Where there be dragons, there be treasure.
This is a well-known legend in the wizarding world.
The reason it remained a legend was that the dragons commonly seen in this era weren't "True Dragons." Their nests held no treasure worth speaking of.
However, the disturbance in the Forbidden Forest was massive, altering the very landscape. There was no way the rest of the magical community hadn't noticed.
Consequently, many people had rushed here to investigate, only to discover a member of the True Dragon Race. And so, the legend that had been dormant for years began to circulate through the wizarding world once more.
As the old saying goes: Men die for wealth, and birds die for food.
Just moments ago, Rey and his companions heard the screams of those dying for wealth.
The screams definitely didn't come from just one person. The Black Dragon's fire could reduce everyone in that cave to ash.
If people are dying in there, there must be treasure. This illogical line of thinking was second nature to those who had already imagined the dragon's cave to be a mountain of gold and silver.
"Petrificus Totalus."
Their attention had just been drawn to the dragon. Before Rey and the others could react, three Body-Bind Curses shot out from the shadows.
The timing was impeccable—right when the dragon had distracted them. Clearly, the attackers were experienced professionals.
There might be treasure in the cave, but there was also a giant dragon.
Outside, however, there were plenty of treasure-seeking wizards, who represented a significant source of income themselves. After all, wizards usually carried their valuables with them.
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Bandits exist in every walk of life, and the wizarding world is no exception.
The people ambushing Rey's trio were wizarding bandits.
There were three of them with a clear division of labor. Each targeted one person and cast the Body-Bind Curse simultaneously. Their coordination was so perfect they practically spoke in unison. Before Rey and the others could fully react, they all hit the ground.
The three ambushers emerged from the surrounding rocks.
One was an earless old man wearing black leather armor. He was soaking wet, as if he had just been fished out of the water.
The other two were in their twenties. One was missing his left leg, supported by a wooden peg below the knee. The other was missing his right hand.
Obvious disabilities. One could only wonder what these three had gone through to end up like this.
In the magical world, disabled wizards are rare because many injuries can be cured by magic. If someone remained disabled, the cause was almost certainly Dark Magic or a cursed object.
Wounds caused by Dark Magic generally cannot be healed. Aside from that, there are special spells like Sectumsempra that require a specific counter-curse.
"You two damn maggots, kill the big one. Grab the two little ones and take them with us."
The earless old man cursed under his breath. The two he scolded immediately quickened their pace.
The one with the wooden leg moved the fastest. He reached Rey's side but pulled out his wand to finish off the paralyzed Terence.
---
Rey had been ambushed and fell to the ground, paralyzed.
However, just as he hit the ground, the invisible little dragon bit him on the head. Immediately, the magic binding him was broken.
But time waited for no one.
Rey hadn't expected these ambushers to be so ruthless—not just robbing, but killing.
He and Helena seemed useful to them, but the adult Terence was just dead weight to be disposed of immediately.
Just as the one-legged man was about to strike, Rey grabbed his wooden peg with his right hand and yanked hard.
Thud.
Without surprise, the man slammed heavily onto his back, his wand flying out of his hand.
As he pulled, Rey pointed his wand at the other man who was about to grab Helena and cast Sectumsempra.
Squelch.
The sound of a sword slicing into flesh followed. The man clutched his neck with one hand, retreating while making gurgling noises, and finally collapsed face-forward.
Rey's wand had been aimed at the man's neck. His death was a certainty.
Tripping one and killing another—Rey took less than a second.
He had just been hit by the Body-Bind Curse, so the three men had lowered their guard, allowing his surprise attack to succeed. Even the ringleader, the old man, was stunned for a moment before raising his wand.
"Finite Incantatem."
"Crucio."
Two spells were cast in succession.
Rey cast the counter-curse on Helena, while the earless old man cast the Cruciatus Curse on Rey.
"Ah..."
With a cry of pain, Rey felt his heart contract violently as if twisted by a knife. He collapsed to his knees, strength draining from his body.
"Stupefy."
With a flash of light, the recovered Helena fired a Stunning Spell at the earless old man.
The old man had to keep his wand pointed at Rey to maintain the Cruciatus Curse, leaving him defenseless. Moreover, Helena reacted incredibly fast, countering the moment she was free.
After the old man was blasted back into the rocks, Rey relaxed, though he was still in too much pain to stand.
Helena immediately moved to lift the Body-Bind Curse on Terence.
Meanwhile, the man Rey had tripped was crawling away and had found his wand.
"Avada Kedavra."
A bolt of green lightning flashed. It was Terence, still lying on the ground, who cast the Killing Curse.
The wooden-legged man, who had just retrieved his wand, was blasted away by the green light.
---
Two of the three were down. Helena checked on Rey, while Terence immediately stood in front of them, facing the direction where Helena had blasted the earless old man.
The Cruciatus Curse truly lived up to its reputation as one of the Three Unforgivable Curses.
The spell acted directly on the heart, inflicting pain far beyond normal limits. In that instant, Rey was in so much pain he couldn't breathe and nearly dropped his wand.
"Are you okay?"
Helena supported Rey, looking worried.
"Much better. Thanks." Rey smiled weakly, his face pale.
It had been a close call. Helena was still shaken.
If Rey hadn't launched that surprise attack, they would have been done for. Especially Terence—the attackers planned to kill him first, meaning he had truly brushed shoulders with death.
That was why, the moment Helena lifted the curse, he didn't hesitate to use the Killing Curse.
There is no mercy for enemies who want your life. Besides, as a noble, this likely wasn't his first time killing.
After that near-death experience, Terence's gaze toward Rey was much friendlier. Once Rey recovered slightly, Terence began walking slowly toward the pile of rocks.
One ambusher was still alive, likely unconscious behind the rocks. Before he woke up, Terence needed to add a little something extra to ensure he stayed down.
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