[Boots: Unique Active — Movement Speed +25]
Many people probably don't remember the exact name of those basic 300-gold boots in League of Legends. They're so common, so unremarkable, that they fade into the background of memory.
But now, Ryze could confidently tell anyone: these simple cloth shoes, decorated with two small green leaves at the back, were simply called Boots.
In the game, where most champions have a base movement speed of over 300 units, an increase of 25 units doesn't seem particularly impressive. It's noticeable, sure, but hardly game-changing on its own.
However, the concept of "units" in League of Legends has always been ambiguous. No one truly knows how they translate into real-world measurements.
Some claim the unit scale is based on champion size. For instance, a designer once mentioned that Teemo's height corresponds to roughly 100 units. If that's true, then 100 units would equal about one yard, or approximately 0.9144 meters.
Others argue that the Summoner's Rift we see in-game is merely a compressed representation. In reality, the battlefield would be far larger, and the champions far more powerful than their in-game counterparts suggest. From that perspective, converting movement speed directly into real-world values becomes more reasonable.
Naturally, Ryze preferred the latter interpretation.
After all, it benefited him far more.
In his status panel, "Movement Speed" essentially represented his normal running speed—not an all-out sprint, but a steady, sustainable pace.
At present, his movement speed was listed as 5, which translated to just over 4 meters per second.
Under these conditions, a +25 boost wasn't minor—it was monumental. It meant increasing his speed fivefold.
Converted into real-world terms, he could reach nearly 100 kilometers per hour.
That wasn't just fast—it was absurd.
Yet, the Boots he obtained weren't exactly identical to their in-game counterpart. They had undergone certain adjustments.
Instead of granting a permanent +25 movement speed, their effect required manual activation.
There were two distinct ways to trigger this effect.
The first method functioned similarly to the "Useless Big Stick" he had encountered earlier. Even without physically holding the item, he could still benefit from its effect—provided he consumed mana.
In this case, even if he wasn't wearing the Boots, he could expend mana to gain a temporary speed boost.
After some testing, Ryze determined that the mana cost was quite steep—around 12 points per minute.
The second method involved actually wearing the Boots.
When worn, the Boots would gradually accumulate magical energy on their own. This stored magic could then be used to activate the speed boost without directly consuming his own mana.
However, the charging process was slow.
The ratio was roughly 1:24—meaning for every minute of usage, it required 24 minutes of charging time.
At full capacity, the Boots could store enough energy for about 15 minutes of continuous use. To reach that maximum charge, it would take approximately six hours.
Combining both methods, Ryze could sustain over half an hour of enhanced movement in a single stretch.
On paper, that didn't sound like much.
But in practice, it was more than sufficient.
After all, Ryze couldn't imagine a scenario where he would need to sprint continuously for 50 kilometers at nearly 27 meters per second.
That was less "running" and more "reckless self-destruction."
Beyond their functionality, the Boots were surprisingly comfortable. They fit snugly, offered good support, and didn't hinder his movement in any noticeable way.
The only downside was their appearance.
The design was undeniably old-fashioned—classical cloth shoes that looked like they belonged in another era.
Still, in a place like Hogwarts, that hardly stood out.
Ravenclaw students were already known for their eccentricity, and even among the broader student body, a wizard wearing such footwear wouldn't attract much attention.
If anyone asked, Ryze had already prepared an excuse.
He would simply say that while researching the Room of Requirement, Ailey had discovered them among a pile of discarded items in an old storage room.
Given Ailey's mysterious nature, no one would question it too deeply.
After learning about the Boots' abilities, the young wizards in Ryze's dormitory were thoroughly impressed.
To them, Ailey truly lived up to her reputation as a creation of Ancient Magic. Not only could she assist in combat and defense, but she could also help uncover hidden treasures.
As for Ryze himself, his growing reputation only reinforced their acceptance of such events.
He was already recognized as the most promising first-year wizard—someone who possessed Ancient Magic, demonstrated remarkable talent in Divination, discovered the Room of Requirement, and even obtained Rowena Ravenclaw's ring.
With achievements like that, nothing about him seemed surprising anymore.
