John continued walking through the treasury.
He had also entered the alchemy room next door. A muddy smell drifted out from inside.
In the cauldrons were potions that had been left there for who knew how long, now clinging to the bottom like layers of caked mud.
Even John couldn't tell what kind of potion they had once been. Too much time had passed.
There were also various other materials, but unlike gold, those materials couldn't endure the passage of time.
At the slightest touch, they crumbled into dust.
"Hmm.. Herpo carried out experiments here."
John stared at the platform stained with blood that could no longer be removed. More than a hundred magical creatures had been dissected upon it.
He picked up a tooth. From the shape of its sharp fang, he deduced that it had belonged to a vampire.
"Was he researching the Blood Curse?"
John's eyes narrowed. He had to admit that Herpo's research direction was surprisingly similar to his own.
However, Herpo's purpose seemed to be using the Blood Curse to conduct biological modification.
Their goals were different.
"A Greek wizard settling down in Egypt."
John still found Herpo's actions puzzling.
When he left the alchemy room, he saw the basilisk curled up tightly, starving.
Inside the treasury, aside from the black leather book, there were also a golden scale, a key-shaped golden scepter, and a mask.
"A golden mask."
John picked it up. This was the kind of object Egyptian pharaohs wore after death.
It was set with gemstones and colored glass, the mask's features clearly defined.
It suited Herpo's pyramid theme quite well.
There were only these four items stored in the treasury.
John picked them up one by one. When he reached the black leather book, he felt a sense of familiarity from it.
Using his wand, he flipped open a page and stared at the evil curses recorded within.
A force of magic tempted John to learn the knowledge inside.
Like a Pandora's box capable of bringing disaster, it carried deadly danger.
"Unfortunately, you don't know that I'm the same as you."
A faint curve appeared at the corner of John's lips as he looked at the black leather book and said, "My understanding of the soul is no worse than yours, Herpo."
He raised his head and looked at the basilisk, ordering in Parseltongue, "Leave this room."
"As you command, great descendant of Herpo."
The basilisk turned and slithered back into the tunnel.
"The soul above is even weaker than Voldemort's."
John held his palm a short distance above the black leather book and slowly moved it across the surface.
This was a book that contained a soul, much like Voldemort's diary.
That was also why the book had been preserved until now.
The fragment of soul within it had protected the book from decay.
John waved his wand. "Hmm, let's see."
A flash of red light exploded across the black leather book.
The next second, the book remained completely unharmed.
John tapped his wand lightly and remarked with admiration, "Even after a thousand years, it still has this level of defense. You truly deserve your place as the number one among the world's ten dark wizards."
The black leather book was immune to magical damage.
But what interested John wasn't only its identity as a Horcrux.
More importantly, this book recorded the wisdom of Herpo's entire life.
"Fer."
With a flick of his wand, the book was quickly bound up like a tightly wrapped bundle.
John picked it up and cast several isolation spells in succession.
Herpo's plan had been clever.
Anyone who wasn't an exceptional wizard would never have been able to reach this room.
The more exceptional the wizard, the less they would be able to abandon the knowledge recorded in the book. It would inevitably be taken out.
"I wonder how many Horcruxes Herpo made."
Wings grew from John's back. With a light beat, he flew up through the tunnel the basilisk had entered.
Moving through the tunnel, John left the treasury and reappeared beneath the giant hourglass.
The basilisk was curled up weakly with hunger. It had not eaten for who knew how many years.
After landing, John glanced at the basilisk. The huge creature was loyal indeed. No wonder both Herpo the Foul and Slytherin liked to use basilisks as guardians.
Basilisks had long lifespans and unwavering loyalty.
"It's time to take the potion."
John took a vial of soul potion from his temporary handbag.
He opened the bottle, but that action alerted another presence in the chamber.
John was about to drink the soul potion in one gulp when he noticed something wrong with the position of the bent human-faced serpent.
"It… seems closer."
The "?" shape had changed slightly. The face that had originally been facing outward had now turned to face John.
Bringing the soul potion to his lips, John saw the human-faced serpent's body completely twist around, staring at him without moving.
John drank the soul potion in one swift motion, and the old face of the human-faced serpent appeared right in front of him.
"Reducto." Boom!
White light struck the upper half of the human-faced serpent, and its enormous body began to collapse.
The next moment, time reversed across the serpent's body. The shattered form restored itself to its original state within a second.
The human-faced serpent opened its eyes, living eyeballs staring directly at John.
"It seems this place isn't so simple."
John fired several more Blasting Curses in quick succession. The white light split into three and exploded across different parts of the serpent's body.
