Chapter 236 The Dark Lord and the Ring of Naga (VIII)
Serpentis Academy.
Under the leadership of the old craftsman Satis, the student group of Luyuan walked slowly in the academy courtyard of Serpentis Academy that looked like an ancient dense forest. Everything around them seemed both mysterious and solemn.
Satis led the students along the tree-lined path paved with bluestones, and the students in Luyuan looked around.
The old craftsman stopped in front of an arch carved with a giant snake totem and began to introduce the building in front of him:
"This is the territory of the Serpent Sect."
He pointed at the giant snake symbol entwined on the building, his eyes calm and revealing a different look.
"Most of the students of the Serpent Faction are from pure-blood wizarding families of the Auror family, especially wizarding families like the Kailasel family."
Satis explained in a low voice:
"For them, the inheritance of the family is the most important, and the purity of the bloodline is a symbol of the wizard's talent.
Students of the Serpent Sect are proud of the family power behind them. After all, they are often considered to be the elite who will rule the Naga Ring in the future. ”
Satis' voice was a bit sad, and the students' attention was also attracted to him.
The old craftsman then added:
"The symbol of the Serpent Sect is a coiled giant snake. Most of the students here are good at transformation and snake spirit summoning. They can not only control snake creatures, but also show quite powerful magical defense and attack power in battle."< br>
"Oh, by the way, most of them are born with Parseltongue"
He turned around slowly and pointed to the hall next to him:
"This hall is where they hold the 'Family Night' every year. Members of the Kailasel family often come here in person to observe the summoning ceremony of the Serpent Sect students and demonstrate their family's strength and progress."
"Can ordinary people... what you call Muggle-born people be able to master Parseltongue?"
At this time, Camille, as a top student, couldn't help but curiously asked a question that she cared about very much.
The old craftsman glanced at Camille, then shook his head and said to Student Deer:
"Unfortunately, Parseltongue is not a skill that can be acquired through learning."
"Parseltongue is primarily depicted as a gift, generally acquired through inheritance or specific magical conditions.
It is difficult to learn, and only a handful of wizards may be able to partially understand it rather than speak the language fluently.
Therefore, it is more consistent with an innate skill tied to blood or soul, rather than an ability that can be mastered through regular learning. ”
The old craftsman continued:
"This kind of talent is almost impossible to acquire through learning.
Most wizards and witches cannot understand or speak Parseltongue.
However, some otherworldly sages seem to be able to understand the meaning of Parseltongue, which suggests that very powerful wizards may be able to partially understand it somehow, but this does not mean that they can learn to speak the language fluently. ”
Camille pushed up her glasses and looked thoughtful:
"That is to say, wizards of non-blood origin can barely understand Parseltongue through systematic learning, but they cannot speak Parseltongue."
"Yes," the old craftsman added: "Even if Muggle wizards can understand it, they cannot speak Parseltongue in detail."
Having said this, the old craftsman pointed to the Serpent Sect Academy ahead.
"In the Ring of Nagas, most of the wizarding families that immigrated earlier have more or less a trace of Parseltongue blood; the original purpose of Serpentis Academy was to preserve and pass on the unique magical abilities of these bloodlines, among which The core thing is Parseltongue.
The purity and strength of the bloodline determines the student's mastery of Parseltongue.
Those students who inherit the purest bloodline usually have a higher level of Parseltongue, and they can not only communicate with snakes, but also use Parseltongue to cast spells and incantations. ”
"In the Ring of Naga, the mastery of Parseltongue is divided into five levels, each level corresponding to a different language ability and application level."
"After passing Level 1 Parselton, students can only understand simple Parselton sentences, such as some basic commands and phrases. They can have simple communication with snakes, but cannot understand complex conversations.
Level 2 can understand more complex Parseltongue expressions and can ask simple questions to snakes and get responses. Students of this level may sense the emotions of snakes, but cannot use Parseltongue magically.
With Level 3 Parselton, the student is able to conduct complex Parseltongue conversations and use Parseltongue to work with snakes to complete certain tasks. They can influence the behavior of snakes through Parseltongue and even give them instructions to protect or attack. ”
"Except for the students from the Mysterious Scale Department, all other students here have Level 2 and Level 3 Parselmouth qualification certificates, and only a handful of elites can reach Level 4 before graduation."
The old craftsman Satis couldn't help but sigh at this moment:
"For so many years since I graduated, Parselton has always remained at Level 3. And if it is not used for too long, Parselton will show regression.
In the Ring of Nagas, only the Kailasel family was born with Parseltongue.
