Hogwarts: Dumbledore reigned over the wizarding world.

Chapter 212 Facing the Legend

In his pupils, which contracted violently with fear, the emptiness suddenly changed, and the air seemed to sway as if a frame had been skipped.

The next instant, a blurry figure, almost indistinguishable in outline, suddenly appeared.

But what bothered Donald was that he knew the figure had appeared abruptly, he was well aware that what he was seeing defied common sense, and he even knew what the figure represented.

But when he focuses his gaze on that figure, he still can't help but ignore the other person.

It was as if my brain was constantly reminding me—the "figure" doesn't exist!

does not exist!

A huge contradiction arose between what he saw and what he perceived, and this contradiction even interfered with his consciousness, causing his thinking to become unconsciously confused.

In just a few seconds, Donald suddenly staggered and involuntarily knelt down, his vision distorted.

Everything is deforming!

But Donald knew that it wasn't those things that were deformed, nor was it his own vision that was distorted, but rather the brain's analytical capabilities.

That figure, just by appearing, just by seeing it, was enough to disrupt his mind!

However, despite knowing the reason, he had no power to resist. His vision blurred rapidly and was instantly swallowed by darkness.

Vaughn calmly watched as Donald suddenly knelt down as if he had gone mad, then froze, staring blankly ahead, as if he had gone mad.

The figure that had suddenly appeared in response to his words slowly said, "Don't worry about him. Graves just needs a rest. As for you, your Occlumency is so exquisite. Among all the wizards I've encountered, it seems no one has surpassed your Occlumency mastery, including Albus Dumbledore. — Can you tell me how you feel right now? I'm very curious."

Listening to the "figure" speak as if they were old friends, Vaughn's expression remained unchanged. Following his words, he suggested, "I'll answer your question, and you answer mine. One question each, back and forth, how about that?"

'

"ha!"

The "figure" chuckled: "Interesting—well, your magical abilities are no longer those of a minor wizard. An interesting male wizard, barely qualified to speak with me."

He immediately agreed: "Deal!"

"Then I'll go first."

As Vaughn spoke, he looked at the "figure" standing still and narrowed his eyes slightly: "To be honest, it does feel rather strange. In fact, I can't tell what you look like right now. In my eyes, you're just a moving mosaic, densely packed, without a fixed shape."

"The reason for this should be the shielding and filtering functions of my brain-sealing technique. Your existence seems to be some kind of cognitive interference, some kind of information virus—affecting consciousness through the senses such as vision? Meme pollution?"

"Ha ha!"

The "figure" let out an inscrutable laugh: "Interesting. A wizard from a pure-blood family actually uses Muggle knowledge to describe his feelings. By the way, was your last question directed at me?"

Vaughn shook his head: "Your reaction has already given me the answer."

"Alright." The figure didn't mind and said generously, "Now it's your turn to ask. If I were you, I would consider it carefully. After all, standing before you is a learned and legendary wizard. Perhaps you can find the true essence of magic in my answer."

Vaughn's expression remained calm: "I don't think you can grasp any profound truths. At least the legendary wizards I've encountered have always told me that the stronger they are, the more they realize their own ignorance."

"Merlin—that's a familiar tone. It must be that damned Dumbledore."

"Yes, damn Dumbledore."

After a casual reply, Vaughn followed up with the rule, asking, "You seem to know a lot about me, about my origins, about the magic I'm good at. You know I value reciprocity, so who are you?"

The "shadow" seemed quite willing to follow the rules, and immediately replied with a smile, "You can call me Wilkinson."

"The Wilkinson from over 200 years ago that Donald is talking about?"

"Is this even a problem?"

"Calculate!"

In my field of vision, the blurry mosaic rippled slightly, as if the "figure" had made a gesture similar to spreading its hands: "You can think of it that way."

"What do you mean by 'it's okay to think that way'?"

"Time, events, fate—reality can change a person in so many ways, especially on a scale measured in centuries. Spanning more than 200 years, the me of that time and the me of now have undergone significant changes, at least in terms of my thinking. So, in essence, I am no longer the Wilkinson of that time, but we still have the same body. Therefore, you can also consider me to be the Wilkinson of more than 200 years ago."

"Hmm—that's a bit convoluted."

"Oh, like I said, many things can change a person. I've been studying Muggle philosophy lately, and it's given me a completely new perspective on the world, so I've inevitably been influenced by it—now it's my turn, Weasley. I'm curious, why aren't you afraid?"

"What are you afraid of?"

