Harry Potter: The Mage's Path Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the intellectual property associated with Harry Potter.

Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. A mix of dungeon grinding and interacting with others, including a canonical character with the initials NL.

"Three bags of fruit candy," Harry said, holding three fingers up to Fawkes.

Fawkes tilted his head in consideration, taking a moment to decide whether to accept the new offer or not. In the end, he nodded his head in agreement. After finally bringing the Phoenix on board with his plan, Harry sighed in relief. The moment he woke up this morning, he was eager to return to the Peverell Dungeon and continue exploring it. However, he was caught short by the realisation he needed a way to get to Godric's Hollow.

In the current situation, it was not feasible for him to travel outside alone, so he needed to find a way to eliminate the risk. Even though he had his Face-Changing Mask, he didn't trust it to hide him completely. Yes, it changed his appearance, but what if there was another way to identify him that he didn't know about?

Harry couldn't exactly find someone at the castle to apparate him to Godric's Hollow, as there would be too many questions as to why he was visiting the place. In the end, he had the brilliant idea to ask Fawkes to help him, but he had to do so while Dumbledore was out of the office.

After he and Hermione ran a couple of laps around the Black Lake, he sat down for breakfast in the Great Hall. He ate his food in a rush and left the table while the Headmaster was still eating his breakfast. Although it took him longer to convince the Phoenix than he would have liked, he made headway once he resorted to bribing him.

Fawkes flapped his wings and rose in the air, settling on Harry's shoulders. A moment later, Harry found himself engulfed in flames but without any sensation of pain. The feeling was like being submerged in a comfortable hot bath. The flames subsided and he found himself in Godric's Hollow graveyard.

"Thanks, Fawkes," Harry said. "Can you pick me up around five tonight?"

Fawkes nodded before vanishing in a burst of flames.

Harry entered the Peverell Crypt. He decided to explore the dungeon without his familiars to get a thorough grasp of his capabilities. This would likely land him in trouble when he returned to the castle. It is an undeniable fact, however, his familiars would slow him down. With the update, he gained a significant boost in strength and left his partners behind by a lot. In order to remedy this problem, he planned to work on the Familiar Mage class he advanced to a Novice Mage. The requirements had changed after the update, but it wasn’t too bad.

=====

The Novice Mage

Description: If the player wants to become powerful in the future, the most effective method is to increase his Mage rank. To reach Novice Mage, the player must level three of his classes to level thirty.

Objective: Level three classes to thirty.

Progress: Fire Mage 22/30, ?????, ?????

Time Limit: ---

Reward: Become a Novice Mage; Magic +10

=====

Harry used the teleporter to reach the third-floor entrance and began his preparations. Usually, at this point, he would equip himself with armour, but he had a different idea. Since the armour was so uncomfortable and restricted his movement somewhat, he decided to not wear it. Furthermore, its ability Shadow Fade felt redundant now because of the Invisibility Cloak. He could now sneak up on monsters, as long as their Perception was not high enough to detect him. If he wanted something with more defence, he now had another option that would not weigh him down in the slightest.

=====

Fire Cloak | Active | Lv: 1 | Next: 0% | Type: Fire Armour | Cost: 20 [30] MP

Description: The player is enveloped in flames resembling a cloak, which increases both his defensive capabilities and fire resistance. Furthermore, it will damage anything that comes into contact with it. Increasing the level of this spell will give the user more protection, and extend the spell duration.

• Duration: 120 seconds

• Defence: 10

• Magical Defence: 10

• Fire Resistance + 5%

• Deals 6.5 [5] damage to targets when touched.

=====

The spell had some downsides, of course. It was expensive, but the class perk reduced the cost substantially. It had a lower defence than his armour, but as he levelled up the skill, the gap between the two should disappear. In any case, the best defence was to not get hit in the first place.

He equipped his Shoes of Agility and Potions Belt. The shoes had changed slightly from before and gave a flat bonus of ten Agility, but the belt remained unchanged.

Harry touched the gate and the dungeon menu appeared, revealing that the next floor recommended level was level sixteen. At his current level of strength, it should be a breeze to clear the floor.

