"Man, where's Colin Creevey when you actually need him?" Julian thought with a pang of regret after Draco managed to escape having that moment immortalized forever.
...
Once lunch ended, Julian returned to the workshop and devoted the rest of the day to refining his illusion spells. The hours slipped by without notice, and before long October had quietly arrived while he continued living each day in steady routine. By now, Julian had forged ten additional rings, and his skill with illusions had improved by a wide margin. He was far from a true expert in the discipline, yet he could confidently say he understood the fundamentals and could navigate the subject with ease.
...
Of the rings he crafted during that time, all but two were eventually reduced back into raw materials. Most of them were practical curiosities, such as a ring capable of functioning as a portable lamp or one designed to repel toads. The two he chose to keep were far more significant.
The first was a simple silver band shaped into the form of an eye, its ring band otherwise plain and unadorned. This was the commission from Snape, created using every scrap of knowledge Julian currently possessed regarding illusions and, more importantly, the means to expose them.
He called it the Eye of Truth. The system assigned it an Uncommon grade, though its valuation suggested it held particular merit, rewarding him with 34 points upon completion.
Naturally, Snape demanded a demonstration before expressing satisfaction. The test itself was straightforward. He slid the ring onto his finger and instructed Julian to cast a range of illusions, some blatant and others carefully concealed. The ring responded to each illusion without fail, detecting them all. That was sufficient for the professor. He paid the agreed fee and departed with his newly acquired accessory, offering no further commentary.
[RING NAME: Eye of Truth
Grade: UNCOMMON
Abilities: Autosizing, illusion detection, area of perception
Description: A ring created for the sole purpose of detecting illusion and warning its owner of them.
System appraisal: A fine creation made by an up and coming ring smith.]
...
The second ring he retained was never meant to exist.
Julian had been seized by a reckless curiosity and wondered what might occur if he attempted to imprint his understanding of the entire world onto a single ring. The result was catastrophic failure. The sheer magnitude of power required to imbue such an expansive concept far exceeded his current capabilities.
He failed to fully inscribe his comprehension of the world into the ring. Yet the incomplete creation that emerged was enough to make his jaw drop in stunned disbelief.
[RING NAME: N/A
Grade: RARE
Abilities: Autosizing, broken land, corrupt space, twisted time, lifeless, toxin air, putrid waters, dim sun and stars, shattered moon.
Description: A horrendous ring that represents the failed attempt to create a world and as such will erase an area of the real world 25 feet wide upon coming in contact with magic.
System appraisal: A failed creation that holds a terrible power made by an up and coming ring smith.]
...
Julian desperately wanted to melt the thing down. Its mere existence posed a danger well beyond anything he could reasonably control. Instead of storing it somewhere unsafe, he waited for an opportunity and carried it to the lake. Standing at a considerable distance, he cast a spell toward the ring.
When the spell struck, goosebumps rippled across his skin.
There was no explosion, no sound, no ominous pressure in the air.
A circular section of reality, twenty five feet across, simply ceased to exist in an instant. The lake water surged inward as gravity forced it to collapse into the empty void left behind.
...
Even so, the system awarded him a staggering 112 points for the creation.
When those were added to the points earned from his other rings, his total rose to 463.
"I suppose I've been neglecting the system a little. Let's see how many mystery tickets I can get," Julian thought shortly after waking on the first of October.
He headed straight to the workshop, stepped inside with practiced ease, and locked the door behind him.
"Alright, the first ticket costs 100 points."
He made the purchase, and immediately the price increased by fifty for the next one. After buying a second ticket, the cost rose again, this time settling at 225.
"The price increases by half of the current amount after each purchase. This is going to get expensive quickly," he muttered to himself with a frown.
That calculation left him able to afford only two tickets. He was short by twelve points for a third.
Julian took the first ticket and tore it cleanly in half. A familiar mist flooded the room, swirling thickly before condensing into a roulette wheel.
With anticipation burning in his chest, he gave it a firm spin.
"BUUUURRR!"
The distinct clatter of the pointer striking each spoke echoed through the workshop. The wheel spun for a full two minutes before gradually slowing. At last it halted on a narrow wedge. The wheel dissolved back into mist, which streamed directly into Greed.
Julian ignored the notification for the moment and ripped the second ticket apart. The mist returned, coalescing once more into the spinning roulette.
When everything finally concluded, he turned his attention to the system notifications awaiting him.