NOVEL NEXT Chapter 38: Chapter 36 - Three Years (2)
Entering the Black mansion, Asterion only saw a shadow flying towards him. In the next second, he felt an extremely tight embrace around him.
Looking at the woman clinging to him, he showed a helpless expression and stroked her back. "Missed you too, Bella."
"Master, I missed you so much~ let's kill some people to relax..." Clinging to her Master's body, Bellatrix looked at Asterion's face and showed a look full of anticipation. Her green eyes seemed to shine with the idea of killing.
"Tempting, but I'll have to decline for now. Get off me." Shaking his head, Asterion declined and lightly tapped Bella's buttocks, signaling for her to get off him.
Bellatrix looked disappointed and pouted her lips as she gazed at Asterion with a hurt expression. Nonetheless, she released him, though she remained holding onto his arm.
Observing the forty-year-old woman behaving like a twelve-year-old girl, Asterion let out a resigned sigh and walked to the living room with Bellatrix still clinging tightly to his arm.
-
Entering the living room, he soon saw the old Black patriarch, the man was 93 years old and still looked majestic. He was sitting in an armchair reading his newspaper. Next to him, there was a steaming cup of tea waiting to be sipped at any moment.
Noticing his arrival, the man opened a smile, folded the newspaper, and placed it on the table.
"Welcome back, Asterion," he said, looking emotionally at the tall young man for his age. Unbeknownst to him, the boy who walked through the same doors three years ago had now turned into one of the most powerful men in the country.
"Congratulations on becoming England's second Special Grade Wizard," Arcturus said, even though he knew this would eventually come, he still felt incredibly pleased and proud. Now, he could leave this world peacefully knowing he had left behind a worthy heir.
Seeing the two conversing without paying attention to her, Bellatrix spoke very discontentedly. "I'm here too, don't ignore me."
"Bellatrix, you need to learn not to interrupt a conversation," Arcturus sighed and spoke in a tone full of helplessness. No one but him knows what he went through in those three months. Without Asterion to control her, Bellatrix practically became an uncontrollable madwoman.
It wasn't once or twice that he found Bellatrix covered in blood with a sadistic smile on her face. Fortunately, the woman knew how to cover her tracks, otherwise, the Black mansion would be a common destination for Aurors to visit.
As for whom she killed and tortured, Arcturus was too lazy to ask. He was already old and didn't want to care about what Bellatrix did with her life.
"Always so old-fashioned," Bellatrix muttered discontentedly, hearing Arcturus' grumble, but upon seeing Asterion's cold expression, she remained silent.
"I'll take a shower, we'll talk more at lunch," Asterion said, shaking his head at Bella's silence and addressing Arcturus.
"Very well," Arcturus nodded and returned to reading his newspaper calmly.
…
Feeling the warm water enveloping his body, Asterion let out a comfortable sigh. He rested his head against the bathtub and gazed silently at the bathroom ceiling. Not only did he not feel tired, but it had been six months since he'd felt any fatigue at all.
It had been half a year since he possessed the magical energy necessary to be considered a Special Grade Wizard, which was 100 times the energy of a Grade 1. To put it into perspective, he felt like he could summon Nidhogg the size of the city of London, essentially destroying it in the process.
He understood perfectly why Special Grade Wizards were considered weapons of mass destruction; each one possessed an amount of energy capable of rivaling that of an atomic bomb.
Asterion didn't know how much magical energy he currently possessed, but it was still growing, showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. This meant he hadn't reached his peak yet.
Raising his hand, Asterion created an oval barrier above it. If one were to look inside the dark barrier, they would see a completely different scenery from the world outside, as if it were a different world altogether.
It was the ultimate technique one could achieve using their Inborn Technique.
- Domain Expansion.
Domain Expansion was achieved by expanding the inborn domain with magical energy while using a barrier to construct it within a separate space. The caster then infused their inborn technique into the barrier to complete the expansion, allowing them to deploy their ability throughout the domain. From the outside, the barrier of a normal domain is usually fully enclosed, making it appear as a floating black sphere that can even be moved slightly if needed.
Honestly, it wasn't difficult if you had enough magical energy. For example, Asterion could use it when he was still a Semi-Special Grade Wizard.
Using his Domain Expansion without a barrier, like Sukuna, proved to be a difficult challenge to accomplish. No matter how hard he tried, it seemed impossible to manifest his domain without a barrier. Firstly, there was nothing to sustain the manifestation as support; even the air itself was unsuitable as it wasn't a conduit for magical energy, making the entire technique impossible.
Asterion himself was doubting whether he could do something like that; perhaps he couldn't even accomplish it due to the worlds being different.
Magical Energy and Cursed Energy seemed similar, but they were very different, with the latter being much weaker than the former.