He descended the stairs to the third floor and opened his mini-map. Just like the other floors, it began with a long corridor with annexes holding a single sarcophagus. His perception was high enough now that he could see enough without having to use a light source. As a precaution, he wore the Cloak of Invisibility. To test out his class, he decided to use only Fireball initially, his most basic spell, to see how much damage it dealt. Like many things, it had also changed slightly.

=====

Fireball | Active | Lv: 10 | Next: 0% | Type: Fire Damage | Cost: 8[12] MP

Description: A fireball that is conjured in the hand and thrown. Deals a small amount of fire damage when it hits the target. It has a slight chance of inflicting burn status and stopping enemies in their tracks momentarily. At higher levels, it deals more damage and its effective range increases.

• Minimum Fire Damage: 35 - 39 [Skill + Magic + Fire Damage Boost Modifier]

• Burn Status Effect Chance: 10%

• Impact - Briefly halts an enemy in battle: +5% chance

• Critical Hit Chance: 5% [Skill + Perception Modifier]

• Attack Range: 7 metres

=====

Harry expected to pass through the corridor without any issues but encountered a situation two-thirds of the way down. He paused as he heard a scraping sound up ahead, and he slowed down as he approached the next annexe. His mini-map didn't show anything, but that was not proof of anything.

Putting his back to the wall, he peered around the corner and saw a figure standing in front of the sarcophagus. It seemed to be struggling as it attempted to move the heavy stone cover.

The figure was obviously undead, considering its body appeared to be falling apart, with its skeleton exposed beneath its raggedy clothes. There was one interesting thing that caught his attention; it had a bandolier running across its torso, with a dagger stored inside each of the ten sheaths.

He was about to summon a fireball when it stiffened, turning around and looking in his direction. Harry froze, waiting breathlessly as the monster searched the darkness, amazed that it somehow sensed him under his Invisibility Cloak. Had he made a sound to give him away?

Finally, it resumed its task and he breathed a sigh of relief. The only thing he could think of was that its Perception was unusually high for its level. Harry knew he would have to throw the fireball as soon as he summoned it, as the monster would probably notice it immediately.

He drew a hand from his cloak to summon a fireball and released it quickly, before retreating behind the wall. The monster reacted instantly, turning around, and tensing its legs in preparation to jump to avoid the attack. Unfortunately for it, the distance was too close for it to react in time. The fireball exploded on its chest, sending it tumbling over the sarcophagus.

26 damage dealt to the Undead Grave Robber

HP 254/280

The monster screeched and crawled up from the ground. Taking two daggers out of its bandolier, it crouched and slowly walked forward, searching the darkness for its assailant.

Harry focused on the small space behind the sarcophagus and warped to it. As he faced the monster's back, he summoned two fireballs, which he launched at its back. Since it didn't expect its enemy to be behind it, the graverobber didn't react in time and the two fireballs hit its back.

21 damage x2 dealt to the Undead Grave Robber

HP 212/280

Harry grinned. This was fun. With only fireball and the warp skill, he whittled the monster's health down and it could not resist his attacks. Since there was only one enemy, and it was of a lower level than he was, it wasn't surprising that he had such an easy time with it. Furthermore, the tactics he employed were expensive but considering his current MP regeneration, that wasn't an issue he needed to worry about.

The grave robber collapsed into a heap on the ground after its HP was reduced to zero.

The Undead Grave Robber has died.

Battle Report

Harry Potter has earned 110 experience (100%)

Undead Grave Robber added to Bestiary: Monster Data + 10%

Harry was surprised that he was rewarded with experience from the battle. He thought he didn't get experience when his level was at least five levels above the monsters he was fighting. The only thing he could think of was that It may be based on his job level and not his class. Wait a minute. Since he now could choose when to raise his level, he could grind this floor indefinitely for easy experience and not worry about the level restriction. Sure, it wouldn't be very efficient, as his experience requirements would continue to increase as he levelled up further. So he didn't consider it an exploit.

Speaking of exploits, the one he discovered in the Aberdeen dungeon had been removed, as expected. Still, he benefited from some easy levels before it was removed.

He crouched down and looted the corpse. There were only two items; a ten-pound note and a bone essence. Considering it was a grave robber, he expected better loot. Maybe he was just unlucky on this occasion.

Harry made sure his cloak covered him before sitting down and meditating. He needed to keep his MP topped up. It only took him a measly fifteen minutes.

