allendalepharm Chapter 200 Battle of the Nest
Chapter 200 Battle of the Nest
Chapter 200 Battle of the Nest
A cold, damp atmosphere wafted from the cave entrance, carrying a heavy, fishy smell and the stench of decaying earth. The cave was pitch black inside, its depths unfathomable, like a gaping maw ready to devour its prey. Large, fresh scratches lined the cave's edges, and a sticky, glowing, dark green slime clung to the ground.
It silently reveals what terrifying creature lurks within.
"Felius, Severus," Dumbledore's voice was low but clear to everyone, "You two are responsible for guarding the entrance, preventing it from suddenly rushing out, and guarding against any possible external interference. Seal the exit. Hagrid, you stay behind Felius and the others, using your knowledge of the Forbidden Forest and your knowledge of large creatures to guard against other dangerous creatures that might be disturbed."
"Leave it to us, Albus!" Professor Flitwick immediately drew his wand and began rapidly drawing intricate runes on the rock walls and ground on either side of the cave entrance. A silver-blue light flowed from the tip of his wand, quickly forming a solid magical barrier. Snape, however, snorted coldly.
With a wave of his wand, Hagrid silently conjured a vast, viscous, ominously glowing magical swamp and thorny vines, blocking the clearing in front of the cave entrance while vigilantly watching the darkness inside and around. Hagrid gripped his pink umbrella tightly, his massive frame standing like a gatekeeper behind Flitwick and Snape, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
Dumbledore turned to Cullen: "Cullen, stay close to me. Your task is to lock onto the target's core and suppress the basilisk with my magic."
When the safe window is created, use the Soul Prism to peel away Voldemort's soul. Understand?
"Understood, Headmaster!" Karen nodded vigorously, his heart pounding in his chest, but his mind was highly excited. He checked the location of the Soul Prism again to ensure he could retrieve and activate it instantly. The anti-serpent gaze glasses were already activated; the interior of the cave in thermal imaging mode was a blurry dark red, and the huge heat source was not yet visible.
Dumbledore stepped into the cave first. The light at the tip of the Elder Wand instantly became bright and steady, like a small sun, dispelling the darkness near the cave entrance. Cullen followed closely behind, stepping into a colder, damper space.
The interior of the cave was much wider than the entrance appeared, resembling a giant cavern. Many wet stalactites hung from the ceiling.
The ground was uneven, littered with gravel and puddles. The stench of fish and sulfur in the air was even stronger, almost suffocating. Dumbledore's light could only illuminate a few dozen meters ahead; the deeper areas remained shrouded in inky darkness.
Karen activated her Eye of Truth, scanning her surroundings warily. The cave walls bore numerous large scratches and detached, dark green scales. On the ground, besides slime, lay the gnawed, unidentifiable skeletons of large animals, exuding a putrid stench. However, there seemed to be no unicorns among them; basilisks, unlike humans, were creatures of darkness and couldn't drink unicorn blood. In her magical vision, the source of the violent life force surge was at the deepest part of the cave, like a beacon in the darkness, and the dark soul clinging to it was the most glaring black dot within that orb of light.
The two cautiously ventured deeper. Their footsteps echoed softly in the empty cave. Karen was on edge, her ears catching the slightest movement.
suddenly!
"Hiss—!!!"
A deafening roar, filled with boundless rage and pain, suddenly erupted from the depths of the cave! The sound waves, almost tangible, slammed against the cave walls, sending countless fragments of rock crashing down! Accompanying the roar, a foul-smelling gust of wind surged forth from the depths!
coming!
In Karen's thermal imaging field of vision, an enormous orange-red heat source, like an awakened volcano, suddenly rose from the deepest pool of water in the cave! The pair of lava-like yellow vertical pupils suddenly lit up in the darkness, and even through the thick lenses and the strong light, Karen could feel the cold killing intent and madness contained in those eyes! However, this killing intent was only that of a beast; it seemed that Voldemort inside the basilisk was now too weak to dormant.
The basilisk was clearly enraged by the intruders! Its massive body crushed the rubble, charging towards Dumbledore and Cullen with an aura of annihilation! Its enormous mouth opened, revealing dagger-like, pale white fangs, and thick venomous mist churned within its mouth!
"Step back, Cullen!" Dumbledore's voice remained calm, yet carried an absolute confidence of being in control of the situation.
Faced with this terrifying impact that would terrify any wizard, Dumbledore didn't even move. He simply stood firmly in place, his Elder Wand in his right hand gracefully and swiftly tracing a simple arc in the air!
There was no earth-shattering roar, no dazzling explosion. The things in the cave transformed into chains, seemingly created at will by shapeshifting magic, yet radiating immense power. As if possessing life, they precisely and swiftly coiled around the lunging basilisk!
The first chain coiled around the basilisk's high head, forcibly closing its gaping maw and choking off the spray of poisonous mist! The second chain wrapped around its thick neck, while the third and fourth chains, like nimble snakes, coiled around its middle and rear sections of body respectively!
