14 14. Shocking
The scene at City Hall is just a microcosm. This incredibly powerful Obscurus has brought unprecedented devastation to the city!
Under Aurelius's deliberate indulgence, Obscurus no longer conceals its whereabouts.
It floats in the sky like a black cloud, and nothing can block its path.
Cars are its playthings, and buildings made of steel are like paper...
It's like a mischievous kid playing around in New York City.
People who were awakened by the disaster were screaming and wailing.
These human tragedies continue to spread until they encompass the entire city.
"Ahem... ha - dear, are you having fun?" Aurelius's voice sounds from the black mist.
The crimson light tears through the black mist of Obscurus.
Six floating mysterious runes together form a cubic cage, locking Obscurus firmly at the center.
Turning around, one rune after another integrates into Obscurus' body.
Contract!
The contract from the Summoner has been simulated countless times by Aurelius!
Everything is leading up to this moment!
Silently screaming and quickly falling to the ground,
Amidst the chaos, Aurelius's staggering figure reappears.
"Ahem -" Maybe there is too much dust here, so Aurelius coughs twice and stumbles out of the ruins.
His body is a little tired, but his spirit is extremely excited!
So refreshing! An unprecedented feeling!
It's as if the mountain I was carrying on my back has disappeared!
All that's left is the silence lingering in my mind, like a peaceful baby.
Aurelius went to extremes with the contract made from the heart. He bullied Obscurus, deprived it of consciousness, and tampered with the contents of the contract without authorization based on his understanding of the inherited contract.
This is not the usual equal contract between summoner and defender hero at all.
It's even more impossible for Aurelius to silently establish an equal contract with a negative energy body that has no consciousness and relies solely on instinct.
This is an unequal contract, it could even be called a slave contract.
Under this contract, Aurelius can maximize his control over Obscurus' power for his use. Every summoner knows this, but it's also a taboo for every summoner.
Not to mention the defender hero's inability to consent. Even if coerced into signing a contract, if the hero wants to take action during battle, the consequences will be disastrous.
Only Aurelius has this condition. Obscurus, lacking consciousness, will not oppose him. He is the absolute leader in the contractual relationship.
"This wave is not a loss..." Feeling Obscurus's power, Aurelius displays a wanton smile.
The moment the contract is completed, Obscurus' power is in his hands - another small advantage of the slave contract. Aurelius was surprised to find that heroes in Valoran had clear preferences, such as warriors, mages, tanks, assassins, and more. These preferences were based on the heroes' own chosen skills. Most summoners followed specific systems for cultivating heroes. However, Obscurus was different.
Due to the slave contract and the unique nature of Obscurus itself, it could essentially be regarded as a blank slate.
Obscurus's growth was entirely controlled by Aurelius.
This was both a freedom and a restriction.
Without any precedents to rely on, the future potential of Obscurus depended solely on Aurelius's training.
"I have no knowledge or experience with magic. I must not act recklessly. Making the wrong choices would mean regretting," Aurelius thought, considering the consequences and making a decision.
The magical training for Obscurus would have to be postponed until Aurelius had a sufficient understanding of magic.
As for growth, Aurelius could begin with part of the Summoner system.
Being well-versed in the summoner system, he directly accepted its inheritance. Upgrading hero levels and constructing runes could be added to the agenda.
However, none of these methods would be effective in the short term. For now, Aurelius had to rely solely on Obscurus's power.
"This will suffice! Obscurus is powerful enough. Besides Old Dumble & Grindle, there are probably not many who can defeat me."
Noticing the gathering crowd, Aurelius knew it was time to leave.
With a thought, he was possessed by the hero, and Aurelius suddenly transformed into a black mist.
Summoning a hero for the first time was an incredible experience. As Obscurus, he felt independent from the outside world, and negative emotions did not affect him. He could even manipulate his surroundings with the flick of a finger.
"It's hard to say anything negative. I excel in black magic! The dangerous effects of black magic are completely useless to me. But Obscurus..... Obscurus feeds on negative emotions!"
Disappearing into a transparent and invisible form, Aurelius quickly made his exit.
Compared to the commotion created upon his arrival, Aurelius left quietly.
Aurelius may have left with a sense of achievement, but the chaos he left behind almost drove Madam Picquery crazy.
"What on earth is this?!"
On the MACUSA's large wheel, engraved with the threat level of magical exposure, the metal pointer moved from "serious" to "urgent", accompanied by a low buzzing alarm.
The wizards who were still at the Magical Congress and hadn't finished work gathered together in groups, whispering nervously. The topic was the sudden death of a No-Maj. From time to time, they would look up at the wheel and mention words like "No-Maj", "President", and "Magical Creatures".
Unfortunately, there was no joy in the Magical Congress during such a crisis.
"President, a No-Maj presidential candidate was openly killed, in front of everyone! Hundreds of pairs of eyes witnessed it! Half of New York was destroyed! Merlin...it's been hundreds of years! A disaster that hasn't occurred in hundreds of years!" Picquery roared angrily, almost denting the table in front of her.
More than a dozen powerful wizards in the Magical Congress remained silent. Faced with the biggest exposure crisis in the hundreds of years since the "Secrecy Act" was implemented, everyone felt desperate.
The war that made them fearful and apprehensive seemed unstoppable this time.
"Chairman Picquery!" A large group of people burst into the room.
The person who spoke was a Latin witch with an extremely impressive temperament. She was dignified and charming. The witch's mysterious demeanor and high-ranking majesty were vividly displayed.
"Veccia... I'm sorry, I don't have the energy to receive the delegation from the International Federation of Wizards right now." Picqueli said exhaustedly.
"Please call me Minister Santos." The witch looked serious, glanced at the MACUSA officials, and said, "We didn't expect the situation to become so serious. Chairman Picquery, how long are you going to hide it? You said it was just a few accidents, but what we saw was half of New York almost destroyed."
"This is no longer just an issue for the Magical Congress. The delegation unanimously agreed to urgently convene the "New York Secrecy Act Crisis Emergency Meeting." This is not a discussion, but a notification." After speaking, Veccia Santos left with a sigh. Everyone in the group followed and left as well.
The top management of the Magical Congress was left in a state of panic, almost exhausted.
"Mr. Graves, call all the Aurors to control the situation. We must prevent any further destruction in New York!" Picquery lay back in her chair, closing her eyes weakly.
Graves, disguised as Grindelwald, responded.
After Grindelwald left, Picquery said pessimistically, "Everyone, get back to work and pray that we can still salvage this situation. If even the International Confederation of Wizards can't do anything to gather wizards from all over the world, then...the only thing awaiting us is war! Think about Salem a few centuries ago. What we will face won't be a few Purifiers or a few villages bewitched by the Purifiers, but billions of No-Majs around the world..."
