One month passed by while he trained only and did some side thieving on the nights. And things were going pretty well as he had made various preparations and plans by now.

He was a bit hopeful that he'd be able to get this thing over soon and heal himself. So, he decided to give it a trial run. To just go ahead and scout out what exactly he was dealing with here. Who knows? Maybe he was already ready and didn't need to make more preparations...

With such hopes, he went to the third-floor corridor after elaborate preparations. But, it soon became very clear to him that things weren't going to go as he had envisioned.

After a month of training after getting all the Potions, with his upgraded Skills and newly bought skills, Axel thought he was ready.

He went to the third-floor corridor expecting Dementors. But to his surprise, there were none.

Relieved by the unexpected boon, he had continued down the corridor, step by step as he used his skill.

[Ward Breaking]

He used his skill to check out if there were any wards. And to his surprise, there really were none!

But, as he went closer to the door, he started to feel like not going further anymore. What would he even do? Isn't it dangerous? Let's not do this...

'WAIT!'

Axel quickly snapped out of it.

"The fuck...?! Why didn't my skill detect that?" he muttered. Whatever that was, it would have worked on anyone else, but since Axel was on a whole different level in terms of mental strength, it couldn't affect him.

'System, I already dodged that one, can you at least tell me what it is now?' He asked.

The system wasn't supposed to help him in his Missions. Otherwise, the rewards and approval rate he was supposed to get wouldn't be allowed by the world laws since he didn't earn them.

[You have successfully resisted it, so the system can inform you about it. It was a cleverly hidden repellent ward. It will try to repel all those who try to approach the door save for a few individuals.]

Axel frowned. If so, then why couldn't his skill detect it? Well, considering that he had made around 30% progress in Ward Breaking, it can be assumed that Dumbledore has a much higher mastery over the subject than that.

"Well, just to be sure..." he muttered as he closed his eyes for a moment.

[Arcane Eyes]

"Àrtërørtùs," he muttered. When he raised his head once again, his irises were glowing and so were the veins on his face that were close to the eyes.

Looking ahead, at first, he saw no other ward other than the Repellent Ward, but...if he looked carefully, there was a very thin line of magic hidden ahead!

"Fuck," he muttered as he canceled the skill and clutched at his head. This was the new ability he had gotten from his [Arcane Eyes]. It lets him see the magic for a brief moment. From the pain he was experiencing, it was clear that he was NOT ready to use that skill yet. But, it has given him enough info for now.

"This... is confusing," he muttered as he rested on his knees, gasping for breath.

The man could have laid the whole place with different kinds of traps, but instead, there are only two. He already knows what one is for, Repelling. Then what about the other? He can't even detect it, so how'd he check what it was for? And, bypassing it would be even more difficult.

Axel sighed. It seems like he currently doesn't have the skills to deal with this. He was far too overconfident, thinking that since he had reached the 25% of the Ward Breaking, he was a fucking boss.

But turns out, Albus Dumbledore isn't only an expert in Transfiguration, alchemy, and dueling, he is also quite an expert in Wards if he can outmatch 25% of the system's Ward Breaking.

Thus, there was no way Axel could do this theft without a lot of practice in the Warding Breaking skill. With his current level, it's gonna take a while for him to be able to deal with the wards considering that this was just the beginning of the corridor. There could be anything in there.

"Fuck you, Dumbledore," he muttered as he began to leave, but before leaving, he suddenly turned around as he got an idea. He took out a paper from his pouch, made an airplane, and let it fly toward the second ward. The paper belonged to someone he didn't mind using as a scapegoat.

Then, he turned on his Arcane Eyes once again and observed the process.

As the airplane flew past the second ward, the ward got triggered as the thin line of magic snapped. But still, the airplane was unharmed. And as Axel saw the magic moving, he realized what the second ward was for.

"Fuck..." he muttered as he began to run. He now knew what both wards were for.

One is a repellent ward. It's so powerful that very few might be able to resist it if they aren't on the list of people who are exempted by the caster.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

The other one is a few steps ahead. And Axel can't detect this one either, or rather, it's even more cleverly hidden. What was its function? It's some sort of alarm or notification ward!

As soon as he passes by this one, it means that he has resisted the repellent ward enough to reach that point. And anyone able to do that isn't just some curious student, but the real deal, and the old man will be informed.

It was simple but brilliant. What is a best protection for the Philosopher's Stone than Albus Fucking Dumbledore himself? And the thing is, the second one was hidden even more carefully, so Dumbledore could even amuse himself watching the trespasser's attempt to go further and stop him whenever he wants.

He had failed.

"Calm down...calm down," muttered Axel as he returned back to his hideout after his failure. His fist clenched as he faced the reality: He might not be able to steal it within this year.

How could he, when the difference in skill was so overwhelming? And what else was he expecting anyway? It's the Philosopher's Stone, something that can grant the owner immortality and Infinite gold. There's no way it could have been protected by obstacles that a person with only one year of magical training could pass, right?

But, he had the system. If only he can take his time... he can really do it.

