Once chaos erupted and the Dark Magic Mark appeared, Regulus Black's skeletal minions vanished without a trace.
The helpers Lucius Malfoy had brought along, seeing this turn of events, also took off their black robes and tall hats, blending into the crowd fleeing in panic.
With the phoenix secured, Regulus Black was also planning to slip away with the crowd.
But as he turned to leave, he realized he had overlooked something very important.
As someone who believed in "plucking every feather from a flying goose, skinning every beast that runs, and scraping the gold from a Buddha's face," he couldn't walk away without scouring the place thoroughly.
The residential area's wizards had all either fled or were gathered at the "Key Port" awaiting the distribution of Portkeys.
However, they were now scattered again, terrified by Regulus Black's skill, [Fearful Phantasm].
But there was one place completely devoid of wizards—the Quidditch pitch where the match had just taken place.
The entire field covered an enormous area. It was a massive egg-shaped crater carved into the hilltop and had been reinforced with spells from the Ministry of Magic.
In Regulus Black's eyes, it was already a semi-finished magical artifact.
It only lacked the final step to become a highly useful magical tool—or perhaps even a temple-like protective talisman.
As he passed through the residential area, Regulus Black casually took many tents from the noble district. These were enchanted and counted as extra loot.
"Hm! The Malfoy estate is still here, and he didn't even take the white peacock. In that case, I'll gladly accept it."
Unexpectedly, Lucius Malfoy, in order to avoid suspicion, had been willing to abandon the white peacock he had just acquired.
The entire noble section of the residential area was promptly cleaned out by Regulus Black. He even took with him the unburnt tents from the commoners' section. They might not have held much wealth, but there was certainly some value in them.
Regulus Black entered the passage leading to the stadium. A flash of silver flame later, he arrived at the center of the pitch. He looked around—it was completely deserted.
All the wizards were either still running around in panic outside or were members of the Ministry handling the aftermath.
The stadium had become a blind spot for now. No one would disturb him for the time being.
Still, Regulus Black remained cautious. A flash of silver light spread outward from his body as silver threads, like those cast by the Patronus Charm, extended outward like spider silk. No spell could escape this level of fine detection.
Once he confirmed there was indeed no one else around, Regulus Black took out one of his talismans:
[Voldemort Soul Fragment Gem]
Variants: Crimson Nightmare, Golden Memory, Azure Remains
Grants various bonuses when kept in the inventory
Can embed soul fragments from demonic creatures
Allows the offering of soul fragments to summon demonic power
Enables the summoning of the follower [Voldemort] using soul fragments
+7% increase to Soul Stones with each fusion of another soul
77% chance to obtain additional magical items
77% chance to obtain additional magical creatures
Note: This gem can multiply continuously through soul fragment fusion.
According to the attributes Regulus Black had set, this was a soul gem capable of indefinite reproduction.
It came in three variants: Crimson Nightmare, Golden Memory, and Azure Remains. The design was inspired by soul gems from the Diablo game series—treasures used to seal away powerful demons from hell.
These gems could embed soul fragments from demonized creatures. The Crimson Nightmare Witch Convent, for example, was crafted by embedding such a gem into the corpse of a unicorn, creating a talisman akin to a sacred temple.
They could also be used to offer soul fragments and summon demonic power. In this context, that power stemmed from Voldemort's immense magical energy. Though this ability was more useful to others, Regulus Black personally had little need for it.
More importantly, they could be used to summon a follower: [Voldemort]. Each of the three gem variants contained fragments of Voldemort's consciousness. This concept was inspired by another version of the Diablo game, where collecting soul fragments allowed players to summon demons, angels, or even heroic humans as their loyal minions.
The red nightmare soulstone had already been used to create the Scarlet Nightmare Witch Monastery.
The golden memory soulstone had been used to forge the Golden Memory Dragon Egg Sanctuary.
Regulus Black had no intention of digging them back up for reuse.
The only one still available for use was the blue spirit remains.
