NABC Chapter 253 Negotiation and Information Extraction
Chapter 253 Negotiation and Information Extraction
Chapter 253 Negotiation and Information Extraction
A ghostly blue flame, like the Sword of Damocles, hovered above the diary, emanating an aura that sent shivers down one's spine. The air inside the workshop was distorted by the intense heat, yet eerily silent.
Karen's gaze was sharp as a knife, his "Eye of Truth" locking onto the cold, sinister magical energy within the diary, pulsating violently with fear and rage. The Occupation spell had isolated him from all external mental erosion, perfectly concealing all his inner schemes.
"The first question," Karen began, his voice calm and unwavering, a stark contrast to the destructive power he wielded, "is about Fiendfire itself. Write down everything you know about it."
This was both a test and a practical need. He had already learned a lot from Master Castor, so he had a certain understanding of Fiendfire. He didn't think 16-year-old Tom could be better than him in this regard, so he could use the answer to this question to test the diary, but at the same time he also hoped to get some unexpected surprises from Tom.
The diary remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly processing information rapidly under that extreme threat. Finally, the ink began to flow, and the handwriting regained its deliberately imitated elegance, but at the same time, it moved quickly, revealing the writer's "urgency":
The control of Fiendfyre depends more on the caster's willpower and mental strength than on specific incantations. Known stable control spells are extremely rare, and most are lost. Ancient Norse wizards attempted to neutralize it using a reverse freezing spell called "Niflheim's Breath," but the success rate was low, and it easily triggered a larger-scale magical explosion.
It began to describe in detail several ancient and obscure fragments of incantations and the methods of drawing magic circles, interspersed with some theories about energy channeling. Karen read intently, while using his "Eye of Truth" to observe the subtle changes in the magical fluctuations of the diary. Some of the information corroborated, and even slightly supplemented, what he had learned from Castor and what was mentioned in Nico's notes.
"The second question," Karen spoke again between her writings, giving it no chance to catch its breath or think of a solution, "soul-stabilizing magic. All the rituals, potions, or specific spells you know that can resist or even repair soul damage. Don't try to fool me with those common, weak things."
This issue is more sensitive. The magic of the diary noticeably faltered for a moment, clearly realizing that Karen's purpose might be aimed directly at its own weaknesses, or even at the weaknesses of its very essence.
Soul magic is the most profound and dangerous realm. The handwriting is much more cautious here. Regarding soul stabilization, the most widely circulated method is a potent variant of Baffaele's Mind-Awakening Potion, but its primary effect is on mental fatigue, far surpassing Baffaele's Mind-Awakening Potion. However, its effect on actual soul damage is limited—truly effective rituals mostly originate from black magic, costly and extremely dangerous. For example, Karen knows of one that forcibly stabilizes one's own soul by sacrificing the life force of a blood relative, but this causes irreversible ethical and magical contamination—
It listed several unorthodox and even wicked methods, some of which Karen had only vaguely heard of in Nico's collection, while others were completely unheard of. It cleverly mixed true and false information, exaggerating the costs and side effects of certain methods, attempting to discourage Karen or lure him to extremes. Karen carefully examined them, comparing them with his existing knowledge.
"The third question," Karen's voice remained icy, ignoring the horrifying descriptions of the consequences, "besides the Chamber of Secrets where you discovered the Basilisk, what other hidden locations or rooms within Hogwarts Castle possess special magical effects? Describe their approximate locations and characteristics."
This is a question about the secrets of Hogwarts itself, relatively "safe," but it may also touch on some secret discoveries made by Tom Riddle during his student days.
The diary answered a little faster this time: The castle is full of secrets. The magical fluctuations in the corridor behind the mirror on the fourth floor are unusually active under certain lunar phases, possibly related to some kind of spatial expansion—opposite the tapestry on the eighth floor where the troll beats Barnabas—that wall—sometimes responds to the needs of those who crave it—and, below the kitchen corridor, not in the house-elf kitchen, but on a deeper level, ancient grinding sounds sometimes emanate, seemingly related to the castle's original fortifications—
It provided several locations, some of which Karen knew, and others completely unfamiliar. This information requires further verification, but it undoubtedly offers new directions for exploration.
