The Old Ones of Hogwarts

Chapter 542-551: The Prelude to Destruction 7

The Death Eaters were whispering among themselves.

Actually.

This did not escape the ears of the legend.

Deep within the hall, Voldemort remained completely oblivious to the bewilderment of his servants outside the door.

His crimson eyes reflected the newly born chaotic imprints and surging legendary power deep within his soul, while a cold and satisfied smile curved his lips.

He got up again and walked toward the secret door leading to the deepest underground chamber.

The newly solidified legendary realm and the initial fusion of deep-space power fueled his desire for further research and experimentation. The power gained from the "Echoes," those fragmented and frenzied pieces of knowledge, needed time to be sorted out, verified, and transformed into more tangible power. The meeting in the corner of the London night market continued, while deep within the dark lair, another, more secretive and dangerous transformation and exploration was about to begin.

Voldemort entered the secret chamber.

The heavy, hidden door closed silently behind him, completely isolating him from all light, sound, and confusion. The unique aura of the underground chamber, a mixture of aged rocks, damp vapors, decaying parchment, and a deeper, indescribable blasphemous scent, enveloped him like a viscous liquid. But for Voldemort, who had just broken through to legendary status and whose soul was branded with the mark of chaos, this aura was not suffocating at all; instead, it brought a sense of familiarity and comfort, like returning to the womb.

"Coo coo coo~"

Something is bubbling.

In the center of the secret chamber, the dark red patterns on the black basalt altar seemed to sense the return of its master, pulsating slightly like the heartbeat of a sleeping behemoth. The eerie blue flames of several mermaid oil lamps flickered uneasily, casting Voldemort's elongated, slightly distorted shadow onto the walls inscribed with blasphemous runes.

"I'm gradually coming to understand everything."

Voldemort didn't immediately begin his planned "great work." He needed to...sense it first. To experience the difference this new, transformative power truly brought.

"Now, I will test my power!" He slowly raised his pale hand, not holding a wand, but facing a pile of discarded obsidian targets in the corner of the secret chamber, used to test the strength of spells. With a slight thought, a stream of magic flowed from his fingertips—no longer the dark magic energy of the past that required careful guidance and carried a strong sense of personal will, but a more… "direct" undercurrent, with a cold and chaotic quality. There were no incantations, no light. Under the influence of an invisible force, the surface of the pile of hard obsidian instantly became covered with spiderweb-like cracks. Then, the cracks began to soften and writhe, as if turning into some kind of semi-liquid, foul-smelling black sludge, before quickly solidifying again. It formed a pile of twisted, deformed, bizarre sculptures, as if they had been arbitrarily kneaded and discarded by an invisible force, with strange patterns resembling the internal organs of a living organism remaining on the surface.

"Reality distortion..." Voldemort's crimson eyes flashed with wild joy. In the past, achieving a similar effect would have required casting a complex and costly Dark Magic Transfiguration Charm, and it would have been difficult to do it so thoroughly and... with this unsettling "unnatural" quality. But now, it was almost as if he were thinking of it; the magical response was as natural as breathing.

"I am now invincible!"

Voldemort, brimming with confidence, turned to the other side, where several crystal balls imprisoning the faint souls of goblins lay. He extended his wand—a yew wand that seemed to come alive in his hand, its shaft slightly warm, resonating strongly with his newly generated chaotic magic. With a grotesque laugh, he lightly tapped the wand, releasing the simplest of spells: the "Intensified Pain" curse he had once used to torment the wills of his enemies.

However, this low-level curse, which was originally just meant to amplify pain, underwent a bizarre change in nature after merging with his legendary chaotic magic and the characteristics brought by the "deep space echo" from the depths of his soul!

Dark purple magical light, like living tentacles, pierced into the crystal ball. The ethereal soul within the ball instantly twisted violently, emitting no longer a simple scream of pain, but a mixture of extreme agony, an incomprehensible sense of spatial disorientation, and utter madness after witnessing an indescribable and terrifying scene!

"Sizzle~"

Even fleeting, blurry things appeared on the surface of the crystal ball, like blasphemous geometric patterns spinning wildly like a kaleidoscope!

"That's it!"

