67 Letting Loose
The Room of Hidden Things had been thoroughly scoured, and its valuable contents were now meticulously sorted and stowed away in Lucas's expanded pouches. The normal furniture had been burned to ashes since he didn't need them. The once-cluttered room now lay bare, save for a solitary object that had eluded his Net of Neptune's grasp – the tarnished Diadem of Ravenclaw.
Lucas approached the discoloured tiara, studying it with curiosity clear in his eyes. Said to 'bestow' wisdom, he pondered. As if wisdom is something that can be bestowed upon one, rather than earned through lived experiences.
A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. If this relic truly held such great power, Voldemort would have undoubtedly made use of it himself, instead of discarding it here as a mere vessel for his soul.
Brushing aside any lingering doubts, Lucas focused his intent, summoning forth a small, unassuming box from one of his pouches. With a subtle wave of his hand, the box drifted towards him, its lid unlatching to reveal a vial filled with a viscous, emerald liquid – potent Basilisk venom.
The vial floated towards the Diadem, hovering mere inches above the tarnished metal. A single, brilliant drop of venom detached itself, falling upon the relic with a soft hiss.
Instantly, the Diadem reacted, with its surface sizzling and bubbling as the venom began to corrode the metal. Thick, acrid smoke billowed forth, filling the air with a burning stench that was purified by his Wristband of Air Purification. He took an instinctive step back, as a horrifying, banshee-like screech pierced the air.
The unearthly wail echoed through the chamber, resonating with the dark magic contained within the Horcrux. It was a sound filled with rage and despair, as if the very essence of Voldemort's fractured soul was crying out in agony. Lucas's jaw tightened, and his eyes narrowed against the onslaught of sound and smoke.
While the venom continued its destructive work, the Diadem's engravings began to glow with a sinister, pulsing red light. Then, one by one, the glowing lines darkened to a charred black as the metal warped and crumbled beneath the venom's potent effects. The screeching grew louder, more desperate, sending shivers down Lucas's spine until, with one final, echoing wail, the Horcrux's power was extinguished.
A satisfied smile curved Lucas's lips as he regarded the now-silent relic, its form little more than a twisted lump of corroded metal. With a casual flick of his wrist, the destroyed Diadem rose into the air before him, suspended by his will alone.
"The enchantments seem to have been destroyed as well," he murmured, his voice low and contemplative. Let's test something...
Focusing his intent, Lucas enveloped the ruined Diadem with his magic, his will bending and shaping the very fabric of reality. Instantly, dust-like particles from the ground began to swirl and merge around the twisted lump, reforming the sophisticated metalwork and delicate engravings with startling precision.
In the span of a single breath, the Diadem had been restored to its former glory, the metal gleaming as if newly forged.
Lucas regarded the repaired relic with a critical eye, and his brow wrinkled slightly. It's likely just normal metal now, any spells or enchantments placed upon it eradicated by the venom. A thoughtful hum escaped his lips. Well, I can always test it out later by placing it on the head of some creature or dark wizard and observe the effects.
Another casual gesture summoned forth one of his expanded pouches, its opening gaping wide to receive the Diadem. The relic drifted inside, disappearing into the pouch's depths, before the opening sealed itself once more.
Turning his attention to the Room of Requirement itself, Lucas allowed his gaze to sweep over the now-vacant chamber, as he contemplated the opportunities of the RoR. The Room is indeed powerful, able to conjure up whatever is desired – rooms, passageways, even training equipment and books.
His eyes narrowed slightly as a new thought took shape. But what of the Vivarium? In the game, it was an outdoor area housing magical beasts, a variation of this very Room. Tilting his chin up, he regarded the arched ceiling overhead with an expression of intense focus.
Let's see if the Room can recreate such an environment in this reality.
Closing his eyes, Lucas focused his intent, his will reaching out towards the Room. Gradually, he envisioned the Forest Vivarium taking shape – grassy clearings, towering trees, perhaps even a trickling stream or two.
The air around him seemed to shiver and distort, the faint sound of shifting stone filling his ears. When he opened his eyes once more, the Room of Hidden Things had been utterly transformed.
Gone were the walls and arched ceiling, replaced by a vast, open area that stretched out as far as the eye could see. Lush grass carpeted the ground beneath his feet, swaying gently in an unseen breeze. Towering trees ringed the grassy clearing, and their branches were heavy with verdant foliage that rustled and whispered in that same, invisible wind.
