The exertion was not easy for Sebastian, however. Using the Space Stone and Reality Stone in this world required connecting them through the Space Tower. Drawing upon their power from a different universe created an enormous burden on Sebastian, with staggering energy consumption. He generally avoided using the Stones' power in this world due to the immense cost. He would not have chosen to draw upon them if the Black Queen's abilities were not so troublesome.
Under the amplified Cruciatus Curse, the Black Queen's body and soul suffered indescribable agony. Even hell itself would be far more merciful than this moment.
Yet the Black Queen persevered. She slowly rose from the ground, fighting through the excruciating pain. She attempted to resist the spell, but standing alone had drained all her strength, leaving her powerless.
Sebastian was genuinely surprised to see the Black Queen rise. So far, she was the only one who had managed to resist the Cruciatus Curse. Any ordinary person or weaker being would have perished from the pain by now.
Sebastian looked at the Black Queen, shook his head, and spoke calmly. "I must say, I admire your endurance with this spell. But I do not have the patience or time to continue. I give you one final chance. Submit to me, and perhaps regain your freedom. Otherwise, you die."
With a flick of his wrist, a ray of death carried by the Cruciatus Curse penetrated the Black Queen's body, intensifying her tremors.
Finally losing his patience, Sebastian prepared to transform the Cruciatus Curse into the Death Curse, utterly destroying the Black Queen.
But at that moment, the Black Queen's mind finally broke. She spoke to Sebastian in a halting voice. "I... I... I surrender... I surrender!"
Hearing this, Sebastian paused, and the power of the Cruciatus Curse was quickly restrained. It transformed into strands of dark green light that slowly swirled around the Black Queen. These threads occasionally penetrated and exited her body, and the slightest movement from her would plunge her back under the Curse's power.
"Do you surrender?"
"Yes, I do. But I have one condition. Please write a time limit in the contract to restore my freedom. Even if it is a hundred years, a thousand years, I need a time limit. Otherwise, I would rather die."
Sebastian looked at the Black Queen silently for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Yes, I agree."
With a wave of his wand, a soul contract appeared before the Black Queen with Sebastian's signature clearly visible upon it.
Setting aside the restrictive clauses—though somewhat harsh, they were understandable—the Black Queen was surprised by the contract's duration. It was only a hundred years. Just a hundred years?
"Why only a hundred years?"
"Because after a hundred years, either I will be dead or you will not wish to leave my service."
The Black Queen understood Sebastian's words. She took a deep breath and signed the contract without hesitation.
The contract instantly transformed into an illusory chain, connecting Sebastian's soul to the Black Queen's. However, this chain only bound her soul, appearing to be unbreakable and uncompromising.
As the illusory chain vanished, Sebastian lowered his wand, and the dark green threads of light lingering around the Black Queen quickly dissipated, vanishing entirely.
Thus, Sebastian gained his first Omega-level mutant and a formidable dark magician. With the Black Queen stationed at Hogwarts, the school would truly be impregnable, even if Sebastian temporarily left.
Looking at the weakened Black Queen, Sebastian waved his wand and cast a buff spell. The Black Queen's condition recovered significantly, at least enough that her movements were no longer impaired.
"Black Queen, what is your name?"
"My dear master, my name is Selene."
"Selene... meaning Moon Goddess?"
The Black Queen Selene bowed her head respectfully and nodded. "Yes, this is the name my mother gave me—the name of a goddess. Because in her eyes, my ability was the rebirth of the Moon Goddess, so I was called Selene."
"Alright, I will call you Selene. Now you can tell me—what exactly is this Essex Corporation planning? What do they intend to do with Jean Grey and the Phoenix Force?"
"Master, the Essex Corporation cloned Jean Grey. They intend to make the clone into a vessel for the Phoenix Force. They also wish to obtain Jean Grey's power. The Essex Corporation's research focuses on giving humans mutant abilities, so they would never allow Jean Grey's power and talent to slip away. However, in my opinion, the chances of their success are slim. There is even a high possibility of catastrophic consequences."