Back when Roger sought out Professor McGonagall to verify his path to immortality, he had already mentioned some of his ideas.
Professor McGonagall knew Roger was working on bodily transformation and self-modification.
However, modifying other body parts and modifying the brain were two completely different things!
In her original assumption, even if Roger encountered problems while altering his body, St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries could still save him. And if he ever attempted to modify his brain, that should be something far in the future.
The more important the organ, the later it should be modified. By that time, Roger would already be a powerful and reliable wizard.
Roger had borrowed Bloodline Magic and Transfiguration—Speculations on the Future Era from Professor McGonagall, and since she had read it herself, she didn't oppose Roger's chosen path.
But starting brain modifications in first year? That was way too early!
Moreover...
"This modification of yours doesn't seem to have much to do with immortality, does it?" Professor McGonagall asked while reading Roger's written report.
Some things were too complicated to explain verbally, so before visiting McGonagall, Roger had already written down his experimental ideas in detail.
Roger shook his head. "Actually, it does."
"I may be a Seer, but I'm not omniscient. I know my own limits."
"Professor, let's do a simple math problem."
"Suppose a wizard takes 1 unit of time to learn a single spell, and his lifespan is 100 units of time. Then the total number of spells he can learn in his lifetime is easy to calculate."
"Now, let's complicate it a bit. How much time does he need to absorb the knowledge of an entire magic book? Once he establishes his own knowledge system, how much does his efficiency in learning magic increase? How much time will he spend on other matters in his life..."
"If we know a wizard's talent level and refine the calculations, we can roughly estimate the highest possible achievement level he could reach under ideal conditions."
At this point, the sharp-minded Minerva McGonagall had already figured out what Roger was trying to say.
"You mean…"
Roger nodded and continued, "When I seriously started researching immortality, I ran some calculations. If I only conducted low-risk magical experiments and grew at a normal pace, there's a high probability I could develop my own immortality technique before the age of 90. But it's not 100%.
"This isn't a game of chance—this is about the continuation of my life! Even a 1% failure rate is unacceptable to me."
"And that's just for mere longevity, nowhere near true immortality!"
So, Roger chose a different path.
He chose a high-risk, high-reward route.
He chose a path that would increase his base talent.
"Why are you suddenly in such a hurry? You once told me that a person can't become strong overnight," McGonagall said. She understood Roger's reasoning, but there was something she still couldn't wrap her head around.
It was natural to want to improve his odds of success after getting a glimpse of his future through his research.
But was there really a need to go this far right from the start?
Professor McGonagall, unaware of just how terrifying Roger's Seer abilities were, looked at him in confusion.
"When I said 'one can't become strong overnight,' I meant I wouldn't recklessly chase success when I know something is impossible. But that doesn't mean I'll hesitate in the face of opportunities just because I fear failure."
Roger thought for a moment, then said, "Professor, do you know what the world looks like through a Seer's eyes?"
"Hmm?"
"I can see many possible futures—some good, some terrible. The conflicts between different wizarding factions are like an unlit powder keg, ready to be ignited at any moment by a spark called 'Dark Lord.' The world we live in is developing rapidly, and a clash between Muggle and wizarding civilizations could happen at any time."
"More importantly, while wizards use magic, we don't truly understand its essence. That, in itself, is a huge problem."
"And, Professor, remember what I once said? The universe is vast—there are nearly 400 billion star systems in the Milky Way and over 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe. According to Muggle scientists, it's highly likely that extraterrestrial life exists. So… would they also have magic?"
Roger wasn't making things up or being paranoid.
These weren't prophecies from his Seer magic but rather insights gained through another kind of "foresight."
After all, when he transmigrated, Harry Potter was still producing spin-offs.
Technically speaking, Voldemort was already defeated, and the world was at peace—so what were those sequels even about?
Were there new villains after Voldemort? If so, logically, they shouldn't be weaker than Voldemort, right?
In that case, the kind of threats Roger was talking about weren't entirely out of the question!
"'Fate' doesn't grant special treatment just because I'm young," Roger said.
Ever since he had been shot seven times in the Middle East, he had abandoned the arrogance of believing himself to be some kind of "chosen one."
Seeing McGonagall's hesitation, Roger didn't push any further. Instead, he said, "Professor, if this is too difficult for you, let's just drop it."
"Brain modification is just one way for me to get stronger. It's not my only option."
Before, he hadn't considered this direction. But now that the idea of "enhancing his talent" had ignited in him, Roger—who had lived in an era of information explosion—had plenty of unconventional ways to get stronger.
Just testing them one by one would take him decades.
Brain modification was merely the best option based on his current lifespan constraints.
If the shortest path didn't work, he had countless alternatives. There was no need to get stuck—he could simply switch routes.
What was considered "the best path" right now was only based on his current knowledge. Who knew if a different approach in the future might actually be more effective?
"…Roger."
"Hm? What is it?"
"I'll help you with the Undetectable Extension Charm."
Then, McGonagall added, "But I still think modifying your brain directly is far too risky… Do you know about Muggle computers?"
"Eh?" Roger was caught off guard. Why was she suddenly bringing that up?
"You wrote in your report that you've mastered a technique that allows a certain degree of control over neural cells. If you set aside the goal of strengthening your mind's power and focus solely on compensating for memory limitations and multitasking ability, then why not explore that angle?"
A slight smile appeared on McGonagall's face.
She had read all the books she lent Roger!
What if, instead of modifying his brain, Roger installed a magical chip in his arm and linked it to his nervous system? Wouldn't that achieve a similar effect to what he wanted?
A true master of magic would always look for ways to improve!
The countless books left behind by past generations, the gradual replacement of ancient magic with modern spells—these all proved that, for thousands of years, wizards had never stopped seeking strength.
It was just that most of the time, their ideas weren't feasible.
After all, not everyone was like Roger—capable of foreseeing dangers, running thousands of life-threatening magical experiments daily, and progressing at insane speeds.
For ordinary wizards, even the smallest innovation took immense effort.
"But modern computers…" Roger frowned. He knew more about Muggle technology than McGonagall did, and he felt this wasn't so simple.
"If Muggle computers aren't enough, then why not look into the wonders of Alchemy?"
Alchemy—an advanced magical field only available to sixth-year students at Hogwarts, involving extremely profound magical knowledge.
It was a domain Roger had never explored.
And now, McGonagall was about to introduce him to an entirely new world!
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