two for advice," Karen concluded.

Nico stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming with interest. "A continuous flow of magic toward the lake bottom? That's certainly interesting. No wonder it's a legendary master's design; always so ingenious and discreet. When exploring underwater, the most important things are breathing and pressure."

"Hogwarts should have some gill stalks," Castor's voice was as direct as ever. "Although the effect doesn't last long, it's enough for short-term reconnaissance. Also, the 'Bubble Head Charm' is a more reliable option; if maintained properly, it can provide oxygen for a longer period and offer some resistance to water pressure and low temperatures. This spell requires good magical control, but that shouldn't be a problem for you. However, its underwater mobility isn't as good as gill stalks or Transfiguration. If you want to use Transfiguration, I'll write down the learning method for you later."

Nico added, "In addition, underwater visibility, orientation, and potential interference from magical creatures all need to be considered. I can prepare a few small items for you: a Radiant Bead," which provides a stable and bright cool light source underwater without affecting visibility; an underwater compass; and a small bottle of high-potency exorcism spice concentrate, which is quite effective at repelling most low-intelligence aquatic magical creatures. Use it with caution."

"Thank you, Mr. Nico!" Karen said happily. This equipment was exactly what he needed.

"I'll have the owl send the items out as soon as possible." Nico nodded. "Remember, Karen, safety is paramount underwater. Don't venture into unknown areas rashly, and always pay attention to the stability of the Bubble Head Charm and the changes in the flow of magic."

Castor also advised, "Master the head-diving spell first, and fully acclimatize to the underwater environment in shallow near-shore waters before attempting a deep dive. If anything seems amiss, surface immediately."

"I understand, thank you for reminding me, teacher." Karen kept her mentor's advice in mind.

In the days following the end of communication, Karen waited for the package while practicing the Bubble Head Charm and Transfiguration, and devoted the rest of her time to improving the networking capabilities of the communication quill.

Inspired by the principles of "multi-point marking" and "centralized information processing" in Marauder's Map, his challenge was to enable multiple quills to accurately identify each other and exchange information in a targeted manner, while also controlling the consumption of magic power.

The key lies in the "True Name Rune" he had conceived earlier. This is not a real name, but a unique magical mark containing subtle magical properties. He needs to solidify such a mark for each quill pen, like giving each pen a unique "magical signature."

Fortunately, these steps were only slightly tedious for Karen at the moment, but not particularly difficult. After completing the etching, he needed to steadily infuse his magic into the pen, guiding the mithril pigment to perfectly fuse with the quill, thus permanently fixing this unique magical mark inside the pen shaft, making it an inseparable part of it. His control over magic was on full display at this moment; the energy flowed smoothly and seamlessly, without the slightest stagnation or waste, succeeding on the first try.

He successfully imbued four different "True Name Runes" into the three new quill pens and the previous prototype pen. When he gently infused the pen barrels with magic, he could clearly feel each pen emitting a unique, extremely faint magical fluctuation, like four different musical notes.

Next comes the more crucial part—designing a miniature central processing unit. He doesn't need a massive system like Marauder's Map; he just needs a small device that can recognize these "magical signatures" and perform simple guidance.

He chose a small piece of pure white crystal as the vessel. Inside the crystal, he used several variations of the ancient rune "Ansuz," representing "communication" and "information," and "Raido," representing "journey" and "the correct path," to construct an extremely intricate miniature magic circle. This magic circle functions like a simple dispatch center, capable of identifying signals from a specific "magical signature" and directing them to another designated "magical signature."

The process of carving and infusing magic also required extremely precise manipulation. Karen pushed her "Eye of Truth" and her own magical perception to the limit, ensuring that the miniaturized rune lines were accurate and contained just the right amount of magic. Finally, when the last stroke of magic was infused, the small white crystal core emitted a soft, steady light before fading away, indicating that the magic circle inside had been successfully activated and was operating stably.

The final step was to "bind" the four quills, each with its "magical signature," to the crystal core. He needed to ensure that the unique vibrations of each pen left an imprint on the crystal core and established a two-way connection. He devised a simple resonance ritual: placing the four quills and the crystal core within a pre-drawn small magic circle, while simultaneously injecting activation magic into the circle.

