Chapter 190: Horcrux in Hand
"Now, this is the last auction item of this auction. I believe that most of the distinguished guests present here today have come for it."
"Before that, allow me to introduce Hezper the Vile. He was one of the earliest Dark Wizards and played a crucial role in the development of Dark Arts. Even today, some of his legacies profoundly influence the development of the Wizarding World."
"The Basilisk was cultivated by him, the Horcrux was invented by him, and the value of the books he wrote, I believe everyone knows!"
"Not to mention that this book was also made into a Horcrux by Hezper the Vile, and under unknown influence, it developed its own intelligence, which allows us to interact with this two-thousand-year-old Wizard."
Listening to the host on the stage talk endlessly, Ethan knew this was to increase the value of this Horcrux, as not a single flaw was mentioned throughout.
As the host finished speaking, the same Witch walked onto the stage, carrying a tray.
The host personally unveiled the red cloth, revealing a transparent glass case containing a brown book.
With Ethan's eyesight, even without aids, he could observe it clearly. The material was definitely not paper but seemed like some kind of biological skin.
It could be human skin; dragonhide would be much thicker than this.
He wondered how this book Horcrux was found. Was it by finding Hezper the Vile's lair where he hid Horcrux?
Or was it that this book was originally entrusted to a family by Hezper the Vile for safekeeping, and now that family couldn't continue, so they exposed the book, leading to this auction?
But no matter what, the intelligence born from Hezper the Vile's soul relics would definitely be more twisted and darker than Young Tom's.
After all, it had experienced an eternity of solitude, many times longer than Young Tom.
If he wanted to train it, it would probably take a lot of effort.
"Now, this Hezper the Vile's soul relics has a starting bid of 100,000 Galleons!"
The host directly announced an exorbitant price. There were not many Wizarding families who could afford such a sum of Galleons.
Those who could attend the auction here were generally among the wealthy, but one hundred thousand Galleons was still a significant amount.
Ethan was certain that if it weren't for the strict security here, with many Wizards maintaining stability and protecting the goods, along with the anti-Apparitionmagic and solidified space spells prohibiting Portkeys, there would be many who would directly rush in and seize it.
After all, most of those who came here were Dark Wizards. How much rule-abiding could you expect from them? The fact that they were sitting here obediently bidding was already giving face.
"Three hundred thousand Galleons!"
"Box No. 9 bids three hundred thousand Galleons! Are there any higher bids?"
Hearing the first bid was so high, directly tripling, the smile on the host's face couldn't be suppressed.
In his mind, although he had praised Hezper the Vile's soul relics to the skies, he thought the highest it could go was fifty thousand Galleons.
But now, the first bid was so high, it wasn't impossible for it to reach a million Galleons.
Although he didn't have a share, and the profits were completely unrelated to him, if the price was high, the boss would be in a good mood and give more bonuses!
"Five hundred thousand Galleons!"
Another voice rang out.
Many Wizards knew what a Horcrux was, but few knew how to make one.
Those who knew would not spread the method.
This was Dark Arts that could grant immortality. Everyone hoped to master it themselves but also hoped their enemies wouldn't learn it.
Not to mention a Horcrux that had developed intelligence was essentially another Hezper the Vile. If one could obtain the knowledge in his mind, the gains would be immeasurable.
This made many Wizards willing to pay a hefty price to acquire this Horcrux.
"Six hundred thousand Galleons!"
"Seven hundred thousand Galleons!"
"Nine hundred thousand Galleons!"
The competition on the floor continued, and Ethan just shook his head; it was truly insane.
Even after looting all the assets of Slytherin's former boss, plus his own hard-earned gains over the years, he was still a little short of 1.5 million Galleons.
Now, an auction had already reached nine hundred thousand, and the final Sold Price was still far from over. How many Galleons did these pure-blood Wizarding families or large organizations actually have?
"Box No. 31 bids one million two hundred fifty thousand Galleons! Are there any higher bids?"
The host shouted loudly below, hoping to push the price even higher.
Although it had already far exceeded his expectations, as an auctioneer, who would dislike their auction item's price being high?
Ethan also knew that it was probably reaching its peak. After passing a million Galleons, the bidding became much more cautious, increasing by only ten or twenty thousand Galleons at a time.
And there were probably many who planned to get it for free; these Wizards wouldn't pay.
"One million two hundred fifty thousand for the first time!"
"One million two hundred fifty thousand for the second time!"
The host's hammer struck exceptionally slowly at this moment, looking up at the boxes with each strike.
Bang!
Ethan's hand directly slapped the golden bell, then he spoke into the microphone:
"One million three hundred thousand Galleons!"
"Box No. 77 bids one million three hundred thousand Galleons! Is there anyone else who wants to bid higher?"
"One million three hundred thousand for the first time, one million three hundred thousand for the second time, one million three hundred thousand for the third time!"
Even though the hammer struck incredibly slowly at this moment, the imagined sound did not appear again.
Only the third hammer could fall.
"Congratulations to Box No. 77 for acquiring Hezper the Vile's soul relics!"
As the host's words fell, it also signified the end of the auction, followed by clichés and pleasantries.
Watching the attendant below take away Hezper the Vile's soul relics.
Lucius took a deep breath, silently gripping his wand, ready for battle.
He knew Ethan would definitely not pay honestly.
First, he wasn't sure if Ethan even had that much, and even if he did, he wouldn't pay. After all, even his own family would be bleeding money by paying one million three hundred thousand Galleons, let alone a Little Wizards like Ethan with little accumulation.
Bang! Bang!
The familiar knocking sound rang out, and it was still the ghost who opened the door.
Only this time, it wasn't a 4+1 Wizard combination, but a 12+2 Wizard combination.
Clearly, this was a precaution against any Wizardattempting a 'zero-cost purchase' at this moment.
Moreover, this group of Wizards, in Ethan's perception, was definitely stronger than the previous one.
"Sir, the transaction can proceed now. Please pay one million three hundred thousand Galleons first."
A burly man of about forty on the left stepped forward, his eyes full of vigilance, and spoke to Ethan.
But as soon as he stepped forward, his gaze changed from sharp and wary to one of blissful satisfaction.
"Of course, I am ready!"
Saying this, Ethan smiled at the person on the right, then took out a dragonhide pouch, filled with glittering gold, clearly containing an unknown amount of Galleons.
The Wizard opposite waved his wand, and Galleons flowed out continuously until there were one million three hundred thousand, then stopped.
Afterward, without any further inspection, he put away the Galleons. The twelve security personnel behind had no objections and directly handed the goods to Ethan.
Ethan took it and inspected it, confirming it was indeed a Horcrux, with soul fluctuations within.
The material was indeed human skin, looking a bit dirty, but all the pages were well-preserved, and the writing was very clear.
As for whether it had developed its own intelligence, he wouldn't know unless it communicated with him now.
Or if Ethan directly used the Spirit Expulsion Curse to pull it out. Otherwise, if it didn't reveal any flaws, nothing could be seen from the outside.
But this basically confirmed it was genuine.
The transaction was complete. The twelve guards and two staff members involved in the transaction first recovered their gazes, then walked out as if nothing had happened, without attracting any attention.
Lucius watched this scene in surprise. He had just thought they were about to kill their way out, but he didn't expect they would just muddle through like this.
Sure enough, if you play the Imperio well, you don't have to fear anything no matter where you go!
And the Galleons given out just now were clearly problematic; they didn't even check them.
It's better to leave now. Perhaps by the time they discover something is wrong, this group of ours will have already returned to Great Britain.
