Of course. With Voldemort's magical accomplishments and formidable strength, he must have encountered far more secrets than Gerald had.
Perhaps he had already come into contact with so-called gods.
But on the other side, Voldemort had also fallen into thought.
He did not know what the outside world was like now, or how many years had passed since he created this Horcrux.
But even before he prepared to make Ravenclaw's Diadem into a Horcrux, he had already been extremely powerful.
Back then, he had been confident he could defeat any wizard in the wizarding world except Dumbledore.
Even with Dumbledore, he believed that, given enough time and preparation, he would one day surpass that old man.
But while traveling in search of greater power, he had encountered an extremely ancient form of magic in the depths of Paracelsus's alchemical laboratory.
It was called ritual magic, supposedly passed down from remote antiquity, older even than Ancient Runes.
Legend said that specific rituals could communicate with gods, and even borrow their mighty power.
He had not really believed it at the time. To him, it was merely superstition born of ancient wizards' ignorance. The so-called gods were probably just powerful ancient wizards whom later generations had deified.
But he had tried it anyway. He never passed up anything that might make him stronger.
That time, he had actually sensed, however faintly, an immensely powerful surge of magical power pouring in from the void. That power had far exceeded his understanding.
Although he had forcibly terminated the ritual, the feeling of insignificance it had instilled deep within his soul remained vivid in his memory. He had even pondered it repeatedly for a long time afterward.
And now, although the person before him who called himself the Lord of Thunder fell far short of