Basil loosely gripped his wand. As his Magic Field began to rotate, he clearly and distinctly sensed the attention from the evil, corrupted magnetic field belonging to Voldemort on the back of Quirrell's head.
Haha! All according to plan!
This way, he could eliminate Lucius Malfoy without shedding blood.
Then save Draco Malfoy.
Narcissa would surely kneel in gratitude, right?
Take her under my... command!
Hmph hmph, hmph hmph haha, hmph hmph hahaha!
If anyone knew about this scene, knowledgeable wizards might ask:
Voldemort once claimed to be the greatest Legilimens.
As the name implies, he was the wizard most skilled at reading minds.
Conversely, his mental defense—Occlumency—was also incredibly powerful.
This power stemmed from the heart and willpower. Even if he was weak physically, this defense wouldn't diminish.
Occlumency masters could often reduce their presence by closing their minds.
In daily life, as long as they weren't in direct line of sight, their gaze and emotions wouldn't be detected.
Just like you wouldn't notice a speck of dust floating in the sunlight for no reason.
With a little training, they were first-class assassins.
Otherwise, Voldemort wouldn't dare come to Hogwarts.
If he weren't skilled at Occlumency...
The secrets deep in his mind—the secret of immortality he thought only he knew: Horcruxes...
And their locations and numbers... would all be read by Dumbledore, who was equally skilled at Legilimency.
Dumbledore wouldn't be thinking about capturing Voldemort.
Instead, at the Opening Feast, he wouldn't have been staring at Basil's butt; he would have been staring intently at the back of Quirrell's head.
So, even if Basil, with Mental Power infused into his Magic Field, could sense magnetic fields...
He shouldn't have been able to detect Voldemort's attention through this.
But he did.
And it all stemmed from Riddle's recommendation.
It was now October 9th.
After a few days, his Gem count was: 27,020.297 (+0.001/s).
So, even without a matching wand wood, it was time to manifest a new Wand Skin component.
It was merely 2000 Gems!
However, he didn't choose the [Time Wand].
This was Riddle's advice.
"My Lord, overly powerful forces will affect the Self."
"Just like [Dragon Knight] brought you King Arthur's demeanor and Red Dragon power, but also made your personality more extroverted and increased your territorial instincts."
"Don't you think you're too active in class? Given your personality, slacking off and chasing pretty girls would be more normal."
"Even for Gems, you wouldn't be this eager to show off."
"[Duelist Master] makes you skilled at dueling and increases creativity, but it also makes you more combative."
"[Extraordinary Guide] grants you the power of death, but it will make you lose reverence for life—both your own and others'."
"As for the [Time Wand], look at its description: 'Luxurious shaft paired with golden amber; look closely, and flowers seem forever frozen within. Its design incorporates the creator's feelings about time. Magic can make a flower never wilt, but the passage of time cannot be stopped.'"
"This is too vague. Although realizing it might give you the power to stop time, the description will change. But it mentions a 'creator.' I worry that this creator's understanding of time, attached to that dangerous temporal power, will affect you."
"The description for [Soul Messenger] is too dangerous: 'When you gaze outward through the clear crystal, it feels as though you can perceive the souls of other wizards. Perhaps, at the same time, your wand is gazing into your soul through it.'"
"An impure, influenced Self... I worry it will hinder you from becoming a Grand Wizard."
"I suggest you only touch these after you become a true Grand Wizard."
"Only a Self that strong can avoid these influences."
"Among the remaining [Wand Skins]... [Pink Umbrella] is too useless; it just adds an umbrella surface to block spells. And it clashes with Hagrid's style. Although it might inherit Half-Giant or Giant strength, it's not worth wasting Gems when you're short."
"[Thunder Feather Loop]: Judging by the pre-realization description, it increases casting speed. Realizing it might grant Thunderbird power. That is the power of a beast; it will likely affect your personality. Not recommended."
"Excluding the useless ones..."
"[Brewing Glory]: The design features a purple gem at the end like a potion bottle. It explicitly pays homage to Snape. Realization likely boosts Potions talent. Worth considering. Your [Plant Affinity] and [Potions Mastery] are both related to brewing."
"[Aromatic Feather]: Makes you happy and uplifted. Equivalent to a permanent, side-effect-free Cheering Charm. This has a positive effect on the mind and benefits your magical development."
"[New Green Kiss]: Look at the end of the description: 'Gently touching this sprouting new green, infinite love and expectation seem to well up in the heart.' This might allow you to touch the power of Love that Dumbledore praises so highly."
"[Electric Spin]: The design looks very high-tech. The description mentions 'Muggle lighting appliances.' It might reveal a new path combining technology and magic."
"[Peacock Feather Mystery]: Description: 'You will surely become the focus of attention in the crowd.' Obviously, it grants extraordinary charm. Not comparable to the Arthurian demeanor from [Dragon Knight]."
"[Dream Bubble]: This might involve the power of dreams and illusions."
"These are all good options to try."
"But I recommend these more: [Obsidian Shadow], [Mirror Heart], [Ember Heartfire], [Veritaserum Connoisseur] (Truth Appraisal), and [Serenity]."
"[Obsidian Shadow] keeps your heart filled with courage and calm."
"[Mirror Heart] ensures you aren't confused by illusions and your heart never loses its way."
"[Ember Heartfire] ensures the fire of fighting spirit in your heart never extinguishes."
"[Veritaserum Connoisseur] ensures you aren't deceived by lies and possess extraordinary insight."
"[Serenity]: Although it's only Purple quality in the game and can be bought with Gems, its description is very suitable. 'Lets your heart always have a place of tranquility.'"
"They all have positive effects on the mind. If you have enough Gems later, I suggest you realize all of them."
After listening to Riddle's advice...
Basil decided then and there to temporarily give up on [Time Wand] and other Skins with vague, overly dangerous descriptions.
Although he could travel to multiple worlds later...
And didn't necessarily have to follow the path of a Grand Wizard...
With thousands of worlds and various powers, he didn't need to stick to one path.
But Basil decided to play it safe.
Not being deceived by lies was the most important thing.
He also had reservations about the so-called "positive influences on the mind."
A true Self was the most important thing.
Finally, he chose [Veritaserum Connoisseur].
A Cedar wand with a potion bottle containing Veritaserum as the handle.
[Ding! Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Wand Wood Mismatch. Non-Cedar Wood detected. Spend 2000 Gems to Manifest?]
"Yes!"
[-2000]
After realization, the description of [Veritaserum Connoisseur] floated across his retina:
[Veritaserum Connoisseur]
Length: 10¾ Inches
Wood: Cedar
Core: Eternal Potion · Veritaserum (Extraordinary Match)
Active Effect: Open the cap at the end of the wand to consume Magic and continuously produce Veritaserum.
Passive Effect: Creatively using a potion as a core grants you the ability to perceive truth.
Passive Effect: Your spells cannot deceive; they embody Truth!
Passive Effect: Enemies hit by you cannot lie!
True Damage: +50%
Potions Proficiency (Veritaserum): Mastered
Intelligence: +10%
Insight: +10%
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