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Lynn did not approach rashly.
He first used several detection spells to carefully check it several times, confirming whether there were any signs of life, magical fluctuations, or curse traps on this empty shell.
After careful confirmation, it seemed that the blood shield that had blocked the Explosion Charm, the attacking blood pillar, and the ability to turn into mist and escape had completely exhausted all energy; no problems were detected.
Lynn walked to the empty shell and used his wand to gently lift aside the tattered fragments of the robes, observing closely.
This look was significant; he instantly discovered something unusual.
The material of the outside of the shell looked like withered flesh, yet it had the texture of a complex, processed composite material. On the chest, the back of the neck, and other areas, he could even see faintly regular patterns arranged under the skin.
"This texture... these patterns..." Lynn gently traced along one of the lines, and he couldn't help but swear under his breath,
"This f*ck... isn't a living being! Is this a product of Alchemy?!"
After the shock passed, Lynn found a large dragon-hide bag in his trunk. He carefully put the shriveled shell into the bag, tied the opening tight, and then put it back into his trunk.
This is good stuff; he'd take it back to study it.
Turning around, Lynn also collected the Acromantulas' venom and silk into his trunk and left the Forbidden Forest... The next day, after a hurried breakfast, Lynn declined his roommates' invitation to play games in the common room and dove back into his dormitory.
Inside the trunk, the shriveled shell had already been carefully moved to a Specialized Analysis Table, surrounded by several detection instruments flickering with different lights.
Lynn, wearing protective dragon-hide gloves and holding precise Alchemy tools, had been busy with this shell for quite a while.
At this moment, the "body" of the shell had been cautiously "disassembled" by him according to the discovered patterns and joints, leaving the internal structure completely exposed.
"Tsk tsk, they really put in a lot of effort... and they're also really wicked." Lynn picked up a mesh-like structure embedded in the spinal position and looked at it repeatedly.
The internal construction confirmed his suspicion.
This wasn't a proper Vampire, but an alchemical puppet.
Located at the heart of the shell was a deep red, multi-faceted core. The core was etched with dense Ancient Runes, forming an extremely complex magic array.
According to Lynn's disassembly, the main function of this core was to remotely receive instructions and drive the carrier's actions; it could transmit the information collected by the carrier's "senses" back to a certain receiver in real time, similar to a "live broadcast."
This meant the manipulator could see Lynn as if they were there in person, but wouldn't suffer the pain when the carrier took damage.
Next to the core was a "Power Supply and Conversion System"—shaped like a tangled network of silver metal "blood vessels," with a jewel-like unit embedded in the center.
This system connected to the regular patterns spread across the shell's body, responsible for converting blood into the power that drove the carrier's actions.
As for the material of the shell's skin, Lynn's conclusion was that this thing was a proper physical body that had undergone alchemical modification.
"I don't know which unlucky person's remains were dug up and modified into this ghostly appearance." Lynn shook his head; the guy who made this thing was utterly wicked.
However, there was still a key question troubling Lynn: what exactly was the "blood" driving this carrier?
Judging from last night's battle, that dark red liquid was the key offensive medium and energy source.
Lynn tried to inject some blood from a Dark Wizard, who had been dead for who knows how long, into the shell's "vessel" network.
As a result, nothing happened; the blood just stagnated in the pipes, and the carrier had no reaction.
"It seems not just any blood will do..." Lynn rubbed his chin. "A Vampire carrier that doesn't 'drink' ordinary human blood? Or... is that blood itself part of the carrier's energy system, a 'disposable consumable' injected during manufacturing?"
The mystery remained... Another day passed, and this morning, another Defense Against the Dark Arts class arrived.
Lynn temporarily set aside the Vampire mystery and walked toward the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, chatting and laughing with his three roommates, Edgar, William, and Ollie, as usual.
Entering the familiar classroom, everyone found their seats and waited for the Professor to come and teach.
Ring, ring, ring—!
The class bell rang on time.
The classroom door was suddenly pushed open, and a black figure, carrying a chill, strode in with large steps.
The classroom fell silent instantly; one could hear a pin drop. All the students widened their eyes, their faces filled with shock and confusion.
"What's going on? Professor Snape?" A Ravenclaw girl sitting in the row in front of Lynn couldn't help but whisper to her companion. "Didn't Professor Lupin only take two days off? He subbed the day before yesterday, so why again today..."
A Hufflepuff boy next to her also lowered his voice. "Yeah, I heard Professor Lupin was already better."
Snape's eyes slowly swept across every stunned face in the room, the corners of his mouth curling into a mocking arc.
"Silence." His voice wasn't loud, but it was like ice water dousing all the whispering.
"In my class, I do not wish to hear any foolish conversation unrelated to the teaching content."
He paused, his gaze accurately sweeping over the few students who had just spoken. "Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, ten points each. Reason: failing to remain quiet after the bell rang, lacking the most basic respect for a Professor."
The students below immediately wailed and cursed inwardly: 'Damn old bat! You just walked in and haven't even started the lecture!'
'Point-deducting maniac!'
'Where on earth did Professor Lupin go?'
Snape ignored the expressions of suppressed anger, walked straight to pick up the chalk, and turned to write the content to be learned in this lesson on the blackboard.
"Open your textbooks to Chapter Five of 'The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection.' Today, we will explore 'in depth' a dangerous and vile creature..."
Throughout the entire class, the students were immersed in an atmosphere woven with low pressure and confusion.
The end-of-class bell rang like a bell of salvation.
Almost the instant Snape uttered the words "class dismissed," the students felt as if they had been granted a general amnesty. They grabbed their bags and poured out of the classroom at a speed bordering on fleeing.
The corridor immediately erupted into chaotic chatter.
"What is going on with Professor Lupin?"
"Is Snape going to keep subbing? Please, no!"
"I think I saw Professor Lupin this morning..."
"I heard he seemed unwell again last night, and Madam Pomfrey told him to rest a bit more?"
"No, I heard..."
Students gathered in small groups, eagerly exchanging bits and pieces of information they had heard, trying to piece together the truth.
Soon, some well-informed students finally brought a definitive answer—
"Professor Lupin is right..."