Hogwarts starts with stealing power.

The exploration time provided by the Radiant Candles far exceeded that of the methods previously used by the Ministry of Magic, allowing wizards to persist in the black fog for a full half hour.

This is just the effect of a glowing candle.

Candles are easy to carry, and when they are about to be lit, the wizard can take out a second candle and light it again.

Theoretically speaking, as long as the radiant candles don't go out, they can continue exploring in the black fog.

However, the reality is more complex than the theoretical one.

Because during the exploration, wizards may encounter attacks from creatures in the world of evil gods at any time, the radiant candles can only serve as a warning.

Once attacked, the glowing candle will burn even more energy.

Furthermore, if faced with a powerful attack, the Radiant Candle cannot help the wizard defend against or weaken the attack.

If the attack is so powerful that the Radiant Candle is extinguished instantly, the wizard will be buried in the black mist and die within a minute.

Therefore, even with the Radiant Candle, wizards remained cautious in their exploration of the world of evil gods, and dared not venture out rashly.

Even so, compared to the previous 10-minute round trip, each of them now carries three Radiant Candles when they go out to explore, and the exploration time has been increased to half an hour, which is still more than before.

The map drawn for the world of evil gods is being improved step by step during the exploration.

"boom!"

A wizard returned to the safe gathering point, and the black mist he carried was instantly burned in the bright environment, causing a wisp of smoke to rise from the wizard's body.

The wizard examined it carefully and found several black insects hiding in the coat.

Because the light from the glowing candles was limited, it could only illuminate the wizard's face and half of his body, leaving his back uncovered. The insects were hiding on his coat on his back.

The black insects were strangely shaped and already dead, but the wizard was still not satisfied. He plucked them off, pinched them a few times, and threw them into the bright flames to burn.

Soon after, the flames began to emit plumes of black smoke.

A wizard warned, "Everyone, check yourselves to see if you are carrying any black insects. Don't fall for their tricks."

"Although these insects have died here, if their corpses are left hidden on our clothes without further treatment, when we go out to explore again, their corpses will merge with the black mist of the evil god's world and be resurrected, or evolve into another, even more terrifying creature, greatly increasing the danger of our exposure."

"By the way, those insects also guide the creatures in the world of evil gods. For a while, those disgusting creatures specifically targeted and attacked wizards with insects on their bodies."

Upon hearing this, all the wizards examined the object carefully.

After more than ten minutes, once it was confirmed that there were no problems, one of the wizards stepped forward and shared what he had seen and heard during the past half hour of exploration.

"I discovered a small path, which seemed to be free of any creatures from the evil god's world lying in ambush. The radiant candles were not trembling frequently, and I arrived at a village without any trouble."

I wrote down the map and route, but I didn't enter the village.

With this wizard taking the lead, other wizards followed suit.

“My path leads to the forest of the evil god’s world. I only looked around the outside of the forest and didn’t dare to go in. The trees inside are a bit strange.”

"The path I explored was empty, and it will take a long time to continue exploring. I request more Radiant Candles."

In the world of evil gods, every wizard who enters becomes exceptionally united.

This world is dangerous. If they continue to scheme against each other in this world, the evil god world will teach them a painful lesson without even the wizards having to intervene.

Suddenly, a wizard's voice came over, and even the wizard's voice carried a strong sense of uncertainty.

"I think I've discovered a town, but I'm not sure. The scenery along the way is very similar to the descriptions of towns from the Ministry of Magic. I can see a watchtower in the distance."

"A town?" All the wizards asked in surprise and uncertainty.

Previously, their efficiency was too low, and they had only a superficial understanding of the world of evil gods, leaving them completely confused and unable to comprehend the purpose of the Ministry of Magic sending people to explore the world of evil gods.

This world has always been shrouded in mystery. Many wizards believe that only by sending out wizards with strong combat abilities to dispel the fog surrounding the world of evil gods will this world reveal its true nature.

