"Horcrux?"
Serika didn't understand.
"It's a kind of dark magical object. It makes someone very hard to kill. I suspect Joachim made a Horcrux."
Joachim's state reminded Murphy of Tom Riddle's diary. In the original story, after using Ginny to resurrect, it wasn't completely physical, more ghost-like.
Although unsure if the resurrected Tom had any ghostly characteristics, Murphy could only think of this possibility for now.
"We just need to find that Horcrux and destroy it. Then Joachim should be defeatable."
"But where should we start looking?"
"Let's start at his house for clues," Murphy said. "It might even be there."
"So, you go to Joachim's house to look for the Horcrux, and I'll draw him away," Murphy instructed.
"Remember, a Horcrux could be anything - a diary, a ring, a gem, a necklace. It's likely something personally significant to him, given it's about his own life. People usually wouldn't pick a random stone from the roadside."
"It might not look very conspicuous, but it usually contains strong dark magic. You should be able to detect it when close. But be careful, he might have set traps around it."
After Murphy finished instructing, Serika still felt confused with all the possibilities, probabilities, and maybes...
She felt the plan was unreliable.
"Will you be in danger?" Serika asked.
"Of course! That's why you must find the Horcrux or any other clue to defeat him quickly. If it takes too long, I'm done for."
"Okay, I understand..." Serika felt a heavy responsibility.
"Are you ready?"
"Now? We're going now?"
"Your condition can't wait." Murphy said, then grabbed Serika's hand, "Close your eyes and just think about following me."
"Illusory Movement."
In the next instant, they appeared on a rooftop. Murphy looked for the house under the oak tree Serika had mentioned, then performed Illusory Movement again to reach Joachim's cottage.
"Ding-a-ling..." A piercing bell sound suddenly rang out.
Murphy glanced at the small wooden stakes with bells around the cottage and waved his wand to shatter them.
"An intrusion alarm spell, he'll be here soon. You hide inside, don't let him see you." After saying this, Murphy flew up into the sky.
As expected, a transparent figure flashed in the distance and appeared in front of Murphy.
Murphy didn't hesitate, "Disarm your weapon!"
This was the only spell Murphy found might affect Joachim's ghost.
The Disarming Spell was blocked, and Murphy didn't linger, transforming into black smoke and fleeing.
He couldn't use Illusory Movement; to keep the ghost's attention, he needed to be seen.
The ghost seemed enraged, emitting a screech and sending spells chasing after Murphy.
And being a ghost, it could float, and although slower, its mobility wasn't much worse than Murphy's flight when combined with Illusory Movement.
They soon left the cottage far behind.
Meanwhile, Serika disabled a magical trap at the entrance and began searching the cottage with Revealing Charm for potential clues.
Soon, she found a hidden door leading to a cellar, emitting a terrible stench.
Serika threw two glowing orbs inside but still couldn't fully illuminate the cellar, so she bravely descended the stairs.
The cellar, seemingly expanded with Seamless Extension Charm, was vast.
The floor was damp, covered in cobwebs. As Serika proceeded, she saw unusual things.
There were rusty iron cages, some containing human skeletons.
Further in, more cages, occasionally a hospital bed stained with blood.
Bloodied bandages, unidentifiable filth, scattered or intact skulls, some even smashed to pieces.
Moving forward, Serika suddenly heard something – cries or struggles.
Shivering, but thinking of Murphy fighting the ghost outside, she forced herself to continue.
At the end of the cellar, a wall was scribbled with symbols and words, with two hospital beds beside it.
On each bed, a half-rotted person was tied, still moving, trying to rise, their nearly decayed chests and limbs showing semi-transparent ghostly forms.
The cellar was too horrific for Serika to even guess its past uses.
But she was sure it was something nightmarish.
She didn't want to know.
But between the beds was a table with various tools and bottles, and on it, a notebook.
A notebook! However, it lacked the dreadful feel of dark magic. Hesitantly, she opened it and found it was Joachim Hell's medical notes, recording his attempts to treat the Black Death.
She read a page.
"July 3rd, someone died in the village. Many are dying outside, I know. The plague has finally reached us. I convinced the villagers not to go out and tried to treat them with Dittany and Stimulants. Seems ineffective."
"July 7th, two more died. Simply cutting out the rotten flesh doesn't work. The villagers are scared, but the Black Death outside is worse. Where can they go?"
"July 9th. People are going mad with despair. Once desperate, they can't control themselves. I must give them hope. I need to make them believe they can be cured. Maybe it's time to use that spell."
She turned the page.
"July 13th. After treatment, people are more optimistic. They believe I can beat the disease, and life has stabilized."
"July 15th. More deaths. I've deceived them, I can't cure it!"
"Gana died, only four years old, so lovely, she... she's dead. I'm powerless. Maybe father was right; I shouldn't have gotten too close to muggles... I care too much about them."
"July 17th, Garon died."
"July 18th, Antone and Faruja died."
"July 20th, Feldo's family found dead."
Serika turned another page.
Only one line, twisted, scribbled like a drunkard's mumbling.
"This is hell."
...
"August 10th. I've locked myself in my room for a month. More people dying, some crying for help, but what can I do? What more can I do?"
...
"Don't push me! Stop pushing me!"
...
"September 2nd, I must pull myself together; they still need me."
"I'll persist. I've decided to use the Seed of the Mind on myself."
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