The few wizards who still managed to stay conscious turned and frantically tried to flee, only to discover that the elevator doors wouldn't budge no matter what they tried.
"Move aside!"
A furious man shouted, and then pulled out his wand and aimed it at the door. "Bombarda Maxima! Bombarda Maxima!"
With a deafening explosion, sparks flew, and the metal doors twisted and warped. Behind them, however, was yet another thick layer of solid metal.
Someone else attempted to Apparate, but after spinning in place, they collapsed to the ground, still in the same spot.
"The Anti-Disapparition Jinx… it's still in place!" they said despairingly.
A tall, red-haired wizard rushed forward, grabbed Gull by the collar, and shook him violently. "Who's behind this? Let us out! Or I swear I'll make you pay!"
Gull responded with a mechanical smile. "If you'd like to discuss the price, you can contact me privately. Of course, for such a one-of-a-kind treasure, if others are also interested, then I…"
"Damn it!"
The red-haired wizard, though aware that Gull was under someone else's control, couldn't contain his temper and shoved him to the ground.
Gull sat there in a daze for a moment before turning to the nearby stone pedestal and mumbling, "This exploration of the ancient ruins is extremely dangerous. Are you sure you want to join?… Alright, I'll discuss it with the others…"
Watching his erratic behavior, someone who knew him well couldn't help but shed tears. "Why? Why would someone do this to us? I've never done anything wrong!"
The person sobbed for a while, then shut their eyes and collapsed.
Most alchemists, being researchers who spent their days in laboratories, had poor adaptability in emergencies.
They stumbled around like headless flies for a while before someone finally thought to use their Book of Friends to call for help from those outside.
However… the text they wrote on the parchment vanished, and no reply came.
Professor Murray, who was dragged into a corner by Wade, was barely conscious. Trembling, he managed to drink a potion and weakly lifted his head.
"Wade…" he said in a faint voice.
"Professor."
Wade knelt beside him and supported the professor's body with one hand.
"Did… you contact Dumbledore?" Professor Murray asked haltingly.
"No," Wade replied softly. "This room seems to have been enchanted with a counter-curse linked to communication spells. Messages can't get through."
"I see…" Professor Murray gasped for air, then spoke with difficulty. "If you… find a way to escape… then go… Don't… worry about me…"
The elderly arm slipped from Wade's grasp as Professor Murray closed his eyes, and his neck lost its strength to support itself.
Wade gently laid him flat on the ground and, just to be sure, checked his breathing.
As he expected, the old man's breathing remained steady.
Professor Murray had likely thought he was on the verge of death, but in truth, he had merely been rendered unconscious.
The statues in the room continued to emit golden specks and scattered tiny fragments that resembled fairy dust.
In the chaos as the wizards ran about in a panic, the shimmering golden specks had been carried everywhere. However, near Wade, whenever the golden specks drifted toward him, they were blocked by an invisible barrier.
For those observant enough, a pattern might have emerged: the first to collapse were those closest to the statues. Their skin was covered in a notable amount of the golden specks.
When Wade activated his Second Sight, he noticed something unusual about these decorative-looking specks—they held magical power far exceeding that of ordinary magic fireworks. Furthermore, it was a strange, unfamiliar type of energy.
Wade silently thanked his tendency to avoid close contact with crowds. From the start, he had remained on the room's periphery, so when the golden specks first erupted, he avoided any direct exposure.
Few wizards, however, were like Wade, capable of quickly identifying the problem and silently casting and maintaining a Protego shield without a wand.
Many alchemists—including Professor Murray—carried alchemical items designed to ward off magical harm.
Yet the golden specks floated like dust, harmlessly settling on skin without immediate effect. Each speck's magical strength was weaker than a single Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean, so they didn't trigger the defensive mechanisms of the alchemical artifacts.
This was how Professor Murray fell victim.
After some thought, Wade decided to feign unconsciousness and collapse to the side amidst the chaos.
One by one, the people in the room succumbed, until the last wizard still struggling with the iron door also fell. After a long silence, new voices began to murmur in the room.
"They're down—"
"All of them are down—"
"The plan worked perfectly—"
"We can go in now—go in now—"
"Open the door—open the door—"
"You fool—the door wasn't even locked—there's no need for me to bother now—"
The portraits on the walls began chattering, and their voices overlapped like a flock of noisy sparrows. They didn't sound like the residual imprints of past wizards left on the canvas, but more like lively, gossiping creatures.
The statues spewing golden specks spun around and sank into the ground. A faint humming noise filled the room as a sudden gust of wind arose, sucking away the golden specks floating in the air.
Wade quietly canceled his Protego spell and, under the cover of his clothing, wiped some of the golden specks from Professor Murray onto his own shirt.
The wind ceased, and with a creaking laugh, one of the portraits silently slid open. A group of masked individuals emerged from behind it, followed by the girl who had earlier been sitting behind the counter.
"They're all down," the girl remarked, giving the sleeping Gull, who was clutching a stone pedestal, a disdainful nudge with her foot. "Useless! And to think I acted in front of him for days."
"Enough chatter. The leader wants us to take all these alchemists back."
A broad-shouldered man leaned down and lifted the frail old wizard Mathias, while another person stepped in to assist, supporting Mathias as they dragged him through the passage.
The group methodically began moving the unconscious alchemists, taking care not to let their bodies bump against the walls.
Wade narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched, his thoughts filled with curiosity.
It would be easier to use a Levitation Charm, yet these people are willing to exhaust themselves physically rather than rely on such a simple spell.
But to think they are Muggles… that don't add up. The Imperius Curse and those peculiar golden specks are far beyond the capabilities of Muggles.
The existence of this group… they didn't appear in the original book or even in the movie series.
Unless… Is there a new movie or TV adaptation after I ended up here? Given the immense popularity of the franchise, a reboot or new material wouldn't be surprising.
Wade amused himself with the thought, suppressing his uncertainty.
Since the group didn't seem to have immediate harmful intentions, Wade dismissed the idea of jumping up to resist for now. Instead, he wiped the golden specks from his shirt onto his palm. Before long, he felt his head grow heavy and foggy.
Naturally, Wade wouldn't allow himself to fully succumb to the effects, but he couldn't afford to make his feigned unconsciousness seem too obvious either.
After some time, footsteps stopped beside him.
"Are you certain?" he heard someone say. "This boy is Wade Grey?"
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460
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