blogombal Chapter 200, page 199: Gods and Their Commands
Chapter 200, page 199: Gods and Their Commands
Chapter 200, page 199: Gods and Their Commands
Riddle's nerves were fragile and sensitive.
Full of inner monologues.
However, the young wizard's lack of a direct answer, and even his feigned ignorance, suggests that Riddle's inner turmoil was not solely due to a persecution complex.
Seeing Riddle's surprised and uncertain expression.
"We'll talk about your matter after we've dealt with Helbo." Ian was trying to appease Riddle with words, but Riddle, a master of such tricks, wasn't fooled.
"I need you to swear a magical oath! You must promise to bring me back to Hogwarts alive and well so I can face judgment from Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic!"
"You're just a student! You have no right to dispose of me! This is against the law! It's against justice and morality!" It's hard to believe that one day you'll hear such high-sounding words coming from Riddle's mouth.
There was nothing he could do; he was genuinely growing increasingly distrustful of the young wizard's reputation. Becoming bird feed or part of Helbo was not the outcome Riddle desired.
Compared to these two outcomes, being imprisoned in Azkaban is a better one!
"Sorry, I have no sense of justice or morality." Faced with Riddle's persistent pestering, Ian stopped pretending and shook his head directly, indicating that he did not accept Riddle's proposal.
"..."
Riddle was completely taken aback by the young wizard's straightforward answer.
"I need to see Dumbledore! I have a secret to tell Dumbledore! It concerns the safety of the entire world!" With no other choice, Riddle had to stake his own resources.
"Is it related to why you and the other remnant soul betrayed Voldemort?" Ian could guess Riddle's secret; he had learned some information from the other remnant soul before.
"Yes, that's right, that's why I'm fleeing to this era." Riddle didn't deny it, but instead explained his act of stealing the time machine with a serious expression.
"He became a servant, a servant of death, and had to fulfill a mission given to him by death, which was no less of a crisis than Herpo's."
"It will happen, right in our time."
Speaking of it.
Riddle's expression grew even more serious. However, he still didn't reveal what mission Death had given Voldemort, or why it would lead him and another remnant soul to betray him.
This secret is probably Riddle's biggest bargaining chip.
In this regard.
Ian nodded noncommittally, turning his head to look in the direction of the "priestess." "You've read his memories, so I think you can tell me what this secret he spoke of is?"
To be honest, Ian really didn't want to make any deal with Riddle. After all, if he agreed, wouldn't he be considered someone who colluded with the Dark Lord?
"He has no information about this in his memory." Faced with the little wizard's question, the goddess, who was cracking a nut, shook her head and gave a somewhat unexpected answer.
"You've hidden your memories?"
Ian glanced at Del with some surprise.
"How could I possibly have that kind of ability?"
Riddle rolled his eyes.
"Yes, if he could fool me, he wouldn't have thought of asking you for help when faced with Helbo's curse." The "priestess" next to him also stood up for Riddle's "innocence".
He was mainly boasting that his power was unaffected by Riddle.
"I can only know the answer when I am connected with that soul. Once the connection is broken, I will forget it immediately. However, the remnant soul that you and I killed both realized that this was not the situation we wanted. It would inevitably lead to our annihilation. The only solution is to sever ties with that remnant soul that betrayed us."
Riddle's willingness to use this as leverage clearly stemmed from careful consideration; only by bringing him back to the future could Ian, Dumbledore, and others learn about the Voldemort who had mutated.
"Perhaps you could send me back first, so you won't have to worry about me playing any tricks," Riddle said again, expressing his longing for Hogwarts.
He actually had his own ideas and plans.
after all.
It was too difficult to survive in ancient times.
Returning to the future was the best option for him. He was now a complete individual, even though he was Voldemort's past self. He was only sixteen-year-old Voldemort, and at that time, he didn't carry so many sins. He could earn a chance to "turn over a new leaf" through his own abilities.
Even if we can't get it.
That was still more respectable than staying in ancient times. In Riddle's view, all he had to do with was pay for the death of the weeping Myrtle; the other deaths were Voldemort's doing, what did they have to do with him, Tom Riddle? Weighing it this way, he certainly didn't want to stay here a moment longer.
