The class schedule for the new semester is as full as ever, but Vid has now learned to manage his time efficiently.
The most crucial aspect—no longer feeling an urgent need to make the most of every minute the Time Turner can reverse, but rather using it as a handy tool.
Handy, but not essential.
Sometimes, he doesn't use the Time Turner all day and doesn't feel upset about "missing out";
other times, he rewinds time, spending most of it attending Magic Spell Study Group classes or chatting with friends, and he doesn't consider this "wasteful."
The second project's competition doesn't occupy much space on Vid's schedule either.
After understanding the level of other schools, Vid is confident that his current skills and knowledge enable him to handle such competitions with ease.
Conversely, the concerns arising from not returning home for Christmas weigh more heavily on Vid's mind.
While others are busy in class, Vid sits on the windowsill at the Umbrella House, flipping through packages sent by his parents.
Recently, Fiona sent candies, pastries, clothes, popular toys, and books; she never hesitates to buy anything she finds interesting or thinks Vid might like.
What Ferdinand sent was a thick stack of experimental reports.
[Cornelius's research has yielded preliminary results; he's been deconstructing Magic using theories like energy fields, neuroscience, and quantum entanglement, though I can't understand his reports and can only send them all to you.]
[Mr. Cornelius has also researched the werewolves you introduced; based on the reagents you sent earlier, he confirmed a direct link between werewolf transformation and the endocrine system...]
[There's also research on several Magic Potions, though perhaps because Mr. Cornelius doesn't possess Magic Power, there hasn't been any obvious success so far...]
[However, according to his calculations, there might be a way to increase the success rate of Magic Potions several times over. The key lies in quantifying the size of Magic Power and enhancing its output stability...]
Ferdinand has scattered notes on the research results of that Muggle scientist over this period in the letter, while Cornelius's report writes in more detail.
Cornelius knows this report is for Vid, the Wizard who only attended Muggle Elementary School, considering the cultural level of his semi-literate employer, he has tried to write it simply and plainly.
However, the scientist clearly has a different understanding of "common knowledge that elementary students should have," and even with Vid's past life's knowledge as a foundation, he still struggles to read the report.
Mainly because, the scientific terms in the report are specialized, containing numerous acronyms, Vid places four dictionaries at his side to barely comprehend.
For example, in the research on werewolves, Cornelius isolated an unknown protein complex from werewolf blood, structurally similar to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), normally inert, yet stimulated by something in moonlight during a full moon, becoming suddenly active, though the principle is still unclear.
This protein complex stimulates abnormal pineal gland secretion of HGH (promoting bone, organ, and cell growth), DMT (causing loss of pain sensation and increased aggression), inhibits MSTN (muscle growth inhibitor), along with adrenaline, cortisol, melatonin, thyroid hormones, insulin-like growth factors, and two to three dozen hormones changing dramatically in sync.
According to Cornelius… or to normal human researchers' cognition, such drastic changes within the body would only produce the result of instantaneous death.
However, not only do werewolves not die, after changing into another species for a night, they can return unharmed, it's utterly inexplicable.
Moreover, this deadly change occurs monthly, werewolves essentially teeter on the brink of death every month, often with a foot already stepping into the Netherworld, yet they're always pulled back by some inexplicable force.
Even afterward, there are no side effects.
As for the physical weakness caused by transformation, mostly it's due to moral guilt in the werewolf's heart, or losing reason after transformation, wanton destruction indirectly causing bodily harm; actually, the pure transformation process has no ill effects on werewolves, instead may make their lifespan longer than ordinary people.
Cornelius's inner shock and curiosity simply can't be fully expressed on a few sheets of white paper. Upon learning Vid won't return home for Christmas, he's even more regretful and anxious than Vid's parents.
The old man, in the report, every few paragraphs expresses openly and subtly, hopes to personally observe and monitor the process before and after werewolf transformation, should there be such an experience, it would greatly aid his research.
However, the Greys don't possess Magic Power, nor have the confidence to control a transformed werewolf, for safety's sake, their correspondence with werewolves goes through several rounds of circulation, much less bringing a person before Cornelius.
Lastly, Cornelius outlines prospects for his research—
If the principle of Lycanthropy Hormone's production and mechanism can be understood, not only could it stimulate werewolves to transform on non-full moon nights, but also suppress or even completely eliminate the effects of Lycanthropy with an injection.
If could solve the side effects of werewolf transformation and irrational loss, extracting longevity factors from within, it might extend normal human lifespan to around 150 years, enhancing metabolism, antioxidant systems, and DNA repair capability before real death, maintaining peak physical condition over the long term.