Chapter 206: Darwin Loses His Composure.
Something was wrong—very wrong.
Why did Voldemort's favorability unlock?
If Voldemort's main soul was still around, then what had he just killed?
Could it have been a Horcrux?
No, in the original story, all of Voldemort's Horcruxes had clear locations and fates.
This Voldemort had to be the main soul.
After escaping from Quirrell's body,
he found Barty Crouch Jr., and later, with Wormtail's help and the Goblet of Fire incident, achieved a perfect resurrection.
Therefore, there couldn't possibly be another Horcrux.
After Lily set him up, he didn't have time to create any more Horcruxes.
The only Horcruxes closest to his current age were Naginiand Harry Potter.
Both were living Horcruxes; he didn't have time to make another one.
But if this was the main soul, Darwin was certain that his move should have completely wiped out Voldemort's soul.
Fiendfyre possessed unimaginable power to destroy souls.
Voldemort definitely couldn't have escaped.
But where did this favorability come from?
Where on earth did it come from?
Darwin's face turned grim. He felt as though things were spiraling out of his expectations.
Spiraling out of his control.
It was an awful feeling.
Darwin's greatest cheat had never been the system.
It was his foresight stemming from knowing the plot inside out.
Knowing the plot gave Darwin an inherent advantage of being invincible.
But now, within the plot he knew,
something had changed.
Minor changes wouldn't bother Darwin.
But when the plot regarding the sole main villain suddenly shifted,
how could Darwin possibly remain calm?
Darwin looked at Cassandra. "Cassandra, handle things here."
As his voice fell, he transformed into a ribbon of silk and flew outside.
His mind was in turmoil now.
Too many things were affecting his mood.
Perhaps others couldn't understand.
But right now, Darwin's greatest reliance seemed to be slipping away.
That was precisely what Darwin couldn't accept—in fact, he was feeling a tinge of fear.
Darwin rushed out of Hogwarts Castle.
Choosing a direction, he plunged straight into the Forbidden Forest.
He had to verify, to seek an answer.
The ribbon streaked across the sky above the Forbidden Forest.
It moved at extreme speed, Darwin's terrifying magic sweeping in all directions.
All the magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest hid away.
In the Acromantula colony, the chief Acromantula hid inside a hollow tree,
trembling violently.
It had no idea who had provoked this fiend.
From the fiend's magic, it sensed rage, murderous intent, and... a hint of fear?
No, fear?
How could that be? It thought it must have misperceived it.
That fiend, feeling fear?
What a joke. Even thinking with its eight spider legs, it knew that fiend didn't know the meaning of fear.
It was the one who was terrified.
As Darwin flew, several streams of smoke spilled from his mouth within the ribbon form.
They condensed into images before him.
"Nothing. How can there be nothing? How is this possible?!"
Darwin's magic was dangerously wild right now.
Before coming to Britain, he had divined the future, and the plot had aligned perfectly with what he knew.
So, he hadn't thought much of it.
But this time when he divined, the visions were gone.
All the visions had vanished.
The scenes were blank, a void of nothingness.
It was as if the Divination talent he copied from Grindelwald had ceased working.
He couldn't see anything.
The future was pure chaos, and the visions he had previously seen were gone as well.
Darwin clenched his fists tightly. Where on earth did things go wrong?
What was going on?
Inside Hogwarts Castle,
Professor McGonagall and the four Heads of House gathered together,
looking toward the Forbidden Forest.
They, too, felt Darwin's terrifying magical power.
Professor McGonagall frowned. "What's happening? What's wrong with Darwin?"
Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick shook their heads.
Professor Sprout said, "The plants tell me that Darwin is very angry, even panicking. Hasn't he already taken care of Voldemort?"
Snape, standing beside them, stared toward the Forbidden Forest,
a glint of contemplation flashing in his eyes.
The next instant, he threw open the window, his body turning into black mist as he surged straight toward the Forbidden Forest.
Flitwick was about to speak,
but Professor McGonagall said, "Let him go. He is Darwin's Head of House.
Though he seems indifferent toward students, in reality, he cares about Darwin more than any of us.
He has just never expressed it.
After all, a proper student is hard to find."
In Nurmengard,
Grindelwald stood under the window,
sunlight streaming through the pane onto his face.
Just then, the door pushed open.
Vinda walked in.
"Darwin may have noticed something."
Grindelwald said, "Mm, he is very angry and flustered. I can feel his pure magic—that terrifyingly immense power unbefitting his age.
Even from this distance, I can still feel it."
Vinda said, "The Rosier bloodline within me is throbbing. My blood tells me that Darwin is currently not in a good state.
I want to go to Britain."
Grindelwald replied, "Of course, Vinda, that is your freedom.
But what after you go to Britain? Are you going to bring him back?
Vinda, this is something he must go through, isn't it? From the day you tacitly allowed him to come to Nurmengard, the gears of fate began to turn.
You cannot stop it, nor can you influence it.
No one can interfere with the gears of fate, except Darwinhimself.
So, Vinda, if you go, what good will it do?"
Vinda said, "At least I can stay by his side. He's a child I watched grow up."
Grindelwald said, "He is also a child I watched grow up.
Vinda, there are many things that are not for us to decide.
Have you forgotten? On this chessboard, you and I are merely pawns as well.
At best, we might be important pawns, but no matter how important, we cannot escape the essence of being pawns.
If you want to go, go.
I won't stop you, but I hope you think it through. On the chessboard, there aren't just you and me. He will jump off the board and become a player—maybe today,
or maybe in the future. But ultimately, he will break free of the board.
You want to protect him, you care for him—I understand all of it.
But given Darwin's nature, if he doesn't figure it out himself, do you think he'll step off the board?"
Hearing this, Vinda fell silent.
She could not deny Grindelwald's words, because that was simply the truth.
Chapter 207: Intrusion into the Centaur Tribe!
Inside Hogwarts.
In the Throne Space.
the Four Founders were very silent today.
It was unknown for how long they remained silent.
Gryffindor said, "Say something, you guys. Now you've started keeping quiet."
Ravenclaw said, "What do you want us to say?"
Gryffindor said, "Of course I mean what we should do next. That child seems to have noticed."
Hufflepuff said, "However, we don't even know what he has noticed in the end."
"Nor do we know how he noticed it. Besides, actually, isn't it better if he knows?"
Hearing this, Gryffindor fell silent.
Ravenclaw said, "Godric Gryffindor, I need to remind you, I know you appreciate that child very much."
"I appreciate him too."
"However, appreciation is appreciation; do not forget our ultimate goal."
"Nor should we forget what we bear, as well as those who bear the same burden as us."
Gryffindor lowered his head, "I was just, just..."
"Pitying him, right?"
Slytherin, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.
The three of them looked towards Slytherin.
They had forgotten one thing: if it came to pity, if it came to care, Slytherin should be the one who cared and pitied the most.
Slytherin turned around, "This is what he must experience, and it is the path he is meant to walk. We cannot interfere, and we have no right to interfere. We are already dead!"
Slytherin's figure gradually faded.
Until it completely disappeared.
The other Three Founders exchanged glances.
Their figures also gradually dissipated.
The Throne Space fell into silence.
This was the first time since Darwin challenged the position of Chief that the Throne Space had quieted down.
It was quiet to the point of being terrifying, quiet like a tomb, like a dead land.
In the Forbidden Forest.
Darwin's figure suddenly landed on the ground.
At this moment, a trace of bright red was slowly flowing down the corner of his eye.
Right at this moment, two Centaurs rushed out from the forest.
"Who goes there? This is the Centaur Tribe."
Darwin's crimson eyes looked at the two Centaurs.
The two Centaurs froze for a moment. "A little foal? Little foal, leave immediately. This is not a place you should come to."
Darwin's hoarse voice sounded, "Take me to see the person with the highest status in your Centaur Tribe."