"It seems you really miss 'home'."
Ian said jokingly, he could clearly sense Riddle's emotions and thoughts, he never thought that the famous Dark Lord would have a time when he couldn't fit into his environment.
"The future is heaven compared to this place!" Riddle didn't hide his discomfort with this era, not only because this era had gods but also evil legendary wizards.
"I've been lurking in the city all along. Can you believe that just an ordinary little shop is selling soul-stripping services? They extract the souls of slaves and give them to tireless puppets so that the puppets can work non-stop for 24 hours a day. The owner of my shop sells this service at least three to five thousand times a year."
"Compared to this kind of wizard, what am I? That shopkeeper is the real Dark Lord! The one who invented this magic! He's the Dark Lord among Dark Lords!"
Riddle may have been trying to clear his name, or he may have been genuinely amazed; after all, he had gained some insight and knowledge in the ancient world.
"You must respect the development direction of different civilizations." Ian actually quite admires the creation of this kind of magic. Putting aside ethics and morality, it at least boosts productivity, doesn't it?
"By the way, have you learned this kind of magic? I think you can use that as leverage to convince me. Don't get me wrong, I just think that only by understanding this kind of magic can we better prevent it from being used inappropriately. And if I don't study it, how will people know how to prevent it?"
"The advancement of magic, as well as the prevention and countermeasures against black magic, require sacrifices from some people, and I am willing to sacrifice for its development. You can write down this kind of magic and show it to me when you're ready."
Ian showed his curiosity about magic.
He has always firmly believed this.
There is no bad magic in this world, only bad wizards. If this magic is used on people who deserve their punishment, isn't that a manifestation of civilization and fairness?
"..."
When Riddle saw the look in Ian's eyes, his emotions were incredibly complex. He felt that he might understand why Voldemort was hated by everyone while Ian was doing so well at Hogwarts.
Voldemort, or rather himself, was too honest. He would tell others everything he did, including that he was doing bad things and engaging in shady operations and schemes.
This is nothing like the little wizard in front of me... He clearly wants to learn this extremely evil black magic, yet he can still act with righteous indignation and show a critical learning attitude.
That's incredibly shameless!
"Swish swish swish~"
The sound of dictation began.
Riddle had certainly learned this magic by stealing it, so he remained silent in the face of the young wizard's request, demonstrating his utmost sincerity through his actions.
"Give."
After finishing writing, Riddle handed the parchment to Ian.
Ian took it.
They lifted it up and aimed it at the light source in the dungeon.
"This magic is indeed quite evil."
After Ian finished reading the knowledge Riddle had given him, he glanced at the skills that had instantly lit up on his personal panel, raised his wand, and a cloud of black mist rose up, giving Riddle a small shock of dark magic talent.
"How could you learn so fast!" Riddle was truly stunned. He quickly took several steps back, as if afraid that Ian would use him as a practice subject.
"Because this magic is dark enough."
Ian gave an honest answer.
"ah!?"
Riddle was completely bewildered.
The young wizard thought Riddle hadn't understood, so he explained again in a sincere tone, "My talent tree is a bit off; the darker the magic, the faster I learn it."
"So I can tell from the speed at which I learn magic which category this kind of magic should be put into. I remember I realized this about a year ago when I was waiting for the start of my first year in Hogwarts. My good friend gave me a book called 'Demystifying Black Magic'."
"My teacher also taught me how to eat big melons, and my life was very fulfilling." His tone was tinged with a sense of wistfulness, as if he were reminiscing about the past.
"??????"
Upon hearing this, Riddle was completely stunned.
This was information he couldn't get from anyone else at school.
At this moment.
The young Dark Lord fully understood why the young wizard in front of him was able to live so comfortably in this era, and even had a connection with a god—it was simply because the other party was meant to live in this barbaric age.
Hogwarts?
That's such a waste of his talent.
Feeling wronged, Riddle was very frustrated. He couldn't understand why such a student could still be allowed to roam around Hogwarts. Compared to this little wizard, his research during his school days was practically worthless!
