I Am... Salazar Slytherin!

Tom floated in the void, wandering in the boundless illusion, searching for anything alive.

But nothing was found.

Utter darkness.

Utter silence.

Utter peace and tranquility.

His body was gone, his magic was gone, even his five senses... had vanished without a trace.

This must be death!

Is this the afterlife?

Tom was unaware that time seemed to be overlapped, stretched, and then shortened.

He had no sense of direction in this place, and he didn't even know how much time had passed.

Ten seconds?

Ten days?

ten years?

Tom wandered like a ghost, not knowing how much time had passed, until it seemed as if an infinitely distant star system was exploding violently, and his memories began to surface.

Like a shockwave, it pierced through the vast void and rolled towards Tom.

In an instant, Tom regained his memories, and the painful sensation swept over his body.

Then came a dazzling, intense light.

Tom weakly opened his eyes, his body writhing in pain as the relentless piercing of his chest assaulted him.

Am I dead?

"Dead, but not completely dead." The aged voice echoed in the empty hall.

Tom jumped up, but the movement was too forceful, tearing open the wound on his chest, and blood dripped onto the table.

He let out a painful growl, but still forced himself to endure it. Unable to find his wand, he Wandless Magic, and a black light flew out.

But that power vanished before it even touched the old man, evaporating instantly like rainwater.

"Is this how you treat your savior, Tom?"

Tom didn't speak, but instead struggled to lift his head, only then realizing the source of the sound:

An old man stood beneath a rustic bookshelf, piled high like a mountain, forming an entire wall of books.

He was dressed like a priest, holding a yellowed parchment scroll in his left hand and rhythmically tapping the bookshelf with his right index finger.

There was also a cross, which was inserted into the book as a bookmark.

The old man didn't look at Tom, but pulled out the cross from the parchment and continued searching for books.

He walked up to a cabinet, and with his hands, he simply passed through the bulletproof glass case and took out the 1450 copy of the Giant Bible of Mainz.

Like the Gutenberg Bible, this is one of the museum's most prized possessions.

Tom didn't speak, but struggled to get up.

Not knowing the background of the person in front of him made him feel insecure.

"Moving around will only worsen your injuries."

The old man seemed to have eyes in the back of his head; without even looking up, he said:

"Saving you won't be easy. That sword pierced your heart, cutting it open, and the curse has also invaded your internal organs."

William was not only ruthless, but also very cautious. He waited a while to make sure you weren't faking your death before leaving.

Tsk tsk... Without me, you would surely be dead.

The old man seemed to admire William, but his tone also carried an inexplicable dislike for him.

Tom looked down at his chest, where the open wound was now covered in leaves and Potions.

These leaves... are familiar; they are the leaves of the Snakewood.

The leaves that Slytherin's Wand transform into possess powerful healing properties.

Despite his knowledge, he didn't recognize any of the other Potions.

But it was undoubtedly an item of the same level as the Snakewood; otherwise, it wouldn't have been enough to save his life.

A strange old man.

Tom neither thanked the other person nor asked why they had saved him.

He is skilled in conversation and will not easily relinquish the initiative.

Tom, instead, fell silent, turned his head and looked around, trying to confirm his location.

He found himself lying on a smooth table, surrounded by bookshelves.

The room's eight sides are made of marble of various colors, and there are two huge bronze goddess statues, each holding a torch of enlightenment.

The old man once again demonstrated his ability to "see behind one's back," whispering as he looked down and flipped through the book:

"The Capitol you destroyed is right next door; this is the Capitol Library."

Earlier tonight, William and his girlfriends sneaked into the Capitol from here.

You just don't know it.

If William were here, he would definitely regret it... It's a shame he didn't use such a great "view" to play basketball or Quidditch.

Tom raised an eyebrow, intrigued, and asked, "You can get into the Capitol from here?"

This was the first time he had pressed for an answer.

He couldn't help it; he was just too eager to know about William's situation.

This betrayal, in particular, left Tom extremely frustrated.

He, who considered himself a "genius," was not only deceived by William, but was deceived for four years.

It's like dating a girlfriend for four years, giving so much but getting nothing in return. Meanwhile, she's not only cheating on you with multiple women, but also keeping you as a backup option.

What's most hateful is that William deceived him and then betrayed him at the most crucial moment, breaking his heart completely...

Yes, literally.

This is even more humiliating than Voldemort himself being killed by the backlash of his own Killing Curse!

Utter disgrace!

"Of course you can, there's an underground passage." The old man chuckled, hinting meaningfully:

"William not only successfully broke through your blockade, but also located the Prehistoric Mysteries within the Capitol."

"What?! He found that power?!"

Tom struggled even harder, anger filling his chest as if it would set him on fire.

He blew up the Capitol, but still couldn't find that force.

Stark... why should they be allowed to?!

"That power is right there," the old man said, pointing to the window while holding the cross.

Tom turned his head and stared in disbelief.

In the distance, a tall obelisk shines with the most brilliant light in the night sky.

Tom finally understood where the intense light he had seen while unconscious came from!

But then, he found it hard to accept.

Tom muttered, "Not in the Capitol? How could that be?"

"Of course not," the old man murmured.

"The first light of dawn,

Mayflower,

Crossing the vast blue ocean.

The wand followed closely westward.

The Snakewood blossoms when it touches the ground.

The profound meaning sought

Long lost

Hidden in the land where the nation was founded.

He finally closed the book in his hand, put it back on the bookshelf, and said with some disappointment:

"The land of the Muggles refers to the land of the Muggle. They are the true rulers of this land, not the wizards."

That obelisk stands in the heart of Washington, D.C.., and Prehistoric Mysteries are certainly there as well.

Tom, you've misunderstood. You think it's the place where wizards establish the Magical Congress?

The old man scoffed, "Ha! A bunch of cowards who only dare to hide in the shadows, how can they bear the title of 'the land of the nation'?"

Tom was stunned.

Although in many speeches in the United States he told wizards how powerful Muggle were and that wizards should be wary.

But subconsciously, Tom still felt:

"Wizards are born noble and should rule the world, rule over the common Mudblood."

It was this very idea that led him to go to the wrong place.

"How did you know about this Prophecy?!" Tom didn't dwell on it too much, but instead asked this crucial question.

To prevent anyone else from seeing Slytherin's notes, he even destroyed them.

"My foolish descendants, that is what I wrote, leaving it to my successors."

As for my name...

An old man in an old robe stood with his hands behind his back, reminiscing about the past. His brows furrowed, as if he were recalling many heavy, unbearable memories.

Finally, filled with the vicissitudes of life, he Parseltongue:

"I am... Salazar Slytherin!"