After all, Magical Energy itself altered reality, making it possible to fully manifest the potential of the Inborn Technique. This means that if Gojo were born in this world, he wouldn't be OP like in the Anime; he would be a god, capable of altering, manipulating, and controlling space as if it were a ball of paper.
This was one of the reasons he was concerned about the bearer of the Six Eyes; it was a completely insane and broken ability. Fortunately, he could fight without fear against the other knowing that he wouldn't be beaten to death like other extras.
Asterion never thought his Inborn Technique - [Creation and Manipulation of Cursed Spirits] - was inferior to [Limitless]. While [Limitless] could do anything with space, he could counterattack by creating something.
But even without his inborn technique, he was confident in fighting using spells. Not that he could cast any at the moment; believe me, he tried a simple lighting spell and manifested a damn small sun that could be seen from the other side of the city if it weren't for the mansion's barrier.
Since then, he refrained from using magic without the wand to control the power of the spells. Without the wand to control the power of the spells, all the spells he cast would be amplified to an insane level with the huge amount of magical energy he possessed.
It might seem strange that he could perfectly use his Inborn Technique, but not spells. However, understand that one was like using his own hand, for example; you think, and it happens. His magic would automatically provide energy when needed, just like the body's energy, as natural as possible.
Spells, on the other hand, required not only gestures but also focusing on the act and having the will to cast them, coupled with the large amount of magical energy he needed to control. This made things extremely difficult for someone without a wand to aid him.
-
Arriving at the dining hall, appropriately dressed, Asterion found Arcturus, Bellatrix, and Narcissa waiting at the table.
After the divorce three years ago, Narcissa moved back to the Black House and reclaimed her old surname with Arcturus' permission. As for Sirius, he had been missing for three years, disappearing shortly after his birthday. No one knew where he was, but whether it was Asterion or Arcturus, they had a vague idea of his whereabouts.
Arcturus seemed indifferent to Sirius' departure, but Asterion knew that the old patriarch had suffered from his grandson's abrupt departure. After all, Sirius was his grandson, his son's son. Nevertheless, Sirius chose to be with his other family - the Potter House.
Narcissa, noticing Asterion's arrival, stood up and hugged him while speaking. "Congratulations on officially becoming a Special Grade Wizard, Asty." She gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek and looked at him with a proud gaze, like an older sister proud of her younger brother's accomplishments.
"Thank you, Cissy," he replied, returning the hug kindly.
"I think I'm going to vomit rainbows," Bellatrix muttered with the sweet scene unfolding before her.
After the scene, everyone sat down and conversed while eating.
"Ready for Hogwarts?" Cutting a piece of beef with his knife, Arcturus asked, putting the meat in his mouth with the fork.
"Yes, I've personally ordered my custom wand from Lord Gregorovitch. It should be delivered one day before Hogwarts. As for other things, everything's ready, just need to pack," Asterion said, taking a sip of wine from his glass. He had kind of gotten a bit addicted to alcoholic beverages, although none could really make him drunk; they just served to satisfy his palate.Entendido, aqui está a versão revisada e traduzida do texto:
"Knowing that Asterion was going to Hogwarts, Narcissa felt disheartened. He had just returned from a three-month absence, and now he would be spending half the year at Hogwarts, although he could return during summer break and Christmas. But for her, who loved being by his side, it was a cruel torture.
"Cissy, you should be worried; we don't know how many girls will want to suck him~" Bellatrix, seeing her sister's despondent look, didn't hold back and said wickedly, causing everyone at the table to look at her with a helpless gaze.
The image of Bellatrix's words appeared in Narcissa's mind, causing her to viciously stab the fork into the meat on her plate, resulting in a sound of something breaking.
"I don't think that's going to happen, Bella. I'll be in a school for learning." Seeing things gradually slipping out of control, Asterion spoke calmly as he wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin."
"Do you know anything interesting about Hogwarts, Master? Because of the life-threatening missions, the stress at Hogwarts is quite high. Imagine sixteen-year-olds stressed with near-death experiences and full of hormones. Believe me when I say that the exaggerated number of broom closets at Hogwarts serves a very special purpose. Rowena Ravenclaw, as smart as ever, hehehe~" Bellatrix opened her mouth and put the piece of meat in it, then licked her lips sensually. Her green eyes provocatively glanced at Narcissa, who ate in silence.
Bellatrix knew her sister; Narcissa had always been possessive since childhood. She never gave anything to others; everything that was hers was hers and no one else's. Asterion was considered hers and no one else's, even if she didn't love him romantically, he was hers.
Bella felt a little pity for her master's future wife, but only for a moment. She would delight in watching the battle that would ensue between the future Lady Black and Narcissa Black.
Perhaps noticing her eyes, Asterion gave her a stern look and continued eating in silence.
