Extreme Operation

As Voldemort approached, Regulus made a decision: to reclaim what Dark Enlightenment.

The Magic Power emanating from his body, with its grayish hue, enveloped him.

This act might be enough in front of Bellatrix, but to continue pretending to be corrupted by the creator's products is gambling that Voldemort's eyesight is poor.

His eyesight is incredibly sharp.

Regulus submerged his consciousness into the Mental Space, opening the Isolation Zone of the Containment Chamber.

The Grey Matter flowed back along the channels set in the Filtration Layer, peeled off from the Magic Power, retreated from under the skin, and was collected into the Isolation Zone, sealed off. He slowed down a bit, not too fast, about three seconds, as a sign of respect due to the product manufacturer.

I've used what you gave me, and now I'm putting it away. I don't mind; I'm just done using it.

Once the gray residue had completely faded, his facial expression immediately became serious.

Those cracked expressions and arrogant eyes from before, unlike his smile, were all an act. There was no need to gradually pull back; there was no transition. He went straight back to his original state.

Calm, upright, restrained, and a touch of pride would be just right.

He was twelve years old when he beat Bellatrix Lestrange to a pulp with a gift from her the Master and then burned down her estate.

They did such a good job, they should be proud, even if the opponent is Voldemort.

But pride doesn't mean rudeness.

This is the actual leader of the Pure-bloods circle of interests, the manipulator of most of UK's underworld politics, and the highest decision-maker in the camp to which the Black family currently stands.

I've thought about the wording. I won't call him "The Master," that's what Death Eaters call him; and I won't call him "sir," that's too low.

He lowered his head slightly.

Politeness, the social etiquette expected of a leader, and the upbringing of the Black family heir.

I acknowledge your status and therefore I am being polite, but I am merely being polite.

Voldemort stopped about four or five meters in front of him.

Bellatrix lay on the gravel between them, her chest heaving, her lips moving, her eyes rolling unconsciously in their sockets; she was no longer conscious. Voldemort didn't look at her; he looked at Regulus.

In the center of the dark red iris, a vertical pupil slowly moved, from Regulus's face to his hand, from his hand to his wand, and from his wand back to his face. He watched as the last trace of gray faded from Regulus's body, watched as the face instantly returned to normal upon seeing him, without hesitation, without transition, like turning the page.

silence.

The Fiendfyre beast remained silent in the distance, its roars muffled into low rumbles. The three giant beasts huddled together in a corner, curled up in a ball.

Voldemort spoke, his voice soft, yet each word clear, as if something were whispering in his ear, a breathy tone carrying an unusual warmth.

He made no introductions, because it wasn't necessary. Voldemort didn't need to introduce himself to anyone, and Regulus didn't need to be introduced either. If introductions were required, this wouldn't be the scene we're in.

The word slipped from his thin lips. "Regulus."

Regulus looked up, met those dark red vertical pupils for a moment, then bowed slightly. "Your Excellency."

"Your Excellency" is a respectful term used to address someone in a superior position, acknowledging their status while maintaining one's own independence.

Voldemort's eyes were devoid of temperature; neither cold nor hot.

Indifference has emotions, but the direction is negative; there isn't even a negative number in his eyes, it's zero.

Perhaps it's related to those eyes; snakes' vertical pupils are biologically structured this way, without emotional projection, only observation.

He said nothing about the battle just now, about Regulus's complete crushing of Bellatrix, or about the release and withdrawal of Dark Enlightenment. His voice was still so soft as he only asked one question, "Is it not working well?"

Regulus understood; Voldemort was asking why he had put it away.

The things I gave you are definitely useful. If you put them away, then they're not useful, and the problem lies with you.

Regulus's expression remained unchanged; he intended to tell the truth.

Lying is the stupidest thing to do. In front of Voldemort, you should tell the truth if you can, because the truth can withstand any verification.

"It works very well," he said sincerely, without a hint of apprehension. "However, it's not very convenient to take it back to Hogwarts when I have to go back to school after the holidays."

Voldemort did not react.

silence.

It was very brief, a little over one breath, less than two.

Regulus knew what was going to happen next.

I've been waiting since the moment Voldemort walked in; Legilimency, Voldemort will definitely use it.

He needed to ascertain the extent of the Dark Enlightenment's corruption, to see if Dumbledore had left anything in his mind, and to know the mental strength and loyalty of this Black family heir.

These things cannot be observed from the outside; we must go inside to see for ourselves.

Voldemort looked into his eyes, and the next moment, without any warning, he just stared and then came in.

The Legilimency was activated instantly.

Bellatrix shines brightly in the depths of consciousness; the Mental Space built upon Star Orbit Meditation, every layer of structure constructed over the past year and a half, was prepared for this moment.

He anticipated the invasion and was prepared to be violently torn apart.

Pain, tearing, Mental Barrier shattered— Voldemort could have easily done that, but he didn't.

