Regulus of Hogwarts: Lord of the Stars

Regulus watched this scene quietly, then tapped his wand lightly again, and the werewolf suddenly felt he could breathe again.

He greedily inhaled deeply, air rushed into his lungs, oxygen entered his bloodstream, and the dizziness in his brain began to subside.

He lay on the ground, breathing frantically like a drowning person being rescued, each inhalation deep to the limit, each exhalation trembling with the relief of surviving a near-death experience.

But the werewolf didn't notice that after the air he inhaled underwent gas exchange and carbon dioxide was expelled, the waste remaining in his alveoli began to change.

Those substances condensed from a gaseous state into a solid state, and from the formless into the tangible.

It transforms into tiny crystals with sharp edges and a hardness close to quartz. Essentially, they are the same gravel that was on the ground just now, only with finer particles and sharper shapes.

The first stinging sensation came on the tenth breath.

The werewolf coughed violently, trying to expel the foreign objects, but the crystals were already embedded in the alveolar walls, and each cough pushed them deeper.

He felt as if his lungs were filled with shards of glass, and every breath was accompanied by a tearing pain.

Regulus canceled the maintenance of the Transfiguration.

The werewolf was still coughing. The fresh air he was breathing in had returned to normal, but the crystals he had inhaled were still in his lungs and would remain there.

Unless removed by magic or surgery, but the werewolves in Knockturn Alley obviously can't afford that kind of treatment.

He lay on the ground, coughing up saliva that was starting to contain blood. The pain made him curl up, his hands gripping his chest tightly, his nails digging into his flesh.

Regulus observed calmly, satisfied. This was the significance of practical experience: verifying conjectures.

The sinister wizard's expression changed when he saw the werewolf fall to the ground.

He waved his wand, summoning a dozen shadowy tentacles from the ground. The tentacles emerged from the shadows, their surfaces covered with suckers, inside which were fine teeth.

Dark tentacles lunged at Regulus from all directions, blocking all escape routes.

They moved with astonishing speed, catching up to Regulus in the blink of an eye.

Regulus stood still, continuing to wave his left hand lightly, the movement as simple as brushing away the dust in front of his eyes.

Magic surged from his body, and he suddenly transformed into a luminous being. Silvery-white light emanated from his skin, forming a soft yet absolutely solid barrier in front of him.

The shadowy tentacles struck the barrier, emitting a sizzling sound as they melted away.

The parts of the tentacles that touched the silvery light began to disintegrate, turning from solid objects back into phantoms, and then disappearing completely from the phantoms.

One after another, more than a dozen tentacles vanished within two seconds, leaving not a trace.

The sinister wizard's eyes widened, and for the first time, fear appeared on his face. He tried to back away, but his legs were rooted to the ground and he couldn't move.

"This is impossible..."

Before he could finish speaking, Regulus Apparated and appeared in front of him.

He put away his wand, extended his right index finger, and a point of dazzling scarlet light gathered at the tip of his finger, which stood out conspicuously in the dim alley.

Regulus would certainly not use his wand to cast the Cruciatus Curse, especially not on a living person.

At least not now.

He gently touched the cold, sinister wizard's brow with his index finger, and crimson light flowed from his fingertip, penetrating his skin, passing through his skull, and reaching deep into his brain.

The cold-blooded wizard froze.

His eyes were wide open to the limit, his eyeballs almost bulging out of their sockets, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints, and the whites of his eyes around his irises were covered in blood vessels.

Every muscle in his face was twitching, his mouth was crooked to one side, and his left eyelid was twitching wildly.

Tiny, wave-like movements can be seen under the skin, as if countless insects are crawling between the flesh and bones.

He wanted to scream, but his vocal cords seemed to be completely locked, and he couldn't make a sound; only a soft gurgling sound came from deep in his throat.

Saliva dribbled from the corner of his mouth, dripping down his chin and spreading into dark, damp stains on his black robe.

Regulus held this pose for three seconds.

In three seconds, the Cruciatus Curse's full wave of pain surged through the cold wizard's body, every nerve screaming, every bone being crushed, and every cell burning.

Then Regulus withdrew his finger, and the crimson light dissipated from his fingertip.

The cold, male wizard collapsed to the ground, his body convulsing intermittently, his limbs spasming irregularly, and his fingers curling into chicken claw shapes.

Saliva mixed with snot and tears smeared his face, his eyes lost focus, staring blankly at the leaden-gray sky, his pupils dilated, and his consciousness collapsed.

