Chapter 37: Testing the Edge of Petrification

Following the faint sound, Glenn slowed his steps as he approached a deserted corridor deep on the second floor. He had already sensed that the source of the rapidly moving noise had stopped ahead for some time.

"What is... this?" Glenn muttered, his expression turning grave. Narrowing the range of his Heightened Perception to its limit, he began to discern finer details.

In his mind, the surroundings unfolded with him at the center, forming a vivid mental image. The source of the noise—or rather, the shape of the creature—also emerged clearly in his vision.

It was a massive serpent, over fifty feet long, with greenish skin and smooth, hard scales. But what sent a chill down Glenn's spine were its eyes.

The enormous, yellow, slit-pupiled eyes exuded an eerie aura that instinctively made one want to flee. Some might attribute this to the sheer danger radiating from the creature, but Glenn could tell this was no mere illusion.

It wasn't just the overwhelming magical energy emanating continuously from its yellow pupils that led Glenn to this conclusion. It was also the "statue" standing in a puddle ahead.

It was Filch's beloved cat, Mrs. Norris. Glenn had passed her countless times during his nocturnal wanderings, cloaked in the Disillusionment Charm. He was intimately familiar with her size and appearance.

If Crookshanks was the cat Glenn knew best, then Mrs. Norris was undoubtedly the second.

But now, Mrs. Norris had lost her usual vitality. She stood rigidly in a puddle, transformed into a cold, lifeless statue.

Glenn speculated that the serpent's eyes likely caused petrification in living beings.

He couldn't act rashly. The conditions for triggering petrification were still unclear.

However, based on the flow of magical energy, Glenn could sense that the serpent's eyes exerted a continuous influence on its surroundings. Perhaps merely entering its line of sight would result in instant petrification...

Wait...

Glenn's mind raced as he refocused his attention on Mrs. Norris.

Her head was lowered, her eyes wide open, her tail raised high, and her fur bristled all over.

...She looked as if she had seen something terrifying, as if she had been startled.

Could the condition for petrification be... direct eye contact?

But Mrs. Norris's gaze was fixed on the puddle...

The puddle... the water's surface...

Reflection?

Yes, if Mrs. Norris's line of sight had intersected with the serpent's eyes through the reflection on the water's surface, it was entirely possible for her to have been petrified.

In that instant, the contact between their gazes, even if mediated by the reflection, could have triggered the petrification.

This seemed like the most plausible explanation.

Of course, it was also possible that Mrs. Norris hadn't made direct eye contact with the serpent. Perhaps she had merely caught a glimpse of the serpent's reflection in the water, but was enveloped by its gaze, leading to her petrification.

In any case, Glenn concluded that until the serpent's abilities were fully understood, he must avoid exposing himself to its line of sight.

This was the safest course of action, and Glenn had no intention of risking his life to test the creature.

Unless it was for the sake of his family, Glenn now refused to take actions that might endanger his life.

However... some necessary testing could still be done.

Silently, he retrieved a few fragmentation grenades from his Black Ring but refrained from throwing them immediately. He stayed pressed against the wall, amplifying the output of his Heightened Perception to observe the serpent's every move in detail.

After about ten seconds, the serpent seemed to receive some sort of command. It finally moved, opening its massive jaws to bite down on Mrs. Norris's body. It then raised the front half of its body, hooking Mrs. Norris's stiff tail onto a torch bracket, suspending her in midair.

What... was it doing?

Glenn was puzzled by this behavior.

The serpent seemed unconcerned with such matters. After hanging Mrs. Norris, it opened its mouth wide, extended its tongue, and then...

...bit down on its own tongue?

Glenn's confusion deepened.

Blood dripped from its tongue onto the ground. Then, controlling its bleeding tongue, the serpent began writing bloody words on the wall about a foot above the ground.

"The Chamber... has been opened. Enemies of the heir... beware?" Glenn observed the serpent's writing through his Heightened Perception, committing the words to memory.

The Chamber? The heir?

The information was substantial, but Glenn decided not to delve into it for now.

After finishing the message, the serpent lowered its body again and began retreating into the dark corridor behind it, leaving a trail of water stains on the ground.

Glenn knew his chance had come.

Quickly pulling the pins of the grenades, Glenn hurled them with precision at the serpent's head and midsection!

The explosions erupted almost simultaneously, accompanied by the serpent's loud hissing roar.

While observing the injuries inflicted on the serpent by the fragmentation grenades, Glenn didn't forget to test the conditions for petrification.

With a flash of black light, three plump white mice appeared in Glenn's hand.

He tossed them out with the skill of a marksman.

"Slowing Charm." Just as the terrified mice, squeaking in panic, were about to hit the ground and die from the impact, Glenn cast the charm to ensure their safe landing.

The mice landed within the serpent's line of sight, each in a different position.

Mouse One landed facing the serpent's head directly.

Mouse Two landed facing the serpent's head as well, but slightly off-center from its direct gaze.

Mouse Three landed with its back to the serpent's head. Glenn had also cast a Binding Charm on it, preventing it from moving.

The serpent's eyes instantly locked onto Mouse One, which froze in terror upon landing. Its gaze met the serpent's, and before it could even squeak, it was petrified on the spot.

Mouse One was down.

The serpent then noticed Mouse Two and Mouse Three, shifting its gaze.

Mouse Two seemed to sense something and looked up.

Mouse Two was down.

Finally, Mouse Three, though still within the serpent's line of sight and under its gaze, remained unharmed. It continued squeaking and struggling adorably, its little backside wiggling as it tried to escape its bindings.

Glenn maintained his calm demeanor, but he had confirmed one thing.

"...I see."

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