There truly was something wrong with Albus Dumbledore.
With so much already happening, Kai had refrained from going back to hibernation within Darcie's mind. Yet, he still couldn't use his Skills and Abilities in her form.
Darcie could, to an extent, sense Magic and its nature on other people.
But Dumbledore wasn't just any run-of-the-mill wizard. If he wanted to hide his magic, even Darcie wouldn't be able to see through it.
Skills and Abilities, though, were absolute.
The Systems worked on different and, perhaps, greater rules than the timelines.
So Black saw through what Darcie failed to see. He had been hiding in her shadow all this time, keeping an eye and ear on the conversation going on as she slept.
Dumbledore and Madam Villanelle had been arguing over giving her an official post at Hogwarts to counter the witch sent by the Ministry.
Madam Villanelle had of course refused it outright, offering to take Darcie away from Hogwarts itself. However, the Headmaster rejected her, causing the reincarnated Witch of Endor to become furious.
It was when Dumbledore walked to Darcie that Black's eyes had gone wide, sending a chill running down his spine.
From the Shadow Space, Black had no way to observe the old wizard.
Moreover, the shadow cast by Darcie in the well-lit Hospital Wing was barely enough for him to put his ears against it. It was only when his gaze fell directly on the Headmaster that he saw the… changes about him.
During the Battle of Legends, in the earliest phase after the mass Apparation, Black had seen Dumbledore fighting against Ekrizdis.
At that time, as Black possessed Kai's all Skills and Abilities, he could sense Dumbledore's Mana.
It had been like seeing a globe of white light, shining brilliantly in the void. It had been a calm, foaming ocean at one time. At another time, it had felt like an afternoon sun. Then it had turned into a beacon, promising to guide all the lost.
Now, though, Dumbledore donned his Mana like the blackest cloak.
From head to toe, it felt like the Professor was on fire; a black fire, the tongue of flames lashing out in all directions.
The black Mana was so thick around him that, to Black, it looked impure, corrupt, and… ominous.
There was a thin layer of white Mana surrounding Dumbledore, too.
But it was buried so deep under the black Mana that you could barely see it.
The conversation between Dumbledore and Madam Villanelle hadn't mentioned it outright.
However, Black's mind was an AI, which had guessed, with a great probability, that the Professor had visited the Order of the Immortal Lotus in the last week.
By then it was clear to him that Dumbledore had gone through these changes after this visit.
Whatever happened to him there seemed to have toppled the very nature of Mana around him.
I am having a bad feeling about it all, Black thought with Calm. The Order… just what secrets are they hiding? To sway even Albus Dumbledore, of all, like this… I need to prepare for the worst. Sigh!
Suddenly, a notification popped up out of nowhere.
Not this again… Black's eyes narrowed.
…
[
Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn
Your Cosmic Authority of Outer One is manifesting into an Eldritch Title…
…
ERROR!
ERROR!!
ERROR!!!
…
Observing a discrepancy in the Contestant's Stats…
Retrying the Eldritch Title's manifestation in T-100 seconds…
100…
99…
…
]
…
Ever since Kai had orchestrated the third, and the last, lore of his Cosmic Authority, this notification had been popping up every 100 seconds.
At first, Kai had felt nothing but glee on seeing it.
An Eldritch Title wouldn't mean him instantly gaining enormous strength, he knew. However, it would have meant he at least had the authority of one.
However, no matter how much the Ad Infinitum churned its processors, it couldn't find the cause behind the so-called discrepancy.
As if this wasn't enough of a blow to his conscience, a bird had come flying, dropping Wanted Poster on his lip the next day.
Seven hundred million Berries…
Just how the news went out, and how much? For the Bounty to rise by this much, it surely meant that they had figured out him possessing a Reality Marble, no? Did everyone in the Primordial Tower know about this now?
Kai had made sure to not leave any Contestant alive in the current timeline, other than those who were confined to the Lesser Bounded Field within Darcie's suitcase.
Then how in the name of seven hells rumors spread out?!
Black held his head and rubbed his temples. I am missing many variables… he thought, shaking his head.
Then, as Darcie went back to sleep, he melted away as well.
It was time to get sorted out to a House, finally.
*
*
2 hours later,
The Entrance Hall
Hogwarts
The 1st years were gathered here, waiting for a staff member to appear and guide them through the details.
Too many things had happened since the Battle of Legends.
Not one piece of news was good or promised any hope.
The Dark Mark!
The return of the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!
Did the Dark Lord return or not?!
Gellert Grindelwald's prison escape!
The return of Lord of Azkaban, Ekrizdis!
Grindelwald's death at the hands of Professor Dumbledore!
What would happen next?! Would they be safe at Hogwarts?! Was there any place in this world that can still be called safe now?!!
Who was The Yellow Warlock?!!!!
Every morning and evening the Daily Prophet published a new article; a new assumption; a new prophecy.
The Ends of Time, some publishers said.
Lord of Azkaban - Dead or Alive? another commented, going into details.
Furious Parents - Should you attend School anymore? the article went. It was especially so with over a dozen Hogwarts students lying in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries in a permanent vegetative state.
From columns to full-length, front-page headlines, these questions and comments had raged themselves into the British Wizarding Community.
It wasn't only Britain, too. All over the world, wizards were migrating to just… nowhere.
It was like they were all fleeing from a ghost, but had no place to go or hide.
Then the tales began spreading like fire.
One after another, people began coming out, reporting disappearances.
The thing was, these disappearances weren't even recent but were spread across the last few months to a year. It was just no one had focused on them before because the disappeared ones weren't wizards.
Still, it didn't take time to see the pattern in these disappearances.
Panic did that to people.
If there was any solace in all this horrendous atmosphere, then it was in the fact that Professor Albus Dumbledore still lived.
**************
AN: Character Image of Dumbledore with transformed Mana is available on Patre0n
Over 60 Chapters ahead of Webnovel are on Patre0n, excluding exclusive Side Stories. With each Tier, you will get ALL Monthly Uploads as well. You can also access all the backlog chapters, with Images and Gifs, enriching your reading experience, while simultaneously supporting the work.
Link: https://www.patreon.com/c/droopyauthor
Link (if you would be kind enough to donate a hot coffee): https://ko-fi.com/droopyauthor
50 Power Stones: +1 Bonus Chapter and +1 Bonus Chapter for every 20 Power Stones above that