Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

The instant the scroll opened, a clear coordinate simultaneously appeared in the minds of Regulus and Freya.

It appears directly in consciousness, without any acquisition process; it's as if it was always there, just activated.

There is no description of any geographical location, nor is there any indication of any sea area or island.

But once you know, you know. You know exactly where to go and what to look for when you get there.

The feeling was familiar, like the Mantra of Loyalty, like 12 Grimmauld Place, a place only those permitted to know could know.

Once you know it, it's etched into your consciousness, and it can't be taken away or spied on.

Regulus and Freya looked up at the same time and exchanged a glance.

Regulus knew that the answer might be there.

The location of that magic, the thing that made everything he had learned seem naive, the answer to the question Freya had asked, and the final opportunity to light up Betelgeuse.

He raised an eyebrow, and Freya nodded.

Go? Yes.

The ship turned and headed in that direction.

Freya beckoned Regulus into the cabin.

Pushing open the hatch, you'll find a small room with wooden bulkheads, light streaming through the portholes, a fixed table, and a few chairs.

A table was set with food: grilled fish, bread, cheese, fruit, and a pot of pumpkin juice.

Regulus glanced at it but didn't say anything. This was obviously all arranged in advance; otherwise, they could have waited until they returned to Scorched Stone Town to have their meal.

He walked over, sat down, picked up a piece of bread, and started eating.

Freya sat opposite him and also picked up her knife and fork.

The voyage lasted for some time. Regulus didn't calculate the exact duration, but he occasionally sensed the direction and knew that the ship was moving towards that coordinate.

When they returned to the deck, the environment had completely changed.

The sea, just the sea, nothing around it, no islands, no ships, no trace of human activity.

The sky was overcast, the clouds were low, and they blended into the sea in the distance, making it impossible to distinguish the boundary.

The ship is anchored here, like the only thing that exists between heaven and earth. The ship, which carries them, is very large, but here it seems very small.

This feeling is hard to describe; there's nothing to rely on, as if you could be swallowed up by this vast emptiness at any moment.

Regulus stood at the bow of the ship, looking down.

The seawater was very deep, so deep it was almost black, the kind of black that seeps up from very, very deep places. If you looked at it for a long time, you would feel like there was something watching you from below.

The information in my mind pointed to this location, but there was nothing around.

Regulus carefully examined the area, and the feeling in his heart confirmed that the location was correct.

As soon as the boat came to a stop, another piece of information came to my mind.

The Sleeping Abyss, this place is called the Sleeping Abyss.

Just like that coordinate, he suddenly knew it; it appeared directly in his consciousness, clear and certain.

Regulus and Freya lay on the bow of the ship, looking down.

Black, only black.

Regulus cast a flight spell, his body floated up, and he circled the ship once. Freya also mounted her broom and followed behind him.

They flew away into the distance, flew a few hundred meters, and then flew back.

Nothing was found: no trace of magic, no entrance, no barrier, nothing unusual.

There is magic in the air, magic in the sea, and it is no different from other places on Earth, but there is nowhere to enter.

The two returned to the bow of the ship, and Regulus silently recited those words: "Sleep in the abyss, the abyss..."

It must be underwater.

He looked down again, but there was still nothing there.

But once this thought arises in your mind, another piece of information emerges.

That's right, it's underwater.

Regulus looked at Freya, and Freya realized it almost at the same time; their eyes met.

Regulus's eyes asked, "Go down?"

Freya nodded and went downstairs.

No doubt about it, we're already here, but we need to prepare first.

The Bubble Head Spell caused transparent bubbles to spread from the heads of the two people, covering their entire heads, allowing them to breathe normally while keeping the seawater out.

The outer layer is covered with an Iron Armor Spell, and a semi-transparent barrier unfolds around the body, which can resist impacts and attacks and push open the seawater.

Add another layer of warmth spell; the deep sea is very cold, and body temperature is lost quickly.

Add another layer of pressure balancing spell. The deeper you dive, the greater the pressure. This spell can regulate the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the body and prevent damage to internal organs.

Regulus went through every spell he could think of. Wizards had long had mature methods for diving into the sea, and these spells had all been tested.

Once ready, the two exchanged a glance and simultaneously jumped into the sea, beginning their descent.

Within the first ten meters, the light was good enough to see plankton in the seawater, scattered like stars. A few silver fish swam past me, looked at me curiously, and then swam away.

Fifteen meters away, the light dimmed.

Twenty meters...

Suddenly, Regulus felt something on his body shatter.

The bubble of the Bubble Head Curse burst, and he instinctively held his breath, but then realized that the Bubble Head Curse had burst, but the Ironclad Curse was still there, and he hadn't swallowed any seawater.

But then, the Ironclad Curse shattered, the translucent barrier cracking like glass, its fragments dissipating into the seawater.

The warmth spell and the stress-balancing spell are both shattered.

Regulus's Ironclad Spell was far more powerful than that of an ordinary wizard, but it didn't last even a second longer.