The two Centaurs exchanged glances.
"I'll say it again, little foal. Wizards are not allowed to approach the Centaur Tribe."
Darwin was losing his patience.
With a wave of his finger.
Two vines abruptly appeared, directly choking the necks of the two Centaurs.
The two Centaurs struggled violently.
Darwin stood on the spot, watching the movements of the two Centaurs grow weaker and weaker.
Right at this time, a neigh sounded.
Another Centaur rushed out from the forest.
Glancing at its companions on the ground,
it hurriedly said, "Stop, little foal, halt your magic. There is an agreement between the Centaur Tribe and Wizards."
"Wizards cannot trespass into the Centaur Tribe."
Darwin looked at this Centaur.
Searching his own memory in his mind.
"You are Firenze?"
Firenze was stunned, "Why do you know me?"
Darwin said, "Take me to see the person with the highest status in your tribe, or the two of them die."
Darwin's voice was icy cold.
He truly did not have time to waste with these Centaurs right now.
He needed to verify his conjecture.
Seeing that Darwin was not joking,
Firenze marveled inwardly at this little foal's ruthlessness, but also knew he couldn't dawdle anymore.
"Alright, I'll take you there. Let them go."
Darwin waved his hand, and the vines loosened.
The two Centaurs no longer had the arrogance on their faces from just now.
Their gazes looking at Darwin were filled with terror.
The individual strength of Centaurs was indeed not very strong,
but neither was it something a student could handle.
Yet this little foal before them had stripped them of any ability to fight back in a single move.
This was simply too terrifying for them.
Darwin looked at Firenze, "Now, take me over."
Firenze nodded.
"This way."
Darwin followed behind Firenze. He wasn't afraid of any conspiracies or ambushes;
his strength was right here.
Firenze led Darwin all the way towards the Centaur Tribe.
Soon, Firenze stopped.
"Ahead is the Centaur Tribe. Keep close to me. The CentaurTribe is protected by an ancient leftover magical array. Although it is already dilapidated, it still has power. You mustn't walk around blindly, or you will easily get lost."
Darwin frowned.
So that was it. No wonder he could vaguely sense the magic here and then guess that the Centaur Tribe was around here,
but couldn't pinpoint the exact location of the CentaurTribe.
This Centaur Tribe really knew how to pick a place,
using a magical array left behind by Wizards, yet refusing Wizards entry?
What a laughable race.
Firenze did not know Darwin's thoughts.
At this moment, he was concentrating on leading the way ahead.
Soon, Darwin followed Firenze through the magical array.
When entering, Darwin had already casually studied this magical array.
It was indeed a dilapidated one.
The only commendable thing was that this thing could absorb free magic in the air
and then replenish itself, but the absorption efficiency was very slow, and the amount was also very small,
not even a ten-thousandth of the magical array he had obtained.
Now it could only serve a concealing and confusing effect,
similar to a Muggle-Repelling Charm, except that compared to a Muggle-Repelling Charm, this thing could also affect Wizards.
It was a wonder these Centaurs were able to find this place.
If he guessed correctly, it might also have been left behind by the Slytherin Family.
After all, this land originally belonged entirely to Slytherin.
However, this magical array had only a few years left.
With no one to repair it, sooner or later its last value would be squeezed dry.
Of course, this had nothing to do with Darwin.
After passing through the magical array,
the scene in front of Darwin changed.
One dilapidated tent after another appeared before Darwin.
Many tents had patches on them.
Compared to Wizards' tents, these tents were taller.
On the ground, at intervals, bonfires were lit.
Firenze's entry instantly attracted the attention of all the Centaurs.
To be precise, it was Darwin behind Firenze who attracted the attention of these Centaurs.
"A little foal?"
"Why would Firenze bring a human Wizard inside?"
A Centaur rushed over.
"Firenze, how dare you bring a human Wizard to our tribe!"
Firenze had no way to explain. What could he say—that he was forced as well?
He dared to guarantee that once these words were spoken, a fight would definitely break out.
Judging by this young Wizard's combat power just now,
today the Centaur Tribe would suffer heavy casualties.
How could he dare say it?
That Centaur saw Firenze not speaking,
and its brow instantly furrowed.
Looking at Darwin, it said, "Little foal, leave quickly. This is not a place you should come."
A cold glint flashed across Darwin's eyes.
He was running a bit out of patience!
Chapter 208: Another Prophecy, Darwin is a God?
Right at this moment, an aged voice came over.
"Stop."
The group of Centaurs turned to look, and after seeing clearly who the person was...
they hurriedly bowed.
"Great Elder!"
Firenze ran over. "Great Elder, I..."
However, before Firenze could finish his words...
he was stopped by that aged Centaur.
"You don't need to say anything, Firenze. Everything is guided by the starry sky."
Firenze nodded.
That elderly Centaur came to a spot not far from Darwin.
"Hello, respected distinguished guest, welcome to the Centaur tribe."
"Please forgive the impoliteness of my clansmen. I am here to apologize to you on their behalf."
Looking at this aged Centaur, Darwin felt somewhat surprised in his heart.
This Centaur seemed quite sensible.
The old Centaur said, "Please, come inside."
After saying this, the elderly Centaur took the lead in guiding the way ahead.
Darwin did not hesitate and followed directly. To repeat that saying, with his strength as a foundation, he feared no conspiracy.
If there was a conspiracy, he wouldn't mind slaughtering the entire Centaur tribe.
He had this strength.
The old Centaur brought Darwin to the largest tent.
The old Centaur said, "The conditions are crude, please forgive us."
Darwin had no intention of exchanging polite pleasantries with this old Centaur.
He directly stated his purpose.
"I need you to perform divination."
The old Centaur nodded. "I know. I can't think of anything else in the Centaur tribe, aside from divination, that would be worthy of the presence of such a strong person like you."
Darwin said, "I have no interest in listening to you talk about these useless things. I want to know if Voldemort is still alive. I mean, the real Voldemort."
The old Centaur's hand movements paused for a moment.
"Is what you want to know whether the Dark Lord is dead or alive, or is it something else?"
Darwin frowned.
He looked at the old Centaur.
The old Centaur said, "Perhaps you can ask your own heart. What is it that you want to know the most, what is it that you want to understand most in your heart?"
Darwin stared fixedly at the old Centaur.
Blue flames had ignited around the old Centaur at some unknown time.
The old Centaur glanced at the blue flames on the ground.
His pupils contracted slightly, but he didn't say anything.
Darwin said, "What on earth do you know?"
The old Centaur said, "I don't know anything, but the starry sky told me that you would come to the Centaur tribe, becoming the first Wizard to come to the Centaur tribe in countless years."
Darwin said, "The starry sky?"
The old Centaur nodded. "In fact, this message was not left for me, but for the previous high priest of our Centaur race."
Darwin recalled the records about the Centaur race in his mind.
Many years ago, during the era of ancient Wizards...
the Centaur tribe was much more prosperous than it was now.
The Centaurs back then were not like they were now, having no other advantages besides a divination whose accuracy was uncertain.
At that time, in that era where ancient magic ran rampant...
the Centaurs were equally able to occupy a place of their own.
The reason for this was because there existed very special beings among the Centaurs.
Centaur priests.
Centaur priests were the backbone of a Centaur tribe, and could also be said to be its pillar.
Being able to avoid becoming food for other powerful magical creatures or experimental subjects of Wizards in that era, these priests were indispensable.
According to legend, Centaur priests could use the power of the starry sky. Not only for divination, but they could even borrow the power of the stars to fight.
Their abilities were extremely bizarre, and also very powerful.
However, later on, for some unknown reason, the priests of the Centaur tribe disappeared.
The Centaurs never gave birth to any more priests.
Subsequently, their numbers began to decrease rapidly.
