To Yulia, this was no ordinary book—it held secrets linked to Travers and the Malfoy family, secrets that could destroy reputations and provoke investigations from the Ministry of Magic. If Alex uncovered even a fraction of its contents, it would be a catastrophe. But to Alex, it was just another puzzle waiting to be solved, and puzzles were his specialty.
He picked up the book and began studying the intricate runes etched across its surface. Occasionally, he tapped it lightly with a small hammer, muttering to himself. “Interesting… a multi-layered spell structure. Each layer functions as a separate unit, yet they work together seamlessly to form a complete magical system.”
Yulia could only watch in disbelief as Alex pieced together the secrets of the magic book. His focus was unnerving, his eyes darting between the book and his parchment, where he scribbled notes at a rapid pace.
“This system is brilliant,” Alex murmured, almost to himself. “Instead of cramming all the functions into one set of runes, each layer of spells handles a specific role. Protection, recording, activation, concealment, energy storage, blood recognition, and coordination. The layers interlock perfectly, creating a self-sustaining system with minimal energy loss. No wonder I couldn’t detect any magical fluctuations—it recycles its own energy!”
Yulia watched him with growing irritation. He had been at this for ten hours straight, and she was struggling to keep her eyes open. Still, a smug satisfaction lingered in her mind. She was confident in her family treasure—it was indestructible, impossible to replicate. Yet, the sight of Alex, battered and exhausted but unrelenting, planted an uneasy seed of doubt.
Finally, Alex stood up, his red-rimmed eyes gleaming with triumph. “Phew! That was close,” he muttered, checking his pocket watch. “Good thing the Felicity Elixir worked its magic. I wouldn’t have made it otherwise.”
He turned to Yulia, smirking. “The book has seven layers of runes, each responsible for a different function: protection, recording, activation, concealment, energy storage, blood recognition, and coordination. The coordination rune is the heart of the entire system. Without understanding that, anyone would be stuck trying to unravel it.”
Yulia’s jaw tightened, but she said nothing. “But now comes the tricky part,” Alex continued, rubbing his chin. “Copying it. The material is critical. The book itself isn’t ordinary leather—it’s soft yet incredibly durable. Without the right material, replicating the runes would be impossible.”
The leather-bound magic book in Alex's hands was a peculiar artifact. Its 150 pages were thick and sturdy, yet only 67 of them were inscribed with spells; the rest were blank. Despite being only slightly over half full, the book was thicker than an average one of its page count, a testament to the heft and density of the leather parchment.
From his interspatial bag, he retrieved a three-quarter-pound Mithril candlestick, a two-ounce Ulim steel bracelet, and a pound of Agrippa alloy. He levitated them with precision, using a flame spell to begin smelting them. The process was draining, and he paused to drink two bottles of tonic to replenish his stamina and magic reserves.
Meanwhile, Yulia watched Alex perform alchemy. Her surprise quickly turned to awe as the intricate process unfolded before her eyes. Alex worked with the skill of a seasoned craftsman. His familiarity with handling metals shone through; most of his alchemical tools and gadgets were made of similar materials. Using spells to guide his movements, he manipulated the molten metal with a fluidity that was almost hypnotic. Every motion was precise, as efficient and elegant as a finely-tuned industrial machine.
He melted the Mithril and Agrippa alloy together using his Ignis spell and set aside part of the Ulim steel for later. With careful Transfiguration, he shaped the Mithril and alloy mix into thin, eight-carat metal sheets. He then layered three sheets together in a 1:2 ratio, letting the residual heat bond them naturally. Guiding the process with his magic, he forged a single metal plate, each precisely one millimeter thick.
This was only the beginning. Alex repeated the operation 70 times, creating all the pages he needed. He then used the leftover Mithril and Ulim steel to fashion a metallic cover with a reinforced spine, complete with a row of half-ring buckles. This spine allowed the otherwise rigid metal pages to rotate freely when inserted into the rings.
The unique design addressed the biggest challenge of using metal pages: they couldn’t be bent or folded like traditional parchment. By drilling small holes into each page and attaching them to the spine’s rings, Alex created a modular system where additional pages could be added seamlessly.
The spine also needed to coordinate the runes inscribed on each page. Alex meticulously designed a magic channel at each joint to minimize power loss. While this design caused minor magical energy fluctuations due to the less stable connections, it was functional and efficient for now. "This will do for now. I’ll improve it later," he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
The process took him nearly an hour, during which his magic control was pushed to its limits. His head throbbed with exhaustion, but he pressed on. Next came the labor-intensive task of inscribing runes. Alex downed another energy potion to maintain focus.
Rune engraving was a painstaking process, requiring both precision and patience. While Alex had grown proficient in enchanting, the sheer number of inscriptions made it a daunting task. Over the next three hours, he carved coordinating runes onto the spine, layered spells for protection and concealment onto the covers, and etched recording, activation, and energy-storage runes onto each of the 70 pages.
By the time he finished, nearly 20 hours had passed since Alex had entered the library. His hands ached from the repetitive motion, but as he stretched his stiff fingers, a pale smile spread across his face. The finished product was worth the effort.
Yulia, who had been watching silently the entire time, was utterly dumbfounded. She stared at the gleaming silver tome in disbelief. The "magic book" Alex had created looked more like an oversized brick of polished metal. Its dimensions were comparable to an A4 sheet of paper, but it was an intimidating 10 centimeters thick. "If someone hit someone with this thing, they’d crack their skull open," she muttered, swallowing nervously.
The completed magic book radiated a powerful magical aura, far more intense than the original leather-bound version. Waves of energy pulsed outward from its surface. This wasn’t ideal, but Alex had expected it. "It’s just a replica. I was going for practicality, not perfection. I’ll just have to recharge it regularly to compensate for the energy leaks," he reasoned.
There was still one final step to stabilize the artifact. Alex pulled out the another Hammer from his bag. Switching to the Strengthened hammerhead, he struck the metallic spine of the book with a resounding clang.
The hammer’s enchantments worked instantly. The runes engraved on the book’s surface fused more seamlessly with the materials, tightening the magical channels and reducing energy leakage. The aura became more subdued, no longer radiating uncontrolled bursts of power.
With the structural enhancements complete, Alex began the painstaking process of transferring the contents of the original book to his new creation. He carefully copied every spell and record, ensuring not a single detail was lost.
But just as he was getting into a rhythm, Yulia, who had been quietly observing, suddenly sprang into action. Her expression was a mix of panic and determination. "Wait! Stop right there!" she exclaimed, rushing toward Alex. "It’s one thing to replicate the spells, but you can’t take those records! They’re the result of years of my family’s research. How dare you—"