Just as Lucius thought, the Galleons Ethan gave were indeed problematic. They were all made of sand, transformed directly into five million Galleons before arriving.
However, they could be easily dispelled, which is why it was necessary to first control them with Imperio.
But the three previous payments Ethan made were all genuine Galleons, which was to avoid alarming them.
He directly threw Hezper the Vile's soul relics into Nibelungen. He would research them after returning to Great Britain. For now, it was better to get out first.
Moreover, there was a major battle waiting outside.
Who knew how many people were aiming for a 'zero-cost acquisition,' just waiting to ambush people outside after the auction ended.
After all, by spending just a few Galleons, they could bribe the staff inside to find out where the person who won Hezper the Vile's soul relics would leave from.
They were all Dark Wizards, and how could the staff here have any so-called professional ethics?
The cost was much lower than directly bidding at the auction.
Following the corridor they came from, Ethan led Tom and Lucius towards the outside. The exit was still the bar they had arrived through.
Chapter 191: Interceptors
Leaving the private room door, people occasionally emerged from their respective private rooms along the way.
Some in private rooms near Ethan, seeing Ethan and his group emerge from Private Room No. 77, showed surprise, as well as greed and longing in their eyes, but quickly lowered their heads, not daring to show any hint of it.
The private rooms in this vicinity were basically occupied by guests from the bar Ethan had arrived at, a significant portion of whom had witnessed the scene in the bar.
The intense fear made their rationality override their greed.
The entire journey was incredibly quiet, with no auction house staff visible, nor anyone leading the crowd out.
When Ethan and his group arrived at the entrance bar, there were two official staff members standing at the entrance to the room, like gatekeepers.
Continuing outwards, they reached the bar entrance. Outside, it was a dense mass of black-robed Wizards, mostly locals whose faces weren't heavily obscured.
According to Ethan's estimation, there were nearly three hundred people.
For Wizards, this number was already quite large. A single year at Hogwarts only had about seventy students, so this was more than half of Hogwarts' student body.
Moreover, Wizards were still continuously gathering, and these were mostly disguised, their identities, like Ethan's, being guests who came to the auction, and now also preparing for a 'zero-cost acquisition.'
It seemed the internal staff of the auction house were selling information everywhere—to locals, to outsiders—as long as you gave Galleons, there was nothing they wouldn't say.
Ethan stood still, but some people couldn't wait. They knew exactly what was going to happen next.
Since he had no chance of obtaining Hezper the Vile's soul relics, what was he still doing here?
But as soon as these people moved their feet, before they even stepped out of the bar entrance, a dark green light struck the ground at their feet.
Clearly, the group outside was not going to let anyone leave, as no one could guarantee who actually had Hezper the Vile's soul relics. Even after the auction, it could be given to someone in another private room to take out.
To ensure the Horcrux was trapped inside, these people were determined not to let anyone from this entrance escape.
"The Portkey is Failed, it doesn't work here."
Not far behind Ethan, a slightly panicked voice sounded.
He had initially thought that the auction site only had anti-Apparition and spatial restriction spells, but he didn't expect them to extend outside as well.
The person immediately regretted getting involved in this mess. They hadn't gained any benefits, but instead faced a threat to their life.
Upon hearing this, many people around them changed their expressions. A considerable number had planned to use Portkeys to evacuate, but some were still observing, hoping for a chance to pick up something.
Bang!
The entrance door behind them slammed shut!
It was only then that a blond man in his thirties emerged from the crowd surrounding the bar.
The reason they waited until now to act was because the closing of the auction house's main door signified that all the guests inside had come out; this was their internal rule.
If they had acted earlier, they wouldn't know if the true Horcrux owner would wait until the last moment to emerge, and in the chaos, he might actually escape.
"Those from Private Room No. 77, you have a chance now to step forward and hand over the Horcrux you won!"
The blond man looked at the crowd in the bar with a disdainful expression, his arrogant posture as if he didn't even see the others, as if Heerbo's relic was already his for the taking.
He indeed had the capital for this. As the representative put forth by various dark organizations, big and small, he had gathered over two hundred people and had already set up measures to prevent anyone from escaping.
As for the profits, they would be divided based on the level of participation; those who contributed more would get more.
This wasn't the first time they had done something like this. In the past, many people had managed to break out with auction items, mainly because the scale and number of interceptors were much smaller then, and those who came to the auction were not alone; they had some tricks up their sleeves.
The reason there were so many people this time was mainly because Hezper the Vile's soul relics were worth far more than previous auction items. Its value was so high that it attracted almost everyone's attention.
It was worth at least several hundred thousand Galleons. Even on Crete Island, only those in power could afford such a sum. Who among these small fry wouldn't be envious?
As for whether the auction house would intervene, a payment of Galleons afterwards would suffice. This was already an unwritten rule.
"Private Room No. 77, are you unwilling to step out?"
"If you don't step out now while you have the chance, the situation won't be as pleasant if you're found later."
Saying this, the blond man turned his head and sneered at the gathered outsiders behind him.
He naturally knew what these people were up to, but did they have the ability to compete with the locals?
Right now, his side had gathered over two hundred people. If that wasn't enough, sending a signal would bring immediate reinforcements from the surroundings.
However, the more reinforcements that arrived, the less profit he would ultimately get, so it was best not to call for support unless absolutely necessary.
The only unexpected factor was the group of Wizards who had previously wiped out all their informants here. They were truly tough opponents, which was why no one dared to seek revenge afterwards.
Anyway, they weren't short on Dark Wizards here, and there was no so-called family or friendship between them. If they died, they died, and one could even profit from their inheritance. The only thing to consider was whether to save face, and facing Ethan's group, it was clearly not necessary.
Clashing with such Wizards, no one could guarantee their life, and they might not even be able to hold them back. The only thing the blond man worried about now was that that group might be from Private Room No. 77.
Lucius's hand, gripping his wand, was already sweating nervously. Although he was prepared for battle, the number of enemies he faced was simply too many!
"When the battle starts, just protect yourself. You don't need to worry about anything else."
Ethan naturally noticed Lucius's abnormality and didn't have high expectations for him.
His strength was slightly greater than an average adult Wizard, but whether he could defeat Lupin was questionable, as he was primarily a provider of money and connections among the Death Eaters, and occasionally offered strategies, rather than being known for his combat prowess.
Even if he were an elite among the Death Eaters, if the numbers weren't sufficient, he wouldn't make any difference here.
The number of people here indeed exceeded Ethan's expectations. He had originally thought a few dozen would be enough, but he didn't expect so many.
Ethan even considered whether to put Lucius into Nibelungen. Although Apparition and Portkeys were forbidden here, Nibelungen could still be opened normally, and Ethan had already tried it.
Hezper the Vile's relic, and two VoldyBats, Ethan had thrown them all into Nibelungen.
But after only a moment's thought, Ethan gave up. Luciusentering Nibelungen would be like a sheep entering a tiger's den.
There were still dozens of Dementors inside, all having been starved for half a year, their eyes already green with hunger. They couldn't extract much emotion from the magic-created spirits of Helheim.
It was only recently, when Ethan used them for Cassandra and others to practice the Patronus Charm, that they tasted a little, but it was nowhere near enough to satisfy them.
Lucius, a living person, would likely generate a huge amount of emotions as soon as he entered, and he would definitely become the target of all the Dementors.
Moreover, he certainly couldn't cast Expecto Patronum, which would leave him with little ability to resist. He would probably be sucked dry within two minutes of entering.
