Moving the operating table with the still-conscious Asterion, Salazar floated the table toward a small pool. However, unlike the clear water one might expect, the water was dark and thick, resembling tar. The temperature of the black water was not cold; on the contrary, it was boiling.
On the operating table, with blurred and exhausted eyes, Asterion only heard a distant voice, as if echoes overlapped, creating an almost ethereal and vague sound.
"This is the final stage, young Asterion. My Innate Technique, hidden within your body, has been brought to the same level as yours. The only thing missing is a large amount of magical energy to awaken my Innate Technique in your body," Salazar said. "If you survive, you will be reborn like a phoenix."
Asterion didn't quite understand what Salazar said, as he was too exhausted and had lost a lot of blood, so much that the regenerative liquid Salazar injected wasn't enough to replenish the lost blood. But he knew that what was to come was the final stage. Mentally, the Black heir called his faithful companion.
'Baskerville.'
Under Salazar's cold and calm eyes, Asterion's shadow rippled, and from it emerged a massive dog with hundreds of pairs of red eyes. Baskerville looked at his master and lay down on the ground, patiently waiting for the right moment to receive all the damage his master, creator, and father would suffer.
Salazar looked curiously at the Cursed Spirit but remained completely silent. In his eyes, this was Asterion's method to save himself, even if the operation failed, though he didn't know how.
With a cold look, Salazar lowered the operating table and submerged it in the bubbling tar-like pool.
Unable to breathe, see, hear, or touch, Asterion felt only as if he were submerged in flames. A large amount of magical energy began to surge uncontrollably through his body, causing an almost indescribable pain. He thrashed even more violently than when his soul was torn open by Salazar.
At the same time, the second Innate Technique within his body, mind, and soul began to emit a green-emerald glow. But when the second Innate Technique was about to awaken successfully, Asterion's own Innate Technique finally noticed the intruder and, like any animal defending its territory, began to attack the intruder.
The other Innate Technique naturally fought back with all its might. Fortunately, with the energy supplied by the tar pool, it managed to withstand the attack.
Thus, a fierce battle ensued within Asterion's body, mind, and soul. A massive, grotesque black monster faced a gigantic green-emerald serpent, and the battlefield was Asterion's very own body.
Seeing Asterion's body thrashing violently, Salazar frowned. He observed that Asterion was on the verge of awakening his second innate technique when suddenly, he began convulsing violently.
Even Salazar did not know what was happening, and then an almost absurd idea formed in his mind.
"Could it be that Asterion's existing Innate Technique is resisting the new Innate Technique? How is it possible for something like this to have instincts? But if we consider that the Innate Technique is a system with its own immune defense against external threats?" Salazar murmured, his eyes filled with fascination and satisfaction at discovering something unknown to anyone else.
As for helping Asterion, Salazar had a hypothesis: simply cutting off the energy would be enough to assist him. After all, everything needs energy to move—this is an immutable law of the universe. But doing so would mean admitting the experiment was a failure once again.
However, if you were to ask if Salazar would help, the answer would be no. He wanted to see if Asterion would die or be reborn from the ashes. Although losing such a promising heir would be unfortunate, the results generated by the experiment were a significant advancement in his theories.
Asterion did not know what Salazar was thinking, nor did he care, for at that moment, he was in a critical state of near death!
The two innate techniques seemed incompatible with each other, neither willing to yield and continuing to fight for dominance.
Asterion knew that if this continued, his end would be near, and he would once again know the darkness of death.
Clenching his teeth, he looked at the two battling beasts and mentally shouted,
"YOU ARE IN MY DAMN BODY, I CONTROL YOU, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND."
When Asterion shouted, the two beasts momentarily paused but then continued fighting. However, this made the Black heir realize that not all was lost!
He extended his hands forward and closed his eyes, attempting to utilize both innate techniques simultaneously!
The Innate Technique—[Creation and Manipulation of Cursed Spirits]—was something Asterion was very familiar with; he almost immediately assumed control.
On the other hand, the Innate Technique—[The Imperfect Destruction of Truth]—was something different, capable of analyzing and destroying anything analyzed. It was entirely different from what he was accustomed to.
There was an infinite amount of information, impacting his already exhausted mind, yet the battle had completely ceased.
Asterion sighed in relief and continued his control, utilizing both techniques simultaneously: one created and manipulated, while the other analyzed and destroyed. They seemed to form a cycle of destruction and creation, complementing each other.
The Black heir used this synergy and began to adapt, both Innate Techniques ceased fighting and started to mobilize together, as if following the same path.
If Asterion didn't know that he was awakening his second Innate Technique, he might have thought he was undergoing a fusion process.