He continued to explore the dungeon but didn't find any more undead grave robbers. The rest were a mixture of Imps and Hungry Skeletons from the first two floors. When he noticed how easy it was to kill them, he removed his Invisibility Cloak, and instead cast the Fire Cloak spell on himself. He didn't have to sneak about to deal with these trash mobs.

The Fire Cloak was amazing. The flames settled around him like an oversized cloak and he even had a hood covering his head. Just like when Fawkes flashed him here, they didn't hurt him in the least. As he walked, there was a trail of flames that followed in his wake. It was almost impossible not to feel like a total badass as it looked so awesome.

Harry continued through the dungeon, casting fireballs at the monsters. They were unable to touch him with his current agility. He only had to be careful when encountering more than one monster at once. It was a challenge for him to separate them as there were more monsters here than on the previous floor, so they were grouped together at certain points.

Harry reached the gate to the next floor without any problems. He sat down and meditated to restore his MP. He touched the gate to the next floor. The recommended level for the next level was twenty. He considered it for a moment but decided to rerun the third floor to grind up some experience. With the number of monsters on the floor, he earned plenty of experience.

At the end of the day, he had racked up a lot of experience. His efficiency increased the more he ran through the third floor. However, he had to stop frequently to restore his mana, which prevented him from earning more experience. He levelled up some of his spells and skills, as well, which was always welcome.

=====

Fireball Level 10 ➝ 15

Warp Level 15 ➝ 17

Dual Casting Level 12 ➝ 15

Fire Cloak Level 1 ➝ 5

=====

He would start levelling his other spells next time. However, he would hold off on Inferno, as it was a very destructive AOE spell, so it wasn't very useful in his current situation. Furthermore, it was very expensive to cast.

As a result of killing his tenth grave robber, he was able to obtain its complete monster data. To no surprise at all, the information it displayed was different from before.

=====

Undead Grave Robber | Level: 16 | Normal | HP: 280/280 | MP: 300/300 |

Primary Attributes: Agility 51 | Perception 48 |

Skills

Silent Step: Able to muffle its movements while sneaking.

Fatal Stab: Twice the damage, and a 50% chance to score a critical hit when their target is caught unawares from behind.

Poisoned Daggers: Coats the blades in a potent poison that causes damage over time.

Perks

Those Who Thrive In Death: Dark Immunity; -60% Shadow damage.

Night Stalker: +20 to Perception at night or in dark areas.

Dagger Throw: +25% critical hit chance when throwing daggers.

Thievery: Has the ability to steal items or equipment with its nimble fingers.

Detriments

Depraved One: Has zero Charisma and works on its own, as others are repulsed by its depravity.

Those Who Suffer In Death: 100% weakness to Divine Magic; 60% weakness to Light Magic.

Brittle Bones: Vulnerable to weapons or spells that deal bludgeoning damage.

Loot 10 pounds (100%); (50%) Bone Meal; Shadow Essence (25%). Random Jewellery (15%) Bone Dagger (7%) Thief Bandolier (3%)

Harvesting: ---

Description: One of the lowest forms of life, living or dead. It is a thief who primarily targets the graves of wealthy individuals who are laid to rest with their valuables beside them. It despises confrontation, and would rather remain in the shadows, but it can become very vicious if backed into a corner.

=====

The information was different than before, as it focused primarily on its strongest attributes instead of displaying them all. It was both more detailed in specific areas, but less so in others. For example, it did not display a list of status effects because they were now more dynamic and nebulous. It would be up to him to figure out some tactics that would work on them if he didn't just resort to inflicting damage.

Harry spent all of his experience points and checked his notifications to see the result.

======

The player has increased his Fire Mage class to level 25!

This player has learned the Perk: Devouring Flames.

The player has learned the Perk: Fire Scholar

Fire Resistance +3%

Fire Damage +3%;

Fire Magic Cost -3%

=====

The player has increased his Apprentice Mage Job level to 23!

AP + 15

Magic + 3

Willpower + 3

Vitality + 3

=====

It was amazing progress in such a short amount of time. However, he expected his levelling to slow down in the near future. Harry checked the new perks he received and was pleasantly surprised by what he received.

=====

Devouring Flames

Description: The player's fire has gained the property of consumption. Whenever fire magic is used, 3% of the total damage is converted into restoring the player's HP.

