"Compared to the various dragons, this Basilisk actually leans more towards my understanding of dragons, though in its current form, it can only really be called a Chinese dragon at most."
Dylan, looking like he was performing some sort of bizarre inspection, poked and prodded the Basilisk, checking it from top to bottom, left to right, and front to back.
Finally, he let it be.
"However, the Basilisk itself isn't a creature that naturally breeds in the wild. Instead, it's a monster hatched from a chicken's egg by a toad, through the magical means of a Dark wizard."
Slowly standing up, he placed the scales he'd plucked from the Basilisk, the powdered horn he'd ground off its head, and even some shavings from its teeth into small bottles.
Dylan ambled towards the little shed where he kept his experimental setup.
"So, now this Basilisk has become my experimental subject. Do I have a chance to further research and develop a true dragon based on it?"
The thought of one day being able to create a real dragon, just like the ones in legends, couldn't help but excite Dylan.
Even though this path was just an idea in his head at the moment.
But in reality, whether it's science or magic, daring to imagine is the sharpest tool to cut through the fog of reality!
Only by first sketching the blueprint in your mind can you find the clear path to your goal.
Anyway, he could come here from his own world, so what else couldn't possibly happen?
Dylan was already racking his brain, thinking about how to use this Basilisk to further his various research projects.
As Dylan strode away.
Behind him.
The Basilisk's massive body lay limply on the ground, looking like a giant strand of soba noodles. Its enormous head drooped powerlessly, the fierce glint in its eyes long gone.
Even its once-hard scales now seemed to have lost their support, clinging flaccidly to its body.
Many parts of its body were scraped bare of scales by magic, revealing patch after patch of bloody wounds.
Yet, no blood seeped from the wounds – it seemed it had all been drained.
There was a little red around its mouth, as if it had bled quite a bit earlier.
Its originally sharp teeth had been snapped off in several places, making them look jagged.
The gums around the broken teeth were swollen and red, and each breath tugged at the wounds, making the Basilisk shiver in pain.
The Basilisk's gaze followed Dylan, its pupils now shrunk to the size of mung beans, its eyes still filled with terror and numbness.
Coalball, looking like a shadow darting after its master, scurried after Dylan.
Noberta took a look at the pitiful state of the giant snake.
Suddenly, she remembered the Master's previous operations on her – the scale-removing and blood-draining procedures.
*-- Master was completely holding back on me back then!*
Noberta shrunk her neck, a hint of pity in her eyes as she looked at the Basilisk.
But whatever the Master wanted to do, she would naturally support it wholeheartedly.
Besides, this thing looked so fierce, it must have provoked the Master earlier to be captured!
Hmm! So this nasty snake deserved it!
Her not-so-bright brain quickly processed the few pieces of information, and Noberta lifted her head again, marching in step towards Dylan.
Even though only a little over a year had passed, she was already quite large.
The house Dylan used for his experiments naturally couldn't accommodate her anymore.
But Noberta had clearly gotten used to it.
She simply circled the outside of the house, looking like a proud guardian, protecting her Master from being disturbed.
Placing the various materials collected from the Basilisk one by one on the table.
Dylan wasn't in a hurry to start the research.
Instead, he glanced at his system panel.
After opening it, the icon representing achievements was flashing non-stop and rhythmically.
"Let's claim these achievement rewards first."
Clicking on the icon.
Dylan's gaze swept over his completed achievements.
——————
**[Achievement]: I, Lord Voldemort!**
**[Description]:** From now on, Voldemort will be my humble servant!
**[Requirement]:** Possess Voldemort! Hmm~ Doesn't possessing a part of his soul count as possession?
**[Achievement Reward]:** Random Full-Level Dark Magic +1
——————
**[Achievement]: Scaring the Model Student**
**[Description]:** You, you wicked thing! As a fellow student, you almost scared a good student to death! You are simply awful!
**[Requirement]:** Make Tom Riddle feel terrified.
**[Achievement Reward]:** Mental Control Magic Resistance +10
——————
**[Achievement]: Riddle's Breakdown Observer**
**[Description]:** What could better highlight that you are the next generation Dark Lord than seeing the former Dark Lord break down in front of you? Let the old geezer get out of the wizarding world!
**[Requirement]:** Enjoy the young Dark Lord's expression, even more spectacular than a Dementor choked on a slug.
**[Achievement Reward]:** Ability to vaguely sense the source of others' strong negative emotions.
——————
**[Achievement]: Cross-Dimensional Trafficker**
**[Description]:** You, evil, insidious, despicable, and vicious, actually trafficked people in front of the Boy Who Lived! And snakes!
