vncnus Chapter 231 Control of Flames
Chapter 231 Control of Flames
Chapter 231 Control of Flames
The black stone platform behind the Serene Abode became Karen's new training ground. Night fell, starlight dappled the ground, and the evening breeze carried the scent of the distant Forbidden Forest. Karen stood in the center of the area, wand held high, completely focused. Castor stood a few meters away, supervising Karen's practice.
"Begin." Castor's voice was completely flat.
Karen took a deep breath, clearing his mind of distractions. The "river of thought" constructed by the Brain Closure Technique surged endlessly deep within his consciousness, washing away all unnecessary emotions. He focused his mind, magic surged, and the tip of his staff lightly touched the void in front of him.
puff!
A small, pale blue flame appeared in response, flickering and dancing a few inches in front of the staff tip. The moment it appeared, a primal, chaotic, faint thought filled with endless hunger and destructive desires violently crashed into Karen's consciousness through the magical connection.
"Sense it!" Castor's low shout exploded like thunder in my ears.
Without the slightest hesitation, Karen's pre-prepared Legilimency, like a resilient thread, precisely probed the core of the flame. Simultaneously, his "Eye of Truth" activated, and the azure flame disintegrated in his eyes into countless swirling energy particles representing pure destructive intent.
The moment they made contact, that "hunger" suddenly intensified! Like a newborn wild beast that only knows how to devour, it instinctively wanted to tear apart everything that came near!
"Stop!" Karen's will, like a cold anvil, slammed into the chaotic core of consciousness. It wasn't suppression, but a clear and unquestionable command.
The restless flames suddenly froze, as if the chaotic thoughts had been reined in by invisible bridles. Although they were still writhing "hungry," they no longer tried to spread disorderly or burn fiercely. They hovered quietly, their pale blue light stabilizing.
"Form," Castor commanded again.
Karen stirred his will, attempting to guide the bound destructive will. Under his guidance, the flame slowly stretched and deformed, transforming in a few seconds into a tiny, blurry firebird, no bigger than a palm. The bird flapped its wings, circling Karen's wand, its movements clumsy and far less agile than Castor's demonstration, but the destructive aura was indeed firmly locked within its small form.
"Very good." Castor's comments were still sparing, but a clear look of approval flashed in his eyes. "Continue to maintain the form and feel the flow of its internal will. Try to make it follow your will to complete simple flight path commands: straight line, then return."
Karen concentrated, his mind acting as a conductor's baton. Guided by his will, the firebird began to clumsily fly forward in a straight line, only to stiffly turn back after about three meters. Each time it changed direction, Karen could clearly "feel" the "resistance" and "discomfort" emanating from the chaotic consciousness at the firebird's core, as if forcibly turning back a toddler who had just learned to walk but wanted to run wildly.
"Control stems from depth of understanding. It's not just about giving commands, but about understanding why it 'wants' to move and why it 'resists'."
"Remember, when it's weak, you can naturally suppress it by force, but once it reaches a certain size, you can no longer suppress it. At that point, you will only be devoured by it. Many arrogant wizards have died in this way from the fiery flames they released." Castor's voice rang out at the right time.
In the days that followed, the stone platform became the arena for Karen's struggle against the will of fire. Day after day, from initially only being able to maintain a simple form for a few seconds, she progressed to being able to manipulate the flames into different forms, such as fire snakes and fire lizards performing more complex crawling maneuvers.
The coiling motion; from only being able to issue the most basic command like "still," to being able to command it to "circle," "rise," and "condense"—Karen's progress was nothing short of miraculous. His control over the small fiend was exceptionally smooth; the powerful mental strength derived from his talent, coupled with the willpower honed through the double tempering of brain occlusion and mind control, made him seem as if he were born with the ability to communicate with this chaotic consciousness.
At dinner, Nico listened to Castor's concise report on Karen's progress, his face bearing his usual gentle smile.
