Wade returned much faster than he had come.
After covering most of the distance on a broomstick, he Apparated directly back to Riddle Manor.
It wasn't that he didn't want to Apparate all the way back, but Albania was over 1,800 kilometres from Britain.
He wasn't entirely sure whether his abilities were sufficient for such a feat, and being cautious by nature, Wade ultimately chose the safest option.
After returning to Riddle Manor, Wade first returned Slytherin to the Chamber before rushing back to the guest room and shutting the door behind him.
"So... where exactly did you two go? How is this guy always in such a hurry? He just got back and already locked himself in his room?" Tom had never seen anyone as rushed as Wade.
Slytherin looked at his direct descendant with pity in his eyes.
"A word of advice, Tom... while he's busy studying whatever treasure he just got, you'd better spend some time figuring out how to take fewer hits in a fight."
"Why?" Tom asked in confusion.
"Because he said he'd beat you up as soon as he got back. As for why, I have no idea..."
"Shit! What's triggered that lunatic this time?"
Slytherin shrugged. "Who knows? The kid's always acting strangely. Maybe he dreamed about you doing something bad and got angry?"
"You know... now that you mention it... that really does sound like something he'd do!"
The moment he finished speaking, Tom ran back to his room and started packing his luggage. He planned to flee overnight.
He'd go hide at Henry's place for a while.
Who knew? Maybe that lunatic would get so engrossed in studying his new treasure that he'd forget all about beating someone up.
...
In his room, Wade once again examined the Ravenclaw Diadem in his hands.
Its magic was gentle, and its craftsmanship exquisite.
Although Slytherin had already inspected it once, Wade still carefully examined it again using every method he could think of. Only after checking it repeatedly did he finally relax and slowly place the diadem upon his head.
It was as though every brain cell had been fully awakened in an instant. The moment Wade put on the diadem, he immediately felt his thinking ability rise by more than one level.
Even his five senses were greatly enhanced.
Looking up at the ceiling, he could clearly make out the tiny hairs on the spider quietly crawling across a beam.
He could even hear Tom hurriedly packing his luggage in the next room with perfect clarity.
The enhancement was even greater than what Felix Felicis provided.
It was hard to imagine just how much Rowena Ravenclaw's strength would have increased in battle if she had worn this diadem.
But Wade found it difficult to understand. With such a powerful item, how could Voldemort bear to turn it into a Horcrux?
This was a magical object that directly increased one's strength!
For someone like Voldemort, shouldn't increasing his own power have taken priority?
Could it be... another difference between parallel worlds?
That seemed to be the only explanation.
Wade did not dwell on the matter, because the diadem's effects were undeniably powerful.
He picked up the manuscript that he had reluctantly abandoned halfway through his research...
This time, the mental blockage that had hindered him was gone. Inspiration that had previously been lacking now flowed endlessly into his mind.
...
While Wade had been away, the friends who had visited the Riddle family had all returned home.
And now, to avoid being beaten up, Tom had moved into Henry's house temporarily.
For a time, apart from Wade, who was completely absorbed in his research,
the woods where Tom's cabin stood were left with only the lonely old ghost Slytherin, along with Andrews and Elena.
And so another week passed.
During that time, Tom had secretly sneaked back once, but after discovering that Wade still hadn't come out, he was frightened away again.
Just as Andrews and the others were beginning to worry that Wade might starve to death, he finally emerged from his room.
After greeting Elena and the others, he headed straight to the stone hut where Slytherin was staying.
"Well?" Slytherin asked immediately upon seeing him.
"The research that had been troubling me has now been completely resolved," Wade said calmly.
"And then?"
"And then... I discovered the greatest flaw of this diadem," Wade said seriously.
"What flaw?"
"Once you put it on, you won't want to take it off. No one can resist becoming immersed in the feeling of possessing intelligence far beyond their normal level. Back then, I truly felt omnipotent." Wade sighed. "I think I understand a little better now why Helena stole Ravenclaw's diadem. Perhaps... the reason was much simpler and more direct than people imagined."
"Just as some people become addicted to great power, others become addicted to wisdom and knowledge... If the diadem really is as you say, then Helena definitely wouldn't have been able to resist such temptation. She wanted so badly to step out from her mother's shadow," Slytherin said with emotion.
"But... it's truly surprising. Someone like you actually managed to take the diadem off?" Slytherin looked at Wade in astonishment.
