pertwk Chapter 226 The River and the Key of Thought
Chapter 226 The River and the Key of Thought
Chapter 226 The River and the Key of Thought
The tension from the Horcrux research hadn't completely dissipated, and Karen took a short rest in the garden, trying to calm her overexerted mental energy. The afternoon sun filtered through magically manipulated clouds, softly illuminating the exotic flowers and plants, filling the air with a tranquil fragrance. Nico walked slowly over and sat on the stone bench next to Karen.
"Casto told me you were practicing Occlumency?" Nicole's voice was gentle and concerned.
Karen nodded and briefly recounted her previous practice at home and her discussion with Castor in the car about the concept of the "river of memories." "...Teacher Castor thought my previous method was 'building walls,' a clumsy approach that only worked against ordinary mind control, not powerful ones. He taught me to view surface thoughts as a flowing river, with the core secret hidden deep beneath the riverbed. Defense is achieved through dynamic guidance and dissolving false information, and when necessary, a massive amount of invalid or false memories can be used to cover up the intruder's spying."
"A very insightful observation, and indeed a higher-level path," Nico praised, his wise gaze seemingly able to see through Karen's thoughts. "Karen, Occlumency is crucial for you, not only to defend against possible mental spying, but especially when we are researching Horcruxes, such extremely dangerous dark magic creations."
He leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming exceptionally serious: "As our research on the diadem deepens, the process of unbinding the Horcrux and attempting to extract Voldemort's soul fragments will inevitably reach its core consciousness at some point. I think you sensed that during your observation today; even though it's confined within the Horcrux and we've already sealed it to some extent, its residual mental pollution and backlash are still extremely terrifying. A powerful Occlumency technique is essential for you to resist this pollution..."
An effective way to maintain a clear mind.
Karen's expression was grave; he fully understood Nico's concerns. The viscous darkness and madness emanating from the Horcrux's core had already filled him with dread just from observing it.
“Not only that,” Nico continued, his eyes gleaming with wisdom, “your future goal is to hunt down Voldemort’s main soul and locate the other Horcruxes he might be hiding. This requires you to possess another ability—Leechence.”
Karen paused slightly, then asked, "Leechism?" He immediately thought of Professor Snape's eyes, which seemed to be able to see through people's hearts.
"Yes, Legilimency," Nico affirmed. "If Occlumency is the shield protecting your mind, then Legilimency is the key to exploring the minds of others. Of course, this doesn't encourage you to recklessly pry into others' privacy, but rather it's an indispensable tool on your future path. Imagine facing a suspicious target. Of course, I know your talent allows you to sense Voldemort's soul, but what if Voldemort sent Death Eaters or used other methods you can't observe to control puppets? He already knows part of your talent's abilities, and any subsequent actions will definitely try to avoid your talent. In this situation, how do you quickly and discreetly confirm their true state? How do you capture crucial clues from their confused or feigned thoughts? How do you distinguish between traps and lies? The powerful Legilimency ability, combined with your True Sight, will provide you with an unparalleled informational advantage."
He looked at Karen, his tone deep: "More importantly, in-depth research into Horcruxes requires you to possess a certain level of mental 'sensibility.' Understanding the operational modes of soul fragments, sensing their emotional fluctuations, and even attempting more precise manipulations in the future all require you to be able to safely 'access' and 'analyze' information on the mental level. Occlumency protects you, while Legilimency opens the door to understanding the mental world. The two complement each other and are indispensable."
Karen suddenly understood. He had initially planned to learn them as well, but hadn't given them much thought. Nico's explanation elevated these two skills to a strategic level, no longer just defensive techniques, but essential weapons for hunting Voldemort and unraveling the mystery of the Horcruxes. His previous perspective had been limited.
"I understand, Professor Nico," Karen replied solemnly. "I will study these two skills diligently."
"Very good." Nico smiled with satisfaction. "Casto is highly skilled in mental magic, and both of these spells require a deep level of trust between the practitioners, making him the most suitable person to guide you. However, before learning Legilimency, you must first lay a more solid foundation in Occlumency, ensuring your fortress is strong enough, so that you can safely learn how to use that key. Otherwise, you are very likely to get lost in the mental vortex of others or darkness."
As evening fell, in a meditation room within the "Dwelling of Tranquility," the room was sparsely furnished with only a few cushions and simple runes on the walls to aid concentration. Cas sat with his knees crossed opposite Karen, an arm's length apart.
"Nicole has spoken to you?" Castor asked bluntly, his gray eyes staring directly at Karen.
"Yes, teacher. Regarding the importance of Occlumency and Legilimency," Karen replied.
Castor nodded slightly. "Very good. Then, let's continue your previous lesson. Do you understand the concept of 'river'?"
"I understand, teacher. Let surface thoughts flow naturally, while the core secrets sink to the riverbed. Defend by guiding the flow and dissolving misinformation, rather than building static walls," Karen repeated the core concept.
