9 The Philosopher's Stone and the Magical Outbreak
I would first like to say that I have no problem with or hate any type of ethnicity or religion different from mine. What happens here is just a story, and any resemblance to our reality is not a mere coincidence.
Enjoy the more than 2500 words
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Chapter 8: The Philosopher's Stone and the Magical Outbreak
On the banks of the River Thames, a middle-aged man smoked a cigarette while a shipping container was placed on the back of his truck. While he was waiting, a man approached him and handed him a piece of paper and a pack of pound coins before leaving.
Seeing this, the man quickly counted it and then put the money away after taking a look at what was written. After reading, he threw away the cigarette and climbed into the truck.
After driving for a few hours, he arrived in front of an old abandoned warehouse, where a group of men wearing masks and carrying guns were waiting for him.
The man got out of the truck a little apprehensively but went towards what seemed to be the leader of the men. He looked and saw that none of them seemed to be moving and were just staring at the truck or looking in different directions, but he was too nervous to notice anything different.
The well-dressed old man in front of him was standing calmly, he was wearing a black suit with an overcoat, and his hair and beard were well-cut. While beside him, a suitcase was opened, revealing its interior, 5 kg of pure gold.
Looking at her, the driver swallowed nervously and spoke briefly as he handed over a key and picked up the suitcase.
- The package is in the truck.
- Hmm. Send my thanks to Mr. Tao
- ...
The driver simply picked up the suitcase and walked away. After walking a little further away, a car stopped next to him, and he got in before they left.
Seeing this, the man entered the shed and approached a boy who was drawing a complex and immense transmutation circle on the ground.
- Mr. Morgan, they're already gone.
- Confirm the merchandise and bring it in. Stephanos, I'm busy.
- Yes
Simon didn't take his eyes off the circle for a second while he was building it, he drew every rune and every little detail with as much care and attention as possible.
Meanwhile, Stephanos went to the container and went in to see the merchandise. Opening the doors, he saw several people huddled together in a corner. The smell of urine and sweat inside the container was nauseating, and he almost threw up.
- Although I already expect it, still...
Looking at the people, Stephanos didn't say a word to them, he just observed them for a while. They all had Asian ancestry, and from what they whispered, he realized that it was very similar to what the Chinatown merchants said, namely, that they were all Chinese who were smuggled to England.
Stephanos was not surprised by the fact that people were sold, this was nothing new for someone like him who was quite cultured and had a good understanding of how the world, both muggle and wizard, really worked. It hadn't even been 100 years since slavery was abolished in some countries, and even less in some African countries, where it was only abolished just over 10 years ago.
However, before he could close the doors again, his eyes locked on some small figures.
- Children? That...
Exiting the container and closing the doors, Stephanos began to hyperventilate before rushing to Simon.
- What's the problem? They don't comply with the agreement?
- No, they fulfilled their part, but
- What?
- There are children there, Simon. CHILDREN
Hearing Stephanos' shout, Simon also stopped drawing the transmutation circle for a moment before drawing it again.
- You're not going to do it, are you?
- I don't know, let me finish here first, and I'll respond soon.
Stephanos remained silent, watching Simon finish drawing the circle. It wasn't the first time he had seen him draw such things, but it was the first time he had seen him transmute the soil itself to create a transmutation circle.
Although Stephanos helped with every crazy thing Simon did, he still felt it was a price he could pay. Even though the guilt killed him, he convinced himself that he was ridding society of rotten people who destroyed it from within. Sure, they weren't all bad people, but for a chance to be a wizard, for a chance to see his daughter again, he would do anything.
But even the cruelest of animals have their weaknesses, and his were children, maybe that was why he never really tried to do anything against Simon even though he committed so many atrocities. Stephanos knew that he couldn't hurt Simon, and even if he could, he wouldn't.
But now, using children as material, he really didn't know if he could go on.
After Simon finished, he looked around, the circle was ready. It was a small, inverted pentagon within another inverted pentagon, with small circles joining its ends. They were inside a circle inside another enormous pentagon that was inside another circle, inside another pentagon inside another circle. In the places where the last pentagon met the circles, they had small circles drawn on them.