Accepting the reality, Axel lay down on the floor, letting the disappointment settle. It's going to take time, but at least he now knows exactly what he's up against. And, he has time. Plus, the rewards are going to be huge. So, his situation isn't that bad, right? It could have been worse.

…

It became worse. Fucking Flag!

It was just after a few days after his first attempt. He had been in the library, minding his own business when,

"Psst…Psst Psst."

"What is it?" He asked, turning his head towards Daphne who was trying to attract his attention.

"Shhh...keep it down," she said in a harsh whisper that probably attracted more attention than his voice did.

Axel's eye twitched,

"The fuck you want?" He asked in a lower voice.

Daphne came closer as she whispered into his ear.

"I have a very shocking news!"

Axel looked unimpressed,

"What is it?"

"Promise you won't tell anyone," she whispered.

Axel just stared at her at her like she was an idiot.

"Yeah right, like I usually gossip with a lot of people," he muttered.

Daphne pouted but still didn't back down,

"There's still Martina..." she said grudgingly. There were indeed very few people Axel would even give the time of day in these busy days.

Axel shook his head. This was taking too much time.

"I don't want to hear it," he said as he went back to his work.

Daphne slumped,

"Fine... it was about the third-floor corridor..." she said in lamentation. She was looking forward to seeing his reaction to the shocking piece of news, but it was no use now. Because she knew that once Axel has lost interest, there's no chance he'll liste—

"I promise," came Axel's voice, surprising Daphne as a sudden pressure descended on her, making it a bit difficult to breathe properly.

Daphne turned her head to see Axel looking at her intensely.

"? What?" she asked.

"I said, I promise to not tell anyone. Now tell me this secret already," he said seriously.

"Oh-Okay," said Daphne, a bit flustered as she sang like a bird under the pressure.

"Apparently, the third-floor corridor has the Philosopher's Stone, guarded by a three-headed dog. And... someone's trying to steal it," she said, and was rewarded by the sight of Axel's eyes widening as his mouth fell open.

It had to be noted that for someone else, it might be a normal expression, but in Axel's case, it was an equivalent of an ordinary person shrieking in horror and passing out.

Snap*

giggle*

Axel didn't even pay attention to Daphne snapping his picture as he processed that information.

"Daphne," he said to her, his eyes still unfocused as his mind raced. He needed more information.

"Yeah?" Asked Daphne, looking at the picture she had taken.

"Would you come to the broom closet with me?" He asked. There were too many people who could hear their conversation here in this quiet place. They needed to go somewhere private since the information was too sensitive.

"!" Daphne almost had a heart attack hearing those words.

…

—Inside a broom closet —

"So, only Rose, Neville, Hermione, Susan, Hannah and you know about this? Are you sure?" He asked, standing with his wand lit up with Lumos.

Daphne nodded, still not quite believing that she was currently in a b-broom closet. She certainly didn't expect her first time to be like this.

But Axel was too focused to pay her any heed.

"How did you guys find out?" He asked.

"Hm?" It took a moment for Daphne to come to her senses,

"Oh, Rose, Hermione, and Neville found out about most of it. They just asked me about the Philosopher's Stone," said Daphne as she then explained how Rose found out about it.

Apparently, the three of them stumbled into the third-floor corridor and then went into the room at the end which had a three-headed dog on the other side, guarding a trapdoor. It started from there.

But Axel was frowning the whole time. 'How were they not stopped by the repellent ward?' He wondered. They shouldn't have been able to go with their mental power. Maybe the Repellent Ward was only installed later when the alarm was being tripped repeatedly by bumbling and curious students.

So, they most likely also tripped the alarm, meaning that there's a high chance that Dumbledore knows about this. But, more importantly, someone was trying to steal it?

"How do you know someone's trying to steal it?" He asked.

Daphne sighed,

"It's someone between that Umbitch and Greasy Git. But there's a chance that it could be anyone else," she said, showing her disgust at both Umbridge and Snape.

Both were thoroughly hated individuals.

She then explained the whole situation about how Rose and friends came to know about it. Apparently, it all started with Halloween, which was actually a diversion.

By the end of her explaination, Axel clenched his fists. Things just couldn't go as he expected them to go. Time, the only thing he thought he possessed, had been taken away from him as now he had to steal the stone before this competitor of his stole it first or made the situation even more difficult.

It's decided. He's going to go for it this year. There's no time to prepare. He's just going to wait for the right opportunity.

...

Umbridge looked at the huge stacks of parchments in her office. A small student with a bloody hand quietly added another page to the pile as he looked at her with pleading eyes.

Umbridge smiled. "You can leave for the day, dear." she said, offering the boy a healing Potion so that he doesn't need to go to Pomfrey. That would raise too many questions.

Umbridge relaxed in her chair as she looked crossed the name of another mudblood from her list. Throughout the year, she had been enacting justice by punishing the mudbloods. Though she had had to be discreet about it on her Lord's orders, it was satisfying nonetheless. he

Looking at the list of names in her hands, she found that there was only one student left, though she hadn't been able confirm his bloodstatus yet.

'What to do, what to do?'

Oh well, looks like she'll have to make him sleep in the class. Once he's given a detention, she can figure out the rest later