But before long, the serpent repaired itself rapidly under the effect of the sand of time.
Even John's advanced Blasting Curse couldn't completely destroy it.
The human-faced serpent became active. Its body was no longer stiff, instead moving like a living creature. Its long tail swept across the platform, smashing a decorative lamp stand to pieces.
There was no retreat on this platform. The solidified domain meant the path he had come through could no longer be used.
"Hiss~~"
A sound came from the human-faced serpent's mouth.
The basilisk, which had been languishing in hunger, immediately became alert.
It lunged toward John as well. Its deadly fangs, curved like scimitars, easily sliced through the ground.
"Stop, basilisk."
John spoke in Parseltongue, forcing the basilisk to halt.
The human-faced serpent hissed, urging the basilisk into motion.
"Looks like another soul is living inside it."
John's expression hardened. Since he couldn't destroy it, he would have to trap the human-faced serpent first.
His wand spun, and the golden treasure on both sides rose into the air.
"Oppugno."
The gold surged forward, burying the human-faced serpent.
The serpent opened its mouth wide, and flames burst from its jaws.
The gold touched by the flames melted instantly into liquid, dripping to the ground like a cascading waterfall before rushing toward John.
John was swept into the torrent, the blazing heat of the molten gold setting his clothes alight.
The human-faced serpent continued spewing flames, driving John toward the edge of the cliff.
Then..
"Roar—!"
Golden fire exploded outward.
John's skin was coated in the molten gold, yet he remained unharmed.
He stepped out of the flowing metal, his body gradually growing larger.
A golden fire dragon emerged from the molten gold. Taking a deep breath, it unleashed a torrent of golden flames from its mouth.
The golden flames collided with the crimson fire, and the heat produced between them caused the ground itself to begin melting into magma.
The dragon advanced toward the human-faced serpent step by step.
Golden flames burned against the crimson fire, steadily suppressing it.
The human-faced serpent retreated again and again.
Until the flames ignited its head. The eternally burning fire forced its body to constantly shift between melting and restoration.
John returned to human form, his wand sweeping through the air.
Golden Cage Charm.
The molten gold was drawn together, wrapping itself around the human-faced serpent's body.
Layer after layer formed until a massive golden sphere quickly took shape.
"Glacius."
Cold breath flowed from the wand, causing the golden sphere to solidify rapidly.
The human-faced serpent was sealed inside the great golden sphere.
John stepped forward. The flames from before had left him without a single thread of clothing.
Beneath what appeared to be a lean frame was a body of tightly honed muscle.
Raising his hand, he pressed it against the golden sphere and used the Super-Sensory Charm to probe the situation inside.
After the gold solidified, it formed a massive prison that encased every inch of the human-faced serpent.
The basilisk still tried to attack John, but he barked, "Stop, basilisk."
The basilisk hesitated, uncertain whose command it should obey.
The small handbag had been damaged during the battle, and the items inside were scattered across the ground.
Among them were the golden mask, the golden scale, the golden scepter, and the black leather book. The restraints on the black book had vanished, and it now lay quietly on the floor.
"Leaving time magic on the human-faced serpent… that's more sophisticated than Voldemort."
Compared to Voldemort's Horcruxes, Herpo's human-faced serpent was more in line with the work of an alchemist.
"Trying to repair the soul through soul potions?"
John saw the scattered soul potions. Including the one he had just drunk, there had been three in total.
With a snap of his fingers, the scattered items returned to their places.
John picked out some materials from them. Clapping his hands together, he created a new, simple handbag.
He also made himself a robe while he was at it.
Just as he was about to deal with the remaining items...
The massive golden sphere behind him began to move again.
The once-solid sphere was gradually returning to a molten state.
"Time reversal..?"
John's gaze passed over the great golden sphere and landed on the giant hourglass behind it.
It seemed the hourglass was the cause.
The golden sphere burst apart like a balloon. The human-faced serpent shot out from inside, rushing straight toward the soul potion.
Just as it was about to reach it—
John drew his wand, his eyes turning into vertical pupils.
An ancient whisper echoed.
"Redi, o anima errans."
A pulling force came from the wand. When the human-faced serpent was only a step away from the soul potion, thick white smoke began to rise from its body.
Within the smoke, a figure was forcibly dragged out.
Unfortunately for it, John had always been quite skilled at dealing with Horcruxes.
The human-faced serpent statue lost its vitality and crashed heavily onto the ground, causing the earth to tremble.
John stared at the soul he had pulled out.
"Herpo the Foul."
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