bookbashuk Chapter 312 Barriers and New Ideas of Access Locks
Chapter 312 Barriers and New Ideas of Access Locks
Chapter 312 Barriers and New Ideas of Access Locks
After two days of intensive work sorting through specimen labels and scattered notes, Karen turned her main focus to the two most mysterious and crucial parts of the exploration: the complex magic array at the bottom of the observation pool, and the sophisticated sequence of access control runes that protected the core log and scroll.
He laid out the patterns he had memorized and drawn using the "Eye of Truth" on the largest workbench. The lines were intricate and complex, containing an indescribable magical rhythm. Ernesto and Fabian also gathered around, while Wesley, having completed his own layout, watched curiously from the side.
“The structure of these runes—it’s so ancient.” Fabian, rubbing his eyes, almost pressed his face against the parchment. “Many variations and connections aren’t recorded in ancient runic texts. Look at this node; it’s somewhat like a variation of the guardian rune Algiz, but this extra spiral hook—completely alters its overall energy flow, making it more like a reflection or a certification.”
Ernesto pointed to several intertwined symbols in the access lock sequence: "These symbols—I seem to have seen similar patterns in an old book of my grandfather's on pure-blood heraldry; they're usually related to the concepts of 'bloodline,' 'heredity,' and 'uniqueness.' But combined—I don't understand them."
Karen tried to slowly infuse magic into the magic circle he had drawn, simulating its basic flow. The lines on the parchment glowed faintly, emanating a calm, restrained, and subtly attractive fluctuation. "The magic circle in the observation pool does indeed primarily function to bind and stabilize, with a very strong energy focal point at its core, but its deeper operating mechanism—is very complex, involving high-level energy conversion and consciousness mapping." He closed his eyes, sensing the subtle changes in magic, "It's somewhat like—a combination of an extremely sophisticated magical reactor and an observation station."
However, his magical simulation was almost impossible with that access control system. The runes were exceptionally "stubborn," rejecting any form of external magical penetration and simulation; even trying to understand their structure caused mental stagnation and rejection.
"No." Karen opened her eyes and shook her head. "The access lock is too high-level. It's not just a magical symbol; it's more like a living, highly discerning contract spell, deeply bound to a certain trait unique to Slytherin. I can't replicate it with magic."
They searched the shelves in the Eagle's Nest and tried to recall any relevant books in the restricted sections of the Hogwarts library, but to no avail. The runic system used by Slytherin was clearly either a personal modification or inherited from an extremely ancient school, far beyond their current knowledge.
"Perhaps—we need more professional help." Karen pondered for a moment, then took out his communication quill. He selected several of the most representative core rune groups from the access lock sequence, as well as the key node structure of the observation pool array, carefully drew them on parchment, and then attached a brief explanation and questions before sending them to Nicolas Flamel via quill.
While waiting for a reply, they didn't sit idle. Fabian continued tackling the remaining difficult labels, Ernesto tried to match the identified biological materials with the possible experimental projects Slytherin might be conducting, and Wesley began organizing the pictures of the abandoned devices, classifying them one by one according to the previous plan.
A few hours later, the quill pen vibrated; Nicole's reply had arrived. The handwriting was as elegant as ever, but the content dampened their newly risen hopes.
"My dear Karen, the rune sequences you've drawn are incredibly precise. Thank you for your hard work. Castor and I are also studying our copy. I must admit, Salazar Slytherin's mastery of magical encryption and personal permissions is unparalleled. These rune systems are extremely ancient and highly personalized, incorporating a great deal of his personal magical understanding and bloodline characteristics. Directly finding ready-made interpretations is almost impossible. In the history of the magical world, there are only a handful of magic masters with Parsleyan speech, and there is a lack of relevant records."
"Regarding the observation pool array, our initial assessment aligns with yours: it is a multifunctional platform for binding, stimulating, and observing. Its core lies in its ability to construct a controllable, high-magic environment, stimulating the organisms or energy entities within it in various forms, such as magic, spirit, and elements, while precisely recording their reactions. The grooves and notches are used to channel energy and any potential byproducts. While its effectiveness in some aspects may not match that of modern instruments, it is undoubtedly a magnificent alchemical creation."
"Returning to the issue of the access lock," Nico's handwriting here became more serious, "its core function is undoubtedly verification and resonance. It requires a unique key." Just as you judged before, this is likely not merely a specific Parseltongue command; that might only be the most basic condition for triggering verification. More fundamentally, it requires verifying whether the visitor's soul fluctuations or bloodline origins possess traits originating from Salazar Slytherin. Any imitation or forgery is extremely difficult to succeed in the face of such sophisticated magic. The consequences of forcibly breaking it are currently unknown; it could be the self-destruction of knowledge, or it could be a powerful magical counterattack against the offender."