However, thanks to the help of the Radiant Candles, the Ministry of Magic's explorations have been greatly advanced in the past few months.

Furthermore, the secret information obtained by the Ministry of Magic from an unknown source has fueled the wizards' even greater interest in exploring the world of evil gods.

The Ministry of Magic says that the towns in the world of evil gods are not just simple towns.

The town appears to be in complete chaos, ruled and colonized by an evil god, but in reality, there is a hidden force that can drive the evil god away.

The Ministry of Magic reportedly only recently learned of this news.

Rumor has it that the Ministry of Magic has sent elite wizards to investigate, and they have confirmed that a mysterious power is indeed hidden in the town.

The Ministry of Magic discovered this power, and as a result, liberated a town in the world of evil gods!
More specific information is beyond the reach of ordinary exploration wizards; only those recruited into elite teams can obtain more, but even that is limited.

One of the wizards said solemnly, "If we discover a town, it will be a great achievement for the wizarding world. Whether we explore it ourselves or report the news, we will receive a generous reward and may even be exempted from future exploration missions to the world of evil gods. What are your thoughts?"

This group of wizards, having been assigned to this gathering point, had tacitly formed a small team, working together in all directions.

If the gathering point is breached by the power of the evil god, these wizards will also find it difficult to survive.

After a moment of silence, one of the wizards spoke up: "Let's first verify if it really is a town. If it is, we must report it to the Ministry of Magic no matter what."

"With our current strength, we probably can't unleash the town's mysterious power. None of us know the Patronus Charm, and even if we really wanted to explore on our own, we'd have to ask the Ministry of Magic to send some wizards who know the Patronus Charm."

In the world of evil gods, the Guardian Charm remains an all-powerful spell, highly effective in expelling infected individuals and contaminants, and even works against evil gods.

Unfortunately, there are very few wizards who know the Guardian Charm, otherwise the exploration time could have been extended.

They had previously received instructions from the Ministry of Magic to report any towns they encountered, as this concerned the Ministry's plans within the world of evil gods.

So on that very day, the group of witches sent out several powerful wizards, who, with the remaining radiant candles, went to explore the path once more.

That same day, they confirmed that a town did indeed exist in that direction and immediately reported it to the Ministry of Magic.

Three hours later, the message was placed on Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore pondered for a moment, then sent a small team to investigate.

This squad consists of 5 people, all of whom are elite Aurors.

Unlike other teams, these five people all know the Guardian Spell and have also learned several sets of attack runes.

With their combined abilities, the five of them could briefly stand against the evil god.

Before they set off, Dumbledore gave them a pure white feather and instructed them:

"Once you enter the town, find a safe place to bury this feather in the soil before you go to investigate."

The five wizards said solemnly, "It is our honor to live, and we will absolutely complete the task you have entrusted to us!"

Dumbledore carefully instructed: "If you encounter danger and feel you cannot handle it, preserve your life. I will appear when necessary."

Upon hearing this, the five wizards felt a slight sense of relief.

Dumbledore's words reassured them.

Although this exploration mission looks very dangerous, I'm sure I won't lose my life.
-
Having discovered a new town in the world of evil gods, Dumbledore did not keep the news a secret but instead told Babling and Nico.

The three wizards were all very busy people and usually did not gather together in their true forms. They would send their clones to their meetings, and this time was no exception.

The information received by the clone can also be received by the real body simultaneously.

Upon learning of the new town, both Babulin, who was far away in the Enchanted Forest, and Nico, who was conducting research deep in the ocean, unanimously put aside their busy work and listened patiently.

Dumbledore: "I have sent a small team to explore and given them the boundaries."

Once they successfully enter the town and set up the boundary marker, I can use the marker to travel to the town if necessary.

It would take the evil god a few minutes to react, which would be enough time for me to do many things.

Babling raised an eyebrow and said with interest, "The towns we've discovered in the past have all been heavily colonized by evil gods. Our wizards have gone to explore them many times, alerting the evil ones and making those towns very wary, unable to release the power hidden within them."

