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Chapter 1111: Cage
🕑 Added 2024-05-12 14:00:03 +0000 UTCWhy did vampires sleep in narrow coffins? This ancient and incomprehensible custom was beyond investigation.
But there was no doubt that seeing rows of coffins in such a gloomy room couldn't help but send shivers down the back.
Especially upon closer inspection, many coffins were sprinkled with dark red blood clots, silently narrating the dark history of the past.
From the distribution of blood clots, it looked like some kind of living thing, such as a human being, was pressed down on the coffin and then bit into it...
Furthermore, these coffins were tall and large, with huge stones pressed on top of their lids, as if fearing something inside might escape.
On the surrounding walls, the gloomy, evil-looking portraits of vampires also made people shudder. They were different from the common portraits in the Wizarding World. They were more like Muggle portraits without magic, but their eyes seemed to move, staring fixedly at you.
The ancient legends of vampires, the eerie atmosphere, rows of coffins, and terrifying portraits—all these elements piled together made this place feel like the final scene in a horror movie. But what made Evan most uncomfortable was the chaotic magic within the room.
He could be sure that countless powerful magic had been set up here, and even a slight mistake, touching something one shouldn't, would trigger these magic.
Even the most heavily guarded vault in Gringotts could not compare to this place.
"This is the Council Chamber," said Elaine, her voice echoing through the room.
This hall was specially designed to amplify even the slightest sound, making it linger for a long time.
"It's guarded all year round. I rarely come here because disturbing the souls of our ancestors is forbidden. When I was young, my mother told me that powerful ancestors are buried here, waiting to awaken from their slumber."
"Awaken from slumber, you mean they don't die?" Evan looked at the coffin closest to him, wondering if it truly contained the body of a vampire, or more accurately, the body of an immortal creature, because they would wake up.
"This sounds very much like the ancient Egyptian tradition. The pharaohs and wizards of ancient Egypt believed that life is reincarnation, and they will eventually return to this world after death," said Hermione, carefully examining the intricate patterns on the coffins. "That's why they mummified their bodies. Last summer, when Evan and I traveled to Egypt, we saw similar relics, especially the inscription left by Osiris, the god of death, inside the Great Pyramid. : 'Awake from slumber, for your sight can overcome all that harms you’..."
"Yes, but that text has no magic power," said Evan. "It won't awaken the dead pharaoh from his slumber."
In the study of life-prolonging spells, the three foremost Egyptian classics were the Golden Book of Amun Ra, the Book of the Dead, and the Emerald Tablet. Among them, the Emerald Tablet recorded the secrets of Alchemy. Without the decryption of the Book of Abraham it was difficult to know the real secrets hidden within.
Even if known, one could not successfully create the Philosopher's Stone.
As for the remaining two classics, they had all been lost in the long river of history with the fall of Pharaoh Ramses II.
Without the help of magic, even those once powerful spellcasters could not return to this world.
"It's not immortality, but special magic can allow powerful vampire warriors to survive in another form," said Caresius, walking to the coffin in the center. "Of course, besides respect for our ancestors, the main reason the Council Chamber is generally off-limits is because it leads to the seal. Many dangerous magic are set up inside."
He lightly tapped the side of the coffin with his wand three times. The coffin slowly moved to the left, revealing an underground passage.
“I'll go first. Be careful not to step on the steps with special marks."
Caresius walked down the exposed stairs, marking them from time to time, turning the ones that shouldn't be stepped on green.
Hermione, Elaine, and Evan walked into the secret passage one after another, everyone paying attention and being careful.
The vampire's defense measures were indeed very strict; after all, it was related to the terrifying evil god in the seal.
Without knowing the correct method, even a wizard as powerful as Voldemort would find it difficult to reach the location of the seal beneath the castle.
To be more precise, this should be a cage … a cage left by Salazar Slytherin.
Now, they were about to enter this cage.
After about ten minutes of walking down the gloomy secret passage, Elaine suddenly stopped and her face turned pale.
"I hear that voice, a cold voice, without warmth or emotion," she said slowly, her body and voice trembling. "It mentioned fate, the fate that comes from blood. Only by surrendering to him can we get salvation in the darkness..."
"It's the voice of the evil god's body, and it's getting stronger and stronger!" Caresius’s expression was equally grim.
His breathing gradually became heavier, and he seemed unable to resist, allowing the evil god to whisper in his ear.
Evan and Hermione looked at each other, but neither of them heard anything.
Because of the obstruction of the seal's power, the whispers of the evil god's body could only be heard by vampires with blood ties to him.
Moreover, due to the power in their blood, they had no way to resist. They could only endure and tremble in the darkness.
"Expecto Patronum!" Evan waved his wand upward to summon his Patronus.
Beside him, Hermione also summoned her Patronus.
The silver light fell, and the positive power dispelled the darkness and the whispers of the evil god, gradually improving Caresius and Elaine's condition.
"Let me handle this, Hermione," said Evan. "My magic can sustain the operation of the Patronus."
Hermione nodded and dispersed her magic, while Evan controlled his Patronus to settle on Elaine's shoulder.
"What a lovely kitten!" said Elaine, looking at the Patronus on her shoulder. "It’s the same as your Animagus form."
After evolving, Evan's Patronus had indeed turned into a leopard, but Elaine couldn't tell the difference between a leopard and a cat.
"That voice, it disappeared," said Elaine, closing her eyes. "But I can feel he’s still around here."
"The further down we go, the weaker the remaining power of the seal, and the stronger his influence. Once we reach the core, you'll also hear his whispers," said Caresius with concern. "Hermione, Elaine, you can wait for us above..."
"I'm staying!" Elaine hurriedly shook her head. "With Evan’s Patronus here, I'm not afraid of anything."
"I can summon my Patronus to protect myself," said Hermione, not planning to leave.
"I believe they'll be fine. I'll protect them as well," said Evan, glancing at Hermione's determined gaze and Elaine's tightly clenched fists. "By the way, Caresius, don't you have the ability to use the Patronus Charm?"
