Rolf led the five of them into a new tent. Suspended from the ceiling was a table-sized model of a Scottish Black Dragon, which occasionally let out a howl and flapped its wings.
But even more deafening than the model itself was the other roar—so close as though it rang directly in their ears. Even those who couldn't understand dragon speech could clearly hear the fury within it.
Everyone's breathing hitched. Hope bit her lip, her body trembling; Natalia shut her eyes in silent prayer; cold sweat streamed down the faces of Ganish and Jabari, their eyes filled with dread.
Among the champions, only Wade remained relatively calm. Standing beside him, however, Rolf's eyes held a trace of sympathy.
"It's angry, isn't it?" Ganish asked in a quavering voice. "Why is it so angry?"
"Because of this."
To their surprise, Rolf actually knew the answer. He raised a hand and pointed at the little black dragon model above them.
"The Scottish Black Dragon you'll face is a young mother. She woke up to find her child missing, trapped in a narrow enclosure. She can hear her baby's cries from not far away, but she can't see it…"
Rolf paused, his expression tinged with pity for the dragon mother—and with concern for the champions.
He said softly, "If it were you, what would you do?"
Hope, still trembling, answered in a voice so dejected it was almost lifeless: "Tear apart every single person who stood in front of me."
"Exactly."
Rolf nodded, sighing. "That's why the Ministry arranged it this way—they're worried the mother dragons might hold back otherwise… In short, once you're in the arena, don't expect any mercy. That Black Dragon will attack you with everything it has."
"Mr. Crouch from the Ministry said, if anyone feels they truly can't handle it, they can choose to forfeit. There will be people on standby, ready to restrain the enraged Black Dragon at once."
Just then, a sharp, piercing whistle cut through the silence of the tent. Rolf quickly reminded him: "Wade, it's your turn!"
Wade drew his wand. Without sparing a glance at the tense expressions of the others, he followed Rolf out.
They rounded the tent and passed through a narrow passage lined with shrubs, until they reached its end. Ahead, a gap opened in the thicket.
"Good luck, Wade."
Rolf stopped and looked at him with an unspoken trace of worry in his round eyes.
Wade gave him a slight nod, then stepped into the arena, his strides were steady and his bearing was calm and composed.
Rolf blinked, and for a moment it felt as though the sunlight had draped Wade in a golden cloak of armor—like nothing in the world could defeat him.
He took two steps closer to the opening and looked out at the scene—
Seven fire dragons formed a massive encircling ring. At the center of the circle was a golden compass, as large as a millstone, slowly turning. Each dragon was bound by chains thicker than a man's wrist, holding them tightly within their range.
Closest of all was the Scottish Black Dragon. Its enormous body loomed like a moving mountain, radiating a suffocating aura of pressure.
Its wings were bat-like, its skin was a deep ink-black, and its eyes were gleamed with a savage, violent light.
Most striking of all was its thick, powerful tail, covered in hard scales and ridged spines. At the tip gleamed a sharp arrowhead, reflecting a cold, lethal light.
The moment someone stepped out into view, the Black Dragon immediately lunged forward—only to be yanked back by its chains. Without hesitation, it opened its jaws and let out an enraged roar!
"ROAR—!"
The ground itself seemed to tremble. A torrent of searing flames burst forth like a flood, surging straight toward Wade, as though to reduce the tiny human figure to ash.
Facing the oncoming inferno, Wade swiftly flicked his wand: "Protego!"
An invisible shield sprang up, forming an unyielding barrier. The stream of fire crashed against it, instantly blooming into a wall of gold-red flames. Scorching air blasted outward in every direction.
Even before the flames had died down, Wade angled his wand skyward and shouted:"Aguamenti!"
—Of course, such a basic spell hardly required him to speak aloud, but Wade wasn't about to reveal his ability with silent casting just yet.
Clear water jetted from the tip of his wand, arcing in a silver parabola through the air before colliding with the fire. The two elements met with a violent reaction.
With a furious hissss, the water vaporized on contact, exploding into a massive cloud of white steam. It spread outward at blistering speed, as though a piece of the heavens had been dragged down to earth, shrouding the entire arena in mist.
The Black Dragon recoiled at the sudden change, startled and enraged. It lunged again toward where Wade had been, only to be wrenched back by its chains.
Roaring, it spewed fire, lashed its massive tail, and thrashed about wildly, trying to disperse the fog and flush out the vanished foe.
That was exactly what Wade wanted. Quietly incanting again, he cast several more jets of water. The fog thickened rapidly until even a few meters away was impossible to see.
But to Wade, this posed no problem at all. The Black Dragon's racket was louder than a pile-driver. Even without sight, he could track its movements by sound alone.
For extra security, he cast a Sensory Enhancement Charm on himself. His five senses sharpened to a razor edge; he could detect even the faintest ripple in the air.
Keeping alert, he flicked his wand again and again, layering silent spells: shielding charms, concealment charms, distraction charms—whether they worked or not, he flung them all without hesitation.
The Black Dragon seemed to realize Wade had left his original spot. It lumbered in circles within the range of its chains, wings beating, tail lashing violently, smashing at everything it could reach.
Suddenly, Wade felt a fierce gust tearing toward his back, heavy with crushing force.
Without the slightest hesitation, his body moved like a coiled spring unleashed. He dove to the ground, his palms slapped the dirt as he rolled and flipped away from his previous position.
An instant later, the dragon's massive tail whipped past with a gale roaring in its wake. It smashed into the earth with a thunderous crack, gouging a deep trench as stones and dirt exploded skyward.
The dragon's furious roar cut off abruptly. The air grew taut, charged with a palpable, violent killing intent.
Unbidden, an image flashed in Wade's mind: the dragon's ears twitching ever so slightly, catching the faint sound of his evasive movement.
It tilted its head, leaning forward as though pretending to notice nothing—yet its whole body was coiled to strike.
The next second, it lunged with its massive jaws wide open, teeth glinting sharp—
The vision shattered. In the same instant, Wade whipped his wand and muttered: "Avis!"
A flurry of birds erupted, scattering in every direction. The sudden noise made the dragon pause for just a heartbeat.
And in that heartbeat, Wade sprinted the last stretch and slammed his hand onto the golden compass!
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- 200+ Chapters
⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460
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