"Unwilling to come out?"
"Who among you can report which group is from Private Room No. 77? Otherwise, none of you will be able to leave."
At this point, the blond man's face completely darkened. If peaceful methods couldn't solve it, then they would have to rely on brute force.
Later, those from Private Room No. 77 wouldn't be able to leave just by handing over Hezper the Vile's soul relics.
Some Wizards around Ethan were tempted. A portion of them were already desperate to leave, but their path was blocked.
However, asking them to step out and report would make them fear Ethan's retaliation, as the previous scene was still fresh in their minds!
The opponent's strength was not on the same level as theirs. If they rashly stepped out, they might instantly die by his means.
After weighing the pros and cons, they all remained frozen in place, not daring to make any rash moves.
This way, even if Private Room No. 77 was found out later, it wouldn't be blamed on them.
As for the remaining latecomers, who had not experienced the bar incident and didn't know what had happened, seeing that others weren't moving, they also dared not show anything.
No one wanted to be the first to stick their neck out.
Ethan watched their performance, unhurried, continuing to control the opposing forces with Imperio.
With multiple increases in magic power, improved cognitive abilities, and having consumed the Blood Magic Potion, his mental strength and soul intensity had significantly increased after bloodline sublimation.
Now, Ethan could simultaneously control an astonishing number of people with Imperio. He had already controlled over seventy people, and this was still far from his limit.
The only pity was that Imperio couldn't have a mass effect like Avada Kedavra.
Chapter 192: A Stab in the Back
"No one is reporting, huh?!"
The blond man's face had completely darkened, his icy gaze sweeping over everyone in the bar.
If it weren't for that extremely difficult group inside, he would have already had everyone captured from the start, instead of talking so much to them.
"Take everyone down! Don't let anyone escape!"
Seeing that no one was still willing to speak, the blond man completely lost his patience.
So what if they were strong? At worst, he'd pay a bit more for burial expenses later. Anyway, he wouldn't be among the first to go up. As long as he had money, there was no shortage of cannon fodder here.
With so many people, no matter how strong that group was, could they really wipe out all of them?
Ethan watched the moving crowd, drew his pure black wand, and pointed it at the ground in the void. A mass of pitch-black flames spread out, engulfing Ethan, Tom, Lucius, and seven Specters.
Ethan's preemptive strike caused the people opposite to launch their offensive as well, with colorful spells shooting towards them.
The crowd around Ethan immediately entered a defensive stance. At this moment, everyone knew that the battle had begun.
The people outside were now attacking without reservation. Horcruxes were not easily destroyed; as long as they could eliminate everyone inside the bar, they could still obtain the Horcrux.
If they held back, and the ruthless individuals inside recovered, they would be the ones to suffer.
Ethan didn't even glance at the incoming spells. The circle of pitch-black flames on the ground instantly expanded, like an exploding bomb, turning the entire bar into a world of fire.
The Wizards around, who had picked up their wands and assumed defensive postures, instantly turned to ashes as fuel in the pitch-black flames, further intensifying the flames' expansion.
At this moment, the spells from outside also struck, but before they even approached Ethan, they were dissolved into nothingness as they entered the flames.
Boom!
A violent roar erupted, and the bar was directly blasted into ruins by the immense magic and the pitch-black Fiendfyre. A towering column of black flames shot into the sky.
The interceptors outside retreated in terror, one by one, not expecting to encounter a lunatic who would use such a suicidal move.
And they recognized the spell: fire escape.
In such flames, they didn't believe the caster could still survive. Did they think Grindelwald had arrived?
They also wondered if the Horcrux could survive in such flames.
The moment the blond man thought the Horcrux might be burned, his already gloomy face could now drip with water.
If there was no profit, he would still have to pay a large sum to the auction house afterwards, and he would have to bear a significant portion of that.
"Use All Spells End!"
Forcing himself to calm down, the blond man immediately shouted loudly at the Wizards behind him.
Although fire escape's temperature wasn't as high as Fiendfyre, it had the characteristic of being extremely difficult to extinguish once ignited. There were many surrounding buildings, all of which could burn.
If the fire were allowed to spread, it would become even harder to extinguish, and the cost of the damage would fall on their group.
Unless they planned to stop doing business on Crete Island, they couldn't evade that bill.
Now, regardless of whether Hezper the Vile's Horcrux could survive in this sea of fire, extinguishing the flames was the urgent matter, while fire escape had just erupted.
All Spells End!"
wands in the hands of various Wizards glowed red, then they pressed them against the ground. These red lights connected to each other, eventually forming an encirclement, ready to firmly trap the black flames in the center.
Although All Spells End was a relatively high-end spell, and its learning difficulty was quite significant, over fifty people had successfully used it at this moment.
With their combined efforts, the red light enveloping the black flames was slowly shrinking the encirclement.
No matter how the black flames crashed, roared, or rolled, it was difficult for them to break out even an inch.
Lucius stood within the black flames, touching his face, still somewhat shaken.
The moment the black flames erupted, he thought he was dead.
He didn't expect to survive; only the three of them, and those things that he wasn't sure counted as people, remained.
Other than that, no one else could move; they had all turned to ash before his eyes.
Beyond the Three Unforgivable Curses, Ethan's fire escape also showed extremely high proficiency. For fire escape to distinguish between friend and foe, allowing allies to pass through without being burned, Lucius had only heard of Grindelwald possessing this ability in recent years.
He truly hadn't expected Ethan to reach this level.
The first Dark Lord, besides being skilled at deceiving people, was quite proficient in war magic. The second Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort, preferred and was most proficient in the Three Unforgivable Curses.
As for Ethan, he was probably a combination of the two generations of Dark Lords.
At this moment, Ethan naturally knew that the outside was using All Spells End to counter him, but Ethan didn't pay much attention to it.
He directly brought the nearly eighty spirits into Nibelungen. During the time those people outside were talking nonsense, Ethan, besides controlling a group of people with Imperio, also cast a curse on everyone.
Ethan had already converted this curse into an area-of-effect expansion based on some characteristics of Nibelungen. As long as there was magic, it could spread outwards with Ethan as the center. The infected showed no discomfort, and if not carefully examined, nothing would be detected.
Because this curse had nothing special about it; it would only erupt at the moment of death.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Crucio!"
"Corrosion Decay!"
"Thunderbolt Explosion!"
"Bone Blast!"
"Powdered Bone!"
...
Just as the red light representing All Spells End further compressed the space of the black flames, hundreds of spells suddenly erupted from their largely undefended rear.
The sky took on strange colors, a sight that attracted countless people's attention.
Black, white, red, green, burning flames, colorful streams of water, all came overwhelmingly towards the group maintaining All Spells End.
The vast majority of them were Dark Arts spells with extremely strong destructive power.
The blond man, also hearing the commotion, turned his head sharply and, seeing this horrifying scene, immediately disregarded maintaining All Spells End.
A protective magical item was activated, then he cast Protego on himself again, and finally, he rolled like a donkey to find suitable cover.
He was deeply afraid that amidst the overwhelming spells, a dark green light might be heading towards him.
But he reacted, while others were not so lucky.
Maintaining All Spells End was already very draining on magic, and they also had to contend with the black flames, which required them to concentrate. In such a situation, encountering a sudden attack from a safe direction made it extremely difficult to react.
After the spell frenzy subsided, eighty percent of the people maintaining All Spells End were gone. The remaining twenty percent were either quick to react and deployed defenses, or simply lucky enough not to encounter Avada Kedavra.
