Chapter 636: Squid, the Merpeople Tribe
Wade glided effortlessly through the water with the grace of a fish, slicing through the dark expanse like a streak of silver light. He realized that swimming in the narrow bathhouse was utterly different from the open waters of the Black Lake. The cold water brushed against his gills, sending a refreshing chill up his face, and his body felt unnaturally light—almost as if gravity had released its grip on him.
As he descended deeper, the water grew darker, the hues deepening into near-black. Underwater forests of swaying reeds stretched across the lakebed, and tiny bubbles rose like pearls, drifting upward in delicate chains. To the fish, those dense green algae mats must feel like towering skyscrapers.
A school of silver-finned minnows, startled by Wade’s arrival, scattered and then reformed in a shimmering swirl—like a living nebula. They circled him for a moment before he flicked his tail, sending them scattering once more.
Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed ahead—like a giant standing upright in the water.
“Heart of Steel sleeps in the dark…”
The lyric flashed through Wade’s mind.
He approached cautiously, only to find it was just a strangely shaped stone, pocked with holes of various sizes. Glowing shrimp and crabs scuttled across its surface, pecking at something within. Wade searched around, but found no sign of the “Heart of Steel.” As he moved past the stone, a shadow darted out like lightning!
A Kaba!
Wade twisted back sharply, the water surging around him as the creature’s clawed limb slashed past his face. He spun mid-motion, driving his powerful tail hard into the beast’s side. The grotesque creature was sent flying, crashing into the stone with a sickening thud, oozing green blood.
Wade cast a Stun Spell, watching as the Kaba tumbled helplessly through the currents, bumping against the stone in unconscious spasms. He frowned slightly.
Then, a bony hand reached out from behind, grasping at the edge of his floating clothing. Wade snapped his wrist, his wand slicing through the water in a smooth arc.
Boom!
The water exploded. The Grendilo, caught off guard, was thrown into a wild tumble, then vanished into the reeds before Wade could react.
Wade exhaled quietly, relief washing over him. The underwater world was different from the surface—danger could emerge from any direction. He had to stay alert, hyper-vigilant. It was still a bit unnatural, though his Merpeople form helped him adapt quickly. He stilled his surrounding water currents, recalling where Squids usually surfaced, and began to glide forward slowly.
Today, the Squid wasn’t basking on the surface. Instead, it lay curled in a dark fissure at the lake’s bottom, its suction-cup-covered tentacles slightly curled, its round eyes narrowed into slits, its body gently rising and falling.
Asleep?
Wade paused, slowing his pace. He knew Squids didn’t sleep long, and were always alert—any disturbance would wake them instantly. Though Squids were generally friendly toward Hogwarts students, often pulling swimmers to safety, this one was the Tournament’s final guardian. Wade wasn’t willing to gamble on its mood or sense of duty.
He held his breath instinctively. The tip of his wand flared with a faint, silvery glow, illuminating the surrounding darkness.
He circled the creature carefully. Then he saw it—a finger-thick red cylinder clamped tightly to one of the Squid’s suction cups.
Is this the Red of the Sunset?
Without hesitation, Wade began to glide forward, tail flicking softly. Just as his fingers reached the object, one of the tentacles twitched.
He froze.
His wand remained ready, poised to cast a spell at a moment’s notice.
The Squid didn’t wake. It only shifted slightly, then settled back into its rhythmic breathing.
With the most delicate motion, Wade used his fingertip to gently pry the cylinder free. It fell into his hand, and he caught it instantly.
He glanced at the sleeping creature, then slowly backed away—keeping his distance until he was certain he was far enough. Only then did he examine the object.
It looked like a red gemstone pillar, slightly tapered at both ends. It felt cool and smooth in his palm, its surface etched with fine magical runes.
Wade knew what he was searching for. After the transformation, he’d also been given a brown satchel at his waist. He slipped the cylinder inside and continued deeper into the Black Lake.
The water grew colder, the light dimmer. Time passed in silence.
Then—suddenly—a melody drifted through the water.
Wade’s eyes brightened. He quickened his pace, and soon spotted a cluster of crude, half-spherical stone huts, their windows dark and gaping. Merpeople swam within, their silver tails slicing through the water. But their appearance was nothing like the graceful, beautiful creatures of legend.
They were neither slender nor beautiful. Their skin was iron-gray, covered in tiny scales. Their hair was a tangled mass of dark green, like rotting seaweed. Their eyes bulged from their faces, their teeth sharp and jagged. Their features were a strange mix of human and fish, and their bodies were thin and emaciated, ribs clearly visible.
Wade glanced at the small blue fish darting through the deep water. He wondered how many viewers, upon seeing this, would finally lose their romantic illusions about the beauty of Merpeople.
He’d read in books that beautiful Merpeople did exist—but they were a different species altogether, as different from these lake-dwellers as a centaur was from a zebra. The beautiful ones were more proud, more dangerous. They lived deep in the ocean, rarely interacting with wizards, and certainly couldn’t serve as NPCs in a wizarding game.
As soon as Wade approached, the Merpeople noticed him. Instead of attacking, they dove into their huts.
A few tiny, humanoid fish, curious about his strange appearance, swam toward him—only to be yanked back by their parents.
Through the dark windows, a dozen pairs of yellow eyes watched him with suspicion. Wherever he moved, their gaze followed.
Clearly, his current form wasn’t welcome in this tribe. Though he wasn’t attacked, Wade was relieved he hadn’t been driven out.
He hovered above the huts, circling slowly. Then his eyes narrowed.
Some of the huts had old bronze discs hanging on their walls—so similar to circular windows that Wade had almost missed them at first.
He darted forward, plucked one disc from a wall, and examined it. The surface bore a delicate Zodiac pattern, rusted in places, with a circular hollow at its center.
Recognition flashed in Wade’s mind. He now understood what the song had meant.
He tucked the disc into his satchel and looked around.
The Merpeople remained hidden inside, watching him with wary eyes—but they didn’t stop him, didn’t try to drive him away.
He turned and swam to another hut, hoping to retrieve another disc to compare with the one he held.
Just then, several Merpeople stirred. They raised long spears, blocking his path.
“One per champion,” said one, his voice low and grating. “No greed, Champion.”
Wade didn’t feel the need to eliminate all opponents. He nodded, stepped back, and watched as the Merpeople relaxed slightly, lowering their weapons.
He smiled, waved, and turned toward another direction, his prize safely in hand.
Now, only one remained: The Heart of Steel.
If he was right, it should be a needle-like object.
The depths of the Black Lake were full of dangers—entangled seaweed, venomous jellyfish, stealthy Grendilo, electric eels, water serpents, and catfish. All could trouble students, but none were truly deadly. They were obstacles meant to be overcome.
But the real threats—Squid and Merpeople—had remained remarkably restrained.
Wade searched patiently for a place that could be called “the dark.” He kept seeing massive shadows, only to find they were just tangles of seaweed or rotting logs.
Then—something changed.
Ahead, a swirling underwater vortex spun slowly, like a translucent water dragon. One end reached toward the surface, the other plunged into a deeper, darker canyon beneath the lakebed.
Is there a place even darker than this?
Wade paused. One hand gripped the satchel at his waist. With a powerful flick of his tail, he surged forward—straight into the vortex.
(End of Chapter)
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