A thick plume of black smoke billowed upward and spread freely across the sky, it appeared dense and heavy. The sharp smell of burning filled the air, making it difficult for anyone to approach.
Piercing sirens grew louder as fire trucks roared past along the roadside, their bright red bodies flashed like streaks of lightning.
Pedestrians stopped in their tracks, and several cars pulled over to make way. Curious passengers leaned out of their windows, craned their necks and asked one another, "What's that place up ahead? Why is it on fire?"
Two overweight men in police uniforms pulled up barricades and shouted loudly, "Do not approach! Turn back or take a detour—the area ahead might explode!"
At those words, most passersby who had been complaining about the fire causing delays turned and left immediately.
Still, a few remained behind, apparently feeling the location was far enough that even if there were an explosion, they wouldn't be affected—so they might as well enjoy the spectacle.
A black MPV was also parked at the roadside, but the people inside were deathly pale, with no intention of getting out to watch.
John Adler clutched his beloved briefcase tightly and his voice trembled as he asked, "Hey... that direction... that's my manor, right?"
The driver, wearing white gloves, tried to keep his tone steady as he replied, "Yes, Mr. Adler."
John Adler was speechless for a long time.
He vaguely understood that his side was being used as bait, but before coming, someone had solemnly assured him that the operation would be a success. His manor might suffer some damage, but he would be compensated in other ways.
For example, others in the business would yield more profit to him, or he'd receive a larger share of the longevity potion.
As for himself, he was guaranteed to be in no personal danger during this mission.
—This is what they call no danger?
If he hadn't run fast enough, he might already be roasted alive by now!
Sitting in the same car, Abigail had already silently gripped her wand with her right hand.
She had tried to contact the people left behind at the manor, but received no response. It was almost certain they had all been killed or captured.
Abigail herself couldn't quite understand why the plan had failed—based on previous simulations, their chance of victory had been over 60%; even in failure, the main force had over a 90% escape success rate.
But the outcome had completely defied expectations.
—Did Dumbledore and Grindelwald join forces? Or... are there truly some wizards, like in legends, who erupt with greater power in times of crisis?
Either way, no one has made it out alive—meaning no one could trace this back to me or Adler.
Looking on the bright side, maybe the people in the manor hadn't even had the chance to report Adler's cowardly escape! After all, as obnoxious as he is, he is always generous with his money.
A dangerous glint flickered in Abigail's eyes. Her wand silently extended a fraction from her sleeve.
Since childhood, she had experienced countless battles—she had long since mastered the use of silent spells.
John Adler didn't notice the subtle movements of the "wizard bodyguard" beside him. As he flipped through his contact list on his phone, he grumbled:
"They actually burned everything to the ground! The compensation they promised had better be tripled… no, quintupled! Don't wait for the others—they're definitely all dead! Start the car, we're heading to Harrison…"
Just as John Adler found the name he was looking for, his entire body suddenly stiffened, as if petrified. He couldn't move a single finger.
His phone slipped from his palm, but before it hit the ground, a hand caught it and calmly closed the cover.
Sweat poured from Adler's forehead. He frantically rolled his eyes and saw that his bodyguard and driver had also been turned into statues, motionless and silent, and their breathing was so faint that it was barely audible.
The only person in the car still capable of moving was the mild-mannered wizard bodyguard.
Adler realized what was happening. Shocked and terrified, he stared at her and was unable to understand why she had suddenly turned on them.
Abigail glanced at the strong bodyguards—some were former special forces, sharpshooters, or even boxing champions. Every one of them was far superior to her in close combat.
Yet none of them realized what was happening until the moment they were frozen by magic.
In the back row, the secretary—due to her seating angle—hadn't been hit by the spell.
She quickly noticed the sudden petrification of those around her and instinctively tried to lunge for the door, only to realize that her position made it nearly impossible to reach.
A thin wand was already pointed at the tip of her nose.
The secretary raised her hands and forced a nervous smile. Trembling, she asked, "Why… Miss Abigail? If you're unhappy with your payment, we can renegotiate. I'm sure Mr. Adler would be willing to offer a price that suits you."
John Adler blinked frantically, signaling that he fully agreed.