**[Requirement]:** Kidnap a hostage in Harry's direct sight.
**[Achievement Reward]:** Dark Lord Aura +10
——————
**[Achievement]: Serpent's Gaze Legend**
**[Description]:** You have earned the fear of the King of Serpents! All snakes will fear you!
**[Requirement]:** Make the Basilisk see you as a great and terrible threat.
**[Achievement Reward]:** Serpent's Gaze of Ending
——————
Scanning through these achievements.
Dylan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly.
Among the several achievements, the ones with more practical use were clearly the reward of a new full-level magic spell and the Serpent's Gaze of Ending.
Dylan thought for a moment, intending to claim the full-level Dark magic first.
Closing his eyes slightly, Dylan instantly entered a void.
Only a dark star overhead emitted light.
With a thought from Dylan.
The star crashed down with a roar!
*Swish!*
The next moment, Dylan opened his eyes again, his magic power surging around him.
He abruptly raised his wand.
As a low incantation escaped his lips.
In an instant, Dylan saw a ball of eerie green light explode before him.
Immediately after, a giant snake slowly emerged from the light.
The giant snake's body writhed, its scales gleaming with a cold light, the rough texture carrying a terrifying aura.
The size of this giant snake was actually comparable to that Basilisk!
Its triangular head was raised high, and its vertical pupils revealed a soul-stirringly fierce light.
With each flick of its forked tongue, a putrid stench spread.
**[Message]:** Congratulations on mastering the full-level spell – *Serpensortia*!
By the time Dylan came back to his senses, he saw the system notification, and he had once again mastered a full-level spell.
"*Serpensortia*?"
He hadn't expected that the spell he learned would be similar to *Avis*, a summoning charm.
And it summoned a black snake.
However, the summoned creature he saw in the previous illusion.
Whether it was its size or its ferocity, it far surpassed the black snake that Malfoy had summoned during the Duelling Club.
"*That's* what you call *Serpensortia*!"
As expected of a full-level spell, even a casual use showed the difference between it and others.
Dylan was quite satisfied.
Although he had now captured the Basilisk and put it in his suitcase, this was something he couldn't let others see.
The Ministry of Magic strictly prohibited the creation of Basilisks. This method was too evil, and the Basilisk itself was an extremely dangerous and ferocious magical creature.
So, at most, this Basilisk would become an experiment in his pet space, providing him with materials.
If it was a bit more obedient, for example, if it eventually chose to submit to him under his long-term tyrannical influence.
Dylan could also let it replace Noberta and Coalball, becoming a patrolling guardian in his space to deter other creatures.
This way, the Basilisk could at least move around on its own, instead of having Dylan cast spells on it every day, eventually paralyzing it completely, unable to move.
*-- Without long-term exercise, the Basilisk's body would obviously become sluggish.*
The materials it could provide would naturally be of lower quality than at the beginning.
Dylan didn't want that to happen.
However, Dylan didn't gain another opportunity to contract a pet due to completing the achievement.
Just using the Imperius Curse… Firstly, the Basilisk itself had magical resistance, which would frequently drain Dylan's magic power.
This meant that without intending to kill the Basilisk, he couldn't use it too many times.
Even if he often controlled the Basilisk with the Imperius Curse, combined with other soul-related spells to immobilize it.
He was always going to be outside, and couldn't stay in the suitcase space all the time.
So, it was hard to guarantee that the Basilisk wouldn't become clever one day due to his torment.
Taking advantage of his absence, it might attack the creatures in his space.
Ultimately damaging the pet space he had painstakingly created with a lot of money.
Dylan would have no one to cry to.
Therefore, if the Basilisk could express its submission to him on its own, Dylan wouldn't necessarily draw a circle and confine himself, completely trapping the Basilisk to death.
However, whether this could be achieved depended on whether this Basilisk had the self-awareness.
Of course, Dylan wasn't overly worried about this.
After all, even if he couldn't directly control the Basilisk, Tom was still the Heir of Slytherin.
And now the Basilisk was in his hands.
His Imperius Curse wasn't effective on the Basilisk for long periods.
But Tom, a mere fragmented soul, whose power was greatly diminished at the moment.
In the end, he was just a cheap parasite in a Horcrux. What made him think he could withstand Dylan's Imperius Curse?
So, if he couldn't control the Basilisk, he would control Tom first.
Letting Tom control the Basilisk was the same thing.
Dylan's gaze fell on another reward.