Seeing Asterion's body stop convulsing, Salazar couldn't contain himself and laughed, he laughed uncontrollably.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Do you see this, Rowena!?" Salazar shouted. "This is the result of our research!"
"The first wizard of all time with two Innate Techniques!!!"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Suddenly, Baskerville, who had been lying with closed eyes, slowly opened his hundreds of eyes and looked at the tar pool. A calm and serene look reflected in his hundred eyes. He closed his eyes, and his body expanded uncontrollably until Baskerville exploded directly!
With a gruesome and tragic sound, blood splattered everywhere, from the walls to the ceiling.
At that moment, an arm emerged from the tar pool, and soon, a body covered in a thick, black liquid rose perfectly well. The familiar red eyes were brighter than ever.
Simultaneously, a massive amount of magical energy filled the laboratory, surpassing even Rose's magical energy and approaching dangerously close to Dumbledore's.
Emerging from the tar pool, Asterion left wet footprints on the blood-soaked floor.
In the end, Asterion transferred all the damage to Baskerville's body. The regenerative liquid from Salazar could not repair the damage caused by the surgery, so, reluctantly, he opted to sacrifice his faithful companion who had protected him many times in the past.
Looking at the purple blood covering the walls, floor, and ceiling, Asterion, drenched in tar, surveyed everything in silence. Despite being a Cursed Spirit, he had a genuinely deep appreciation for them, with Baskerville holding a particularly significant place in his regard.
"Are you sad about the death of a Cursed Spirit? I must say, it's the first time I've seen a wizard feel sorrow for a monster." The animated portrait of Salazar was splattered with blood, but the painting itself was clean, his green eyes fixed on Asterion with a hint of disapproval.
"What I do with my life is none of your business, and be careful, or I'll make you disappear completely from this world." Asterion's words were cold and slightly threatening as he looked directly into Salazar's eyes.
Salazar didn't hesitate to mock him, ignoring the veiled threat. "I'm already dead. Do you think your little threat scares me?"
"No, I'm sure you're not afraid of death, but you and I are alike in one sense." Asterion's lips curled into a cold smile. "I hate it when someone destroys the place I consider a sacred sanctuary."
Hearing this, Salazar's eyes almost immediately gleamed, a red pentagram reflected in his green eyes.
"Watch your words, boy." His voice was low and threatening, almost hissing like a snake.
Deepening his smile, Asterion responded to the threat in kind. "I say the same to you, decrepit old man."
In Asterion's red eyes, a five-sided pentagram reflected. Unlike the red pentagram of Salazar, Asterion's pentagram was black.
Asterion understood why House Slytherin was considered magical royalty, even more than House Black. This innate technique was as broken as Rose Potter herself.
While Asterion could create anything, this innate technique could analyze and destroy his creations in the same second.
How do you block something that can see through all defenses and directly into your essence?
The threatening look on Salazar's face dissipated upon seeing the pentagram. He showed a satisfied expression and stroked his long beard.
As he watched Asterion walk towards the exit, his clothes stained with purple blood, Salazar Slytherin spoke.
"You are like me, Asterion Black-Slytherin, a monster capable of sacrificing any morals and respect to achieve your goals. But unlike you, who hides behind a foolish dream, I show my true face to everyone."
Asterion didn't look back and continued walking with an indifferent expression.
Alike? In some ways, Asterion really did think he was like Salazar, but in other ways, they were completely different.
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Author's Thoughts:
I translated these chapters using Chat GPT-4. Tell me which version is better, 4.0 or 3.5. By the way, I'm writing from my phone because, unfortunately, my PC had a blue screen and is being fixed, so updates might take longer than necessary. It's horrible to write on such a small screen.
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Next Chapter:Chapter 84 - Sequels, Chapter 85 - Civil War (1), 86 - Civil War (2), 87 - Civil War (3), 88 - Civil War (4), 89 - Civil War (5), Chapter 90 - Civil War (6), Chapter 91 - Battlefield (1), Chapter 92 - Battlefield (2), Chapter 93 – Conflicts on the Battlefield (1), Chapter 94 – Conflicts on the Battlefield (2), Chapter 95 - The War Intensifies (1), Chapter 96 - The War Intensifies (2), Chapter 97 - The Death of Voldemort (1), Chapter 98 - The Death of Voldemort (2) And end of the first volume.
Next Chapter Second Volume: Chapter 99 – Decision (1), Chapter 100 – Decision (2), Chapter 101 – Decision (3), Chapter 102 - The Black Sisters (1), Chapter 103 - The Black Sisters (2).