As the words fell, a sudden sound erupted.
Whoosh—
Flames engulfed his face. To the sound of a beautiful, haunting melody from the flute, Hamelin Moss closed his eyes in peace.
It was over. The life that should have ended thirteen years ago had finally reached its conclusion.
Charred remains, fine as grains of sand, drifted into the air like stardust. A wisp of pale blue mist rose, brushing gently against Sasha's cheek.
Goodbye, my dearest sister.
"Ah..."
Sasha's mouth hung open. Tears, snot, and grime smeared across her face in a messy blur. In her hands, the flute she gripped so tightly went completely dim, its voice silenced forever.
She let out a few ragged sobs before throwing her head back and wailing without a shred of dignity:
"Waaaah—! Brother—!!!"
The cry, saturated with agony and grief, brought a sting to the eyes of the researchers—men who usually lived by "data alone."
Director Croaker paused, then stepped forward. He knelt down and, with a stiff, awkward hand, gently patted the girl's back.
"Once we're out, you can stay with the Department of Mysteries..." he muttered dryly. "Hmph, I suppose I'll have to find someone reliable to mentor you."
Crunch, crunch.
Ethan stepped over the charred ground.
He pulled back the tattered, tent-like colorful clothes. Deep within the remains, he saw a blackened object, now shriveled to the size of a walnut. He picked it up to inspect it.
The surface was covered in ridges, yet it felt smooth and lustrous in his hand, like polished black jade.
[Congratulations! You have successfully exorcised a remnant of Death: The Brain (1/2)]
[Death has sustained a heavy blow. Weakening progress increased by 8%!]
[31%—39%!]
[You have weakened Death's "Mental Manipulation" power. Creatures controlled by Him will now have a chance to break free from their shackles.]
[Obtained Extraordinary Material—[Black Husk]!]
[Black Husk: A remnant of Death refined through cremation; the dark side of the brain. Like a deep, dark sea of death, it stands ready to drag life into the abyss.]
[When used directly, it can create a pitch-black curtain like a tidal wave, forming a sealed space that is nearly impossible to breach.]
[Note: This extraordinary material can be used to paint Grade 4 artworks.]
"Not bad, not bad at all. Quite the harvest. As expected, everything Death drops is top-tier loot."
The corners of Ethan's mouth curled upward. He tucked the "black jade" into his pocket with satisfaction. Not only had he dealt Death a severe blow and slapped Him with a permanent debuff, but he'd also gained a precious Grade 4 painting material.
This trip was definitely worth it!
However, when he thought of the tragic siblings, Ethan's smile faded slightly. A cold glint flashed deep within his cobalt-blue eyes.
...He really wondered what kind of delightful expression the "Old Gentleman" would make when Ethan used Death's own belongings to kill Death Himself.
"Leaving your remains all over the place, polluting the environment and harming innocent souls... as a kind and warm-hearted person, I suppose I'll have to 'properly' clean up your corpse for you."
Ethan licked his canine teeth, flashing a wolf-like grin.
Just then, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"You did it... You successfully exorcised another remnant of Death. Although it is only half, there is finally a clue regarding the other half."
The voice was raspy and weary—the mysterious entity dwelling within the Bone of Guidance.
Ethan replied internally, "The Piper said it, didn't he? 'The other half was swallowed by the Snake.'"
"Yes. I can interpret those words for you and provide further guidance... Listen closely."
The female voice began to recount slowly:
[A man's heart is never satisfied, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Someone wished to transcend death and paid for it with the lives of others.]
[Between life and death, a 'Snake' that is not a snake accidentally entered the Veil and swallowed the remains of the God.]
[Thus, its soul fell into a deep slumber, carrying the remains with it.]
[Yet its body gained a lifespan and power far beyond its own nature.]
[Be wary of the venomous fangs striking from the darkness.]
"...For some reason, this story feels familiar. But if I try to think deeper, I can't remember anything. Can you think of anything?" the voice asked hopefully.
"Hmm~"
Ethan activated his miraculous brain, frowning in thought for a moment. Then, he spoke in a low, serious tone:
"No idea."
The female voice: "..."
Then why did you put on such a serious act?!
However, speaking of "Snakes," Ethan did have a name in mind. But did that "Snake"... have anything to do with Death?
Regardless, the voice concluded:
"I hope you can continue forward and defeat the physical shell Death left in this world. Ultimately, bring me to Death's side... Since I gained consciousness, this is the only mission I have ever known."
