After grasping the concept behind this ritual, Matthew quickly tore at his throat and chanted without hesitation.
"O thou veiled Majesty unknown, I do humbly lay forth this soul before Thee…"
"I beseech Thee, let fall Thy visage from the heights of all the heavens…"
The syllables of this incantation were heavy and difficult to pronounce, imbued with a strange rhythmic cadence.
His foster father's pupils suddenly contracted.
Reason screamed at him—he couldn't let Matthew finish!
But before he could raise the knife to strike again, Matthew had already completed the incantation that made his heart pound unnaturally.
In an instant, the red glow of the magic circle surged and engulfed the figure of the cult leader.
His soul was violently torn from his body and dragged toward the magic circle beneath his feet.
His body, however, remained in place, as if all moisture had been drained from it, slowly crumbling into a pile of sand and dissolving into the crimson glow.
The sight sent a chill down Matthew's spine.
Though it had saved his life, the method of sacrifice was even more eerie and terrifying.
He forced himself to stop thinking about it.
Gathering his strength, he twisted his bound hands and struggled to break free from the cross.
However, he subconsciously overlooked one thing.
—Beyond the world, an unknown existence had already locked onto the magic circle.
Having received enough sacrifices, the circle had reached its critical threshold...
Which meant—
It was about to descend.
Crack! Wroom!
At that moment, the energy within the magic circle surged upward, violently tearing open a deep red rift.
Space was ripped apart like gauze.
In the next second, a deep red aura poured through the crack, flooding the area above.
A massive hand suddenly reached through the rift, only to be halted by an invisible membrane.
A brief struggle followed as the two forces pushed and pulled against each other.
Space twisted violently, and the shockwaves from the clash caused the entire enclosed space to collapse, revealing glimpses of the rainy night beyond.
The cross restraining Matthew's limbs couldn't withstand the force and snapped into several pieces.
Stunned by the blast, he wasn't able to move right away.
When he finally looked up, he trembled.
Oh no—the magic circle had taken effect.
[You observed a portion of the world's spatial laws. Due to your Odin's Insight, you have mastered the specialty: Local Space Lock.]
[You observed a portion of the Evil God-level projection. Due to your Odin's Insight, you have mastered the specialty: Otherworld Projection.]
Rumbling echoed all around, and the ground shook violently.
Layers of grey mist began spreading horizontally from the crack above, while the warped and shifting spatial rift deepened further.
A chill ran down Matthew's spine, and his instincts screamed in alarm.
He understood clearly—if he didn't get out now, something unimaginably terrifying was about to happen.
Ignoring the prompts in his mind, he summoned all his strength. With the cross shattered, he finally tore free from his restraints.
Without a second's hesitation, he got to his feet and dashed into the pouring rain outside.
...
"Huff.. hufff.. haah..."
He didn't know how long he had been running.
Eventually, Matthew stopped, gasping for breath, only when he could no longer see the spreading mist or the massive crimson rift.
Fighting through the pain wracking his body, he opened the virtual data panel.
♾️—|SYSTEM PROFILE |—♾️
Name: Matthew
Race: Human
Talent: [Odin's Insight]
Tier: World-Class
Origin: Unique – Exclusive to All Realms
|Specialties|
– Local Space Lock
– Otherworld Projection
|Status Effects|
• Evil God's Gaze:
When you leave the world's crystal wall and enter the void, the Evil God "Scarlet Dominator" will immediately perceive your presence and obtain your spatial coordinates.
• World's Repulsion: 1%
Your intrusion has been detected by the world. Your presence has been temporarily blocked by the world's origin.
→ At 10%, you will be forcibly expelled from the world's crystal wall.
→ At 30%, you will be erased by the origin's grey mist.
♾️———————♾️
Ah?!
Matthew stared at the new entries on the panel and instantly felt the crushing malice of the world itself.
Repulsion? Erasure?
I just got here!