"Fear me, a legendary wizard who may very well be hostile towards you."

Vaughn smiled: "Perhaps because I know I can escape from you, or perhaps because I know that the person standing here is not your true self, but a projection that you transferred here using the Dreamcatcher."

"Interesting, interesting. How did you find out? I have tried my best to use your so-called information virus and meme pollution to prevent you from sensing me. Of course, it would be better if you could sense me, then you would be like Graves over there, losing consciousness and at my mercy."

He spoke calmly, yet his words were full of malice.

Vaughn was not surprised. A faint light gradually appeared in his eyes: "In my eyes, the disturbance of light is just a ripple of changing patterns constantly undulating where you are standing. There is nothing else—no pulse light, no heat radiation."

"Ugh, more junk knowledge. What does it even mean?"

Vaughn chuckled: "What I mean is, there is no matter in front of me unless it has stopped atomic motion and is at absolute zero."

The two gradually forgot their previous agreement, or rather, the so-called agreement was just an excuse for them to communicate their doubts.

This is a different kind of tacit understanding.

After a moment of silence, Wilkinson suddenly burst into hearty laughter: "Ever since I completed the Path of Legends and chose this legendary magic, I've played tricks on many old guys, and no one has ever discovered its secret. I never expected that a mere child would ruin what little fun I had left—hahaha!"

A hearty laugh suddenly rang out and then abruptly stopped. Wilkinson asked curiously, "Is your so-called seeing of light based on that magic attached to your eyes?"

"Yes, it's called the Vision Charm. It's not very well developed yet."

"That's already quite remarkable. If I'm not senile, this seems to be the second spell you've developed since coming to America," Wilkinson exclaimed. "First, a spatial spell that opens a passage in space and allows for instantaneous teleportation, unlike Apparition; and now, a detection spell that allows you to see invisible light directly, unlike the Extrasensory Charm—"

"No, no, I'm sorry, I'm really getting old. I forgot to remember the sonic magic you used not long ago—"

"It's truly amazing. Many wizards who develop spells might not be so lucky as to encounter a new spell in their entire lives, yet you've created three of them in such a short time."

"Moreover, each of them is different from the modern spell system. I have carefully observed your casting spells. If modern spells are subjective, miracles born in an idealistic world, then your magic gives me a strange sense of—regularity?"

Looking at that mosaic, and listening to the sounds coming from over there.

Vaughn's smile gradually faded.

After a moment, he asked calmly, "It seems you've been paying attention to me for a long time. When did you start?"

The mosaic in my field of vision shifted a few times; it must have been Wilkinson pacing, but his voice was completely flat: "Let me think. As I get older, my memory and thinking abilities are getting worse. Even though I have some insignificant achievements in memory magic, the decay of my body has inevitably affected me—"

As it spoke, "it" suddenly stopped in its tracks: "Hmm—I remember now, the reason I started paying attention to you was because of a poor fellow. I warned him not to be careless and not to take any chances, but he still went to find you carelessly and recklessly. Oh right, that poor wretch's name is Essex—"

Before he could finish speaking...

Vaughn had already swept the wand across his face.

His physical weight suddenly changed, he floated like a falling leaf, and his whole body retreated rapidly.

The second silent spell has been brewing.

Bang!

Amidst the violent vibrations of the air, everything Vaughn was facing—the lawn, the rocks, the soil, the fallen leaves, and even—the light!

Driven by a powerful magical force, it was propelled in the opposite direction and moved away from him!

Any seemingly simple spell, if deduced to its fullest extent, can unleash incredible power.

Just like the Flight Charm that Vaughn is using now.

Propelled by the combined force of the spell and the immense magical power, all objects were ejected like cannonballs. Vaughn's body, whose mass had been temporarily altered by the Transfiguration Charm, was propelled away rapidly by the reaction force and the Flight Charm.

In the blink of an eye, smoke, dust, and flying sand completely engulfed the area where Wilkinson was located.

The light, blurry and filtered through brain shut-off, like a pixelated image, fluctuated violently amidst the billowing smoke and dust.

Vaughn retreated to Donald's side, used a levitation spell to lift him up, and with a flick of his wand, a sphere appeared silently. He carried Donald inside.

The next second, he appeared in the nearby woods.

The portal to a distant dimension requires a huge amount of magic power. Vaughn had already opened a portal from a distance once before in order to get here.

The massive consumption inevitably depleted his magical power, and most importantly, it depleted his "emotions" in the process.

Emotions are closely related to physical strength. Vaughn has realized that his physical reserves are running low, and the fatigue deep in his body is not enough to support another long-distance teleportation.

