Speaking of which, the technique that channels the power of "Magic" through the eyes is called "Demonic Gaze."
Hmm, quite straightforward. Perhaps those great predecessors were as lazy as the author when it came to naming things.
After all, a name is just an identifier; what truly matters is the content of the spell itself.
After Glenn activated the alchemical device projecting beams of light, he moved to another position, placing the device to his left. This allowed beams of various colors to pass before his eyes and strike the wall to his right.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and calmed his mind. With full concentration, he began suppressing and stabilizing the restless magic within him, guiding it toward his eyes. A faint pricking sensation followed—Glenn knew this was the magic seeping into his eyes.
At this point, the activation of the Demonic Gaze officially began.
Opening his eyes, Glenn's pitch-black irises gradually took on a crimson hue, with wisps of black mist escaping from them.
The world became astonishingly clear. Glenn could see the magical energy forming the differently colored beams flowing gently through the air.
"Negate."
With a soft whisper, the beams of light that had been streaming continuously in front of him suddenly vanished mid-air. Outside Glenn's line of sight, the alchemical device continued functioning normally, emitting warm yellow light that disappeared the moment it entered his vision.
It was as if an invisible eraser had wiped the light away.
The crimson in Glenn's eyes deepened, and blood vessels began to spread across the whites of his eyes.
Maintaining the Demonic Gaze for just one second, Glenn immediately ceased channeling the magic. The crimson faded, and visible fatigue appeared on his face.
"The consumption is still greater than I expected. Suppressing the Obscurial takes too much effort."
"At my current level, I can't sustain this technique for long. I'll need to reserve it for critical moments—to interrupt someone's key spellcasting."
"This could disrupt their rhythm and create an opening for me to attack."
As he rested, Glenn's eyes unfocused, and he mentally simulated battles, contemplating the timing of using the Demonic Gaze against various hypothetical opponents.
The moment his opponent faltered under the corrosive magic of the Gaze would be the moment Glenn secured victory.
After a brief rest, Glenn reactivated the Demonic Gaze and resumed his training...
...
Rubbing his slightly dry eyes, Glenn downed a bottle of magical energy potion.
To be honest, it was quite straining on the eyes.
"Maybe I'll ask Hermione to help alleviate the effects later."
The magical texts clearly stated that after using the Demonic Gaze, one's eyes would temporarily become extremely sensitive, requiring over an hour to recover. The recovery time was directly proportional to the duration of the Gaze and the amount of magic output.
Ultimately, the power of the Obscurial and the techniques described in the magical texts often inflicted damage and negative effects on the caster. Prolonged usage could even cause irreversible harm, necessitating cautious application.
This was why Glenn frequently sought Hermione to "recharge."
Of course, while simply hugging Hermione already made Glenn feel healed, the holy power she could summon genuinely alleviated the aftereffects of using magic.
Calling it "mastery" might be an overstatement—Hermione could barely channel that power and only transfer a tiny amount to others.
Still, it was better than nothing. Glenn also deliberately controlled his training intensity. While he could endure the side effects of the Obscurial, let's just say his motives weren't entirely pure. Those who understand, understand.
[Oh, he just wants to cuddle~
(;′༎ຶД༎ຶ`)
... Glenn, please put the wand down. Let's talk this out...]
After another two hours of light training, Glenn adjusted the Room of Requirement's layout, took a hot shower, and left the room, heading back to his dormitory.
As curfew approached, the interior of Hogwarts Castle was eerily quiet. Apart from the faint sound of wind outside the windows and the occasional crackle of candles burning in the shadows, everything was still.
Glenn enjoyed the quiet and dim environment. He couldn't explain why, but being in such dark, tranquil places always lifted his mood slightly.
However, that good mood vanished when he saw a certain figure.
Glenn's expression darkened. On the staircase ahead, water stains were scattered everywhere. Standing alone on the steps between the fourth and third floors was a young wizard, his body unnaturally stiff.
His hands were raised to chest level, his eyes wide open and fixed on the smoking screen of the camera he held, his face frozen in an expression of terror.
Colin Creevey.
A first-year Gryffindor wizard, photography enthusiast, and Harry Potter fanatic. Glenn remembered Hermione mentioning him—a boy who spent his days trying to either secretly or openly photograph Harry in various situations.
Hermione had called him Harry's "die-hard fan."
But the usually lively Colin was now motionless on the staircase, lifeless, turned into a petrified statue.
Just like Mrs. Norris.
"The second one…"
This was undoubtedly the work of the basilisk.
"It was too far away for me to sense its presence…"
"So it's officially started targeting humans now?"
Glenn walked slowly to the stiffened Colin and examined him closely.
"Hm?"
Touching Colin's shoulder, Glenn frowned in confusion.
"Colin Creevey still has a faint flow of magic within him…"
"He's not dead?"
"And what's with this camera?"
Noticing the smoking camera in Colin's hands, Glenn took it.
Holding it, Glenn realized that Colin's camera, like the one Glenn used to store Hermione's photos, had been magically modified.
But it was now damaged.
"Hogwarts: A History mentioned that electronic devices don't work here!"
Hermione's voice echoed in his mind.
Indeed, an ordinary camera wouldn't function at Hogwarts.
So why was Colin Creevey's camera broken?
Opening the back cover of the camera, a pungent smell of burning plastic filled Glenn's nose.
"The film melted?"
Closing the cover and returning the camera to Colin's hands, Glenn continued down the stairs.
"Judging by his posture, he must have made eye contact with the basilisk through the camera lens…"
"The basilisk's petrification ability is essentially a form of magic, and all magic suffers some degree of attenuation when passing through any medium."
"Moreover, if the basilisk's ability works by causing death through direct eye contact, then seeing its eyes through a camera screen wouldn't count as 'direct contact'…"
Glenn thought of Mrs. Norris. He hadn't examined the poor cat up close.
But her petrified state was etched clearly in his memory.
Mrs. Norris's gaze had been fixed on a puddle of water on the ground.
"Perhaps Mrs. Norris didn't die either."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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