In the most chaotic and dangerous era of the Wizarding World—the era of the Four Founders...
Ravenclaw rescued a Centaur tribe that was about to be slaughtered.
Later, this Centaur tribe left with Ravenclaw and came to Hogwarts, multiplying and surviving here.
Darwin looked at the old Centaur.
"Are you playing with me? How many years has it been since a Centaur priest appeared?
The last priest can be traced all the way back to the era of ancient magic."
The old Centaur said, "Yes, you are very knowledgeable. What I am talking about is that very priest."
Darwin was stunned for a moment.
The old Centaur continued, "Would you like to see a prophecy?"
Darwin didn't speak, so the old Centaur simply took it as Darwin's agreement.
Solemnly, he took out a box and placed it on the tabletop.
The box opened.
The old Centaur took out a rolled-up parchment scroll.
He didn't know what material it was, but anyway, it wasn't traditional sheepskin parchment.
The old Centaur unfolded it.
Darwin lowered his head to look.
Years flow and turn, time never ceases.
The gods let fall the brilliance of days past, at the intersection of light and dark.
The destined person will grace the Centaur tribe with their presence.
He will open a new chapter, and the starry sky will shine once more.
Jörmungandr will die, sinking into the endless deep sea.
Everything will be brought to a full stop—perhaps this world, or perhaps everything that should have ended long ago.
This was the second prophecy Darwin knew of that concerned him.
The first prophecy was told to him by Slytherin.
That prophecy with a very strong sense of direction.
And today's prophecy also had a very strong sense of direction.
After all, for so many years, the only Wizard who had come to the Centaur tribe was him.
Darwin said, "What does the prophecy mean?"
The old Centaur shook his head. "I don't know, but after so many years, we actually have some guesses.
Since you are so knowledgeable, you must know where the power of the Centaur priests comes from, right?"
Darwin said, "Legend has it that it is bestowed by the God of the Starry Sky, a divine gift."
The old Centaur nodded. "Yes, it is a divine gift. Centaurs are a race favored by the starry sky, and the God of the Starry Sky bestowed power upon us.
However, one day, the God of the Starry Sky suddenly stopped granting us blessings.
She took back our power, and we thought we had offended the God of the Starry Sky.
We prayed devoutly, begging the deities to bestow their blessings once more.
However, the deities never lowered their gaze to look at us again.
Until later, our ancestors met a person.
Ravenclaw.
That one of the Four Founders, she also practiced the power of the starry sky, and her bloodline was also a bloodline blessed by the starry sky.
However, she was unable to do what ancient Wizards did—trigger the blessing of the God of the Starry Sky through her bloodline.
At that time, an extra guess grew in our hearts.
Perhaps the God of the Starry Sky has fallen!"
Darwin's expression suddenly stiffened.
A deity has fallen?
The old Centaur continued, "This guess of ours is blasphemy, a sin, but the prophecy says that the starry sky will shine once more.
It makes us unable to help thinking more.
We guess that perhaps you can help the God of the Starry Sky resurrect, or perhaps, in fact, you are the God of the Starry Sky!"
Chapter 209: Guess, A Scary Speculation!
The old Centaur looked at Darwin with fanaticism.
However, to his surprise, Darwin's expression remained unchanged; not even a trace of a ripple stirred on his face.
The old Centaur was somewhat unsure of what to make of it.
If someone else were told they might be a deity, wouldn't they be wildly excited?
But why was this little foal in front of him so calm?
Darwin looked at the old Centaur: "Are you done?"
The old Centaur nodded instinctively.
Darwin said: "If you're done, then start the divination over there. I want to know whether Voldemort is still alive."
The old Centaur was utterly numb.
No, after saying so much and even involving deities,
why are you still talking about Voldemort here?
What on earth did Voldemort do
that could make him care about him this much?
Actually, Darwin's thoughts were quite simple.
Deities and such legends were illusory and ethereal.
Even without considering the truth or falsehood of this matter,
Darwin could be certain that he was definitely not the reincarnation of the God of the Starry Sky.
Because he was a time traveler.
Therefore, this reincarnation of the God of the Starry Skyhad nothing to do with him whatsoever.
Moreover, it didn't make sense logically.
If a deity could be killed by someone of the same level,
then would the person who killed him let his soul go?
Would they give him a chance to reincarnate or even return?
That was simply impossible.
If you don't cut the weeds by the roots, the spring breeze will blow them back to life.
Do not use plots in novels to think about the real world.
In novels, those who spare opponents do so just to better advance the plot.
However, to become a deity, which one of them wasn't a person with a sufficiently firm disposition and a history of slaughtering without blinking?
They wouldn't leave the slightest hidden trouble for themselves.
Darwin was clear about this point.
After all, back then, if Newt hadn't truly been unable to handle Dumbledore,
even with Vinda's hint, Newt would have been dead for sure.
Therefore, if he could kill, Darwin would never hold back.
Those deities would only do worse than Darwin.
Annihilation on all levels—unless there were accidents, they would never leave the slightest loose end.
Therefore, any talk of the reincarnation of the God of the Starry Sky was purely nonsense.
Of course, even if there really was something Darwin didn't know,
and he truly was the God of the Starry Sky,
it wouldn't have the slightest impact on Darwin's plans.
Deities were a matter of the future.
Right now, he needed to first figure out what kind of changes had occurred.
The old Centaur said: "I cannot perform divination on someone with the strength of the Dark Lord."
Darwin said: "Then use your life to divine. As far as I know, the Centaur clan can trade their own lives in exchange for a brief stay in the starry sky,
look through the starry sky to see the future clearly. If you divine it successfully, you die and the other Centaurs live.
If you cannot divine it, you die and the other Centaurs must die too.
I am not discussing this with you; I only want the result."
Hearing this, the old Centaur's originally calm expression changed.
Darwin was much more ruthless and extreme than he had imagined.
However, he could not resist.
The old Centaur sighed: "Fine, I will divine."
Darwin said: "You have one hour. After one hour, I want to see the result."
The old Centaur said: "One hour? That is enough. I need to arrange a ritual to communicate with the starry sky. Please wait a moment."
Darwin nodded.
He didn't care about the life or death of the Centaurs at all.
Right now, he only wanted the result.
Darwin's fingers tapped gently on the tabletop.
He was pondering, pondering all the suspicious points of this matter.
Or rather, the suspicious points he had encountered all along.
Situations inconsistent with the original plot.
First was the problem of Voldemort.
Voldemort's main soul survived and could not be killed. If it were said that he escaped right in front of him,
then Darwin could chalk it up to plot inertia.
However, Voldemort did not escape.
Darwin was very certain of this point.
The Voldemort he wiped out with his own hands—
it was absolutely impossible to let Voldemort have any chance of escaping.
He had absolute confidence in his own strength.
Under the scorching of Fiendfyre, there was not the slightest possibility for Voldemort's main soul to survive.
However, the system prompt tone indicated that Voldemort's favorability had been unlocked.
Then, there were only two possibilities. First, the system made a mistake.
But this possibility was minuscule, or perhaps the system had other settings that he didn't know about.
This point was indeed possible, so he needed to determine whether Voldemort was truly alive.
As for the second possibility, it was rather terrifying.
Voldemort, from the very beginning when he came to Hogwarts, was not his main soul.
Under circumstances not recorded in the plot, he still had a Horcrux.
Furthermore, it was a Horcrux made before he was backstabbed by Lily.
If that were really the case, then the problem was huge.
There was no record of this information in the plot at all. Where did this Horcrux come from?
Darwin didn't know, but he knew one thing.
If this speculation came true,
it would mean that the plot had long since been altered.
Besides this, there was another point.
Grindelwald protecting Newt.
This was equally unreasonable.
Grindelwald was never a good person.
For someone like Newt, who almost completely affected the plans of the acolytes, how could he let him go?
