Hearing the basilisk's retreating sounds, Ciel slowly opened his eyes. Confusion flashed through them.

Slytherin left something for me? In the original story, besides the basilisk and Slytherin's ridiculous statue, the Chamber contained nothing else. But now it seemed Slytherin left something more?

However, this explained a doubt he'd had when reading the original in his previous life—just for one basilisk, constructing such a chamber seemed too elaborate and unnecessary. But if the Chamber had other purposes, this made much more sense.

Then he pondered whether to accept the basilisk's invitation to visit the Chamber. Risk-wise, there wasn't much danger. The basilisk probably wouldn't attack him again. Even if there was an extremely slim possibility that its recent behavior was all an act to ambush him in the Chamber, he remained vigilant. As long as he didn't directly gaze into the basilisk's pupils, its other methods couldn't harm him.

Moreover, with his Legendary-tier vitality, plus Dark Magic resistance from the Patronus tree, and a nearly Legendary-tier Patronus tree seed providing protection, even if he truly gazed directly into the basilisk's pupils, the danger level wasn't high.

After eliminating the basilisk threat, the Chamber itself shouldn't pose too many dangers either. After all, in the original story, Harry had turned the Chamber upside down. Dumbledore had also visited. If Slytherin left any extremely dangerous magic, it definitely couldn't escape Dumbledore's inspection. Worst case, he could trigger Mythical-level methods. The possibility of failure wasn't high.

After thinking this through clearly, his eyes flickered. Donning Harry's Invisibility Cloak, he strode toward the castle's second-floor girls' bathroom.

When he pushed open the bathroom door, the wooden door creaked loudly. A voice with a heavy nasal tone—a floating, sobbing sound—came from the innermost stall, "Boo—who's there?"

Myrtle's semi-transparent figure floated eerily out from behind the stall door. She wore thick round glasses, her face wet, looking nervously toward the entrance. But no one was there.

He had no intention of creating complications with Myrtle. After his gaze swept around briefly, he locked onto his target—in the middle of ceramic sinks covered with grime and water stains, a brass faucet engraved with a coiled snake reflected weak light in the dim illumination.

In his mind, he recalled the cold, slippery pronunciation method learned from Harry and gradually familiarized through recent communications with the basilisk. His throat seemed to contain a cold stone, a vibration sensation not belonging to human vocal structures beginning to brew. He slightly opened his mouth, tongue tip touching the upper gum ridge. Airflow rubbed and rolled through narrow passages, emitting a low, hoarse, primitively wild hissing sound:

"Open."

When this sound echoed through the bathroom, the small snake carving coiled on the brass faucet seemed infused with life. Then the entire faucet began violently shaking and rotating! Click-clack. The snake-engraved faucet spiraled into the sink, finally disappearing at the basin bottom.

Simultaneously, nearby ceramic tile walls slid and separated under some invisible force. A huge, dark, circular opening appeared prominently in the wall. Cold air surged from within, accompanied by the acrid stench of reptile musk.

The instant the passage to the Chamber opened, Myrtle emitted a high-pitched scream, instantly diving back into her toilet stall, her sobbing growing louder and more terrified, "Opened—the Chamber's opened again—Slytherin's heir has returned! The castle will see more deaths!"

Hearing Myrtle's screams, Ciel shook his head. Fortunately I wore the Invisibility Cloak—Myrtle doesn't know who I am. Otherwise, it might cause some trouble.

Then he leaped into the passage. The tunnel was like a pipeline—damp, covered with a layer of slimy moss.

Moments later, he arrived at an unimaginably huge cavern entrance. This cavern had cathedral-like magnificent scale and soaring vaulted ceilings. The floor was damp, hard rock. Many thick stone pillars requiring multiple people to encircle rose from the ground. Each pillar was entwined with lifelike carved stone snakes.

Seeing this, his eyes slightly narrowed, shock sweeping through him. Descriptions seen in the original from his previous life ultimately couldn't compare to personally witnessing it. This place is like excavating three full floors of space beneath Hogwarts Castle!

Then he immediately closed his eyes again, because familiar hissing sounds already emerged from a pipe. The basilisk's dissatisfied voice came out, "Little wizard, your movements are too slow."

He shook his head, "I can't drill through water pipes like you—naturally I'm slower. Now tell me—what did Slytherin leave for me?"

But the basilisk's answer stunned him briefly, "I don't know. He only left me a prophecy—saying if a little wizard who doesn't want to become Slytherin's heir comes, he'll naturally know this Chamber's true purpose."

He frowned, feeling somewhat speechless. Leaving things while being so mysteriously cryptic—Slytherin isn't straightforward at all. Compared to Lady Hufflepuff, far inferior.

However, after mentally complaining briefly, he still wandered around this huge, spacious Chamber. The Four Founders' gifts were definitely extraordinary. Previous experiences with Lady Hufflepuff already proved this. The nectar drunk there benefited his Legendary Life and Legendary Strength considerably. Not to mention Lady Hufflepuff's true subsequent inheritance helped him condense a mythical-level Patronus.

Slytherin might not selflessly dedicate himself like Lady Hufflepuff, but at least he was one of the Four Founders. What he left shouldn't be too shabby, right?

But after he carefully and thoroughly searched for a long time, his brows gradually furrowed. Nothing—nowhere. I can't find any traces left by magic.

His current magical mastery far exceeded that of ordinary young wizards. Looking at Hogwarts history, only those truly top-tier geniuses could possess mastery surpassing his during school years. If he couldn't find any traces, other young wizards would find it extremely difficult too.

Did Slytherin need to hide gifts so deeply?

After searching once more, he stopped this meaningless action, frowning in contemplation.

This doesn't make sense. Those capable of entering the Chamber are extremely rare. In fact, over a thousand years, only Voldemort truly mastered the Chamber's secrets. Entering the Chamber was already so difficult—yet Slytherin wanted to leave something even harder to discover inside? Isn't this redundant, or deliberately not wanting this thing discovered? This doesn't make sense—

Countless thoughts rotated through his mind. He repeatedly chewed over the basilisk's transmitted words from Slytherin. This Chamber's true purpose—true purpose—

The next moment, he suddenly seemed to realize something. That's it. Inside the entire Chamber, besides the thousand-year basilisk, isn't the most valuable thing the Chamber itself? An underground space comparable to half of Hogwarts Castle in scale, extremely hidden. Has water sources. Though rock is hard, over a thousand years it's all been nourished by basilisk feces. Just loosen the soil—this becomes super-fertile land comparable to the small greenhouse's soil!

Such soil—the small greenhouse only has that little bit. But here? He took a deep breath. It's everywhere!

His eyes grew brighter and brighter. What Chamber of Secrets—this is clearly an excellent vegetable garden!