https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-297-Mihal-Let-s-Stretch-a-Little-/13685233/
Chapter 296: Is This Wade Gray?
The Wizard who had barely kept his wits about him panicked and turned to flee—only to find the elevator door stubbornly unyielding no matter how hard he tried.
"Move!" A gruff voice bellowed. The man drew his wand and shouted, "Thunder Explosion! Thunder Explosion!"
A deafening boom erupted, sparks flying wildly as the metal door warped violently—yet behind it lay nothing but solid, unbroken steel.
Another Wizard attempted Apparition. After a brief spin, he collapsed right where he stood.
"Anti-Apparition Charm... it hasn't been lifted!" he cried, despair thick in his voice.
A tall red-haired Wizard charged forward, seizing Gul by the collar and shaking him violently. "Who’s behind you? Let us out! If you don’t, I swear I won’t spare you!"
Gul offered a mechanical smile. "Price-wise, you can contact me privately. Of course, this is a one-of-a-kind treasure. If others want it too, well…"
"Damn it!" The red-haired Wizard, despite knowing Gul was under some kind of control, couldn’t hold back his temper and shoved him to the ground.
Gul blinked dazedly, then slowly sat up and muttered to the stone platform beside him, "This expedition into the ancient ruins is extremely dangerous. Are you sure you want to join? …Fine, I can discuss it with others…"
Watching him act so unhinged, someone who knew him well couldn’t help but break down in tears. "Why? Why would someone inside do this to us? I’ve never done anything wrong!"
He sobbed for a moment, then his eyes fluttered shut, and he slumped unconscious.
The Alchemists were mostly technicians—used to working in their labs for years, with little experience in crisis situations. They floundered like headless flies for a while before someone finally remembered the Book of Friends, attempting to send a message to their allies outside for help.
But the text on the parchment had vanished. No reply came.
Professor Mor, dragged into the horn and now half-dazed, struggled to stay conscious. Trembling, he swallowed a potion and managed to lift his head.
"Wade…" he whispered weakly.
"Professor," Wade replied, kneeling beside him and gently supporting his body.
"Contacted… Dumbledore…?" Professor Mor gasped, barely able to speak.
"No," Wade said softly. "This room has been sealed with an Anti-Connection Charm. Messages can’t get out."
"Is that so…" Professor Mor forced two ragged breaths. "Then… take your chance… if you can escape… run… don’t… stay for me…"
The old man’s arm slipped from Wade’s grip. His eyes closed, his neck sagging limply.
Wade laid him gently on the ground and checked his breathing. As expected, it remained steady. Professor Mor hadn’t been dying—he’d simply been knocked unconscious.
The statues continued spewing golden sparks, showering the chamber like glittering fairy lights. As the Wizards ran in panic, they carried the sparks everywhere. But around Wade, the golden motes halted midair, blocked by an invisible barrier.
Had anyone been observant enough, they’d have noticed: the first to fall were those nearest the statues—each with dozens of tiny sparks clinging to their skin.
When Wade activated his second sight, he discovered the truth: those seemingly decorative sparks were etched with ancient runes. They pulsed with magic far beyond mere fireworks—power unlike anything he’d ever encountered.
Wade was grateful he’d avoided close contact with others, having stayed at the edge from the start. When the first burst came, he’d kept the golden dust from touching him.
But few Wizards could match Wade’s awareness—few could spot the danger, let alone silently cast and sustain a Shield Charm for long.
Many Alchemists, including Professor Mor, carried alchemical artifacts meant to resist magical harm. But the golden sparks drifted like dust. They didn’t cause immediate damage. Each spark’s magic was so faint—fainter than a single bite of a Bit-Bean—too weak to trigger the artifacts’ defenses.
That was how Professor Mor had been caught off guard.
Wade thought quickly. He rolled sideways into the crowd, feigning unconsciousness.
One by one, the Wizards collapsed—until even the last one struggling against the iron gate fell silent.
After a long pause, faint whispers began to stir.
"Passed out…"
"All of them…"
"Plan worked perfectly…"
"Go ahead—come in!"
"Open the door—open the door!"
"Idiot—there’s no lock! No need for me to even bother now."
The portraits on the wall chattered back and forth, not like ghostly remnants of past wizards, but like a flock of chattering sparrows.
The golden-spark projector rotated slowly and sank into the ground. A low hum filled the chamber. Wind surged from nowhere, lifting the golden particles into the air and sucking them away.
Wade quietly lifted his Shield Charm. Then, under the cover of his clothes, he rubbed a few golden sparks onto his shirt.
The wind died down. A portrait cackled silently and slid open. From within, masked figures emerged—then, the girl who’d been sitting behind the counter.
"All down," she said, kicking the unconscious Gul, who still clutched the stone platform. "Useless. I had to play along with him for days."
"Enough chatter," a broad-shouldered man growled. "The leader ordered us to take these Alchemists back."
He bent down and hoisted the frail old wizard, Matthias, onto his shoulders. Another man stepped up to support him, and together they dragged Matthias through the doorway.
The group moved with eerie order, carefully avoiding contact with the walls as they hauled their captives away.
Wade narrowed his eyes, puzzled.
It would’ve been so much easier to use a Hovering Charm. Yet these people strained, sweating through their efforts—no sign of magic.
But they weren’t Muggles. Not with the Imperius Curse and those strange golden sparks.
These people… hadn’t appeared in the original story. They weren’t in any film adaptation either.
Or… maybe something new came out after he arrived? After all, this was a massive IP—super popular. A new movie or TV series wasn’t impossible.
Wade forced a dry chuckle, pushing down his unease.
Since they hadn’t harmed them outright, Wade decided to wait. He pressed the golden sparks from his shirt into his palm. Within moments, his head grew heavy.
He couldn’t afford to fall asleep—but he couldn’t fake unconsciousness too perfectly either.
After a while, footsteps stopped beside him.
"Are you sure?" someone murmured from inside. "This boy… is Wade Gray?"
(End of Chapter)
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