The next day.
Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Listening to Professor Quirrell's stammering lecture, many young wizards began to zone out.
Some were whispering to each other, others were scribbling in their notebooks—though it didn't look like they were taking notes.
Lucien, meanwhile, was still thinking about the insights he had gained from reading Identification of Dark Arts the night before.
Thanks to his SS+ Dark Arts talent, he learned anything related to the subject with remarkable speed.
Although the book only described the characteristics and identification methods of most Dark Arts, Lucien couldn't shake a certain feeling.
The more he studied that knowledge, the more he felt he could naturally grasp some of the basic Dark Arts.
Even though the book didn't explain any specific techniques, an instinct seemed to guide him—magic flowing on its own.
It was a strange sensation, like never having learned to cook yet, after tasting a dish once, being able to describe how it was made.
As Lucien reflected on his performance across different fields of magic, he became increasingly convinced that the higher the innate talent, the more distinct the differences between related disciplines became.
For example, his Potion and Alchemy talents were A and A+ respectively. In these areas, he could quickly absorb whatever was taught by teachers or written in books.
However, breaking beyond existing systems of knowledge was far more difficult. That kind of innovative spark, he thought, could only come with time—and a bit of luck.
But once a talent exceeded S-rank, it was like stepping into an entirely new world.
Take his SS-rank magic talent, for instance—it granted Lucien an incomprehensibly vast reservoir of magic for someone his age, and it was still growing.
As for his SSS-rank Transfiguration talent, Lucien could sense that once he entered the realm of truly advanced Transfiguration, its power would become even more evident.
Perhaps it would manifest in becoming an Animagus, or perhaps in the early mastery of Transfiguration involving transient magical creatures…
Well, Chimera Transfiguration was already sufficient, and the fusion of biological traits alone could meet the loan requirements.
But clearly, there was room for refinement.
Lucien recalled yesterday's experiment—beginning with the subtle fusion of bones and muscles in a creature. He didn't merely overlay external features but aimed to fundamentally create a new, entirely original being.
Maybe he could even try merging the traits of the living and the dead; after all, no matter how powerful or bizarre some creatures were, they could not compare to certain artificial constructs.
The more Lucien explored, the more he realized that the author of the Chimera Handbook had been an absolute genius.
At first, he had assumed that the ancient wizard's painstaking anatomical observations were simply for convenience in living creature Transfiguration.
But after attempting deeper fusion work himself, Lucien finally understood just how invaluable that meticulous biological detail truly was.
He also wondered what that wizard had ultimately created…
Lucien recalled a line from one of the pages in the Chimera Handbook: T is quite quaint. T is mine own creation. T doest not belongeth to this w'rld
(It is beautiful. It is my creation. It does not belong to this world.)
Ding-a-ling—~~
The bell rang, signaling the end of class.
The young wizards quickly gathered their belongings and fled the dull Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with relief.
Unlike before, however, Quirrell didn't rush to leave. Instead, he cast a subtle glance at Lucien.
Today, he planned to begin using a variant of the Imperius Curse to slowly influence this bold and unusual boy.
Quirrell had already decided that during the tutoring session, he would start with theory, dragging out the lecture until the moment came to cast the spell.
If Lucien suggested any practical spellwork, Quirrell would find some excuse to refuse.
He truly didn't believe that a mere young wizard could ever dare to act against him.
Yet when he remembered the last dueling practice—and that strange, almost maniacal laughter—Quirrell couldn't suppress a faint shiver.
Still, recalling the promise he had made to his master yesterday, and the agonizing punishment that would come with failure, Quirrell steeled himself and resolved to carry out the plan.
After Quirrell returned to his office, he had barely closed the door when a knock sounded.
He's here!
"C-Come in."
A handsome young man with dark golden hair and deep green eyes stepped inside.
Quirrell forced a smile, eager to finish the task and eliminate this potential threat as soon as possible.
"Alright, today we'll discuss…"
Lucien listened as Quirrell began explaining the techniques and applications of the Shield Charm.
This common defensive spell was indispensable in a wizard's duel—its casting speed and timing were crucial, as even a slight delay could lead to disastrous results.
However, as Lucien listened, his brow furrowed slightly.
A low, hoarse voice echoed in his mind.