Fire Scholar

Description: The player has learned how to level his class more efficiently. The experience required to level the Fire Mage class is halved.

=====

The second perk was amazing. If every class received a similar perk, it meant it would be easier to level more than one class irrespective of the Job class. He was worried that the experience requirements would be too restrictive and that diversifying into other classes would become less appealing.

Harry looked at the time. Fawkes would arrive soon, so he needed to leave. He accessed the teleporter and returned to the entrance. Today was a productive day. If he could convince Fawkes to do the same for him tomorrow, that would be awesome. It would probably cost him more candy, but the price was worth it.

<====({owo})====>

July 31st

Harry climbed down the stairs from the boys' dormitory with an exasperated expression. Hedwig and Celeste were perched on his shoulders, and they looked like they would stay there for the foreseeable future. After leaving Hogwarts without telling them, they were unhappy with him. As a result, they would never leave his side for anything. Just wait until he needs the bathroom; they will soon change their minds.

Harry spotted Hermione, who was standing next to the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw at the bottom of the stairs.

Hermione ran over and looked at him with amusement. "Harry, why are your familiars standing on your shoulders?"

"Don't ask," Harry muttered.

"This is punishment for his evil deeds," Celeste declared.

Hedwig barked in agreement, not even bothering to speak to him.

"Well, okay. I'm sure he deserves it. Here you are, Harry," Hermione said, handing him a small wrapped present.

Harry grabbed it with bemusement. "What is this for?"

"It's your birthday," Hermione said.

"Hermione, my birthday was technically a couple of weeks ago."

Hermione huffed. "How am I supposed to keep track of your birthday when you spend time in the dungeon? You need a day to celebrate, so it may as well be your original birthday."

"Okay," Harry shrugged. He unwrapped the present and looked at it in bewilderment. "A spinning top?"

"It's a Sneakoscope. When you place it on a surface, it alerts you when it detects someone untrustworthy by spinning, making noise and lighting up. I figured with your propensity to make enemies, it would come in handy."

"With Celeste around, this thing will go off constantly."

"Hey!" The fairy pinched his ear.

Harry hugged Hermione, the first one he had ever initiated. "This is brilliant. Thanks, Hermione."

Hermione smiled. "I was going to ask if we were going for a run today, but it didn't seem right since it's a day you're supposed to have fun."

"I slept in," Harry said sheepishly. "I was knackered yesterday."

They left the Ravenclaw common room and made their way down the stairs. "Where did you go yesterday? Dumbledore seemed to be upset about something you did."

Harry blanched. After he returned to Hogwarts, he didn't go down to the Great Hall for supper, as he didn't want anybody asking questions about where he had been. "He knows about it? Of course, he does. Fawkes is his familiar."

"Well?" Hermione asked impatiently.

"Well, I may have asked Fawkes to take me somewhere yesterday," Harry said.

'Idiot.' Hedwig barked.

"Are you insane? With all the people after you?"

"I was fine," Harry said dismissively. Unfortunately, he didn't think he could use the same method to leave Hogwarts since Dumbledore would be on alert.

They entered the Great Hall to find that they had some guests, which derailed his plans in returning to the dungeon anyway.

"Harry!" Susan Bones spotted him first and charged at him, hugging him tightly.

"Hello, Susan," Harry said, tentatively hugging her back. Despite having only met her briefly before, he was still amazed at how friendly she was to him.

"Look out Hermione," Celeste giggled. "Competition has appeared."

Hermione scowled at the fairy. Harry was confused. What was she on about?

"You are not wearing glasses," Susan commented, peering up into his face.

"I don't need them anymore," Harry replied.

"Who is this, Harry?" Hermione asked curiously. There was a small frown on her face as she looked at the other girl.

"This is Susan Bones," Harry explained. "I first met her at the Ministry."

"Hi," Susan chirped, reaching out to shake Hermione's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Hello," Hermione replied with a smile.It was hard not to respond to th girls cheeriness.

They walked towards the table, where the other guests were talking to the Professors at the table. Harry already knew Amelia and Madam Longbottom. Standing beside the old woman was a boy his own age.

The boy was slightly overweight, with a round face and blonde hair. Similarly to Hermione, he had some crooked teeth, but his upper teeth protruded outwards in an overbite. He was standing with his shoulders hunched over as if he was trying to make himself disappear.