"Well... you really are amazing..."
Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!
Riddle forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.
He gave Ian a genuine thumbs-up. At that moment, he recalled a conversation he had overheard between Malfoy and Ian while inside Malfoy's body—only a madman can deal with a madman, and Voldemort is a madman, so we must send a madman to deal with a madman who isn't quite dead yet.
When Riddle first heard this, he was quite dismissive.
And now.
He, however, felt that perhaps not all people from pure-blood families were fools.
"The person who invented this enslavement spell is truly brilliant, a genius idea... I feel as if I've glimpsed the true origin of Dementors within this magic!"
"I never imagined, Tom, that you could actually make a real contribution to Hogwarts. I think given some time, Hogwarts will have its own Azkaban!"
"You—no, those restless Death Eaters who remain from your future self—are blessed; they will gain immortality." Ian's talent for dark magic was clearly not limited to instant learning.
He can also apply what he has learned to other situations.
This magic reveals some potential directions for future development.
"..."
Riddle heard the young wizard's excited speech.
He remained silent for a long time.
"Could you please not be so wicked... I'm sorry, I really don't feel right now." Finally, when Riddle spoke, his tone was more sincere than ever before.
He was used to being on the side of evil.
He really wasn't used to thinking from the perspective of perceiving others as evil. And just as Riddle was racking his brains, unable to understand why such a young wizard had become Dumbledore's favorite child...
"Just a reminder, your time is running out." After finishing the nuts in her hand, the "priestess" patted the crumbs off her hands and abruptly interrupted Ian.
"What do you mean there's not much time left?"
Ian glanced at Riddle.
"Isn't he supposed to live for another seven days?"
He observed the changes in Riddle's skin.
You have seventeen hours left.
The "priestess" gave an irrelevant answer.
It's obvious that there are some restrictions preventing them from revealing too much.
The young wizard reacted quickly.
"Pompeii's Doomsday..."
The thought of the bustling city and the little girl who worshipped him as a god being destroyed by this natural disaster filled Ian with a sense of unease.
The biggest difference between him and Riddle is that he is not cold-blooded. Simply reading about history in history books is far less effective than immersing himself in that history and feeling its tragedy firsthand.
"Since you know this, why can't you do something? This city is dedicated to you..." Ian couldn't help but look at the "priestess" who didn't seem to care much about the disaster.
"The fixed point in time cannot be changed, at least not for us." Upon hearing this, the "priestess" simply shook her head slightly, expressing her helplessness in the face of the impending disaster.
"Then what is the point of worshipping the gods?"
Riddle couldn't resist making a sarcastic remark.
The priestess glanced at him.
next moment.
The poor Dark Lord felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow. He flew out like a kite with a broken string and crashed heavily into the stone wall, sustaining serious injuries.
"That's the meaning."
After speaking coldly to Riddle, she turned to look at Ian again.
"Have you figured out how to deal with Haierbo?"
The "priestess" seemed to be asking a question, or perhaps making some kind of suggestion.
"Um."
Ian squinted.
"You can't expect me to fight against a legendary wizard, let alone a legendary wizard who has attained the so-called angelic rank. So, you'll need to come with me to deal with Helpo."
Done.
There was a pause.
"That's an order."
He emphasized it.
The contract on the back of his hand appeared.
In this regard.
The priestess, however, was lifeless.
"It's an order... Well, there's nothing I can do about it." She also raised her hand to look at the contract that appeared on the back of her hand, her tone full of laughter, and she couldn't even suppress the upward curve of her lips.
obviously.
This goddess is not so docile.
"Cough cough cough! That was really ruthless!" Riddle, clutching his chest and getting up to wipe his mouth, saw this scene. The turmoil in his heart was far more intense than the beating of his injured heart.
"Did I see some secret I shouldn't have seen?" He looked at Ian and that terrifying god not far away, and couldn't help but feel worried about his fate again.
Gods accept the commands of mortals.
Is this something a sixteen-year-old Dark Lord like himself could access?
He said that something was off about Ian, that little wizard!
It really is some kind of filthy stuff!
(End of this chapter)