Upon seeing this, Karen's heart sank. Just as she had expected.
Nico's reply continued: "I suggest you temporarily set aside the idea of directly cracking it, as this requires a deeper accumulation of knowledge and continuous trial and error. Why not try to deduce it from a functional perspective first: Slytherin has set up such tight protections, what does he consider qualified to inherit his core knowledge? Is it merely Parsley? Or must one possess both Parsley and his bloodline?"
Or perhaps a specific set of principles or qualifications are required? This might help us understand his initial intention in setting the permissions.
"Furthermore, by focusing on the magical meaning inherent in these runes, even if one cannot fully understand them, one can learn many advanced magical concepts and energy control techniques. This in itself is a valuable learning process."
In his reply, Nicole reiterated the importance of patience and safety.
Karen shared Nico's reply with everyone. A moment of silence fell over the Eagle's Nest.
"So, it's almost impossible for us to open it ourselves?" Wesley said, somewhat frustrated.
"At least for now, the hope seems slim," Fabian sighed.
Ernesto frowned: "Same bloodline or soul traits—that excludes almost all wizards."
""
Karen was silent for a moment, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the workbench. Nicole's words had reminded him. "Verification—resonance—shared traits—" he muttered to himself, a thought flashing through his mind. He abruptly looked up at his three roommates.
"Perhaps—we need to broaden our thinking a bit," Karen said slowly, her eyes gleaming with contemplation. "We've been trying to figure out how to crack this lock on our own, or with the help of Master Nico and Professor Castor. But if we can't get the key," why not try finding someone who might already have it?
"A ready-made key?" Wesley asked doubtfully. "Who? Slytherin has been dead for over a thousand years!"
"Harry," Karen uttered.
"Harry Potter?" Fabian pushed up his glasses in surprise. "Because he also speaks Parsley? But Master Nico said it might require more than just Parsley—"
"But he's the only living person we know of with a clear connection to Slytherin, besides that diary." Cullen's thoughts were becoming clearer. "Voldemort is a descendant of Slytherin, and Harry has a fragment of Voldemort's soul within him—"
This may sound bizarre, but on a spiritual level, Harry might—just might—meet some of the authentication requirements of the access lock. After all, that soul fragment originated from the last of the Slytherin bloodline, and the wizarding bloodline has been passed down for so many generations; who's to say that Harry definitely doesn't have Slytherin blood in him?
This idea stunned everyone.
"This—is too risky, Cullen," Ernesto said first, expressing his concern. "Leaving aside whether Harry is willing to help, what will happen if he actually triggers the access lock? What if it's not Parseltongue that's locked, but something else, or something goes wrong during the authentication process—we can't predict that."
"And how do we explain this to Harry?" Wesley interjected. "Are we supposed to tell him, 'Hey Harry, we've discovered a secret Slytherin laboratory from a thousand years ago, and it might contain dangerous knowledge. We'd like to try and open it using the Voldemort fragment inside you?' Merlin, that sounds terrifying enough."
Karen calmly analyzed, "The risks do exist. Therefore, this is only an alternative plan, and it must be implemented safely and..."
And we can only attempt this if we are fully prepared. Furthermore, I don't plan to take Harry in directly. I plan to find a way to bring out the items with access locks during the next operation. Then, I'll have Nico or Professor Castor come to the Eagle's Nest and bring Harry there.
He paused for a moment, then continued, "As for how to explain it—perhaps you could say that while researching the history of Hogwarts Castle, we discovered a magically locked place that might be related to Slytherin, and we suspect that Parseltongue is needed to open it, so we wanted to ask him for help. That's not entirely a lie."
"But what if access control requires more than just Parsleyan?" Fabian asked.
"The worst-case scenario is that it won't open, or it will trigger some harmless warning mechanism," Karen said. "Professor Nicole's letter also mentioned that forcibly breaking it would lead to serious consequences. If Harry has a partial key," perhaps the most extreme defenses won't be triggered. Of course, all of this requires as many security simulations as possible beforehand using our copied rune sequences."
He looked out the window at the darkening sky: "Of course, this is a last resort. Before that, we must still do our best to study it ourselves. Master Nico is right, even if we can't open it, studying these runes is still an excellent learning experience. Besides, we still have so much peripheral information to digest."
Karen picked up her quill and began to send a message to Nicolas Flamel, reporting the results of their discussion, especially regarding the alternative idea of seeking Harry Potter's help, and asking for his opinion.
Although the research direction remains fraught with difficulties, a new, potentially feasible direction has emerged, making the atmosphere in the Eagle's Nest less somber.