Victor Wick snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the seemingly ordinary cottage was covered in dense, glowing gold ancient runes.
These ancient runes spread to every corner of the small house!
However, in just an instant, the glowing runes vanished.
The ordinary cottage still looked like an ordinary cottage, yet something felt different.
Of course, that was only to an outsider's eyes.
In Victor Wick's vision, those vanished ancient runes were still flickering with a cold, sharp light.
Casting a calm glance at the cottage, which was now in a state of combat readiness, Victor turned and walked toward the door.
The old man outside was likely powerful, but Victor was no longer the weak person he once was. After over a decade of training, he was a completely different man.
Besides... this was his lair.
This was his home turf. Even if he couldn't match the other party in the end, the teleportation runes in this cottage could whisk him away instantly without leaving a trace.
"Creeeak!"
Victor gently pushed the door open.
"Good morning, Mr. Wick," the old man greeted with a smile.
"And who might you be?" Victor asked calmly.
The old man spread his hands and smiled. "Care to take a guess?"
Victor sized up the old man once more.
Now that the old man was standing right before him, Victor could see him more clearly.
"Your face is pale and haggard, suggesting you've spent a long time in a place without sunlight."
"Your clothes are brand new, even your leather shoes. People don't usually buy a whole new outfit just to visit someone unless it's a special occasion. I don't believe there's anything special about me that warrants such a gesture. This suggests you might have just come from somewhere dark where you've been for a long time—somewhere like... prison. That's why you needed new clothes."
"Combine that with your unique aura and the impressive magical prowess you showed by breaking through my traps... Powerful wizards like you are rare in the wizarding world. And you're not Dumbledore..."
Victor's eyes narrowed slightly.
Hearing this, the old man kept his hands behind his back and remained silent, a noncommittal smile on his face.
"I think I know who you are," Victor whispered.
"Oh? And who am I then?" the old man asked casually, rocking on his heels.
"If I'm not mistaken... you're the Dark Wizard who fought that legendary duel with Dumbledore decades ago. The leader of the Acolytes who once took the European wizarding world by storm... Gellert Grindelwald."
Victor certainly knew who Grindelwald was. Even if he'd only had a superficial understanding of this world before transmigrating, he had lived here for over ten years; he knew quite a bit about the people and events of the past.
It seemed his intuition was right. This old man was likely one of the most powerful wizards he had ever faced.
To be able to duel Dumbledore in his prime—a duel witnesses called the greatest ever fought...
Grindelwald was definitely on the same level as Dumbledore. Even if he wasn't quite as powerful, he wouldn't be far off.
Moreover, leading a terrifying revolution required more than just exceptional oratory skills.
First and foremost, you needed the strength to make people sit down and listen to you!
And back then, every wizard who listened to Grindelwald's speeches was incredibly well-behaved...
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
As soon as Victor finished speaking, the old man began to applaud.
"What keen observation. I finally understand why both Dumbledore and that madman Voldemort hold you in such high regard," Grindelwald chuckled.
Victor's expression remained unchanged. "It wasn't a hard guess. What can I do for you? Don't tell me you're planning a comeback and want to 'hold me in high regard' like the others?"
"You're going to make me talk to you at the doorstep? I thought you'd invite me in and offer me a cup of coffee or something," Grindelwald joked.
"You want to come inside? Are you sure?" A hint of a smile touched the corner of Victor's mouth.
Victor knew Grindelwald must have investigated him. He surely knew Victor's style and abilities, and that the house was filled with traps. Yet he still wanted to enter Victor's home turf... Was this the confidence of a top-tier wizard?
Still, coming from this old man, Victor didn't find that confidence out of place.
Grindelwald sighed. "I'm old now. My back and legs can't handle standing for too long... I'm sure you wouldn't have the heart to let a frail old man stand outside during a visit. Especially an old man who just came out of a place where the sun never shines..."
"You can certainly come in! Only..." Victor paused. "Since I'm letting you in, do you actually dare to enter?"
Grindelwald smiled. "Without being modest, there isn't a single place in this world I wouldn't dare to enter."
In those words, Victor heard an echo of Grindelwald's former glory. Yes, this old man had indeed been a powerhouse.
But...
"Is that so? Would you dare enter a place where Dumbledore is present?"
Grindelwald froze for a moment, then gave a self-deprecating laugh.
'This young man... he really won't give an inch, not even in a war of words.'
Seeing Grindelwald's reaction, Victor chuckled to himself.
It was obvious that with Grindelwald's power, almost no prison in the world could hold him.
Therefore, the only reason he had stayed in Nurmengard must have been due to some pact with Dumbledore...
So, now that he had broken the agreement and escaped, he must be quite reluctant to see Dumbledore.
It seemed Victor had guessed correctly.
"Fine, you're right. I wouldn't enter a place where he is. Not because I'm afraid of him, but... I simply don't want to see him, nor do I want him to see me..."
Grindelwald looked a bit dejected.
"Dumbledore isn't here. Since you want to come in, then by all means." Victor fully opened the door.
The decisiveness with which he opened the door caught Grindelwald slightly off guard.
He had expected Victor to stall for time while waiting for Dumbledore's arrival.
Grindelwald had actually noticed long ago that before Victor opened the door, a rune had streaked out from the roof, quickly vanishing into the horizon...