"What are you spacing out for? Take this!"
The aged voice came from behind Tom.
Immediately afterward came the sound of the walking stick cutting through the air once more...
At some point, Slytherin had Apparated behind him again!
"Sneak!" Tom shouted.
A small snake immediately crawled out from his collar and opened its eyes, looking toward the area behind Tom!
Buzz!
Slytherin suddenly sensed danger and instantly Apparated away from behind him!
At that moment, Tom was already prepared. The instant Slytherin reappeared, Tom's wand jabbed forward wildly.
A rapid barrage of Disarming Charms and Stunning Spells shot out!
This was the first time Tom had managed to counterattack.
The opportunity had been incredibly difficult to obtain. If the little basilisk had not suddenly emerged and caught Slytherin off guard with a glance, Tom would never have had the chance to retaliate at all.
"Good! Not a bad idea! Unfortunately, your spells aren't powerful enough," Slytherin said as he easily blocked the incoming spells.
However, before he could finish speaking, the little basilisk looked toward him again...
Slytherin snorted coldly and directly avoided the basilisk's line of sight!
As long as he did not meet the basilisk's eyes, he would not be affected. In other words, Tom's little trick was useless against him!
However, the moment Slytherin shifted his gaze away, an exquisite revolver slid from Tom's sleeve into his hand...
Bang!
The gunshot rang out instantly!
Crack!
Slytherin Apparated away.
By the time he reappeared, both Tom and Slytherin had already stopped attacking.
Slytherin stared in shock at his snapped walking stick and the large hole in his abdomen...
"You lost." Tom raised the revolver and blew away the white smoke drifting from the barrel.
"How could I not dodge it?" Slytherin was utterly stunned.
Of course he had seen Tom's movement. In fact, this very tactic of combining magic with Muggle long-range weapons was something he himself had asked Wade to teach Tom.
But... he had actually failed to dodge it?
"The times have changed, old man." Wade slowly walked over. "If it had been a hand crossbow, you definitely could've dodged it. But that's a bullet."
"When I was outside before, I only saw Muggles carrying similar weapons... I never imagined their weapons had become this powerful already..." Slytherin said with a sigh.
A thousand years ago, weapons like hand crossbows would have been considered divine weapons in the Muggle world!
These were not weapons ordinary Muggle craftsmen could produce!
Wade bent down and examined the large hole in Slytherin's abdomen.
Slytherin was a ghost, so attacks like this could not truly harm him, but they could pierce the Obscurus cloak he was wearing.
Once the Obscurus clothing was damaged, the magic within would quickly dissipate, and Slytherin would naturally lose the ability to use magic.
That was why Tom had declared Slytherin defeated.
Wade casually pulled out a lump of Obscurus magic and repaired the outer robe on Slytherin's body.
"Very good... I truly did lose." Only now did a trace of gratified satisfaction appear on Slytherin's face.
Although Tom had relied on the power of Muggle weapons, hadn't Slytherin also taken advantage of the fact that Tom was still young and unable to Apparate?
Wade looked toward Tom, who had finally relaxed a little, and said, "Well? Wands really aren't as useful as guns, are they?"
Tom did not answer and instead spoke in a commanding tone. "Teach me Apparition!"
"Huh?"
"I'm not learning your other spells anymore! Just teach me Apparition!" Tom's tone was extremely firm.
Tonight's battle had made him fully realize just how important Apparition was in combat...
Wade turned and walked away. "Go ask your ancestor to teach you. I don't have the time. I handle hundreds of thousands of Galleons every minute. Where would I find the time to teach you?"
...
Wade once again became the hands-off shopkeeper and went back to sleep peacefully.
However, Tom was not disappointed by this. He looked once more at the old ghost standing nearby...
Slytherin! The greatest of the Four Founders! His own ancestor!
Although Tom had disagreed with some of this ancestor's actions before...
With Slytherin here, that meant from today onward, he would never again need to beg Wade to teach him new magic!
What powerful magic could Slytherin possibly not know?!
Heh heh, Wade Reynolds, from now on, I, Tom, no longer need you! The comeback begins today!
"You should spend more time learning from Wade in the future. Although I dislike admitting it, my magic and fighting methods are already outdated... only by learning from him can you fully realise your potential. I'm no longer able to teach you much more..." Slytherin said with a sigh.
"Huh?" Tom was stunned. At that moment, not only did his arms and legs begin aching again, but his heart also turned cold.
No... you're Slytherin! My ancestor!
Shouldn't you be supporting me, personally teaching me, and then helping me make a powerful comeback to defeat Wade Reynolds!?
Why am I still the underling here?
At that moment, Slytherin looked at Wade's departing figure, then at Tom standing there blankly, and could not help sighing again.
Although Tom was indeed outstanding, compared to Wade...
"Great Slytherin!" Tom felt he had to speak up now.
"What is it?" Slytherin was very pleased by the way Tom addressed him.
"Help me become stronger! I want to defeat Wade Reynolds!" Tom said solemnly.
Slytherin frowned. "But what I excel at most is Dark Magic, and you've already lost interest in Dark Magic. So..."
Tom was dumbfounded again. "Is it still not too late for me to regret that?"
"I believe in your talent, Tom... whether you accept Dark Magic or choose another path, you will definitely become stronger. You may even surpass the me of the past," Slytherin said seriously.
Tom's mood immediately brightened after hearing that. However, the corners of his mouth had only just started to rise...
"...Becoming stronger won't be a problem for you, but... as for surpassing that boy... well, I can only say you can try your best. Some people are simply Heaven's favourites from birth, so don't push yourself too hard. Just do your best..." Slytherin did not finish his sentence. He merely patted Tom on the shoulder before Apparating away from the spot.
The smile on Tom's face instantly froze. After a long silence, he finally forced a single word out through gritted teeth.
"Shit..."
Nobody believed in him, and yet he himself was not living up to expectations either.
_______
o(*￣▽￣*)ブSupport and read 12 Chapters ahead of WN at-
Patreon/Captain69