Babua, separated from Harry, was leaning against the stone wall, his heavy breaths forming a mist in the air. His body was entwined with finger-thick vines, and the poison from the thorny vines left his muscles paralyzed, unable to move.
But Babua's mind remained clear. He blinked, watching Vid Gray working busily in the center of the Chamber of Secrets.
This fourteen-year-old boy was originally not taken seriously by others; they thought this boy had some talent, but was certainly not good at combat and had a gentle personality.
One's energy is always limited. How could someone have the strength to study other things after mastering Alchemy to such a profound degree?
And what are alchemists usually like?
Before meeting Vid Gray, almost every wizard would have an image in their mind at the mention of an alchemist:
Wearing glasses, slovenly and unkempt, mumbling incomprehensible profound knowledge to himself all day long, often jumping nervously in fright.
Physically weak, with little contact with the outside world, so they are naive and appear rather simple. Sometimes they are very stubborn, sticking to one thing and rarely changing easily.
And greedy... very greedy.
Researching Alchemy is a money-burning hobby. Nicolas Flamel can turn stones into gold, and Terence Moray knows how to manage, owning many company shares, but apart from them, most alchemists are actually always short of money, having to go to great lengths to make money.
So if other wizards want them to repair something, such as a Peeping Mirror or Invisibility Cloak, they better be prepared to pay through the nose.
Alchemists, all are bookworms, scholars, inventors, the more ordinary ones are craftsmen, the workhorses on the assembly lines at Aslan Magic Workshop, and by no means warriors.
But when he was completely trapped by Vid, Babua realized—turns out even just mastering Alchemy can leave others helpless.
He struggled against the drowsiness brought on by the paralyzing toxin, trying hard to keep his eyes wide open, watching Vid.
The dark-haired boy sat on the steps, murmuring incantations no one could hear, as his magic wand swirled through the air.
The plants in the Chamber of Secrets, initially silent, danced with his magic wand. Vines peeled off the walls, moss rolled up like a carpet from the corners, pebbles rolled on the ground, an unknown clump of weeds bent over to pull its roots out of the soil, and some nail-sized insects fell out, scurrying about in panic.
More and more poppets began to form in the dim light. Vid didn't spend much time on their appearance; all the new poppets were made in the shape of scorpions. Once they touched the ground, they clattered to the walls, ceiling, and the entrance of the Chamber of Secrets.
Suddenly, Babua felt a cold sensation on his temple.
He laboriously rolled his eyes, seeing a palm-sized scorpion puppet perched next to his ear, its tail needle hovering near his neck. Although the puppet had no "eyes", Babua felt as if he was being watched.
"Vid... why..." Babua asked hoarsely, "You... already... have... the Golden Egg..."
The last scorpion puppet landed, and Vid put away his magic wand, sighing softly.
"Why do you all like asking such questions? There's only one champion, whether sooner or later, I'm going to eliminate the others. Given this, is it hard to understand if I find ways to reduce obstacles for future competitions?"
Of course, demonstrating strength to some, showcasing the value of being an alchemist, even demonstrating simple puppet-making methods were purposes he didn't need to disclose.
Needless to say, being viewed as a harmless lamb can certainly allow one to overturn the odds when the opponent is lax, but one has to endure others' contempt and misunderstanding.
These emotions are like tiny thorns, pricking one's pride—not really harmful, yet they make one feel slightly uncomfortable at all times.
But Vid is not a weakling who can only defeat his opponents through "playing the pig to eat the tiger."
Being underestimated has its benefits; showing strength and making others fear you, does that only have drawbacks?
Reputation itself is like a spell, capable of directly transforming into power, wealth, and discourse power. It is a precious intangible asset, invaluable by a thousand gold.
While Vid spoke, a group of scorpion puppets climbed onto the altar, stuffing the Golden Eggs inside their now-hollow bellies, before quickly scuttling off.
The ceiling of the Chamber of Secrets, like a pitch-black dome, swallowed all light, the stone walls full of pits and hollows, where scorpion puppets hid, almost impossible to detect.
The rustling sounds came intermittently, like dried leaves swept across a grassy patch by the wind. Babua's forehead was covered in a dense layer of cold sweat.
Around him... above his head... exactly how many puppets were there? Dozens? Or hundreds?
Even though the materials for the poppets were extremely simple, a standard Flame Curse could destroy a large chunk, but set upon by such a sudden ambush, how many champions could withstand it?
Alchemist... an alchemist like Vid Gray... Just one of him, in the blink of an eye, can become an entire army...
He tried hard to keep his eyes open, looking into the dark, empty corners of the Chamber, listening to the faint sound of wind coming down the passageway, wondering: why is no one stopping him? Didn't the judges see the scene here?
The confusion in Babua's eyes grew stronger.
He said hoarsely, "But... the rules..."
"Yes, the competition rules."
Vid couldn't help but laugh. He looked at Babua with an expression like he was looking at a naïve child:
"At the start of the competition, you can only bring your own magic wand, with each person having a maximum of one Golden Egg, which must be carried back—what rule have I broken?"
Babua: "..."
He was tongue-tied, his numbed brain also dizzy, unable to speak for a long time.
"The rules don't prohibit champions from making their own puppets on the field, just as they don't prohibit us from summoning other aid on the field—such as Flying Broomsticks, nor do they prohibit contestants from transforming into animals."
"Spells, Herbs, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, even Dark Magic have not been explicitly banned. So why should Alchemy alone be unusable?"
Vid said slowly, "The rules also don't prohibit champions from attacking each other, setting traps for opponents, or allying and cooperating. Thirty-three contestants entering only sixteen spots, it's inherently encouraging us to compete and fight, right?"
Babua looked at him, feeling like he was gradually being convinced.
Even though he himself was still hanging on the wall.
Babua didn't know that the issues he just questioned were also the subject of intense debate among the referees watching the competition.
Some were strongly urging the Ministry of Magic Aurors to stop Vid Gray's actions, even declaring him disqualified for violating the rules. But some insisted that his actions did not violate any rules.
When Vid finished speaking, the previously angry headmasters pounding their tables in the referees' seats fell silent. Although their faces were grim, they didn't continue to argue.
If only the staff and students of the Magic School, and the Ministry of Magic were present, they could forcibly argue for the benefit of their students.
But at this moment, wizards from all over the world were watching this competition, and the headmasters still cared about their reputations.
However, upon seeing the screen filled with a dense mass of poppets, many nonetheless showed looks of despair.
Yet Abby and the others were completely unaware, quietly discussing tactics as they approached the Chamber of Secrets arranged by Vid.