The Limits of Magic

After completing the contract with Voldemort and absorbing all of his magical knowledge and memories, Lin An went into seclusion for several days.

He slowly digested and absorbed that immense flood of memories, allowing them to fully merge into his consciousness.

Voldemort had conducted countless Dark Magic experiments throughout his life. Their cruelty and distortion were enough to drive any ordinary wizard insane.

Therefore, Lin An had to repeatedly use the Patronus Charm to regulate his emotions, using the magic of happiness to neutralize those cold and violent memories.

The cost was enormous, but so were the gains.

With his extraordinary memory and logical thinking, Lin An absorbed all that vast and complex knowledge in just a few weeks.

He nearly forgot to eat and sleep, only remembering his appointment with Madam Rosmerta after his assistant Momo reminded him.

The moment all the memories completely merged into his mind, Lin An had mastered nearly all the magical techniques Voldemort had possessed in life.

He had learned Wandless Levitation, advanced applications of Legilimency, and effortless switching into Parseltongue.

He had already dabbled in these abilities before, but now they had reached the level Voldemort had possessed at his peak.

More importantly, he had gained the truly terrifying part of Voldemort—his combat experience.

Over the long years, Voldemort had clashed with Dumbledore many times.

The details, rhythm, and psychological battles of every fight had been completely etched into Lin An's mind.

That kind of experience was something no book or deduction could ever provide.

"Now, I am already one of the most knowledgeable wizards of this age."

Lin An wrote in his notes, "If masters of Alchemy such as Nicolas Flamel are excluded, no one can match me in spells and Dark Magic."

His only shortcoming was magical power.

Although his knowledge was inexhaustible, his own magical power remained at the limit of twenty-five times that of an ordinary wizard.

This was the upper limit that every wizard's "Magic Core" could bear.

However, Voldemort's memories had given him an answer.

Voldemort had once used an extreme method to break through this limit—Horcruxes.

Whenever he tore apart his soul to create a Horcrux, the rupture would produce enormous magical fluctuations.

Voldemort used his Magic Core to absorb that overflowing energy, forcibly expanding his magical capacity.

The process was agonizing, but exceptionally effective.

According to Lin An's analysis, Voldemort's magical power at his peak had been sixty times that of an ordinary wizard.

"That explains why, even with the Elder Wand in hand, Dumbledore could only match him evenly."

Lin An closed his eyes and muttered, "At his foundation, Voldemort was stronger than anyone."

But he had no intention of following that path.

Lin An had already attained profound mastery in soul research and knew well that splitting the soul caused irreversible damage.

Even modifying the soul sections of the Life Code could not repair such fractures.

He gently opened the research notes Voldemort had left behind, his thoughts deep and heavy.

"If I can replicate that energy wave without splitting the soul, I can safely break through the limit."

This was the direction of his next research.

However, Lin An was not satisfied with that alone.

Even after absorbing all of Voldemort's knowledge, he still felt something was missing.

"Two people remain." He wrote two names on the paper—Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald.

In Voldemort's memories, Dumbledore's philosophy of spellcasting was unique. His nearly perfect philosophy of "Harmonizing Magic" represented the pinnacle of Light Magic.

Grindelwald, meanwhile, represented another extreme—a system of "Mental Magic" centered on conviction and will.

If he could obtain all of their knowledge, Lin An's magical system would truly reach perfection.

Then, I will surpass the limits of all dimensional wizards, he thought.

However, he also knew that it would not be easy.

Both men possessed unbreakable wills. They could not be threatened or tempted into submission.

They would rather die than sign a contract that violated their beliefs.

Lin An sat down beside the fireplace, lightly tapping the armrest with his fingers.

"Grindelwald..."

After pondering for a moment, he put pen to paper. "Perhaps I should wait until next summer—after I obtain the Philosopher's Stone—before meeting him."

As for Dumbledore, he still had no idea where to begin.

"Perhaps," he said softly, "I can use the chaos caused by next year's Chamber of Secrets incident to find an opportunity."

The firelight flickered, reflecting that faint, deeply hidden smile in his eyes.