r18novel Chapter 102 Natural Cycles and the Curse Crisis
Chapter 102 Natural Cycles and the Curse Crisis
Chapter 102 Natural Cycles and the Curse Crisis
Inside the auditorium, the shockwaves from the Forbidden Forest spectacle of the previous night still lingered in the hearts of the four. For Karen, the grand and exquisite natural magical resonance and cycle between the moonmoss, the Bowtruckle, the ancient oak, the serpent, and the unicorn was like a key that unlocked a new dimension of alchemical thinking.
"Fabian," Karen said in a low voice at the breakfast table, her gaze sweeping across the noisy hall, "could you quickly produce a clear drawing of the sketches you made last night in your sketchbook about the guiding paths of the moonshine moss and the Bowtruckle?"
Fabian, who was struggling with a piece of toast covered in marmalade, immediately put down his knife and fork upon hearing this: "Of course! Karen! I was so excited last night that I got up first thing this morning to work on this! It's incredible. The way it's guided is a bit like the 'natural chakras' mentioned in the literature, but it's more complex and more spontaneous! I bet there's absolutely no record of this level of symbiotic magical energy circulation in 'General Theory of Magical Ecology'! I can give it to you this afternoon after my class!" His thirst for knowledge instantly overwhelmed his fatigue.
"Also," Karen turned to Ernesto, "I remember you mentioned that there's a book in the Griffiths family library called 'Ambient Resonance in Ancient Magic.' Although the content is obscure, it mentions the concept of using a specific environmental magic field to stabilize magical structures? Could you borrow it for me? Or perhaps copy down some relevant chapters?"
Ernesto elegantly twirled a small piece of fried egg with his fork, his gray eyes thoughtful. "There is such a book. The idea of 'resonance' you mentioned, combined with what I saw last night, seems quite interesting. I'll write to my family and have them find it and send it by owl. It might take a few days." He paused, then added, "Also, I have some ideas about the magical refractive index of the avian's iridescent feathers under moonlight. It might help in understanding energy enrichment in that environment. I'll tell you later."
"That's fantastic!" Karen exclaimed sincerely, then looked at Wesley, who was trying to stuff a whole sausage into his mouth. "Wesley, your description last night of the feeling of moonlight gathering around the unicorn horn was very vivid. That sense of 'purity' and 'cohesion' is exactly the magical quality I need to understand. Later, I might need you to go to Professor Flitwick's place to help me test the new badge. I need you to cast a full-force Stunning Charm to feel the changes in the strength and stability of the badge's shield, especially the energy feedback at the moment the shield is generated. I've been testing it alone before, and I didn't encounter any real combat environment to test it last night."
Wesley finally managed to swallow the sausage, gulped down a mouthful of pumpkin juice, and patted his chest, promising, "Leave it to me, Karen! My spells are guaranteed to be as powerful as a running ball! But that unicorn's breath... the light emanating from its horn just makes you feel incredibly good, like you've won a game!"
Karen seemed somewhat distracted during the morning Transfiguration class. As Professor McGonagall explained the intricate magical manipulation techniques of Transfiguration, Karen's thoughts were divided: one was the construction of the Moonmoss magical cycle model, and the other was his worry about the Helbo Curse.
After lunch, he declined Wesley's invitation to watch practice at the stadium and returned alone to the secret "Eagle's Nest" base. Sunlight streamed through the high windows onto the alchemy table, where scraps of dragon hide and mithril left over from last night's testing glittered. He spread out the parchment...
I picked up the quill pen and began to sketch out my ideas.
First, let's look at the core of last night's natural wonder: energy absorption, guidance, circulation, and symbiosis.
1. Moonlight Moss: The core "magic absorber and converter". Under the full moon, its special structure seems to absorb and convert the magic in the moonlight, forming a basic energy source.
2. Ancient Oak: It seems to be the foundation for the formation of the magical resonance environment. Its enormous vitality and root network steadily spread energy to the surrounding environment. Moonshine moss in the natural environment grows by relying on its root system, and the Bowtruckle makes its home on it.
3. The Dance of the Bowtruckles: Their movements are not random, but an instinctive ritual. Through specific rhythms and trajectories, like the waving of miniature magic wands, they sort and focus the magic power from moonmoss and ancient trees that permeates the environment, forming a more stable and easily perceived and utilized flow of magic power by other creatures.
