"Look, before you were blinded by so-called pure-blood ideology, you were still innocent. You could laugh with Harry and the others, rebel against teachers over things you cared about. But where did that Draco go?"
In the Room of Requirement, Aiden's voice carried temptation and provocation. In the air appeared Draco's past face with that somewhat proud but innocent smile.
"You don't know. I have to do this."
Draco sat tensely on the sofa, clenching his jaw.
"Have to what? Is becoming a Death Eater your only path in life?"
Aiden pulled coconut ice cream from his pocket and held it out, but Draco didn't take it.
"We're Malfoys—noble pure-bloods!" Draco said, agitation rising in his voice.
"So they've brainwashed you too. Since when did pure-blood supremacy have anything to do with Tom?"
Aiden narrowed his eyes. His mismatched pupils gleamed with mockery.
"What... but..." Draco stammered, unable to find words.
"And she asked you to kill me, didn't she? How do you plan to do it? With that cursed necklace Borgin sent you?"
Aiden glanced at Draco, who subconsciously covered the left pocket of his chest.
"No, how do you know? Are you a Legilimens... wait, Occlumency doesn't work on you?"
Draco's words were confused.
"But how is that possible? Even she couldn't forcibly break through Occlumency without me noticing," Draco said, panicking now that his inner thoughts had been seen through.
"Why panic? Your plan's already exposed. Wait, you just said 'she.' Is Tom at your house now?" Aiden raised his eyebrows.
"No, she took some money from our house and returned to Europe. We don't know where she is now. We only know she left many followers in Britain and is plotting something."
Draco, as if resigned to fate, poured out everything he knew.
"All right, let's put aside the topic of Tom. We'll have many opportunities to chat about her in the future. And now, Mr. Malfoy—no, acting head of the Malfoy family—are you willing to join us and become the first test subject of the Third Project?"
Aiden clasped his hands together. The dragon's fangs were already exposed, and the prey had no way to retreat.
Draco swallowed.
But in his heart flashed his imprisoned father and his mother running around for the family finances.
When he raised his head again, his eyes were filled with determination.
"I'm willing."
The dragon showed a satisfied smile, extending his hand to knock on the sofa. The environment of the entire Room of Requirement began rapidly changing.
"I'm unwilling!"
The changed Room of Requirement revealed Lady Rowena's portrait again. At this moment she was righteously protesting to Aiden.
"Be good, don't make a fuss. If the personal terminal test succeeds, you might also have a chance to return to the present world through it," Aiden said, soothing the portrait.
"But you can't test it at Hogwarts. What if it explodes?"
Lady Rowena didn't care at all about Malfoy being put on the operating table but was more concerned about Hogwarts. Truly a former experimental fanatic from Ravenclaw.
"But I can't do this thing elsewhere. Installing this thing that improves how wizards use their mental power in places without firewall protection—wouldn't that just be serving them up to those things below?" Aiden scratched his head.
"All right, Rowena, this was at least built with my heart and blood. I won't just watch it come to harm."
Aiden soothed her again. Lady Rowena pouted and turned her back.
On the operating table, Draco slightly opened his eyes.
"Who are you?" He looked seriously at Aiden.
"Since I've chosen to follow you, at least let me understand you. I can't keep looking at you through a veil after entering your service."
"Nice try at provocation. But it is time for you to understand what you've gotten yourself into."
Aiden met his gaze. A flash of light in his pupils, and experiences excluding Deep Realm King-related content were sent into Draco's mind by Aiden.
"Didn't expect her resurrection was just your side project," Draco said, looking vacantly at the shadowless lamp on the operating table.
"Can't say that. After all, to push the transformation of the ages, someone always needs to play the villain. I'm merciful, and coincidentally, Tom likes and is very good at doing bad things, isn't she?"
Aiden winked at him, then pressed his finger against Draco's neck.
As the foreign magic entered, Draco's perception was quickly cut off, and he fell unconscious.
"System," Aiden called out in his mind.
"Here," the system responded.
"Let's begin."
Using magic to sterilize the surroundings, Aiden artificially created a sterile environment.
He walked to the operating table. Cold eyes gazed at the wizard on the table, then moved to open his skull.
The pink brain was still pulsing. The blood vessels on it were clearly visible.
After observing Draco's brain, Aiden drew runes with magic and began implanting them.
First, to ensure Draco's brain wouldn't be fried by information transmitted through mental transfer, the Algiz (ᛉ) protection rune was definitely most important. Next were the Jera (ᛃ) cycle rune and Nauthiz (ᚾ) need rune required by the terminal.
After doing all this, Aiden pulled out a black sphere.
The sphere was created by Aiden using his abilities combined with consciousness fragments he collected from the sea of consciousness.
Activating it with magic, the sphere melted into liquid, flowed into Draco's head, and wrapped around his brain.
The implant had stabilized. From Draco's performance and physical condition, there seemed to be no rejection reaction.
Aiden, already able to predict the result, was somewhat pleased. He restored Draco's skull and used spells to heal the scars.
Snapping his fingers to wake him, Aiden's ability encountered weak resistance during activation.
Though easily penetrable like paper, it was much better than his previous completely unguarded state.
"Well, how do you feel, Mr. Malfoy?"
Aiden wiped his hands. "The surgery was very successful. You're a girl now."
"What!" Draco reached down to check, then his whole body shivered.
"That's cruel," Lady Rowena's portrait said, teasing from nearby.
"Life needs a little excitement now and then," Aiden said, smiling.
Beside him, Draco saw a box floating in his vision, displaying his status and magic amount.
When he looked at surrounding objects, information about them floated up.
Test, test, can you hear me? Aiden's voice suddenly rang in Draco's mind.
But when he turned his head, he saw Aiden still chatting with Lady Rowena.
Don't look at the main body. This is Aiden Unit, a virtual personality specifically for interfacing with you. Want to test combat functions? I can provide simulated training here.
Draco was still in shock. He subconsciously clicked confirm, then fell straight to the ground.
"Oops, looks like he activated the virtual combat function. I'll send him back first. I'll visit you again next time."
Aiden apologized to Lady Rowena and left with Draco.