——————
**[Trait]: Serpent's Gaze of Ending**
**[Ability 1]: Serpent's Doom Ending**
**[Effect]:** Open the Serpent's Gaze of Ending. Within a radius of forty-four meters centered on you, all snakes will be forced into a state of petrification. Enemies other than snakes who meet your gaze will be dragged into a dream illusion, enduring overwhelming and endless fear of a serpent plague.
**[Ability 2]: Serpent Tongue Curse**
**[Effect]:** You will master Parseltongue, and every utterance in Parseltongue can be converted into a chapter of the "Revelation of Worms" through magic. Unleashing this book will cause mental pollution to others.
**[Ability 3]: Fear Backlash**
**[Effect]:** Snakes you have intimidated and killed will project their final, gruesome death scenes into your dreams upon dying. The greater the number, the stronger the effect of your Serpent's Doom Ending.
——————
Scanning the abilities of the Serpent's Gaze of Ending, Dylan couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in surprise.
This trait actually directly provided him with three abilities.
And quite unbelievably, the effect of almost every one of these three abilities was extraordinary!
The first ability allowed him to open a domain that was almost the same as the trait effect he had painstakingly refined through spells.
Within a full forty-four-meter radius, all snakes within it would instantly become petrified.
*-- Obviously, the Basilisk would probably also be included in this range.*
So, now that he had mastered this ability, Dylan could try to see if he could integrate this effect into an object.
Then, he could usually have Coalball, or directly use this object, to control the Basilisk's movements.
Moreover, besides snakes, other creatures could also be forcibly dragged into a dream illusion by meeting his gaze.
Enduring the serpent plague's bites within.
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If someone had a strong enough will, they might directly break through this dream illusion.
However, taking advantage of the moment when the opponent was unprepared and dragged into the dream, was enough for Dylan to use this opening to hit them with an *Avada Kedavra*.
As for the second ability, it allowed him to directly master Parseltongue.
In this way, he wouldn't need to covet Harry's soul fragment or refine Riddle's remaining soul to become a Parselmouth like them!
And this ability wasn't limited to just that.
Dylan carefully sensed it.
Suddenly, a dark and eerie black mist rose from his palm.
Accompanied by a low incantation, a thick tome emerged from it.
The cover of this tome was made of rough leather from some unknown creature, and it seemed to have some metal mixed in. The dark, dull color gave the feeling of being soaked in blood countless times.
Dried blood patterns crisscrossed, and the edges of the pages were bound with sharp, twisted metal, shaped like fangs, reflecting a cold, sinister light under the lamplight.
Several large characters were written on the cover – "Revelation of Worms".
Dylan raised an eyebrow.
"Just looking at this thing really gives off a feeling of mental pollution."
Dylan opened the tome. On the yellowed and rough-textured pages, rows of obscure runes were engraved, looking like worms crawling out from the depths of time.
Looking at these words, Dylan could see that they seemed to be related to Parseltongue.
He could even read them out one by one.
Dylan took a slight breath, mobilized the magic power in his body, his tongue trembled, and he spoke the first part of the Serpent Tongue Curse in Parseltongue.
The next moment, a sound like a snake's hiss winding its way from distant mountains, eerie and drawn-out, drilled into people's ears bit by bit.
As he chanted, strands of magic power peeled off from his fingertips, sinking into the pages, recording the content of the curse in a flowing, blood-red light.
The originally dim runes now seemed to come alive, even more like wriggling worms.
The moment the last character landed.
The entire Revelation trembled violently.
An even more intense aura of evil surged out.
What was originally just a bizarre shape now had an indescribable sense of horror.
Just one glance was enough to make one's stomach churn, as if countless cold, slimy worms were crawling and wriggling inside.
Dylan could also feel this sensation, but as the owner of this Revelation, facing this feeling was like a gentle breeze on his face. He didn't feel any discomfort.
"Mental pollution, huh?"
Dylan stroked his chin.
He turned his head and glanced at Coalball.
The little fellow was staring wide-eyed at the Revelation in his hand, baring its teeth, silently backing away, and had already retreated to the door.
"Indiscriminate attack?"
Dylan reached out and swiped his hand across the Revelation, wanting to try and prevent the book from attacking his own people like Coalball and Noberta.
But he didn't succeed.
Dylan frowned slightly.
"If it causes indiscriminate mental pollution… that's a bit troublesome. Could it be that I still have to give it to Kelsas to use?"
Dylan's mouth twitched.
Imagine, someone wearing a black robe, holding a wand of authority in their right hand, summoning illusions of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Opening the Serpent's Gaze of Ending, creating the fear of endless nightmares.
Holding the Revelation in their left hand, the mental pollution of worms sweeping over everyone.