The magic circle lit up, and four slender threads of magical light extended from the crystal core, precisely connecting to each quill pen. The "True Name Rune" solidified on the pen handle also glowed faintly, echoing the connection. A few seconds later, the threads disappeared, and the connection was established.

Karen let out a long sigh of relief, a satisfied look on his face. Although it had taken a lot of mental effort, the whole process was smooth and effortless, without any mistakes. He picked up the crystal core, which was no bigger than a fingernail; it could be easily set anywhere, even placed directly in his pocket.

On Saturday morning, Karen gathered her three roommates at Eagle's Nest. By then, the small package Nico had arrived and was placed aside.

"New communication quills, let's test them out." He handed the three new quills to Wesley, Fabian, and Ernesto, while he held the prototype pen himself. He placed the crystal core in the center of the workbench.

"What's different about this one from the previous one?" Wesley took the pen and examined it from all angles. The pen barrel looked pretty much the same as before, except that it was a little heavier.

"I tried making a small improvement," Karen explained. "Now these four pens can communicate with each other through this small crystal core in the middle. It's no longer limited to a one-to-one connection between two pens."

"Passing it on to each other?" Ernesto raised an eyebrow. "Like talking in a small circle?"

"That's one way to understand it," Karen nodded. "For example, Wesley, you write a sentence down with your pen, thinking that it's for Fabian."

Wesley did as he was told, picking up a pen and writing on the parchment: "[Fabian, wanna go fly to the stadium for a bit this afternoon?]"

The moment he put pen to paper, the runes on the tip of his quill flashed slightly. Almost simultaneously, the crystal core in the center of the workbench flickered rapidly. Meanwhile, Fabian's quill suddenly stood upright on its own, writing rapidly on the unfolded parchment in Wesley's handwriting: "[Fabian, wanna go fly sometime at the court this afternoon?]"

"Merlin!" Fabian exclaimed in surprise, staring at the automatic writing pen. "It moved on its own! And it really was Wesley writing!"

"Really?" Ernesto also came over to look, his face full of surprise.

"Now, Fabian, you can reply to him," Karen said with a smile.

Fabian picked up his pen and wrote a reply: "[Okay! But my Five Star Sweep isn't working so well right now, you'll have to wait for me.]"

'

The same process happened again. The crystal core flickered, and the pen in Wesley's hand automatically wrote down Fabian's reply.

"That's so cool!" Wesley exclaimed excitedly. "This is so much more convenient than a two-way mirror! No more talking to a mirror!"

"Try having multiple people talking at the same time," Karen suggested.

Ernesto immediately picked up a pen and wrote: "[Take me with you, just in time to test the Comet 260 I just adjusted.]" He wanted everyone to see it.

Instantly, Karen, Wesley, and Fabian all started writing Ernesto's invitation.

"Haha, it really works!" Wesley laughed.

Karen also tested it, writing a message: "[Test if the message is clear and how much energy it consumes.]" and sending it to everyone.

The three pens are writing in sync again.

The four of them, as if they had received a new toy, excitedly tested it for a while, sending various short messages. They found that the message transmission was almost imperceptible, and the handwriting was reproduced very clearly.

"Currently, this small crystal core can support about four to five pens connected at the same time," Karen explained. "The distance is limited to within the Hogwarts Castle area. Beyond that, the magical connection becomes unstable or even breaks down. In terms of energy consumption, the magical energy consumed in a single writing transfer is negligible. Maintaining the core and the basic connection between the pen and the core requires a continuous consumption of a little environmental magical energy, but the speed is very slow. It is estimated that the core will only need to be recharged once every few months."

"This is truly remarkable, Karen!" Fabian exclaimed sincerely. "This is a tremendous advancement in magical communication!"

"It's really useful," Ernesto said, unusually praising it as he gently stroked the quill pen.

"Haha, from now on, we won't have to worry about not being able to find Karen when she sneaks out at night!" Wesley said with a laugh.

Karen smiled at his excited roommates. "This is just a preliminary attempt." His gaze flickered to the package Nico had sent, his thoughts already partially drifting to the depths of the Black Lake. The breakthrough in communication networks was certainly welcome, but the upcoming underwater exploration would be a completely new challenge. He couldn't wait to try out the Bubble Head Charm and Transfiguration, and to test the newly arrived equipment.