He had asked Grindelwald.
Grindelwald said that protecting Newt was because Newtwas useful.
But what kind of major use could he have that was enough for Grindelwald to let go of his grudge?
That was a grudge that had almost ruined the acolytes.
To be able to make Grindelwald—Grindelwald, who put interests above all else—let it go,
that had to be a colossal benefit.
All these things, connected together,
suddenly gave Darwin an idea in his heart.
Grindelwald, Dumbledore, Newt, Vinda, and perhaps even including Voldemort—
were they plotting something?
Furthermore, is it possible that they were in the same camp?
Darwin was startled by his own speculation.
This speculation was truly too bold.
If they really were in the same camp,
what kind of matter could make all of them abandon the plot and abandon the intricate and messy grudges in the original plot?
Darwin's brain spun at high speed.
A single word appeared in Darwin's mind.
God!
That's right, a deity.
The word deity was illusory and ethereal, but it seemed to run through all of Darwin's experiences.
the Four Founders, Voldemort, Grindelwald, Dumbledore.
Ravenclaw said that their goal was a god.
Then, what if Dumbledore and the others' goal was also this?
Thinking along this line of thought,
the Four Founders' ultimate opponent was a god.
Then, was Grindelwald and Dumbledore's objective also a god?
Did the Four Founders contact Dumbledore and the others, or did Dumbledore and the others know something, so they shared a common objective?
Chapter 210: Altar, Faith?
Darwin's mind spun faster and faster, as if he had already grasped some of the truth.
However, the speculation about this truth was too bold.
Furthermore, a most important question lay before him.
If it really went according to his expectations, what role did he actually play in these schemes?
Moreover, the plot of the Philosopher's Stone and the enrollment of Harry Potter and the others all happened as usual.
Up to now, the plot had changed slightly by itself.
But it seemed that the major plot direction had not changed at all.
If Dumbledore and the others' target was truly a god, or even if they were in the same faction.
Why would Voldemort still come to Hogwarts?
Shouldn't they gather everyone's power and try their best to become stronger?
What kind of plot were they still following?
There were too many doubts, and too many things that couldn't be explained clearly.
Just as Darwin was brainstorming over here.
On the other side, in a cave.
Voldemort's soul drifted here.
He glanced at the surroundings.
"Come out. I'm already here, and you still won't show yourself. If you don't come out again, my soul is really going to dissipate."
Just as Voldemort's voice fell, the next moment.
The air twisted for a moment, and then, a ragged figure carrying a huge scythe on their shoulder appeared.
If there were other Wizard here, they would definitely recognize this as the attire of Death.
Death looked at Voldemort.
Silent for a moment: "You died again."
Voldemort was somewhat silent.
"Are you always so direct when you speak? Besides, I didn't die again; I never truly lived at all."
Death nodded: "You're right. So, do you want me to help you right now?"
Voldemort said: "Mn, I need to go solve a little trouble."
Death hesitated for a moment: "Then you might actually die for real."
Voldemort waved his hand: "Stop talking nonsense. This was something we agreed on long ago, yet now you put on this attitude.
Anyone who didn't know better would think our relationship was so good.
Don't forget, the two of us are enemies, and you actually died at my hands."
Death was silent for a moment.
Then, he waved the scythe in his hand.
The next moment, wisps of black fog surged, enveloping Voldemort's soul.
Voldemort's soul visibly plumped up.
Subsequently, a body condensed from black fog began to take shape.
A moment later.
Voldemort's image appeared.
Voldemort raised his hand to touch his face.
"Why is it still this appearance? Where is my nose? Since you were reshaping it, why didn't you give me my appearance from when I was young!"
Death said: "I thought you liked this appearance."
Voldemort fell silent.
Then, he turned his head and walked away directly.
Death's voice came over: "Be careful, a body condensed from death energy cannot support you in using higher-level power."
Voldemort said: "I know."
Voldemort's figure turned into a streak of black light and directly vanished without a trace.
Death floated in mid-air, watching Voldemort leave.
A moment later, he shook his head.
The moment he turned around, his cloak billowed open slightly.
A wispy strand of black hair drifted out from a tear in the cloak.
Black fog surged, and Death's figure vanished.
Inside the Centaur tribe.
Darwin walked out of the tent.
At this time, the Centaur's ritual was already prepared.
The Centaur elder walked up to the altar.
All the Centaurs looked at this old Centaur with grief.
They knew the price this divination required.
Therefore, the gazes that all the Centaurs cast at Darwinwere filled with hostility.
However, not a single Centaur moved.
Clearly, the old Centaur had already instructed them.
Darwin turned a blind eye to these hostile gazes.
He simply ignored them; let them be hostile. As long as Darwin obtained the information he wanted, they could be as hostile as they pleased.
Darwin only valued what he needed.
As for other matters, Darwin didn't care.
If these Centaurs were well-behaved, they could be kept.
If they weren't well-behaved, Darwin wouldn't mind turning into a butcher.
Nothing was more important than Darwin figuring out what exactly had happened.
A crowd of Centaurs gathered around the altar.
And began to pray piously.
Darwin closed his eyes and sensed for a moment.
Finally, he placed his gaze upon that altar.
"This is a bit interesting. Harvesting magic, and a special kind of energy—is it the power of faith?"
Darwin guessed based on his experience of reading novels.
He didn't know what that special power was either.
However, that power was indeed purer and cleaner compared to magic.
That's right, simply clean.
Uniquely clean.
It lacked the violent and miscellaneous nature of magic, yet it was completely different from magic.
Darwin grew interested; this energy might be a good thing.
Darwin closed his eyes and firmly engraved this energy fluctuation in his mind.
Keep it in mind first, just in case it could be useful in the future.
Darwin also conveniently memorized the construction and operation of the altar.
After all, this energy seemed to be usable only through this altar.
Darwin carefully sensed the operation of the altar.
Under his terrifying perceptive ability.
It really allowed him to perceive some special aspects.
This altar seemed to have built a bridge.
Then, it gathered and transported these energies suspected to be the power of faith.
The destination of the transportation was unknown.
But...
Darwin's eyes gradually lit up. If he could change the destination of this bridge to himself.
Then wouldn't he also be able to use this energy?
Of course, this was just a guess of Darwin's.
As for how it actually was, it still required Darwin to explore and research further.
After all, this was a completely new energy system.
Along with the gathering of this energy, Darwin felt as if a vast aura was gradually awakening.
However, the awakening speed of this energy was extremely slow.
These things suspected to be the power of faith were also not enough to support the recovery of this energy.
Just at this moment, the old Centaur on the altar slowly spoke.
"Gathered with the blood and soul of my Centaur tribe, we pray to the great starry sky, imploring the great starry sky to send down instructions, to illuminate the future and light the way ahead for your servants!"
As the old Centaur's voice fell, red light suddenly flourished greatly on the altar.
The next moment, Darwin could clearly feel.
The magic, blood, and even soul power within the old Centaur's body began to fuse and gather toward the altar.
Darwin's gaze burned brightly; it was quite interesting.
This thing was really quite interesting.
As the old Centaur's energy was absorbed, Darwin felt that the inexplicable power in the air was accelerating its awakening.
Just at this moment, a beam of starlight suddenly shot down rapidly from the sky.
This starlight lasted for only an instant before completely disappearing.
Darwin frowned.
Is this it? All thunder and no rain? Or what's the deal? Or perhaps, it failed?
Chapter 211: The Centaur Elder's Last Words!
With a flash of his body, Darwin arrived right next to the Old Centaur.
The surrounding Centaurs were instantly shocked.
They lunged toward Darwin.
Darwin's face turned slightly cold. "Scram!"
The next moment, a powerful surge of magic swept out.
Those Centaurs were blown away directly.
Darwin lifted the Old Centaur up.