"As expected. Karen's soul essence, or rather his talent, possesses an extraordinary affinity and analytical ability for this type of 'stream of consciousness' energy." Nico sliced the roasted vegetables on his plate, his tone as calm as if discussing the weather. "From his ability to use the 'Eye of Truth' combined with Legilimency to probe Horcrux memory fragments, to his current ease in controlling the consciousness of the nascent Fiendfire, Karen, do you sense the commonality among them?"
Karen put down her knife and fork, deep in thought. "Is it 'understanding' and 'guidance' at the level of will, rather than simply suppressing power?"
“Absolutely correct.” Nico nodded approvingly. “Whether it’s the torn, corrupted fragments of soul within the Horcruxes, or the chaotic, primal will to destroy within the Fiendfire, they both represent an irrational, disordered state of energy. Forcibly crushing them with greater force is like smashing water with a giant hammer—the effect is limited and easily backfires. Your method—using Seeking Mind to ‘listen’ to its chaotic nature, using will to ‘communicate’ and ‘understand’ its operating logic, and then ‘guide’ it—is closer to the core of alchemy: understanding the nature of matter and then guiding it in the desired direction. Willpower is superior to brute force, and understanding precedes control.”
He picked up his glass, took a sip, and continued, "Interestingly, the process of 'salvaging' those chaotic memory fragments in your Horcrux research is essentially a dangerous 'communication' and 'information extraction' with the chaotic fragments of Voldemort's remaining will. This is highly similar in its mental approach to using willpower to communicate, soothe, and guide that chaotic destructive consciousness during your Fiendfyre training. Both are about playing a game with 'chaos,' only the objects and the degree of danger differ."
Karen seemed thoughtful. Indeed, the feeling of needing extreme concentration, precisely filtering out negative interference, and simultaneously stabilizing one's mental defenses when he cautiously probed the edge of the Horcrux with his consciousness, was strikingly similar to the feeling he had now when controlling the Fiend's consciousness—the need to constantly perceive the fluctuations of the flame's internal will and promptly fine-tune and guide it with his own will. Both were precise manipulations of will, both were direct dialogues with chaotic consciousness.
"I understand, Professor Nico." Karen's eyes gleamed with understanding. "It's more like a way of forging willpower, a universal technique for dealing with 'chaotic' energy."
“Exactly,” Nico smiled. “So don’t be surprised by your initial success with Fiendfire. It’s just a natural result of your talent and the groundwork you’ve laid in the right direction. Of course,” he changed the subject, looking at Castor, “the real test will come when the flame grows stronger and the mimicry within it becomes clearer and more powerful. Just as a stream is easy to dredge, a breached flood requires a stronger dam and more sophisticated channels.”
Karen nodded in understanding. He recalled the significant increase in consciousness he witnessed when Castor demonstrated the small flame transforming into a fire serpent.
At that moment, Karen remembered her sister and said, "By the way, Professor Nico, Professor Castor, there's something I'd like to tell you. It's about my sister, Lily."
He described in detail what he had observed at home: the unusually lush red rose in the garden that could weakly absorb and transform the magic of the soil and nourish the surrounding plants, and the fact that when Lily released her magic, her magic field seemed to resonate with the rose in some way.
Nico listened, his face showing great interest, but he maintained his scholarly, calm, and inquisitive expression. "Oh? A magical plant that autonomously absorbs, transforms, and feeds back into its environment? That's quite rare. What's more noteworthy is that Lily's magic field resonates with it, suggesting that her magic may possess a unique 'natural affinity' or 'life harmony' characteristic, very gentle, almost unconsciously influencing the surrounding environment."
He put down his knife and fork, tapping his fingers lightly on the table as he pondered. "Continue to observe, Karen. When you return for the holidays, collect some samples of that rose, including the soil around it. Also, record Lily's magical awakening. This innate, gentle magical quality has enormous potential if properly guided. Perhaps—" He glanced at Castor, who nodded slightly, "Beauxbatons' environment and teaching philosophy might be more suitable than Hogwarts for cultivating her talent in this area. Of course, that's a matter for later; it requires more observation and Lily's own willingness."