But even those who survived were not well at the moment, having suffered more or less damage. Due to certain characteristics of Dark Arts, even if there was no immediate danger to life, the person would still feel very unwell.
"Bastin, what are you doing?"
After seeing who was attacking, the blond man was stunned.
Not only were there Dark Wizards from outside participating in the auction, but even their own people were involved, and in greater numbers.
Bastin was from the same organization as him, and their relationship was decent; they even used to go for drinks together. He never expected Bastin to join them.
This made the blond man unable to understand. Even if there was a slight intention to seize the Horcrux, now was not the time.
The flames hadn't even extinguished, and it wasn't even certain if the Horcrux could be preserved. To do such things now, he must have lost his mind.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Bastin did not respond, but instead wanted to offer him a treat.
And in that brief moment, without the restraint of All Spells End, the black flames suddenly erupted in the sky, forming a giant fiery lid that enveloped everyone in the area.
The entire sky was now covered in black flames, and any means of ascension was now useless for escape.
In addition, Apparition and Portkeys were also useless. Perhaps they could try the temperature of the flames to see if they could get out.
After leaving the auction, Ethan had no intention of letting them leave.
Whether it was the money they carried or their souls, these were all Ethan's goals.
This place belonged to no one, and Ethan had nothing to worry about.
Could Dumbledore really rush from Hogwarts to fight him here now?
[Thanks to the great boss, Xiaoyao Shenhua chj, for the monthly ticket! Thank you, boss!].
Chapter 193: Best Avada Kedavra of the Entire Audience
"Benson, they must have been hit by Imperio. Do you remember the intel from the bar a few hours ago?!"
"And now, you should turn around and look."
Listening to a companion's trembling words, the blond man stiffly turned his head.
At the location of the bar, ten black figures still stood. The black flames just now had caused them no harm whatsoever.
Seeing this, the blond man also recalled the intelligence he had previously obtained. Based on the analysis, the blood-red mist was a spell that obscured vision.
And those who fought among themselves, even exploding their own corpses after death, were most likely under Imperio.
But for this group of Dark Wizards, who had been active on Crete Island for at least ten years, to be silently hit by Imperio, controlling so many people without alerting others, the proficiency in Imperio was unimaginable.
Therefore, they were particularly wary of this group and brought an exceptionally large number of people.
But to their surprise, the worst possibility had happened to them.
That group of people turned out to be the ones who had acquired Hezper the Vile's soul relics, and their strength far exceeded their previous imagination.
And Ethan, seeing that the other side had not launched an attack first, would not be polite and continue to wait.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A beam of light, far brighter than a normal green light, shot out from the tip of his wand, striking a Wizard closer to Ethan with lightning speed.
He hadn't even reacted yet. Shouldn't this be a time for mutual discussion? 01 He only saw a green flash, and then there was nothing more.
Ethan's move once again ignited the battle. Over a hundred Wizards controlled by Imperio launched an offensive again under the wary gazes of everyone.
Previously, due to being backstabbed, the surrounding Wizards were already prepared and quickly launched a counterattack.
With the advantage of numbers, they quickly suppressed the group controlled by Ethan's Imperio.
However, what they didn't expect was that the guy who had just been hit by Avada Kedavra, before he even fell, a green light identical to the previous one emerged from his body.
They were prepared for Ethan's group, and they were prepared for the people controlled by Imperio, but they had no defense against their own people, who were bound to become corpses after being hit by Avada Kedavra.
They never even thought that Avada Kedavra could be used in such a way, and without defense, they naturally couldn't dodge it.
Thus, the green light flashed back and forth among the crowd, and with each flash, one person silently fell.
As for the ghostly things that floated up from their bodies after they fell, they simply didn't have the extra energy to think about so much.
No one knew if they would be the next target, and conventional defensive spells could not defend against Avada Kedavra.
Besides nimble dodging, they could only use physical obstacles for cover or engage in spell duels.
But facing this faster spell, and not knowing if it was aimed at them, dueling and dodging were basically ineffective.
Even if they wanted to find cover, there were still over a hundred Wizards on the other side attacking them, which was not so easy to do.
It wasn't until this green light had harvested thirteen lives that a lucky fellow coincidentally dodged it, causing the green light to hit the ground, creating a crater, which finally made it dissipate and stop its continuous harvesting.
Ethan was also using Avada Kedavra in actual combat for the first time after its advancement.
The main effect is that after hitting the target and taking their life, it can bounce to any target nearby the hit person.
This bounce continues until there are no hostile targets nearby, or until the magic in the Avada Kedavra used by Ethan runs out.
The speed of this bounce is constant, which is the initial speed when Ethan uses Avada Kedavra.
When using it, Ethan predicted it should be enough for about thirty bounces, but he didn't expect it to be dodged now.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
Ethan was possessed by Lord Voldemort for a moment, casting several Avada Kedavra spells in succession.
One was enough to make them scramble, their rhythm of resistance already disrupted. Now he was adding fuel to the fire.
Lucius and little Tom were both speechless. Are we really learning the same Avada Kedavra?
Especially little Tom, who, like Lord Voldemort, was particularly enthusiastic about using Avada Kedavra and had his own unique insights into it.
But now, compared to Ethan's use, his own Avada Kedavra seemed like a pile of shit.
"First, take out this group of people, otherwise we'll all die!"
The blond man, seeing this, shouted in horror.
They had to fight against over a hundred people under Imperio, and also guard against this Avada Kedavra that could roam among Wizards, while the sky above was sealed by fire escape.
There was no other way to leave except to eliminate Ethan's group.
And looking at his stance, he clearly had no intention of letting their group go. Is it because he's strong that he can bully people like this?
However, the blond man's words had no effect whatsoever.
Facing the suicidal tactics of these over a hundred Wizards controlled by Imperio, it was impossible to rashly disengage from the battle. They also had to constantly face the life-threatening Avada Kedavra, and then face the stronger person himself. Was this seeking death?
Didn't they see that the initial fire had burned dozens of people to death? These people weren't even enough to be burned by the flames from above.
And there was a reason why Ethan didn't burn them all down.
After burning, besides the birth of spirits, the corpses, magical items, and Galleons they carried would all be gone, as evidenced by the golden sticky clumps around him.
These were Galleons that had leaked from burned money bags. Although Galleons had many spells cast on them and were heat-resistant, they couldn't withstand the flames Ethan was currently releasing. Now they had already turned into large lumps of alloy.
Galleons were not pure gold; Goblins only added a portion of gold when forging them, besides other metals. You couldn't take them to Gringotts to exchange them for Galleons; they wouldn't recognize them and would only buy them at a low price.
To maximize profit, Ethan couldn't continue to burn them. Just that one instance had caused an unknown amount of severe loss.
"Wait, I surrender!"
A Wizard, who had managed to escape the battle with great difficulty, covered entirely in a black robe, threw down his wand and knelt before Ethan, about to come forward and lick Ethan's shoes.
What's wrong with him!
"Avada Kedavra!"
Here, Ethan had no intention of taking anyone in. Who knew what country they were from, and what use would they be anyway?
At the moment the green light arrived, this Wizard didn't understand why the other party wouldn't accept.
"I can pay for my life, and I can follow orders. Why is this happening?"
It was only at this moment that these Wizards truly began to consider the blond man's words: this person didn't follow Wizard rules; to survive, they had to kill him.
"Avada Kedavra!" x N
Overwhelming green light surged towards Ethan, everything in sight was green.
Ethan intensely disliked green; if Avada Kedavra wasn't so effective, he wouldn't use it.
