Chapter 38: Self-Assessment
A few weeks after New Year, Nero found himself plagued by a nagging thought.
How much has he progressed since entering Hogwarts?
The secret dueling tournament orchestrated by Ember had been nothing short of chaos, but it had served as an unexpected gauge of his strength.
Against first-years, he had barely needed to exert himself. But that was a given. His past-life memories provided him an immense advantage. The real question was: how far had he truly come? After all, his goal was to reach the apex of magic.
His usual sharp mind refused to let the question go. It was one thing to be the strongest among his peers, but against upper years? Professors? That was another story entirely. He needed a proper benchmark.
And so, he made his way to the one place that might give him an answer, the Room of Requirement.
Nero stood before the blank stretch of stone wall on the seventh floor, pacing three times in front of it with a clear goal in mind.
"I need a place to test my limits."
The door materialized in front of him with a whisper of magic. Pushing it open, he stepped inside and took in the sight before him.
The Room had reshaped itself into a grand coliseum, its stone floor scuffed and cracked as though it had already seen years of combat.
Floating orbs of light illuminated the battlefield, casting an eerie glow over the empty arena. Rows of shadowy, indistinct spectators filled the stands, purely for atmosphere, he assumed. At the far end, an array of dueling dummies and magical constructs stood motionless, awaiting his command.