Voldemort retrieved his wand with satisfaction. Its power had more than doubled! And it also possessed the effects of mental pollution and cognitive interference! How terrifying this would be in actual combat!

He tried several other advanced dark magic spells: the wide-ranging "Rotten Decay," which previously required a long time to gather magic and incantations, could now be cast almost instantly, covering a wider area; the corroded matter not only rotted but also emitted spores that could induce madness. The powerful "Soul Drain" not only plundered life force but also seemed to subtly shake the target's willpower, leaving behind the aftereffect of chaotic whispers.

Voldemort; he even tried an ancient form of dark magic.

The forbidden spell "Void Tear," derived from ancient texts and never to be used lightly due to its excessive magical requirements and high risk of backlash, is said to be able to temporarily tear apart reality within a small area, creating a death zone filled with spatial turbulence and void energy.

In the past, just constructing the spell's structure would make his soul tremble, almost draining his magic power. But now, supported by legendary magic and amplified by its chaotic nature, although he still felt strained, he successfully carved out a dark rift about two feet in diameter in a corner of the secret chamber, constantly writhing and flickering with irrational colors!

The air at the edge of the fissure emitted a teeth-grinding tearing sound, light was distorted and swallowed, and nearby rubble silently turned to dust. Hmm.

Again.

Even the space itself seemed to be wailing!

"Hahaha...hoho-..." Voldemort finally couldn't help but let out his signature laugh, a cold and shrill chuckle. The laughter echoed in the sealed chamber, striking the runes on the walls and causing them to flicker with an even stronger eerie light. He felt an unprecedented sense of control and power!

His legendary level of power, combined with the chaotic magical properties originating from "deep space," caused a dramatic change in his strength! Those profound dark magic spells that he once had to be extremely careful with, even considered trump cards, could now be cast so "easily," with power and unpredictability far exceeding anything he had ever used! Dumbledore? That old fellow who always stood in his way, known to the world as the greatest white wizard? Voldemort's crimson pupils were filled with cold mockery and inflated confidence.

"Can be destroyed with bare hands!"

He could almost foresee the wonderful expression that would appear on Dumbledore's perpetually calm and gentle face when he appeared before him in this completely new guise!

The Order of the Phoenix?

The Ministry of Magic? It will crumble before a truly chaotic power that transcends the mortal realm!

Of course, Voldemort's ambitions went far beyond that.

The growth of power further confirms the reality and greatness of the "Deep Space Echoes." The descriptions of the "Sleeping God" and the "Outer Realms Rulers" in those fragmented knowledge, and the hints about summoning higher beings or bestowing more "knowledge" through specific rituals and invocations, are like the sweetest poison.

She deeply attracted him.

Merely touching the echo and utilizing the fragment crystals allowed him to break through to the legendary level and gain such a terrifying boost. So, what if he could truly attract the attention of those incomprehensible gods beyond the stars, or even gain their "favor" or "blessing"? What kind of power would that be? What kind of...eternity?

"That's true immortality! I will be among the gods! I will be immortal!" Voldemort hissed, his voice filled with fanaticism and greed. The pseudo-immortality granted by Horcruxes, a split soul, was fraught with risk and instability. To become one of those gods who transcend time and the laws of cosmic physics would be truly exhilarating.

Or at least to obtain the eternal qualities at the level of the pool, that is the true destination he pursues!

To achieve the goal.

What he had to do was draw the magic circle that was repeatedly mentioned in the fragments of knowledge in "Deep Space Echoes".

This magic circle doesn't directly summon a specific entity; rather, it acts as a powerful signal amplifier and locator beacon. Through specific geometric structures, blasphemous runes, sacrificial energy, and simulations of deep cosmic "frequency," it continuously sends clearer and stronger calls into "deep space." It attracts the "attention" of higher-level beings and provides a stable "anchor" and "channel" for potential "contact" or "gifts."

This is a massive and intricate project, allowing no room for error. The rune structures defy common sense, filled with the bizarre beauty and logical contradictions of non-Euclidean geometry.

Many of the magical materials required are extremely rare, dangerous, and even need to be "prepared" on-site.

Moreover, the "fuel" for the sacrifice is not only magic and life force, but also requires specific types of "pain", "madness" and "despair" emotions. The entire drawing process needs to be carried out in stages under a specific star arrangement, accompanied by the continuous chanting of blasphemous prayers that are enough to drive an ordinary wizard to a mental breakdown.