Without even needing a wand, they could instantly cast fifty Unforgivable Curses – fifty of each.
Letting the Unforgivable Curses fall like rain, Fiendfyre surrounding and attacking everyone.
Finally, the trait brought by his refined spellcasting allowed him to layer on several killing domains…
"Why do I suddenly feel like I've become a very strange person? Whether it's the abilities I possess or these dark experiments I do every day… this isn't the direction I originally wanted to sprint towards!"
Dylan took a deep breath and then let out a long, heavy sigh.
Oh well, no matter the direction, as long as it ultimately allows him to go further, that's enough.
He hadn't killed anyone or set any fires.
Although the experiments he conducted and the spells he researched might be a bit radical.
But undeniably, he was still a good kid, a good student!
*-- Even better than Tom!*
*-- Ten thousand times better!*
Dylan snorted softly.
He then looked at the third ability of the Serpent's Gaze of Ending – Fear Backlash.
Compared to the previous two, this ability wasn't particularly outstanding, but it was closely related to the first ability.
When he opened the Serpent's Gaze of Ending, he could drag enemies into a dream illusion and make them endure serpent attacks.
As for how terrifying the serpent plague was… that naturally depended on how many snakes he could kill.
And how gruesome the deaths of the snakes he killed were.
The more horrifying and terrifying, the deeper the fear the enemy would experience after entering his serpent plague dream.
"I'm really impressed. Isn't this forcing me to massacre living beings? How can someone as kind as me bring myself to do that!"
Dylan sighed slightly.
In the cockroach and spider enclosures not far away, all the little creatures froze in place.
"But thankfully, this time the trait I got wasn't some 'Pressure Descends Cockroach'. I don't know how brain-dead someone would have to be to get a trait like that."
Dylan was quite satisfied with this round of achievement rewards.
At least besides these two rewards.
Whether it was mental resistance or the ability to vaguely sense the strong malice emanating from others.
They were all good effects.
Dylan nodded and closed the system panel.
He turned back and looked at Coalball.
"Go out and play with Noberta. Don't let other creatures disturb me, and don't let them fight in the forest – if they do fight, remember to bring me any blood, fur, teeth, and bones that are dropped."
Coalball blinked, then nodded gently: "Moo!"
Because Coalball was an Umbrageous, and Umbrageous were quite rare magical creatures throughout the wizarding world.
So Dylan naturally couldn't find another one to refine its living soul and understand Coalball's language.
But Coalball was after all his pet, and even if he couldn't understand what it was saying, he could understand its meaning.
Just like with Noberta.
Before he could transform into a Norwegian Ridgeback, he could still communicate with Noberta.
It was just that after his Animagus transformation was complete, he could communicate with Noberta directly through conversation, without needing the soul connection between master and pet.
Coalball's meaning was naturally an immediate agreement.
Dylan waited until it went out before he began to tidy up the various materials he had just taken from the Basilisk.
Some materials also needed to be properly preserved.
Otherwise, as time passed, the magic power in the materials might gradually fade away.
Eventually leading to the continuous weakening of the material's properties until they disappeared, becoming ordinary things that couldn't be used to brew potions or for other research.
After processing the materials.
Dylan wasn't in a hurry to conduct the experiment.
After all, he didn't know what the situation was like outside now.
He had taken Tom, along with the Horcrux, and even the Basilisk.
It wasn't like the original story where Harry solved this problem.
So he couldn't be sure what direction things would take next.
Therefore, Dylan still planned to go out and read a book for a while, or just go to sleep.
He would see what was happening when he woke up tomorrow.
Thinking of this, Dylan prepared to leave the suitcase space.
But before that, he took out a notebook again.
This notebook was wrapped in a wizard's robe.
Dylan had used an enchantment to add several effects to the robe.
Obscuring vision, shielding senses, blocking hearing.
Dylan wasn't sure if little Tom had a way to transmit what happened here to other Voldemort supporters.
Therefore, without using the Imperius Curse on him, Dylan still felt that he should be more careful.
So as not to reveal any clues.
He didn't want Voldemort to find out his true identity before Dumbledore and the professors did.
"Let's just throw it in the corner for now. Only I come to this lab anyway."
Dylan placed Tom's diary on a bookshelf in the corner, planning to study it when he had time next.
In this lab, Dylan would also wear a black robe that concealed his face, ensuring that even if any information was leaked, others wouldn't immediately recognize his true appearance.
This was called being prudent~!
Imprudent people tend to die rather hastily.
Dylan didn't aim to become an old schemer like Dumbledore, but being a little schemer was necessary.
"Wait, what nonsense am I talking about?"
(End of this chapter)