Late at night.
Deep in the forbidden forest.
Robert stood in front of an abandoned building, his wand absorbing a large amount of silver ancient magic power into his body.
This was the fifth ancient magic hotspot he had found that night.
Just five sources of ancient magical power had already significantly strengthened his abilities. It was undeniable—the more ancient magic he accumulated, the stronger he became.
Even when he wasn't actively channeling it, the power of ancient magic automatically and silently enhanced his magic. Every spell he cast became far more powerful than those used by ordinary wizards.
However, the number of ancient magic hotspots was still too limited.
Robert had assumed that all the locations marked on the map given by his senior contained ancient magic. But after visiting several sites, he realized her judgment wasn't entirely accurate.
A trace of worry flickered across his face.
If he exhausted all the locations his senior had provided and still hadn't gathered enough ancient magic to rescue her...
Then he would have to find new hotspots on his own.
To do that, he needed to fully understand the principles behind these ancient magical power sources—why they appeared and how they functioned.
Robert had asked his senior about it, but unfortunately, she didn't know much either.
Her method of finding them relied primarily on her natural sensitivity to ancient magic, combined with aimless wandering through the Forbidden Forest.
Robert glanced at his pocket watch.
It was getting late. He planned to head home soon—he had to ensure he got enough rest to practice his nightmare magic.
Otherwise, he might have ended up staying in the Forbidden Forest all night.
The thrill of growing stronger... even without the aid of "residues," it was addicting.
Just as Robert was about to Apparate back to the edge of the forest and sneak into Hogwarts Castle—
Whoosh!
A dark green spell shot out from the woods, streaking straight toward his back!
But just before it could hit him—
Robert vanished.
"Where did he go?!"
Angry shouts rang out from the woods.
Robert reappeared on the other side of the forest, hidden behind a tree. He peeked out, then turned and sprinted.
"There he is!"
"Don't use the Killing Curse! We need him alive!"
Two cloaked wizards rushed out of the shadows, chasing after him.
However, the moment they reached the spot where Robert had been standing just moments ago—
Zap!
A red spell shot from behind them, splitting into two beams and striking both wizards in the back.
Thud!
The two men collapsed without a sound.
Robert stepped out from behind them, his wand raised slightly.
The fallen wizards were suddenly lifted into the air, their bodies levitating and shifting from lying on the ground to lying flat in mid-air.
Only then did they get a clear look at Robert.
Terror filled their eyes.
They had seen him running ahead of them just seconds ago. How had he ended up behind them?
They hadn't heard the sound of Apparition.
Robert gazed down at them as if they were already corpses.
If not for his heightened awareness through nightmare magic, he might have been killed just now.
Without hesitation, he pointed his wand at one of the wizards' foreheads.
"Legilimens."
The enhanced Legilimency, fueled by ancient magic, overwhelmed the man's mind. He had no chance to resist as Robert sifted through his secrets.
The second wizard shuddered at the sight but remained motionless—Robert's petrification spell kept him completely paralyzed.
After a moment, Robert's expression darkened. He turned to the second wizard and repeated the process.
Another Legilimens.
"The Witch Party... again."
Robert now understood.
Because the last search team had disappeared without a trace, Grindelwald had sent a more elite group into the Forbidden Forest.
And these two had just so happened to cross paths with him.
Robert fell into deep thought before a smirk tugged at his lips.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you..."
A sudden wave of dread washed over the captured men.
And... why did this wizard's voice sound so young? Could it be—
Before they could finish the thought, Robert hit them with enhanced Stunning Spells.
By the time Robert returned to the dormitory, it was already four in the morning.
He wasted no time climbing into bed, using nightmare magic to enter the dream world.
As he drifted off—
Tom, in the bed beside him, suddenly opened his eyes.
Ever since the incident where he had doubted Robert, Robert's behavior had grown more and more mysterious.
During the day, he attended class as usual. But as soon as lessons ended, he would vanish.
There were always plenty of people around, yet no one ever noticed when he disappeared.
At night, he frequently snuck out.
Tom had tried tracking him again, but each time, he lost the trail.
Only now did he realize—Robert had likely allowed him to follow him that first time.
Tom frowned.
Robert no longer seemed interested in controlling him, which should have been a good thing.
But for some reason... Tom felt like this situation couldn't continue.
He resolved to have a serious talk with Robert in the morning.
Robert, meanwhile, had no idea what Tom was thinking.
At this moment, he was meeting with his senior in his dream.
"You're late tonight," she remarked. "But your ancient magic is growing at a decent pace."
"I was attacked in the Forbidden Forest," Robert said.
"By whom? Grindelwald's Witch Party?"
"Yes. A previous search team went missing, so he sent another group. They ran into me and attacked immediately."
The senior closed her eyes as if sensing something.
A moment later, she reopened them.
"There are still Witch Party members in the Forbidden Forest," she murmured. "But it seems they're looking for someone... perhaps the one who attacked you?"
"Exactly."
"Did you cover your tracks? Transfiguration has its limitations when dealing with evidence... I could teach you the Fierce Fire Curse—it's faster and more thorough for destroying bodies and erasing traces. With your level of magic, you should be able to control it."
She spoke of burning corpses as if discussing dinner plans.
"I didn't kill them," Robert said.
"Oh? Why not? They tried to kill you."
"My laboratory was just completed. I need test subjects," Robert replied. "Two adult wizards will be useful."
"Oh?" The senior's curiosity was piqued. "What are you researching?"
"When I first encountered magic, before I knew about my talent for ancient magic, I had a question: Where does a wizard's magic come from? Does it have a limit? If so, can that limit be broken?"
"After discovering my talent for ancient magic, I became even more curious—how does the 'residue' enhance magic power? Why is it so addictive?"
"I believe this research is crucial... for both of us."
The black mist surrounding the senior shifted.
"You plan to conduct human experiments?"
Robert nodded. "Yes. They'll die eventually anyway. Might as well extract valuable data before that happens."
"How are you keeping them contained? Stunning Spells won't last forever."
"I used nightmare magic," Robert said. "They're trapped in their own dreams. Theoretically, they won't wake unless I allow them to... but to be safe, I need you to help strengthen my nightmare magic."
The senior smiled.
"Of course. As long as I'm here, they won't wake up."
"But if you're still worried, I can also teach you a few magical restraints. That way, even if they escape the dream, they won't escape their cage."
End of Chapter
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