Karen kept Nico's words in mind. He hadn't expected that before he could even talk about the arrangements for Lily's schooling, Teacher Nico had already extracted the key points.
After dinner, Karen returned to his room. Several thick stacks of letters lay on his desk, sent by his roommates. He opened the top letter, from Wesley.
A large smiley face was drawn on the parchment, the handwriting somewhat messy but full of vitality:
Karen! How's France? Isn't alchemy awesome? I have good news! I wrote to the other team members about some improved tactics I'd come up with, and everyone's really interested, haha! Next semester's training volume is definitely going to be explosive, but it's worth it to beat Slytherin! Oh, right, next semester I'll be a junior, time to choose courses! Professor McGonagall's elective list is giving me a headache. Protecting magical creatures sounds exciting, but can we even touch dragons? Divination—Merlin's socks, I don't want to be staring at tea leaves all day! Arithmetic divination? What about you? You'll definitely choose all of them, right?
Also, I heard there will be a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor next semester. He shouldn't be any worse than Quirrell!
A crooked, wandering ball was drawn in the back.
Karen smiled, able to picture Wesley scratching his head in frustration as he chose his courses. However, if the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor next semester was still the same as in the original story, he might not necessarily be any better than Quirrell.
He then opened Fabian's letter; the handwriting was neat and clear:
Karen, Greetings. I hope your studies with Master Nicolas Flamel go smoothly. I'm still helping out at my father's dental clinic, and I'm currently very interested in the differences between Muggle and magical medicine. Next semester, I plan to take Muggle Studies to gain a more systematic understanding of their technological and medical developments. I'm also very interested in protecting magical creatures; perhaps I can find some even more interesting ones. What about you? Have you decided on your courses yet? I look forward to your insights. Also, the moonlilies in the garden are growing well and have already formed their first bud.
It was accompanied by a small piece of dried water lily leaf with visible silver veins.
Ernesto's letter carries a languid complaint, but a desire to share is also hidden between the lines:
Karen, it's like we're meeting in person. I hope France isn't as boring as the observatory in Norway where my family lives. After leaving the space observatory, my old man dragged me to Norway to see the damn aurora borealis. It was beautiful, but a whole week! In an igloo at minus twenty degrees Celsius! With that brass telescope that's older than my great-grandfather! By Merlin's name, I felt like my eyelashes were going to freeze off! The only good thing was that I took some decent photos of nebulae (I used a Muggle camera and developing solution this time, and the results were surprisingly good; I've attached one for you).
Then there's course selection for next semester. I'm definitely taking Ancient Runes—it's a family requirement—and (a small patch of writing was crossed out, it seems something was originally written and then crossed out) it does seem quite interesting. Arithmetic sounds more reliable than Rilauni's system? At least there's a formula. Muggle research, I wonder what that's like? Protecting magical creatures? Maybe I could get some rare potion ingredients.
On the back of the letter is a deep and magnificent picture of a nebula.
Looking at his roommates' letters, Karen's lips unconsciously curled into a smile. The passion for Quidditch, the contemplation of interdisciplinary research, the clash between family expectations and personal interests—these were his friends. The topic of course selection was now officially on the agenda. All of them? He had indeed considered it, largely for the sake of the legendary Time-Turner. But Professor Nico's recent discussion about will and chaos made him somewhat hesitant about simply pursuing quantity over quality. Energy, after all, is finite.
It was another evening training session on the stone platform, and Karen began to challenge an even bigger "beast".