Regulus looked down at his right hand.

There were no marks on my fingertips, my skin was smooth, and my nails were neatly trimmed. That crimson glow from before seemed like an illusion.

The standard bone-cutting technique is very effective.

Although the Crucifixion is an unforgivable curse, it is not difficult to cast. Harry Potter was able to use the Crucifixion in his fifth year. What is he lacking?

Regulus turned his attention back to the battlefield, quickly scanning the area.

All four enemies were rendered unable to fight.

The battle lasted no more than two minutes from start to finish.

Regulus stood in the middle of the alley, breathing steadily, his robes neat and his hair perfectly styled.

......

Orion stood at the shop entrance, his hands behind his back, watching quietly.

He witnessed the entire process, from Regulus walking out alone to all four enemies falling down.

He was very satisfied; Regulus's performance in actual combat was better than he had expected.

His magical skills were superb, his spells were used flexibly, his use of the environment and timing were excellent, and his ruthless nature far exceeded his expectations.

But Orion did not let his guard down; he kept a close eye on the four fallen men, especially the sinister wizard who had been afflicted by the Cruciatus Curse.

While the Cruciatus Curse is painful, it may not completely destroy a person's fighting ability.

Some wizards, through special training, are even able to retaliate while being subjected to the Crucifixion Curse.

Accidents and rollovers happen everywhere, but they are especially common in places like Flip-Over Alley.

Regulus stood in the middle of the alley, looking down at his work.

The tall wizard was still struggling in vain, but his movements were growing weaker and weaker, as the barbed rope had already drained most of his life away.

The short, stout wizard clutched his broken right wrist, his eyes unfocused, muttering something under his breath.

The werewolf knelt on the ground, each breath accompanied by a violent cough, the spittle tinged with blood.

The sinister wizard lay sprawled on the ground, his body convulsing intermittently, his eyes fixed on the sky, his pupils dilated.

He waited for about ten seconds, then looked at Orion standing at the shop entrance.

My father was still standing there, his hands behind his back. He didn't come over or say anything; he just watched quietly.

Regulus then understood his father's meaning.

The real combat wasn't the only goal; the father also wanted to see how he would deal with these fallen enemies.

How to deal with prisoners, how to assess threats, and how to make decisions are all part of actual combat, and perhaps even more important.

Since that's the case, then there's nothing more to say.

Regulus raised his wand again, pointing the tip at the nearest sinister wizard afflicted by the Crucifixion Curse.

He took a deep breath and recited the incantation in a clear, steady, and emotionless voice: "Avadakendava".

Green light gathered at the tip of the wand.

But just as the green light was about to shoot out, accompanied by a soft "snap" in the air, Orion instantly appeared next to Regulus.

He raised his right hand, firmly pressing down on Regulus's wand wrist.

The green beam missed its mark, grazing the cold, sinister wizard's shoulder before striking the wall behind him.

The spot on the wall that was hit instantly turned deathly gray, then exploded and flew away.

Orion pressed down on Regulus's wrist, turned to look at his son, his eyes filled with confusion and undisguised shock.

Is there something wrong with this son?

A deadly curse?

He didn't care where his son learned the Killing Curse; there were plenty of those in books.

He couldn't understand why Regulus was so...decisive.

Then he saw Regulus's expression, a slightly mocking, almost amusement look.

His gray eyes gleamed, and there was even a very faint curve at the corner of his mouth.

Orion paused for a second, then he realized he'd been tricked.

Regulus had no intention of killing anyone with the Killing Curse, let alone with his own wand.

The spellcasting action, the incantation, and the condensed green light were all real, but it was just an act for my father to see.

For no other reason than it's fun.

It's just a death curse; as long as you don't target anyone, it's fine to practice it.

Orion released his grip, his face returning to its usual expressionless state, but he was actually a little happy inside.

His son actually joked with him; this was the first time in eleven years.

Regulus was too mature, too composed, too unlike a child. Occasionally, he would reveal a bit of the mischievousness that was appropriate for his age, and even in this way, Orion thought it was quite nice.

"That's not how you use the Killing Curse." Orion's voice was as calm as possible, revealing little emotion.

"I know." Regulus put away his wand, then thought for a moment and added, "There are records in the books at home, and also in the restricted section of Hogwarts. You can always learn it if you want to."

Moreover, the incantation itself isn't difficult; the difficulty lies in having the resolve to kill.