The question-and-answer session lasted for some time. Karen's questions covered a wide range of topics, from obscure interpretations of ancient runes to extreme applications of certain defense-against-dark magic spells, from alchemical material handling techniques to the unique habits of magical creatures.
He deliberately interspersed some knowledge points that he already knew the answers to but were rarely circulated outside, in order to verify the authenticity of the answers in the diary.
Tom Riddle's (or rather, this 17-year-old fragment of his soul) knowledge is truly astonishing, especially in his profound mastery of dark and ancient magic. His answers are often incisive and to the point, though inevitably containing elements of misleading and concealment. However, given the constant threat of Fiendfyre, much of the information he provides is of great value.
In this process, Karen is also carefully reshaping her image in this "exchange".
He no longer pretended to be a naive student, but instead displayed the image of a calm, rational, and brilliant wizard with a strong desire for power but who would not be easily swayed. He asked precise questions, had a basic ability to judge the answers, and remained vigilant against costly evil magic without completely rejecting the possibility of understanding it.
He would occasionally offer brief, restrained praise for a brilliant magical insight (through extremely subtle, perceptible emotional fluctuations), but would immediately revert to a cold, questioning stance. He made the other person realize that they were a difficult collaborator, or rather, a target for coercion, who sought knowledge and power, but whose bottom line was clear and whose mind was level.
"Regarding the theory of spiral compression of the magic core, the third stable node you just mentioned has a slight discrepancy with the description in 'Inferences on the Structure of Ancient Spells,'" Karen pointed out a potentially intentional error. "Is it a difference in the records, or did you do it on purpose?"
The diary paused, then the handwriting reappeared: ————Your knowledge is astonishing. My memory must have been off; the records in *Ancient Spell Structure Inference* do indeed focus more on external guidance than internal construction. The correct point should be ————
It corrected the answer. Karen sneered inwardly; as expected, there were traps everywhere.
Time passed in the exchange of questions and answers. The Fiery Blaze remained suspended steadily, and fine beads of sweat began to appear on Karen's forehead. Maintaining the Fiery Blaze and the Brain Sealing Technique for such a long time, while engaging in a high-intensity mental battle, was taking a toll on him.
Having gathered enough information and established a basic new "interaction" model, Karen knew it was time to stop. Pushing too hard would only lead to desperate measures, which was unwise.
He slowly and with exquisite control weakened and shrank the cluster of eerie blue flames, finally extinguishing it completely in the air with a "poof." The destructive aura vanished abruptly, and the suffocating oppressive atmosphere in the workshop eased accordingly.
The diary seemed to breathe a silent sigh of relief, and the burning marks on the cover stopped spreading.
"That concludes today's exchange." Karen used her wand to remove the diary from the special tray, her voice still devoid of emotion. "The information you provided was somewhat valuable. Remember the feeling of this conversation, Tom. Cooperation allows you to continue existing, and perhaps even experience more—interesting knowledge—in the future. Remember, if you choose to resist, the next time this fire will fall directly on you."
Without waiting for a response from the diary, he closed it directly, put it back into the lead box, and sealed it with multiple layers of seals.
Having done all this, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a wave of mental exhaustion wash over him. He sat back in his chair and rubbed his temples. He hadn't expected that 16-year-old Tom would already know so much advanced and obscure knowledge. Cullen had such a vast knowledge base thanks to Nico and Castor, but what about Tom? He was an orphan. Even with Slughorn's support, it was impossible for him to have been taught so much about Dark Magic and Ancient Magic. It could only be that he had some special opportunity—perhaps he discovered something in the Chamber of Secrets in Slytherin?
However, Karen understood that Tom wouldn't casually reveal the origins of this knowledge; they would have to proceed step by step. Nevertheless, he gained a considerable amount of valuable knowledge and confirmed that the diary had indeed been wary of him because of Ginny's information. More importantly, he successfully shifted the relationship from "testing and pretense" to "coercion and cautious cooperation." Although danger remained, at least the initiative was now more firmly in his hands.
Next, it's time to consider how to better utilize this dangerous "knowledge base." He glanced at the lead box, his eyes deep. However, a gradual approach is necessary. Although it likely possesses considerable valuable knowledge, being too hasty might lead to being misled. It's best to let it linger for a while!