"Harry," Dumbledore looked at him with twinkling blue eyes. "It is good to see you safe and sound after your escapades yesterday. Will you be bribing Fawkes with any more candy in the future?"

"That depends," Harry grinned. "Will you let me?"

"I cannot recommend you leave Hogwarts without an escort," Dumbledore said sternly, although his beard twitched as if he was amused by Harry's temerity to use his familiar.

"Not even for a bag of lemon drops?" Harry bargained.

“Tempting,” Dumbledore gave the idea serious consideration.

"Mr Potter," Professor McGonagall rose from her seat. "I did not just hear you bribing the Headmaster. You may own the castle, but do not think I cannot put you in detention for your antics."

Madam Longbottom barked out a laugh. "He certainly doesn't seem to be intimidated by the threat. What a little upstart. It's nice to see you again, Lord Potter."

"Harry is fine," he replied, looking at the boy beside her. "Who is this?"

"This is my grandson, Neville," Madam pushed him forward. "He is the Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom."

"Hello, Lord P-Potter," Neville stuttered. His grandmother frowned at him, looking like she would berate him. Harry felt a little sympathy for the boy. He couldn't imagine having the harridan as his grandmother. If he were in Neville's position, he would probably be a nervous wreck as well.

"Call me Harry," he said, reaching out and shaking his hand. "Why don't we go and sit down at the other end of the table and get to know each other? We don't need the old battle axe glaring down at us at the same time."

"Why you little sh-" Madam Longbottom cut herself off from finishing the last word.

Harry quickly escaped with Neville, and the girls followed him. After they sat down, Harry served himself a bowl of oatmeal, with liberal amounts of milk and sugar.

Hermione regarded his bowl with a frown but didn't say anything. She served herself some of the same, but without the sugar.

"Are they your familiars Harry?" Susan asked with interest, eyeing Celeste and Hedwig who had their own plate of food at the table.

"That's right," Harry said, pointing at each one in turn. "This is Celeste and Hedwig."

"Hello, Miss Perky and Mr Stutters," Celeste said rudely, waving a hand at them.

Susan wasn't offended, merely giggling at the fairy's words. It was not clear if Neville was offended, but he was certainly too shy to complain about it.

"So, why are you here at Hogwarts?" Harry asked Susan and Neville.

"Gran wants to give us some lessons about the aristocracy," Neville said. "She has been constantly complaining that you are woefully ignorant of certain matters."

Neville looked mortified by the last sentence and opened his mouth to apologise hastily, but Harry waved him off. He wasn't offended.

"Our families are close," Susan said. "So Auntie wanted me to come along and learn something as well. She doesn't have the time to teach me everything I need to know, as work is crazy at the moment."

"I can imagine," Harry said, before leaning forward and whispering. "The lesson sounds like absolute torture. How about we make a run for it while we still can?"

"Harry," Hermione looked disapprovingly at him. "You can't run away every time you have to do something you don't like. It sounds fun. Do you think I can join the lesson?"

"Every lesson sounds fun to you," Harry retorted. "And of course, you can join. If Madam Longbottom refuses, I will not attend either."

Besides, he was certain that Hermione would take notes of the lesson as usual. Maybe he can sleep through the lesson and read her notes later.

Susan sighed, "I agree it sounds boring. But this stuff is important. If we want to make alliances to enact changes in the Wizengamot, this is stuff we need to know."

Harry turned to Neville. "So, what's your story? It must be scary having a grandmother like that. I hope your parents don't let her bully you."

Neville looked down in sadness, and Harry immediately realised he had said something wrong.

"His parents aren't around," Susan said delicately, not speaking as to the reason why.

"It's okay," Neville looked up. "It's no secret. My parents are permanent residents of St Mungo's special care ward. They were tortured into insanity when overexposed to the Cruciatus Curse. They don't even recognise me."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Harry said, and Hermione echoed his sentiments.

"It's more difficult to deal with now that one of their attackers is now free," Neville said.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Neville said, clenching his fists.

Harry felt guilty. Although he wasn't directly responsible, there was no denying that the woman escaped because of his presence at the prison. Would she still be locked up if he wasn't there?