Freya was in the same situation; both of them were left with only the most basic clothing, and all the spell effects had disappeared.

But Regulus didn't panic. He raised his wand and tried out the Transfiguration spell.

The seawater deforms, creating air.

The tip of the wand glowed, and the Transfiguration spell took effect, but no air appeared; the seawater remained seawater. The effect of the Transfiguration was suppressed or distorted by something.

He tried other spells.

The fluorescent light flickered, it lit up, and the levitation spell took effect.

He first tried to sense the space using Apparition. The spatial structure was still there, so he could teleport.

Freya tried it too.

She flashed and appeared to Regulus's right, then flashed again and appeared to his left.

The air bubbles left by the two Apparitions were filled with seawater, and the surging water made Regulus's body sway.

Regulus glared at her slightly, thinking, "What time is it and you're still playing?"

Freya pretended not to see it.

Then, almost simultaneously, they realized one thing: there was no sense of suffocation here as they had imagined.

At a depth of 20 meters, the water pressure isn't high, but even an average person can't hold their breath for very long.

But now, they don't make any breathing movements, and even when they deliberately hold their breath, they don't feel any lack of oxygen.

It's as if oxygen is automatically generated in the body, continuously.

Regulus sensed it carefully and confirmed it was true.

Blood is still circulating and oxygen is still being exchanged, but it doesn't need to go through the mouth or nose, just like the skin can directly absorb something from seawater, or the body has an independent circulatory system inside.

He looked at Freya, who clearly noticed him too. The two exchanged a glance and then sank down a little further.

It's still the same; I don't need to breathe.

In that case, we can continue diving.

Regulus then tried a few more spells unrelated to diving.

Guardian deity.

A silvery-white light surged from its chest, and the Starry Sky Kite spread its wings in the seawater, illuminating the surrounding area for several meters.

It looked somewhat curious, touching the seawater with its wings and then touching Regulus.

no problem.

Apparition is also available at any time.

The spells that were removed were those that helped with diving, but were unrelated or could be applied but whose main function was not diving; most of them were still usable.

However, even the universal defensive spell, the Ironclad Charm, was restricted.

Regulus didn't delve into the underlying principles; now wasn't the time, so the two continued their descent.

Thirty meters away, the light completely disappeared, leaving only a small gray-white patch in the distance overhead.

At a depth of forty meters, the seawater temperature plummeted, becoming icy cold.

Fifty meters, sixty meters.

The water pressure here was already very high. Regulus could feel his body being squeezed, his eardrums were slightly stinging, and his joints were a little stiff.

He used his magic to simulate the pressure within his body, and the feeling lessened somewhat.

Then, suddenly, everything changed, as if passing through an invisible barrier, and the pressure on my body vanished abruptly.

Instead, there is psychological oppression.

Absolute darkness, absolute silence.

The water pressure is still there, but it has transformed into something else: psychological pressure.

An invisible yet omnipresent oppression weighs on the mind and soul.

It was cold, vast, and the concept of time and space seemed to be distorted.

I can't tell how much time has passed, or where I am. It's like being thrown into the depths of space, with nothing around me but darkness and myself.

Regulus's mental defenses activated instantly.

As the Star Trail Meditation operates at full power, the fourth and a half stars of Orion illuminate the spiritual world, their cool and steady radiance shining in every corner.

The mental maze constructed by the brain-closure technique unfolds layer by layer, keeping all oppression out.

The pressure was still there, but he felt much more relaxed, which gave him the time to look at Freya.

Freya clearly felt the pressure; her brows furrowed slightly, her lips pressed together, but her gaze remained calm and composed.

She also looked at Regulus.

In the dark sea, Regulus saw a blue light flash in her eyes. The light was faint, but it was exceptionally clear in the darkness, like two burning stars.

The two nodded to each other and continued their descent.

Regulus still had the leisure to think about Freya.

Her previous behavior showed that she was unaware of the situation here, and that she was just as surprised as he was when the spells were broken.

But now it seems that even though she didn't know exactly what was there, she was still well-prepared to deal with this unknown situation.

The teachings from that person.

Regulus didn't think much of it and continued to increase the depth, the mental pressure becoming increasingly intense.

Regulus adjusted the density of his mental barrier, the levels of his brain-sealing technique, and his own way of perceiving this oppression.

His spirit was inherently strong and resilient; he adapted quickly, but the pressure grew even faster.

From easy, to not so easy, to somewhat strenuous, and finally completely beyond the limits of an ordinary wizard's endurance.

But Regulus can still endure it, and so can Freya.

Clearly, this is a checkpoint to prevent unqualified wizards from going any further.

Regulus had no idea how long he had been underwater; time was a blur here. He only knew that he was going down, down, down.

Regulus had no idea how long he had been underwater; time was a blur here. He only knew that he was going down, down, down.

The pressure grew so great that he needed to concentrate all his mental energy to cope with it. The light of the star trails shone brighter and brighter in his mental world, but the shadow of oppression also grew thicker and thicker.

After an unknown amount of time, suddenly, the oppression disappeared.