Chapter 48: Chapter 48: How Could a Good Person Like Kuku Have Such Bad Intentions?
The streets were eerily silent.
The night was as dark as ink, and the shadowy buildings lining the streets seemed even more menacing under the dim glow of the moonlight.
Levid followed the flickering flames, silently making his way toward the outskirts of Hogsmeade Village.
Soon, he left the village, and the light from the lantern that had been trailing his shadow finally came to a halt at the stone bridge leading out of the village.
Robert, following the flame, soon turned down a narrow path and ventured deeper into the forest.
As the number of trees thickened, the dim moonlight in the sky faded away entirely.
Robert raised his head, only to find that the night sky was obscured by the dense treetops above him. The shadows of the trees seemed to take on the form of giant beasts, lying in wait, ready to pounce.
At this point, only the faint light from the blue flame guided his path.
"Lumos!" he muttered.
The white light from his wand cut through the darkness, providing him with enough light to steady his nerves.
The flames seemed to be guiding him toward the Forbidden Forest.
Levid raised his wand again.
"Iron Armor Protection!" he called out.
A transparent shield enveloped him, forming an impenetrable barrier around his body.
While the Armor Spell was an advanced incantation, it was no challenge for Levid, who possessed the magical power of a skilled adult wizard.
After moving to Hogsmeade, he had consulted Aberforth and learned this highly useful protective magic from him. After all, he had just recently been struck by an Armor Curse from the Witch Party.
Tom had also wanted to learn the spell, but unfortunately, his magical ability had not been strong enough. Even with his extraordinary talent, he had only been able to cast a partial version of the Armor Spell.
After walking for several more minutes in the pathless Forbidden Forest, Robert finally saw the flame stop in front of what seemed to be a large rock.
Levid raised his wand, and the light illuminated the large stone before him.
But as Robert focused on the stone, he soon realized that it wasn't just any ordinary rock—it was a massive, finely carved stone sculpture of a toad!
Just as Robert was about to examine the toad sculpture more closely, something unexpected happened.
Suddenly, the stone toad opened its mouth wide and swallowed both Robert and his protective shield in one swift motion!
Robert's vision turned dark, but to his surprise, the Armor Spell around him remained intact, signaling that the toad wasn't trying to harm him.
"Swoosh!" he felt his body twist and turn as if caught in a whirlwind. Moments later, the world around him brightened again.
His feet touched the ground once more.
Robert looked around and realized he was no longer in the Forbidden Forest.
He seemed to be in an enormous stone chamber.
The chamber was vast—easily the size of half a football field—and the ceiling towered nearly ten meters above him. Yet, unlike the Forbidden Forest, this space had no natural light. Instead, it was brightly lit, as though it were daytime.
Turning around, Robert saw another stone toad statue standing behind him—exactly like the one in the Forbidden Forest.
It became clear that this stone toad was actually a portal.
A peculiar method of transportation, to say the least—swallowing him over there and spitting him out here.
"Where am I now?" he thought to himself.
"If I were you, I'd step away from that large toad immediately. Otherwise, it might send you right back to the Forbidden Forest," a familiar voice echoed in Robert's ears.
Robert glanced around but saw no one in the stone chamber. The voice, clearly, was not coming from anyone present.
"Come up..." the voice beckoned again.
Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling from the ceiling. Slowly, a section of it tilted downward, forming a steep upward slope.
As the slope took shape, it transformed again, and after a moment, a long stone staircase appeared before Robert.
Robert surveyed the staircase and sighed, rubbing his sore thighs.
"Ugh... I love climbing stairs."
"If you like them, there's more to come," the voice responded.
Before Robert could protest, the staircase inexplicably extended by another fifty meters.
Robert frowned but kept his thoughts to himself. He tightened his grip on his wand and began to ascend the never-ending staircase.
By the time Robert reached the top, panting with exhaustion, he discovered that the new level was another massive stone chamber.
"I'm here. Where are you?" he asked aloud.
Just as he finished speaking, a thick white mist materialized from nowhere, rapidly filling the entire chamber.
Robert's expression grew solemn as he recognized the mist.
"Nightmare Magic..." he muttered under his breath.
The surroundings around him shifted instantly.
The bare stone chamber he had been standing in transformed into a lush garden, complete with birds chirping and flowers blooming, as if it were a warm spring day.
Robert stood frozen in place, stunned by the sudden change. There was no doubt that the Nightmare Magic he was witnessing was far stronger than his own version. This magic could not only affect the caster but could also manipulate the environment to an extraordinary degree.
While Robert didn't feel the effects of the magic himself—he had only recently learned it and wasn't yet capable of this level of control—he understood that the power behind it was overwhelming.
"Come here, let's talk," the voice called out again.
Robert turned toward the sound and found a pavilion ahead. Inside, there was a round table and two chairs. Sitting in one of the chairs was a very strange figure.
At first glance, the person didn't seem human. The figure was cloaked in a dark aura that gave off an unsettling presence.
Robert approached cautiously and, as he drew nearer, could clearly see that the person was surrounded by an eerie black mist.
"We finally meet, Levid," the figure said in a voice that seemed to mock him. "I know you must have many questions. Don't worry—you can ask them now."
Robert nodded and, without hesitation, asked, "Who are you? Why have you brought me here?"
The figure sighed dramatically, as if pained by the question. "I am simply a poor man enslaved by power. As for why I sought you... it's because only you can save my life."
"Me? Save your life?" Robert questioned.
A faint blue light floated out of Robert's pocket, hovering gently before landing in the figure's hands.
"This lighter," the figure said, "You're the only one who can see the light it emits, aren't you?"
End of Chapter
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