"You know," Abigail said suddenly, "my parents died because of two reckless wizards."
"Um…" The secretary looked confused and cautiously replied, "That's… that's awful, I'm so sorry…"
Abigail continued:
"I joined the organization to get revenge. I believe reckless wizards like that shouldn't exist in this world. Our boss will lead us in establishing a new order—one where race and magic don't matter, where everyone is bound by law, and no one can act with impunity."
The secretary gave a shaky, sycophantic laugh. "That's a noble ideal… And Mr. Adler supports your organization financially every year to help achieve that…"
Adler looked at her with tearful eyes, urging her silently to say more.
But Abigail petrified the secretary just the same, then continued with an expressionless face:
"I know very well that to achieve this goal, sacrifices are inevitable. Innocent people will be hurt."
"I'm even willing to become the organization's knife—to use my identity as a wizard to steal magical secrets, alter memories, harm those I never wanted to hurt, kill innocent parents and pitiful children… and send children who could've had a normal education to the organization's base, where they can be molded into proper warriors."
"They told me that if you're unwilling to sacrifice anything, you'll never be able to change anything. That short-term pain and loss are inevitable, but they would bring about greater transformation and progress—for the sake of a better, fairer world for those who come after."
"I was deceived."
Abigail spoke with an eerily calm voice.
"Of course, it wasn't you who deceived me. But you're still part of the organization's evil… just like the incredibly foolish me."
The secretary opened her mouth to say something more, but was struck in the chest by a green Killing Curse. She let out a scream, her body jolted once, then slumped back into the seat—dead.
The witch turned her wand toward the other terrified eyes.
"Sorry, everyone… Let's hope in the next life we can just be ordinary people."
…
Several flashes of green light lit up the inside of the car. The dark-tinted windows glowed faintly, but thanks to the light-shielding film, the dim flickers didn't attract any attention from passersby.
All the bodyguards slumped in their seats with pale faces and unmarked bodies—but dead.
Adler was nearly scared to death.
His eyes bulged and his pupils nearly burst from their sockets as he stared at Abigail in horror. He desperately tried to plead with her through his gaze, offering her deals and promises.
Abigail saw it—but showed no intention of sparing him. She pointed her wand at Adler's forehead and whispered, "Legilimens."
…
Half an hour later, a witch in a baseball cap stepped down from the car with her head lowered. She tucked a crystal vial filled with silver memories into her backpack, glanced around, and shut the car door behind her.
By now, the thick black smoke in the distance had thinned considerably. People were gathered a few hundred meters away at a small tavern, drinking and animatedly discussing the unfortunate fate of the Adler family.
There was no one else nearby.
With a flick of the wand hidden in her sleeve, the parked car seemed to come alive. It began to roll slowly, then faster and faster down the sloped road until it broke through the guardrail and soared into the open sky.
Boom—
A violent explosion echoed from the steep hillside below.
Abigail watched the burst of fire and her mind replayed everything she had seen in the Streaming mirror.
The truths she had long ignored were suddenly and starkly laid bare—viscerally revealing the true nature of the organization she served and the colleagues she trusted.
They were cruel, ruthless, cold-blooded—not driven by ideals or principles, but by endless greed and plunder. They weren't even worthy of being called human.
These parasites indulged in lives of luxury, yet still craved power and eternal life. To them, other wizards and ordinary people were nothing more than expendable resources. They felt no compassion, nor a shred of guilt.
After thoroughly combing through Adler's mind, Abigail became even more certain of this.
She had joined the organization to avenge her parents, yet what the organization had done was a thousand times more wicked than those two reckless wizards from her past.
Abigail exhaled slowly, then turned and walked toward the dense forest beside her.
…
Wade sat in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts, cradling a teacup, feeling so comfortable he almost wanted to lie down and nap.
He hadn't realized how precious such a calming environment was until he had lost it.
But it wasn't time to sleep just yet.
After bringing him back, Dumbledore had said he needed to pick up a few more people and then hurried off again. He would probably return before long.
Wade took a sip of hot cocoa and wandered casually around the room.
The sleeping portraits and spinning silver instruments were as familiar as ever.