He immediately tapped his wand lightly on the ground, and the earth began to writhe. A thick wall instantly rose, shielding Ethan and his group behind it.
No matter how many explosions occurred in front, they could not shake this thick wall in the slightest.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Little Tom transformed into a wisp of black smoke, floated into the air, and landed directly among the crowd, raising his hand and casting a green light.
The seven Specters also sprang into action, completely ignoring the opponent's attacks.
As they drew closer, they brought immense pressure and fear upon their opponents, then raised their hands, and a green light still appeared.
This was all taught by little Tom; he was the true Avada Kedavra enthusiast.
Lucius's situation was not looking good; little Tom was slaughtering all in his path among the crowd, and wherever the Specters went, they brought death and fear.
What was even more outrageous was that spells had no effect on his black robe.
As a result, Lucius was the only soft target left; he was chased around by several Dark Wizards within the circle of flames.
After the battle began, he had no intention of making a move, always following Ethan's instructions, content to just ensure his own safety here.
Yet, even so, he was still targeted.
Ethan had no time to deal with him; with all his Alchemytools, if he couldn't even save his own life, then he was truly too incompetent.
"Thunderbolt Explosion!"
Orange-red flames continuously expanded from the tip of Ethan's wand until they completely spread across one-third of the combat area.
Whether controlled by Imperio or not, everyone was enveloped within it, and continuous explosions resonated throughout the area.
The surrounding ground was blasted and flung onto the dark flames.
The blond man, while dodging the Avada Kedavra still flashing around, carefully remained on guard, but his heart was already dead.
He couldn't win, absolutely couldn't win!
His side had over two hundred people, plus over a hundred outsiders who came to the auction and wanted to intercept the main Horcrux, a total of nearly four hundred people.
Now, fewer than two hundred were still alive, and that included those controlled by Imperio.
His reinforcement signal had been sent out, and with such a large commotion, anyone who wasn't blind could see it.
Now, no one from outside could get in, either they were powerless, or his people had been abandoned.
After Ethan's two spells rescued Lucius from being ganged up on, he casually walked towards the blond man.
Looking at the blond man, whose eyes had lost their light and who was completely different from how he was at the beginning, Ethan raised his hand and cast a green light.
After watching him fall peacefully, Ethan continued to reap lives here.
From today until the end of the day, Ethan calculated that he could harvest approximately five hundred Wizardspirits, which was basically unimaginable in Great Britain.
The Werewolf community was an exception, but if it were any other location, even Knockturn Alley, a single massacre of over a hundred Wizards would shake the entire Wizarding World.
This unregulated zone also had its advantages.
[Thanks to boss 15902 for the monthly pass, thank you boss!]
Chapter 194: Communication with Hezper the Vile
Not far from the bar where Ethan was fighting, on the top floor terrace of a seven-story building.
A white-haired, robust white old man watched the battle scene with a solemn expression, and behind him stood two expressionless Wizards.
"Boss, when the Galleons were just deposited, we found fakes!"
A young man in his twenties frantically ran over, his face filled with panic.
"How many?"
The white old man turned around, his aura pressing down on the subordinate, making it hard for him to breathe.
"One... one million three hundred thousand Galleons, all the Galleons used for the finale auction item were sand transformed."
The subordinate said with some difficulty, burying his head even lower.
Although this matter had nothing to do with him, the boss would not vent his anger on others, but if he were to lose his temper now, he would certainly not fare well.
Originally, this matter didn't require him to run; it was someone else's responsibility.
But who made him new? He had no right to choose freely.
Hearing this, the white old man's breathing quickened; this was one million three hundred thousand Galleons!
But looking at the battle scene, no matter how unwilling he was now, it was useless.
He knew as soon as the battle broke out, after all, it was right above the auction house, and it destroyed a bar, and that passage was also half-destroyed.
He immediately left the auction and came to this place.
At the same time, he also clearly saw the strength of this tough opponent.
He knew exactly what level the Wizards on Crete Islandwere; that overwhelming dark Thunderbolt Explosionwas not something his people could produce.
Otherwise, if he had that ability, could he still sit in this position?
Since the outsider who came to the auction had this strength, regardless of whether Box 77 belonged to that group, Hezper the Vile's Horcrux was destined to fall into this person's hands.
In this case, it no longer mattered who used fake Galleons to settle the payment or how they managed to fool his subordinates.
If the person in Box 77 was the one who used this magic, then he couldn't afford to provoke them, and he even had to beg them to leave quickly.
If not, the outcome was already determined; could he still go to a dead zone to collect debts?
As for seeking payment from the organization or family behind them, he didn't know who to look for.
All the invitations sent out for this auction were the same, and the people who came all concealed their faces.
Box assignments were also based on the bar and the order of entry.
There was no place to prove identity throughout the process, which led to their own people not being sure of the specific identity of the auction participants, only knowing which box they were in and which exit they would use.
"Boss, Andy and the others were hit by Imperio, and the one million three hundred thousand Galleons they received are all fake."
Seeing that the boss had no significant reaction, the subordinate who came to report quietly reminded him again.
When the Galleons were re-checked upon deposit and the problem was discovered, the surrounding personnel immediately went to subdue their colleagues who participated in the transaction.
There were some casualties in the process, but they were eventually brought down.
Now, the Imperio had been lifted, but they were still detained, awaiting the boss's punishment.
You should at least say something!
"Get out!"
The white old man, regaining his senses, glared and coldly shouted.
The sudden change caught the young man off guard, but he didn't dare to say anything more and immediately scurried away.
Only after his subordinate disappeared without a trace did the white old man sigh and continue to observe the distant battle.
In reality, he couldn't see much; everything was covered by flames.
This loss could only be considered a financial setback to avert disaster; otherwise, could he really go up and snatch the Horcrux back?
...
Ethan had already finished clearing everyone, but he was still collecting the scattered magic tools and Galleons.
With the Specters busy here, Ethan didn't need to do anything himself.
Although Lucius was very curious about what magicEthan was using now and what that suddenly opened space was, having mingled among the Death Eaters, he clearly knew that to live long, one should speak less and do more.
Especially, don't ask the boss any questions.
After the last Specter returned to Nibelungen, Ethan turned to look at Lucius and Tom.
"Time to retreat!"
With that, Ethan transformed into a black mist and soared into the sky.
Little Tom and Lucius also followed closely, and the seven Specters, also capable of flight, trailed behind everyone.
They flew directly through the dark flames, heading towards the outskirts of the island.
Anti-Apparition and Portkeys meant that the range was definitely not large.
Once they reached a suitable location, they could use a Portkey to return directly to Great Britain.
All of this had been prepared before they came out.
But just as Ethan and the others disappeared into a distorted space above a dark forest.
The moment Ethan vanished, the black Thunderbolt Explosion canopy suddenly lost control and directly plunged down, instantly incinerating the corpses and buildings below.
And with the fuel of the burning material, it further expanded, with dozens of dark Dragons forming within the flames, continuously moving and spreading outwards.
In just a few breaths, the flames had expanded several times over.
The Wizards hiding in the distance, watching, appeared one by one, cursing and grumbling; they had seen Ethan and the others leave.
After all, several obvious black mists had burst out of the flames, but they thought Ethan would extinguish the flames when he left.
Generally speaking, it's easy to start a fire, but hard to put it out.
But for a Wizard with such mastery, controlling these flames would certainly be effortless, yet he just didn't do it, insisting on leaving with a final flourish.
