Tom closed his eyes. The holy power flowed through the unicorn's horn and into his body, seeping deep into his soul. It was as if his very spirit were receiving a full massage—so blissful that drowsiness pulled him under.

With the last vestige of willpower, he sent Andros out to stand guard and granted him full authorization to act. Then, surrendering entirely, Tom fell into the deepest sleep of his life.

When he awoke, three hours had passed. He had missed lunch entirely, as well as the afternoon's History of Magic class.

Beside him, the little unicorn was still curled up in peaceful slumber. Of the two large unicorns, the injured one knelt protectively beside Tom and the youngster, while the other patrolled nearby.

Stretching lazily, Tom rose to his feet, savoring the changes brought by the ascension of his soul.

It was like washing away a lifetime of dust—finally recognizing himself anew. The world was still the same world, yet every detail seemed sharper, more vivid, more alive.

The two large unicorns came over as he stood, nuzzling his arms affectionately.

Once you've bonded with one unicorn, it seems the others lower their guard as well. Tom easily reached out to touch the horn of the second unicorn, sealing a contract with her too. A new thread of magical empathy linked him to them both—he could now understand the meaning behind their calls and whinnies.

"All right, all right," Tom said warmly, "from now on we're one family. I should give you names so I can tell you apart."

While stroking their silky manes, he thought for a moment, then announced decisively, "From now on, you're Max… you're Max, and you're Leo. The little one will be Milo. Done and settled."

Even unicorns could tell how perfunctory these names were, but Tom pretended not to hear their protesting neighs. No matter how they argued, he stubbornly refused to change them. In the end, they had no choice but to accept their new names.

"Whinny—whinny~!"

Max, dissatisfied with her new name, suddenly made another request.

"You want… the white energy from yesterday—the Patronus Charm?" Tom asked in surprise, the meaning flashing clearly into his mind via their bond.

Max met his gaze with undeniable affirmation.

The Patronus was, at its core, simply the manifestation of magical energy. Even if consumed, it wouldn't cause harm—it could always be re-formed with magic and emotion.

Tom released a small cluster of white energy, and immediately both Max and Leo eagerly crowded around.

They inhaled the silvery-white mist in small sips, their eyes half-lidded with delight.

A glimmer of understanding flashed through Tom's mind.

Uncle Newt, you really are Uncle Newt. Every one of your suggestions is pure gold.

He had thought the unicorns' approval was earned solely by his sincerity and the life-saving help he'd given them—but now it seemed that yesterday's appearance of the Patronus Charm had been the real last straw to break the camel's back.

So… if they feed on positive, uplifting energy, they can grow stronger?

Tom decided he'd share this discovery with Uncle Newt as thanks.

The white mist kept vanishing into their mouths, and Tom had to release it three times before the two gluttons were finally satisfied.

Seeing that the little one was still asleep, Tom moved to a nearby clearing to test the benefits of his soul's elevation.

Aiming at a thick tree, he cast the Blasting Curse.

From the very start of casting, he noticed the difference.

The process was almost too smooth—effortless. True, this was a spell he'd always found easy, but it had still required the usual discipline: focus, silent incantation, channeling of magic.

Now, with a single thought, every step happened in an instant.

After casting a few more spells in succession, Tom understood what had changed.

It wasn't that the requirements for spellcasting had lowered—it was that his refined soul made meeting those requirements trivial. Concentration and emotional focus came to him naturally now, without deliberate effort.

Andros had once explained: magic power, will, and emotion—these were the three key factors that determined whether a spell succeeded and how powerful it was.

A fundamental strengthening of the soul directly enhanced the latter two.

Where others might need sixty or even eighty percent of their full attention to cast a spell, he could now do it with the barest flicker of thought.

But what if he went all out?

Tom narrowed his eyes, his focus sharpening like a blade. A beam of red light shot forth like a deadly arrow, piercing straight through the nearest tree. Its momentum didn't falter—it blasted through over a dozen thick trunks before finally dissipating.

The body and the soul complemented each other perfectly, and this improvement was no less significant than when he had merged with dragon blood—perhaps greater still. Soul enhancement strengthened not just combat but comprehension as well.

Recalling yesterday's battle between Andros and Voldemort, he suddenly grasped new insights that had eluded him before.

Life's essence, the soul's essence… what would the next trial grant him?

Tom's awareness dove into his inner mindscape. The first two palaces were now completely stable, and in the dim starry void, the brightest stars of the Canis constellation shone brilliantly. The contents of the third trial appeared before his eyes.

[Third Trial · Canis: The host must defeat a Cerberus in unarmed combat—without using magic. Reward: Talent "Ironhide."]

[Ironhide: Greatly increases physical defense; can be further strengthened by channeling magic into it.]

Tom's eyelids twitched violently.

Do you even hear yourself?

Unarmed combat—against a Cerberus?

That thick-skinned monster was already hard enough to injure with magic. Now you expect me to brawl with it barehanded? What's next—me sliding under it just to volunteer as a snack?

One of me isn't even enough—it has three heads!

This is madness.

Unfortunately, the Twelve Trials had no intelligence. No matter how much Tom complained, the task remained as written. How he completed it was entirely up to him.

Still, compared to the first two trials, this one was at least simple and straightforward. No need to hunt for anything, no luring of magical creatures—just meet the strength requirement and win. And since the Cerberus was right here at the school, Tom found his anxiety easing slightly.