MTLNOVEL Chapter 5: chapter 5
Chapter 5: I'm Not Even Qualified to Be a Threat to You?
"Voldemort, you've gone the wrong way. You should go this way."
Jacob's words snapped Voldemort back to reality.
Somehow, Jacob was already standing in front of him again.
"Sorry, I... I was just a little distracted..." Voldemort explained hurriedly.
"Voldemort, you're trying too hard. If you want to appear submissive, you need to act more naturally..." Jacob patted Voldemort's shoulder meaningfully before turning and walking away again.
Voldemort stood frozen, his mind reeling from Jacob's words like a bolt from the blue.
"I was so naive! I took things for granted! My change was too sudden—how could he not guess what I was trying to do?"
"So… he's warning me! Letting me know that I shouldn't even have unnecessary thoughts!"
"He knows I could retaliate at any time, yet he still doesn't care. He just leaves me alone… Does he think I'm not even qualified to be a threat to him?"
"Damn it! That arrogant bastard! How dare he? How dare he look down on me like that?!"
Voldemort's face turned pale, his eyes filled with humiliation. The veins on his neck bulged in anger.
Deep down, he understood Jacob's perspective better than anyone—because before meeting him, Voldemort had always seen others the same way.
He had believed that everyone else was a mediocre fool, incapable of threatening someone as extraordinarily gifted as himself. That belief had fueled his arrogance and dominance over others.
But now, the tables had turned.
He never imagined that one day he would be the one treated like an insignificant fool.
Hit hard by this cruel "boomerang" of fate, Voldemort suddenly understood—just a little—what those he had bullied in the past must have felt.
"Ding! The system has detected that the host has inflicted severe psychological damage on the future Dark Lord. The host is rewarded with 50 merit points."
"Ah… Voldemort, I think I like you a little bit already."
---
Mrs. Cole was a thin woman with a tired, haggard face. The shadow of war loomed over Europe, filling people with fear. Fewer and fewer kind-hearted individuals were willing to donate money and supplies to the orphanage.
She wasn't sure how much longer the orphanage would even survive.
Managing dozens of orphans and ensuring they had enough food and clothing drained her both physically and mentally.
"Eric has been feeling unwell all day. God help him, I hope it's not chickenpox again… We're already busy enough as it is. Billy looks much better—remember to wipe him with iodine tonight," Mrs. Cole said as she distributed food, speaking to a young girl wearing tattered clothes and an old apron.
Soon, she noticed Jacob and Voldemort arriving late.
"Jacob, are you getting used to living here? Voldemort, I just hope you're not using your tricks to bully Jacob! Otherwise, you'll be locked in the small dark room again!"
"Who's bullying who?"
Voldemort pursed his lips, saying nothing. His eyes were fixed on the dinner handed to him—a small portion of baked beans, mashed potatoes, a piece of bread, and a bowl of unidentifiable soup.
"I'm used to it, Mrs. Cole… Actually, compared to the children still wandering the streets, starving, I have it pretty good. If you hadn't taken me in, I don't know what would've happened to me," Jacob said sincerely, looking at Mrs. Cole with gratitude. "I'm really thankful..."
"You're a good kid… Turns out, I was right to bring you back. You've been a great help these past weeks. Now, eat up. Here, take this."
Mrs. Cole's exhausted face softened into a smile as she slipped an egg into Jacob's coat pocket.
Voldemort glanced at his own bland meal, then at Jacob's plate, which had an egg in his pocket and even an apple on it.
He immediately felt the unfairness of the world.
Sitting in a corner, Jacob slowly peeled the egg. Unable to suppress his curiosity, Voldemort walked over and sat across from him with his plate.
"What exactly did you do for that woman? Why does she treat you so differently?"
Jacob carefully removed the egg yolk and replied casually, "Maybe, as you said, it's just because of my pretty face?"
Voldemort clenched his spoon, wanting to snap back but holding himself back.
"Haha, just kidding. Here, I'll give you half of the egg."
Under Voldemort's disdainful gaze, Jacob used his spoon to place half the egg yolk onto his plate.
"I just did a few small things within my ability… Things that happened to please her. Honestly, you could do it too, but you always think so highly of yourself that you never even try."
Voldemort pushed the half egg yolk aside with disgust. "Hmph, I'm not the kind of person who deliberately pleases others."
"Oh? Then who was the one groveling to me just now?" Jacob smirked.
"I…"
Voldemort's pale face flushed slightly. "That's because you're stronger than me! I had to…"
"Of course, of course. I never said you were wrong. In fact, sometimes saying a few nice words and doing small favors for others to achieve a goal isn't a big deal."
Jacob looked at Voldemort's embarrassed face and laughed again.
"Just like how I flattered Mrs. Cole to get a private room for my research, and you flattered me to get a way to increase your strength—so that you can take revenge on me."
Voldemort felt like he could barely breathe. He hated being seen through. He hated having no control.
"Ding!"
A series of system notifications rang out. Jacob was rewarded with another 10 merit points.
---
In his private room, Jacob focused on his latest experiment.
"Reparo!"
With a special gesture, he aimed at the cracked metal lock on the wooden door and chanted the spell.
A soft metallic sound followed, and the cracks in the lock gradually disappeared.
Jacob grinned in satisfaction.
"A Complete Guide to Low-Level Magic Spells" really is detailed. It not only records how each spell evolved over time but also explains how to cast them properly without a wand…
Thanks to this book, Jacob's research and practice speed had increased a hundredfold.
After spending 5 merit points to buy a bottle of Baixian, he had 65 points left.
Jacob eagerly anticipated the refresh of the store page at midnight.
"Good thing there's a product-locking function, or else 65 points wouldn't be enough."