Seeing things getting even more chaotic, Arcturus sighed and showed a bitter look in his black eyes. This house hadn't been quiet for long since everyone arrived; Bellatrix and Narcissa always fought over the smallest things, especially with Bellatrix knowing how to push all of Narcissa's buttons, leaving her angry at all times.
"That's enough from both of you; eat your food in silence. You two look like two quarrelsome animals. Asterion, come to my office before going to bed." Tapping his fork on the table, Arcturus spoke in a grave and powerful tone, looking at his grandnieces.
Narcissa glared furiously at Bellatrix, who only smiled, showing her impeccably white teeth as she played with the fork with her fingers.
-
At night, Asterion stood beside Arcturus as they descended a spiral staircase of stones that delved deeper into the underground with each step. The path was illuminated by a Lumos spell cast from the tip of Arcturus's wand.
After descending for another five minutes, Asterion, who was becoming surprised by the depth they had reached, finally saw the end of the stairs, which led to a long corridor completely shrouded in darkness.
Fortunately, Arcturus was still using Lumos to illuminate the surroundings as they both silently walked through the long corridor made of stones that seemed particularly ancient.
At the end of the corridor, Asterion was met by a metal door with a pentagram written in blood and runes that he didn't even recognize, but identified as ancient runes.
"Make a cut on your hand and touch the pentagram." After gazing at the door for a moment, Arcturus turned to look at his great-grandson.
Although surprised by the request, he obeyed the order and cut his hand with a dagger handed to him by Arcturus. With blood still dripping from the wound, he touched the door.
As his blood made contact with the pentagram, it came to life, illuminating all the runes, and the sound of the door unlocking echoed instantly.
Arcturus opened the door, and Asterion followed him, still confused by the entire situation.
"Asterion, have you ever wondered what happens to the cursed spirits we exorcise in life when we finally die?" In an environment of stone illuminated by torches burning in red flames, Arcturus asked with a cold and indifferent voice.
In the center of the stone room, a huge red pentagram, similar to the flickering flames around it, appeared especially malevolent, especially with the black coffin in the center of the pentagram.
Asterion pondered before responding with an equally cold voice. "Yes, the conclusion I've reached is that they are released after our deaths."
"To prevent the chaos that would ensue every time a member of the House of Black died, our ancestor created the exorcism ritual, a ritual that used one's own blood to self-exorcise, burning away your soul, body, and mind." Arcturus looked at his great-grandson with appreciation in his eyes and answered, looking at the coffin that would be his final resting place.
Asterion remained silent, knowing the final outcome of this conversation.
"I am dying, Asterion. My body no longer responds as it should, my mind is foggy, and my senses are slow. I would say I have less than a year until my whole body becomes a leprous and mangy vessel, decaying with a putrid smell. But before that, I will take my own life."
Asterion felt as if someone were crushing his heart. The man he respected and loved was about to depart, and he could do nothing but witness it all as an irrelevant spectator.
Gently touching Asterion's hair, Arcturus spoke with a relaxed tone, full of relief. "I know what you're feeling right now, Asterion. I have lost loved ones, more than once, and this pain does not go away. Time does not dilute this bitterness and pain you feel at this moment, but you learn to live with it. I learned, and you will eventually learn too, because you are strong, because you are a Black."
"My only regret is not seeing you getting married and having children. A house full of kids running around is a beautiful sight." Looking into Asterion's eyes, Arcturus smiled and tousled his hair with a sad yet relieved expression.
After a long silence, Asterion looked at his great-grandfather and asked, "Why were you telling me this?"
"Because if I can't make it down here, you'll have to carry me and put my body in the coffin," Arcturus replied, looking at the coffin in the center of the pentagram.
"You're cruel." Showing a sad and bitter smile, Asterion looked at Arcturus with resentment.
The man was asking to be killed!
"I know, but I know you'll do it," he finished as he walked out of the stone room, leaving Asterion with a grim and cold expression.
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Author's Thoughts: 2700 words, much more than I planned. Did you like the chapter? Poor Asterion, deflowered by his crazy cousin, although I think some of you were jealous...
Arcturus is dying, which isn't surprising if you knew his original fate.
I hope you liked it, because I enjoyed writing this chapter.
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Next Chapter: Chapter 37 - Hogwarts Express (1), Chapter 38 - Hogwarts Express (2), Chapter 39 - Hogwarts Express (3) Chapter 40 - Hogwarts Express (4) Chapter 41 - Hogwarts Express (5), Chapter 42 - Hogwarts (1), Chapter 43 - Hogwarts (2), Chapter 44 - Hogwarts (3), Chapter 45 - Classroom (1), Chapter 46 - Classroom (2), Chapter 47 - Classroom (3), Chapter 48 - First Class of Defense Against Cursed Spirits (1), Chapter 49 - First Class of Defense Against Cursed Spirits (2), Chapter 50 - Request (1), Chapter 51 - Request (2), Chapter 52 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (1), Chapter 53 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (2).
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