"Understanding is the first step, control is the second," Castor's voice was cold and clear. "The prerequisite for control is 'perception.' You must be as familiar with the lines on your palm as you are with the flow of every 'stream' in your consciousness, the outline of every 'island of memory,' and the intensity of every 'whirlpool of emotion.' Only with complete mastery can you precisely guide, accelerate, decelerate, or even divert when needed. Of course, my description here is abstract; when you perceive it concretely, it may be different—it varies from person to person."
"Now, close your eyes, calm your mind, and enter the 'still water' state you practiced before. But this time, don't pursue absolute 'emptiness.' Maintain that core of calm, and then expand your 'perception' outward to 'observe' the flow of your thoughts themselves."
Karen closed his eyes as instructed, adjusted his breathing, and tried to dispel the fatigue and distractions brought on by his Horcrux research. Gradually, a familiar sense of tranquility, like sinking to the bottom of a calm lake, enveloped him. Then, he began to try the new method Castor had taught him—no longer suppressing, but perceiving.
At first, there was only chaotic darkness. Gradually, against this tranquil backdrop of "darkness," "spots of light" began to emerge. These were not visual lights, but rather a "sense of presence" projected onto the conscious level by thought processes.
Whether it was because of Professor Castor's story or his own imagination these past few days, he did indeed "see" some thoughts flowing by like tiny streams: the image of the strange rose in the garden absorbing magic, Lily's excited smile, the football tactics mentioned in Wesley's letter, Ernesto's lifeless expression on the space observatory. These thoughts appeared randomly, like a mountain stream flowing naturally, without a clear direction, appearing and disappearing.
Then, some more intense "islands" emerged: Nico's focused profile as he operated the soul probe, the writhing of dark red thorns on the crown's protective layer, the viscous darkness of Voldemort's soul core flashing through the gaps, and Professor Castor—these were deeper fragments of memory, like islands in the sea of thought, clearly outlined, radiating different emotional colors—tension, focus, a hint of fear, and intense trust.
Karen tried not to interfere, simply observing quietly, like a detached observer, as these streams of thought flowed naturally, and islands of memory rose and fell in the sea of consciousness. He tried to discern the "connections" between them: seeing the rose reminded him of Lily's magical resonance; seeing Nico naturally evoked the tension of the Horcrux experiments; seeing Castor brought a sense of peace. These connections were like invisible channels, guiding the flow of his thoughts.
"Did you sense their presence?" Castor's voice came from a distant place, deep and clear, without breaking Karen's concentration.
"Yes, teacher," Karen replied.
"Very good. Now, try to 'identify' one key point. For example, your current memory of the Horcrux experiment. Focus your senses and 'touch' it, feel the intensity of the emotions it contains, the richness of the details it includes,..."
"And how closely it is connected to other nodes of thought," Castor instructed.
Karen focused his senses on the "island" where the Horcrux experiments were being conducted. The moment he "touched" it, a powerful sense of tension and concentration surged through his consciousness like an electric current. The scene of the workshop clearly appeared on the island...
The floating crown, the silver runes drawn by Nico, and the chillingly dark red thorns are all incredibly detailed. Furthermore, this island is connected to several other islands, such as "Nico's Focused Profile," "Crown Thorns," and "Casto's Back," by very thick, gleaming "rivers," highlighting its central position. However, its connection to islands like "Lily's Smile" and "Football Tactics" is very weak, almost nonexistent.
"The sensation—was very strong," Karen described her feelings in her mind. "The emotion was tension and intense focus, the details were very clear. It—was very 'heavy,' and the connecting channel was also very thick."
"Remember this feeling. Key nodes usually contain strong emotions or important information, are interconnected, and are the core hubs of the thought network. They are also areas that need to be 'disguised' or 'protected' during defense," Castor's voice guided. "Now, try to 'perceive' a relatively calm stream of thought, such as some unimportant memories. Feel its 'flow rate,' its emotional tone, and whether it is easily attracted by other nodes and changes its direction."
Karen turned her senses to the small "stream" of roses. It flowed gently, carrying a calm curiosity and a faint joy like warm water. When the island of "Lily's Smile" appeared nearby, the stream naturally branched off and flowed merging with it joyfully. But when the heavy island of the "Horregularities" approached, the stream seemed to be repelled by an invisible force, bypassing it and flowing elsewhere.
"It's light and warm. It's easily drawn to other pleasant memories and actively avoids heavy ones," Karen reported.
"This is the 'natural flow' of thought," Castor concluded. "To master your river, the first step is to become familiar with these natural laws. Which thoughts are active streams, which are heavy islands, which nodes easily attract each other, and which repel each other. Once you are familiar with them, you can guide the probe of an intruder to where you want it to go—whether it is a harmless shallow or a confusing, misty swamp—in order to prevent it from heading straight for the secrets hidden deep in your riverbed, just as you would guide the river."
Karen was immersed in this newfound inner awareness, a sense of wonder intertwined with the strain of mastering a vast and complex network. This meticulous introspection and categorization of his own thoughts was unprecedented, and the mental exertion far exceeded that of simple meditation. But he knew it was the cornerstone of building a true "living defense." He was like an explorer who had just acquired a map, beginning to try and understand the intricate and complex terrain of his own mental realm.