Their children, except for a few extreme squibs, most Aurors possess level 3 Parselmouth since they were born. This spiritual skill is engraved on the Aurors like their mother tongue - this is also the foundation of their self-proclaimed holiness. ”
"No wonder they are so stinky." Ushas, the three-eyed girl who had been listening on the side, complained accurately.
Camille noticed a detail and asked the old craftsman:
"The students of the mysterious scale department you mentioned before are an exception. I think they should be... wizards of Muggle origin, right? They have no blood, how can they study and travel in a college full of Parseltongues?"
"You will understand if you continue to follow me."
Continuing to move forward, Satis led the students to another area that was more open and brighter. The walls at the entrance were inlaid with flickering snake scales. The light flowed slightly as the students approached, as if to welcome them. their arrival.
The tone of the old craftsman became slightly more relaxed: "This is the construction area of the mysterious Scale Sect."
"Unlike the Serpent Sect, many of the students of the Mysterious Scales Sect are not from wizarding families, and there are even many wizards from Muggle ancestry."
Satis stared at the snake scales flowing with light.
"They are known for their diversity and inclusiveness. The students of the faction are good at illusions and psychic magic, especially the skills of stealth and mind manipulation, allowing them to always have a psychological advantage in complex situations."
"What if there is no Parseltongue?"
The old craftsman paused for a moment, thinking about the wording in his mind, and then said:
"For students who do not have Parseltongue blood, the college has adopted an alternative method to allow them to acquire basic Parseltongue abilities - transplanting a special oral organ of a snake.
This organ can barely allow them to issue simple commands to the first level, but it is accompanied by significant side effects. ”
Camille frowned when she heard this - she smelled blood in this answer.
The old craftsman didn't seem to want to discuss this issue too much. He continued to lead the student group through the area.
Soon, they came to a place with a faint smell of herbs, and a slightly pungent smell filled the air.
The building was decorated with sharp snake teeth. Satis stopped here and smiled:
"This is the territory of the Fang Faction."
"Most of the students of the Poison Fang Sect have a special liking for poison magic and alchemy. They study the extraction and application of venom, and are good at using precise magic techniques to perfectly combine toxins and magic."
Satis pointed to the laboratory next to him and whispered:
"Here, the students of the Poison Fang Sect have their own toxin laboratory, which is used to refine various dangerous potions.
The faction's motto is 'use wisdom to refine poison, use poison to keep truth', which reflects their precise control of poison. ”
Several Luyuan students silently looked at the buildings of this faction, seeming to be full of curiosity about this poison-themed magical culture.
Ushas frowned, seeming to feel uncomfortable with the smell of poison. Satis seemed to notice her expression and chuckled:
"Students of the Fang faction are calm and rational, and usually do not like to get involved in bloodline debates. They prefer to focus on self-improvement."
The old craftsman continued to lead the students to the last faction territory of Serpentis College.
The wind here is gusty, as if a storm is coming at any time, and the buildings are carved with patterns of storms and snake tails.
Satis' eyes were slightly solemn:
"This is the Venomous Wind Sect."
"Students of the Venom Wind Sect advocate strength and are keen on controlling wind and water magic. They believe that magic should be as free and powerful as a storm."
Satis explained: "They also don't pay much attention to blood purity. The faction members come from different backgrounds. They care more about power and control."
After the academy tour ended, Satis stopped, nodded to the students in Deer Academy, and said with a smile:
"These are the four major factions of Serpentis Academy. Each is unique and has its own strengths. I believe you will feel their charm more deeply next."
While the old craftsman was talking, Camille kept noticing a detail.
That is, every time the other party goes to a place and needs to use a secret spell, he can't help but touch the back of his gloved right hand with his left hand.
Are you used to it?
The thoughts in Camille's mind flashed away. She just paid attention to this action subconsciously and did not think deeply about it.
When the old craftsman Satis slowly finished introducing the four major factions one by one, the students in Deer Garden showed different expressions on their faces, some were excited about unknown magic, and some were curious about the culture of different factions.
Satis stared at them, smiled slightly, and pointed to a building on the east side of the college. The lights there were dim, giving off a mysterious atmosphere, like twinkling stars in the dark night. He said in a deep voice:
"You will temporarily stay in the dormitory of the mysterious scale sect. As the most inclusive faction in the Naga Ring, their dormitories usually receive wizards and scholars from different backgrounds. I hope you can adapt to the environment here."
Kamil nodded and led the students from Luyuan towards the east dormitory, his eyes full of curiosity and excitement about the life in the Naga Ring that they were about to welcome.
The old craftsman looked at their departing figures with the same smile on his face, even a little gentler.
At this moment, the leader of the Emerald Guardians, Aldris Velorion, stood in front of Satis with a little eagerness.