Lucas pivoted slowly, taking in the sights and sounds of the Vivarium with a sense of wonder. Extraordinary, he thought, unable to keep the awe from his mental voice. To think the Room is capable of such feats...
Inhaling deeply, he caught the rich, earthy scents of loam and vegetation, mingled with the crisp freshness of untamed nature. It was as if he had stepped out of the castle entirely and into the untamed wilds of the Forbidden Forest itself.
Shaking his head, mostly in awe, Lucas began to move with footsteps that were whisper-soft against the lush grass. The Room of Requirement is indeed powerful, far beyond what I had initially anticipated, he mused, emerald eyes scanning the treeline as he ventured deeper into the Vivarium. And I still have so much to learn about magic.
He continued his exploration, walking between the towering trunks and ducking beneath low-hanging branches, ever vigilant for any sign of the magical beasts that were supposed to dwell within the Vivarium. Yet, as the minutes stretched on, the forest remained eerily still and silent, devoid of any fauna, magical or otherwise.
Eventually, Lucas found himself in another small clearing, the grass moving gently in the breeze. Pausing, he tilted his head back, allowing the filtered sunlight to play across his features as he considered his next move.
Most likely, when the Protagonist graduated, they took any beasts they had stored here and relocated them elsewhere, he concluded. Perhaps into some kind of expanded space, similar to Newt Scamander's suitcase.
Lowering his gaze, he swept it over the Vivarium once more with a contemplative expression. Still, even without any creatures present, this environment could prove useful for future training or experimentation. A controlled, isolated space in which to hone my skills without risk of disruption or prying eyes.
The grassy clearing faded first, the towering trees withering and dissolving into nothingness as the Forest Vivarium melted away. The very environment distorted around Lucas in flowing waves. He exhaled, a casual exertion of his will requesting the Room of Requirement to become the Coastal Vivarium.
In the blink of an eye, the transformation was complete. The cool, salty tang of ocean air caressed his face as Lucas surveyed his new surroundings – a vast stretch of golden sand spread out before him, bordered by craggy bluffs that rose up like ancient sentinels. Perfect for testing the full extent of his fire manipulation abilities without risk of causing undue damage.
Lucas's boots sank into the yielding sand with each step towards the shoreline. Focusing his will, he channelled a portion of his will into the Misty Breeze visualization. An obscure veil of mist formed around his body, absorbing and dissipating any stray heat or flames that dared to stray too close.
With the protective spell in place, Lucas's thoughts turned inward, evaluating his current level of mastery over the elemental forces of fire. While he could effortlessly manifest and maintain intense conflagrations, pushing beyond those limits had always required more focused effort – a strain on both his physical and mental fortitude. But with the Elemental Sphere at his disposal, those boundaries could be shattered.
The flawless orb seemed to hum with latent power as Lucas withdrew it from the depths of his expanded pouch, cradling it in his upturned palms. He could feel its amplifying resonance pulsing against his skin.
Closing his eyes, Lucas allowed himself to sink into the tranquil depths of his Vast Sea mindscape, that endless calm ocean. Here, amidst the solitude of his inner world, he could focus his intent with absolute clarity, shaping and moulding his magic to his will.
The ocean began warming up with the essence of flame before his mind's eye, and a flickering crimson sphere formed within that danced and swayed with hypnotic grace. With a casual exertion, Lucas willed that miniature conflagration into existence above his outstretched palm, the air around it shining and wavering with radiant heat.
"Around 600 degrees Celsius," he murmured aloud, regarding the modest fireball with a critical eye. Sufficient to ignite most flammable materials and cause severe burns, but hardly pushing the limits of his abilities.
A series of simple objects – a copper rod, steel ingot, and chunk of granite – materialized at his mental command through the Room of Requirement, neatly arranged within a small ceramic crucible. With a sharp gesture, Lucas levitated the makeshift testing rig closer, allowing the fireball's intense heat to wash over the various materials.
As expected, the copper swiftly softened and slumped into a glistening puddle, rapidly followed by the steel ingot melting into a molten pool. But the granite remained stubbornly solid, its melting point still well beyond the fireball's current intensity.
With a casual flex of his Will, Lucas poured more power into the blaze, rapidly escalating its temperature until it swelled larger than his own body. "1600 degrees Celsius," he stated evenly, sweat just beginning to bead across his brow as the roar of the inferno filled his ears. "Sufficient to begin deforming granite."