"A bit of a miscalculation—sigh, who would have thought that DeSantis, whom I've been searching for so desperately, would actually be in the Magic Congress?"

"No, that's not right either—it should be said that the direction was wrong from the start. DeSantis is not a specific person, a specific legendary wizard, but most likely—a group!"

Thoughts flowed like lightning.

Past encounters with "DeSantis" flowed through his mind, parasitizing Essex and Jack Graves, who were unaware of each other's existence, yet were both named "DeSantis" as memory life forms.

And in Essex's words, there is the "De Santis" entity that is young, middle-aged, old, or possibly a man or a woman.

At the time, Vaughn just found it a bit strange. Why would a legendary wizard keep changing his appearance? Was it just to hide his true form?

Why does he lead a civilian revenge organization on one hand, and delve into the conspiracy of the 12 purebloods and Muggles to create artificial wizards on the other?

Is he really able to manage all that?

When Wilkinson uttered the name Essex, everything became clear—Wilkinson was DeSantis, but DeSantis was not Wilkinson!

It's very likely that it's a shared identity!

Therefore, every DeSantis that Essex has met is different.

Therefore, DeSantis can both lead civilian revenge groups and delve into the research projects of the 12 purebloods and Muggles.

Since they are not one person, they naturally have ample time and energy to act independently.

Most importantly, Wilkinson, who appeared as a ball of distorted light, was completely different from the DeSantis that Vaughn had predicted.

Dumbledore once said that every legendary wizard has a unique experience when they ascend to the top, and they will receive a great reward for it. That reward also determines what kind of ability they will use to become a legend. That's why the wizarding world calls it the path to legend.

Divination was not originally Dumbledore's forte; he had always studied transfiguration. However, for the sake of the fate of all England, he forcibly chose the path of observing the web of destiny in his pursuit of legend!

Vaughn could barely be considered a master of memory magic, but he still had no way of dealing with the memory life form "DeSantis" that parasitized Essex and Jack Graves.

The more we understand the nature of memory, the more we realize how magical it is to transform memories, which have no physical form, into a kind of life.

Conventional magic methods are absolutely impossible to achieve (magical portraits are the ultimate technique for preserving memories under conventional magic methods; the portraits have their own personalities and thought processes, but they are still portraits, not living beings, and cannot live outside the frame)!

In Vaughn's view, only legendary magic could create such a miracle, which is why he immediately sought help from Dumbledore when he first came into contact with DeSantis.

It's obvious that Wilkinson is not a memory magician!

Although his methods appear to interfere with cognition and are related to memory or thought, Wilkinson essentially uses the senses and has nothing to do with the mind or thought.

Vaughn's figure appeared briefly in the woods, then quickly disappeared.

The scene in his field of vision flickered a few times, and when it stabilized again, he had arrived at a dense forest. As he stepped out of the sphere, Vaughn stumbled.

Looking back, the sphere was suspended about one foot above the ground.

"Has the calculation error already reached 1 foot? —"

The dimensional gate eliminates the limitations of traditional phantom teleportation, allowing users to modify their coordinates independently without relying on memorized coordinates as anchors.

However, coordinate errors still exist, especially when he has never been to the target location and there are no local nodes for him to anchor.

After all, the world is always in a state of flux.

Of course, compared to Apparition, where you might accidentally lose your head or become one with a wall, rock, mountainside, or even a tree, it's much safer.

I steadied myself, my eyes quickly scanning the surrounding scenery, my mind racing, trying to record...

Mental arithmetic, correction.

Soon, Vaughn summoned the sphere again, preparing for the next crossing.

Continuous, rapid traversal is the best way for the magical world to escape powerful enemies.

But this time the enemy was far too powerful!

The sphere had just formed when a faint sound came from afar, sounding as distant as the fluttering of a mosquito's wings.

In an instant, a ball of light of indistinguishable color surrounded us from all directions, as if dusk were falling, and the brightness of the entire space changed as a result.

"—Wilkinson's legendary magic is light?"

The instant this realization surfaced in his mind, Vaughn drifted sideways, abruptly deviating from his original trajectory of flying towards the dimensional gate sphere—

Because he clearly saw that the moment that dim, indistinguishable light spread from all directions, everything in his field of vision, the light waves they reflected, underwent subtle changes in that light.

Grass, soil, trees, fallen leaves, sunlight—including the sphere of the dimensional gate!

It was a very peculiar feeling.

