The mechanical voice persisted in resonating through Orli's mind.
"The system comprises ten basic rules. Memorization isn't necessary - familiarity will develop naturally through usage."
Wait... Orli experienced a mental short-circuit... 'Familiarity will develop naturally'... Wasn't that rather casual? Before she could dwell on it further, the system continued its broadcast:
"Rule One: This is a Potion Collection System. Bound exclusively to the host. Non-transferable, indestructible, and undetectable by any magical means."
"Rule Two: The system purchases all completed potions at market price plus 50%. Payments transfer automatically to the host's Gringotts account or designated location."
"Rule Three: The system issues graduated commission tasks. Currently categorized into Hogwarts Years 1-7, Potion Apprentice, Potion Expert, and Potion Master, comprising 10 levels total."
"Rule Four: Each commission task includes two sets of required potion ingredients in addition to standard payment. Task acceptors must utilize system-provided materials exclusively."
"Rule Five: Upon successful first-attempt completion, remaining ingredients become the task acceptor's property without system reclamation."
"Rule Six: Submission of personally sourced materials for system tasks is strictly prohibited. Violation results in permanent task disqualification."
"Rule Seven: Completion of ten tasks at current level enables automatic advancement. Three consecutive failures trigger level reduction."
"Rule Eight: Host earns system contribution points through successful potion collection or task completion."
"Rule Nine: System contribution points are exchangeable for various magical items through the system mall. Selection limited only by imagination."
"Rule Ten: The system retains all rights to rule interpretation. Modifications may occur based on current world parameters."
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
The rules materialized like a piece of parchment in Orli's mind. She applied examination-level concentration, meticulously reviewing each word thrice.
Evidently, Rules One and Two constituted economic advantages.
Fifty percent above market price... implying that purchasing potions at market rate and reselling to the system would yield immediate 50% profits? Extraordinarily lucrative! For competitive edge... perhaps offering 30% above market would attract traders while maintaining 20% margin...
Orli's expression brightened at the prospect of countless Galleons.
Rules Three through Seven appeared to address material advantages?
Many potions required ingredients notoriously difficult for students to obtain - reminiscent of Hermione's risky venture into Snape's office for Polyjuice Potion ingredients.
Numerous talented but financially constrained students, like Orli, struggled without practice materials. These tasks not only provided free materials but doubled the quantity.
Success on first attempt meant retaining spare materials for personal use or profit - the system's design was impeccably thoughtful.
Regarding higher-level tasks, one could only imagine the rarity of materials at Potion Master level, potentially enabling rediscovery of lost formulas... This system represented an untapped treasury.
Rules Eight and Nine expanded functionality further.
Mentally accessing the system mall icon revealed extensive broomstick collections, from vintage Cleansweep series through popular Comet lines to the cutting-edge Nimbus 2000, available for progressively increasing exchange points.
The merchandise variety proved staggering - rare ingredients absent even from ancestral notes, lost magical texts, potion formulas, spells... The final page even offered house-elves and entire ancient magical estates, though at astronomical exchange rates.
This powerful advantage's sudden appearance nearly overwhelmed Orli's faculties.
Fortunately, her rationality prevailed, prompting crucial inquiries:
"System, what becomes of collected potions? What's the source of rare materials and lost items? Are there limitations on exchangeable items?"
"Collected potions serve as rewards or exchange items in other dimensional universes' system malls, never circulating in this world. Similarly, items rare or extinct here originate from other dimensions. System existence maintains zero direct interference with this world's progression, excluding exchanges of plot-critical items like the Elder Wand, Resurrection Stone, or other reality-breaking artifacts."
"What precisely are you, system? A Horcrux-like soul fragment? Some higher-dimensional entity?"
"The system exists solely as a system. Though host-bound, it lacks independent consciousness. Operations follow preset protocols exclusively. Consider the system as: a basic AI incapable of self-evolution."
Orli finally dismissed her reservations, embracing this systematic advantage for navigation through the magical world. Aspiring not for universal salvation, but for comfortable sustenance .