Harry Potter: I, Tom Riddle, am not the Dark Lord Chapter 110 110: Soul Ascension

Tom closed his eyes. The holy power flowed through the unicorn's horn and into his body, seeping deep into his soul. It was as if his very spirit were receiving a full massage—so blissful that drowsiness pulled him under.

With the last vestige of willpower, he sent Andros out to stand guard and granted him full authorization to act. Then, surrendering entirely, Tom fell into the deepest sleep of his life.

When he awoke, three hours had passed. He had missed lunch entirely, as well as the afternoon's History of Magic class.

Beside him, the little unicorn was still curled up in peaceful slumber. Of the two large unicorns, the injured one knelt protectively beside Tom and the youngster, while the other patrolled nearby.

Stretching lazily, Tom rose to his feet, savoring the changes brought by the ascension of his soul.

It was like washing away a lifeti of dust—finally recognizing himself anew. The world was still the sa world, yet every detail seed sharper, more vivid, more alive.

The two large unicorns ca over as he stood, nuzzling his arms affectionately.

Once you've bonded with one unicorn, it seems the others lower their guard as well. Tom easily reached out to touch the horn of the second unicorn, sealing a contract with her too. A new thread of magical empathy linked him to them both—he could now understand the aning behind their calls and whinnies.

"All right, all right," Tom said warmly, "from now on we're one family. I should give you nas so I can tell you apart."

While stroking their silky manes, he thought for a mont, then announced decisively, "From now on, you're Max… you're Max, and you're Leo. The little one will be Milo. Done and settled."

Even unicorns could tell how perfunctory these nas were, but Tom pretended not to hear their protesting neighs. No matter how they argued, he stubbornly refused to change them. In the end, they had no choice but to accept their new nas.

"Whinny—whinny~!"

Max, dissatisfied with her new na, suddenly made another request.

"You want… the white energy from yesterday—the Patronus Charm?" Tom asked in surprise, the aning flashing clearly into his mind via their bond.

Max t his gaze with undeniable affirmation.

The Patronus was, at its core, simply the manifestation of magical energy. Even if consud, it wouldn't cause harm—it could always be re-ford with magic and emotion.

Tom released a small cluster of white energy, and imdiately both Max and Leo eagerly crowded around.

They inhaled the silvery-white mist in small sips, their eyes half-lidded with delight.

A glimr of understanding flashed through Tom's mind.

Uncle Newt, you really are Uncle Newt. Every one of your suggestions is pure gold.

He had thought the unicorns' approval was earned solely by his sincerity and the life-saving help he'd given them—but now it seed that yesterday's appearance of the Patronus Charm had been the real last straw to break the cal's back.

So… if they feed on positive, uplifting energy, they can grow stronger?

Tom decided he'd share this discovery with Uncle Newt as thanks.

The white mist kept vanishing into their mouths, and Tom had to release it three tis before the two gluttons were finally satisfied.

Seeing that the little one was still asleep, Tom moved to a nearby clearing to test the benefits of his soul's elevation.

Aiming at a thick tree, he cast the Blasting Curse.

From the very start of casting, he noticed the difference.

The process was almost too smooth—effortless. True, this was a spell he'd always found easy, but it had still required the usual discipline: focus, silent incantation, channeling of magic.

Now, with a single thought, every step happened in an instant.

After casting a few more spells in succession, Tom understood what had changed.

It wasn't that the requirents for spellcasting had lowered—it was that his refined soul made eting those requirents trivial. Concentration and emotional focus ca to him naturally now, without deliberate effort.

Andros had once explained: magic power, will, and emotion—these were the three key factors that determined whether a spell succeeded and how powerful it was.

A fundantal strengthening of the soul directly enhanced the latter two.

Where others might need sixty or even eighty percent of their full attention to cast a spell, he could now do it with the barest flicker of thought.

But what if he went all out?

Tom narrowed his eyes, his focus sharpening like a blade. A beam of red light shot forth like a deadly arrow, piercing straight through the nearest tree. Its montum didn't falter—it blasted through over a dozen thick trunks before finally dissipating.

The body and the soul complented each other perfectly, and this improvent was no less significant than when he had rged with dragon blood—perhaps greater still. Soul enhancent strengthened not just combat but comprehension as well.

Recalling yesterday's battle between Andros and Voldemort, he suddenly grasped new insights that had eluded him before.

Life's essence, the soul's essence… what would the next trial grant him?

Tom's awareness dove into his inner mindscape. The first two palaces were now completely stable, and in the dim starry void, the brightest stars of the Canis constellation shone brilliantly. The contents of the third trial appeared before his eyes.

[Third Trial · Canis: The host must defeat a Cerberus in unard combat—without using magic. Reward: Talent "Ironhide."]

[Ironhide: Greatly increases physical defense; can be further strengthened by channeling magic into it.]

Tom's eyelids twitched violently.

Do you even hear yourself?

Unard combat—against a Cerberus?

That thick-skinned monster was already hard enough to injure with magic. Now you expect to brawl with it barehanded? What's next— sliding under it just to volunteer as a snack?

One of isn't even enough—it has three heads!

This is madness.

Unfortunately, the Twelve Trials had no intelligence. No matter how much Tom complained, the task remained as written. How he completed it was entirely up to him.

Still, compared to the first two trials, this one was at least simple and straightforward. No need to hunt for anything, no luring of magical creatures—just et the strength requirent and win. And since the Cerberus was right here at the school, Tom found his anxiety easing slightly.