(Just see the image)
Simon stretched a little and snapped his fingers. Outside, the armed figures suddenly melted and turned into dust, they were just some statues made by him to convey a powerful image to his couriers and dispel any idiotic idea Tao Xing had of trying to rob him.
Of course, even if he came up with this idea and tried to do something, Simon still had confidence that he could kill everyone. Removing his gloves, Simon went over to a nearby table to eat a sandwich and drink some water.
- Simon...
- Yeah
Simon ate his sandwich silently as he thought. He needed a philosopher's stone to continue his plans, but... transmute children. Even though he had already transmuted and killed almost 300 people over 4 years, he didn't know if he could do it.
It had been 4 years since he left the orphanage and just over 10 years since he arrived in this world. Although a new life and a partial regression of his mentality made Simon less narcissistic and obsessed with control, he still remained a selfish person, and as time passed, he became much more decisive and unscrupulous with the way he acted. With other human beings.
His only contact with other people was Stephanos, his butler-guinea pig and some small merchants that he visited from time to time to buy some things, after all, you cannot live isolated from society.
But even for him, the step of purchasing human beings was difficult, and he only continued because he had no better way to make a philosopher's stone without attracting too much attention. After all, these people are basically already dead, and the chances of them gaining freedom are almost nil.
Many would be sold to brothels around the world, or, worse, have their organs removed and sold to whoever would pay the most.
The world is much more cruel and dark than anyone can imagine. In fact, we only close our eyes to such atrocities.
He knows that regardless of whether he chooses to save the children or not, nothing will really change. At best, he'll give them a chance, but in this world, is that enough? If he knew a way to erase the memories of these children, he would do it, but unfortunately, he can't.
Looking at the huge circle while finishing his snack, Simon spoke with a serious and resolute expression.
- Bring the truck inside
- Simon...
- Do it, Stephanos.
- ... Yes
After finishing his snack, Simon got up and waited for Stephanos to bring the truck, which took no more than a few seconds. Stephanos parked next to the circle and looked at Simon, who, after a few seconds with his eyes closed, nodded. With shaking hands, Stephanos opened the container doors and began to usher people out.
Everyone looked dirty, hungry and quite scared. Looking at them, Simon felt guilty about what he was about to do, even more so when he looked at the children. He felt a tightness in his chest as he compared them to their siblings at the orphanage.
But it was only for a moment. Simon knew what needed to be done. Watching people look around and not really understanding why a little boy was looking at them. Simon just closed his eyes and put his hands on the floor
- Please forgive me, but it is a sacrifice that needs to be made.
Simon spoke quietly and started the process. Suddenly, small blue rays flashed, and the circle beneath people's feet began to glow.
- 那是什麼? (What's This?)
- 媽媽我很害怕 (Mom, I'm scared)
- 沒關係, 美美, 媽媽來了. (It's OK, Mei Mei, Mommy is here.)
- 請不要 (Please don't)
- 啊啊啊 (AAAA)
Stephanos saw a little girl hugging her mother as she cried, other people also started to scream as their bodies were disintegrated by the lightning that danced around them. Unable to bear it, he ended up collapsing on his knees and started crying.
- What have I done?
Simon didn't notice, and even if he did, he couldn't care less about his guinea pig butler. He began to sweat profusely as he manipulated the dystrophic energy into the circle; however, he could sense that something was wrong.
Looking at the people inside the circle agonizing in pain and seeing the children hugging their parents, he became even more angry with himself.
- I can't fail, not now. Come on, fuck
Simon forced out even more energy, and suddenly his body started to produce a strange energy that started to gather in his left eye. Suddenly he was able to somehow "see" the energy and where he should guide it, and so he did.
Meanwhile, at the Ministry of Magic, aurors were running back and forth as they began to apparate.
Fudge, the current minister, had a serious expression when listening to his secretary's
report.
- What do you think?
- I have no idea, sir, but it must have something to do with some dark wizard.
- Hmm. Send someone to get Moody back, something tells me we're going to need him.
- Sir, Moody is currently on the hunt for some Death Eaters who still support You-Know-Who at the behest of Mrs. Amelia.