"The truth is that I'm here at Hogwarts for more than just lessons," Nevile explained. "I am here to stay. My Gran is paranoid that Bellatrix will come after me. Our property Wards are strong, but not as good as Hogwarts. That is if it's okay with you."

"Why wouldn't I be? Dumbledore still has the authority to allow others to stay. Besides, you will attend school in a month's time anyway," Harry said. He noticed that the boy had lost his stutter without his grandmother hovering over his shoulder.

"Are you aware that the Adventurer's Guild opens tomorrow?" Susan asked, changing the subject. "Wouldn't it be cool to build our own team and explore a dungeon?"

"You have to be an adult to apply," Hermione replied.

"That's not fair," Susan pouted. "Harry could join if he wanted to."

"Why would I want to share the loot with others?" Harryretorted. "Are you going to there to watch the opening ceremony?"

"We should all go," Susan nodded eagerly.

"Oh, were you planning to ask me for permission?" Amelia appeared behind her, peering down at her through her monocle.

"Auntie," Susan jumped, turning in her chair. "Don't sneak up on me."

"You should be more aware of your surroundings," Amelia smiled, before turning to Harry. "I wanted to update you on your godfather. He's doing better now that he isn't surrounded by dementors. However, he still needs a mind healer once we get him out of Azkaban."

"Ted is working on building a case," Harry said. "But forcing Fudge to give Sirius a trial is the hardest part."

"I brought the case to the ICW," Amelia said. "They can step in if they feel that the British magical government is egregiously flouting its own laws. However, I don't know how long it will take for them to respond. They are having their own difficulties helping the magical government in Switzerland. They have encountered a dungeon unlike anything seen before."

"What makes it different?" Harry asked curiously.

"It's more like a tower, with several floors," Amelia said. "As you climb higher, the difficulty increases. The most frustrating thing is that they have to conquer the top floor to close the gate, but they haven't even made it there yet. Unlike most dungeons that can be cleared within a day, given the proper manpower, this one is taking weeks. It’s taking a lot of resources and manpower to close."

"So a variation on the normal dungeons," Harry said.

It was similar to the Peverell Dungeon he was currently exploring.

"Yes." Amelia turned to her niece and hugged her. "I will see you later this evening."

"Okay," Susan said, and Amelia strode out of the Great Hall.

Madam Longbottom appeared and led them to a classroom for their lesson. Harry sighed in resignation as he sat down. This will not be fun.

<====({owo})====>

Harry escaped from Madam Longbottom's clutches and returned to his room. She spent the lesson discussing the history of the Wizarding Council, the founding of the Wizengamot, and a long detailed discussion of the different ranks of houses within its ranks. Essentially, it was broken down into Noble, Ancient, Most Ancient, and Most Ancient and Noble Houses. The first three got a single vote, while the latter got two. It wasn’t that much of an advantage as there were only a few remaining. The only other votes belonged to the Minister, the Department Heads and the Order of Merlin recipients,who got a single vote as well.

Frankly, he didn't pay much attention beyond that. While he understood that he needed to play politics to accomplish some things in the British magical world, he didn't want anything else to do with it. He had Professor McGonagall and Andromeda to represent his interests. Hopefully, by seventeen, the Wizengamot and the aristocracy will have disappeared. Hell, maybe an apocalypse would be worth it if it removed it, so he didn't have to shoulder the responsibility.

Since he couldn't return to the Peverell Dungeon today, he had to find something else to occupy his time. He browsed through his skills, noting the changes that had occurred. Skills were now divided into two categories. Class skills and Non-class skills. Some of them like Assimilate Elements, Sense Mana and Accidental Magic had been removed, as they were no longer rquired. As a result of the update, some skills changed as well, although there weren't major differences.

His eyes fell on the ID Creation Skill. Ever since he saw how Victor manipulated the dungeon cores, he became more interested in how they operated. He didn't know if he would get anything for levelling the skill. However, since he had time on his hands and lots of mana to work with, it wouldn't hurt to find out. Currently, it was at level thirteen, and he would see if he could get it to level twenty before the day was out. Would he get anything worthwhile?

So, what do you think of the monster descriptions' changes? I wanted to emphasize their strengths and abilities more, rather than list every attribute that has no impact on the fights themselves.

Thanks for reading.