But no matter how displeased they were, they still had to put out the fire now, otherwise, if this place burned down, the loss would still be their own.
"Get everyone together!"
The white old man also instructed one of his guards behind him.
About a third of the businesses here were his, and he couldn't just sit back and do nothing.
And to extinguish flames of this scale, a considerable number of people would be needed.
...
Ethan, having returned home, naturally wouldn't pay attention to those things.
Lucius returned to Malfoy Manor, little Tom went to Diagon Alley, and Ethan went to his home in Gordric's Hollow.
Yesterday was Christmas; everyone except Hatch had gone home for the holiday, so no one was here.
Ethan's return also woke Hatch; after sending him away, he went directly to the spell practice room.
He took Hezper the Vile's Horcrux out of Nibelungen.
Upon opening it, Ethan found it somewhat incomprehensible; it was all in ancient Greek, with significant differences from modern Greek.
When the Malfoy family sent him 'The Book of the Balance' by Abu Musa Jabir ibn Hayyan, Ethan specifically learned ancient Arabic to understand it.
Later, when Nicolas sent him 'The Emerald Tablet', Ethan also learned ancient Egyptian.
Now he had to learn ancient Greek again?
After a brief moment of thought, Ethan decided to take a shortcut.
This was a Horcrux, and one that had developed intelligence.
If he needed to know something, why not just ask directly instead of making it so complicated?
As for whether it would be honest, Ethan believed it would.
Since it fell into Ethan's hands, this Horcrux had fallen silent.
He didn't know if it had discovered something or if it was just too cautious.
He directly used the Spirit Expulsion Curse; since it wasn't willing to come out, Ethan would force it out.
He didn't know if it was due to the level of skill when the Horcrux was created, or if too much time had passed, and the soul and container had become inseparable.
Ethan actually had some trouble pulling it out at first.
After nearly an hour, he finally managed to loosen it slightly, then yanked it open forcefully.
Like Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes, it was an extremely ugly and deformed infant.
Perhaps this was a common problem with Horcruxes: the severed soul needed to maintain a complete human form to remain stable, but because the soul was too small, it could only maintain an infant form.
And because creating Horcruxes had irreversible effects on the soul, body, and mind, these Horcrux infant forms were all deformed, ugly creatures.
"Are you unwilling to talk?"
"You can perceive the outside world; everyone knows you're a Horcrux that has developed intelligence.
What's the point of pretending now?"
"What do you want to say?"
The ugly, deformed infant, who had been keeping his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, and his voice was incredibly unpleasant, as if his throat had been scalded, extremely hoarse.
"Let's talk about your affairs.
Do you know where your main body went?"
If there was anyone who still knew a clue now, it could only be this Horcrux.
"I don't know.
When I developed intelligence, I never saw him."
Hezper the Vile's Horcrux was quite obedient at this moment, not doing anything excessive to displease Ethan.
It was as if he was truly a baby, just an ugly one.
There was no other way; when he fell into Ethan's hands, he sensed through his soul that this was his own kind.
They were both Dark Wizards, and of the highest caliber.
There was no need to use petty tricks, otherwise, only he, a Horcrux who couldn't exert much power, would suffer.
And in that special space, based on his observations and the other party's performance just now, it all indicated that he was extremely proficient in soul matters and could control him at any time.
If he wasn't obedient now, would he become obedient only after suffering?
"It's fine if you don't know; over two thousand years have passed.
What special spells were there in your era?"
"Or, how much of your main body's memory did you inherit, and how much knowledge do you possess?"
Although it was a bit regrettable, if Hezper the Vile's main body hadn't left any information back then, the Horcrux truly wouldn't know.
After all, there was no mutual sensing effect between them, unless they were extremely close.
Lord Voldemort proved this point; he didn't know where his Horcruxes were, only sensing something when they were destroyed.
"I should be the last Horcrux, but I don't know what the main body comprehended later, after all, my time stopped at that moment."
"What kind of knowledge do you want to know? I can tell you."
According to the original design, six Horcruxes were the maximum; if there were seven, the soul might not be able to bear it and would risk collapse.
"Alright, let me first replenish some life force and magicfor you, then we can talk."
Saying that, Ethan directly crushed the spiritual bodies of three goblins, sacrificing their magic and life force to Hezper the Vile's Horcrux.
The ugly, deformed infant looked ecstatic as it absorbed these.
And in a halo of light, its appearance changed, looking over eighty years old, with completely white eyebrows and beard, and no hair on its head.
Its image was that of a fierce and malicious old man, which was more pleasing to the eye than the deformed infant form.
[Thanks to the big shot 'Bookworm 2005' for the monthly ticket, thank you big shot!]
Chapter 195: Patronus Charm · Modified
End of January.
After the Christmas holiday, Hogwarts had been open for over three weeks.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A silvery-white mist shimmered with dazzling brilliance, and a silvery-white, sturdy horse, about 2.2 meters tall at the shoulder, formed from the white mist, most uniquely, with a spiral Unicorn horn about eighty centimeters long on its head.
After the silvery-white sturdy horse formed, it immediately galloped forward, and the fifteen Dementors surrounding Hermione retreated under the effect of the silvery-white radiance.
However, the silvery-white sturdy horse relentlessly charged forward, and with a Unicorn horn charge, the Dementors hit were immediately sent flying dozens of meters, their bodies also turning grayish-white.
Ethan immediately collected these Dementors; he couldn't let it continue to wreak havoc.
The silvery-white sturdy horse, having lost its target, began to gallop around the Room of Requirement, emitting dazzling silvery-white light all over its body, giving a sense of holiness.
It was even brighter than Ethan's and Penelope's Patronus Charm.
Seeing her Patronus form, Hermione also breathed a sigh of relief, a long-lost look of joy appearing on her face.
Ethan's and Penelope's Patronus forms were both special Animals, and she was next, which had made Hermioneworry for a while about whether her Patronus form had changed.
"A Unicorn Patronus, just born and merely approaching can force back fifteen Dementors, very good."
Ethan also applauded.
Most likely, it was because the Magic Blood she took was the Unicorn version, which had higher resistance to Dementors. Penelope only needed seven Dementors to force out the second stage of the Patronus Charm.
But when Hermione faced seven Dementors, it was not her limit at all.
Ethan also kept increasing the number of Dementors until today, with fifteen Dementors, which finally enabled Hermione to learn the second stage of the Patronus Charm under heavy pressure.
Although it was not as large in volume as Penelope's Thunderbird form, both had just reached the second stage, and when facing Dementors, the pressure and power they emitted were clearly stronger.
What other differences there were would require Hermione to experiment and test herself.
After all, from the outside, neither Ethan, Penelope, nor various Professors, nor even Dumbledore's PhoenixPatronus seen last time, were as dazzling as Hermione's.
With such a unique aspect, it naturally wasn't just a matter of color; its existence must have something special about it.
And this uniqueness must also be due to the Unicornversion of the Magic Blood, which had a special effect on the Patronus Charm.
Otherwise, Hermione's Patronus would have been a useless otter, and it would have been good if it could handle three to five Dementors upon its birth.
This also overturned Ethan's idea that the Unicorn version of Magic Blood was useless.
"Mm!"
Hearing Ethan say that, Hermione also nodded with a smile on her face.
Hermione was quite satisfied with her Patronus.
"You rest for a while, and then you can go open a room for practicing spells to test what differences your Patronus Charm has compared to ours."
"Okay!"
Hermione naturally wouldn't refuse. As she walked towards the resting area, she didn't dismiss her UnicornPatronus, still letting it stroll by her side.