"Hissing!!!"
The basilisk let out a deafening roar of agony, its massive body frozen in place! It writhed and struggled frantically, its thick tail lashing against the cave walls like a giant whip, sending countless rocks crashing down! Its dark green scales rubbed violently against the chains, sparks flying and a teeth-grinding creak echoing through the air! Its ferocious power shook the entire cave, the ground trembling! Yet, those seemingly delicate chains were unbreakable; no matter how the basilisk struggled, it couldn't break free even an inch! Dumbledore's magic displayed overwhelming control, effortlessly immobilizing this thousand-year-old beast!
It's now!
Karen didn't hesitate for a moment. The instant the basilisk was restrained, its head forcibly lowered, and its core magical energy area exposed, his Eye of Truth locked onto its target—the dark soul behind the basilisk's cervical vertebrae, twisting wildly in the raging life energy, trying to hide! It was like a disturbed venomous insect, radiating a wave of despair and venom!
"Professor! The fragment! It's in the core area behind the cervical spine!" Karen shouted, while her left hand swiftly pulled out the complete Soul Prism she kept close at hand!
"Remove it!" Dumbledore commanded in a deep voice, then cast a powerful forbidden spell, simultaneously channeling a wisp of magic toward Cullen. "Focus! Guide the power of the Prism!"
Karen frantically poured all his mental energy into the silver-gray disc in his hand! The tiny black crystal at the center of the disc instantly lit up, emitting a deep, eerie light! The entire prism resonated, and an invisible force field with a powerful suction force was instantly generated, precisely enveloping the location locked by Karen's Eye of Truth. In Karen's magical vision, he "saw" the power of the prism, like an invisible hand, piercing through the basilisk's raging life magic barrier and firmly "grabbing" the struggling, twisting fragment of darkness!
"Aaaaah!" A scream, not from the basilisk, but a shriek filled with endless resentment and terror that seemed to resound directly at the soul level, suddenly erupted! It was Voldemort's soul's final lament!
"Come out here!" Karen gritted her teeth, her mental energy surging towards the prism like a floodgate opening! The Soul Prism shone brightly!
Egg!
A sound like tearing cloth resounded on the soul level. Under the joint "gaze" of Cullen and Dumbledore, the viscous, dark fragment of soul, with black mist constantly emanating from its edges, was forcibly ripped from the basilisk's massive magical core by the power of the Soul Prism!
The moment the fragment separated from its body, the basilisk's deafening struggles and hisses abruptly ceased! Its massive body stiffened abruptly, as if all its bones had been removed! The frenzied, violent light in its lava-like yellow vertical pupils receded rapidly like a receding tide, leaving only emptiness and bewilderment. Then, its massive body, bound by chains and magical seals, collapsed to the ground like a crumbling mountain, kicking up clouds of dust! There was no more struggle; it seemed to have instantly transformed into a gigantic, cold corpse! Its magical core, the instant the fragment was removed, collapsed and dissipated completely, like a punctured balloon.
It worked!
The Soul Prism in Karen's hand dimmed, and within the tiny black crystal at the center of the disc, a wisp of dense black energy writhed and thrashed wildly, radiating endless resentment and icy chill—the very soul Voldemort had possessed the Basilisk!
The cave was deathly silent.
At the cave entrance, Flitwick, Snape, and Hagrid, having heard the commotion cease, rushed in, witnessing the Basilisk collapsed and the prism in Cullen's hand, shrouded in black mist. Professor Flitwick stared in stunned disbelief. Snape's pupils contracted sharply as he stared intently at the wisp of black mist, his face showing undisguised shock for the first time. Hagrid let out a complex sigh, a mixture of grief and relief.
Karen didn't quite understand. It was probably because of this thousand-year-old basilisk. After all, basilisks were rare, let alone a thousand-year-old one. It was just a pity that it had been parasitized by Voldemort. After Voldemort's soul was forcibly removed, its soul was also shattered.
Dumbledore slowly lowered his wand, and the chains and anti-magic surrounding the basilisk vanished like starlight. He walked to the limp, massive head of the basilisk, looked into its completely lifeless yellow vertical pupils, and remained silent for a moment.
Then he turned to Karen, his eyes filled with deep approval: "Well done, Karen. You did it."
Karen gripped the icy, bone-chilling Soul Prism in her hand, gazing at the wisp of black energy struggling frantically within it, then at the basilisk's husk on the ground, now devoid of any soul and utterly dead. Her tense nerves finally relaxed, a profound sense of exhaustion mingling with a powerful feeling of accomplishment instantly washing over her.
Voldemort's wreaking havoc has been successfully extracted and imprisoned. The basilisk threat in the Forbidden Forest has been completely eliminated. This thrilling battle for the lair ended in a complete victory for them. Of course, Cullen knows that this is far from the end. But for now, Hogwarts can finally return to a peaceful rhythm of life.