Each syllable sounded strange, yet he could hear it clearly.
Still, it didn't cause any unusual reaction within him.
What is this?
Mind Magic?
Lucien instinctively looked at Quirrell, who was still lecturing as usual.
No, that's not right. Identification of Dark Arts mentioned that certain subtle curses could be cast silently without affecting the caster's normal behavior.
But silently?
Then what was that crystal-clear voice echoing in his mind…
If this was Dark Arts—if it was a curse—wasn't it far too blatant?
Surely Quirrell wasn't openly announcing that he was doing something suspicious, was he?
Lucien subtly shifted his posture, pulling a brass pocket watch from his left pocket while his right hand, hidden within his wide sleeve, quietly gripped his wand.
Noticing the movement, Quirrell didn't think much of it. He simply took out his own pocket watch in response.
Heh… in the end, he's just a naive kid, Quirrell thought. All that talk about tutoring, pretending to love studying… he must be bored out of his mind by now.
He continued casting the variant of the Imperius Curse while reading aloud from his prepared notes.
He had only completed one repetition so far—five rounds in total would be enough to establish the influence for this week.
Lucien's thoughts were racing.
Assuming those strange words were part of a Dark Arts curse, then it was most likely something that affected the mind and body—meant to control a person.
Unless Tom no longer cared about the Philosopher's Stone and was ready to expose himself now, engaging Dumbledore directly to decide its ownership, he would never allow Quirrell to use a harmful Dark Arts spell on a student. That would instantly draw attention and reveal something suspicious.
Hmm… even if it was a spell that controlled the mind or body, it couldn't possibly take effect so quickly, not in a single attempt.
While such Dark Arts might be powerful, those that worked too rapidly often came with obvious side effects.
Dumbledore wouldn't even need to look too closely—professors like McGonagall would notice something off immediately.
Once investigated, Quirrell and his accomplice would be completely exposed.
Lucien rubbed the cover of his pocket watch, his fingers poised as if ready to snap it open at any moment.
If this was indeed a control-type Dark Arts spell with subtle traces, it would likely require multiple castings on the same target before it could fully affect the victim's mind and body.
But he hadn't heard that strange voice during the previous tutoring session.
So, was it that Quirrell hadn't had the chance to use it then? Or had he not yet learned the spell at that time?
And more importantly—he could hear the voice. Not vaguely, but clearly and distinctly.
My Dark Arts stat…
Lucien immediately connected it to his Dark Arts talent.
Could it be that this talent not only granted him resistance to the Dark Arts—reducing the damage he suffered when using them—but also heightened his sensitivity to them?
No, it was more than mere sensitivity.
Right now, it felt as though someone were personally demonstrating a Dark Art right before him.
It wasn't like reading from a book without seeing the actual method—he could feel it happening.
Following his intuition, Lucien began to mimic the strange syllables echoing in his mind.
Magic naturally gathered at his throat and tongue, producing a faint, distinct vibration.
Meanwhile, Quirrell was nearing the end of his explanation, secretly satisfied that he had just finished reciting the first round of the curse.
That boy Lucien had remained quiet and obedient the whole time, never once suggesting any practical Shield Charm exercises.
Suppressing a smirk, Quirrell prepared to begin the next repetition of the curse.
But then, an almost imperceptible sound suddenly resonated within his own mind:
heviods ~ yieyss ~ mowam...
The voice was noisy and distorted, and Quirrell instinctively strained to hear it more clearly.
But the more he listened, the more familiar it became—until he suddenly realized…
!!!!!
It sounded exactly like the Dark Arts curse he had been practicing over the past few days!
Click!
A sharp, crisp sound broke through his thoughts.
Looking toward the source, Quirrell saw Lucien snapping open the cover of his pocket watch, as if simply checking the time.
But Lucien's gaze was fixed on him, a faint smile playing at his lips. In his dark green eyes flickered a cold, unsettling gleam.
Lucien didn't utter a single word.
heviods ~ yieyss ~ mowam...
Yet the voice echoing in Quirrell's mind grew sharper—still soft, but now distinct enough to be almost intelligible.
Professor... it seemed to whisper, ..are you trying to teach me this magic?
__________
11 Advance Chaps- P@treon/DarkDevil1