A trace of anxiety appeared on her face, and there was urgency in her eyes: "Master Satis, I must meet with the sage as soon as possible to discuss the prophecy of the Dark Lord. This matter is extremely urgent and affects the entire Hundred Layer World. "
Upon hearing the words "Dark Lord", Satis's expression changed slightly, and a vague and cold light flashed in his eyes, but he lowered his head to conceal the emotion at this moment.
After a moment, he raised his head, regained his usual calmness and calmness, and said with a smile:
"Ms. Aldress, I know you are in a hurry, but you don't have to be in a hurry.
The academy has strict rules and regulations, and the sage's schedule must also be operated according to the process.
You can make an appointment first and wait patiently for a response later. ”
Eldris frowned slightly, feeling absurd in her heart.
I said the world was going to end and I wanted to see you sages, but you asked me to make an appointment and go through the process?
She seemed unwilling to give in, but in the face of the rotten and rigid rules of the college, she had nothing to do. She could only sigh softly, nodded silently, and then turned around and left in the direction of the Luyuan students.
Satis watched their figures drift away, still with an unchanging smile on his face, until he confirmed that they were out of sight.
*
*
*
Night falls quietly, and the sky of the Naga Ring gradually turns from dim light to deep darkness, entering the dark hour.
The crystal wall system around the academy shone with cold fluorescence in the night, like a giant guarding secrets, blocking out all threats.
The old craftsman Satis stood in the dusk wearing a black cloak, his eyes slightly lowered, and his eyes unconsciously fell on his gloved right hand. The burning sensation on the back of his hand gradually increased with the advent of darkness, reminding him and the Dark Lord. That heavy and secret contract.
Under the cover of night, Satis, wearing a black cloak, walked silently through the stone corridors of Snake Spirit Academy. In the darkness, his figure almost merged with the shadows.
Faint echoes occasionally came from the dead corridor. The old craftsman tightened his cloak and walked steadily and lightly. It was obvious that he was familiar with these stealth techniques.
His right hand quietly passed through his pocket, and his fingertips touched the silver wand, the "Deathly Hallows" handed to him by the Dark Lord himself.
His eyes flickered slightly in the darkness, and he recited a few obscure spells in a low voice. The tip of the silver wand lit up slightly, and then the light suddenly disappeared. The surrounding air was distorted for a moment, and Satis' figure gradually Disappeared without a trace.
His steps were light and cautious, without making any sound, and he expertly passed through several hidden corners and marched to the Venomous Fang Sect area of the academy.
A hidden wall there was covered with ancient venom runes, emitting a faint fluorescent light. Those runes seemed to have vitality, squirming slightly, exuding a chilling and sinister atmosphere of poisonous mist.
"The Fang Maze."
Satis muttered in a low voice, with a trace of admiration in his eyes. Almost no one knew about this passage. Only high-level wizards of the Poison Fang Sect were allowed to know the existence of its entrance.
This wall has become terrifying due to countless years of poisons and curses.
Without a specific toxin mark, no one can safely pass through this rune wall, and he - has this mark imprinted in his body.
Satis slowly raised his hand, his right palm facing the rune wall.
Following the guidance of the 'Ouroboros' mark given by the Dark Lord within his body, a stream of light green poisonous mist surged out from his palm and lightly touched the surface of the rune wall.
The poisonous mist dispersed, and the runes on the wall flashed with a dark green light, and then slowly parted under his palm, revealing a narrow and deep passage.
The entrance to the Venomous Fang Labyrinth was opened, and a slightly pungent smell of poison floated in the air, lingering around, giving it a depressing sense of intimidation.
The old craftsman stepped into the passage without hesitation, and as the walls closed quietly behind him, the surroundings fell into complete darkness.
Both sides of the labyrinth are lined with rough snake-shaped statues. Each statue sprays poisonous mist minutely from its mouth, and the toxin barrier is covered layer by layer, forming an invisible barrier.
Even for Poison Fang students, this place is still extremely dangerous. Anyone who fails to take the antidote in time will gradually lose consciousness and fall into a coma.
Satis was not afraid of this. He skillfully took out a vial from his cloak, drank the thick antidote in one gulp, and continued walking deeper into the labyrinth.
At the end of the fang corridor is an ancient iron door. The door is engraved with ancient snake spirit runes and exudes a deep green light.
Behind this door is the Venomous Fang Sect’s exclusive secret repository—the center of toxin research, which contains countless rare toxin ingredients and ancient snake spirit magic scrolls.
Satis stopped and clenched his right hand, feeling the slight heat from the Ouroboros mark. He knew that the power of this mark was calling for the arrival of a certain existence.
His eyes flickered slightly in the darkness, he poured power into his palms, and whispered:
"Hisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss~"
There were some things he had not revealed to Camille Schiffany before.