An extremely thin, cold needle pierced directly through the outermost layer of mental defenses.

There was no pain, no tearing, no violent breakthrough.

The needle was inserted so gently that it was almost a suggestion to make him want to cooperate, like someone gently pushing his back, causing him to instinctively take a step forward.

This kind of suggestion is a technique in itself; the brutal Legilimency will immediately put the target on guard and make them fight back with all their might.

Voldemort's method was to make him relax for a moment before he could resist.

That one moment is enough; for an ordinary wizard, that moment of relaxation is like opening the door wide open.

Perhaps some techniques of the Imperius Curse were incorporated into the needle's tip; the method of bypassing consciousness and acting directly on the will has been refined to a more subtle level. It doesn't control behavior, but only loosens the defenses.

It's also possible that no technique was used at all, just pure willpower overwhelming. At Voldemort's level, the mind itself might carry a built-in suggestion. Regulus dared not relax, and Legilimency was fully activated the instant the needle touched the surface.

The stars deep within consciousness operate steadily in the Mental Space, and the light of Bellatrix shines steadily and constantly in the core area of consciousness. The core area is sealed off.

The transmigrator's complete memories, the principles and progress of Light Magic, all the details of Space Magic, the method of summoning the Patronus and the form of the Starry Sky Kite, and the development and usage records of the Severing Charm.

The true nature of Star Orbit Meditation: each star in Orion is a reflection of his soul; Betelgeuse erupts, Bellatrix Saiph Protection, and the Belt Stars maintain order.

Knowing Voldemort's entire future, the number of Horcruxes, their hiding places, and his ultimate demise.

And his entire assessment of the situation, his choice of path, the things he actually discussed with Dumbledore, and his connection with Grindelwald. These things were buried deep inside, layer upon layer.

The three barriers extend inward, each using the movement of Star Orbit Meditation as its framework.

Advanced techniques of Legilimency involve folding the mind itself, making those memories discontinuous in Spatial Topology. Once you cross this layer, the entrance to the next layer is not in the place you expected.

Extreme maneuver.

Maintaining this structure in the face of Voldemort's Legilimency was like losing one's spirit at the speed of a reservoir opening all its sluice gates simultaneously.

But he cannot completely seal it off, for to do so would mean resistance, and resistance would mean hiding something.

If Voldemort were to touch an impenetrable wall, his first thought would be that there's something shady behind it.

He left space on the surface of consciousness; the framework of the Legilimency had already been arranged, deciding which things to put on the outside for easy access and which to keep behind.

Everything placed on the outer layer is real.

Forging memories might be possible, I haven't tried it, but I can't gamble on it in front of Voldemort.

False thoughts can't hold up; the texture is wrong, the emotional patterns are wrong, and the connections between memories are wrong.

Being exposed as a forgery is more dangerous than not showing anything at all; that would be tantamount to directly telling Voldemort that this twelve-year-old wizard was trying to deceive him. So everything is real, just placed in a specific position.

Voldemort's needle went inward.

He has a clear goal; what exactly has the Dark Enlightenment transformed into within Regulus?

He saw it.

The complete structure of the Containment Chamber is displayed on the outer layer. Grey Matter is contained within the Isolation Zone, and Filtration Layer separates the contaminated from the usable components. The observation window is open, and the Virtual Persona works inside, outputting research results through Magic Conduit.

The Isolation Zone was designed so that it could cut off the input at any time.

In the worst-case scenario, we can destroy the Containment Chamber along with everything inside. The cost will be a portion of our consciousness, but we must never allow contamination to touch our core consciousness.

The Dark Enlightenment sent by Voldemort, that meticulously crafted mental weapon designed to gradually corrupt and ultimately assimilate the user, was dismantled by this twelve-year-old wizard.

Confined in a transparent cage, used as research material, like an Alchemy Laboratory.

There was no sign of it getting out of control, no sign of being rejected, and no sign of it being completely absorbed.

It simply sits there, stored away as a usable tool, taken out when needed and put back when not.

The safety measures are extremely comprehensive, with multiple layers of protection, and even the polluting impurities are properly sorted and disposed of.

Voldemort's needle lingered there for a short while.

Then Regulus felt it encounter something else. His immediate, intuitive perception of Voldemort's Magic Power was experiencing a contradictory sense of dissonance: real-time visual feedback but no feedback from the Magic Perception.

Beyond his Magic Perception, a tremor deep within his bones, an instinctive response at the level of his soul, revealed a wizard far beyond his comprehension. This perception was entirely real, happening right now, without any embellishment.

Voldemort could glean several things from this. Regulus's Magic Perception was extremely keen, allowing him to accurately discern the state of suppression, even describing the manner and texture of the suppression.

Moreover, this memory contains vigilance, pressure, rapid analysis and calculation, judgment of one's own safety, and speculation about Voldemort's intentions.

There was no fear.