Only by discovering other newly found towns, taking advantage of the slow communication between towns in the world of evil gods, can we catch them off guard and prevent them from knowing the size of the newly discovered towns.

Each town in the world of evil gods is relatively independent. Some towns are regarded as the evil gods' backyard and other evil gods are not allowed to go there.

Furthermore, evil gods are not good at uniting people; they only communicate on important matters and don't care about trivial ones.

Some of the lazier evil gods were not interested in invading the wizarding world, so the territories ruled by those evil gods had never even heard of the wizarding world.

The last time the Ministry of Magic was able to launch a surprise attack and take over a town, it was because they raided the home of an evil god who didn't care about worldly affairs.

Of course, the three of them also had their doubts. The city was liberated so easily because the ruling evil god was relatively weak, and they only needed Dumbledore to take it over.

The Ministry of Magic is now continuously investing resources in the development of that liberated town, intending to make it a long-term foothold.

Rather than letting evil gods sneak in through various cracks and invade silently, the wizarding world prefers to directly take over a town and develop its territory.

Dumbledore said, "Judging from the energy levels measured by wizards, this is a small town, and probably not ruled by any evil god."

Babling shook her head slightly: "The evil gods always say that wizards are treacherous and cunning, but I think it is they who are the ones who pretend."

We've cleaned up so many batches of contaminants, and we've seen many of them disguise their energy levels. I don't believe in evil gods, so I wouldn't disguise myself. Dumbledore, don't be fooled by the town's appearance.

Dumbledore pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "If I can take this town and unleash the power hidden within, I might be able to figure out a safe way to combine magic and the power of the evil god."

Merging the two forces is not difficult for advanced wizards.

The difficulty lies in the fact that the power of the evil god is too disordered and too advanced. It may seem to be fused well now, but one day it may suddenly rebel within the body.

Some high-ranking wizards in the wizarding world have been infected, largely due to the evil god power they had previously fused with causing trouble.

Of course, it's also because those wizards weren't powerful enough.

Even someone as powerful as Dumbledore wasn't worried about the backlash from the evil god's power; both forces were completely suppressed within him.

Nico suddenly said, "Cassio has provided us with many clues. If you unlock this town and understand a more advanced fusion method, let Cassio learn from you."

I tested the concentration of the evil god's power within him last time. If I don't intervene in time, his humanity will gradually be devoured by the evil god's power.

Babling bluntly stated, "The devouring of humanity is probably not solely due to the power of evil gods."

The power within a high-level wizard also undergoes a transformation; upon reaching a higher level, their inherent nature is gradually consumed by the higher-level magic.

Take these three people, for example. They appear to be plotting for the sake of human wizards in the wizarding world, but in reality, they are also seeking greater benefits.

If they completely align themselves with the world of evil gods, they can gain greater benefits and obtain what they desire.

Perhaps they have already become members of the evil god's side.

Nico said in a deep voice, "I think Cassio has some more important secrets he hasn't revealed. These are secrets that cannot be obtained with truth serum. They are secrets rooted in the depths of his soul. We must keep him alive."

Dumbledore didn't say much about it, only saying, "I'll think about it carefully."

As the meeting adjourned, Dumbledore's clone was the first to leave, followed by Nico's clone. Suddenly, Barbling, who was walking behind, spoke up and asked:
“Cassio is your great-great-great-great-grandson, isn’t he?”

Nico paused, a hint of melancholy flashing in his eyes.

"Blood ties are the pivotal element imprinted on the soul, which I cannot deny even if I want to. But I have been out of the public eye for many years and have no connection with the Lemaître family anymore."

Babling said calmly, "I checked and found that your lineage is sparsely populated. Cassio is the last descendant. In any case, let him leave behind a bloodline."

"Nicole, if you didn't have any bloodline remaining in the wizarding world, Dumbledore would trust you even less, because you could leave at any time."

Nico's expression turned serious. (End of Chapter)