Harry Potter and the Hidden Treasure (Volume 3)

Chapter 418 Dreadful Speculation

Above magic, the malevolent spirits that came to this world required a significant amount of flesh and blood to construct their new bodies.

In the illusion created by Gryffindor 800 years ago, Evan once witnessed the fallen Centaurs preparing a staggering amount of flesh and blood sacrifices to summon the evil god of terror.

In the Temple of the Moon, Evan entered a vast circular chamber filled with congealed blood, which used to be brimming with the corpses of various creatures.

Even the ceiling was stained with thick blood.

According to Okegiga, that was just one of the many sinful chambers in the Temple; the Fallen Centaurs were expanding at a frantic pace. They hunted any creatures they encountered and offered their bodies as sacrifices to the malevolent god.

Those sacrifices, along with the Philosopher's Stone, were a necessary condition for the malevolent spirit to arrive in the world.

Contemplating this, Evan suddenly shuddered.

What if those vampires lurking in the darkness also sought to invoke the malevolent spirit?! What if, after the fall of the Fallen Centaurs, the evil god found a new servant?!

These pure dark creatures were much more cunning and challenging to deal with than the Centaurs.

Evan was frightened by his own speculation. It was too dreadful. If it were true, it would mean everyone in the ruins would perish!

Evan shared his reasoning with Sirius, who also appeared extremely astonished.

The gravity of the situation was unimaginable, and there was no news from Dumbledore.

"Regardless of what the vampires may be planning, we must stop them!" Sirius remarked with a grave tone. "We must uncover the truth about this."

That being said, determining precisely what to do was intricate for both of them.

They couldn't directly disclose this matter to others. Given the current situation, it was estimated that no one would believe them, whether they would be frightened or not.

All the wizards who entered the Centaurs' ruins were captivated by the gold. Judging by their greedy eyes, each one was nearly as covetous as the most avaricious goblin.

Informing them that all these treasures were cursed would undoubtedly be deemed madness.

They might even think that Evan and Sirius intended to steal their gold and directly harm them.

"We must track down the vampires lurking in the shadows, expose their schemes publicly, or directly thwart this matter," Evan analyzed. "If feasible, we should seek out some of the minions of the malevolent god. Perhaps that would give these individuals pause."

In the illusion, Evan once witnessed three living creatures of the evil spirit.

They were a kind of buzzing monsters, with an indescribable form.

Each measured five feet in height. Their bodies were covered in a thick red shell, resembling some sort of fungus overall.

They possessed potent illusion magic that could directly affect the deepest recesses of a person's heart, causing victims to lose their reasoning and actively extend their heads towards the creatures' enormous mouths.

Their mouths were located at the center of their bodies, filled with fangs and sharp teeth.

With just one bite, they could sever and crush a man's head.

Any spell and most physical attacks were futile against these monsters. The Patronus Charm would restrain them, but the correct way to kill them was to attack the core inside their heads.

Based on his prior experience, whenever he could locate these monsters, Evan was confident in slaying them.

He believed their bodies would astonish all wizards who saw them for the first time.

Perhaps then, they would believe any conspiracy he laid bare.

"It is also crucial to secure that Philosopher's Stone as soon as possible," Evan continued his analysis. "If we obtain the Philosopher's Stone, we might prevent the malevolent spirit from ever arriving!"

This was also the most significant purpose of Evan's journey. The complete Philosopher's Stone would break Voldemort's Curse on him, allowing him to regain his strength.

He could wield all his magic and would not be as bound as he currently was.

Before acquiring the Philosopher's Stone, Evan's magical power was on par with Sirius' thanks to the Slytherin locket and the plankton from Aragog's lair.

With the assistance of the Philosopher's Stone, he would be able to unleash all the magic he commanded at will to fight, including many spells that were more potent than usual.

There was a method that Evan didn't mention.

Indeed, the most comprehensive method was to locate the statue of the evil god brought back by Okegiga that year, which was like the root of some plant. That was the root of all evil.

By destroying it, they would completely sever all connections between the evil god and the real world, thus putting an end to this endless evil.

Though he had used magic arbitrarily to break the statue in the illusion, it certainly wouldn't be as simple now. This time, Evan was not willing to do it on his own; finding it and delivering it to Dumbledore was the right choice.

"Yes, let's first go to the Temple to search for the Philosopher's Stone, and then we'll see what the vampires are up to!" Sirius said.

The Temple in the center of the ruins resembled the Temple of the Moon he had entered over a month ago. It was also made of large blocks of obsidian and granite.

It featured abstract statues and murals, showcasing the glory of the Centaurs' past.

Over time, the fine curtains hung on the walls and hallways had deteriorated, leaving only a heap of ropes and rags hanging behind.

At the back of the Temple, Evan also saw many adventurers.

They scurried like flies in various rooms, searching for all valuable items.

They held their wands and looked unpleasantly at everyone passing by.

The smell of gunpowder in the Temple was very strong, and fierce confrontations occasionally erupted.

In many places, Evan saw fresh blood and even corpses.

Everything in this ruinous reliquary seemed chaotic and dark. Without the restraint of secular law, the most sinister aspect of human nature was vividly reflected here.

All they could see was gold. In turn, the gold cursed by the vampires stimulated them to become even more frenzied.

The more you gain, the faster you lose and fall.

After observing several adventurers wandering through the temple, appearing extremely abnormal, muttering strange words in their mouths, like walking corpses, Evan finally understood what magic the vampires had cast over the gold.

This curse could confuse people who found gold, gradually make them lose their senses, and eventually become part of the evil in this dark Temple full of taboos.

As the evil god had stated, countless ancient and horrific crimes took place in these ruins, and their number was only increasing!

Madness gripped the ruins, and even those who mostly kept their sanity had died, their flesh and blood added to the sacrifices for the upcoming evil god.