Because I Don't Want to Become Like You

After hearing Strange Man's words, Li Weide's eyes narrowed slightly.

"May I ask... is this a request, or... a demand?"

A request and a demand were fundamentally different.

A request could be refused.

But a demand... would not be so easy to refuse.

Especially given Li Weide's current situation—if Strange Man was making a demand, then it was a blatant threat!

"This is a request, Weide," Strange Man said calmly.

Seeing that Li Weide still seemed doubtful, Strange Man continued, "I know my current appearance makes me difficult to trust, but... I have absolutely no reason to deceive you. If I wanted to forcefully demand it of you... forgive me for being blunt, but with your current strength, you simply couldn't stop me."

As Strange Man spoke, the surrounding environment abruptly changed.

In the blink of an eye, Li Weide and Strange Man had gone from the pavilion in the garden to the rim of a volcano.

Magma gurgled within the crater, radiating an incomparably scorching heat that made Li Weide's skin sting.

At that moment, Li Weide recalled the properties of Nightmare Magic.

At its highest level, Nightmare Magic could not only force others to fall asleep and then manipulate their dreams.

It could also trap others in dreams one had created, leaving them unable to break free...

As long as the other party was within a dream one had constructed, and the caster's soul was far stronger than theirs.

Then an enemy trapped in that dream would become part of the dream itself, freely manipulated by the caster...

And Li Weide was currently inside a dream created by Strange Man!

In other words, if Strange Man wished, he did not need Li Weide's consent at all. He could directly control Li Weide to achieve his goal instead of wasting so many words here.

"I understand. You truly have no reason to deceive me." Li Weide nodded.

The moment Li Weide finished speaking, the surroundings changed back into the flower-scented garden from before.

"Sorry, I only wanted to prove that I wasn't lying..."

Li Weide waved a hand. "Since this is a request... then if I refuse you, will you let me leave?"

Strange Man paused slightly, but still nodded. "I will."

"Then... I'm sorry, this... sir or miss, I don't know which... I can't agree to your request."

Li Weide directly refused Strange Man's request.

This time, Strange Man was genuinely bewildered. Why wasn't this person following the usual script...

Logically speaking, he shouldn't have refused. Even if he did, he shouldn't have refused so decisively!

"Can you send me away now?" Li Weide's calm question interrupted Strange Man's thoughts.

Strange Man took a deep breath. "Of course. But can you tell me why you refused?"

Li Weide looked deeply at Strange Man before him. "Because I don't want to end up becoming like you."

Strange Man froze again. This answer was completely beyond his expectations, yet entirely reasonable!

He had originally thought that Li Weide still couldn't trust him, which was why he had refused. He hadn't expected...

Li Weide continued, "I know what kind of person I am. My desire for power is no less than anyone else's... so I likewise can't be sure whether I could resist the temptation..."

"If I rashly absorb this magical power... who's to say that one day I won't become like you."

Hearing this, Strange Man fell into a long silence.

After a while, he let out another sigh.

"You were wiser than I was back then... far wiser. If I had possessed your self-awareness, I wouldn't have ended up like this today..."

"I was indeed too desperate for freedom, so I failed to think things through. I apologize to you again."

"If you wish to leave, you may leave at any time... just return the way you came."

"If you change your mind, you can find me here the same way."

"Of course, even if you don't change your mind, you can still come talk with me..."

"I don't want to remain all alone during the final stretch of my life."

"Oh, right. If you only want to talk, you don't need to come here. You only need to use Nightmare Magic to fall asleep, then call for me in your dream."

"In return, I will teach you all the Nightmare Magic I can... it's a fine magic, and as its creator, I don't wish for it to be lost."

As Strange Man finished his final sentence, the entire garden began to distort. Then, the dreamscape around them receded like a tide...

In the end, Li Weide found himself still standing inside that bare stone chamber.

And the long staircase was behind him.

It was as if he had never gone anywhere, as if everything that had just happened had merely been a dream.

Well, it really had been a dream...

Li Weide turned and looked toward the staircase.

"How much time do you have left?"

"About two years... This cloak won't be able to hold on much longer." The Strange Man's voice came again. "So if you want to master Nightmare Magic, you'll have to make the most of your time."

Li Weide suddenly asked, "Could you give me a sample of the Ancient Magic power within you?"

A few seconds later, a small floating vial appeared before Li Weide.

The vial contained a mass of pitch-black mist. As it churned, a faint blue glow flickered deep within the darkness...

"If I want to find you in a dream, what should I call you? I can't exactly call you Strange Man, can I?"

"Strange Man? Heh heh, there's nothing wrong with calling me that. Of course, you may also call me the Dream Weaver."

"Dream Weaver? You're not even willing to tell me your real name? Forget it. I'd rather call you Strange Man. Goodbye." Li Weide accepted the vial and strode down the stairs...

A few minutes later, Li Weide passed through the Stone Toad again and returned to the Forbidden Forest.

The Strange Man had not lied. He made no attempt to stop Li Weide from leaving...

When Li Weide reached into his pocket for his wand, he discovered that the lighter had somehow returned to his pocket as well.

Looking once more at the faint blue glow on the lighter, Li Weide frowned slightly.

In truth, Li Weide was not wholly unmoved by the power of Ancient Magic. Otherwise, he would not have asked the Strange Man for a sample of it.

Just as he had said, he too was someone who craved power.

However, unless he confirmed whether this power had any side effects, he would not absorb it rashly.

Even though there might already be Ancient Magic within his body, waiting to be fully awakened...

It could be said that the Strange Man's current miserable state had pushed Li Weide's wariness of Ancient Magic to its peak!

That person... had he truly become like that merely because he could not control his own desire for power?

Or did Ancient Magic itself possess the power to affect one's mind?

Nothing was clear yet.

After all, Li Weide's shallow understanding of Ancient Magic had come only from the game he had played before crossing over.

But now, he was in a very real world!

No amount of caution was excessive!

Li Weide put the lighter back into his pocket and prepared to Apparate to Hogsmeade.

Bang!

Suddenly, a loud crash came from the distance, followed by the sound of trees collapsing and a burst of startled cries.

Li Weide frowned and raised his wand, casting a Disillusionment Charm on himself.

The next second, Li Weide's figure vanished into the darkness.