"Now it's your turn?"
Saying that, Ethan looked at Cassandra, Cho Chang, and Nagini. Their progress was all similar.
They had also practiced together, and their current progress was much better than before Christmas, but they still had some distance to go to reach the second stage.
According to Ethan's estimation, it would take at least two to three more weeks to reach the second stage; they were truly slow learners of the Patronus Charm.
"Mm, okay!"
Cassandra and the others nodded, indicating they were ready.
Before this, they had already faced Dementors once; now it was the second round.
Nine new Dementors were pulled out of Nibelungen by Ethan; there were no Dementors left that hadn't been ravaged by the Patronus Charm.
Fortunately, Penelope and Hermione would no longer need the assistance of Dementors in the future, which greatly reduced the consumption of Dementors.
They would barely be able to recover later, after all, except for the heavy damage when the second stage Patronus formed, usually for practice, when covered by the silvery-white mist, there wasn't much damage, and they could be used repeatedly many times.
"Expecto Patronum!" × 3
Just as the Dementors were almost upon them, three voices shouted almost simultaneously, and three dense masses of silvery-white mist floated out from the tips of their wands.
Based on the size of the silvery-white mist, one could roughly tell the size of the three people's Patronus Charms; Cassandra's was the largest, and Cho Chang's was the smallest.
This also corresponded quite well to the size of the Animals whose Magic Blood they had consumed.
A moment later, Ethan collected all the Dementors and handed some chocolate to Cassandra and the others.
They made a little progress each time, which was not bad.
Ethan felt that this learning method, adapting each time and then adding a little pressure, was more suitable, which was why he didn't drastically increase the number each time.
After letting Cassandra and the others go to rest, Ethan himself began to ponder the Patronus Charm.
After experiencing the pressure of the Dementors and raising his Patronus Charm to level five, and after nearly half a year of study, he had now reached level eight.
Although this was not max level, his proficiency was definitely very high.
Now it was time to start improving the Patronus Charm.
Happiness, hope, protection, containing love—these are the Patronus Charm, all positive emotions.
So, are anger, destruction, despair, and slaughter another Dark Arts version of the Patronus Charm?
Since it can be a positive image to protect oneself, and the best defense is offense, why can't it contain malice and turn the Patronus into a tool of slaughter?
Spells are not things that were born; what is passed down now are all inventions of predecessors, and a considerable portion of them are the result of step-by-step improvements.
Just like Snape, many steps in his Potions were different from what was recorded in books outside, optimizing many of the steps.
Not only Potions, he also invented several spells, which is creativity.
Now Ethan wanted to make a fundamental change to the Patronus Charm. Although it was difficult, it was not impossible.
Especially since Ethan had talent in the Dark Arts, he naturally had an inherent advantage in learning and creating Dark Arts.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A silvery-white five-headed dragon appeared above Ethan's head. Although its appearance was ferocious, it had a sense of holiness.
Waving his wand a few times, the silvery-white five-headed dragon immediately dissipated into nothingness.
Still following the operating method of the Expecto Patronum, but transforming the emotions in his heart into anger, destruction, despair, and slaughter.
Although Ethan had the Dark Heart talent, he didn't need emotional assistance to use any Dark Arts.
But now he was modifying an existing spell, so emotional assistance was naturally needed.
Fortunately, this step wasn't too difficult. He just needed to bring in the emotions from his time on Crete IslandIsland a while ago. Although he didn't need emotional assistance to use Dark Arts then, it was impossible for no emotions to arise during the process of slaughter.
In this process, compared to the smooth and natural flow just now, the magic felt a bit difficult to operate.
However, Ethan still made some progress. The silvery-white mist behind him was mixed with wisps of black, but this neither white nor black mist exploded just as it was forming the outline of a giant dragon.
Caught off guard, Ethan was directly blown away, a small mushroom cloud immediately rose from the spot, and Ethan was also thrown to the ceiling of the Room of Requirement, then fell from a high altitude.
"Cough, cough!"
After coughing twice, Ethan climbed up from the ground. His perfectly good Wizard robe, a high-quality robe made from Acromantula silk, had now become rags.
Fortunately, Ethan had activated his Dragon Transformation at the critical moment, causing dragon scales to appear on his body, further strengthening his physical and magical resistance, which allowed him to be safe and sound.
Aside from some lingering pain in his body, there were no other problems; at least, he didn't have any missing limbs.
If it were someone else, after this explosion, it would be questionable whether they could even piece together a complete person.
Ethan suspected Seamus was staring at him just now, otherwise, how did a perfectly good Expecto Patronumturn into an Exploding Charm?
He didn't have that kind of talent.
"Ethan, are you alright!"
Cassandra and the others, who had been knocked to the ground by the strong wind pressure, rushed to Ethan's side immediately after getting up.
They had all witnessed the power of the explosion just now.
Even though they knew Ethan had high physical qualities and strong magic application skills, they couldn't help but worry.
"I'm fine!"
Ethan turned his head and waved his hand, indicating that he was fine.
At most, his internal organs were slightly shaken. After drinking a Potion and with his own recovery ability, he would probably be fine after resting for a while.
Hearing Ethan say that, the girls looked him over for a while before finally relaxing. He did seem to be fine, it was just!
"Your hair and face!"
Nagini pointed to Ethan's head.
"What's wrong?"
Ethan truly didn't know. He could only feel the condition of various parts of his body, and his face did hurt a bit.
But with the protection of the dragon scales just now, it shouldn't have been broken, right!
Penelope directly pulled out a small mirror she carried, opened it, and placed it in Ethan's hand.
Only then did Ethan see his current appearance: his face was pitch black, probably from being blackened by the explosion. Although the dragon scales defended against it, this change remained on his face after the dragon scales shed.
And his hair had become a 'killer-mate' style, with a considerable portion burned; all in all, it looked incredibly ugly.
However, this wasn't a big problem. He would just cut his hair later and drink a bottle of hair growth Potion. His face was even simpler; he just needed to wash it.
[Thanks to the big shot 'Xiaotian x007z' for the monthly ticket, thank you big shot!]
Chapter 196: Using Felix Felicis
"Ethan, haven't you already learned the Patronus Charm?"
"What was that just now?"
From the very beginning, Cassandra and the others had been paying attention to Ethan's movements. The magicjust now looked like the Patronus Charm, but it felt somewhat different; otherwise, it wouldn't have exploded.
But Ethan shouldn't have made such a mistake!
"Do you remember what I said before about reversing the Patronus Charm form?"
"I was just trying that."
Ethan had this idea a long time ago and had mentioned it to Cassandra and the others, but he had never put it into action.
The main reason was that he felt his proficiency in the Patronus Charm was not enough before, and even if he tried, it would be useless. So, it wasn't until today that Ethan truly began to implement this idea.
"Experiments with magic ~ are very dangerous."
Luna, who had been a transparent person off to the side, suddenly spoke with a frown.
Her mother had died because of a magic experiment, and she had happened to witness that scene. The commotion at that time was far less significant than what Ethan caused this time.
She didn't want Ethan to have any accidents either.
"You saw just now that I'm fine."
Saying that, Ethan sat down on the sofa, intending to continue his attempts after resting for a while.
"Even so, you must be careful."
Luna looked at Ethan with a serious expression.
Safety can be achieved countless times, but if an accident only happens once, it will be too late for regrets.
"Hmm, I know."
"When I experiment later, I'll wear the Protego necklace, so there shouldn't be any problems, right?"