In that instant, it was as if they had lost some element of definition and expression. In Vaughn's perception, they were as if swallowed by a sudden, empty "darkness".

The so-called "darkness" is not truly pitch black, but rather something that cannot be located or known.

It's as if—they were suddenly stripped of their form and sense of hierarchy, and some inexplicable force robbed them of the attributes they should have as matter!

How does idealism understand all things?

At its simplest point, space and light are the two most fundamental concepts in the material world.

In the classical physical view of spacetime, space is a container that carries the changes and movements of matter and energy, and light is just one type of "energy".

According to relativity and quantum mechanics, space is a physical field, but at the same time, light is given a role similar to "transcendence". The speed of light is constant and unique. In the face of light, time and space have no meaning.

From the materialist perspective above, it can be seen that none of them consider space to be an independent thing; it is merely a carrier of matter and energy, a smooth field.

Only idealism is different; idealism believes that space is an illusion!

A kind of illusory thing influenced by light wave signals, whose essence is misled by rod cells and neurons; an ideal state based on the brain's understanding ability and empiricism.

Therefore, in idealistic theories, space is affected by light.

You can only see space when light is transmitted according to laws that conform to empirical understanding; once light is lost, it becomes nothingness!

When he saw the dimensional gate sphere he had summoned, "contaminated" by the light released by Wilkinson, losing its knowable properties and becoming "strange," he realized that...

Almost instantly, Vaughn understood the essence of Wilkinson's legendary magic—a kind of magic that, from an idealistic perspective, uses light wave signals to "erasure" the target's subjective experience of space, matter, and all tangible things!

To some extent, it operates not on matter, but on concepts.

Under that concept, Vaughn even had a strong premonition that as long as the light released by Wilkinson did not go out, he would never be able to summon a dimensional gate that could be used normally again!

Never before had Vaughn felt such a headache over idealism as he did now.

Of course, he wouldn't surrender so easily. His wand flashed, and an armor-like spell, shimmering with strange patterns, enveloped his entire body. Vaughn uttered the next incantation:

"Lumos!"

After the brief incantation, a burst of intense light suddenly erupted.

After mastering the Multispectral Vision Charm, the most beneficial magic associated with this charm is naturally those related to light.

The Fluorescent Spell was the first to be affected!

Vaughn had barely practiced the Glowing Charm, but thanks to the Vision Charm's intuitive observation of light waves, he leveled it up to the maximum level in just a few days without spending a single reputation point.

Fluorescent Spell LV5 (MAX)!

Like other spells upgraded to LV5, the power of the Glowing Spell is greatly increased upon reaching the maximum level.

It was originally a magical light that could illuminate things that were hidden by magic (not invisible, but more like concealed).

However, this function was not originally prominent.

However, a fully leveled Glowing Spell greatly amplifies this.

A clear "strong light" bloomed, but it didn't look dazzling. Instead, it resembled the bright moon reflected in a shallow puddle, or the pale blue fire that Vaughn once saw in the Slytherin common room, tearing through the darkness of the lake bottom, when he was bored and dived to the bottom of the Black Lake.

Clear, gentle, and the light waves seem to flow like a babbling brook or mercury spilling onto the ground!

spread!

In an instant, an unusual phenomenon appeared where the light reached, although vision was disrupted by Wilkinson's magic, making everything "unknowable".

Even the Vision Spell is starting to lose its effectiveness.

However, the max-level Glowing Charm still accurately reflected that "abnormality" back to him. Almost the instant he received the feedback from the Glowing Charm, Vaughn's wand was already pointing at that spot.

An invisible ring appeared.

The air is mobilized, shaped, and constrained, giving birth to invisible membranes. Dense ripples of ultra-high frequency, driven by immense magic, erupt like a volcano!

A high-frequency vibration carrying enormous energy sweeps across at the speed of sound.

The scene ahead distorted for a moment, and in an instant, the air and the ground were pierced by an unparalleled sound wave. The mountains, covered with lush green grass and rugged rocks, looked as if they had been painted by a giant, invisible paintbrush, leaving a deep indentation.

At the end was a distorted streak of light, shimmering with a faint wave-like quality under the glow of the Firefly Spell!

"Interesting magic!"

As the tremors subsided and the deafening roar faded, Vaughn heard Wilkinson's chuckled whisper: "I'm getting more and more interested in you, Vaughn Weasley. The strange Occlumency that no one has ever achieved before, the unusually powerful Flight Charm, and now the Glowing Charm whose ability to break concealment is beyond comprehension—child, how many more surprises can you give me?"