A Deal with Snape

Facing the wand that could cast the Cruciatus Curse, Imperius Curse, or even Avada Kedavra at any moment, Lin Yuan's face remained devoid of any fear.

He simply replied calmly, "I am no one. I am just Ryan Lin, a seeker of truth who pursues it with the same dedication."

He looked at Snape and said slowly, "Professor, I have no intention of prying into your past, nor do I wish to reveal your secrets to the public. To me, the identity of the 'Half-Blood Prince' is valuable only in proving to you that I am qualified to engage in an equivalent exchange with you."

"Exchange?" Snape's eyes were so sinister they could drip water.

"Yes, an exchange," Lin Yuan nodded. "I will use my ability, which is enough to elevate your Potions Mastery to another level, and... my silence regarding all your secrets, in exchange for a pass to the Forbidden Section. It's a fair deal, isn't it?"

He continued, "Your improved techniques, while exquisite, still remain at the level of experience. You know how to do it effectively, but you don't know why it's effective. I can tell you why. I can explain to you how that drop of fig juice restructured the energy structure of the Sleeping Draught from the level of laws. I can even... help you perfect those regrets of the Half-Blood Prince that you haven't overcome to this day."

These words, like a precise scalpel, cut through Snape's hardest shell, reaching the pride and unwillingness of a genius deep within his heart.

Snape's hand, gripping his wand, bulged with veins.

The scales in his heart were undergoing an unprecedented violent sway.

On one side, there was killing the boy before him, who knew too many secrets, to eliminate future trouble forever.

But the risk was that he couldn't be sure if there were others behind this boy; if he made a move, the secret might be exposed immediately.

On the other side, there was accepting this transaction.

He would gain an immeasurable treasure trove of knowledge that could solve his long-standing confusion, but the price was that he would forever be held by the throat by this boy.

This was a devil's bargain.

But Severus Snape had been dealing with devils his entire life.

After a long, long time.

The magical pressure that almost crushed the entire office slowly receded.

Snape slowly, slowly put down his wand and sat back in his chair.

He looked at Lin Yuan before him with a sinister gaze full of examination and apprehension.

Then, he took out a piece of parchment from a drawer, quickly signed his name with a quill pen, and then, holding it between two fingers, pushed it to the edge of the table.

"Remember, Lin," his voice was cold and hoarse, "this is just a transaction. You had better deliver value commensurate with your arrogance. And if you dare to leak a single word, I promise you, there will be a very interesting specimen in the underground classrooms of Hogwarts."

"Of course, Professor."

Lin Yuan stepped forward, calmly picked up the authorization slip exuding the fragrance of ink, and wore a smile of composure on his face.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

With that, he turned and, under the gaze of those sinister eyes, calmly left the office filled with oppression and danger.

When the heavy oak door closed again, Snape leaned back in his chair as if drained of all strength, his forehead covered in fine cold sweat.

He looked at the empty doorway, his eyes filled with unprecedented stormy waves.

This Ryan Lin... what kind of monster was he?

Holding the pass obtained in exchange for "the Prince's secrets," Lin Yuan no longer needed to sneak and walked unimpeded into the Forbidden Section.

The light here was much dimmer than outside, as if shrouded by an invisible, heavy curtain.

Most of the books on the bookshelves were bound in black or dark brown leather, and some spines were even inlaid with strange metal ornaments.

They were not as quiet as the books outside; Lin Yuan's Divine Soul could clearly sense that many books were emitting silent, malicious whispers.

A tome called the Screaming Book would vibrate wildly on its pages as he approached, as if it would let out ear-piercing wails the next second.

Another book, the Devil's Bible, chained shut, emitted a scorching aura like sulfur, tempting those who approached to break its seal.

But all of this was nothing more than petty tricks unworthy of mention to Lin Yuan. His Divine Soul, as firm as rock, was immune to most mental pollution in this world.

Holding Snape's authorization slip, he headed straight for the deepest part of the library—the section dedicated to Alchemy and Ancient Runes.

The books here were even older and more dilapidated than those in the Dark Arts section.

He quickly found his targets.

A stone tablet book with no title, only a "Beginning" branded on its cover in ancient runes.

A monumental work bound in Dragon Hide, with its edges trimmed in pure silver, titled Theory of Equivalent Exchange.

And a thin manuscript written on a special, shimmering paper that Lin Yuan had never seen before—Hermes' Secret.

He took these three books to a secluded corner and then began his true investigation of things.

Time lost all meaning at this moment.

When Lin Yuan looked up from the vast sea of knowledge, the sky outside had turned from golden yellow to deep blue.

In his mind, a complete and clear blueprint for the "Magic Stone" had been constructed.

[Item Name]: Philosopher's Stone, also known as the "Fifth Element Crystal."

[Core Principle]: This object is not naturally occurring. It is a highly crystallized form of the fifth and most core element, "Aether," forcibly extracted and condensed from the cycle of the four basic elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Wind) of this world by an Alchemist, using their own soul as a guide through an extremely complex and time-consuming "Grand Transmutation Array."

[Function 1: Turn Stone into Gold]

[Analysis]: This function is the most basic application of the "Aether" element. Its essence is not the creation of gold, but rather the "assimilation" and "restructuring" of the internal structure of lesser matter using the supreme "order" contained within the "Philosopher's Stone." Gold is merely the easiest target to be "assimilated" because of its stable structure and pure properties. Theoretically, as long as the manipulator's understanding of the laws of the target substance is profound enough, it can turn stone into anything, such as water, air, or even... bread. The creators' invariable greed for wealth has limited their imagination of its true power.

[Function 2: Elixir of Life]

[Analysis]: This is the core value of this object and the part that interests Lin Yuan the most. Through analysis, Lin Yuan discovered that the so-called "longevity" is not the true immortality of "transcending the three realms and being outside the five elements" as he understood it. This potion is essentially a super-concentrated "Life Essence Replenisher." It cannot elevate the drinker's life level, nor can it prevent the natural decay of the soul. It merely uses the vast life energy contained within the "Philosopher's Stone" to forcibly "fill" and "repair" the physical body's wear and tear caused by the passage of time. It's like an old car constantly leaking oil; the Elixir of Life is the new engine oil being continuously added. It allows the car to keep running, but it cannot prevent the wear and tear of the engine itself. Once the refueling stops, the car will instantly break down at a speed a hundred times faster than normal.

[Creator]: Nicolas Flamel.

[Status Analysis]: A "mortal" who has lived for over six hundred years. His soul has long been worn down and fragile by the long years, like a candle in the wind. His life has been completely bound to the Philosopher's Stone. He is not immortal; he is imprisoned by "immortality." Every day, he lives in fear of the Philosopher's Stone being stolen and the potion being interrupted.

This is not achieving enlightenment, but rather taking a wrong turn.