Ethan thought of Sasha and asked, "A mission? Isn't it more like a 'lingering obsession'?"
If Sasha had unfortunately passed away before seeing her brother, she would have surely turned into a ghost, hell-bent on charging into the Veil. She would have been the loudest ghost in history.
Ethan couldn't help but chuckle twice.
Hearing this, a hint of confusion surfaced in the female voice. "Obsession? I... I don't know..."
This was a plot point that didn't exist in the original records; even Ethan had no way of knowing the truth. The emergence of something outside the predicted trajectory immediately piqued his interest.
"Leave it to me, milady." Ethan's eyes crinkled. "Our goals are aligned. As long as you aren't planning to buff Death's combat power at the end, we'll get along just fine~"
"Otherwise... I might have to add a new piece to my gallery."
The female voice: "..."
Under a threat more terrifying than Death itself, she silently withdrew. She couldn't help but wonder: Did I really follow the right person...?
Having collected his loot, Ethan left the "tent." The moment he stepped out, he was stunned by the sight before him, his eyes widening slightly.
A field of ghostly blue mandrake flowers was blooming atop the carpet of skeletal remains. It was breathtakingly beautiful, like a requiem meant to comfort the departed.
Ethan keenly sensed the unique aura of magic radiating from them.
"So beautiful..." Sasha murmured, sitting on the ground and staring blankly at the sea of blue flowers. She felt her heart gradually finding peace.
"Indeed."
Ethan nodded. He flicked his wand and, without a shred of hesitation, uprooted the entire patch of rare blue mandrakes!
He carefully stowed them into a specialized box for precious magical components, patting it with deep satisfaction.
[You have obtained a rare plant: Kiss of the Styx]
[A mandrake flower that only grows on the remains of the dead. It is condensed from the essence of souls and saturated with the gratitude of the deceased toward the living. An extremely rare floral species.]
[Can be used as a potion ingredient.]
Everyone: "??!"
Sasha: "∑(°口°)?!"
What—what are you doing?! You absolute mood-killer!!
Unfortunately, Ethan's eyes held only the joy of acquiring rare materials; there wasn't a hint of sentimentality to be found.
"Hehehe~ I'll bring these to Professor Slughorn once we're out. What a massive harvest!"
Ethan's smile looked decidedly "villainous." He turned his head to find the group staring at him, faces full of hesitation, mouths opening and closing as if they wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.
He tilted his head and said, "Can't hold it in? Do you need me to swap in a steel bladder for you? They're very effective~"
Everyone: "..."
Director Croaker felt a sudden phantom pressure in his lower abdomen and quickly shouted, "Since—since everyone is alright, let's get out of here immediately!"
As he spoke, he couldn't help but clap Ethan on the shoulder, giving him a look of gratitude and admiration.
"We owe it to you, kid. If not for you, we would have been wiped out."
"I didn't expect the wizarding world to be hiding a talent like you! Ethan, Mr. Lamp... the wizarding world has really seen some extraordinary 'Hidden Dragons and Crouching Phoenixes' these past two years!"
"Once you're out, there's a big promotion and a fat raise waiting for you! In a couple of years, when I retire, the Department of Mysteries will need a new pair of hands at the helm~"
Croaker spoke with hidden meaning, dangling a very large carrot.
Ethan smiled but said nothing. He simply followed the others as they slowly walked out from within the Veil.
...Promotion and a raise? Heh, after they got out, the only ones getting a promotion would probably be the Aurors who managed to catch him.
The corners of Ethan's mouth hooked up slightly as he thought: By now, the exit should be crawling with Aurors. Even if Minister Scrimgeour is slow, he must have realized what's happening.
Sigh~ I really don't want to fight. I'm a pacifist, after all.
Hehehe~
Ethan rubbed the newly acquired Brain of Death in his pocket, his heart fluttering with anticipation. I just got new gear; I have to test it out, right?
Beside him, Sasha caught a glimpse of Ethan's current expression. For some reason, she shivered violently. It felt like... something very ominous was about to happen.
"But all the enemies have been defeated," Sasha muttered. "Haha, I must be overthinking it."
Meanwhile, in a place that no detection magic could reach.
[Hiss... Hiss... My power... my power has been weakened again. My once-useless shell actually... Damn it, DAMN IT—!]
[ETHAN VINCENT!!!]
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