- Buf, no matter where he is or at whose command he is. Although he is a paranoid nutcase, Moody is still one of the Aurors with the most knowledge and skill when dealing with dark wizards. Send him a message immediately, and I'll talk to Amelia later.
- Yes sir
Seeing the secretary leave, Fudge just lowered his head and continued to wait for reports on what was happening with this magical outbreak. He didn't even bother to go and personally investigate what was happening, after all, he was the minister, and he had more important things to do.
But thinking about the possible reactions to what he had just done, he immediately wrote a letter asking Dumbledore and Malfoy for help. Fudge was someone who loved power very much and had arrogance bigger than his stomach, but despite this, he had a cowardly nature.
It had only been a few months since he had assumed the role of Minister for Magic, so he was still somewhat restrained and depended heavily on the support of Dumbledore and Lucius Malfoy. However, in the years that would follow, he would become increasingly arrogant and would begin to disregard even Dumbledore, always being on guard against him, believing that he wished to usurp his position
Meanwhile, Simon continued transmuting the philosopher's stone. The bodies of people have long since disappeared, leaving only red souls screaming in agony.
Suddenly outside the warehouse about 500 meters away some aurors suddenly appeared one after another, when the first one was about to move forward he was held back by a colleague and turned towards him
- What happened?
- Don't you feel it?
- What?
- The magic, it...
- It's in complete chaos
Another auror spoke up as he looked at the warehouse in the distance. They didn't feel confident approaching the place and decided to wait a bit.
Inside, Simon finally managed to compress the souls in the center of the circle and begin to transmute them into a small jewel.
- Huff, huff. Finally.
Simon walked unsteadily to the spot and took the philosopher's stone in his hand. It looked like a small hexagonal prism that glowed a deep blood red.
- Stephanos, let's leave.
- ...
- Stephanos?
- What did you do, Simon?
- ...
- You are a monster.
- ...
- I... can't go with you anymore. Please let me in here.
Simon was tired and felt that soon someone might appear, so he was quick and decisive. Taking off a pair of gloves, he transmuted the ground, destroying the circle and turning it back to normal. Then he opened a secret passage that had already been prepared for a few weeks and approached Stephanos.
Looking at the boy getting closer, Stephanos imagined that he would soon be killed and just closed his eyes; however, what happened was that he found himself trapped in a cage.
- What is it?
- You're still my guinea pig Stephanos, don't think the 4 years we spent living together changed that. An abortion is still very useful to me so you're coming with me.
Dragging Stephanos' cage to the passageway, Simon entered and transmuted everything back to normal. Arriving at the end of the passage, which was 5 meters below ground, he touched a ready-made transmutation circle that generated a strong explosion on the surface.
The warehouse, along with the truck, was destroyed in a huge explosion, erasing any trace of the two who were there.
The aurors, who were observing the still chaotic space and magic in the place, saw the devastating explosion and quickly used magic to protect themselves. Looking at the place that was reduced to rubble, they looked at each other, but no one took a step towards the warehouse, they still felt how chaotic the energy was in that place.
The Aurors stayed away from the scene for a while until they heard the sound of sirens and saw a battalion of the fire brigade approaching the scene in an attempt to put out the fire. That was a sleepless night for many people
*****
Meanwhile, far away. In a magnificent and grand castle, located in a valley and surrounded by dense forests and majestic mountains somewhere in Scotland, a rather old-looking leather-bound book, which was located inside an ancient and locked tower, opened by itself while a feather came out of a small inkwell and started writing a name on the pages of the book: Simon Morgan
*****
I know I said I was going to work on my thesis, and I'm really doing that, but the fucking idea of writing this chapter has been bothering me and keeping me distracted all night. So I'm writing it now, this very morning, to give myself some relief, and I'm going to work on my thesis.
One more thing. I wanted to have Trelawney make a prophecy about the MC, but I'm out of ideas as to what that prophecy will be like since I've never written one. So I thought and decided that you were going to write to me, haha haha. Until next week, the best prophecy will be written into history. If there are no good prophecies, I'm just going to dismiss this idea, as it was something that came to me while I was writing my thesis, disturbing my thoughts. Damn, you have no idea how boring this is, it almost drove me crazy.