True to his assessment, the granite chunk began to soften and slump, its surface glowing cherry-red as it teetered on the verge of liquefaction. But Lucas knew he could push his abilities even further without supernatural aid.
A focused snarl of determination etched harsh lines around Lucas's clenched jaw as he gathered the full force of his Will. Within his mindscape's tranquil ocean, the sun blazed with amplified radiance, its rays penetrating the depths to steadily warm the placid waters. The crimson sphere of flame burning beneath the surface swelled brighter, compressing down into a chaotic orb of brilliant plasma as the temperature climbed relentlessly.
In the outside world, the fireball pulsed and swelled in response, compressing down into a hyper-dense sphere that blazed with the fury of a newborn star, its intense heat causing the very air to distort.
Maintaining the inferno with relative ease, Lucas carefully took note of its searing intensity at around 1900 degrees, perspiration only beginning to stream down his face as the strain took hold. While releasing these kinds of temperatures for just an instant as a focused Fire Beam attack would be relatively easy, this test was about seeing the maximum temperature he could actually sustain over a prolonged period. He had pushed the limits of his unaided fire abilities to their utmost extremes, the data gathered invaluable for quantifying his current mastery.
But to see his true fire magic combat prowess, he would need to call upon the amplifying power of the Elemental Sphere. Cradling the flawless orb in his upturned palms once more, Lucas channelled the raw essence of flame through the Sphere's resonant frequencies.
When he opened his eyes, the Sphere blazed with brilliant inner light, shining with heat haze as Lucas effortlessly contained its amplified power. With a casual exertion of his will, a portion of the Sphere's magic gathered before him, rapidly taking the form of a rotating vortex of bright plasma.
The inferno blazed with searing radiance, the surrounding beach already beginning to vitrify beneath the onslaught as Lucas noted its amplified intensity. "1200 degrees Celsius," he stated evenly, his breathing still steady and controlled. "A considerable boost to my starting output."
Pouring more of his will into the raging blaze, Lucas forced the vortex to intensify further, rapidly escalating towards temperatures capable of reducing organic material to ash within seconds. The effort was noticeable now, sweat beading along his brow as he focused his intent.
"3200 degrees Celsius!" His voice remained level, though his breathing was becoming strenuous as the vortex achieved combat-viable intensities, the air around the inferno wavering like a mirage born of the desert's scorching heat.
Unprotected flesh and bone would vaporize almost instantly under such tremendous heat. Yet this staggering destructive power was only a stepping stone. The Elemental Sphere's true potential remained untapped.
Jaw clenched with monumental effort and sweat streaming down his face, Lucas pushed the vortex towards its utmost limits, channelling every last ounce of his Will into the raging inferno.
The sand began to vaporize instantly, transforming into an ionized plasma that glowed with searing brilliance, though the area around him remained unaffected thanks to the protective Misty Breeze visualization.
"5000 degrees Celsius!" His shout reverberated across the newly-formed plasma field as the vortex achieved its utmost extreme – the absolute apex of what the Elemental Sphere could amplify his fire mastery to achieve and sustain.
The air around the inferno shimmered and wavered violently, the surrounding cliffs beginning to glow cherry-red as their very substance softened and sloughed away in rivulets of molten stone. A powerful shockwave expanded outwards, the rapid expansion of superheated air and vaporized sand causing a destructive blast that would have levelled any structures in the vicinity.
For a breathless eternity, Lucas held the raging plasma vortex at bay through sheer force of will to take in every scrap of invaluable data while the Misty Breeze shielded him from the searing temperatures and his shield diverted the explosive forces.
Then, with a focused exhalation, he released his grip on the inferno, allowing it to rapidly dissipate. The cliffs ceased their eerie, molten glow as the ambient temperature plummeted, the vaporized sand condensing and settling back to the ground as fine particulate laced with unknown compounds formed by the extreme conditions.
Staggering slightly from the immense exertion, Lucas sank to one knee, cradling the Elemental Sphere against his chest as he caught his breath, sweat glistening on his brow. The area around him was a scorched, vitrified wasteland, the sand transformed into obsidian glass that still radiated residual heat.
The data he had gathered was invaluable, quantifying his fire abilities in precise, measurable terms across a vast range of temperatures – a necessary step towards achieving true mastery over the flames, with or without the aid of the Elemental Sphere's amplification. And with that knowledge firmly in hand, he could begin exploring the other elements with a similar degree of scientific rigor and control.