He waved his wand, and this time the Fiendfire that surged forth was no longer a small flame or the size of a palm. With Karen continuously channeling magic, a fiendish wolf, nearly as tall as a man, formed from ghostly blue flames before him! This mimicry was different from before. Previous transformations, like the firebird and fire serpent, were guided by Karen's will, but this one was truly chosen by the Fiendfire's own consciousness. The flames formed its fangs, claws, and burning mane with lifelike realism, and a ferocious "hunger" and "destruction" intent, ten times stronger than in any previous practice, surged into Karen's consciousness like boiling asphalt!
leaf!
As soon as the flame took shape, it let out a silent roar of the soul, instinctively wanting to break free of its restraints and rush toward the nearest "fuel"—Karen!
Karen groaned, feeling as if the threads of her will were looped around the neck of a raging bull! Her chaotic consciousness became thick, heavy, and filled with a violent struggle. It was no longer satisfied with simple commands; it craved to see burning! Devour!
Destroy everything! Karen's willpower was stretched to its limit, and his mental energy poured out like a flood, barely managing to restrain the fiery beast and stop it from frantically digging at the void, sending eerie blue sparks flying everywhere.
"Control it!" Castor's voice remained cold, but carried a hint of urging.
Karen gritted his teeth, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He tried issuing commands like "stop" or "circle," just as he had done with the little firebird before, but all he received in return was an even stronger struggle and a backlash. The fire wolf's consciousness was like boiling magma, his will threads submerged within it, as if they might melt at any moment!
For the first time, he truly understood what Castor meant by "easy to learn, difficult to master." Summoning the fire wolf wasn't too difficult for him. But controlling this beast, composed of pure destructive will, with ease, making it quiet, or making it act according to his will, became incredibly difficult.
Under immense pressure, Karen's mind was highly focused. He no longer tried to forcibly tighten the "reins," but instead recalled Nico's words—to understand its chaos and guide its torrent. He endured the searing pain of his consciousness, probing deeper into the boiling core of the Flame Wolf with his Mind Control Technique, to "listen" to the roaring essence of its endless "hunger" and "destructive desire." At the same time, the "river of thought" constructed by the Mind Control Technique surged ceaselessly, continuously washing away and diluting the shock and confusion he had experienced.
"Guide—" A thought flashed through Karen's mind. He no longer commanded the fire wolf to "still," but instead tried to guide the violent destructive desire, like guiding a flood that had broken its banks.
"Left!" His will was no longer a tightening rope, but a guiding dam, directing the boiling torrent of destruction to the open space on the left.
boom!
The fire wolf lunged to the left, its claws carving three deep, charred gashes into the black stone on the ground! Although its movements were wild and uncontrollable, at least it was heading in the right direction!
"Rotate!" Karen guided again, and the dam of will instantly changed direction.
The Flame Wolf, propelled by immense inertia, barely managed to twist its body, tracing a crooked arc and sending up a scorching wave of air.
It continued to roar and struggle, but that violent power was gradually being incorporated into the "river channel" constructed by Karen's will.
This process was extremely exhausting. Each guidance was like steering a ship through raging stormy seas. When Karen finally managed to get the fire wolf to complete a somewhat clumsy figure-eight run within a ten-meter radius in front of him, his mental energy was almost completely depleted. He withdrew his wand, and the fire wolf let out a resentful howl before dissipating into specks of blue flame in the air.
Karen was panting heavily, his forehead soaked with sweat, and his face was somewhat pale. He looked at Castor.
"Barely acceptable." Castor's evaluation was still harsh. "Faced with a fully formed beast form, your willpower guidance was still stiff, inefficient, and too taxing. Remember, the core of communication and guidance is efficiency. Achieve the greatest control effect with the least amount of willpower consumption. Keep practicing, starting with the wolf, until it's like an extended arm of yours."
Karen wiped away his sweat, but his eyes shone even brighter. Though difficult, he had indeed brought the fiery beast, far larger than before, under control. Professor Nico was right: willpower trumps brute force, and the path to taming the flames of destruction had only just begun.