Seeing Ethan say this, Luna didn't say anything more and immediately sat down beside him.
Ethan still felt a bit unwell; it seemed the previous explosion was too strong, and he was too close, causing some internal injuries.
Ethan, who had originally intended to take a Potion, stopped that thought.
He directly opened Nibelungen, materialized a Goblin spirit into a small ball of blue substance, took it out, chewed it a few times, and swallowed it whole.
Immediately, Ethan felt warm all over, some of the magiche had just consumed recovered, and his internal organs, which were still throbbing, were rapidly recovering.
In just a few breaths, Ethan felt his entire state return to normal.
This was not the first time Ethan had swallowed a spirit; it inherently had the ability to instantly restore vitality and magic upon consumption, without any adverse effects on himself.
The reason he chose a Goblin was that Ethan's injury was not severe, and he didn't need to replenish much vitality.
As for magic, according to Ethan's current level, he hadn't consumed much at all, so there was no need to replenish it.
"Ethan, you're changing the form of the Patronus Charm; are you trying to make it an offensive magic? Is this considered creating a new magic?"
Penelope was also quite interested in Ethan's idea.
If Ethan could successfully create it, her Patronus Charmwould no longer be just a mascot.
That's right, the current Patronus Charm is just a mascot, only having symbolic meaning, after all, Dementors and VoldyBats are things that, if no accidents happen, you might truly never encounter in your entire life.
When not encountering these Animals, the Patronus Charm can at most only counteract some curses, but it's really not as effective as Protego, completely useless.
Even if her Patronus form is a Thunderbird, it's the same; can it really shoot electricity at others?
But if it were changed to an offensive one, then it might actually be able to shoot electricity.
"I guess so!"
"I haven't heard of this type of Dark Arts, of course, assuming Ulong Escapes isn't counted."
Ulong Escapes is using magic to form a snake to attack; the higher the proficiency and the more magic used, the stronger the snake.
But this is limited to snakes, and it is fundamentally different from Ethan's.
To be honest, if it were a common animal form, even if Ethan succeeded and taught him how to use it, its effect would not be significant.
It is only useful for the Patronus of Ethan and a few others who have Animal forms.
Then Ethan took out a small Potion bottle; the liquid inside was golden yellow and looked somewhat viscous, like liquid gold.
It was completely different from the Potions he had seen before.
The quantity was not much; this tiny bottle contained only three milliliters.
It was the most suitable drinking amount that Ethan had specifically portioned out after acquiring Felix Felicis at the auction.
Overdosing would cause dizziness, recklessness, and arrogance, while too small a dose would have no effect.
And a three-milliliter dose could ensure that the entire person would be in a state of luck for twelve hours.
Developing new magic, in addition to sufficiently high talent and a considerable accumulation of knowledge, also requires a bit of inspiration and luck.
And Felix Felicis could provide Ethan with the latter two.
After all, its characteristic is to bring good luck, making everything successful; isn't that good luck and inspiration?
It can also improve the user's emotional control, allowing the user to enter a state where they are not controlled by emotions and can make the most accurate decisions in extreme situations.
"Is this Felix Felicis?"
Hermione looked at the golden-yellow liquid in Ethan's hand with some surprise; she was quite interested in Potions and had a high talent in this area.
She had read many Potion books, and the only Potionthat could appear in this state was Felix Felicis.
Unfortunately, she didn't even have the exact recipe for Felix Felicis, and of course, Hermione didn't believe she could make it successfully now.
"I got it at an auction during Christmas."
Ethan nodded in acknowledgment; as long as he didn't mention the details of the auction, there was no problem.
And he had indeed purchased Felix Felicis with real Galleons.
"Ethan, are you going to take it?"
"If Felix Felicis is taken multiple times, it will eventually lose its effect."
Cassandra reminded him that many people consider Felix Felicis to be omnipotent.
But in reality, the first few uses are the most effective, after which the effect gradually diminishes until it is completely ineffective.
So even if she could get Felix Felicis, she never thought of taking it; it's better to use it at a critical moment, and in her opinion, it was a bit of a waste now.
"I know that, actually, besides developing magic, I don't know where else Felix Felicis should be used."
Ethan had naturally considered the issue Cassandramentioned.
Taking Felix Felicis in combat certainly has some effect, but more importantly, it's about hard power.
After all, Felix Felicis gives you luck, it doesn't mean it bestows upon you the identity of a child of the world, allowing you to have a near-death power-up, complete various heaven-defying comebacks, and even cause your opponent's intelligence to plummet.
It doesn't help much in combat, so Ethan could only use it in this kind of situation.
Immediately, Ethan opened the Potion bottle in his hand and drank the golden-yellow viscous liquid in one gulp.
0 Give flowers
As soon as he took it, Ethan felt the effect had already arrived.
He inexplicably felt a sense of confidence, and at the same time, he was extremely rational, as if his thoughts had sped up considerably.
Recalling the process of casting the explosion again, and going over everything in his mind, Ethan now had different ideas.
There was no need to follow the magic flow path of Expecto Patronum, and even less need for a spell like Expecto Patronum.
Since their natures are opposite, they are two completely different types of magic.
Just rigidly copying it would be completely useless.
magic does not necessarily require gestures, language, or a specific magic flow path to operate; accurately speaking, it is a kind of idealistic thing, materializing what is in one's mind, and having one's wishes come true is magic.
All the current spells, magic flow paths, and so on, are merely created for convenience and practicality; more accurately, they are shackles, but wearing these shackles, although one loses the ability to create, casting becomes much more convenient and quick.
Just like in Crete Island not long ago, there were truly people speaking all sorts of languages there.
But many Dark Wizards knew Avada Kedavra, yet the spells they chanted were clearly not the same, and they all succeeded.
At this point, if you asked a Wizard from Great Britain, even if he had learned Avada Kedavra, to cast it by chanting the spell in French.
If he couldn't perform non-verbal spells, he would definitely fail, which proves that the incantation is not the key to successful spellcasting.
What Ethan needed to do now was to abandon everything about the Patronus Charm and start from scratch.
This completely overturned Ethan's previous idea that he needed to rely on a highly proficient Patronus Charm to succeed.
What Ethan needed now was to emulate early medieval Wizards, who needed nothing, not even a wand was essential; spellcasting relied entirely on magic and their own thoughts.
One could say it was making wishes come true.
After completing the first step, then use spells or fixed magic routes to assist in casting, making subsequent casting faster and more convenient while also increasing its power.
This is what needs to be done now.
After opening the Protego shield.
Ethan filled his mind with all negative emotions, and without setting a specific imaginary enemy, he designated this as his target for attack, then imagined his Patronus form in his mind, and willed it to make an attacking intention.
This step was not a big problem for Ethan, mainly because he had previously received rewards for improving his thinking.
As magic surged through Ethan's body, a mass of pitch-Black dense fog swirled in front of him. Distinct features like dragon scales and dragon horns began to materialize in the Black fog, and the outlines of five monstrous heads slowly took shape, like an Alien.
Just as Ethan wanted to proceed further, the Black fog suddenly dissipated, and the five-headed giant dragon that had formed instantly vanished into thin air.
Although it still failed, it was much better than the direct explosion that just occurred.
This proves that his current approach is correct; he must abandon everything related to the Patronus Charm to have a chance of success.
Now the only thing left to do is repeated experiments until complete success.
Moreover, the effect of Felix Felicis lasts for twelve hours, and only a short while has passed, so there is still plenty of time.
With this first step of progress, he would no longer need to take Felix Felicis to assist in creating this magic later.