This arena had just hosted a Quidditch match and was filled with a joyful atmosphere and fond memories, making the golden memory soulstone the appropriate choice for refinement.
If this were a massacre site or an ancient battlefield, then the blue spirit remains would have been more suitable.
But for now, he could only make do. Fortunately, the surrounding wizards had been thoroughly frightened—perhaps their fear could be of use.
Regulus Black took out the soul gem of the blue spirit remains. The gem was over nine meters tall, shaped like an olive pit, with a deep blue transparent hue. At its center was a similarly shaped soulstone of blue spirit remains, less than a centimeter long.
The refinement began. The surface of the soul gem melted like ice water, and blue liquid flowed along the previously laid silver threads. The intertwining of silver and blue formed the veins and arteries of the arena.
Regulus Black then brought out all the tents he had previously collected. Each of them had been enchanted by their owners with various space-expanding spells.
The Undetectable Extension Charm was merely the foundation for tent-making. To ensure comfort inside, many subtle magical adjustments were required. Fortunately, all of these spells now became assets, sparing Regulus Black from having to cast a large number of incantations himself.
For the rest, Regulus Black only needed to fine-tune the details.
The tents were completely dismantled, and the magical energy and enchantments within them visibly flowed out. They reassembled into a massive thirteen-layer concentric magic array, centered around the blue spirit remains gem.
This array permeated the entire arena, lifting and separating it from the surrounding land. It became the skeleton and flesh of the structure—like the shell of an egg.
There was still one last piece missing: the soul. As a talisman of the temple type, it could not be complete without a soul.
In the Black Lake Temple of Soul Elixirs, Dementors hovered above, and Inferi lurked below—both serving as the soul manifestations of the talisman.
The Scarlet Nightmare Witch Monastery had a nightmare formed from a deceased unicorn as the vessel for the talisman's soul.
The Golden Memory Dragon Egg Sanctuary went even further by using an unborn dragon embryo as its soul component.
So what should be used for this arena?
One magical creature after another flashed through Regulus Black's mind—but distant waters couldn't quench present thirst.
The Triple-Legged Sacred Golden Toad of the Black Lotus Flame and the Cornwall Elf Spirit Lamp were suitable choices, but using already-formed talismans to create a new one was simply too extravagant. It would also strip the originals of their inherent attributes.
That left only one optimal soul structure: Lucius Malfoy's white peacock.
Far away at home, Lucius Malfoy suddenly felt a pang in his heart, as if he had forgotten something—or was about to lose something.
After all, he had just incited a terrifying riot, put on a grand performance, and made a clean escape. Why would he feel this way?
Regulus Black summoned the white peacock. With a single spell, the bird opened its beak wide like a divine beast devouring the heavens and began inhaling. The entire arena turned into shimmering silver-blue particles, flowing into the peacock's mouth.
As the peacock devoured more and more, this ordinary white mutated peacock—technically not even a magical creature—transformed into an entirely new type of magical beast, or rather, a temple-type talisman uniquely belonging to Regulus Black.
The dramatic transformation of the arena naturally drew a large number of Aurors to investigate. However, the spectacle was too overwhelming, and the magic at work too unknown. Without direct orders, no one dared to approach. They could only stand guard around the perimeter.
The white peacock was just about to finish consuming the last of the silver-blue particles. Next, Regulus Black would have to face the Ministry of Magic head-on.
"Let me think how I'm going to explain this to Fudge. The Ministry could use a scapegoat tonight. If I expose myself like this, there's a good chance I'll dig my own grave. It's better if the Ministry finds nothing at all."
Regulus Black activated his invisibility cloak, then used the skill Claystone Demon of the Magma Behemoth to break through the ground.
As the white peacock swallowed the final glimmer of light, it transformed into the talisman Silver-Blue Spirit Remains: Hall of the Heroic Peacock, and Regulus Black's figure vanished beneath the earth.
He escaped a thousand miles underground, leaving not a single trace behind.
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