The room at the Leaky Cauldron was quiet by wizarding standards, which meant only three enchanted lamps buzzed instead of six.
James sat cross-legged on the floor, shirtless and sweating. The robes were folded neatly on the bed. The wand sat untouched on the dresser. In his hands, he held nothing.
He didn't need a wand right now.
He needed control.
He focused on the Force.
Air stirred. Dust lifted slightly from the floorboards. The room dimmed at the edges of his vision as everything narrowed to the center of his chest — the heat, the pressure, the power.
Force Push: Practice Complete
+8 XP
+2 XP (Forceborn Bonus)
He exhaled slowly, shoulders loose. Hours of meditation and movement had wrung the tension from his body. He wasn't just grinding stats. He was learning his limits—and how to break them.
XP: 410 / 500
Credits: 215
Level 1 – [Upgrade Available]
Would you like to level up?
[Y/N]
James smirked. "Y."
Level Up: Initiate → Apprentice
+2 Attribute Points
+1 Force Power Unlock
New Store Tier Unlocked
He immediately assigned the points:
Dexterity +1 (for movement and agility)
Constitution +1 (to recover faster and train longer)
New Powers Available:
Force Choke (Lv 1)
Mind Trick (Lv 1)
Force Speed (Lv 1)
Force Drain (Lv 1)
Lightsaber Throw (Locked – Requires Saber)
He considered them, then chose:
Force Speed (Lv 1) — Move faster than the human eye can follow for a few seconds.
Good for escapes. Better for ambushes.
James pulled up the Store tab and navigated to the Weapons & Martial Arts section. He'd been eyeing something specific since Gringotts.
[Available Items]
Echani Combat Form I (100 Credits)
Teräs Käsi Striking Style (150 Credits)
Training Dummy (30 Credits)
Vibroblade (Low Tier, 50 Credits)
Lightsaber – Standard Single Blade (250 Credits)
(Note: Not ignitable until Force Rank: Apprentice or higher – condition met)
He didn't even hesitate.
Purchase: Lightsaber (Standard) – Color: Blue
Purchase: Teräs Käsi Style Initiate Tier
Total Spent: 400 Credits
Remaining: 15 Credits
The lightsaber appeared in his inventory, not disguised like the training model. This was clean, black durasteel with a finely crafted emitter. The activation switch had a safety catch, and the grip fit his hand perfectly.
He ignited it once, just briefly.
Snap-hiss.
The blue blade came to life with a low, hungry hum.
He deactivated it quickly, then closed the curtains. Someone might've seen the flash.
Then came the martial arts.
Combat Form Learned: Teräs Käsi – Initiate Level
Unarmed combat form designed to counter Force users and ranged attackers. Precision strikes. Internal body control. Pain tolerance increases.
He didn't just feel stronger. He felt capable.
James moved across the floor in calculated forms, repeating the Teräs Käsi drills loaded directly into his memory. Strikes. Dodges. Elbow thrusts. Shoulder blocks. Precision kicks.
No wasted movement. No flashy nonsense.
+16 XP
+3 XP (Forceborn)
+1 Constitution (Passive Bonus for Extended Training)
His body was adapting. Fast.
James stood by the window, looking out over Diagon Alley's sleeping rooftops. In the streets below, faint magical pulses shimmered — anti-theft enchantments, shopkeeper wards, ambient mana.
But none of them touched him.
Force Signature: Hidden
Dark Side Affinity: Undetected by all magical means
Traceable Spells Cast: 0
Known Magical Offenses: None
He leaned against the window.
"I could kill someone with the Force," he whispered, voice cold, factual, not cruel. "And no one would know it was me."
It wasn't temptation. It was a calculation.
He didn't want to kill.
But he'd be damned if he let Dumbledore, Voldemort, or anyone else shove him around.
He wasn't here to play a part.
He was here to win.
[New Objective Unlocked: Legacy of Power]
Train to mastery in hand-to-hand combat.
Defeat a magical creature with no wand.
Forge your own fighting identity.
Begin planning your legacy before Hogwarts begins.
James smiled faintly, stretching out his fingers. Calloused now. Stronger than before.
He looked at his wand.
Then his lightsaber.
Then his hands.
And he understood something important.
He didn't belong to this world. But he would make it his.