Chapter 112: Searching for Loot
Chapter 112: Searching for Loot
After waiting for over ten minutes, the absorption of the Mutated Fire Dragon Grass finally ended, and the Basilisk turned into a pile of bones. Liam put on his Dragonhide Gloves and picked up a piece of bone, only to find it much lighter than expected. With a slight squeeze, the bone crumbled into ashes.
The absorption was too thorough. After examining the Basilisk's skeleton and confirming there was nothing valuable left, Liam began to carefully check the condition of the Mutated Fire Dragon Grass.
From the outside, the Fire Dragon Grass looked almost unchanged, perhaps a bit greener. However, through the Mental Connection, the Fire Dragon Grass told Liam that it had undergone a complete transformation and would soon truly be born.
Born? Liam thought, then observed the Fire Dragon Grass again. He realized that the Pet Bond he had formed was not with the entire plant but with the football-sized fruit on the Dragonfruit.
It seemed he had been too tired and overlooked this detail. Clearly, he lacked experience and needed to be more cautious in the future.
Once the basement was mostly cleaned up, Liam recalled all the robots and sent them back to the Plants vs. Zombies World. He then returned the Mutated Fire Dragon Grass, which was reluctant to leave, to the emporium. Next, he began to explore the Chamber of Secrets.
According to legend, the Chamber of Secrets was initially used by Slytherin to study magic that the other founders opposed. If this were true, the Chamber might still contain other valuable items.
After all, the size and the elaborate decoration of the Chamber seemed too extravagant to serve merely as a Basilisk's lair.
As for the claim at Hogwarts that Slytherin kept the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets to purge Muggle-born wizards, Liam didn't believe a word of it.
The reasoning was simple: First, during the battle, Liam discovered that the Basilisk was a beast with only a bit of intelligence, acting primarily on instinct. In today's British Wizarding World, there are few true Pureblood wizards, even among those who claim to be. Liam doubted the Basilisk had the intelligence to make precise judgments.
Second, the Basilisk's abilities were not sufficient to completely cleanse Hogwarts. A few surprise attacks on students could prompt the school to close. If it were to launch a direct assault, the only opportunity would be during student gatherings, when professors are usually present. The Headmaster and professors of Hogwarts have always been powerful, and together, they could easily defeat a Basilisk.
So, what was the Basilisk really for? With this question in mind, Liam carefully examined every inch of the Chamber of Secrets, trying to find the answer.
After checking various parts of the Chamber and finding no issues, Liam turned his attention to the statue of Slytherin. He recited the Opening Spell and crawled into the open mouth of the statue.
The tunnel inside was dark and long, evoking a sense of fear as he walked through it. However, the tunnel was wide enough for an adult to walk upright.
After walking for several dozen meters, Liam saw a light ahead. Taking a few more steps and turning a right-angle corner, he found himself in a stone chamber. Several transparent crystals were embedded in the walls, allowing the light from the lake bottom to shine through. Additionally, a dim yellow glow emanated from above.
Using this light, Liam carefully examined the stone chamber. The space was roughly the size of a classroom, and apart from a burning oil lamp on the ceiling, it was completely empty.
Liam felt a bit disheartened, but then he suddenly snapped to attention: an oil lamp, how could there be an oil lamp in such a sealed space? And how could such a small oil lamp burn for so long?
Using the Hookshot to bring the oil lamp down, Liam discovered it was a simple bronze oil lamp with a silver Slytherin house symbol embedded on it.
Most importantly, the bronze lamp contained a silver oil bowl, the edges of which were engraved with two serpentine S's representing the initials of Salazar Slytherin. In the center of the oil bowl was a golden wick, and the flame was burning on the wick, though the bowl contained no fuel.
This must be the Eternal Flame, a spell that only the most powerful Wizards can cast, allowing the flame to burn eternally across time.
Thinking this, Liam hung the oil lamp back in its original position (it appeared to be something Salazar Slytherin had personally crafted for Hogwarts, bearing the Slytherin house symbol. Such a significant item belonged to the school, and taking it would be inappropriate. Besides, it offered no enhancement to one's abilities and couldn't be sold for money, so there was little point in keeping it). He then began to search the stone chamber inch by inch.
If there was something hidden in the Chamber of Secrets, it should be in this room. After all, if this were the case, the presence of the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets could be explained: it was a monster Salazar Slytherin had brought to guard the treasure.
After thoroughly searching the empty room and finding nothing but the oil lamp, Liam tried using Parseltongue to utter various requests. When he used Parseltongue to say "Reveal your secrets", the oil lamp suddenly increased in brightness several times, displaying a large amount of text on the walls and projecting a lifelike snake in one corner.
Is this the legacy of Slytherin? Liam didn't dare to delay, immediately entering the Plants vs. Zombies World to retrieve a film camera and rushing back to the room.
While taking photos, Liam realized the text was in Latin. Fortunately, he recognized Latin numerals, so he sorted the text by the Latin numerals at the beginning of each section and photographed everything.
After half an hour of two cycles and using several rolls of film, Liam confirmed that the legacy consisted of 186 pages. Unfortunately, he didn't recognize most of what was written, so he would have to find a way to decipher it later.
After confirming he hadn't missed anything, Liam tried using Parseltongue to say "Open" to the wall where the snake had been projected. A stone door appeared on the previously smooth wall, with a delicate bronze doorknob shaped like a snake.
Liam grabbed the doorknob and pulled, and the door opened easily, nearly causing him to lose his balance and fall. Despite the passage of a thousand years, everything in the Chamber of Secrets was still functioning under Salazar Slytherin's magical protection, a truly astonishing discovery.
Behind the door was a spiral staircase. Liam climbed the stairs for about ten minutes before stopping at a wall.
Using Parseltongue again, he said "Open", and the wall quickly slid aside, revealing a small door just large enough for one person to pass through. Peering through the door, Liam saw tapestries and burning torches on the walls of the corridor outside. It seemed he had returned to the castle.
(End of Chapter)
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