https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-689-Harry-s-Tournament-Experience/13685909/
Chapter 688: Cheetah's "Smile"
"Ugh—!" Jabari hung suspended, his hands clawing desperately at the tightening, lethal restraint around his neck. He’d forgotten he was a wizard entirely, utterly failing to remember his wand. His face flushed a deep purple, his eyes bulging from the lack of oxygen.
Through his blurred vision, he saw the lizard—long thought gone—perched atop a branch overhead. Its scales glistened with an icy sheen, and its eyes coldly fixed on his dying struggle.
This lizard… this lizard was really going to kill him!
The fear of death surged like a tidal wave, and darkness began creeping into his sight.
"Split-into-Parts Spell!"
Clementine, frozen in shock, finally reacted. Her spell lashed out like lightning, striking the lizard’s tongue with precision.
Thud!
Jabari crashed to the ground, gasping for breath. Before he could even recover, a gust of wind roared above him—then the cheetah magic puppet leapt from the tree, landing directly on his chest, its claws locking onto his neck.
Puff—!
Jabari’s eyes bulged as blood sprayed from his mouth. He felt several ribs snap under the crushing weight, agony shooting through his thighs.
"Jabari!" Clementine screamed.
It wasn’t out of deep camaraderie—it was because, in that moment, she realized Jabari had lost all ability to fight. Now she would be left alone, facing two magic puppets.
When the lizard turned its head toward her, she didn’t intervene. Instead, she took two instinctive steps back, her eyes darting to a crack in the nearby trees.
She hadn’t even processed what she was about to do when, far off, the cheetah suddenly crouched low, coiled its body, and pushed back.
In an instant, it shot forward like an arrow released from a bow—leaping into the air!
The cheetah stretched its body, covering nearly ten meters in a single bound. As it landed, it plunged straight into the golden mist.
"Ahh—!" Clementine screamed, spinning and fleeing.
She ran faster than she ever had before. Branches whipped her face, stinging like fire. The trees blurred into indistinct smears of color.
But could human speed truly outpace a cheetah magic puppet that didn’t need to rest?
Clementine dared to glance back—she expected to see the leopard’s bloodthirsty face mere feet away. Instead, she was stunned to find…
The cheetah hadn’t followed at all.
It sat elegantly at the edge of the mist, its mouth slightly curved upward—like a chilling, unnatural smile.
...
Clementine fled. Just as Jabari, drained and surrendering to despair, was losing consciousness, a beam of light descended from the sky.
"Loosen the force!"
The lizard snapped back violently, its body jerking away. The spell struck the ground beside Jabari, leaving a small crater in the soil.
Professor Flitwick, tiny and nimble, hovered above on his broomstick, wand still pointed at the two puppets. Seeing them retreat obediently to a safe distance—obviously knowing they couldn’t attack a patrol—finally landed.
He knelt beside Jabari, checking his condition.
The Wagadoo champion’s neck bore a deep purple bruise. Blood streaked his face and chin. His chest was visibly caved in.
Jabari looked at him like a man seeing salvation. He tried to speak, lips trembling—but no sound came out.
"Merlin’s beard!" Professor Flitwick fumed, his tiny mustache bristling. His short legs drummed angrily on the ground. He turned to the lizard puppet, scolding, "Unbelievable! Wade would never allow such a killing blow!"
Lizard: "..."
It glanced at the cheetah. The two puppets exchanged a silent glance.
Then the lizard pretended not to understand, twisting its body and slithering swiftly into the grass patch—vanishing without a trace.
By the time Professor Flitwick turned around, the cheetah had already disappeared from its spot. He glared in frustration.
Barely pausing, he cast healing charms repeatedly over Jabari, stabilizing his injuries before gently levitating him away.
...
The lizard coiled atop a dry log. The cheetah sat beside it, gazing up at the sky.
Two figures on broomsticks soared into the air, vanishing in an instant. The blue bird filming the tournament flapped away, searching for more valuable scenes.
The forest fell silent once more.
Then, a voice spoke.
"Why did you let her go?"
The lizard’s scales rose and fell with each breath. Its eyes locked onto the cheetah.
The cheetah stretched lazily, ignoring the question. It flicked its tail, rolling a stone across the ground.
The lizard’s gaze sharpened.
It recognized the stone—it was one of the gorilla puppet’s eyes. Now, it looked just like any ordinary pebble.
Wade hadn’t had the luxury of choosing rare materials when crafting them. He’d used whatever was available—common stones, vines, feathers, and nuts from the forest.
The lizard’s tone softened slightly, but still carried an edge. "Master’s command wasn’t like this. Are you planning to violate it?"
The cheetah glanced sideways. "You think I’m breaking the command? What do you intend to do?"
The lizard lifted itself slightly, voice icy. "Betrayal. Death."
The cheetah rolled its eyes. "Did you forget what Master just said? If we can’t stop them, we can let them pass."
The lizard’s eyes widened. "You’re exploiting a loophole! So you’re—"
The cheetah suddenly stood, coldly staring at the lizard. The other puppet fell silent.
Cheetah picked up the stone, swallowed it in one gulp, then said, "Stay out of my way. Your task is the other goal."
"I can’t find her," the lizard muttered, frustrated.
"Idiot! Wait by the path Master took. Watch the blue bird!"
With that, the cheetah leapt forward, vanishing into the trees with effortless grace.
Watching its form disappear into the shadows, the lizard let out a heavy sigh.
Then it raised its head. The broken end of its tongue trembled, rapidly scanning the air for the faintest trace of scent.
...
Harry trudged forward through the Forbidden Forest, each step a struggle. Though ten minutes had passed without danger, that didn’t mean he felt any lighter.
Tree roots lay coiled like sleeping serpents—tripwires waiting to catch him. Thorns dropped from above, snaking toward him. And the brightly colored mushrooms—touch one, and it exploded in a cloud of choking powder.
Harry inhaled too deeply. His head spun. The trees and weeds swam before him, transforming into tiny dancing figures that giggled and taunted him.
He stopped, gulping down a bottle of Stimulating Elixir, then poured two more bottles of water onto his head. Only then did clarity return.
He stared ahead into the dense woods, worry etching his face.
(End of Chapter)
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