"There is no doubt that he is a great person," seeing this, Dave said to Ryan next to him.
"Indeed, it's a pity that his descendants have taken the wrong path. My world's greatest enemy is one of them," Ryan sighed.
After a moment of silence, Dave and Ryan continued reading the great ideas left behind by Slytherin. Aside from his self-introduction, most of what he recorded was about his vision.
Slytherin believed that the innate magical abilities of wizards were far inferior to those of many magical creatures. However, through their intelligence, wizards developed structured magical practices and created various magical tools, ultimately becoming the dominant rulers of the magical world.
Yet, this advantage was not unique to wizards. Other intelligent beings, such as goblins and vampires, could also invest in magic and potentially rival wizards. Slytherin feared that one day, these magical creatures would learn to imitate wizards, gradually closing the gap between them. If they united against wizardkind, they could overthrow the established order. Given that magical creatures often possessed superior innate magical abilities, wizards might end up at a serious disadvantage, or even face extinction.
Competition for survival between species is ruthless. Slytherin did not believe that magical creatures would leave wizards any opportunity to recover if they ever gained dominance. Therefore, he proposed a radical idea—hybridizing wizards with certain magical creatures to enhance their magical capabilities. This, he believed, would compensate for wizards' innate deficiencies and ensure their continued supremacy.
The remainder of the records contained extensive documentation of Slytherin's own experiments. Dave skimmed through the numerous records and remarked, "There aren't that many experimental subjects, but each experiment was pushed to its absolute limits. If this man had chosen to be a scientist, he would have been an extraordinary one."
Ryan, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content, turned to Dave. "From a professional standpoint, what do these records describe?"
After carefully reading through them, Dave replied, "I can't believe someone came up with this a thousand years ago. You know I'm an expert in genetic modification. If you strip away the magical elements, this is essentially a primitive form of genetic engineering. He eventually abandoned his experiments because the mortality rate was too high."
Dave pointed to the final entry in the notes. "Look here—he used snakes as a primary focus in his experiments. Since he understood snakes best, he attempted to transfer their advantageous traits to humans. However, the genetic disparity between the two species made this extremely dangerous. The only confirmed successful result was inducing the growth of snake-like scales beneath human skin in vital areas as a form of protection. Other ideas, such as transplanting snake pupils to humans, were experimental and involved magical enhancements. He later warned that such transformations should only be attempted under safe conditions."
Ryan suddenly thought of Voldemort's snakelike appearance. It was clear that Voldemort had drawn inspiration from these records. However, unlike Slytherin, who approached the matter with scientific rigor, Voldemort had recklessly pursued power, ignoring warnings about the dangers of dark magic. By sheer magical prowess and perhaps a stroke of luck, he had survived his own modifications.
No wonder he had once told Dumbledore that he had undergone multiple dangerous transformations. From Slytherin's records, it was clear that surviving such modifications was nearly impossible. This suggested that Voldemort was, in a way, the "chosen one" of his era—his survival defied logic. Even his Horcruxes, which ensured resurrection, would not have protected him from botched experiments.
Ryan asked Dave to print out the entire document. Though he had no intention of transforming himself, Voldemort's failed example was enough of a warning. However, the knowledge within these notes—concerning souls, the body, life, and death—was immensely valuable. Ryan believed that studying them would deepen his understanding of life magic.
Dave, on the other hand, saw an opportunity to apply this knowledge to his field of study. He believed it could help in developing new plant varieties. The current methods of inducing plant mutations were reaching their limits, and the gene fusion techniques described in these notes provided fresh inspiration.
Ryan agreed to share the knowledge, as it posed no threat to his interests and could potentially help humanity survive. After all, wizards and humans alike were on the verge of extinction in this world, and any opportunity to strengthen their abilities was worth considering.
Dave had also grown more skilled at negotiation through his leadership experiences. He quickly proposed a trade—he would share his knowledge of computer science and artificial intelligence in exchange for access to Slytherin's notes.
After analyzing the contents, Ryan brought up the shortcomings he had encountered in his battle with the Basilisk. Specifically, his plants lacked armor-piercing abilities and antidote properties, which left him vulnerable.
Dave took his concerns seriously. "Zombies could also use toxic gases or develop thick-skinned variants. We need to research plants that can function in various environments to ensure we're not caught off guard."
Satisfied with their discussion, Ryan shared a meal with Dave before heading back to the Tim Hortons Grocery Store with a portable hard drive containing valuable computer science knowledge.
Once back, he spent 8 offset points to learn Dave's software programming skills. Then, he checked on his prized mutant dragon grass. It was still in dormancy, and its will communicated to him that it would emerge from its pod after absorbing its current growth energy.
Since it would remain dormant for a while longer, Ryan shrugged and returned to his dormitory. Luckily, no one was around; otherwise, it would have been difficult to explain why he was lying in bed for over an hour during the day.
With the Basilisk threat eliminated, Ryan felt a weight lift off his shoulders. In the original story, the victims had been fortunate to escape with only petrification. However, he had been constantly worried that his presence might trigger a butterfly effect, leading to unexpected casualties. If one of his classmates had died because of the Basilisk, he would have felt responsible.
Now that the danger was past, he could finally look forward to a relaxing Christmas holiday. Humming a cheerful tune, he left the dormitory in high spirits.
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