This Old Centaur was now skin and bones, and the blood in his body was almost completely drained.
The exhaustion of his life force was fully manifested at this moment.
Darwin said coldly, "The result!"
The Old Centaur spoke weakly, "Alive... He is alive... That Dark Lord is alive."
Darwin asked, "What else?"
The Old Centaur said, "Nothing more. The power descended from the starry sky was too little, not enough for me to know more."
The starry sky only told me that he is still alive."
Darwin's face was grim.
He casually threw the Old Centaur onto the ground.
There was too little information, but it was barely enough.
As long as he knew Voldemort was alive, that was enough.
Darwin glanced at the Old Centaur. "I won't touch the other Centaurs. The deal is over!"
After Darwin finished speaking, his figure flashed and he vanished on the spot.
Firenze and the others quickly ran to the altar and helped the Old Centaur up.
Firenze's eyes were red.
The Old Centaur said, "Do not be sad. The starry sky told me that my purpose in living until now was solely to make this prophecy for him today."
"My mission is complete, and I am going to return to the embrace of the starry sky. Here, I leave my final command."
"No matter what happens, the Centaurs must not seek revenge against him. Furthermore, if he needs it, the Centaurs must join his ranks immediately."
"He is the one who will decide whether the starry sky can shine brilliantly once again!"
After the Old Centaur finished speaking, his body gradually dissipated, turning into specks of starlight that drifted into the air.
Firenze and the others knelt on the ground.
In the air, the silk ribbon that Darwin had transformed into stopped.
The silk ribbon gradually condensed back into Darwin's form.
Darwin hovered in the air, turning his head to look in the direction of the Centaur tribe.
Or rather, he was looking at the spots of light drifting into the air.
He felt a pulling force in the air, drawing those spots of light.
A sharp light flashed in Darwin's eyes.
God... it seems they really do exist.
Interesting, so interesting.
The corners of Darwin's mouth curled up.
Voldemort is still alive, and there are gods in this world.
Dumbledore, Grindelwald, the Four Founders, Voldemort... these people might actually be in the same camp.
This is just too interesting.
At this moment, the hesitation in Darwin's heart had vanished, and his worries were gone.
He had figured it out.
Since he could no longer control the plot, he would just act as if he didn't know the plot.
He would just treat it as if he had arrived in a world similar to Harry Potter.
With the system in hand, why would he fear these natives?
Since there were unknown variables and things happening beyond his expectations...
Then he would just strive to become stronger, strong enough to deal with these crises.
Even strong enough to face... gods.
So what if they are gods? As long as they have a health bar, I'll show you that even gods can be slain.
Besides, becoming a god... for a transmigrator, that is truly an immense temptation.
Darwin swept his tongue across the corner of his mouth.
A flash of killing intent flickered in his eyes.
Slaying a god... just the thought of it made him excited.
Of course, what needed to be investigated still had to be investigated.
After all, everything right now was just his speculation and had not been confirmed yet.
Darwin's figure flashed as he rushed in the direction of Diagon Alley.
He still had to attend to the two guests from Great Xia.
He had left Daniel to entertain them. With Daniel's brain, he hoped no trouble had been caused.
Just as Darwin finished dealing with the matters on the Centaurs' side and was rushing to Diagon Alley...
Inside the Slytherin common room.
Cassandra, Gemma Farley, Penelope, and Harry Potterand his two friends were all here.
The group was looking at the orange-red stone on the table, studying it.
Gemma Farley said, "This is the Philosopher's Stone? It doesn't look like anything special."
Cassandra said, "It contains magic, but it's much weaker than I imagined."
Penelope said, "Perhaps because the energy of this Philosopher's Stone has been consumed too much? But can this thing really resurrect the Dark Lord?"
Cassandra said, "His Lordship said that no rumors in this world are entirely groundless. Either they really have some effect..."
"...or someone spread them on purpose."
Gemma Farley crossed her arms and leaned back on the sofa.
"So, which case do you think this Philosopher's Stone is?"
The three of them looked at each other, all seeing the same thought in each other's eyes.
Someone spread it on purpose.
After all, they could see clearly now that the protection of this Philosopher's Stone was purely a beginner's dungeon.
Of course, the dungeon boss being overpowered was a fact.
But those previous levels were clearly prepared for Harry Potter.
Penelope said, "Never mind that. What we need to think about now is how to deal with this Philosopher's Stone. Should we hand it over to Dumbledore?"
Cassandra said, "Why should we? This is His Lordship's trophy. His Lordship just didn't take it because he had other matters."
"How to deal with this thing should be decided by His Lordship."
Gemma Farley nodded. "I agree. After all, no matter what, the final crisis was resolved by His Lordship. Without him, we would all be dead. What do you say, Penelope?"
Penelope snorted coldly. "I don't need you to remind me. I know my life was saved by Rosier. I have no objection. Let's keep it for now and hand it over to Rosier later."
The three reached a consensus.
As for Harry Potter and his two friends, unfortunately, no one cared about their opinions.
Nor did anyone plan to ask what the three of them thought.
What opinions could three tagalongs have?
Even if they did, no one would listen. Tagalongs should just behave like tagalongs. Why think so much?
Diagon Alley, Wizard Assembly Building.
Darwin rushed back and was surprised to find that Danielwas actually chatting quite well with Minister Liu Feng.
Seeing Darwin return, Daniel quickly came over.
"Young Master."
Darwin nodded.
He sat opposite Minister Liu Feng. "Minister Liu, my apologies. I had some temporary matters to take care of."
Minister Liu Feng glanced at Darwin calmly.
Then he said, "It's fine. Daniel entertained us very well."
Darwin smiled. "That's good. It's almost dinner time. Why don't you have dinner and rest for the night before you leave?"
Minister Liu Feng nodded. "That works. Thank you for the trouble, Darwin."
Darwin shook his head. "Then I will go and order the food to be prepared first."
Minister Liu Feng nodded.
Darwin left the room with Daniel.
As soon as the two left,
Minister Liu Feng looked at Elder Zhang beside him.
"There is a scent of blood, and it's quite strong."
Elder Zhang said, "This kid is not as kind-hearted as he looks. But that's for the best. In this world, kind people don't live long."
Chapter 212: Fake Philosopher's Stone?
Minister Liu Feng nodded.
Actually, in a sense, the way people from Great Xia do things is much more ruthless compared to Westerners, and their acceptance level is also higher.
After all, in Great Xia's such long history,
what they have seen, heard, and experienced is simply not something these Westerners can compare to.
On the other side, after Darwin led Daniel to leave the room,
he asked, "What did they say to you after I left?"
Daniel thought about it: "Nothing special. After you left, they just chatted casually and occasionally asked me about some of our local magical materials.
They didn't say anything else."
Darwin nodded.
"Have those Great Xia chefs that were found in advance yesterday prepare the food."
Daniel nodded: "Alright, young master, I'll go right now."
In the evening, inside Rosier Manor,
looking at the table full of Great Xia food, Elder Zhang and Minister Liu Feng were quite surprised.
Darwin said: "I've always felt that Western food is quite embarrassing to present.
Therefore, I had people invite Great Xia chefs yesterday. It might not be as authentic as in Great Xia, but these are the very best Great Xia chefs we could find."
Elder Zhang said: "You've put in thought. The taste is very good, which really surprised me."
Darwin smiled: "As long as you are satisfied."
The atmosphere of the dinner was very good, amidst the clinking of glasses and exchanging toasts,
Darwin chatted extremely well with Minister Liu Feng and Elder Zhang.
The next day, Elder Zhang and Minister Liu Feng planned to return to Great Xia.
Darwin saw the two off.
Elder Zhang said: "Darwin, you are welcome to come to Great Xia to play. Take this."
Elder Zhang handed Darwin a token.
The two characters "Kunlun" were written on it.
Darwin asked in confusion: "What is this?"