If anything unusual happened, their reaction was simple:
"That's just Ryze being Ryze."
However, despite the Boots' incredible power, Ryze didn't adapt to them immediately.
In the first few days, controlling such speed proved to be a significant challenge.
When running laps around the Black Lake, things were manageable. The terrain was open, and there were few obstacles to worry about.
But in more complex environments, problems quickly emerged.
Uneven ground made it easy to stumble.
Sharp turns often resulted in losing balance.
And if he failed to slow down in time, collisions with walls became a very real risk.
More than once, Ryze found himself barely avoiding disaster.
Fortunately, his reflexes were sharp.
Even more importantly, Ailey was there to assist him.
Whenever he risked crashing into something, she would either deploy a protective shield or pull him back just enough to prevent impact.
With her support, and through repeated practice, Ryze gradually grew accustomed to his enhanced speed.
"In a while," he muttered to himself, "once I learn a few more spells, I should be ready."
"With this speed, and Ailey's defensive capabilities… I'll finally be qualified to explore the Forbidden Forest."
The Forbidden Forest held immense potential.
Whether it was searching for Curse Energy or gathering materials for potions and alchemy, it was a treasure trove waiting to be tapped.
Moreover, Ryze had another goal in mind.
He wanted to find special ravens.
By now, he had more or less understood the spawning pattern of ordinary ravens.
Typically, one would appear each day.
However, finding them wasn't always guaranteed. Sometimes they spawned in restricted areas—like the Forbidden Forest or the Restricted Section of the library—places he couldn't access yet.
Still, on average, he managed to find five or six each week.
Their tasks were usually straightforward, with short deadlines. Most needed to be completed within three days, or they would disappear entirely.
Special raven tasks, however, were different.
They were more challenging, offered longer time limits, and provided significantly better rewards.
The raven statue he encountered in early September had no time limit at all. Its reward was exceptional: a permanent +3 increase to the number of ravens, along with a silver Hextech Rune.
At the end of September, another special raven had appeared—one that forced him to spend half a month solving Arithmancy problems.
That task came with a one-month deadline and rewarded him with a Basic Equipment Forger.
While the reward wasn't as immediately impactful as the earlier one, the raven itself had seemed completely ordinary.
Ryze only realized it was special after accepting the task.
This led to an important conclusion:
Special ravens could appear among ordinary ones.
But despite this knowledge, more than half a month had passed since his last special encounter.
Now, with Halloween approaching, he still hadn't found a third.
"Could it be," Ryze muttered, "that I won't encounter a single special raven throughout October?"
He checked his current total.
"I've collected 48 so far…"
If he maintained this pace, and factored in the +3 raven bonus, he estimated he could reach around 75 ravens by next month.
"I wonder," he said thoughtfully, "if that will be enough to exchange for a Prismatic Rune."
The thought lingered in his mind.
Then, on the early morning of Halloween Eve, Ryze made a decision.
He put on his Boots, activated their speed enhancement, and sprinted across the grounds toward Hagrid's hut.
He wasn't going there to feed Fluffy.
Nor was he in a hurry to gather Curse Energy.
The reason was much simpler.
The day before, Hagrid had sent him a letter.
In it, he proudly announced that he had made a large batch of pumpkin pasties and invited Ryze to come by and take some.
He even emphasized—quite confidently—that his homemade pumpkin pasties were far more fragrant and sweeter than those prepared by the Hogwarts house-elves.
To be honest, just reading the letter, Ryze could already imagine the overwhelming sweetness.
If Hagrid's cooking habits were anything to go by, the sugar content would likely be… excessive.
But Hagrid was his friend.
And more importantly, Hagrid had promised to personally guide him along the edges of the Forbidden Forest in the near future.
That alone made the visit worthwhile.
So, whether he liked it or not, those pumpkin pasties had to be eaten.
"Fortunately," Ryze thought with a faint smile, "wizards don't have to worry about diabetes."
"And as a growing young wizard… a little extra sugar shouldn't hurt."
With that, he continued forward—his figure a blur as he dashed across the grounds, carried by the extraordinary power of his Boots.
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