In the past, given Voldemort's impatient nature and burning thirst for power, he might have tried to simplify or force things forward. But now, things are different. The legendary realm not only brings power, but also a deeper "understanding" of the nature of magic, and with it... a strange "patience."

"I have a broader perspective now!"

He could feel that the scale of time had changed in his eyes; weeks or even months of meticulous preparation were but a fleeting moment on the long road to the realm of "gods".

Thinking of this.

Voldemort calmed down.

The strange laughter stopped.

In his crimson eyes, the fervent flames were replaced by a deeper, more focused, and icy will. He walked to one side of the secret chamber, where a large number of rare materials he had collected or ordered his men to plunder over the years were piled up: twisted metal from the land of fallen stars; the birth glands of deep-sea monsters soaked in eternal ice.

And the skull powder of a wizard who committed suicide on a waning moon in a specific way; a copy of an ancient star map recording mad ramblings; and crystals or artifacts imbued with strong negative emotions, gleaned from every hidden corner of the world… There were many things, a very diverse array, and Voldemort began his operation. First was the most basic sketching of the array. He didn't use a wand, but rather a dagger inlaid with dark blue crystals, dipping it in a viscous, silvery-gray "ink" made from his own blood, the ash of a Thestral tail, and several hallucinogenic potions, and inscribed the first point on the floor of the secret chamber, which had already been cleaned, reinforced, and smoothed by magic.

"Clang clang clang~"

The dagger's trajectory was not smooth; it occasionally paused to adjust its angle, as if resisting some invisible resistance. The carved lines were not straight, but rather had subtle curves and unnatural turns, combining to form a dizzying, abstract pattern that seemed to drive the viewer insane.

With each small section completed, Voldemort would infuse a wisp of chaotic magic to activate it, causing the silver-gray lines to glow faintly and emanate a cold, inhuman aura.

Progress was slow due to the presence of a mysterious resistance. It took him nearly two hours just to create the core outline of a diagram about ten feet in diameter. Sweat beaded on Voldemort's pale forehead, but he paid no heed, his mind completely immersed in that strange state of trying to synchronize with the deep "frequency" of the universe.

A low-frequency, almost inaudible humming sound began to permeate the air, directly affecting the soul, as if countless tiny, invisible gears were meshing and turning in the void.

That is.

The whispers of an evil god.

It also had a significant impact on Voldemort.

So he stopped, rested briefly, and took a small bottle of potion to refresh and calm his mind. Then he began preparing the first batch of magical materials that needed to be embedded into the array nodes.

Those twisted metals need to be shaped into indescribable polyhedrons under specific incantations; deep-sea glands need to be carefully dissected to extract the pulsating, phosphorescent, and foul-smelling core fluid sacs; skull powder needs to be mixed with several specific moss powders that grow in the shadows of cemeteries and stirred in the dark...

Every operation requires extreme precision and specific ritual steps; any deviation may lead to material failure or even trigger dangerous magical backlash or mental pollution.

of course.

As a distinguished graduate of Hogwarts, Voldemort was meticulous and his movements were almost inhumanly steady. His legendary magical control allowed him to handle these dangerous substances with exquisite precision, while the chaotic imprints deep within his soul seemed to give him a natural affinity and understanding for such "blasphemous" actions.

Time slipped away silently in the eerie blue glow of the fire and the low, intoxicating hum of the chamber. Voldemort was completely absorbed in this grand, wicked, and meticulously crafted "creation."

Everything outside seemed to have disappeared.

He wasn't indifferent to threats like ravens, but he was absolutely confident that he would be able to complete the magic circle and gain deeper power before he could.

legend.

This will give him the ability to handle any challenge.

He even secretly anticipated the conflict, seeing it as the perfect opportunity to test his newfound power and potentially provide "high-quality" sacrifices for the magic circle. However, just as Voldemort had completed the initial processing of the first batch of materials and was preparing to begin inscribing the second, more complex blasphemous rune ring, "Thump thump thump!"

A rapid yet restrained knocking sound came from the heavy stone door of the secret room, breaking the continuous low rhythm inside.

Books and Literature