4. Owls and Unicorns: Advanced "magical resonance entities and beneficiaries". They are attracted to this harmonious, pure, and "modified" magical field. The avian feathers' affinity for specific magical frequencies and the unicorn's thirst for pure magic allow them to integrate into this cycle, and their own presence subtly feeds back and enhances the local magical field intensity.
P.S.: Unicorn horns can cure poison and break dark magic, but I don't know if they are effective against curses.
"The key lies in 'circulation' and 'passive absorption,'" Karen wrote heavily on the parchment. "Moss continuously absorbs and transforms."
Ancient trees provide support, while the protective gnarled branches guide stability, forming a self-sufficient, miniature magical ecosystem. Outsiders are attracted to join, rather than being the primary consumers of energy.
This model can indeed supplement the current research on protective badges.
"Upgrade direction: Change the one-time 'high-pressure excitation shield' to a 'rechargeable passive protective layer'." Karen's thinking was becoming clearer and clearer.
He immediately thought of the rune structure he had previously studied when the magic lamp automatically absorbed and replenished its magic power, as well as the knowledge that Professor Castor had imparted about the precognitive and protective magic in the "Hermes Ring," especially those complex rune arrays involving energy guidance and storage.
However, his mentor's pale face and the menacing curse marks flashed through his mind again. Karen put down his quill, took a deep breath, and walked to a bookshelf in the corner of the Eagle's Nest, protected by powerful shields and concealment spells. He carefully took down a heavy book—"The Doors of Truth." This was a book Professor Castor had given him shortly after their initial formal communication; it contained Professor Castor's research on alchemy and curses, including a detailed chapter on the Helbo Curse. Karen hadn't touched this book in a long time.
As Karen lifted the heavy cover, she focused her mind and concentrated, turning directly to the section on the "Curse of Herbo".
The last time I delved into this area was to create the mithril bracers that could alleviate pain. The conclusion at that time was:
Professor Castor's Helbo Curse is an ancient, malevolent, and highly adaptable dark magic curse. Like a living organism, it parasitizes the host's magical core and life force, constantly eroding and converting the host's magic into its own nourishment, while releasing destructive energy that corrodes flesh and spirit. Professor Castor paid a heavy price to suppress it, forcibly channeling and sealing some of the curse's power into a snake-eyed gem forged from his left eye. However, this was merely a temporary fix; the root of the curse remained spreading in his left arm, and the sealed portion was like a ticking time bomb.
Karen's sharp gaze swept over the chilling descriptions and intricate magical diagrams. He recalled the strange sight he had seen on Professor Castor's left arm—the lines were deeper, and the area they seemed to have expanded. More importantly, he remembered the momentary stagnation of magic and the burst of pain.
"The professor said before that after suppression, the curse entered a relatively stable period of erosion—but last night's performance clearly showed a sharp increase in activity!" Karen's fingers unconsciously traced the cold pages of the book. "What could have triggered this activity?"
His mind raced, combining the known information to make constant speculations and conjectures.
Suddenly, a cold and clear deduction struck Karen like lightning: "It's very likely that Voldemort's curse is at work!"
"It targets the position of 'Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor' itself! Although Professor Castor is powerful and has extensive research on curses, being in this position inevitably makes him susceptible to the effects of this curse!"
"The Helbo Curse itself is extremely evil and sensitive. Voldemort's curse power acts like a triggering curse, stimulating and intensifying the Helbo Curse, which was originally in a relatively 'dormant' state! Voldemort's curse doesn't directly harm the professor, but greatly increases the probability and intensity of the already fatal danger within him, and the out-of-control eruption of the 'Helbo Curse'!"
This speculation sent a chill down Karen's spine. There were many examples in the original work that could convincingly prove the existence of this curse, and no professor's term could exceed one year. Now that more than half of the first year had passed, the effects of the curse might gradually intensify, and time was becoming increasingly urgent.
The sense of urgency transformed into an even stronger driving force. Karen carefully placed "The Door to Truth" back in its original place and sat down again before the alchemy table. The revelations of the moonmoss and the threat of the curse, like two parallel tracks, propelled his research.