Hogwarts: Lacus doesn't want to be a witch who destroys nations.

Chapter 96 Karl (10 chapters released after the book is available)

"Oh no!" Lux instantly remembered the Occlumency spell she learned at the Spellbox Club. She quickly focused her mind and built a simple barrier in her consciousness, firmly hiding the memories of runes, Eve, and LeBlanc deep inside.

Lux adopted the purest and most extreme defense: instantly compressing and sealing away all thoughts, all emotions, and all memories, simulating an absolute void deep within her consciousness, like an incredibly smooth mirror that only reflects the existence of the opponent's probing power itself.

The external will swept across her empty "mirror of consciousness," but grasped nothing substantial.

The spiritual force lingered outside her barrier of consciousness for a moment, but seemed to find nothing useful, and quickly withdrew.

Karl paused almost imperceptibly, seemingly somewhat surprised.

He slowly turned around, the gentle smile on his face unchanged, but a hint of genuine surprise and intense interest flashed deep in his eyes.

But he didn't say much, just waved his hand and said, "Sorry to bother you."

After saying that, he strode away, his footsteps quickly disappearing into the wind and snow.

Lux breathed a sigh of relief; her back was soaked with cold sweat. She leaned against the door, her heart still pounding.

Just now, she could clearly feel how powerful the other party's mental strength was. If her brain-blocking technique had been any weaker, her thoughts would probably have been controlled by the other party.

Soul-stealing is not as simple as just probing memories. Once you enter someone's brain, you can arbitrarily alter their thoughts and memories.

"Phew—thank goodness I learned the sealing technique, otherwise I would have been doomed today."

Lux wiped the sweat from her brow and was about to close the door when a familiar voice suddenly came from behind her. He spoke softly, his voice filled with sincere admiration, as if he were evaluating a precious work of art: "Remarkable. So young, yet you've honed your Occlumency to this level. However, a true master is one who lets the other see what they want to see, not a blank slate. Blankness itself is a form of information."

Lux's hair stood on end instantly, and goosebumps spread from her neck all the way to her feet.

She whirled around, her wand instantly aimed at the source of the sound. Karl was standing a few steps behind her, toying with a silver coin in his hand; he had clearly Apparated there.

"You—you didn't leave?!" Lux's voice trembled, and the relaxation she had just felt vanished without a trace.

Carl chuckled and shrugged. "He left, but he's back now."

His gaze fell on Lux's wand. "What? Planning to deal with me?"

"What else can we do?" Lux knew that although she couldn't win, she couldn't just sit and wait to die.

"Finding Anthony is a pretense; what exactly are you trying to do?"

"It's not that fake, it's just that I suddenly became interested in you, Lux. As a genius of Hogwarts, why are you here?" Karl put away the coin, his eyes becoming more serious.

Before he could finish speaking, Lux suddenly acted, pointing her wand at Karl's feet: "Light-Transmitting Singularity!"

A dazzling ball of light exploded beneath Karl's feet, its intense light illuminating the surrounding snow.

Lux seized the opportunity to rush forward, her fist carrying the heavy force of Heartsteel, and smashed towards Karl's chest. She knew that spells might not work, so she might as well try a physical attack.

Karl didn't even move; he merely flicked his wrist almost imperceptibly. Lux's fist was as if it had hit an invisible wall, its power instantly absorbed and dissipated.

"What a novel magic, quite powerful, but unfortunately the intention is too obvious, making it easy to target." Karl shook his head, and with a slight loosening of his fingers, Lux quickly took a few steps back, watching him warily.

"Shatter to pieces!" Lux swung her wand again, unleashing a destructive spell that shot straight at the floor beneath his feet, attempting to break his footing.

The light shone in, but struck empty air. Karl's figure appeared like a ghost in another corner of the cabin, easily dodging the spell.

She tried a few more spells: "Obstacles upon obstacles!" "Petrify them all!" "Tear them apart!"

But every spell was easily blocked by Karl. Some were dissipated with a light tap of his wand, while others were repelled by an invisible barrier before they even got close. Lux became more and more alarmed as the fight progressed. Her opponent's strength far exceeded her expectations; it was as if she were fighting thin air.

"Your armor is well-used, silent and staffless, providing precise defense against single-point attacks," Karl commented, his tone even somewhat relaxed. "It seems you've received quite systematic dueling training."

Lux gritted her teeth, knowing that ordinary spells would be useless against her opponent, and decided to make a final desperate attempt.

"A translucent singularity!"

A dazzling ball of light exploded above Karl's head in an instant, and the intense light, accompanied by magical shockwaves, swept down.

Karl finally raised his hand, not with a wand, but with a slender finger pointing in the air.

The rampant magical light and shockwaves were as if gripped by an invisible giant hand, instantly compressed and collapsed, and finally turned into a wisp of green smoke and dissipated at his fingertips.

"I've never seen magic like this before, it's truly dazzling." Karl nodded, his admiration deepening. "But... there's still room for improvement."

Lux stopped, panting, and ceased her attacks.

She realized that the other party had never truly intended to retaliate; it was more like—testing? Assessing? Or perhaps, teasing?

She gripped her wand, staring at him warily: "What do you want?"

Carl lowered his hand, his posture relaxing again: "Just confirming some things, now it's all confirmed."

He strolled over to the long bench that Lux had dented and battered, and sat down casually, as if he were the master of the place.

"You are indeed Lux. I don't know why you're here, but you're trapped here, aren't you?"

Karl pointed out incisively, his gaze sweeping over the pile of fireplace ruins, "The Floo Network is broken, Apparate—at your current level, the risk of intercontinental teleportation is ridiculously high, and as for other methods—I don't think you'd want to ride a broomstick across half of Eurasia."

Lux remained silent, offering no denial.

"I'm getting a little interested in you, young lady," Karl said with a smile. "Perfect timing. I'm going on an academic research trip through the Soviet Union for the next month, and I need a temporary assistant. You seem quite capable and intelligent."

He paused, then stated his terms: "You'll be with me for a month. During that time, I'll need your help with some miscellaneous tasks. There might be occasional minor risks, but I'll guarantee your safety. In return, after a month, regardless of whether the inspection is over, I will personally and safely escort you back to any place in England you specify. How about it?"

>