Alex finally paused his work, tilting his head slightly. His lips curled into a mocking smile. "Ah, someone with brains. Yes, we met before, Torquil. And as for my goal…" He gestured toward the restrained group with a casual wave of his hand. "Well, let's just say you've been very generous to one of my friends, Charles, haven't you?"
Torquil narrowed his eyes. "So this is about revenge, is it?"
"Revenge?" Alex let out a dry laugh. "If this was just about revenge, you'd all be dead a hundred times over by now. No, no. I have much more practical reasons for keeping you alive." His voice turned icy, his grin sharp. "On one hand, I have a few burning questions that need answers. On the other, I find myself a little short on supplies. So, congratulations—you're now part of my… inventory."
The room fell silent, the implications of Alex's words hanging heavy in the air. The Death Eaters exchanged uneasy glances, their bravado faltering. Torquil, unwilling to give in, asked cautiously, "What do you want to know?"
Alex chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, Torquil, do you really think you can stall for time? You've been quietly trying to gather your magic since I walked in. Go ahead, try casting something. I'll even count it as a win for you if you manage it." His tone was light, but his eyes were sharp, catching every subtle twitch of movement.
Torquil's lips twitched in frustration. His attempt at gathering magic had been seen through. Realizing he had no other option, he began chanting under his breath, hoping to catch Alex off guard. At the same time, Goyle and Crabbe began muttering spells of their own, their faces twisted with concentration.
But Alex moved faster than any of them could anticipate. In one swift motion, he lunged forward, his fists grasping the hammer. He struck each of them with a bam! The blows landing hard enough to snap their heads back. The sudden, overwhelming pain disrupted their fragile concentration, and the magic they had painstakingly gathered dissipated like smoke. "A hammer is faster than any spell within two meters," Alex said coldly, standing over them. "Your parents never taught you that? What a shame."
Without wasting another second, Alex waved his wand, sealing their mouths with a silencing spell. He stepped back, turning his attention to the tools and equipment he had prepared earlier. "Now, let's see what treasures you've been hiding," he muttered to himself, patting down each of them with clinical efficiency. The Death Eaters glared at him with a mixture of fear and hatred, but the chains held them firmly in place.
From Torquil's pockets, Alex retrieved a small leather pouch. A quick inspection revealed it was enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm. Inside, he found over 600 Galleons, several silver trinkets, a stack of letters, and other odds and ends. He pocketed everything without hesitation, then turned to face his captives.
"That's all?" he scoffed, holding up the pouch. "You Death Eaters pride yourselves on your wealth and power, but this… this is pathetic." He glanced at Torquil and delivered another punch for good measure. "Honestly, I'm embarrassed for you."
Torquil bared his teeth, gritting them in pain after Alex's punch connected with brutal force. Despite this, his glare remained fierce, his eyes filled with venomous defiance. Alex seemed indifferent, crouching down to remove the spell sealing Torquil's mouth. He offered a calm smile as he spoke, his tone almost gentle. "Next, I'll borrow your body for a little experiment. Don't worry—I'll try to be gentle and not break you."
'I said I'll try,' Alex thought with a hint of dry humor, keeping the sentiment to himself.
He moved to the nearby tool table and picked up an unusual object: a long metal rod with a dial attached at the top, resembling a European-style kitchen thermometer. As he inspected it, Alex murmured to himself, "First, let's test this mana-measuring instrument. The earlier external tests weren't accurate enough to measure a wizard's mana reserve. Looks like we'll need to try something… more direct."
Torquil, pinned helplessly on the ground, watched Alex approach with the mysterious tool in hand. A cold shiver ran down his spine, his instincts screaming danger. Panic flickered in his eyes as he stammered, "W-what are you doing? Don't come any closer! I'm the second heir of the Travers family! You'll regret this if—"
Before Torquil could finish his threat, Alex drove the metal rod into his chest with a chilling thunk. Blood oozed from the wound, spreading across his robes. Alex quickly muttered a spell, causing the wound to seal tightly, stopping the bleeding.
The sudden and brutal act left the onlookers frozen in shock. Their expressions ranged from disbelief to outright horror. None of them had expected Alex to go this far, and for a moment, the room was silent save for the quiet drip of blood hitting the floor.
Alex, seemingly oblivious to their reactions, leaned over the device, his focus entirely on the dial. "Strange," he muttered, frowning. "No response. With the runes for 'Blood Sensing,' 'Integrity,' 'Monitoring,' and the rest, it should work. Could the sensitivity coefficient be too high?"
He pulled the rod out of Torquil's chest without hesitation, made a few adjustments, and plunged it back in—this time at a slightly different angle. Blood began to pool again, and Alex quickly sealed the new wound with another spell. "My apologies," Alex said casually. "I think I inserted it in the wrong direction earlier. But don't worry—I'll fix you up once we're done."
"YOU MONSTER!" Torquil roared, his voice thick with pain. "Just kill me already! What are you even doing to me?!"
His body twisted and thrashed in defiance, but Alex's Obstacle Curse held him firmly against the ground. His screams of agony echoed through the room, sending shivers down the spines of everyone watching. Unbothered by the chaos, Alex continued his work, studying the instrument. "Hmm, the scale pointer is stabilizing. No erratic movement like before. Looks like we're getting somewhere."
Then, glancing down at Torquil, Alex asked in an eerily calm voice, "How do you feel? Besides the obvious pain, of course."
Torquil's response was a stream of curses, accompanied by guttural screams that scratched against the ears of everyone nearby. Alex nodded thoughtfully, jotting down notes on a clipboard. "Interesting. No adverse reactions to the runes, and mental coherence remains intact. So far, measuring mana directly through blood seems viable."
Alex checked the reading on the instrument and recorded it carefully. He'd decided to measure mana reserves in 'Lum,' a unit based on the amount of magic needed to cast a single 'Lumos' spell. It was the simplest and least taxing spell available, making it an ideal benchmark. Torquil's current reading was 637 Lum, a mana reserve strong enough to cast over 200 standard attack spells. For comparison, it was nearly four times the mana reserve of an average third-year wizard. "Impressive," Alex murmured, glancing back at Torquil. "Your mana reserve is decent. Now, let's see how emotional fluctuations affect the readings."