"I approve of your plan, but make sure to find a way to get Granger involved," Ravenclaw reminded Rhys, ensuring that Hermione would have a trial of her own.
After some discussion, Rhys and Rowena finalized the students' end-of-term exam.
"But why are you pulling that Potter boy into this? Just because he defeated Voldemort?"
Ravenclaw was curious about the unfamiliar name in Rhys' plan—why include someone who seemed unrelated?
"Hahah~ no, to increase Daphne's exam difficulty. Otherwise, the three of them could breeze through it effortlessly."
Rhys' words made Ravenclaw chuckle.
But he wasn't wrong. While the twisted entity inside Riddle's diary had a strong aggressive instinct, its actual strength was questionable. In a one-on-one fight, it might not even pose a real threat to Daphne—let alone with Astoria and Hermione Granger by her side.
Rhys didn't believe that a young witch chosen by Ravenclaw for half a year would be just a bookish theorist with no practical skills.
Since the diary itself wouldn't be enough of a challenge for the trio, he decided to artificially increase their burden—turning this into a weighted training session. A competent wizard should know how to cover for their weaker teammates.
Besides, this was also a little personal indulgence of Rhys'. He felt that Gryffindor should at least have someone benefit from this experience. Harry was a good candidate, and Rhys believed that if Godric were here, he would have chosen Harry too.
After the two reached an agreement, it was time for Rhys to put the plan into action.
He didn't hesitate any longer and decided to set off immediately.
However, Ravenclaw stopped him for a moment and retrieved a crystal ball about the size of a pigeon's egg.
"Take this with you. I want to see how that little girl, Granger, performs."
Rhys immediately understood—Ravenclaw wanted a live feed. He briefly examined the crystal ball to ensure his old friend hadn't left any strange magic in it before tucking it into his pocket.
"Where is the trust between people?"
"Think carefully about everything you've done to me and to Godric and the others." Rhys responded mercilessly. If Ravenclaw was being treated like this today, it was nothing less than "deserved retribution."
Just as he was about to leave, Rhys suddenly remembered something.
"I recall sending someone in here. Why haven't I seen her?"
The monk from the secret Society cult whom he had captured hadn't shown up in any of his recent visits to Ravenclaw. Surely she hadn't escaped? And what about Helena?
"Helena wanted to wander around inside the seal, so I let her be. As for that test subject..." Ravenclaw's expression turned slightly awkward. "After a few experiments, she broke. Were you looking for her?"
Rhys shook his head—he was just asking.
After being captured for so long, Virgo had completely lost her value. Even if she were released back to the secret society, the monks there would never accept her again.
But what did she mean by "broke"? Were Ravenclaw's experiments still that wild?
"Be careful not to cause trouble. Don't forget—you're inside the seal right now," Rhys warned her, just in case she was about to pull something too extreme.
"I know." Ravenclaw waved him off dismissively.
She figured Salazar should understand—if an interesting experiment was right in front of her, how could she possibly hold back?
Rhys understood as well, which was why he handed Ravenclaw's crystal ball back to her.
Ravenclaw: "???"
"Rowena, use mine instead. It works the same." Rhys pulled out a crystal ball of his own from his bag. It had identical functions to Ravenclaw's, with one crucial difference—his was absolutely reliable.
Ravenclaw: "?!"
After leaving the dungeon, Rhys headed straight for the Forbidden Forest, beginning the next stage of his plotting and preparations.
Spring had arrived, bringing warmth and blooming flowers.
The Forbidden Forest was teeming with life, bursting with energy as everything flourished.
Rhys carried the Riddle diary deep into the forest, quickly navigating his way to the place where he had previously encountered the Acromantulas. The spider corpses left behind had long since been devoured by the beasts of the Forbidden Forest, leaving not a single trace.
Rustle, rustle!
Hundreds of snakes slithered from Rhys's sleeves, scattering in all directions. Meanwhile, he sat quietly under a tree, patiently awaiting their responses.
It didn't take long—his serpents soon led him to the Acromantulas.
Swish, swish!
Click, click!
A wild boar tore through the dense forest, galloping at full speed as if fleeing from a terrifying predator. Behind it, the eerie clicking noises grew closer and closer.
Fear flashed through the boar's eyes. Moments ago, it had watched its kin get captured by strange, giant spiders.
It knew all too well—if it didn't run faster, it would meet the same fate.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through the forest. The ominous clicking sounds vanished in an instant.
The wild boar had no idea what had just happened—it simply picked up speed and dashed deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
"Why does it feel like every time I see Acromantulas, they're always hunting wild boars?" Rhys muttered, staring at the dying spider before him, which was as large as a draft horse. He couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.
Scattered within a few dozen meters were four more dying Acromantulas, two of which still had freshly caught boars clamped between their fangs.
After a brief moment of thought, Rhys figured it was likely due to the wild boar's strong reproductive abilities. These creatures bred rapidly, lacked magical abilities, and could only rely on physical means for defense—naturally making them an ideal meal for carnivorous magical creatures.
Setting aside his musings on the Acromantulas' diet, Rhys tossed the Riddle diary onto the corpse of one of the giant spiders.
The fresh blood and the lingering traces of a departing soul sent a ripple of excitement through the diary.
It greedily absorbed the last remnants of life from the spider's body, rapidly regaining its strength at an astonishing rate.
"Killing really is the fastest way," Rhys remarked, watching the diary's transformation with genuine amazement.
Previously, Riddle had spent months painstakingly draining Ginny's life force, barely gathering enough power to manifest physically. Now, in just a few short minutes, the diary had achieved what had taken months before.
Well, that was to be expected—it had just absorbed the life force of multiple creatures, after all.
Noticing that the diary in his hands was growing increasingly restless, Rhys released a small pulse of his own magic in warning.
Instantly, the diary settled down. Though the entity inside had lost its sanity, its survival instincts remained intact—faced with Rhys' power, it immediately became obedient.
Rhys continued wandering through the area, and before long, he spotted another Acromantula.
This time, instead of killing it, he simply tossed the diary onto the spider's back.
As if coated in strong adhesive, the diary stuck firmly to the creature, clinging to it as the spider scuttled away into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.
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