Before he could launch into a tirade, a surprised voice suddenly rang out behind him: "Where did this little fellow come from?"
"Appearing here at this time... could he be connected to the situation up ahead?"
Matthew was just about to turn around when he heard the next incantation:
"Legilimency!"
[You have been attacked by the Legilimency spell. Due to your Odin's Insight, you have mastered the specialty: Occlumency.]
Occlumency: When facing divine sense or mind-type attacks, important memories and thoughts are automatically hidden.
A sudden heaviness struck Matthew's mind.
But the system's prompt instantly cleared his thoughts.
All memories related to his transmigration and golden finger had been automatically concealed by Occlumency.
Even being attacked helps the system comprehend?
Perfect! Absolutely brilliant!
He immediately played along, pretending to fall unconscious under the spell, allowing the caster to view the rest of his surface memories.
When the caster saw the sacrificial scene, he sharply gasped.
The grotesque and bloody ritual, along with the images of the crimson rift and writhing grey mist, made his hair stand on end.
Something serious had just happened.
With no time to dwell on the child's plight, the man quickly pulled out his communication device and shouted:
"This is Auror 09 of the Ministry of Magic. A major sacrificial event has occurred in the suburbs of London. The severity is estimated at S-class. Request immediate personnel reinforcement!"
"Repeat, a major sacrificial event has occurred in the London suburbs. The severity is estimated to be S-class. Request immediate personnel reinforcement!"
Amid the wind and rain, Matthew couldn't make out the static-laced response from the device.
But he had caught key words—Ministry of Magic, Auror, and the earlier use of Legilimency. That familiar feeling...
He realized then: he had transmigrated into the magical world of Harry Potter.
But... were there cult sacrifices in Harry Potter?
Doubt crept in.
Although he couldn't recall every plot detail, he was certain that Harry Potter had never included evil god sacrifices or grey mist.
Which meant this world wasn't a straightforward version of the one he remembered.
Either something had changed this world beyond recognition, or it was a parallel world that merely resembled it.
Regardless of the answer, one thing was clear—this place was far more dangerous than the Harry Potter world he knew.
As that thought settled, he suddenly felt a warm breeze brush over him—and seized the chance to slowly open his eyes.
Standing before him was a tall man—the same caster from earlier.
He wore a black robe, had blond hair, and held a wand in his fair left hand, aimed steadily at Matthew.
Gentle waves of warm, dry air flowed from the tip of the wand, allowing Matthew to feel the first hint of warmth from this world.
The wooden stick was clearly a wand.
Recalling the strange incidents from the original owner's memories, it was now evident they had all been signs of magical activity.
"Feeling better, little fellow? I'm an Auror from the British Ministry of Magic's Auror Office. You can call me Mr. Lyon."
Lyon's face radiated a kind smile, as if none of the previous events had occurred.
Combined with his handsome features, it created a naturally likable impression.
If I hadn't seen you hit me with a spell the moment you saw me, I might've actually believed you were a good person.
Seeing Matthew remain silent, Lyon assumed the child was still in shock and felt another wave of sympathy.
"Poor little thing... ah well. You should get some rest. The other Aurors should be here soon…"
Though his tone was soft and sympathetic, his wand never wavered.
"Obliviate."
[You have been attacked by the Memory Charm. Due to your Odin's Insight, your specialty: Occlumency has upgraded to specialty- Odin's Lock: Control Consciousness.]
Control Consciousness: When facing divine sense or mind-type attacks, it can manipulate all memories, thoughts, and consciousness, ensuring complete immunity from any external influence.
Matthew's mind dipped for a moment, but he quickly regained clarity.
What is wrong with this guy?! He just keeps casting spells on a child without saying a word!
Auror, do you even know you're breaking the law? You're breaking the law!
Before Matthew could finish mentally shouting, another urgent incantation rang out: "Stupefy."
Bloody hell! Again?!