Materials

After leaving Dumbledore's office, Lin An Alvin stepped into the fireplace and vanished into emerald-green flames.

The next moment, he emerged from a small house in Hogsmeade. It was a hidden residence he had purchased in town, ordinary on the outside but protected by complex defensive spells within.

He did not return to his aunt's home—the upright magical law enforcement officer was probably reading the Daily Prophet at that very moment, preparing to question him both as his aunt and in her official capacity.

He knew all too well that tomorrow's headline would surely be—

"Legendary Genius Lin An Alvin Returns to Hogwarts!"

He sighed, removed his outer robe, and pulled up his hood.

As night fell, he became a blurred shadow and Apparated into thin air.

Several hours later, he appeared in a remote valley. Cold winds carried damp mist, and wolves howled in the distance. Lin An stood silently in the darkness, waiting.

Before long, ten dark figures appeared one after another, surrounding him.

"Just as the rumors said, you're still alive." One of them raised his wand with a cold sneer.

Lin An's voice was indifferent. "It seems Roberti still isn't honest enough."

Before he finished speaking, he raised his wand.

An invisible streak of sword light sliced through the air. The wizard closest to him was cut in half at the waist on the spot, blood mist churning through the night.

It was an improved version derived from Snape's "Sectumsempra" spell.

The attack was faster, and its trajectory could not be seen.

The remaining nine stumbled back in terror and chanted in unison, nine spells streaking toward him almost simultaneously.

Lin An raised his left hand, and a translucent energy shield appeared.

Light and magic collided, sending sparks flying. Several spells were reflected back, rebounding onto their casters.

The wizards dodged in disarray, scattering their formation in the process. Lin An instantly seized the opening, his body turning into a cloud of shadowy mist.

The next moment, he appeared behind two isolated wizards.

Red light bloomed in his hand like a sword of solidified flame.

It was a spell he had created based on Star Wars, a movie he had loved in his previous life—

The Lightsaber Spell.

"Screech—"

The blade of light swept past, and two bodies fell with a thud, charred marks slashing across their chests.

"Next," he said softly.

Green light suddenly flared.

Someone had taken the opportunity to cast the Killing Curse.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Lin An shifted slightly aside. The green light grazed his shoulder and shattered a rock.

With a wave of his hand, the ground beneath his feet instantly transformed into metal spikes, shooting up from the earth.

The caster did not even have time to scream before he was pierced into a sieve.

By then, four of the ten were dead.

Fear filled the remaining wizards' eyes, their breathing ragged. Someone tried to Apparate away, only to find his body dragged back by a strange force.

"Don't waste your effort," Lin An said coldly.

"This is an Anti-Apparition Barrier I set up. After studying Hogwarts for seven years, of course I learned it."

They realized in terror that there was nowhere left to run.

The five exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and raised their wands together—

"Protego!"

A massive combined shield rose up, five streams of magic intertwining to form an impregnable barrier.

Lin An paused for a moment and sighed softly. "Unfortunately, you chose the wrong opponent."

He raised his wand, light gleaming at its tip.

"Detonation—Limit."

A thunderous explosion rang out.

The entire valley was swallowed by blinding white light. The air trembled, dust surged, and rocks split apart.

When everything fell silent again, only mangled flesh and blood mist remained on the ground. The shield had long since vanished without a trace.

Lin An put away his wand, his gaze as calm as water.

"Come out, Roberti."

A cloaked man emerged from the distant darkness, his expression stiff.

"Mr. Lin, it's been a long time." He forced out a smile.

"You sent them to test me?" Lin An's voice held no warmth.

Roberti smiled bitterly. "It was only caution. You disappeared for two years, and I thought something had happened to you."

Lin An slowly raised his wand, his tone calm. "Your explanation carries too little weight."

The other man hurriedly raised a hand. "I'm willing to compensate you—double the materials, free of charge."

Lin An narrowed his eyes, considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Fine."

Roberti secretly breathed a sigh of relief, though cold sweat still seeped down his back.

Those ten wizards under his command—every one of them possessed Auror-level combat ability—had all died within minutes.

That kind of strength had long surpassed the realm of "genius."

After confirming that Lin An had agreed, Roberti waved his wand, and a group of prisoners bound in chains was transported onto the ground.

Ten men stood pale-faced, their bodies covered in lingering spell marks.

Lin An stepped closer and lightly tapped one man's forehead with his fingertip.

"Reveal yourself."

The man's head began to twist, revealing a half-human, half-wolf face, but it froze amid its struggle.

Lin An glanced over the other nine and said blandly, "All werewolves. Their crimes are grave, and they carry countless blood debts. Good materials."

"So we have a deal?" Roberti asked tentatively.

"A deal."

As soon as the words fell, Lin An raised his hand and dispelled the Anti-Apparition Barrier.

Roberti immediately Apparated away, leaving behind only a lingering trace of his presence.

Lin An watched the direction he had gone, his expression cold.

"Looks like it's time to get rid of him."

He took a bag from beneath his cloak and stored all the werewolves inside. The bag had been enchanted with an Expansion Charm and could hold a hundred items.

Then he inserted his wand into the bag's opening and said softly:

"Summon Roberti's hair."

A strand of black hair floated out of thin air and landed in his palm.

He began chanting a strange incantation, his movements like a dance. Then he took out white powder and blew on it gently.

The powder settled on the strand of hair. A black shadow slowly crawled out like a living thing, then vanished into the air.

It was a curse he had improved from Haitian voodoo rituals.

He had once stumbled into that land during an accident in a cross-dimensional experiment and witnessed the power of the Spirit Curse firsthand.

After that night, he had begun studying the structure of souls and curses.

Now, he had finally mastered the most primitive and cruel method—

Using bloodline as the guide and the heart as the sacrifice.

He murmured softly, "Tomorrow morning, they'll find you with terror on your face and an empty chest."

With that, he waved his wand and summoned powerful acid. The air filled with the smell of corrosion. The corpses and bloodstains dissolved quickly, leaving no trace behind.

Then he cast a Trace-Reversal Curse, ensuring that this valley could never be divined or restored.

Once everything was complete, the night grew deeper.

Lin An stood quietly amid the mountain wind, his black robe fluttering.

He looked into the distance, his gaze cold and severe—

"The first step toward the Philosopher's Stone is complete."