Elder Zhang said: "This is a token of the Kunlun Fairy Palace. With this token, you can travel to Great Xia and directly go through the procedures for transcendents. The transcendent world will help you handle the procedures on the mundane world's side."
Darwin's eyes lit up instantly.
"Can I go this holiday?"
Elder Zhang smiled: "Of course, you are welcome to go. Moreover, the holidays over in Great Xia are different from Hogwarts. Great Xia divides them into winter and summer vacations. When you go, we might not even be on summer vacation yet.
By then, you can audit classes at the Kunlun Fairy Palace and experience Great Xia's spellcasting arts."
Darwin swallowed hard.
Good grief, this Elder Zhang really understood him too well.
He knew what he wanted most.
Auditing classes in Great Xia was something Darwindesperately wanted to do.
Darwin said: "I will go."
Elder Zhang said: "Then we will await you in Great Xia."
Darwin nodded: "Senior, take care."
Elder Zhang smiled, turned around, and left with Minister Liu Feng.
After the two left,
Darwin took out that token.
The more he looked at it, the more satisfied he became. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Finally, there was a way to go to Great Xia.
Truly, it was fantastic.
He wished he could follow Elder Zhang and the others to Great Xia right now.
Unfortunately, Darwin knew that wasn't very realistic.
After all, he still had things to handle here in Britain.
However, Hogwarts was also about to go on holiday.
He would go after the holidays.
Darwin looked at Daniel beside him.
"Daniel, pass down the word. The trade with Great Xia can begin.
Follow the plan I originally set."
Daniel nodded: "Alright, young master, I understand."
The trade plan with Great Xia was personally decided by Darwin.
Including what the first batch of goods would be, how much to transport, what route to take, and who would deliver the goods,
were all decided by Darwin.
Darwin was very cautious. When treating Great Xia, he was extremely serious.
Even back when he was just starting out, he had never been this serious.
As the saying goes, Great Xia is different!
After Darwin finished giving instructions for things here, he also planned to return to Hogwarts.
Upon returning, he still had to wrap up the matter of the Philosopher's Stone.
In the afternoon, a busy Darwin returned to Hogwarts.
Cassandra and the others were already waiting for him in the common room.
Seeing Darwin return, the members of Slytherin hurriedly bowed.
"Your Grace!"
As for Penelope and Hermione, they weren't quite as respectful.
After all, they didn't know yet that Darwin was already the Chief of Ravenclaw.
Darwin hadn't announced this news either.
There was still Hufflepuff left. Once he won them all over,
he would announce it then.
Darwin waved his hand: "Everyone sit down."
Darwin sat down on the middle sofa.
Cassandra took out the Philosopher's Stone.
"Your Grace, this is the Philosopher's Stone. Please take a look at how to handle it."
Darwin picked up the Philosopher's Stone and took a look.
With his current strength, he could see at a glance what the situation with this Philosopher's Stone was.
And precisely because he saw through it at a glance, he realized something.
This damn thing was a fake.
That's right, it was a fake.
If it were a real Philosopher's Stone, it would be Nicolas Flamel's magnum opus of Alchemy.
Inside, there should be many things Darwin couldn't understand.
Rather than being like now, where Darwin could understand it at a single glance.
This thing was simply a carrier of gentle magic.
It was just like a stone infused with magic.
It's just that the technique was much more ingenious.
Moreover, the magic inside was constantly leaking away.
Put it this way, if no one managed this thing and no one touched it,
this gadget could exist for at most a month's time.
And then it would turn into a rather pretty-looking ordinary stone.
However, precisely because Darwin understood this thing,
a new problem arose.
According to Darwin's conjecture, Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Voldemort were all in the same faction, scheming something.
But this Philosopher's Stone was fake.
It looked as though Dumbledore arranged a trial for Harry Potter, but was afraid Voldemort would actually obtain the Philosopher's Stone, so he deliberately put a high-imitation copy here.
This didn't quite make sense regarding them being in the same faction.
What on earth was going on?
Darwin felt that layers of fog were shrouding him.
Making him completely clueless.
There were too many problems and too many doubts.
He would discover some things and make some guesses.
But soon he would overthrow his own guesses himself.
Darwin shook his head.
No, he couldn't figure it out, nor could he think it through.
He didn't know what these people were up to.
Still the same saying: continue to grow stronger.
When he grew strong enough to rival gods, these doubts would surface on their own.
Darwin threw the Philosopher's Stone onto the table.
"Hand it over to Dumbledore; this thing has no real use."
Cassandra nodded.
She handed the Philosopher's Stone to Harry Potter.
Harry Potter took it.
Well, during the discussion, they ignored him.
Now that work needed to be done, they remembered him.
Sigh, when one's strength is weak, you really have zero human rights; it's a life of suffering, how vexing!
Chapter 213: The Hufflepuff Chief's Trial!
Time at Hogwarts passed peacefully.
But Darwin felt a bit like each day was passing like a year.
Because he was waiting for the holidays, and then to go to Daxia.
The matter of the Philosopher's Stone, during a banquet,
was brought up by Dumbledore.
However, Dumbledore did not mention the return of Voldemort.
He did not know whether it was out of fear of causing panic or something else.
Even Cassandra and the others were called over by Dumbledore.
To have them keep the matter of Voldemort a secret.
Cassandra had asked for Darwin's opinion.
Darwin didn't say much, simply telling her to do as Dumbledore said.
Whether the matter of Voldemort's return was exposed or not was not important to Darwin.
Darwin currently always felt that Dumbledore and the others were plotting against him.
Therefore, he simply didn't have the time to care about those trivial matters.
He felt that he was about to suffer a nervous breakdown.
It was somewhat like that feeling when he was seven or eight years old, being on edge every day and guarding against others assassinating him.
Anyway, Darwin's guard had been completely stimulated to the extreme.
That night,
Darwin came to the Hufflepuff common room.
That's right, he was going to begin the Hufflepuff Chief challenge.
In fact, he could have come over long ago.
However, because cooperation with Daxia had just begun,
he had been extremely busy during this period, exceptionally busy.
This resulted in him having to run out every night to take charge of the overall situation in Diagon Alley.
Although in reality, even when he went over, there wasn't too much for him to do.
But it was better for him to value Daxia and handle things personally.
It's better to be safe than sorry.
Now, the cooperation with Daxia had already gotten onto the right track.
A lot of specialties from Daxia had already been traded back for the items shipped from the European Wizarding World, and they were currently on the road, expected to arrive in Diagon Alley tomorrow.
This route could be considered stabilized.
Therefore, Darwin could take some time to come over and resolve the issue of the Hufflepuff Chief's trial.
The Hufflepuff Chief's throne was right in the center of the common room.
It was very conspicuous and very clean.
It was evident that the Hufflepuff students frequently wiped it clean.
Even though they did not have the qualifications to challenge it.
But no matter what, this was something left behind by the Four Founders.
It was left behind by the founder of Hufflepuff.
Inside the common room,
Cedric was sitting on the sofa reading a book.
Seeing Darwin walk in,
he was somewhat surprised.
"Eh, Mr. Rosier? How did you get in?"
Darwin said: "I asked a Hufflepuff student for your password, and then came in."
Cedric frowned: "Is there something you need?"
Darwin pointed at that throne.
"I'm here for it!"
Cedric was slightly stunned: "You want to take the Hufflepuff Chief challenge?"
Darwin nodded.
Cedric said: "You are not a Hufflepuff student, and besides, you are already the Slytherin Chief.
Wait a minute, do you want to become the HogwartsChief?"
Cedric was appalled.
All Hogwarts students knew about the rules of the Chief.
However, no one had ever successfully challenged it.
They couldn't even make the throne react in any way.
Darwin nodded.
Cedric said: "You are truly amazing, but I think the Hogwarts Chief is perhaps just a legend after all.