"To be honest, I didn't want to. But the elevated intelligence I gained while wearing it told me that this seemingly omnipotent version of myself was false... If I wore the diadem for too long, something bad might happen. The most basic side effect is that after losing the diadem, one might greatly overestimate their own abilities. Back when Helena confronted the Bloody Baron, she'd already taken the diadem off and hidden it inside the hollow tree, hadn't she?"
"Sigh..." Slytherin let out a long sigh. "That's why she died so easily beneath the Baron's sword..."
After wearing the diadem for so long, she had developed a false understanding of her own abilities. It was like someone who could run a hundred metres in under nine seconds with stimulants temporarily believing they could do the same without them.
Attacks she thought she could dodge while wearing the diadem became impossible to avoid once she had taken it off...
"So... do you plan never to use the diadem again?" Slytherin asked.
"No. I'll continue using it. As long as I remember that it's just a tool, there's nothing to fear."
"You're that confident?"
"Actually, I'm not that confident. That's why I came to you. If one day I become unwilling to take the diadem off, I hope you'll remind me... remind me that it's only a tool, not a part of my body."
"You were able to realise this problem yourself while wearing the diadem. I doubt that day will ever come," Slytherin said admiringly.
"It's better to be safe than sorry. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. What if I lose myself someday?"
"What young person doesn't become a little arrogant after obtaining great power?" Slytherin muttered.
"Where's Tom?" Wade asked.
"He ran off. He's afraid you'll beat him up," Slytherin replied.
"Beat him up? Oh... I'd almost forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it. Tell him to come back. I've forgiven him," Wade said calmly.
"No, seriously, what exactly did he do that requires your forgiveness?"
"You only need to know that he needs a beating every now and then. You were right just now. What young person doesn't become arrogant after gaining great power? And if Tom starts getting carried away, things could become a bit dangerous. He needs to be knocked down a peg from time to time."
"I've always had this feeling... it's almost as though you can see his future," Slytherin asked hesitantly.
"Why would you say that?"
"Because I feel like you're constantly correcting his actions, even his personality, whether consciously or not... As far as I know, Tom used to be extremely interested in Dark Magic," Slytherin said, his eyes sharp.
"Isn't the way he is now pretty good? Don't worry about those details... You just need to know that Tom must never come to believe he's invincible."
Wade offered no further explanation. Only this way would others fill in the blanks themselves and use their own imagination to make sense of something unknown.
That was much easier than making up lies himself.
Sure enough, Slytherin had already begun wondering whether Wade possessed a talent for Divination.
...
Wade stepped out of the stone hut and basked in the bright sunshine.
The outside was indeed much more comfortable than the interior of the hut. Slytherin was a ghost, and the stone hut was far too cold...
Taking a deep breath, Wade pulled out a pendant hanging around his neck.
Set into the pendant was a blue gemstone. Under the sunlight, it reflected a dreamlike radiance.
"How about... I call you the Hogyoku? Though you're still far inferior to the real thing."
A pleased smile appeared on Wade's face.
With the aid of Ravenclaw's Diadem, he had combined the converter blueprint his senior had given him with the Goblin container design he'd acquired earlier and created this gemstone.
As a result, the gem not only possessed the ability to convert "residue," but also the ability to store it.
Even the purified magical power produced by the conversion could be preserved within the gemstone. Whenever necessary, Wade could draw upon it at any time.
Guided by the insights granted by the diadem, Wade abandoned Goblin metal as the primary material and chose a pure sapphire instead, achieving results far superior to those offered by Goblin metal.
Moreover, he had intentionally left ample room for further improvements in the future.
Sometimes, all that hindered one's thinking was a small spark of innovation. Had he insisted on using Goblin metal as the foundation, such a major breakthrough would have been impossible.
That was the benefit the diadem brought Wade.
After completing the gemstone, he casually made the microscope as well and thoroughly optimised the energy core in the process.
Now that he had removed the diadem, looking at the things he had created gave Wade a surreal feeling...
Did I really make all of this myself?
Just as Wade was planning to take a few days off, an owl delivered a letter.
It was from Newt. He had already transported the depressed dragon back to Britain and hoped that Wade could come and use Transfiguration to help the poor dragon fulfil its wish. Newt also mentioned that Tom had paid him a visit not long ago...
Wade had been planning to relax anyway, and after receiving the letter, he felt that a trip to Newt's place would be a nice change of pace.
Partly because he had promised Newt, and partly because...
Perhaps he really shouldn't skip that beating for Tom. What if the kid started getting carried away again?
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