If you want to speak Parseltongue, in addition to natural blood and transplanted organs, there is another option - soul fragments (soul links).
Legend has it that an unpromising Parseltongue holder was trying to silence the child of his enemy when his own spell rebounded to death, and part of his soul fragment was accidentally transferred to the child of his enemy. in vivo.
Some wizards discover ways to use soul fragments or soul links and decide to take a darker path.
Driven by a desire for power and Parseltongue abilities, these wizards began to hunt and imprison Aurors, enhancing their abilities by dividing their souls and using parts of them as spare spiritual material for transplantation.
This sounds a bit contrary to Tiangang, but it actually happened.
Aurors are the elite wizards in the entire Hundred-Level World. These wizards believe that the souls of Aurors are ideal materials.
The wizards formed a secret group and began to hunt and imprison Aurors. They used forbidden black magic to split the souls of these Aurors and used the soul fragments as materials for their own transplants.
This also completely angered the Auror family.
After Aurors were hunted and abused by some dark wizards, Nivahban was established by radical wizards in pure-blood families as a disciplinary institution to fight against these dark forces and stabilize the wizarding world.
Initially, Nevakhban was mainly supported by those families who wanted to protect the purity and authority of the wizarding bloodline, especially the Kailasel family, which had always promoted the nobility and purity of the wizarding bloodline.
When Nevachban was first established, the pure-blood wizarding family issued the so-called "bloodline review order" in order to further consolidate their control over Muggle-blood wizards and half-Muggle-blood wizards, especially at the top levels of wizarding society.
The bloodline review order requires Serpentis College and all magical institutions to conduct a systematic review of wizards' bloodlines, with the goal of ensuring the purity of purebloods in high-level and core magical functions; all wizards with Muggle blood will be restricted from entry Advanced magical education courses, especially advanced courses at the academy.
These wizards were barred from entering the Nivahban and the upper echelons of the Auror hierarchy.
Nivahban is responsible for enforcing this decree and overseeing the lineage vetting process at all magical institutions.
They have complete supervision and disposal rights to ensure the "fairness" of the review.
In order to strengthen the effect of the decree, Nivahban will also impose "blood seals" on wizards who do not meet the bloodline standards
The Blood Seal is a magical seal cast by Nevakhban that permanently weakens the magic of the caster, causing wizards who are considered "impure blood" to feel a significant weakening of their magic when using daily magic.
Although Nivakhban was originally established to maintain order in wizarding society, the implementation of the "bloodline examination order" caused great dissatisfaction within the wizarding world, especially those wizards of Muggle origin. The pure-blood wizard family felt extremely dissatisfied with the oppression, and undercurrents of contradiction continued to surge.
This decree nakedly demonstrated the pure-blood wizarding family's greed for power, and also led to strong resistance from Muggle wizards and half-Muggle wizards to the existing system.
"Hisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss~"
In the dark and treacherous passage of the Venomous Fang Labyrinth, with the whispers of Satis, the power of Parseltongue contained in his soul fragments was extradited to the other end, as if a wave of energy was flowing through this deep labyrinth. Ghostly hissing.
The sound was far and near, echoing between the toxin-filled stone walls, bringing an indescribable and strange aura.
And in the void deep in the maze, a slender figure gradually emerged.
As the Parseltongue curse was whispered, a figure slowly appeared from the void.
His dazzling blond hair hung slightly, and his golden eyes shone coldly in the dim corridor. His face was handsome and deep, with a dangerous charm that was difficult to conceal.
He was wearing a dark trench coat, and the hem of his robe was slightly flipped, showing an elegant and unruly demeanor.
Looking at this gloomy space, he slowly took off his top hat and hung it on his arm. Then he opened his arms and took a deep breath of the poisonous air with a brilliant smile on his face.
The terrifying toxins of the Poison Fang Maze are no threat to an angel with two hearts and three lungs who has completed the construction of the Twenty-Four Saints.
When Satis saw the arrival of the Dark Lord, he felt a little uneasy in his heart, but he quickly calmed down his emotions, lowered his head respectfully, bowed slightly, and whispered:
"My lord."
Xia Xiu glanced at him lightly, with a satisfied smile on his lips, and said in a gentle tone:
"Very good, Satis, it's more perfect than I imagined. I thought I had to wait for two or three days."
Satis raised his head slightly, with a touch of awe in his eyes, and responded humbly:
"This is all thanks to the strength and guidance you have given me. They play a vital role in this, and it is an honor for me to work for you."
"Yeah..."
Xia Xiu smiled and didn't say much about the old craftsman's flattery.
His golden eyes looked ahead at the dormitory of the mysterious Scale Sect.
"The fish has bitten the hook."
(End of chapter)