Because many people have tried this throne, but none have succeeded. We even suspect whether this throne is broken!"
Darwin walked towards the throne: "Broken? I think not necessarily!"
As Darwin spoke, his fingers rested on the back of the Hufflepuff Chief's throne.
The next moment, yellow light suddenly lit up on top of the throne.
Cedric opened his mouth wide and his eyes bulged.
Looking at this scene in disbelief.
This throne actually wasn't broken?
At this time, Darwin was already sitting on the throne.
Skillfully sinking his consciousness into the Throne Space.
The moment Darwin entered the Throne Space,
the Four Founders all sensed it.
Having not gathered together for a long time, they gathered once more.
Helga's face held some barely concealable excitement: "Finally, he has finally come."
Ravenclaw put her arm around Helga's shoulder: "Yes, he has finally come. Hogwarts is about to welcome its Chief."
Gryffindor asked: "Right, speaking of which, Helga, what is your trial? When you created this trial back then, you kept it a secret all along and never revealed it!"
The other two also looked at Helga curiously.
Helga fell silent for a moment: "A choice."
"A choice?"
Gryffindor was somewhat puzzled.
Ravenclaw and Salazar exchanged glances, thoughtful expressions appearing on their faces.
A moment later,
both of their eyes widened simultaneously.
"Is it... Iluga?"
Ravenclaw asked tentatively.
A look of sorrow flashed across Helga's eyes.
She nodded gently: "Mm, yes, Iluga!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the other three fell silent.
After a long while, Ravenclaw patted Helga's shoulder.
"Helga, things are already in the past."
Helga said: "I know, I just want to see how he will choose. Will he make the same choice as me?
No matter how he chooses, he will pass the trial. I just want to know whether I was really wrong back then."
Salazar said: "Helga, under those circumstances, you were not wrong. The choice you made was the most correct choice. If it were me, I would be even more decisive than you.
Because we had no choice; that was the only way."
Gryffindor said: "That's right, Helga, that was our only choice. If I were you, I would have made the same choice as you.
Your choice was right."
Helga did not speak.
Ravenclaw said: "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's think about how Darwin will choose.
To be honest, I don't think he will make the same choice as Helga."
Gryffindor said: "How could that be? He is a Slytherin. Helga's choice, whether considered from the perspective of interests or other aspects, was the most appropriate choice.
Darwin is an absolute pragmatist, so he will definitely choose the direction that leans more towards benefits."
Salazar pondered for a moment: "Perhaps this time, he really will make a different choice. He values interests, but he has his own persistence.
Therefore, I think perhaps he really might not make the same choice as Helga.
Even, his choice will be completely opposite to Helga's!"
Ravenclaw shook her head: "No, no, no, Salazar, you misunderstood my meaning. My meaning is that he perhaps won't act according to the choices. Don't forget, he never plays by the rules!"
Chapter 214: Adult Cassandra, A Fantasy World Full of Bugs!
On the other side, Darwin didn't know what the Four Founders were talking about.
At this moment, he was curiously sizing up his surroundings.
"Rosier Manor?"
Yes, the familiar furnishings belonged to the very place where he grew up, Rosier Manor in Germany.
Darwin looked down at his own body.
He raised his hand.
His hand... had gotten bigger?
No, had he grown up?
Was it an illusion?
Hufflepuff's ability?
It seemed this was never recorded in the original works.
How did she do this?
Darwin clenched his fist.
It felt incredibly real.
At least, from what Darwin could perceive right now...
There wasn't the slightest anomaly. It was so normal that he wondered if he had transmigrated yet again.
Or maybe he was injured.
Just then, the crisp clicking of high heels echoed.
Darwin turned to look.
At the doorway, a figure hurriedly walked inside.
She had dark green curly hair and an exceptionally stunning appearance.
She wore a green evening gown, and snake-shaped pendants hung from both of her ears.
"Your Grace!"
Darwin sized up the newcomer. "Cassandra?"
Cassandra nodded. "It is me, Your Grace."
Darwin was astonished.
Good heavens, Hufflepuff's ability was a bit ridiculous.
Because this Cassandra was exactly how Darwin imagined Cassandra would look when she grew up.
An absolute mature beauty.
Stunning looks, a perfect figure, and that pride etched deep into her bones—everything was replicated perfectly one-to-one.
A hypothesis formed in Darwin's mind.
Hufflepuff's ability seemed capable of turning the thoughts in his mind into reality.
At this thought, Darwin's heart skipped a beat.
If that was the case, it was rather absurd.
But did Hufflepuff really possess such an ability?
At this moment, the Four Founders were sitting in a circle.
In front of the four of them was a mirror.
Inside the mirror was the very scene Darwin was currently experiencing.
And the other end of the mirror was connected to Hufflepuff's soul.
Slytherin said, "That kid seems to have realized something."
Ravenclaw nodded. "He guessed Helga's ability."
Hufflepuff looked at Darwin in the mirror.
"What a monster, yet when it comes to him, it feels so normal."
Inside the illusory Rosier Manor.
Darwin suppressed the astonishment in his heart.
He looked at Cassandra.
"You seem very anxious. Tell me, what happened?"
Cassandra said, "Your Grace, there is some bad news."
The border... we have been defeated. The Order of the Phoenix, the Death Eaters, the British Ministry of Magic, and the French Ministry of Magic have joined forces, and they have now crossed the border.
Darwin was taken aback. "So, war has broken out?"
Cassandra asked in confusion, "Your Grace? What is wrong? We have already been fighting them for three years."
Darwin heard this and smiled.
Yes, he actually smiled.
Given that he had grown up now, looking to be around twenty-two or twenty-three years old.
Yet, against the Order of the Phoenix, the Death Eaters, the British Ministry of Magic, and the French Ministry of Magic, he actually couldn't crush them completely?
And he could even be defeated?
He could feel that the magic power in his body was exactly the same as when he was eleven years old.
So, in these past ten-odd years, he hadn't made a single bit of progress.
It seemed Hufflepuff's ability either had some kind of limitation, or she was currently too weak, which left so many bugs in this illusion.
Darwin said, "I see. Is there any other news you need to tell me?"
Darwin planned to see what this trial was actually trying to achieve first.
Cassandra said, "Lady Vinda has already led our people to intercept them.
She asked me to convey to you that you should leave. This time, they are coming with fierce momentum and have formed a coalition. It won't be easy to stop them, but she will hold them off for a while."
Darwin nodded. "Understood."
Darwin no longer knew where to begin criticizing this.
Because this scenario was constructed with far too many bugs.
First of all, it was impossible for him, Darwin, to lose.
Over all these years, if the Acolytes still existed and if he was still alive.
He would have already laid his plans across the entire world.
How could he still be playing house in a tiny place like Europe?
Most importantly, he was actually cast as the loser.
Secondly, and most importantly.
If there ever came a day when he was truly defeated.
He would absolutely never let Vinda block the enemy forces.
What a joke, this was a world of magic.
If he wanted to leave, he could just Apparate.
At worst, he could find a place to hide and wait for a chance to make a comeback.
Letting Vinda block the enemy forces?
He would have to be insane!
Darwin guessed that perhaps his trial lay with Vinda.
Meanwhile, the Four Founders were also discussing this matter.
Slytherin also pointed out that the trial Hufflepuff had constructed had quite a few bugs.
Because Darwin was absolutely not the type of person who would fight to the death.
He would only do things he was confident in.
Ravenclaw thoroughly agreed with this.
Gryffindor said, "So, does this mean the trial has already failed? After all, on one hand, he already knows this is fake. He could completely pull himself out and just not continue."
Hufflepuff, who had been silent all this time, said, "He won't. He will continue and follow the settings I gave him because he needs to know what the trial actually is.
Moreover, he will absolutely never abandon Vinda, whether in the real world or a virtual one."