Against the far wall, a large new space had appeared—it housed a miniature landscape, a world rich in detail, as though nature itself had been compressed into this tiny realm.
Mountains three or four feet high rose along the wall. A winding stream flowed from the peaks, its riverbed laid with tiny pebbles, and the riverbank dotted with wildflowers no bigger than grains of rice.
On one side of the mountain stood a miniature forest, where several of Dumbledore's animal magic dolls were settled in their preferred spots. There were even some new additions, like rabbits the size of fingernails and squirrels as small as peas.
At the foot of the mountain was a small house. A family of five humanoid dolls lived there—one was drawing water, another feeding chickens, one lay napping on a haystack, and two more were sprawled on the attic floor, seemingly playing Gobstones.
After a while, the "mother" finished feeding the chickens and, holding the scoop, knocked the sleeping son awake.
She then called down the two playing upstairs. The whole family picked up their baskets and headed out together—it looked like they were going to gather mulberries.
The simplicity of this rustic life exuded a carefree tranquility. Watching it, one couldn't help but feel at peace.
Wade watched for quite a while, and when the little family began their return journey, he decided to pour himself a glass of water. As he turned around, he realized Dumbledore had returned.
He looked no different than before, smiling kindly as he gestured for Wade to sit across from him.
"Professor," Wade said as he sat down, "your miniature world is becoming more and more detailed."
"Yes," Dumbledore replied with a smile. "Sometimes, when I feel troubled or unsettled, watching them helps me calm down... Though I may have said this many times already, I have to praise you once again—it's a remarkable invention, Wade."
Wade smiled. "Thank you, Professor."
"Tell me about your experiences lately," Dumbledore said. "I imagine you have a lot to get off your chest."
…
The candles in the headmaster's office slowly dimmed and eventually went out completely.
Because daylight had already filled the sky outside. Warm sunlight filtered through the windows, casting soft outlines of the window panes onto the floor.
Wade could even hear the sounds of students chatting noisily on the campus. In the distance, a few figures flitted through the Quidditch pitch—players in training.
He suddenly remembered that in about a month, it would be the match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Perhaps one of those teams was currently practicing.
"Grindelwald's attitude confuses me, Professor," Wade said. "I mean… I think I understand the message he's trying to send, but I don't understand..."
"Why you?" Dumbledore interjected with his thumbs interlaced.
"Yes… The Alliance, Durmstrang, and other countries all have many outstanding young wizards," Wade said.
"I don't think poorly of myself, but in the end, I am your student. I think… I came to believe that Grindelwald's main reason for recruiting me may have been… to target you."
Dumbledore smiled.
"You underestimate your own value, Wade. If I were Grindelwald, I would also place great hopes in you—though, of course, I'm not suggesting you trust him completely."
A glimmer of coldness and complexity flashed in Dumbledore's eyes as he gazed through his half-moon glasses at the patch of sunlight on the table.
"As I've told you before… Gellert Grindelwald is a very dangerous man. He can ignite hearts with words, turning his ideals into others' beliefs—leading them to follow him, even to death."
"His greatest danger lies in convincing people that his goals are noble, his methods are righteous, and that everything he does is for the advancement of all mankind… when in truth, he stops at nothing to achieve his own ends, sacrificing others along the way."
"I believe you won't be deceived by him, Wade. Because not only do you have a clear mind, but you also have people who love you—your parents and friends. Even for their sake, you would never walk the dark and destructive path that Grindelwald has."
"But sometimes, what we do isn't entirely up to us—we're often pushed forward by outside forces. So I must remind you…"
"Always stay vigilant, Wade. Be wary of the temptation of power and the poison of ideology. Constantly examine your own heart… Remember, it is our choices, far more than our abilities, that reveal who we truly are."
--------------------------------
🙏🙏Please consider supporting this translation project by becoming a P@treon member!!!
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Available on my P@treon page for just $4!!
Early access to the following translations:-
⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460
⭐Famous Police Detective in Detective World (FPDDW)- +165 advance chapters
⭐Marvel: Little Genius (MLG) (⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 450
[email protected]/Lightreaper457
--------------------------------