Indeed, Hufflepuff had never conversed with Darwin.
Yet, she spoke with absolute certainty.
Because she could see the conviction in Darwin's heart.
And reality unfolded exactly as Hufflepuff had anticipated.
In the mirror's image.
The corners of Darwin's mouth curled up.
Although he knew it was fake, as long as it involved Vinda, he could absolutely never turn a blind eye.
Because Vinda was simply too important to him.
Darwin looked at Cassandra. "Take me to the front lines."
Cassandra said, "But Lady Vinda said..."
Darwin frowned. "Cassandra would never disobey me, even if this is a fake world."
Cassandra's expression turned blank for a brief moment.
Then she said, "Yes, Your Grace, I will take you there right now!"
The two of them Apparated away immediately.
In just a moment, they arrived at the border.
At this moment, a brutal battle was underway at the border.
On one side was Vinda, leading Daniel, Robins, and the Acolytes.
On the other side, Dumbledore led the Order of the Phoenix and the joint forces of the two Ministries of magic.
Beside Dumbledore, there was also a noseless freak.
Darwin was amused.
How interesting. Was it because he believed they were conspiring together as one faction?
So when materialized, they were all on the same side.
While his own side was left isolated and outnumbered?
However, it seemed... a Grindelwald was missing.
Just then, Dumbledore spotted Darwin.
A terrifying, murderous intent instantly boiled up from him.
"Darwin Rosier, you must pay for Gellert's life with your own!"
Darwin was shocked.
Huh? Pay for Gellert's life? Good heavens, so it turned out he was the one who killed Grindelwald.
This was an even bigger bug.
Setting aside the fact that he could never harbor any murderous intent toward Grindelwald, even if he dared to do it, Vinda would never agree.
In Darwin's heart, Vinda was more important than anything. Him making a move on Grindelwald? Wasn't that a complete joke?
There were simply too many bugs; he didn't even know where to begin complaining.
Chapter 215: A Test? It's Inherently Unreasonable!
Darwin was already feeling helpless. So, what exactly was this test testing?
Winning? To be honest, with the strength he could muster right now, trying to win on his own was truly a bit difficult.
So, if this test wasn't about his strength, what was it? Wisdom?
Relying on wisdom to weather this crisis?
That didn't make sense either; the enemy was already at the gates.
No amount of wisdom could solve this now.
So, what exactly was the test?
Darwin stroked his chin.
He looked at the aggressive Dumbledore and the others.
He was a bit puzzled, but solving that was simple.
He just needed to follow the main storyline.
Just then, Vinda said, "Darwin, take the others and leave. I will hold them off. In the future, there will naturally come a day when you can return.
Sacrificing me alone is nothing. Don't forget your ultimate goal, and your ambition."
As she spoke, a dense killing intent emanated from Vinda's body.
For a moment, it even overshadowed the killing intent of Dumbledore and his group.
Darwin looked at Vinda.
He stroked his chin.
First of all, Vinda's combat power had been artificially boosted.
Right now, she indeed possessed the strength to hold these people back.
From a purely logical standpoint, the most appropriate choice would normally be to sacrifice Vinda alone to preserve the majority of their active forces for future revenge.
So, was this the real test?
Sacrificing one person for the greater good?
Or rather, sacrificing the person he cared about most for the sake of benefit?
In the space where the Four Founders were.
The four, including Slytherin, quietly watched the scene in the mirror.
Gryffindor said, "How will he choose?"
Ravenclaw said, "The normal choices. The first is mutual destruction.
As for the second, it is the choice Helga made back then: sacrificing Vinda to preserve the majority of the people. This also seems to be the choice that best serves their interests."
Hufflepuff lowered her head.
Her voice was somewhat low.
"I have asked myself countless times if my choice back then was wrong.
I sacrificed Iluga to protect more people, which has weighed heavily on my mind for many years since.
Rather than a test for him, this test...
...is more like me wanting to see, as a true game-changer,
if his choice would be the same as mine!"
Gryffindor looked at Slytherin. "Salazar, if it were you, how would you choose?"
Slytherin fell silent for a moment. "Sacrificing one person to preserve everyone is the best outcome. That way, we can make a comeback and seek revenge in the future."
Gryffindor nodded.
In truth, his thoughts were the same as Slytherin's.
After all, they had faced the same situation back then.
If they hadn't chosen that way, even more people would have died.
Even though Gryffindor was famous for courage,
Gryffindor could not use everyone's lives to fulfill his courage.
That wouldn't be courage; that would be reckless.
Ravenclaw looked at Darwin in the mirror.
"So, how will you choose?"
In the scene, the corners of Darwin's mouth curled up.
He understood. Now it could be confirmed.
Was this test of Hufflepuff's a test of trade-offs?
However, this test seemed somewhat contrary to Hufflepuff's traits.
The traits of Hufflepuff were justice, loyalty, honesty, and hard work.
Yet this test was testing trade-offs.
No matter how one looked at it, it didn't seem to align well with Hufflepuff.
Darwin's body slowly floated up.
Then, he snapped his fingers.
The next moment, blue flames surged all around him.
All the NPCs—let's just call them NPCs for now—
instantly froze in a daze.
It was as if they had disconnected from a server.
Darwin spoke slowly, "Lady Hufflepuff, I know you can hear me.
I think I understand this test now: trade-offs.
But I'm sorry, I won't choose any of the options you've given.
Vinda is the most important person to me. I will not sacrifice her.
Similarly, I won't lead everyone to risk their lives either, because I am not a reckless fool."
In the area where the Four Founders were.
Hufflepuff's figure slowly faded.
When she reappeared, she was already standing opposite Darwin.
Seeing Hufflepuff, Darwin understood.
Just as he thought, his guesses were all correct.
Hufflepuff was indeed observing him.
"Greetings, Lady Hufflepuff."
Hufflepuff nodded. "Why didn't you make a choice? If you made a choice, no matter which one you chose, you would have passed the test."
Darwin said, "Because your test is unreasonable."
Hufflepuff frowned. "Unreasonable?"
Darwin nodded. "Yes, highly unreasonable. First of all, my strength.
Not to boast, but if I had truly reached this age, I am certain I would possess the strength to crush anyone in the Wizarding World.
Therefore, the scenario you set up would simply never happen to me.
Secondly, I wouldn't make a move against Grindelwaldeither. Furthermore, in the European Wizarding World, I already control Germany, Britain is almost there, and France is already being infiltrated.
They wouldn't stand a chance of uniting to take action against me.
And the most important point.
Lady Hufflepuff, I would never allow such a scenario to arise. Even if the scenario you constructed were feasible...
...and bound to happen, the moment they stepped across Germany's border, what would await them would already be endless ambushes and deadly traps.
They wouldn't have any opportunity to put me at a disadvantage.
I plan before I act; I will not do anything I am not certain of.
If I feel a situation won't develop in a way that benefits me, I would have already taken my people and left.
To put it simply, I calculate everything in advance. It's that simple.
Therefore, the test you gave me is actually completely redundant.
I would never face such a situation, let alone have to make a choice."
Hufflepuff fell silent.
"Is that so? It seems it was my fault. My preparations were not thorough enough, which is why we ended up in this situation.
But Darwin, let me ask you, what if it were real? Casting everything else aside.
If you really faced such a situation, how would you choose?"
Darwin frowned as he looked at Hufflepuff.
He could tell that his answer seemed very important to this founder of Hufflepuff.
Darwin thought seriously for a moment.
He said, "If such a situation really occurred, I would choose to sacrifice everyone else to save Vinda!"
Hearing this,
Hufflepuff was stunned, and the other three founders watching the situation were also stunned.
A moment later,
Slytherin laughed, "Interesting, truly interesting.
This is the real him—unscrupulous, with all his actions and thoughts serving only himself."